Chapter Forty-Nine: A Major Incident Occurs

Page 1

(Thanks to Wild Elephant Bounce for the reward. Every day brings a reward, and Black Car’s heart is truly warmed. In gratitude, today I’ll add an extra chapter, hehe.)

Location: McDonald's. Characters: Dancing Lightly, Rogue Wu.

“Would you like something to drink?” Kun asked again, but unlike before, this time he wasn't sincere; his eyes were fixed on the young lady.

“You’re impressive, but can’t you just say you’re treating me to something?” Zhang Jingchu’s line was the same as Huang Yi’s, yet the tone was entirely different.

However, what followed was quite different. “Actually, everything at M’s is junk food, bad for your health. Especially for girls like you—aren’t you afraid of becoming…” Kun gestured with his hands, indicating a larger figure.

“Giggle, giggle…” It seemed Rogue Wu had passed this test.

Seated, Dancing Lightly and Rogue Wu began their playful banter—a difficult scene for this shot!

“Rogue Wu… Have you heard of ‘Coffee Philosophy’?”

“Coffee Philosophy? Is that a new chain?”

The two began to perform the brilliant passage from the book, with Kun improvising a ‘Blue Philosophy’—but…

“Cut!” As Kun finished his lines, Wu Xiang finally called out, “Kun, Zhang, come over here.”

Judging by his tone, Wu Xiang was not satisfied. Zhang Jingchu stuck out her tongue, and Chen Kun felt a bit embarrassed. But regardless, the director’s word was law, even if he was your junior.

They walked over to the monitor, put on headphones, and watched the playback.

“Do you see where the problem is?” Wu Xiang interjected. “In this shot, you’re both reciting lines—that’s how it feels. Watch now; don’t you feel the same?”

“…” Neither spoke, but both nodded.

Wu Xiang continued, “This part has lengthy dialogue, which makes it difficult. But this kind of rote recitation is terrible—it feels stiff and unnatural. I’ve said before, you need to make ‘Coffee Philosophy’ and ‘Blue Philosophy’ your own, or else it’s unwatchable!”

Wu Xiang’s criticism addressed a common issue, especially in adaptations of novels for film and television. Even in the old version by Chen Xiaochun and Ma Qianshan, the recitation was even more obvious in this scene. Don’t assume lengthy lines are easy; even Zhou Gongzi, an extraordinary actor, experienced this when filming with Li Yapeng.

So, this is a challenge: you must recreate the classic passage from the novel, but infuse the language with soul—a task requiring immense skill.

“Uh…” Kun was easily embarrassed, especially since he was the senior by a year.

Page 2

Wu Xiang had long noticed Kun was lacking something. “Kun, why are you so insecure? Are we lacking anything as men? The lines are long, but with your ability, I believe it’s not a problem. Also, you need to create your own presence. When acting with Zhang, you give her no pressure—without pressure, she doesn’t know how to push herself.”

Wu Xiang hoped to build Chen Kun’s confidence with his persuasive words, but just then—

Crash!

A brick shattered the glass of McDonald's, nearly hitting Zhang Jingchu.

“Oh no! What happened?” She wasn’t struck, but was startled and immediately hid in Wu Xiang’s arms.

“What’s going on?” Wu Xiang was baffled.

“What’s happening? Protect the equipment quickly, someone’s rushing in!” Mu Deyuan, the cinematographer, was quick to react—this time, Wu Xiang had hired him at a high salary.

Mu’s sharp eyes spotted a group of young men storming in, wild as tigers, wielding all sorts of makeshift weapons.

“What are you doing?! What’s with this aggression?” While the others protected the valuable equipment, Huang Yi stepped forward, facing the young men.

Huang Yi radiated an imposing aura; her broad figure was now an advantage, and her face was set in anger, refusing to back down. In truth, she was fired up—just moments ago she saw the pretty girl rush into Wu Xiang’s arms, and the jealousy burned inside her.

The gang, seeing such a formidable woman, lost some of their bravado. Yet their leader shouted, “Who are you people? Do you know what this place is?”

Wu Xiang had to intervene. He pulled Huang Yi back and said, “We’re filming a movie. This is McDonald's, we’re just shooting a scene.”

“You know this is McDonald's and you still come? This is an American place, don’t you know?” The leader was aggressive.

The rest of the crew recovered and Huang Haibo stepped up, “Ridiculous! Who told you this is an American place? This belongs to us, the land belongs to the people!”

But the man was obstinate, “Don’t lie to me! I didn’t study much, you can’t fool me! Brothers, smash it!”

“Wait!” Wu Xiang was confused. “What’s this about? You’re wrecking their store—aren’t you afraid of breaking the law?”

“What’s your problem? Don’t you know?” The man was puzzled. “Don’t you know what the Americans did yesterday?...”

Ah! So that was it—this was May 1999.

Wu Xiang remembered now. Considering the timing, this was a major event; he’d been so busy with the new film that he’d completely forgotten about it.

Page 3

“Smash it! Brothers, wreck this lousy place! Let’s see who still comes here to eat, who keeps giving money to the Americans!” The leader saw Wu Xiang wasn’t responding, and was about to start the destruction.

“Hold on!” Wu Xiang shouted, “Why are you smashing the store? There’s no justification for this!”

“No justification?!” The leader flared up, “Damn it, letting Americans make money off us, then using our own money to attack us—is that justified?!” He looked ready to hit Wu Xiang, but just then—

“Wait, I know this guy. Isn’t he that student director, Wu Xiang?” Among the group, someone recognized him.

“So what if he’s Wu Xiang?” The leader was confused.

“Nothing, it’s just Wu Xiang. He’s pretty patriotic, and what he just said doesn’t sound like he’s siding with the Americans. Maybe he’s got a point.”

“Oh?” The leader hesitated. “You’re Wu Xiang?”

“Yes, I am Wu Xiang.” Wu Xiang heard their exchange—celebrity effect, and it really helped. Wu Xiang continued, “This is McDonald's, true, but this store is a franchise. The real owners are our own people. If we smash it, aren’t we hurting ourselves and pleasing our enemies?”

“That makes sense.” The leader seemed persuaded, but Wu Xiang knew he needed to do more.

Immediately, Wu Xiang sprang into action. He climbed onto a chair and shouted, “Students! I see you’re all in school, just like me. I only just heard about the incident, but my heart is filled with grief and rage. Why take it out on this restaurant? Didn’t the Americans bomb us? Damn it, I’ll go smash theirs! Who’s with me to storm their stronghold and sacrifice for justice?!”

“I’m in!” “Count me in!” Wu Xiang’s rousing call was met with a chorus of voices.

“Let’s go!” Wu Xiang jumped off the chair, fist raised to the sky, “Down with the American imperialist wolves!”

“Revenge for our fallen countrymen!” The slogans rang out…

No one could have predicted the situation would turn out like this.

“Where are you going?” Huang Yi was stunned; she thought Wu Xiang had lost his mind, joining the others in their madness.

“Don’t worry about it, woman. Fighting is a man’s duty—I’m off to battle!” Wu Xiang left these words, giving a meaningful glance to Huang Haibo and Kun.

Their brotherly understanding told them it was time to make a quick escape…