The banquet ended in less than an hour, shorter than the time they had waited for Jia Dan. After everyone had left, Fang Qiong slowly said, “Next time, if we have to use this bastard again, don’t call me!”
Producer Guo Wei sighed, patted Fang Qiong on the shoulder, and said, “There are too few well-known action stars in the industry. We can’t afford the others. They all said he had changed a lot after starting his own studio, but he’s still the same jerk.”
They weren’t talking about Qilin, but rather Jia Dan, who had deliberately arrived late!
In the past entertainment industry, there were some unspoken rules. For example, the bigger the star, the later they would arrive. The lowest-ranked person would be responsible for pressing the elevator buttons and so on. Jia Dan was clearly still living in the past.
...
Once in the car, the smile on Wang Xiaohua’s face vanished. She looked at Qilin seriously and said, “Brother, that guy’s gaze at you wasn’t right. Be careful he doesn’t try to trip you up!”
Qilin was surprised, “Trip me up? He shouldn’t, right, Sister Hua?”
Wang Xiaohua shook her head, “You never know. You two have too many fight scenes in this movie. I’m afraid he might do something.”
Qilin just laughed, “Don’t worry, Sister Hua. My kung fu is pretty good.”
Wang Xiaohua was still worried but said no more, her gaze becoming more determined.
The next day, Qilin and the others arrived at the set early. As expected, Jia Dan arrived just on time again, entering with familiar apologies, blaming traffic once more. Fang Qiong smiled warmly and didn’t say much, leading the crew to burn incense and pray before letting the actors get into makeup and prepare for shooting.
Since this was a Qing Dynasty film, the actors had shaved heads with braided wigs prepared by the crew. This was the time when good looks stood out. Qilin simply sat there, and everyone could tell he was definitely one of the main characters, not a background actor or a minor role.
After Qilin put on the commander’s uniform, that feeling became even stronger. Even the stylist praised Qilin’s appearance.
Fang Qiong came by once and was not quite satisfied with Qilin’s look. “You look too handsome and righteous, not like a villain at all!”
Fang Qiong rubbed his chin, “Try not looking directly at people. Tilt your body and look sideways.”
Qilin tried it a couple of times, and it worked quite well!
About an hour later, the entire crew finished makeup, and filming officially began! They started with some simple scenes to allow the actors to get used to each other and to ensure a smooth beginning.
Despite Jia Dan's character, his acting was good enough for this type of film. Since Qilin had no scenes at the moment, he sat with Wang Xiaohua, watching the crew and learning.
It wasn’t until the afternoon that Qilin had some simple scenes. With his incredible talent, he didn’t need a single retake, which impressed Fang Qiong, who genuinely believed Qilin had a bright future ahead.
After two days of peaceful filming, they finally found suitable weather to shoot Oro’s debut scene!
The sky was overcast, the wind howling, as if heralding an impending storm. Behind the camera, the director guided the cameraman to adjust the lens. Today’s scene was crucial in establishing Oro’s character: arrogant, ruthless, and highly skilled.
Qilin, dressed in a black robe, rode a chestnut horse with his men to a swordsmith's forge.
“Are you here to buy a sword, sir?” The burly blacksmith asked with a friendly smile.
“No,” Qilin said indifferently from his horse.
Those two words made Fang Qiong marvel at how Qilin didn’t seem like a newcomer. That innate disdain perfectly matched Oro’s character!
What Fang Qiong didn’t know was that Wang Xiaohua had arranged for Qilin to practice with similar scenes, one of which was based on a white police officer interacting with a black person.
The blacksmith put down his hammer and asked cheerfully, “If not, then what brings you here?”
Qilin dusted off his boots, dismounted gracefully, and didn’t even look at the blacksmith. “My master has been having terrible nightmares, suffering from severe insomnia.”
Fang Qiong directed the cameraman, “Zoom in, Camera Two, zoom in! Get a profile shot of the actor! Hold, hold! The actor’s expression is great. Capture his eyes!”
The blacksmith, now slightly impatient, said, “If he’s ill, he should see a doctor. We forge iron here.”
Qilin flicked his cloak, looking towards the horizon, “Seeing a doctor won’t help. My master says he’ll only sleep peacefully if he kills the demon in his dreams.”
At this point, the other blacksmiths sensed something was wrong. One of them asked in a deep voice, “What’s your master’s name?”
Qilin stopped, didn’t move, but slowly turned his head, “My master’s name is Qianlong!”
At that moment, Qilin perfectly demonstrated the phrase “sharp-eyed and wolf-like.” His gaze was as keen as a hunting wolf’s!
The blacksmiths, noticing this, discreetly grabbed nearby weapons, but Qilin seemed oblivious or simply didn’t see them as a threat.
“Five days ago, I killed a man from the Heaven and Earth Society known as Thunderhand.”
Qilin’s tone was calm, as if discussing trivial matters with a neighbor, but this aura wasn’t something an ordinary person could command!
“What? You killed Brother Wen!” a younger blacksmith shouted angrily, revealing his weapon.
Qilin, still unfazed, continued his story, “I found a letter on him, learning that the Heaven and Earth Society had a roster held by a swordsmith.”
“You’re right. I’ve already sent the roster away. Don’t expect to get it!” The blacksmith was furious, holding a red-hot sword towards Qilin.
Qilin looked at them and gave a sinister smile. “Really?”
“We will avenge Brother Wen!”
In the next moment, both sides attacked simultaneously!
Hong Tai watched nervously from the side. He had designed the moves, and this was the first shoot, so he had no idea how it would turn out. But after a few moves, he noticed that Qilin’s actions were even more precise than his own!
Qilin was executing exactly as he had been taught, and though the moves lacked power, they looked incredibly stylish!
Since Qilin’s movements were so precise, the stuntmen playing the blacksmiths felt comfortable. They had rehearsed these moves beforehand!
Behind the camera, Fang Qiong kept shouting “Great!” as he directed the cameraman to capture every angle. He didn’t want to miss a single moment of this thrilling fight scene!
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