Chapter 28: Acting as a Teacher

*Heroic Spirit* was filmed on location, and today’s shoot was the gunfight scene at Maple Grove Pavilion. After arriving there, Xiao Ran greeted Wu Yusen and Fa Ge first, then quietly watched Fa Ge’s performance.
It was truly a pleasure to be able to observe Fa Ge’s acting up close. Unexpectedly, Xiao Ran, who had planned to enjoy the show, was pulled into it by Wu Yusen’s question: “A Ran, how did you envision this scene when you wrote the script?”
In fact, Xu Ke had told Wu Yusen that Xiao Ran had recommended him to direct this film. Although he didn’t understand why this unfamiliar young screenwriter would recommend him, he still felt he had to seize this opportunity.
Being assigned to the Taiwan branch was far from what he desired; in his view, it was no different from being exiled. Moreover, the two films he had produced as producer and director had been unremarkable, and the headquarters was not satisfied with his work, which only increased his frustration as an ambitious talent.
When he was called back by headquarters and saw the script for the first time, he knew it was exactly what he had longed for. Especially when he read some of the classic lines in the script, he was deeply moved—they seemed to express his own thoughts, how could he not be excited?
The whole world knew that Wu Yusen shot *Heroic Spirit* with great resentment and passion. Although its techniques were not as perfect as his later works, that sense of frustration never appeared again. This is why the film became one of the greatest classics of Hong Kong cinema over the past twenty years.
Similarly, since Wu Yusen had always wanted to make such a film, and Xiao Ran’s script was originally plagiarized from his own ideas, it was only natural for him to see Xiao Ran as a kindred spirit. Thus, Wu Yusen felt it necessary to seek the advice of this soulmate beside him.
Xiao Ran, of course, had no idea what Wu Yusen was thinking. If he had known that Wu Yusen regarded him as a lifelong friend, he would likely have been so excited he’d suffer a heart attack on the spot. Looking into Wu Yusen’s sincere eyes, he hesitated for a moment before asking, “Director Wu, how do you plan to shoot it?”
Wu Yusen gave Xiao Ran an interesting look and laughed heartily, “Just call me A Sen. You’ve written it in such detail; of course, I’ll shoot it according to the script. Otherwise, Xu Ke wouldn’t agree!”
Hesitating again, Xiao Ran thought that if Wu Yusen had the skills to shoot *Two Lovers in Blood* at that time, *Heroic Spirit* could have been made even more perfect. So, why not add something extra and suggest, “Brother Sen, what do you think about shooting this scene in slow motion?”
“My idea is indeed slow motion…” Wu Yusen smiled. At that time, he still lacked the mastery of a future master and resembled a gentle young man. But Xiao Ran soon said something that surprised him greatly.

“Slow motion is a must. I want to use it in this corridor, then restore the normal speed when pushing open the room door, so as to create a strong visual impact!” Xiao Ran organized his thoughts before continuing, “I think we should shoot this scene at 120 frames per second, then break down and reassemble the actions to change the rhythm. What do you think?”
Wu Yusen was indeed stunned. 120 frames per second? What kind of concept was that? Even 60 frames per second was extremely difficult to control in film shooting. This idea wasn’t just bold—it was absurd. At least, from what Wu Yusen knew, no film had ever succeeded by using such high-speed shooting.
Xiao Ran wasn’t just talking nonsense. Shooting at 120 frames per second was a technique he often used after achieving great skill—he was simply mentioning it ahead of time. In fact, the normal shooting speed for a camera is 24 frames per second. Compared to that, one can imagine just how extraordinary 120 frames per second is. No wonder it scared Wu Yusen.
Seeing Wu Yusen’s exaggerated and almost worshipful gaze, Xiao Ran felt a bit ashamed and quickly waved his hand, saying, “If you think it won’t work, then forget it!”
It wasn’t that Xiao Ran lacked confidence; he just didn’t think it would bring many benefits. After all, the success of the film was guaranteed. With his suggestion, at most it would be an added touch. Clearly, Wu Yusen was deeply intrigued by Xiao Ran’s idea—at least he thought it was worth trying.
“120 frames per second is probably hard to master right now. I think we should try 60 frames per second first, then break down and reassemble the footage to create a delayed effect, making the actions more precise!” Wu Yusen frowned and thought for a while before adding thoughtfully, “No, we still need at least one camera at 24 frames per second for multi-angle shooting, to be thorough!”
Xiao Ran truly admired this director who was about to become extremely famous. His ability to draw analogies was perfect—truly the work of a master. While Wu Yusen explained his new idea to the others, Xiao Ran went over to Fa Ge.
Fa Ge was still quite thin, and the gentle, refined aura from “Shanghai Tang” seemed to linger in Xiao Ran’s mind. After exchanging a few words with Fa Ge, Xiao Ran suddenly asked, “Fa Ge, I’m curious why most of the films you’ve acted in over the years have been box office failures.”
Box office failures weren’t that serious—after all, Fa Ge had acted in many excellent artistic films that would have won awards even today. But for Fa Ge, it was clearly a troubling issue.
Whenever this topic came up, Zhou Runfa would look depressed and complain endlessly, “Who knows why? I’ve tried my best, but the films still don’t do well at the box office. Now, I even have the nickname ‘box office poison’.”

