Li Tianlong pursed his lips and said nothing more, but his walking posture became even more awkward.
The photographer, Qi Kong, saw all of this and captured it on camera.
He said nothing, simply performing his job with the utmost professionalism.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the mess hall.
Even before they got close, a rich aroma wafted into everyone's noses.
It was a strong scent, a mixture of beef, spices, and noodles.
Li Tianlong's stomach grumbled uncontrollably.
"Damn, did the mess hall turn over a new leaf today? It smells so good?"
He mumbled in surprise.
The three of them walked into the mess hall and were immediately stunned by the sight before them.
In the spacious and bright mess hall, in front of the serving window, there was a large pot of steaming beef noodles.
In the reddish-brown broth, large chunks of beef floated, each piece stewed until tender and flavorful.
White noodles were submerged in the soup, topped with vibrant green cilantro and chopped scallions; just looking at it made one's mouth water.
A master chef, dressed in a white chef's uniform and looking honest and humble, was busy at the window.
He was the head chef of the army mess hall, Master Wu.
Master Wu's culinary skills were renowned throughout the entire brigade; he even held an advanced chef's certificate.
However, due to the army's usual food standards and budget, he rarely had the opportunity to display his full talent like this.
The spread today was clearly specially prepared.
The beef in the beef noodles was even more generous than what was served during celebratory meals after a victory.
Zhou Chenguang and Li Tianlong's eyes were glued to the sight.
Although what they usually ate wasn't bad, it was simply incomparable to the beef noodles before them, which were perfect in color, aroma, and taste.
Lu Mingyu also felt a bit surprised.
He looked back at Qi Kong and his assistant behind him.
The young assistant was secretly swallowing his saliva, his eyes practically glued to the pot of beef noodles.
Even the usually serious Qi Kong's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
Lu Mingyu understood.
He spoke again, his tone slightly softer than it had been in the office.
"Director Qi, won't you try some?"
"Our Master Wu's beef noodles aren't something you can find just anywhere."
This time, his invitation carried a hint of sincerity.
Qi Kong looked at the incredibly tempting pot of beef noodles, then at Lu Mingyu.
Perhaps the incredibly rich aroma broke his 'only work, no eating' defense.
Perhaps he felt that eating a bowl of noodles would also allow him to better integrate into and observe the environment.
He was silent for a few seconds, then finally nodded.
"Then... thank you, Captain Lu."
"We'll just try the beef noodles."
A faint smile seemed to flicker at the corner of Lu Mingyu's mouth, but it was too quick to catch.
"Alright."
He walked to the window and called out to Master Wu inside.
"Old Wu, five bowls of beef noodles, extra meat, extra cilantro."
"Coming! Lu Team, please wait!"
Master Wu responded cheerfully and quickly started preparing the noodles.
Lu Mingyu led them to a clean table and sat down.
This time, the atmosphere was noticeably less tense than before.
The aroma of food is the best catalyst for bringing people closer.
Half an hour later.
Qi Kong and his assistant put down their bowls, thoroughly satisfied.
Not a single drop of soup was left in the bowls.
It had to be said, this bowl of beef noodles had completely conquered their stomachs.
The beef was tender, the noodles chewy, and the broth rich; after eating, they felt warm all over and full of strength.
"Captain Lu, thank you for breakfast," Qi Kong said proactively, his tone much more sincere.
"You're welcome," Lu Mingyu replied indifferently.
Having eaten their fill, Qi Kong returned to work mode, asking casually, "Do you train this early every day?"
"Unless there's a special mission, this is our routine," Lu Mingyu answered concisely.
He didn't speak much, but every word conveyed an undeniable sense of reality.
Qi Kong nodded and didn't press further.
But he and his assistant exchanged glances, both seeing seriousness in the other's eyes.
Before they came, the director of the program had told them the name of the special forces team they were about to film.
The Megakaryocyte Special Operations Group.
As a professional photography team, they were accustomed to doing thorough research before filming.
Qi Kong used all his connections and resources to search the entire internet.
The result was zero.
This name seemed to have appeared out of thin air, with no trace of it whatsoever on the internet.
No reports, no photos, no related entries.
It was eerily clean.
This put Qi Kong on alert.
He later subtly questioned the program director.
The director just smiled mysteriously and said that they had invited "the ace of aces" this time.
Today, upon meeting the Commander, he tentatively asked a few questions about the specific organization and past missions of this team.
The Commander smiled and refused, citing "military secrets."
Now, having seen Lu Mingyu and his team members with his own eyes, having witnessed the military bearing that emanated from their very bones, their discomfort and forced suppression in front of the camera, the Commander's emphasis on them, and their unshakeable, rigorous routine, combined with all the previous doubt, a thought gradually became clear in Qi Kong and his assistant's minds.
They realized that the production team this time seemed to have played a big game.
What they had invited were not ordinary special forces or military consultants at all, but a true national sharp blade, a unit that had never been exposed to the public and carried out top-secret missions.
This program was probably going to make a big name for itself.
At this moment, in a bright and clean office, the atmosphere was a bit stagnant.
Lu Mingyu sat behind the desk, his fingers unconsciously tapping the desktop, producing a dull, rhythmic sound.
His gaze, sharp as an eagle's, fell upon the smiling man in front of him.
The man was Qi Kong, the photography director for the variety show they were about to film.
Qi Kong was eloquently introducing his filming plan.
"Captain Lu, we are here this time hoping to film a promotional short film for our Special Operations Group."
Qi Kong handed over a proposal, his attitude very enthusiastic.
"The main goal is to showcase the demeanor of our soldiers to the outside world."
"Especially the style of an ace team like the Macrophages, to boost the confidence of the people."
Lu Mingyu did not take the proposal, his eyes scrutinizing.
"Promotional short film?"
"This isn't a film studio; we don't have actors, only soldiers."
"And of course, we can't put on a show for acting."
Lu Mingyu's face was expressionless as he spoke coldly.
Qi Kong's smile stiffened for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.
"Of course, of course, we aim for authenticity; we absolutely won't do those flashy staged shots."
"We hope to capture the most real and passionate training moments of the soldiers."
"That's the power that can truly move people's hearts."
Lu Mingyu's gaze passed over him, looking out the window at the vast training ground.
There, a group of Rookies were undergoing tedious basic training.
Every one of their faces was etched with fatigue and struggle.
Just them?
Lu Mingyu felt some doubt in his heart.