Do you have some misunderstanding about the word "idol"?

"Murphy..."

The monster's throat made a bellows-like sound, and black blood foam gushed out.

Before it could finish speaking, its hand fell limply to its side, its pupils dilated, and it died.

"Murphy?" Jessica frowned. "Is that a name? Or... some kind of code name?"

"Perfect! Absolutely perfect, Jessica!" Dave's excited voice came from the side. "That flying shield bash was absolutely amazing! And that... that pose! So stylish!"

"Quick! Face the camera! Say that line!!"

Jessica took a deep breath, suppressing her doubts.

She turned around to face the cameraman who had crawled out from behind the bunker.

She sighed softly and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with her thumb. Hands on her hips, she recited her rehearsed lines.

"When the world needs heroes, the Seven arrive!"

After saying that, she tossed her cloak aside and strode out of the battlefield.

……

The office of Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

On the huge screen, a breaking news report from Water News was playing.

In the footage, Jessica Jones's fluid Tai Chi Cloud Hands move was replayed countless times in slow motion.

The commentator's excited voice echoed in the office:

"...See that! This is Queen Jones! This is the power of the Super Seven! Efficient! Elegant! Zero casualties! In comparison, the efficiency of some of our 'mysterious organizations' is simply outrageous..."

"Snapped!"

Nick Fury turned off the screen with a dark expression.

“Sir,” Maria Hill stood to the side, holding a thick stack of documents, her expression equally grim, “Whart’s PR department has already released a press release. They’re calling this operation ‘the beginning of a new era of law enforcement.’ And in Congress… a few more senators have sided with Starr.”

"A new era of law enforcement?" Fury turned out of the shadows, his single eye flashing with a dangerous light. "I fear it may be an era of lawlessness."

"Before, these superhuman crimes were under our jurisdiction. We contained them, we assessed them, we controlled them. Now? They've become stepping stones for that blond bastard's reality show," Maria Hill said angrily, pointing at the screen. "That O'Neill Black. Our agents tracked him for three months before finally finding him, and we were planning to close in tonight. And what happened? Vought's people swarmed in like sharks smelling blood."

"They not only kidnapped people, they also put on a TV show!"

"This is diminishing our role, Hill," Fury said in a low voice. "When the government gets used to calling the 'Super Seven' instead of S.H.I.E.L.D. when there's a problem, we lose our purpose."

"However, judging from the results... they did solve the problem, and there were no civilian casualties."

"So what do we do?" Hill asked.

"There's nothing we can do." Fury stood up and began to look through the documents Hill had brought.

"Do you know what scares me the most, Hill?"

"It wasn't Walter who stole our job. Nor was it Homelander's ever-increasing popularity."

"Instead... silence."

"It's too quiet."

Fury turned around, a cold glint in his single eye.

"I initiated the highest level of internal review. I checked the cash flow, the communication records, and the field assignments."

"And the result?"

"Aside from a few low-level agents who embezzled public funds to gamble, and two scoundrels who sold intelligence to commercial companies... we found no signs of organized infiltration."

"Every single agent is fucking as loyal as Captain America! You know what that means?"

Hill fell silent. She was a veteran agent herself; she understood what this meant.

"This means..." Hill's voice turned cold, "...the entire system...is lying."

"That's right."

Fury clenched his fist.

"Walter's arrogance outside is just a skin condition. It's unsightly, but not fatal."

"But here..." Fury pointed to the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters at his feet, "this place has cancer."

"We are fighting an invisible yet ubiquitous enemy, Hill."

"A storm is brewing..." Fury sighed. "Hill, suspend all overt censorship. Resume normal operations."

"What? Sir? You're just going to let it go like this?"

"Of course not." Fury narrowed his one eye.

"Since we can't find mice in the house... let's ask the cats outside to help us find them."

"Help me contact...that person."

Hill was taken aback: "You mean...?"

“Yes.” Fury nodded. “That old guy still hitting the punching bag at that shabby Brooklyn gym. Tell him his vacation is over.”

"And another thing," Fury called after Hill, "how's the Avengers expansion plan going?"

"Not so good," Hill sighed. "Tony Stark has scheduled surgery and is heading to China. Dr. Banner is nowhere to be found, only Captain America is actively responding. However... most of the potential superhumans have been lured away by Vought's damn reality show."

"That's a bonus of fifty million per person, sir. We have many expenses, and the Security Council's budget is currently being cut, so it can't afford that amount."

"Then find those who aren't in it for the money," Fury said coldly. "There are always some fools who fight for 'justice' with all their heart. Find them, before Walter."

……

Vought's New York headquarters, CEO Zu's office.

A giant holographic projection displayed real-time voting for "Who's the Next Superhero?"

Wu Yanzu sat in the boss's chair with his feet propped up on the table, holding a bucket of popcorn in his hand.

Ashley stood beside him, nervously giving her report.

Her fingers flew across the screen. "Ten minutes ago, the number of videos uploaded for the first round of auditions surpassed 800,000! Our servers have been expanded three times. We've eliminated most of the invalid applications. There are about 300 truly talented people left. Would you like to review them?"

"No need to look." Wu Yanzu waved his hand. "Remove all the ugly ones, those with disgusting abilities, and those with irredeemable criminal records."

"Uh... sir." Ashley hesitated for a moment before asking, "There's this guy called 'The Frog Prince,' whose tongue can extend five meters long and secrete corrosive mucus; he's very powerful in combat..."

"Swipe it off." Wu Yanzu didn't even lift his eyelids. "I want a superhero, not a horror movie protagonist. Who the hell wants to print a slimy guy on a cereal box? The kids will have nightmares."

"And this one?" Ashley switched to the next one, "He calls himself the Indestructible Man, with skin as hard as stone."

"Too ugly, pass! We're the Super Seven, not the Super Gargoyles."

"There's this too?" Ashley switched to another image. "Her nickname is Big Bertha. Her ability is... to control her body fat at will, turning her into a several-ton fat woman to crush her enemies..."

"..." Wu Yanzu paused for two seconds, then said, "Ashley, do you seem to have some misunderstanding about the word 'idol'?"

"I want beauty! I want handsomeness! I want coolness! I want the kind that makes otaku swoon and girls scream!" he growled, pointing at the screen. "Even if he's a loser, as long as he looks like Leonardo DiCaprio, shines, and is unforgettable at first glance, he'll advance! Of course, looking like a villain is fine too, but he has to be a cute and charming villain, understand?!"

Wu Yanzu never valued ability when selecting people, because none of them were as capable as him anyway.

His selection criteria are simple and straightforward: popularity > appearance > ability.