Did they dig into my background?!

The WeChat group named the Revenge Squad fell silent after Huo Xiao sent a single message.

No one spoke again, even by the advertising audition the next day. It felt as though everyone had secretly left the group.

At nine in the morning, the sun shone brightly.

Quite a few celebrities had already arrived at the five-star hotel next to the CCTV building. They chatted as they queued, trying to fish some inside information out of one another.

"I heard they've already picked someone for this recruitment ad. Is everyone else just here to make up the numbers?"

"Really? My agent didn't mention that. Eh, I'm not getting my hopes up anyway. Might as well give it a shot."

"If they really have picked someone already, CCTV's screwing us over. Isn't this a waste of our time?"

"Not necessarily. Aren't we all hoping to get our faces remembered? If someone takes a liking to us, even if we don't get this one, we'll have a better shot at other ads!"

"According to a reliable insider, the director already has his eye on the guests from Lone Warrior. He thinks they have the right bearing to play soldiers!"

"We're not bad either, are we? We've done plenty of action scenes!"

"..."

Wearing a baseball cap, Yuan Feng crept furtively to the back of the line. Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder. He hastily turned around and saw Luo Xiaohong watching him with narrowed eyes.

"Didn't you turn it down? Why are you here auditioning?"

Yuan Feng choked, then shot back, "Didn't you turn it down too? Why are you here?!"

"I..." Luo Xiaohong was about to explain.

Two more people appeared behind them.

It was Shi Huayi and Zhou Nan.

"Oh, everyone's here?"

"Heh. Heh, heh, heh!"

The four undercover agents exchanged awkward smiles.

Who could have imagined that the ad they had so righteously refused yesterday

would become something they had to attend because of a new mission from their superiors?!

And so, when Jian Li arrived at the audition venue, he found the entire original Revenge Squad there.

"...What a coincidence." Dragged there by his agent, Jian Li gave a perfunctory but polite wave. "We meet again!"

As minor celebrities who all had unusual identities within the entertainment industry, they each offered a few explanations with their own hidden agendas, and the matter of the group chat was considered closed.

Less than thirty seconds later, they all went quiet again, working very hard to blend into the background.

Just then, a celebrity who had finished auditioning emerged from the studio, and a crowd swarmed around them.

"How was it? Was the director's test hard?"

"The test itself was pretty simple. It was the movements that were difficult."

"How difficult? Harder than Jackie Chan's fight scenes?!"

"Ah, you probably need actual combat experience or professional training. Either way, I couldn't do it..."

Perhaps sensing that there was little hope, the celebrity gave a few noncommittal responses and hurried away.

The others let out dispirited sighs.

"Isn't it just a recruitment ad? If the requirements are this strict, they might as well find some actual soldiers!"

"They invited us to audition because they wanted the appeal of celebrities, right? Shouldn't they relax the requirements a little?!"

"..."

Despite all their complaints, when a staff member came out, everyone perked up and prepared to hear their numbers called.

Instead, the staff member walked straight past the front of the line and beckoned toward the back. "You lot can audition first."

The entire Revenge Squad looked stunned. "Huh?"

"Yes, I mean you." The staff member nodded to them. "The director wants to see you!"

"Why? We've been waiting forever! They only just got here, so why do they get to audition first?!" someone protested.

Apparently prepared for this, the staff member smiled. "The director said that, to avoid wasting everyone's time, these people will audition publicly first. All participants are welcome to watch."

"If, after watching, you think you can do better, the director welcomes you to step forward."

Those words silenced everyone.

This would be a public audition. There would be no way to pull any tricks.

If someone uploaded it online, it would be the equivalent of a public execution!

Would those people really dare?

The same thought occurred to everyone as they looked toward the back.

Finding himself the center of attention again, Jian Li could only lament inwardly,

They just had to fucking force me to come!

What a curse!

"Well, since the director thinks so highly of us, shall we?" He stuck one hand in his pocket and strode forward.

The rest of the Revenge Squad followed, entering the audition hall under everyone's scrutiny.

Behind a long table, the director pushed up the glasses on his nose, his lips curling into a mocking smile. "Well, well, if it isn't the stars who refused to appear! All here bright and early today, are we?"

That one remark revealed a great deal.

The watching celebrities shot them astonished looks.

So many people were fighting tooth and nail to appear in this ad, even if they only got a shot or two.

And these people had actually turned it down?!

Had a donkey kicked them in the head?!

No one in the Revenge Squad said a word. They glanced elsewhere, looking as though they might start whistling nonchalantly at any moment.

They wore the defiant air of failing students with nothing left to fear.

Just taking part should be enough, right?

As for not getting picked, that's the director's problem!

Unaware that he was about to become their scapegoat, the director stopped mocking them and changed the subject.

"We have another judge for today's auditions."

He glanced down at his watch. "He should be here any moment."

Before he had finished speaking, a tall, slender figure entered through the back door and reached his seat in a few strides. "Sorry, everyone. I'm late."

The low, resonant voice made the Revenge Squad turn around. Once they saw who it was, they all froze.

Huh?

Huo Xiao?

The actual predetermined choice was serving as a judge?!

"Not at all, not at all." The director stood, smiling ingratiatingly. "You're right on time."

"We recorded the earlier auditions, but... their performances weren't very good. You can disregard them."

He said it without any reservations, right in front of everyone who had auditioned.

That was the clout that came with CCTV's backing.

That was the entertainment industry's rule of competition: survival of the fittest.

Cruel, but realistic.

Huo Xiao nodded and sat in the chair the director had eagerly pulled out for him. When he raised his head, he looked toward the people in the middle of the room.

His gaze was calm, cool, and composed, as though he did not know them at all. "We can begin."

The director picked up the test sheet. "Slide onto both knees and draw your gun, roll into a prone position and draw your gun, turn and drop prone while drawing your gun..."

The more he said, the worse the Revenge Squad's expressions became.

Jian Li: "..." Fuck! Why does everything involve guns? Did they dig into my background?!

Yuan Feng: "..." The second I pick up a gun, my body takes over and gets fucking professional. What am I supposed to do?!

Shi Huayi and Zhou Nan: "..." Please spare these old bones and their conditioned reflexes!

Luo Xiaohong: "..." How am I supposed to hide my dashing moves and martial prowess?!

The Revenge Squad, who had originally planned to muddle through and get eliminated, found themselves at a complete loss. Just as they were racking their brains for a solution, heavy equipment suddenly came flying at them from somewhere.

Their gazes sharpened in unison.

They sprang up, caught their targets, and rolled as they landed.

Their gun barrels snapped toward the judges' table.

The entire sequence took only a few seconds, but the situation in the room changed abruptly. The director, sitting frozen in his chair, even had the illusion that he was about to be riddled with bullets.

Holy shit!

They'd definitely trained before, hadn't they?!

Otherwise, how could they feel so intimidating?!