Li Xiaoniu slowly uttered a name.
“Hunter Academy.”
As soon as the name was spoken, the roars on the training ground seemed to quiet down considerably.
Hunter Academy was not a traditional military academy in the usual sense.
It was more like a devil’s training camp existing in a gray area.
The academy was located deep within a vast, boundless tropical jungle in South America.
It was run by an international private security company with a complex background.
The area was perennially hot and humid, infested with venomous insects, and the environment was extremely harsh.
The academy’s motto was just one sentence, a sentence that instilled awe in all special forces soldiers:
Either become the most outstanding warrior, or die here.
This was not an exaggeration.
Every year, elite special forces from various countries worldwide dispatched their most skilled members to Hunter Academy for intensive training.
The selection process there was called “Hell Week,” with an elimination rate of over ninety percent.
The training content was even more incredible, challenging the limits of human physiology and psychology.
Most importantly, the training at Hunter Academy was never a simulated exercise.
Their so-called combat training involved direct, live-fire confrontations with local drug lords, arms dealers, and various criminal organizations.
Every mission was accompanied by immense risk.
Therefore, every student entering Hunter Academy had to sign a thick waiver.
Once an accident occurred during training, whether death or injury, the academy and the dispatching country were not required to bear any responsibility.
It was a Shura field where lives were gambled.
The first members of the Megakaryocyte Special Operations Group had undergone over twenty days of special training at Hunter Academy.
That experience was unforgettable for each of them.
Li Xiaoniu still remembered the combat training that changed everything.
At that time, the academy’s intelligence department made a fatal error.
They mistakenly assessed a drug trafficking armed group with heavy firepower as a small-scale smuggling gang.
As a result, the international mixed team led by Lu Mingyu and others, including several academy instructors and special forces from other countries, plunged directly into the meticulously arranged encirclement of the enemy.
After an intense battle, the team was scattered.
A senior academy instructor and several foreign special forces were captured alive by the drug traffickers and held as hostages.
While the academy was still bickering over the intelligence error and discussing their bureaucratic and slow rescue plan,
Lu Mingyu had already made a decision.
He refused to wait.
Relying on his extraordinary personal abilities and keen judgment of the jungle environment,
he single-handedly infiltrated the drug trafficker’s lair, which the locals called “Devil’s Nest.”
No one knew what exactly happened in that impregnable camp that night.
People only knew that when dawn broke the next day, and the academy’s rescue team was still hovering on the periphery,
Lu Mingyu had already emerged with all the hijacked personnel, unharmed.
And that drug trafficker’s stronghold, which had plagued the jungle for years and left even the local government forces helpless,
had turned into a sea of fire and a land of death.
That battle completely established Lu Mingyu’s legendary status in the global special forces community.
Afterward, the management of Hunter Academy, to express their gratitude and apology,
and to win over this god-of-war level powerhouse,
exceptionally awarded Lu Mingyu a certificate of “Lifetime Honorary Instructor.”
This certificate was unique worldwide.
With it, Lu Mingyu could recommend five students to Hunter Academy each year.
The most important point was that all Chinese personnel recommended by him could enjoy all free top-level training resources at Hunter Academy.
Thinking of this, Li Xiaoniu’s eyes showed some excitement.
“Boss, do you still have that honorary instructor certificate?”
“We can use this opportunity to send over those promising recruits we finally selected.”
“Let them truly see blood, smell the gunpowder, and see what a real battlefield looks like.”
“Only those who survive from such a place are worthy of becoming a member of our Macrophages.”
Li Xiaoniu looked at Lu Mingyu and offered his suggestion.
Lu Mingyu pondered deeply.
Li Xiaoniu’s suggestion was exactly what he wanted.
The selection criteria for Macrophages were already stringent.
And Hunter Academy was undoubtedly the best touchstone to test the mettle of these Rookies.
He needed sharp weapons that could go to the battlefield, not flowers in a greenhouse.
After a moment of silence, Lu Mingyu slowly nodded, signifying his approval of Li Xiaoniu’s plan.
Hengdian World Studios, Republic of China Style Street.
The film crew was intensely making final preparations before shooting.
