Hong Kong 1990: From stuntman to King of Kung Fu

Chapter 36 Holding Back and Mocking

"Teacher Liu, thank you very much for your guidance." Tang Long cupped his hands in greeting to Liu Xun.

"Haha, no need to be so polite. It's been a long time since I've seen such a diligent and eager-to-learn young man."

"Be steady during filming later, and follow the rhythm we've been rehearsing; you shouldn't make any mistakes."

"There won't be any more NGs."

At this point, filming for "New Dragon Gate Inn" had been going on for more than half a month, and the crew had passed the adjustment period.

However, Tang Long became a bottleneck that delayed the filming schedule.

Compared to Brigitte Lin and Chang Man-yu, his acting is still relatively immature and lacks experience; sometimes he can't keep up with their performances.

The two women weren't impatient with this, but Xu Ke got angry first.

His patience was exhausted on the first day of filming, and he couldn't help but lash out at Tang Long.

For the next few days, she didn't give him a friendly look. Whenever they met on set, she would make sarcastic remarks, showing none of the good attitude she had before filming started.

Despite the criticism and mockery, Xu Ke would still give him serious acting instructions, even in more detail, though her tone was sometimes harsh.

In addition, he also brought in Liu Xun to provide guidance to Tang Long.

Although he knew that Xu Ke wasn't deliberately targeting him, but was doing it for his own good, Tang Long still felt a sense of unease.

He also knows that acting is his biggest weakness, and he has been studying it diligently for the past six months.

But acting is not something you can learn well just by studying theory; practical experience is the most important.

Filming "The Blade" was alright. The character Ding An was rather rugged, or rather, the style of the whole movie was rather rugged, so the requirements for acting skills were not that high.

Now, filming "New Dragon Gate Inn" requires Tang Long to deliver a more nuanced performance, and Xu Ke's demands are also higher.

This made him pale in comparison.

Therefore, in his spare time from filming, he always sought advice from Liu Xun.

The old man showed no impatience and incorporated instruction into Tang Long's performance of Zhou Huai'an's scenes, resulting in significant improvement in Tang Long's portrayal of Zhou Huai'an.

The next scene to be filmed is his confrontation with Mr. Liu Xun, a subtle power struggle in the main hall.

Liu Xun, who plays the head constable Jia Ting, arrives at the Dragon Gate Inn with his men and happens to see Zhou Huai'an and Qiu Moyan's group there as well.

The two then engaged in a verbal exchange.

To film this scene well, Tang Long went over the scene with Mr. Liu Xun several times.

I thought I was fully prepared, but when it came time to film, I still couldn't quite keep up with my co-star's performance.

After two consecutive NGs, he was scolded by Xu Ke.

"Oh, you think you're so great now? Don't make a big mess while filming."

The script was well-written, but when it came to actually performing it, he couldn't do it.

"You can't even be a good actor, and you want to be a director?"

Tang Long ignored Xu Ke's sharp tongue; after being verbally attacked for more than half a month, he had become immune to it.

He sat on the prop box, closed his eyes, and thought back on the details of the upcoming performance.

Seeing that Tang Long was ignoring him, Xu felt bored and picked up the walkie-talkie, shouting:

"Script supervisor, props, hurry up and get things ready. Haven't you eaten? You're moving so slowly."

Urged on by Xu Ke, the crew quickly set up the filming set and the extras took their places.

"Action!"

As the script supervisor slammed the clapperboard, Xu Ke kept his eyes glued to the monitor.

In the picture, Zhang Manyu leans against the counter, her bright red dress complementing her alluring eyes, every smile and frown exuding charm.

She glanced up and swept her gaze over the two distinct groups of people in the hall, her eyes lingering on Zhou Huai'an for a moment longer. She parted her lips and spoke with a touch of lazy mockery in her tone.

Seeing this, Xu Ke couldn't help but nod. Zhang Manyu had thoroughly grasped the essence of the character Jin Xiangyu.

"Hey, it's early in the morning, and our distinguished guests have made the trip. Don't just stand there, get your knives sharpened."

Before he finished speaking, Liu Xun, who played Jia Ting, the chief of the Eastern Depot, stood up. His face was sinister, but he had a very fake smile on his face. He slowly walked to Zhou Huai'an's table.

His gaze remained fixed on Zhou Huai'an, his tone deliberately warm:

"Ah, my friend, this gentleman has a fine appearance. He has a full forehead, a square jaw, a bright forehead, and a ruddy complexion. He is sure to have great fortune ahead of him."

Tang Long sat upright, his eyes calm and unwavering, and spoke softly:

"Thank you for your kind words, sir."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to borrow your palm to take a look, so I can predict your future. Would that be alright?"

Liu Xun's smile remained unchanged as he reached out to grab Tang Long's hand, his intention to subtly capture him.

"Can."

Tang Long remained calm and extended his right hand.

The chivalrous men accompanying him suddenly tensed up.

The camera then focused on Brigitte Lin, who sat motionless with a cool expression and a calm and composed demeanor.

With a single glance, he calmed everyone down.

Qiu Moyan had confidence in Zhou Huai'an's martial arts skills.

Tang Long and Liu Xun then engaged in a verbal exchange, testing each other's limits.

Tang Long remained calm and composed throughout, while Liu Xun pressed on relentlessly.

Upon hearing the other party mention officialdom, Zhou Huai'an's emotions finally wavered. He exposed the other party's identity by observing the official boots Jia Ting was wearing, and there was no longer any concealment.

Tang Long's aura changed instantly. He gripped Liu Xun's wrist, his smile undiminished, but his eyes were now filled with chilling coldness.

When Liu Xun met that gaze, even though he knew it was acting, he still felt a chill run down his spine.

He knew Tang Long was getting into character.

Xu Ke, standing in front of the monitor, leaned forward, gripping the armrests of the chair tightly with both hands, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

At that moment, photographer Huang Yuetai perfectly positioned his lens on Tang Long, giving him a close-up shot.

Xu Ke was able to see Tang Long's performance more clearly on the monitor.

His voice was deep and resonant, each word carrying an imposing air:

"Brother, something momentous has recently happened in the capital. Are you aware of it, or not?"

Liu Xun, being a veteran actor, quickly picked up where he left off:

"What is it you are referring to?"

"Minister of War Yang Yuxuan was framed by treacherous people. He was not only brutally murdered, but his body was also wrapped in straw and hung up, and his entire family was executed."

"Brother, do you really not know who committed this tragedy?"

Tang Long spoke each word with force, his tone filled with suppressed rage.

Liu Xun's face darkened completely, and his fake smile vanished.

"I don't know, I really don't know."

"You really don't know?" Tang Long tightened his grip slightly.

Liu Xun's forehead was covered in cold sweat, not only because he was acting, but also because he was in pain.

Seeing that the situation was about to escalate, Jin Xiangyu, who was standing nearby, quickly came over with a charming smile to smooth things over.

Tang Long completely ignored Jin Xiangyu's mediation, his gaze fixed on Jia Ting and the others, and spoke sternly:

"Those who killed Lord Yang were those man-eating bastards who had no tails and no bones."

As soon as he finished speaking, he slammed his palm heavily on the wooden table in front of him, and with a loud crash, the wooden table shattered instantly.

"Click!"

The scene fell silent, all eyes turned to Xu Ke.

"Passed."

The scene finally came back to life. Liu Xun shook his wrist, and Tang Long also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Teacher Liu, I'm sorry, I accidentally used too much force just now."

"It's okay, you acted well. I almost missed catching it just now."

"That's because you taught me well."

"Haha, you worked very hard yourself, and after this scene, you won't need me to teach you anymore."