Chapter 48: Oh No, I've Become the Clown

"What are you talking about?!"

Gordon Chan found it a bit difficult to understand what his old friend was on about.

Zhang Yang was indeed exceptional, and he had even told Gu Xuanzhao in advance that he had struck gold. Was there any need to be this shocked?

"You don't know?" Gu Xuanzhao asked, sounding puzzled.

During their brief encounter earlier, he felt as though he had been "violated" artistically.

Having only heard the description verbally, without any physical demonstration, Zhang Yang had perfectly executed the choreography he had designed.

If it were just that, he wouldn't have been so astonished. Although the movements he designed were extremely difficult, they were par for the course for talented individuals with genuine martial arts skills.

Yet, immediately afterward, Zhang Yang ran through the sequence again. The entire flow was as smooth as floating clouds and flowing water, his postures and movements impeccably handsome, leaving Gu Xuanzhao in awe.

Even if it ended there, that would be one thing; the world was full of geniuses, and Gu Xuanzhao himself was often called a genius by some, only today he had met someone even more extraordinary.

Next, however, Zhang Yang added a few subtle modifications to the choreography, elevating the overall visual impact to be even more striking, imbued with a fierce and aesthetic sense of power.

This was clearly someone coming to smash his stage!

"What would I know?" Gordon Chan laughed, pointing at Gu Xuanzhao. "You've been speaking in riddles since the moment you arrived."

Seeing that Gu Xuanzhao was not putting on an act, the latter's expression softened slightly. "Zhang Yang is even more formidable than you made him out to be."

"How formidable?" A spark of fiery interest flickered in Gordon Chan's eyes.

To earn such high praise from Gu Xuanzhao was no small feat.

If those words spread, Zhang Yang could easily carve out a solid reputation in the industry simply based on his prowess as a stunt coordinator.

Should Gu Xuanzhao be willing to take Zhang Yang under his wing as an official disciple, it would be effortless for the latter to collaborate with renowned directors.

The job of a martial arts coordinator was one of the rare roles in the industry that valued genuine skill above all else, though background certainly mattered just as much, as seen with factions like the Jackie Chan Stunt Team or Sammo Hung's stunt team.

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. Just watch for yourself when filming starts."

Seeing Gordon Chan brimming with curiosity, Gu Xuanzhao suddenly felt much better.

He couldn't be the only one shaken to the core; Gordon Chan and the entire crew were going down with him!

"You've even learned to keep people in suspense now." Gordon Chan chuckled and shook his head, though curious, he didn't pay it too much mind.

Gu Xuanzhao was a top-tier martial arts coordinator in the industry. No matter how well Zhang Yang performed, how impressive could he possibly be?

Before long, however, Gordon Chan felt as though his face was being repeatedly slapped by reality.

"Places, everyone."

Gordon Chan picked up the loudspeaker.

The focus and energy of the entire crew instantly shifted.

The biggest difference between shooting a movie and shooting a television series was the use of film stock, which literally burned through money.

If anyone's incompetence caused filming to drag on and consumed too much raw film, the director and producer would genuinely curse them out, or even fire them on the spot.

"Action!"

Accompanied by the loud snap of the clapperboard, the first scene of the afternoon began.

Gu Xuanzhao had designed many intricate movements for Deng Chao, one of which was a sequence depicting a werewolf transforming—aggressive, relentlessly pressing forward, radiating overwhelming momentum.

Although this sequence was intricate, it was not overly difficult. Moreover, because it required capturing Deng Chao's face throughout, it left no opportunity for Zhang Yang, his stunt double, to step in.

Deng Chao had clearly practiced this sequence diligently. After just three retakes, he successfully prompted Gordon Chan to call, "Cut!"

This type of action sequence, which required the actor to perform entirely on their own, served as a warm-up. Deng Chao then began being hooked up to the wire rig, preparing for the next scene—a major set piece that required wirework.

"Bro, the King of Wires is finally back!" Deng Chao waggled his eyebrows playfully at Gu Xuanzhao, in high spirits.

Gu Xuanzhao had long held the esteemed title of the "King of Wires" because many of the stunts he designed relied heavily on wirework to achieve stunning visual effects, which looked all the more breathtaking on the big screen in cinemas.

"Focus and do a good job." Gu Xuanzhao checked the fitting of Deng Chao's safety harness.

"What, afraid I won't be able to pull it off and need the stunt double to step in?" Deng Chao made a face.

A smile broke through Gu Xuanzhao's habitually meticulous expression. "I'm afraid you'll get completely shown up, so I'm hoping you don't embarrass yourself too much."

Deng Chao: ?

Without saying more, Gu Xuanzhao stepped back and gave Gordon Chan a hand signal.

"Places, everyone."

"Action!"

"..."