Lighting, camera, props, personnel from various departments moved back and forth, busy and orderly.
Beside a luxurious nanny van outside the shooting venue,
the agent Hong Jie leaned against the car door and lit a lady’s cigarette.
She took a puff and slowly exhaled light blue smoke rings.
Her gaze was directed towards Gu Lina Zha, who was communicating with the director not far away.
Today, Naza was wearing a well-tailored Republic of China student uniform.
Two dark braided pigtails hung over her chest, making her appear pure and charming.
Assistant Xiao Lu walked over with two insulated cups, handing one to Hong Jie.
“Hong Jie, have some water, the sun is strong today.”
Hong Jie took the cup but did not drink, merely holding it to warm her hands.
She glanced at Xiao Lu and casually asked:
“Xiao Lu, is Naza-jie still staying up late playing that game recently?”
Xiao Lu nodded and honestly replied, “Yes, Hong Jie.”
“Naza-jie still likes to play that shooting game; she plays on her phone whenever she has free time.”
“Sometimes after finishing a late-night shoot, she gets back at dawn, but she can still energetically play a couple of rounds before going to sleep.”
Upon hearing this, Hong Jie not only wasn’t angry, but the corners of her mouth slightly curved upwards, revealing a thoughtful smile.
“It’s good that she likes to play.”
“Playing games is always better than pondering over those messy things.”
Xiao Lu looked at her agent with some confusion, not understanding what she meant.
In Xiao Lu’s impression, Hong Jie had always been very strict about Naza’s schedule.
Staying up late to play games was something that was strictly forbidden in the past.
Hong Jie saw Xiao Lu’s confusion, flicked the ash from her cigarette, and explained:
“Recently, Mango TV is preparing a new variety show called ‘Gun God Arrives.’ ”
“Its main focus is celebrities playing shooting games.”
“I’ve seen their proposal; the production team is strong, and the investment is large, it’s an S-tier project.”
“Since Naza likes to play so much, it’s a perfect opportunity for her to try it out.”
Xiao Lu’s eyes immediately lit up.
“Really? That’s great!”
“Naza-jie will definitely be very happy!”
“This way, she can play games legitimately.”
Hong Jie gave her a sidelong glance and said impatiently:
“Do you think it’s just as simple as going to play?”
“This type of variety show is one of the easiest ways to gain fans nowadays.”
“It can satisfy her personal hobby and let her have fun.”
“And also earn money along the way, while maintaining exposure—killing three birds with one stone.”
“Moreover, if she plays well and is noticed by that game company, it’s not impossible for her to secure an endorsement deal.”
“The developer of that game is known for being generous; the endorsement fee will definitely be an astronomical figure.”
Listening to Hong Jie’s clear analysis, Xiao Lu’s face was filled with admiration.
In her opinion, Hong Jie always managed to arrange everything perfectly.
She always found the best options for Gu Lina Zha.
Hong Jie put out her cigarette and threw the butt into a nearby trash can.
Her gaze once again turned towards Gu Lina Zha in the distance, her eyes full of pride.
In this industry, the profession of an agent, while seemingly glamorous, was actually full of hardship.
Hong Jie had seen too many colleagues, in order to secure a role or an endorsement for their artists,
having to beg everywhere, put on a smiling face, and even get drunk to unconsciousness at dinner tables.
They needed to use all their connections, stake all their dignity, to pave the way for their artists.
But she was an exception.
Having managed Gu Lina Zha for so many years, Hong Jie had almost never experienced such things.
She didn’t need to seek resources, because the best resources always came to her proactively.
She didn’t need to force a smile, because collaborators were always polite to them.
She certainly didn’t need to accompany clients for drinks, because no one dared to force Gu Lina Zha’s agent to drink.
Her job was more like a high-level selector and planner.
Every day, she faced a flurry of scripts, endorsements, and announcements.
All she needed to do was choose the most suitable ones for Gu Lina Zha.
Then, based on her time and wishes, negotiate the best compensation with the other party.
Although this job was still busy, she enjoyed it.
Because she served someone worth her dedication.
An artist who truly treated her as family, not a tool.
This kind of mutually respectful and mutually beneficial relationship,
in the fickle entertainment industry, was a luxury.