Inside the roadside eatery.
The film crew bustled around, setting up the scene and arranging equipment.
Director Liu, wearing a mask, and Gao Fei, who had just changed into his costume, were discussing the fight sequence with the martial arts instructor.
"Mr. Gao, how are your martial arts skills?"
Liu Wei Qiang suddenly asked.
With a fight scene about to be filmed, and the extras being students from a martial arts school, he needed to confirm if Mr. Gao had any prior training.
If the boss were to be accidentally injured, it would be a serious matter!
"My skills are quite decent. I trained in boxing for three months during my military service!
Don't worry, I'm not as weak as you think. You can arrange it however you like."
Hearing that Mr. Gao had trained in boxing during his military service, Director Liu and martial arts instructor Huang Kun were somewhat relieved.
Although the fight scene's choreography was already designed, it was easy to get injured if one lacked fundamental skills.
"Mr. Gao, since the fight scene is not an issue, shall we have the extras rehearse with you?"
"Certainly!"
After the day's filming, Gao Fei, apart from his lines needing refinement, showed an astonishing acting talent that impressed everyone present.
Initially, he still needed Director Liu's step-by-step guidance on how to portray the required emotions and expressions, and how to look at the camera.
Each take generally required five or six attempts to pass.
However, as Gao Fei's understanding of acting deepened, and with his constant contemplation during breaks and meals, he eventually managed to pass in two takes.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible to complete more than half of the filming tasks in a single day.
Twenty minutes later, the film crew had finished setting up the scene, and all the equipment was in place.
Lead actor Gao Fei and the extras were also ready.
"Quiet on set!"
The assistant director shouted loudly, maintaining order.
Director Liu and stunt coordinator Zhou Zhen returned to the monitor.
"Action!"
The clapperboard snapped.
The martial arts school student extras began to perform their roles in the eatery.
Gao Fei, dressed in a tracksuit, walked into the frame with the martial arts students playing his classmates, chatting and laughing according to the script.
About half an hour later, two takes of the scene were completed.
Just as Liu Wei Qiang was preparing to film the escalation of conflict and the ensuing fight...
Two sharp braking sounds echoed from the rear of the film set.
"Screech!"
The doors of two vans were flung open before they had even come to a complete stop by the roadside.
Eleven or twelve youths, dressed in a rowdy fashion, leaped out of the vehicles, carrying long objects wrapped in newspapers.
A bald man with a fierce look led the charge, kicking away a stool that was in his path.
"Who the hell is in charge here?"
The sudden shout made Gao Fei, who had just gotten into character, frown.
He turned to look; the assistant director and the production assistants had gone to speak with them.
Meanwhile, Liu Wei Qiang stood aside and whispered, "Mr. Gao, these people mean trouble. They're probably sent by the mastermind behind the attacks on the company."
"Only that audacious black hand would dare send people to cause trouble outside the police academy.
No need to guess, it's him!"
Gao Fei replied casually, then added, "Point all the cameras at this group."
"Mr. Gao, what do you mean?"
"Improvise!"
As he spoke, the assistant director, who was talking to the bald man, suddenly let out a cry of pain, clutching his face as he stumbled back.
"Why are you hitting me..."
Before the assistant director could finish speaking, the bald man delivered another slap, "Damn it, you're filming in my territory and you didn't even say hello. Did you pay the location fee?"
"Location fee? We've already paid the rent to the owner of this eatery. What other location fee do you need?"
The assistant director was baffled.
The bald man sneered, "You little punk, playing dumb with me, huh? Brothers, beat them up!"
As the words fell, a figure suddenly shot out rapidly from behind.
With a "bang," a young man who was about to step forward was instantly kicked ten feet away, rolling under the van.
The bald man was momentarily stunned, then immediately retreated behind his subordinates, yelling, "Beat him to death!"
Facing the surrounding thugs, Gao Fei punched one, kicked another, dealing with them like children.
He used no fancy moves, only raw power and decisive strikes.
In moments, all eleven thugs lay defeated on the ground.
The bald man, attempting to escape, was grabbed by Gao Fei, his arm twisted behind his back, and he was pinned to the ground.
The shouts of violence ceased, and the entire street fell into an unnerving silence.
Behind them, Liu Wei Qiang, martial arts instructor Huang Kun, and the martial arts students who were about to help, stood frozen in stunned silence.
It had taken Gao Fei less than a minute from starting to fight to subduing the bald man.
This formidable combat prowess shocked everyone present.
Liu Wei Qiang and Instructor Huang recalled their earlier question about Gao Fei's martial arts skills, fearing accidental injury during the fight scene.
And Mr. Gao's answer was "quite decent"!
Now, witnessing Mr. Gao single-handedly take down over a dozen men, completely unharmed.
Was this fighting skill truly just "quite decent"?
The two felt ashamed for having asked such an unintelligent question.
Gao Fei glanced at the stunned onlookers and shouted, "Don't just stand there, call the police!"
As his shout faded, the film crew snapped back to reality, quickly pulling out their phones to report the incident.
The bald man, pinned to the ground, spoke up, "Kid, if you want to finish filming in Kyoto peacefully, I advise you not to call the police."
"Oh really? You're still threatening me?"
"Whether it's a threat or not, consider it yourself.
In short, if I get arrested, none of you in the film crew will have a good outcome."
Gao Fei's gaze swept over the bald man, he raised his hand, patted his face, and sneered, "I was born unwilling to bend, let alone bow down to social thugs like you.
Since you're so defiant, I'm quite looking forward to what your boss behind the scenes will do next.
Whatever moves he makes, I, Gao Fei, will accept them!"
"Gao Fei?"
The bald man frowned slightly, finding the name very familiar.
Just as he was trying to recall where he had heard this name before, the roar of powerful car engines echoed from the entrance of the street.
When the vehicles stopped, the bald man looked up and froze on the spot, utterly petrified.
Five police cars were parked by the roadside, followed by three military jeeps.
Clang!
More than ten police officers and nine soldiers in combat uniforms emerged from the vehicles.
Leading the police was Team Leader Wang Desheng, and commanding the military was Colonel Yao Qiang.
The joint police and military contingent entered the filming location.
Team Leader Wang immediately ordered the arrest of the thugs who had been beaten and brought in for causing trouble.
Colonel Yao, with a stern face, walked up to Gao Fei and placed his boot on the bald man's back.
The bald man let out a groan, his earlier aggressive demeanor instantly vanishing.
Observing the soldiers maintaining order and the police officers apprehending the troublemakers,
everyone in the film crew, except for Director Liu who knew what was going on, was witnessing such a scene for the first time.
They never expected that a single phone call would mobilize both the military and the police.
...
Kyoto Paradise Club.
Zhang Zhiwei and Zheng Ying sat side by side, surrounded by five or six young and beautiful women.
These women were all actresses frequently seen on television screens.
Mr. Zhang and Mr. Zheng were chatting and laughing, eagerly awaiting the good news of Fly Crane Pictures being disrupted.