Lu Mingyu is a soldier and the captain of the special forces, giving him a unique status.
Gu Lina Zha is a celebrity with a massive following, and her every move will be infinitely magnified.
If these two had any interaction on the show, wouldn't it cause an uproar?
The more Lu Hai thought about it, the more agitated he felt.
He could even foresee the massive stir it would cause once the media exposed it.
It would have an incalculable impact on Lu Mingyu's reputation, on Gu Lina Zha's acting career.
Even on the reputation of their Lu family.
Lu Hai tried to suppress the anxiety in his heart and said to the Commander:
"Old Zhang, I understand, thank you."
"Don't tell anyone else about this for now."
"I'll think of another way."
The Commander on the other end responded, then hung up the phone.
After Lu Hai hung up the phone, he paced back and forth in the study, his brows tightly furrowed.
Twenty minutes later, he dialed Lu Qi's number again.
"Big Brother, I've clarified the situation."
Lu Hai's voice sounded a bit weary.
"That Gu Lina Zha is indeed Mingyu's girlfriend; the Commander also confirmed it."
Lu Qi listened from the other end, silent for a moment, then spoke:
"I knew it; this matter wasn't that simple."
"What do we do now?"
"This show is live, and if Mingyu and that girl are caught doing anything, the impact will be huge."
Lu Hai sighed and said:
"Big Brother, now we can only closely monitor public opinion."
"Once we find any remarks unfavorable to Mingyu and that girl."
"We must immediately take measures to prevent the situation from deteriorating further."
"If necessary, we might have to use some connections."
Lu Qi said in a deep voice: "Of course, Mingyu's reputation cannot be compromised."
"Do you think we should have Mingyu avoid suspicion on the show?"
Lu Hai suggested.
"After all, both of their statuses are special, and once it's hyped up, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Lu Qi thought for a moment and said:
"Mingyu, this child, although he seems a bit clumsy in relationships."
"But on important matters, he has always been smart."
"He knows he is a soldier and knows his responsibilities."
"I believe he will handle these things well."
"He will definitely not bring shame to the Military Region, nor will he get himself into trouble."
"You keep an eye on public opinion for now; we'll see how it goes."
"If it truly develops to an uncontrollable point, we'll think of other solutions."
Lu Hai responded and hung up the phone.
He put down his phone and slumped onto the sofa.
Lu Hai felt more and more like a massive scapegoat.
He had kindly pushed for Lu Mingyu to participate in this show.
But it ended up causing so much trouble.
Now, he not only had to worry about Lu Mingyu and Gu Lina Zha's performance on the show.
But also had to constantly guard against outside public opinion.
He didn't even dare to imagine what the old man, Lu Wei, would react if he found out about this matter.
He just felt a headache coming on.
For the foreseeable future, he would probably be worrying about this matter.
Lu Hai lay sprawled on the sofa, feeling as if a huge rock was pressing on his heart, making it hard to breathe.
Reason told him that he shouldn't watch that show now, to avoid adding to his stress.
But emotionally, he couldn't control his fingers; as if by some strange impulse, he picked up his tablet.
He clicked on the live variety show titled "if i were a female special forces soldier."
Almost the moment he entered the live stream, the screen was inundated with dense bullet comments.
Lu Hai glanced at the number of online viewers in the upper right corner, and his eyelid twitched violently.
Over thirteen million.
How long had it been since the broadcast started?
There were already over ten million people watching online.
Lu Hai's emotions were extremely complex.
He keenly realized that this show was about to explode in popularity.
If it weren't for Lu Mingyu and Gu Lina Zha being in a romantic relationship right now.
He would probably be popping champagne to celebrate.
This was a project he had personally pushed for, a "positive energy" model he had strongly recommended to the Military Region.
Now, this immense joy had turned into a heavy burden of worry.
He forced himself to calm down, his gaze searching the live broadcast screen.
On the screen, several female guests stood nervously at the training ground's assembly point.
They were still wearing their own clothes, clearly having just arrived at the base.
Bullet comments scrolled rapidly.
"Wow, this training base is so real, it looks so serious!"
"Naza is so beautiful, even without makeup, she's stunning!"
"Looking forward to seeing the female celebrities in military uniforms!"
"When will the instructors come out? Let me see the soldier brothers!"
Lu Hai's heart was in his throat.
His biggest concern was the interaction between Lu Mingyu and Gu Lina Zha.
These two, one a special forces captain, the other a popular celebrity, and still in a "lover" relationship online.
If the audience caught any clues, public opinion would definitely explode instantly.
He only hoped that Lu Mingyu, that kid, would understand the gravity of the situation.
He must maintain distance on the show, ideally treating everyone equally.
He absolutely must not put on a show of "showing affection" in front of the entire nation's audience for his second uncle.
If that happened, he would truly have his legs broken by the old man.
He stared at the screen, watching Lu Mingyu and a group of instructors appear in the shot with neat strides.
The bullet comments instantly erupted.
"Holy cow! The leading instructor is so handsome! Tall, long legs, and a two-meter-eight aura!"
"Is this a special forces soldier? I'm in love!"
"Asking for this instructor's contact info, I'll marry him right away!"
Lu Hai looked at his tall and stern-faced nephew on the screen, and his heart slightly relaxed.
Seeing Lu Mingyu's business-like, unapproachable demeanor, he shouldn't do anything out of line.
But his heart still hung in the air.
Love, sometimes, cannot be hidden.
A glance, an unintentional gesture, could expose everything.
Lu Hai sighed.
He knew that from today onwards, he would become a full-time "public opinion monitor."
At the same time, in the training base's conference room, the atmosphere was serious.
Lu Mingyu sat at the head of the table, his fingers lightly tapping the desktop.
In front of him were several newly delivered female guest profiles.
"Captain, we've all reviewed the material."
Zhou Chenguang said, a solemn expression on his face.
"The physical fitness of these female guests, how should I put it, is basically zero."
"Especially the actors and singers; their long-term irregular lifestyles mean their physical reserves are very poor."
Lu Mingyu's gaze lifted from the documents to his team members.
"Get to the point."
His voice was calm but carried undeniable authority.
"Yes!"
Zhou Chenguang stood up straight and continued to report.
"Our originally scheduled first assessment tonight was a three-kilometer armed cross-country run."
"To test their basic physical fitness and willpower."
"But I'm concerned that this intensity is too much for them and could very likely lead to accidents."
"I suggest that the training intensity needs to be progressive; we can't start with our special forces standards right away."
Zhou Chenguang paused, seemingly organizing his words, and carefully added a sentence.
"Especially... Miss Gu Lina Zha, I saw in her profile that her weight is very light."
"She also looks quite frail, so we might need to give her extra consideration."