Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Film Begins Shooting

The production of The Assassin sent Bull Cannon’s team into a frenzy of excitement. Bull Cannon himself seemed to conjure up a whole array of handmade props. He had prepared each and every one of them by hand over the past ten years, proving that what he had told Qianya was no exaggeration.

A glance at those exquisitely crafted yet seemingly useless accessories was enough to reveal a very particular kind of devotion. Without the power of a dream, who would spend so much time creating an object that might show only a corner in the final footage, or appear for no more than a fleeting instant?

The board of World Media attached enormous importance to the start of the film. The chairman even came personally to the opening ceremony to encourage the entire cast and crew. It was the first time Qianya had ever seen him.

According to the host’s introduction, the chairman was named Shi Yu. He looked to be in his early forties, with a shiny, well-oiled face that marked him as a seasoned man of the world. His distinctive maturity, combined with the rakish charm of a middle-aged man, instantly overwhelmed the entire venue. Many of the company’s female employees and actresses wore expressions of open infatuation, practically drooling.

Qianya found it amusing. As the female lead, she stood onstage as well, but remained silent throughout, carefully listening instead to the whispers drifting up from below.

No one could have guessed that she possessed such a peculiar talent: superhuman hearing. Still, that was nothing more than one of the minor tricks of ninja arts.

Standing toward the back of the stage, Qianya watched from the side. Chairman Shi Yu stood well over six feet tall and kept himself in excellent shape. Every gesture carried an unmistakable air of authority. When he stepped up to speak, thunderous applause swept through the crowd. Clearly, his prestige was considerable.

Shi Yu ascended the stage with elegant movements and smiled as he acknowledged the various groups gathered there.

Then he began his address.

“Esteemed colleagues, directors, dear friends, and all those who have worked so hard: today, I can sum up my excitement in only four words—my heart is blooming with joy.”

Before he could finish, the thunderous applause below forced him to pause and acknowledge the crowd once again.

“I believe everyone has already heard the legend behind this project, but allow me to say a few more words. After all, we have new friends and new colleagues among us. I need hardly elaborate on Director Niu Huang’s reputation, but his dream deserves to be mentioned today. As everyone knows, with the development of the film market, domestic cinema has been flourishing. Many of our stars have even appeared in major international productions. But—”

“This is the first time a foreign actor has participated in the filming of a major Chinese production!”

Another wave of deafening applause erupted, and Shi Yu once again had to stop speaking, smiling as he indulged his subordinates’ celebration.

“I am not saying that foreign actors have never appeared in Chinese films. What I mean is that this is the first time an international blockbuster sequel has been developed under the direction of World Media, with every actor except the female lead, Ms. Qianya, selected through nationwide auditions. This is truly unprecedented.”

“The prospects for this film speak for themselves. So go forth and give it everything you have! For Director Niu’s dream, and for your own bright future.”

His brief speech only intensified the beautiful ladies’ admiration. The corners of Shi Yu’s mouth lifted slightly. Perhaps he was accustomed to such reactions—or, more likely, he was merely pretending not to notice.

Next came Bull Cannon’s speech. He pulled no punches and had nothing pleasant to say, blasting away at everyone like artillery. His bizarre style left the audience exchanging bewildered glances, and stood in stark contrast to Shi Yu’s address. Yet Bull Cannon was speaking about the profession itself and the team’s most urgent problems, so no one dared make a sound.

At last, it was Qianya’s turn. She spoke a few words with effortless poise:

“I’m very happy to be in China!”

And with that, it was over. Quite a few people found her brevity puzzling, but most were too busy admiring her bearing. Besides, she was Japanese; the fact that she could say even one sentence in Chinese was impressive enough.

The opening ceremony came to an end amid an atmosphere of respectable grandeur. Immediately afterward came Bull Cannon’s terrifying method of filmmaking, and the days of unbearable suffering began for no apparent reason at all.

For the first several days, the cast rested only two or three hours each night. Qianya was nearly worked to death.

Bull Cannon had a perfectly reasonable explanation: postproduction refinement was the crucial stage. His approach borrowed from agile development methods in the IT industry, and he could employ it only because of his wealth of experience and his sharp instinct for the market.

Put simply, the goal was to finish filming as quickly as possible, producing a complete film every day. Before any similar project appeared, they could arrange its release whenever they wished. If there was no competition, they could repeatedly reshoot and improve it while supplementing the work with postproduction.

