"Ip Man: The Final Fight" Scene Ten, Take Two!"
"Action!"
Su Han leaped lightly, striking a prop that was suspended in mid-air, sending it crashing to the ground!
Immediately after, he sprang forward with agile grace.
"Clang!"
The prop landed with a heavy thud.
He simultaneously landed on another prop, effortlessly grabbing the rope from which it hung.
His entire demeanor exuded a powerful, almost menacing, presence of a street thug.
The camera zoomed in for a close-up, revealing his dim, dismissive eyes.
"Can we fight now?"
This sequence unfolded with breathtaking naturalness.
Ordinarily, a shot like this would require hours to film, with dozens of retakes.
Yet, Su Han completed it on the first try, flawlessly, with every action perfectly executed.
Director Chen and the entire crew were stunned, involuntarily swallowing.
Even the actor Shi Xingyu, who was acting opposite Su Han, was bewildered.
He had forgotten his lines.
"Cut!!!"
Director Chen had no choice but to call a halt.
"Old Shi, what's wrong?"
"Director Chen, nothing. I was just amazed by this guy. He can jump like that without wires. This kid's got something."
"Young man, you're truly amazing! Did you study martial arts before?"
As Shi Xingyu prepared to engage Su Han in conversation, Director Chen quickly intervened.
"Alright, alright. Old Shi, let's film first, then chat. This young man acted exceptionally well just now, everything was smooth and fluid. You're the senior here, you need to guide him. Don't embarrass yourself."
Director Chen was very familiar with Shi Xingyu, so he spoke without reservation. This admonishment forced Shi Xingyu to promptly fall silent and resume his scene with Su Han.
The King of Northern Kicks glanced at Feng Yuxiu's feet and removed his shoes.
"Your feet are uneven, one shorter than the other, a congenital defect. To have trained your kicking techniques to this level is truly remarkable."
Feng Yuxiu: "You are the King of Northern Kicks. I am challenging your kicking techniques."
With that, the King of Northern Kicks launched his right foot forward. Feng Yuxiu stumbled back, evading the kick, and swiftly retaliated with a kick of his own, quickly regaining his position.
The King of Northern Kicks seized the opportunity to pursue, and they engaged in a dynamic exchange of kicks and dodges.
Shi Xingyu was utilizing wires, but Su Han fought without them, appearing as if he were the real Feng Yuxiu sparring with Shi Xingyu.
During the fight, Shi Xingyu felt constantly suppressed by Su Han, forced to retreat several steps.
Sensing that the situation was not as intended, Director Chen quickly stood up.
"Cut!"
Director Chen called cut, and Su Han ceased his attack, allowing Shi Xingyu to finally catch his breath.
"Hoo hoo~"
"Old Shi, what's the matter?"
"Director Chen, this brother's martial arts are truly incredible. I was trying my best to suppress him, but I couldn't match his moves and was constantly forced into defensive positions. If possible, could he go a little easier and hold back?"
Director Chen had also noticed that Su Han's fighting was consistently superior, leaving Shi Xingyu with few opportunities to attack and constantly overwhelming him.
However, he intended for the scene to depict both fighters as evenly matched initially, with Feng Yuxiu only later defeating the King of Northern Kicks.
The current filming was far from his vision.
Su Han's martial prowess was so overwhelming that it resulted in Feng Yuxiu dominating Shi Xingyu from the very beginning.
With this in mind, Director Chen addressed Su Han directly: "Su Han, your fighting is too strong right now. If possible, could you perhaps tone it down a bit at the start, so the fight appears more evenly matched?"
"Then, later, you can showcase your full strength. This will create a better sense of pacing in the story."
"It's not that your performance is bad; you're doing an excellent job. It's just that your fighting is so powerful now that it's overshadowing the opponent, making the audience think the King of Northern Kicks is too weak."
Shi Xingyu thought: Director Chen, do I feel like you're subtly insulting me?
Hearing Director Chen's explanation, Su Han understood.
"Director Chen, what you mean is that I shouldn't be so strong at the beginning, right? We'll establish a balance at the start, and then I'll unleash my full power later."
