Lu Mingyu combined what he had heard from the Commander with his own understanding.
He formed a theory that sounded quite reasonable.
In his opinion, such a program was nothing more than a formality.
Let the celebrities experience it, shoot some good-looking footage.
Then end happily.
For them, as true soldiers, it was different.
They only needed to put in one ten-thousandth of their effort to cope.
Hearing Captain Lu say this, the expressions of the three men improved slightly.
If it was just for show, a mere formality, then it seemed… it wasn’t so hard to accept.
Although they still felt awkward, at least they weren’t as resistant as they were initially.
“Understood, Captain Lu.”
Zhou Chenguang nodded.
“So, when do we start?”
“The production crew will move in tomorrow,” Lu Mingyu replied.
“We are responsible for their entire special training process.”
“Alright, acting is acting,” Li Tianlong grumbled, accepting the reality.
Lu Mingyu looked at them, saying nothing more.
He turned to look at the distant training ground, his gaze deep.
However, none of them knew.
Or rather, the information Lu Mingyu received from the Commander was incomplete to begin with.
This program, named “if i were a female special forces soldier,” was far from as simple as he imagined.
To pursue extreme realism, the production crew used cinema-grade shooting equipment.
Dozens of fixed cameras, plus several roaming cameramen following the action.
They would conduct a 360-degree panoramic shoot of the entire training base without blind spots.
This meant that every word and action of everyone in the camp could be recorded by the cameras without omission.
Furthermore, to ensure the realism and impact of the program, the production crew had already made a commitment to the Military Region and the audience.
Except for cutting out some overly long and redundant shots, most of the training content and daily life details would be broadcast on television without alteration.
The so-called “just for show” and “getting by” simply did not exist in this program.
The cameras would record all truth.
More importantly, besides the hype, this program also assigned a brutal final mission to all participating female guests.
After three months of special training, each female guest must obtain a highly valuable honor recognized by the military in her relatively proficient military field.
For example, for a guest skilled in combat, her goal was to be awarded the Gold Dragon rank of San Da Ninth Dan, which could only be obtained by ranking among the top in national military competitions.
And a guest skilled in shooting needed to achieve astonishing results in the 500-meter moving target shooting event, comparable to Olympic athletes.
From its inception, this program was not just a variety show.
It was both a variety show and a documentary-style military challenge record.
Early the next morning, while it was still only faintly light, Lu Mingyu, accompanied by Zhou Chenguang and Li Tianlong, appeared punctually at the Commander’s office door.
Behind them followed two men carrying cameras.
One of them seemed to be the person in charge, older and serious-looking; his name was Qi Kong.
The other was younger, with eyes full of curiosity, but his machine was held extremely steadily.
This was the advance photography team for the “if i were a female special forces soldier” program.
“Report,” Lu Mingyu’s voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.
“Come in,” the Commander’s booming voice came from inside the door.
Lu Mingyu pushed open the door and entered first, with Zhou Chenguang and Li Tianlong following closely.
The three stood in a line, their postures ramrod straight, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if measured with a ruler.
Qi Kong and his assistant followed them in, immediately found their angles, and aimed their cameras at everyone in the office.
The cold lens was like an emotionless eye, silently scrutinizing everything.
The Commander, sitting behind his desk, saw this scene and subtly furrowed his brow, but it quickly relaxed.
“Lu Mingyu, let me introduce you; this is Comrade Qi Kong, the photography director for the program team.”
“Director Qi, this is Captain Lu Mingyu, the leader of the Megakaryocyte Special Operations Group of the Special Operations Brigade, whom I mentioned to you.”
Lu Mingyu turned to Qi Kong and nodded, acknowledging the greeting.
His expression was as stern as ever, showing no emotion.
Qi Kong also merely nodded slightly, his camera still working without any intention of stopping.
The Commander cleared his throat and continued, “Regarding this filming, there are a few points I need to clarify with you.”
“Firstly, to ensure the suspense and broadcast effect of the program, all content recorded in the early stages, especially the preliminary footage about some of our training facilities and personnel, is confidential before the official broadcast of the program.”
He looked at Qi Kong, his tone serious, “I hope you can strictly adhere to the confidentiality agreement on this point.”
Qi Kong replied, “Commander, rest assured, we are professionals; all materials will be kept by dedicated personnel and will never be leaked.”
“Good.” The Commander nodded, then turned to Lu Mingyu.
“Your mission is to fully cooperate with Director Qi’s filming work starting today.”
Lu Mingyu listened, showing no reaction; all this was within his expectations.
He was more concerned about another issue.
“Commander, are there any restrictions on the filming location?” he asked.
“It’s within the camp,” the Commander replied.
“Some regular training grounds, living areas, and the mess hall can all be filmed.”
“However, areas involving some of our special equipment depots and command centers are strictly prohibited from filming.”
“I will have the guard company assign personnel to accompany them to ensure foolproof security.”
Lu Mingyu understood.
“Yes.”
With all instructions given, the Commander checked the time.
“Alright, it’s getting late; you haven’t had breakfast yet, have you?”
“Lu Mingyu, take Director Qi and his team to the mess hall to eat something and familiarize themselves with the environment first.”
This was a command, and also a gesture.
Lu Mingyu accepted the order, turned to Qi Kong, and made an inviting gesture.
“Director Qi, please.”
His tone was flat, showing neither enthusiasm nor politeness.
Qi Kong, however, shook his head.
“Thank you for the Commander’s and Captain Lu’s kindness.”
“But it’s not necessary; our job is to record, and we brought our own dry rations.”
He pointed to his bulging backpack.
His refusal was swift and decisive, leaving no room for negotiation.
The atmosphere became a bit awkward for a moment.
Lu Mingyu, however, was indifferent and nodded.
“Alright then, let’s go.”
After he finished speaking, he led his two team members and turned to leave the office.
Qi Kong and his assistant, carrying their equipment, followed closely behind them.
Walking on the way to the mess hall, Zhou Chenguang and Li Tianlong’s bodies were a bit stiff.
Being followed 360 degrees by a camera like this was truly uncomfortable.
They felt like monkeys in a zoo, every move being watched.
Especially Li Tianlong, he wanted to turn back and glare at the camera several times.
But Lu Mingyu stopped him with a single look.
“Acting, remember, we are acting,” Lu Mingyu reminded them in a voice only the three of them could hear.