Anyone else confused about the advertisements scene?

During the second call with Mel, what was up with that? I didn't understand what she was trying to say or what really happened. So she actually wanted us to stay in Portofiro? It was all her plan? She knew about the assignment already? Why? Is it because she wanted to give us a sort of "tutorial" because we've been freezed up for so long? Was she testing us to see if we were fit? just felt pretty weird