Director Chen recalled Su Han's previous incident where he nearly sent a martial arts instructor to the hospital. Feeling a pang of concern, he added another reminder: "Remember, this is acting. It's not about truly beating someone to a pulp. The exchanges are real, but for the final blow, absolutely do not go all out. That could be fatal."
"Okay, got it."
Shi Xingyu couldn't help but gasp when he looked at Su Han.
During their sparring, he had felt that Su Han truly embodied Feng Yuxiu, and there was a genuine intent to defeat him in Su Han's eyes.
He still felt a sense of lingering dread.
Subsequently, Su Han and Shi Xingyu's fight continued, proving to be spectacular.
Props on set, including tables and chairs, were almost entirely shattered and broken.
Despite this, the scene was not interrupted, the fight continued unabated, and everyone watched with rapt attention.
Director Chen, in particular, stared at the monitor as if he were already watching the finished film.
There was no need for him to call cut or offer guidance; it was as if everything was happening spontaneously and naturally.
Towards the end, Su Han kicked Shi Xingyu to the ground.
Shi Xingyu felt the immense force of Su Han's kick, but to achieve the desired cinematic effect, he endured the pain.
He endured it throughout, genuinely fighting with Su Han.
After being knocked to the ground, Su Han twisted his leg with a swift counter-grab.
"Ahhhh!!!!!"
A heart-wrenching scream echoed throughout the area.
Shi Xingyu was genuinely in pain; it was not feigned.
His agonizing scream was incredibly realistic, captivating Director Chen and the entire crew.
"This is incredible acting!"
"Is he really acting? It feels like Shi Xingyu is truly screaming from being beaten by Su Han."
"Hiss! It's painful just watching."
Finally, as Su Han raised his foot, intending to strike Shi Xingyu's head, Shi Xingyu felt a killing intent in his eyes and quickly shouted, "Wait, wait!"
"Stop!"
"Help me!!!!"
Shi Xingyu's final cry for help finally jolted Director Chen into realizing that Shi Xingyu was no longer acting.
"Cut!"
Director Chen quickly called cut, and everyone on set turned to Shi Xingyu.
"Old Shi, what's wrong?"
"I, I, call an ambulance first. And for the last shot, I'll be finished filming, right?"
"I'll try my best to hold on, Director Chen, you, you tell Su Han to not actually kick me to death. The final kick is meant for my head, correct?"
Shi Xingyu was speaking through gritted teeth, his face contorted in pain.
Su Han also realized that Shi Xingyu was at his limit.
"Are you alright?"
Shi Xingyu: "I don't think I'm doing too well right now, but I can't blame you, brother. You're so immersed in your role, honestly, I'm a little scared of you right now."
Indeed, it was true that once Su Han activated the Feng Yuxiu character template and began acting, it was no longer mere acting.
He knew he had genuinely injured Shi Xingyu during their recent brawl.
Fortunately, Shi Xingyu had studied martial arts for over a decade; an ordinary person would have been beaten to death.
"Director Chen, how about this: for the final shot, I'll kick towards his head, but halfway through, you call cut, and then he'll be 'dead'."
"Yes, yes, that works. Let's continue!"
Following Su Han's suggestion, they completed the final shot.
After it was done, Shi Xingyu fainted.
Director Chen and the crew were dumbfounded.
"What's happening?"
A crew member rushed to check on Shi Xingyu.
"Director Chen, Shi Xingyu is covered in injuries, and his leg is bleeding! He's likely fainted from his injuries!"
Director Chen: ??????
"So, Old Shi wasn't faking it all along?"
They were genuinely fighting with all their might?
Director Chen took a deep look at Su Han.
This Su Han was truly formidable. Shi Xingyu, after all, had spent over a decade at Shaolin and possessed considerable martial arts skill, yet Su Han had managed to injure him.
His acting was spot on, and his martial arts were exceptional. This young man was outstanding!
At this moment, Director Chen's gaze towards Su Han was filled with a newfound admiration. He liked him even more.
He was determined to nurture this talent. If possible, this young man had the potential to carve out a significant path for himself in the film industry!