NCCnovel Chapter 39 Martial Arts Actor
Chapter 39 Martial Arts Actor
His arrival was prompted by the fact that the film crew was wrapping up work that day.
At that time, he had just come down from the wires after being suspended for three hours.
The ropes holding him up, having borne his weight for so long, seemed to have lost some of their strength and were trembling slightly, making soft creaking sounds.
In order to cut costs, the crew filmed several scenes that required wire work on the same day.
The moment he landed, a sharp pain in his lower back swept over him like a flood bursting its banks, completely overwhelming his senses.
Aside from the excruciating pain that nearly made one faint, it felt as if all other parts of the body had been stripped of their senses.
Zhong Wu's heart skipped a beat; he knew perfectly well what was going on.
This is because my old back injury has flared up again.
The instructor who removed the wires took off his props and left in a hurry.
Zhong Wu gritted his teeth and tried to take two steps, each step feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.
As he reached the corner, he could no longer support his own weight, and like a felled tree, he lay straight down on the ground covered with gravel and grime.
Large beads of sweat appeared on his furrowed brow and slid down his forehead.
It was the end of the day, and the crew was busy. The prop movers were carrying heavy props, running along and shouting for others to make way.
The person adjusting the lights was intently focused on the glaring light fixtures, adjusting the brightness and angle, which temporarily turned off the lights in the Zhongwu area.
Amidst the noise, no one noticed Zhong Wu, who was huddled in a corner, looking utterly disheveled.
He lay there, panting heavily, each breath aggravating the pain in his lower back, as if a dull saw was pulling back and forth.
After a long while, he gritted his teeth, struggled to support his lower back, and slowly sat up.
This area is lined with film studios, with production crews one after another, so news spreads very quickly.
If the crew finds out about his back injury, no production company will dare to hire him.
Don't even think about getting a job in this film and television city anymore.
Yes, just trying to make a living.
This is the current situation for martial arts actors.
When Zhong Wu first entered the industry, martial arts actors were serious roles in filming, with opportunities to appear on screen, showcase their skills, deliver powerful lines, and portray vivid and relatable characters.
However, ever since he suffered an accident during filming and sustained a severe back injury, requiring several years of recovery before returning to the screen, the entire market landscape has undergone a dramatic change.
Nowadays, martial arts actors have mostly become "shadows" behind the scenes. They no longer need to show their faces; they simply act as stunt doubles for the main actors, completing the work of capturing high-risk and difficult action sequences.
Zhong Wu looked exhausted. He wiped the cold sweat from his face with his arm, and the sweat splashed on the ground, leaving small dark spots.
Just then, a stack of clean tissues was handed to me from the side.
Zhong Wu slowly raised his eyes, and what came into view was a clean and tidy woman.
The woman wore a white dress, the fabric of which was light and soft, as if it were carefully woven from the finest silk. When a breeze blew by, the hem of the dress swayed gently like a nimble cloud, dancing gracefully, each sway exuding elegance and composure.
She resembled a snow lotus blooming atop a snow-capped mountain, pure and immaculate. Her fair skin, like delicate mutton fat jade, radiated a warm glow. Standing on this chaotic and noisy film set, she stood in stark contrast to her surroundings, clearly not a member of the film crew.
Behind him followed a burly man, who stood protectively, keeping a close eye on his lower back.
A sense of vigilance instantly rose in Zhong Wu's heart, like a wounded wild beast hiding in the shadows, not daring to easily let his guard down against a stranger who had rashly entered his territory.
Did they just see what they looked like? Hopefully, they won't have figured it out.
Zhong Wu's expression darkened.
"Here, wipe it off." Bai Li stepped forward and handed the tissues over.
Zhong Wu pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, as if weighing whether he should accept this sudden act of kindness.
Finally, he slowly reached out his hand, which was still trembling slightly from the pain. He tried his best to suppress it so that no one would notice anything amiss, took the tissue, and whispered his thanks: "Thank you."
While Zhong Wu was wiping his sweat...
Bai Li bent down slightly, lifted her skirt, and squatted down to the side.
After handing over all her company affairs, Bai Li had some free time to visit Jiang Mingfei's film set.