The current scene took place at the base of the Drunken Moon Pavilion.

Deng Chao was locked in combat with an opponent, got wrapped around twice by a weapon, and was sent flying.

He hit the ground, executed a 360-degree spin, regained his footing, and sprinted forward to charge at his opponent.

This was a complete, continuous sequence of actions. It sounded simple enough, but executing it in practice was rather difficult.

A normal person might stumble just trying to spin in place twice and walk in a straight line, let alone being suspended by wires to spin mid-air twice, hitting the ground to spring up into a 360-degree rotation to stand straight, and then instantly breaking into a full sprint.

"Whoosh!"

Under multiple camera angles, numerous crane arms hovered overhead.

Deng Chao entered character, shedding his usual mischievousness; both his emotions and physical movements were fully immersed.

After a token exchange of blows, he initiated the sequence, first being hoisted by wires to spin twice mid-air.

The process went smoothly. Deng Chao smoothly shifted his center of gravity, touched down on the ground, pushed off to execute a 360-degree spin, and then needed to snap his torso upright into a rigid stance.

Yesterday afternoon, Deng Chao had failed repeatedly at precisely this juncture. Today, he had grown a bit wiser and chose to shift into a half-crouch upon landing.

Stabilizing his upper body, the moment his center of gravity recovered, he pushed off hard with his back foot to sprint forward, throwing a punch to lock in the final posture.

"Cut!"

Gordon Chan flashed a satisfied smile. "Chao, one take, brilliant."

Yesterday, that exact shot had taken the entire afternoon without success, and he had nearly lost his temper.

Originally, he had intended to let Zhang Yang take over directly today, allowing everyone to witness just how capable his personally selected stunt double was.

Especially the producer sent by the investors, who had subtly expressed dissatisfaction with his replacement of Mu Panlong; he needed hard results to shut them up.

It was Deng Chao who had actively approached him, promising to deliver a surprise today and agreeing to drop the idea if it took more than three takes, which was why Gordon Chan had reluctantly agreed.

At last, Deng Chao had not let him down.

"Not bad, not bad." Deng Chao returned to the group, smiling as he said to Zhang Yang, "Ah Yang, saved you some effort today."

That statement was true enough. Regardless of whether Deng Chao used a stunt double or not, Zhang Yang received the exact same pay.

Some actors, either because they couldn't nail the choreography or simply out of laziness, would hand the work over entirely to stunt doubles and only shoot close-ups of their own faces later.

However, actors with even a shred of ambition and professional dedication still preferred to do the stunts themselves, as it yielded a superior look on film.

"Thank you, Brother Chao," Zhang Yang replied with a polite, smiling acknowledgment.

He had no intention of forcefully inserting himself into the spotlight.

Getting paid while doing nothing—wasn't that wonderful?

Besides, he wasn't a professional stuntman by trade; he wasn't in any rush to prove himself just to expand that line of work.

His roadmap for the future was to first establish himself on the idol track to become a top-tier traffic star, then leverage that traffic during the idol era to rake in cash as a skilled performer with a massive fanbase.

Once the state began tightening regulations and capping salaries, he would seamlessly transition into a serious character actor and director-producer.

Moreover, someone else was more impatient than he was; there was no need for him to step forward.

"Wait a moment," Gu Xuanzhao suddenly spoke up. "Let Zhang Yang run one for safety."

Everyone: ?

"Just one take," Gu Xuanzhao said to Gordon Chan. "Let's see the effect; the footage might turn out even better."

Gu Xuanzhao wasn't afraid of offending Deng Chao by saying this, because no matter how brilliantly a stunt double performed, it ultimately reflected well on the lead actor, and the lead actor would be the ultimate beneficiary.

If there was a better option available, even Deng Chao himself would choose to let Zhang Yang take the shot.

"Very well."

Gordon Chan naturally had to give Gu Xuanzhao face.

Besides, he was also curious to see just how good Zhang Yang's performance was to have earned such high praise from Gu Xuanzhao.

Without a word, Zhang Yang strode onto the set, dressed in the exact same costume as Deng Chao.

The moment he was strapped into the wire harness, his gaze and aura underwent a dramatic shift.

This subtle transformation immediately piqued the interest of the A-list stars and veteran actors present.

Gordon Chan's eyes lit up. Watching Zhang Yang through the monitor, he silently praised, "He truly has a face born for the big screen. It's a pity his fame is still too low; once he gets famous down the road, it'd definitely be worth collaborating with him."

"Action!"

Snap!

The clapperboard fell, and Zhang Yang began his performance.

A minute later, the entire set fell into absolute silence.

After a long while, Gordon Chan snapped back to reality and belatedly called out, "Cut!"

Deng Chao: "..."

Oh no. I've turned into the clown.