Box office poison? Not necessarily, my god! Xiao Ran couldn’t help but smile secretly. It wouldn’t take long before seeing Fa Ge look embarrassed would be a rare sight. “My God” was a new nickname given to Zhou Runfa by the film producers after “True Heroes,” a nickname guaranteed to boost box office sales.

“I really like your movies, especially ‘Shanghai Tang’!” At this point, Xiao Ran suddenly changed tone and said seriously, “But have you ever thought that it’s precisely because this series is so deeply rooted in people’s hearts that it’s hard for you to break free from that framework and take on other roles?”

“What do you mean?” Fa Ge wasn’t stupid. With just a slight hint from Xiao Ran, he guessed, “Because of this series, audiences are unwilling to accept my other looks or completely different characters?”

Xiao Ran smiled gently. What he said wasn’t nonsense at all. In fact, “Shanghai Tang” had already established Zhou Runfa’s image. For a true actor, the worst thing is undoubtedly being typecast. Zhou Xingchi spent years trying to transform himself and change the impression he had in the audience’s minds, but without success. Today, although Zhou Runfa doesn’t have the same influence as Zhou Xingchi in the future, he is definitely one of the most famous actors in Hong Kong.

Simply put, even though he became famous through TV dramas, just because of “Shanghai Tang,” which became wildly popular across the Chinese-speaking world and was replayed many times in Hong Kong within just two years, he already had countless fans. It wouldn’t be difficult for him to become a box office star.

Yet now, he happens to be Hong Kong’s most famous box office poison, yet at the same time one of the most popular and famous TV actors. It’s truly amazing. So, there can only be one reason: audiences are unwilling to see this charming “Xu Wenqiang” change his image or genre.

Unconsciously, Fa Ge’s acting options were naturally restricted. On the other hand, film producers and investors seemed to see him only in the role of “Xu Wenqiang,” often casting him in art films. Thank God, who knows how many art films in Hong Kong actually do well at the box office? That’s obvious even to fools.

“I think I understand. This is the best opportunity to change my acting style!” Zhou Runfa smiled gently. His smile was indeed the most charming, yet also the most elusive: “A Ran, thank you!”

Filming began. It wasn’t as seamless as we imagined; instead, the shots were filmed in segments. For example, the scene where Fa Ge was in the corridor was filmed in several parts, repeated from various angles several times. During the final editing, these shots would naturally be stitched together.

After a whole day of hard work, filming was finally over. Of course, our protagonist wasn’t tired—his preparatory work was excellent, and the script was written in great detail, so there were few places that needed modification. Unlike other scripts, which were constantly changed by the director. The reason he had to be on set was purely for duty; sometimes the director still needed to seek the screenwriter’s creative input.

Now, Xiao Ran’s main purpose for spending time at the film set every day is to get to know as many people behind the scenes as possible. For example, Huang Yongheng, the cameraman for “True Heroes,” is an absolutely outstanding talent. He would go on to collaborate with Wu Yusen many times and also work frequently with Du Qifeng and Zhou Xingchi—making him one of Hong Kong’s most distinguished cameramen.

After a full day of work, Fa Ge warmly greeted the other staff members before quickly driving over to Xiao Ran. “A Ran, let me take you!” Xiao Ran didn’t refuse such a kind offer and asked where Fa Ge was going. Fa Ge smiled and explained that he was heading to the premiere of his new film, “The Person in My Dreams.” Xiao Ran, who vaguely recognized the title, tried hard to remember and finally recalled that damn movie.

It was a film he had watched when he was only fifteen or sixteen years old—the only time Fa Ge and Lin Qingxia, those charming man and woman, had worked together. But Xiao Ran couldn’t remember the plot at all. The only thing that stuck in his mind was how boring it was, extremely dull.

Instead of returning to his place, Xiao Ran went to the premiere with Fa Ge. Upon arriving, they met Lin Qingxia first. Of course, Xiao Ran did nothing but hid aside and waited quietly.

After the premiere, as Lin Qingxia was about to leave in a hurry, Xiao Ran glanced at Fa Ge and Lin Qingxia and suggested going out for dinner together. Lin Qingxia hesitated for a moment but agreed. When they arrived at the restaurant, after Xiao Ran ordered food, he did nothing but keep observing the two of them.

It was hard to describe Xiao Ran’s feelings at that moment. Sitting next to him was a woman of breathtaking beauty and a man of unparalleled charm—clearly a match made in heaven. It was a great pity that these two couldn’t be together; it was truly unfortunate.

Even if Xiao Ran had wanted to bring them together, it would have been impossible. Not only was Lin Qingxia deeply in love with Qin Han, but Fa Ge also already had someone he liked. The relationships in the entertainment industry are incredibly complicated.

(Sweat, trying to get close to Lin JJ? Might be too forward for her! What do you all think—should it happen or not? Meanwhile… please vote heavily! This book is competing on the charts! Help, everyone!)