Chapter 144: The Ingenious Use of the "Disagreement Terminators"

The first day of filming was mainly dedicated to the Eighth Route Army scenes, specifically the major battle sequences. The action was quite lively, but it was entirely one-sided—featuring only the Eighth Route Army, with no Japanese soldiers in sight.

The second day was spent shooting the Japanese forces. In reality, the cast remained the same, but within the story, they transformed into the Japanese invaders.

Zha Jianjiyi played Colonel Sakada. After exchanging a series of intense dialogues with a classmate of his who had studied abroad, he was blown to pieces by a single artillery blast.

Of course, the footage of the artillery fire had already been completed the day before.

Next came the charges by the little Japanese devils. The process was quite similar, and for the entire first episode, two days of shooting were more than enough.

This first episode was the absolute crucial turning point of the entire production. It did not exist in the original book, but it was a brilliant addition—the kind that immediately hooked viewers and made them eager to watch more. Therefore, when Wu Xiang directed this sequence, he naturally strived for perfection. While he didn't make massive changes to the original concept, he placed immense focus on staging effects and intricate details.

A typical television episode runs for about forty minutes. Wu Xiang spent two days filming, accumulating a massive amount of footage—more than enough material for his editing room.

Shooting a television series differs significantly from making a feature film. In film production, a good ratio of final cut to shot footage is about one to eight. Wu Xiang's previous two films were extreme outliers, driven by a philosophy of saving wherever possible—meaning they used a mountain of film stock and kept very little of it. Television, however, operates entirely differently.

A conscientious director can shoot thirty minutes of footage and meticulously edit it down to forty minutes. An unscrupulous one can take twenty minutes of raw material and stretch it into forty, or even worse, take a mere ten minutes and somehow pad it out to a full forty-minute episode!

Does that sound ridiculous? Impossible?

Just look at the television series *Journey to the West: The Prequel*.

Therefore, from the current standpoint, Wu Xiang was entirely using cinematic techniques to shoot a television drama, all in the pursuit of crafting a truly exceptional work.

However, the first episode was not yet finished. Since both sides had charged, shouldn't they engage in close combat?

Precisely, they certainly should. Wu Xiang scheduled the close-combat battle scenes for the third day. This wasn't an overly difficult sequence. Wu Xiang's plan was that this battle would naturally be one-sided, resulting in a victory for the Eighth Route Army. Following that, they would immediately shoot the subsequent combat sequences while everyone was already geared up for action. Shooting this way was simply more efficient.

Yet, unexpectedly, trouble struck before filming even began!

"No way! Why do you guys get to play the Eighth Route Army? Why are we cast as the little Japanese devils? Are we the stepchildren here?!"

"Exactly! We don't want to play the Japanese devils! We want to play the Eighth Route Army!"

"What is this nonsense? It's just acting. Eighth Route Army, Japanese devils—what's the difference? Aren't we all the ones acting?"

"That's not the same! It's completely different!"

An argument had broken out. The military troops on set consisted of two battalions: one infantry battalion stationed near the capital and a cavalry battalion. The cavalry battalion had fewer personnel. Lest anyone forget, they were cavalry—and specifically the very last cavalry unit—meaning their filming schedule was exceptionally heavy. Consequently, the entire crew only numbered slightly over a thousand people.

Even as a cavalry battalion, they were still a battalion. Why should they have to play the Japanese devils? Did people view them as the children of a wicked stepmother?

These revolutionary soldiers held a deep, burning resentment toward the Japanese invaders—a profound hatred!

They loathed even the names assigned to their roles. Acting was fine in principle; if everyone took turns playing the Eighth Route Army or everyone played the Japanese, it wouldn't be an issue. But this time, the cast had to be split into two opposing factions. Who willingly wanted to play the villains? Moreover, these were two distinct military units.

If the numbers on both sides were equal, it would have been manageable. But the numbers were unequal. To achieve a visually balanced effect where both sides appeared roughly matched, a portion of men had to be transferred over, and those selected were certainly unhappy about it.

The cavalry battalion had previously collaborated with Wu Xiang, and he had personally approached them, asking them to display a cooperative spirit and play the Japanese devils for a change. They had agreed, but the infantry battalion then raised objections.

It wasn't a matter of disobeying orders; rather, it was a blow to their pride. The company reassigned to play the Japanese devils would have been strange indeed not to harbor some resentment.

Why weren't other companies made to do it? Why specifically them? This was completely unfair!

The subsequent development became even more comical as the cavalry battalion grew deeply frustrated.

"What on earth are you guys making a fuss about? Do you think we actually enjoy playing Japanese devils?"

Normally, the officers could have suppressed the dissent and ended the matter. After all, they were soldiers, and obeying orders was their vocation. However, the commanders of the two battalions ended up arguing with each other as well. Arguments are contagious, after all. Since the two units belonged to different command systems, the situation became difficult to handle. It turned chaotic, entangled with too many complicating factors.

Upon arriving at the scene, Wu Xiang witnessed this exact spectacle. The arguing was so fervent that had they not all been comrades on the same side, a physical brawl might have broken out.

"..." Wu Xiang's mouth opened, but no sound came out. Yet his lips kept moving continuously as if he were shouting something.

The first day of filming was mainly...

"Stop arguing! The director is here!"

"Quiet down, everyone! Listen to what the director has to say!"

The commanding officers of both sides finally spoke up, and the crowd gradually quieted down.

What did Wu Xiang say? In truth, Wu Xiang hadn't said a single word; he had merely been moving his mouth soundlessly.

Never underestimate this tactic. When confronted with a situation where your voice cannot overpower a large crowd, it is far more effective to pull this stunt. Human nature is naturally curious, and everyone immediately wants to know what the heck you are trying to say.