The crew and actors all really liked Bai Lilai.
Mr. Bai never comes empty-handed; he always brings some delicious food, which greatly improves the crew's monotonous meals.
Who wouldn't like such a generous investor?
The support staff worked with even more energy, the actors were in better shape, and the filming progressed rapidly.
But Bai Li's visit to the set wasn't mainly to cheer her on, nor was it to monitor the production's progress.
I mainly came to pay homage to Teacher Octopus.
Mr. Octopus is handsome, a great actor, has a good personality, and is mature and reliable.
A new "daddy" has appeared, so how can we stand still!
Being able to attend the investment event in person and witness the beauty and superb acting skills of Teacher Octopus up close is a privilege reserved for investors, and Bai Li chose to make full use of this privilege.
Moreover, after providing Octopus Teacher with a thoughtful assistant last time, Bai Li gained Octopus Teacher's favorability. She guessed that Octopus Teacher probably liked this feeling of being valued.
So every time I visit the set, I bring some supplies for Octopus Teacher. But if I only bring supplies for Octopus Teacher, it seems too easy for people to misunderstand. So I simply buy some for everyone in the crew.
I arrived at the film set early this time. When I arrived, the film crew in front of me was still filming and I happened to run into Zhong Wu.
The film studio is not very large, and there are not many ancient-style sets. It is quite common for several film crews to share the same venue, so you have to make an appointment in advance and fight for the venue.
Therefore, for film crews, time is money.
If someone delays filming and the scenes are not completed, they will have to wait until other production crews have finished filming before they can continue, which wastes a lot of time and money.
The martial arts actor in front of us clearly has a serious back injury, but he still gritted his teeth and finished filming all the scenes, not daring to delay the crew's schedule. This must be the reason.
Bai Li sighed.
She looked at Zhong Wu and thought to herself: This guy has a pretty high looks score. Xiao Hao said he gets 83 points.
Moreover, he has a very good foundation in martial arts. Despite being ill, his movements are still very powerful, cool and handsome. How did he end up as a stuntman?
Bai Li expressed her incomprehension and felt somewhat disappointed.
So when she saw Zhong Wu all alone, abandoned like a forgotten child, unable to even stand up, she didn't hesitate at all and went over to him decisively.
Thinking of this, Bai Li waved her hand behind her: "Ah Hu, where's my business card?"
Ah Hu took out an exquisite leather business card holder from his bag.
Bai Li took the business card holder, pulled out a business card, and handed it to Zhong Wu.
"I am Bai Li, and I am an investor in the production team for the later episodes."
Zhong Wu took the gold-embossed business card from Bai Li's hand. The business card was exquisitely made, and the gold lettering shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, exuding an indescribable high-class fragrance.
Bai Li continued, "I'll be investing in a new film crew later, and I think your image is quite suitable. There will be an audition on xx. If you're interested, you can call the number on the business card to ask for the details of the time and location."
Zhong Wu was relieved and offered him a job, so he probably didn't notice his back injury.
He took a close look at the business card; it belonged to a company he didn't recognize yet.
Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse. Bai Li is already very pretty, and when she wears haute couture, she doesn't look like a con artist at all.
Zhong Wu had already come to believe what Bai Li had said.
But he remained expressionless, simply stuffing the business card into his pocket and calmly saying thank you, "Thank you, I'll consider it."
He moved slightly, checked the condition of his lower back, and found that it was much better after resting for a while. He stood up with one hand on the ground, thanked Bai Li again, and slowly left, dragging his somewhat tired body.
Ah Hu stayed behind Bai Li, and only after Zhong Wu walked away did he professionally speculate: "He must have had major surgery on his lower back, as there is a very obvious sense of disharmony."
Upon hearing this, Bai Li nodded slightly, indicating that she understood, and withdrew her gaze.
Those who are interested will eventually come to him when the opportunity arises. Once they do, Bai Li will heal his back injury and then let him get acting roles.
If you're not interested, then missing out means you've missed your chance; it just means you weren't meant to be.
She didn't need another martial arts actor, but seeing him struggling to survive at the bottom of the entertainment industry, she felt some pity and thought she could lend a hand if she could, as a way of making a good connection.