The director behind the monitors spotted the close-up of the suitcase and went blank. Half a second later, he snapped out of it. "Quick, quick, quick! Blur it out!"
"We absolutely cannot broadcast this!"
"We only just got cleared to air again!"
He shouted into his walkie-talkie while inwardly ranting.
Had Jian Li lost his mind?!
Was he planning to go full villain?!
And seriously...
What the fuck!
How the hell had all this stuff made it through security?!
Hearing the orders over the walkie-talkie, the effects team belatedly plastered giant animated sparklers over the contents of Jian Li's suitcase.
Brilliant colors filled the screen, and the dumbstruck viewers immediately pulled out their keyboards.
[Has the director chickened out?! Didn't they call this the most hardcore survival reality show ever?! A nonstop, round-the-clock livestream from every angle, and now they're censoring things?]
[Hahaha, Jian Li probably scared the crap out of him. A whole suitcase of prohibited items! Come to think of it, he barely packed any changes of clothes, and the few he did bring are those super-thin outdoor ones. That's kind of professional!]
[Everyone saw it clearly, right?! A Multifunctional Knife, Steel Nunchaku, 6E6 Wire Cutters, an Alpha Combat Knife, an NRS Tactical Knife, even a Military Shovel?! Jian Li brought the whole kit? Was he in some wilderness combat unit or something?!]
[Please?! Can you stop putting Jian Li on a pedestal? He probably bought them for attention. I don't believe he can use a single one! If he actually can, I'll stand on my head and... wait? What's Jian Li doing?!]
"You're confiscating all of it?" Jian Li picked up the Steel Nunchaku. "We've only just started bonding, and you're already tearing us apart?"
His tone was casual as he deftly whipped them around his body.
His movements were so fast they made everyone's eyes blur.
A few seconds later, he stuffed the nunchaku into the arms of the openmouthed staff member. "Fine. I'm good at hand-to-hand combat anyway."
[Uh... did you have to show off that hard?]
[Bro Jian Li, you're my bro now. Can you teach me nunchaku?! Last time I nearly broke my own bones!]
[A few flashy moves were enough to fool you lot? Ha. You really haven't seen anything!]
[You call that flashy nonsense? Show us a few moves yourself, then. Can you stop mindlessly hating?!]
Once Jian Li's suitcase had been searched, the other guests opened theirs in turn.
Award-winning actor Huo Xiao had packed very simply, bringing only essential clothing.
Action actress Luo Xiaohong, meanwhile, had brought some cosmetics and a Soft Whip.
"These all have to be handed over. They'll be returned once filming is over," the staff member said as they collected the items.
Luo Xiaohong nodded. "Sure."
She had barely finished speaking when Lu Yuanhang eagerly piped up. "There aren't any prohibited items in my suitcase, just a photo of my older brother, Lu Siqi. As you all know, I get sick a lot, and my brother has always been there for me..."
"Can you shut up?" Unable to take it any longer, Luo Xiaohong finally stopped controlling her expression and rolled her eyes outright. "Who wants to hear about your deep brotherly bond?"
"Besides, every time you nearly get yourself killed, isn't Jian Li the one who gives you blood?"
"What has your brother done besides spout a load of hot air?"
"If you're so grateful, why don't you put Jian Li on a pedestal?!"
The sudden rebuke left Lu Yuanhang speechless. He looked over at her with reddened eyes.
"Stop sniveling all the time. It's annoying just looking at you!" Luo Xiaohong turned away in disgust, clearly unwilling to spare him another glance.
The atmosphere immediately grew awkward again.
For a while, no one dared to speak.
Jian Li was not remotely surprised by this turn of events.
In the original novel, this was exactly how Luo Xiaohong had laid into the original owner of his body...
No wonder she looked down on the scrawny weakling and the guy with the rare blood type. After all, she really was the daughter of the thirty-eighth-generation leader of a martial arts sect. Acting and appearing on reality shows were just part-time gigs while she ventured out to experience the world.
Raised on martial arts and determined to promote her country's fighting traditions, it was perfectly normal for this "leading lady" to have a phobia of useless people...
Looks like Lu Yuanhang's in for a rough time.
At that thought, he withdrew his gaze, the faintest hint of a smile curling his lips.
Lu Siqi had just finished a merger meeting and returned to his office to check on the show's progress.
His assistant brought over a tablet. As though everything were firmly under his control, he asked, "Well? Jian Li's getting torn apart, isn't he?"
"Um... Mr. Lu, I'm not quite sure." The assistant looked slightly awkward.
Lu Siqi raised an eyebrow and turned the screen toward himself.
He had just increased the volume when the words "What has your brother done besides spout a load of hot air?" drifted out.
His face darkened at once. He was about to say something when the scrolling comments caught his eye.
[Luo Xiaohong's takedown was so satisfying! Instant fan! I'm so sick of him going on and on about his big brother. Doesn't Lu Yuanhang feel embarrassed saying that cutesy stuff?!]
[I'm dying. I've been holding it in forever too. Just seeing Lu Yuanhang makes me physically uncomfortable. Come clean, production team: did you invite him just to screw him over and let everyone roast him?!]
[Legendary! Love Xiaohong's attitude. Once the survival game starts, kick that panda out first!]
As if playing along with the comments, the camera went straight to a close-up of Lu Yuanhang, capturing his pitiful, sympathy-inducing look from every possible angle.
Lu Siqi's expression went from dark to thunderous in an instant. His jaw tightened, and his gaze was icy when he looked up at his assistant. "Didn't I tell you to handle Luo Xiaohong? Why is she targeting Yuanhang?!"
"Mr. Lu," the assistant said helplessly, "Luo Xiaohong won't take money, doesn't want career opportunities, and has some unidentified financial backer protecting her. There's simply no way to handle her."
Lu Siqi said nothing.
His assistant was competent, or he would not have kept him around for three years.
If he said he could not handle her, then it really must be difficult...
But that's all right. Even without Luo Xiaohong, the arrangements I've made with the production team will be enough to make Yuanhang a star and drag Jian Li through the mud.
Lu Siqi tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Find some more gossip accounts and turn public opinion around."
"Yes."
The assistant answered, picked up the tablet, and left the office.
As the door closed, Lu Siqi leaned back in his executive chair and irritably rubbed between his brows. Suddenly remembering something, he stood and picked up his phone.
But a moment later, his hand stopped as he spotted the number saved in his contacts as "That bitch's son."
Damn it!
Jian Li has already blocked me!
Where did he get the fucking nerve?!
Before you continue