"What's going on here? What is this all about?" Wu Xiang finally spoke. He needed to figure out what the argument was about in the first place.

"Let me tell you!"

"No, I'll explain!" The two commanding officers began competing for the floor.

"No need to rush, let's hear it one by one." Wu Xiang chuckled. He knew who both men were: the commander of the cavalry battalion was named Baolige, and the infantry battalion commander was named Liu Gang.

Fortunately, communication was straightforward. Wu Xiang quickly grasped the beginning, development, and climax of the incident. As for the ending...

"Come on, are you guys even embarrassed? Over a petty matter like this? This is just acting, it's not real!" Wu Xiang felt a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"That still won't do!" Baolige flatly rejected the notion.

"Right! Why should we be the ones playing the Japanese devils?" Liu Gang chimed in, equally unyielding!

Wu Xiang wanted to laugh. It seemed the troops had become a bit too immersed in their acting. Still, having this kind of dedication right from the start was a good sign.

"Listen to me, both of you. We have actual Japanese people on this crew. If you carry on like this, won't you become a laughingstock? How united will that make us look?"

The moment Wu Xiang finished his sentence, an immediate reaction erupted from the crowd.

"Who the hell said we aren't united?"

"We are totally united! Hahaha..."

The two commanders even threw their arms around each other and pressed their cheeks together, wearing smiles so fake they could shatter.

"This is merely a contradiction among the people! But our guns are pointed outward against the enemy!"

"Right! Aligned against the outside!"

Pfft! Wu Xiang nearly spat out water. These two men were too amusing. He seriously considered pulling this segment out to shoot a standalone short comedy sketch; the comedic payoff would be fantastic.

In truth, they were all lovely people, just a bit... Well, let him handle it!

"How about this: will you listen to me or not? If I resolve this issue for you, how does that sound?"

"Listen to you?"

"What's your solution?"

The two military commanders were no fools. Wu Xiang immediately smiled and offered his guarantee: "Rest assured, it will be completely fair. But there is one condition: if you listen to me, you must never go back on your word. If the method I propose turns out to be unfair, you have my full permission to curse me out."

"Fine!"

"Let's hear your plan!"

Wu Xiang replied, "First, promise me you'll follow my lead."

"This..."

"Alright! I'll listen to you, as long as your method is fair!"

"Deal! I'll listen to you too. But if it isn't fair, not only will I curse you out, but we'll also refuse to film!"

Wu Xiang was about to unveil his trick, but he decided to probe further first. "Pardon me, which of you brothers were the ones complaining just now? Who are you actually dissatisfied with? Can you send a representative who can speak for everyone's opinions?"

"Can't the two of us do it?"

"We represent everyone just fine."

Wu Xiang actually intended this all along, but having them state it themselves saved him a lot of trouble. "You two aren't necessarily incapable, but didn't this whole mess start because you two tried to negotiate it yourselves? And look at the result now—can we really rely on you two?"

"Of course we're reliable!"

"We have the final say!"

"I have an idea!" Wu Xiang said with a smile. "My method will determine a definitive winner and loser. Whichever of you wins gets to make the call for your troops. The loser accepts the outcome without any further complaints. How about that?"

"Deal!"

"Stop stalling! Let's do it!"

"Great!" Wu Xiang had been waiting for those exact words. He then tossed out his solution, declaring: "The two of you will stand right here, and we will settle this dispute through an absolutely fair method. This method is known as: Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

"..." Both men froze in place. Did they mishear the damn thing?

"Rock, Paper, Scissors?!"

"Correct! Absolutely fair, plus it's simple and easy to understand. Whoever wins gets to choose whether their troops play the Eighth Route Army or the Japanese devils! The winner's word is law! Isn't that great? Do you have a better idea?" The expression on Wu Xiang's face seemed to challenge: *Are you planning to back out now?*

"Let's do it! That's the one!" One of them slapped his thigh in agreement.

The other, however, seemed contemplative. "Wait, no, that's not entirely fair! What if someone cheats with speed or delays their hand? Can that really work?" It appeared he had suffered trauma from this game in his childhood.

"Hahaha..." Wu Xiang genuinely laughed out loud. He couldn't help it, as he had already anticipated this exact concern. "Rest assured, since I proposed this method, I've made sure it's completely fair and reasonable."

"You actually have a way?" The man who had slapped his thigh finally caught on.

"Do you have a wok lid? A large wok lid!" Wu Xiang shouted toward the soldiers standing nearby.

"We do!"

"Bring them over! I need two!"

"Yes!" A soldier immediately sprinted off, and shortly thereafter, two large wok lids were brought over.

"Splendid!" Holding the two wok lids, Wu Xiang instructed the two commanders: "Reach your hands into the middle!"

When both men thrust their hands into the space between the two wok lids, they finally experienced a flash of inspiration reminiscent of Master Fan from the classic sketches.

There was no way to cheat now! No way to alter their hand gestures at the last second! What a stroke of genius!

Indeed, Wu Xiang had thought of Uncle Ge's famous "Dispute Resolution Device." His version was simply a makeshift one: the top and bottom were completely obscured. Although the sides couldn't be entirely blocked from view, as long as Wu Xiang used his own body to shield one side while the other backed up against a wall, it became the ultimate, flawless dispute resolution machine!

Wu Xiang felt that he was a bloody genius. If he could run into a venture capitalist like Master Fan, he could easily scam two million pounds out of them!

"Are you ready? ... One, two, three!"

The two large wok lids were lifted away, and the result was already decided!

(Translator's note: Thanks to Brother Longshao and Brother Xuji for their repeated tips, thank you very much! Two chapters released today. The author is heading off to type and stockpile some energy, striving to build up the strength for a massive release soon.)