Not everyone could use such a method. It was like walking along a cliff edge. Yet the facts had proven that every one of Bull Cannon’s films was highly successful and enormously popular. Their advantage lay in their novelty—in being the first of their kind.

Of all people, Qianya had the deepest understanding of Bull Cannon’s confidence and vicious tongue. She had felt it almost as physical pain.

After only a few days, she looked as though she had shed an entire layer of skin. She was barely alive.

This was not filmmaking. It was risking one’s life.

* * *

At this difficult time, Qianya found herself longing especially for one person. So, despite her exhaustion, she dragged herself back to He Yi Pictures.

When Li Yiting saw her, he was startled as well.

Bloodshot eyes, a pallid face, disheveled hair, rumpled clothes—at first glance, she looked as though—

“What happened?” Li Yiting asked, supporting her by the shoulders. A rare trace of tenderness appeared on his face.

“Hmm…” Qianya pursed her lips and said nothing more.

Li Yiting hurriedly handed her a cup of hot water, his concern deepening. “You ran into them?”

Qianya shot him a feeble, disdainful look. “What are you thinking? …I just finished filming.”

“Huh? Filming?” Li Yiting released her with a helpless sigh. “Well, look at you, scampering off to World Media to play an extra again. That big company is a real trap.”

Qianya burst out laughing. “What are you talking about? An extra? Is that how little you think of me?”

“Little thing, now you’re looking down on me for playing extras? You’ve joined a major company, so you’re something special now.” Grinning, Li Yiting took her cup and refilled it.

Qianya’s expression settled somewhat. She stared at him without speaking.

Li Yiting smiled. “If you’re too tired, don’t go back. No one’s going to discover anything from an extra’s role anyway.” He paused, then finally voiced what was truly on his mind. “Besides, I’m really not at ease with you going to World Media alone.”

Warmth spread through Qianya’s heart, and her expression softened at once.

She let out a quiet sigh. “I don’t want to go either. It’s just that…if I don’t, they may not be able to shoot that scene, and the director will be summoning me for tea.”

Li Yiting stared at her in surprise. She did not look as though she were joking. His thoughts spun rapidly. Qianya liked to argue over everything, but she certainly did not seem to be joking now. After pondering for a moment, he said, “So your role must be fairly important.”

His reason quickly returned, and his face grew more solemn.

“Don’t tell me you’re the female lead?”

“What?!” Qianya froze as well. “Have you been to World Media? Have you been following me?”

Li Yiting answered blandly, “I haven’t been there. The security is so tight that I’m not about to take that risk lightly. But it really is rare to find a female lead who can turn herself into this state. Your eyes may be blood red, but your makeup is thicker than the sole of a shoe. Extras probably don’t get that kind of treatment. Cosmetics have gone up in price lately.”

“Hmph!” Qianya puffed out her cheeks unhappily. “What I hate most is that look on your face when you guess everything correctly. It’s so boring.”

Li Yiting rubbed his face awkwardly. “Is it really that irritating?”

“I wanted to surprise you, but now you’ve seen right through me. How am I supposed to keep acting?” Qianya refilled her own cup, turning her back to him.

Li Yiting was puzzled too. “Even if you are the female lead, you don’t have to work yourself this hard. Besides, the female lead is supposed to rely on her image and presence. You’ve made yourself look like this—doesn’t the director say anything?”

Qianya slowly walked back. Her complexion had already returned to normal, suggesting that she had been putting on at least part of her earlier appearance.

“I never imagined I’d run into such an eccentric director. He films day and night without a break.” She took a sip of water. “Besides, I’m playing a tough-as-nails woman, so appearance isn’t all that important. There’s even a scene coming up where I kill so many people that my eyes turn red. The director added it at the last minute, saying it happens to suit my current appearance. How could I refuse?”

“Ahem.” Li Yiting was helpless. “What kind of film is this, anyway, that they have to rush it out so desperately? Is it a low-budget movie made to turn a quick profit?”

“Don’t think you’re the only one who’s curious. I can barely make sense of it myself.” Qianya sighed faintly. “You’ll be shocked when you hear this: I’m appearing in an international blockbuster. Bull Cannon actually intends to finish shooting it in one month. I’m practically going insane!”

She briefly explained the situation to Li Yiting, concealing only her relationship with Niu Huang. Li Yiting did not think much of that omission. Instead, he fell silent.

Qianya looked at him curiously. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Li Yiting spoke slowly. “The fox is about to show its tail.”

Qianya froze. She nearly blurted out the truth, but in the end managed to restrain herself.

Let the idiot keep guessing.