Chapter 563
Even Without That Sword, I'm Still Alright
……
……
"Is this the Xuanyuan Sword?"
Gu Qing opened his eyes slightly. He looked at the iron sword in his hand. The blade was dusty and unpolished, as if it had been picked up from some junkyard.
He looked up at the middle-aged man from the props team in front of him, whose body was broadly developed, and said in a tone that was more like casual conversation than an interrogation: "Teacher, are you sure you're not joking with me?"
So,
The prop sword he's been practicing with on set these past few days is actually the ancient divine weapon—the Xuanyuan Sword—held by the mighty Heavenly God of War, Mo Yuan, in the drama.
An ordinary iron sword, nothing special.
The sword blade was undecorated, the guard was a simple piece of iron, the anti-slip rope wrapped around the hilt was frayed, and half of the tassel at the end had fallen off, leaving only a few loose threads hanging down.
I don't even know if I can get 10 yuan for selling scrap.
He practiced his moves with this sword every day, becoming quite skilled, and thought it was just a practice prop randomly provided by the film crew.
Today, when filming officially started, the props team told him—this is the Xuanyuan Sword?!
"Teacher Gu... Teacher Gu..."
The middle-aged man, whose mouth was greasy from eating, had sweat visibly pouring from his forehead.
It was autumn, but beads of sweat, like summer raindrops, streamed down my forehead.
His legs were trembling slightly, his trouser legs were shaking, and he couldn't speak.
He is in charge of the props department and has been in the industry for over ten years. What kind of storms hasn't he weathered?
But at this moment,
Standing in front of Gu Qing, he felt a chill run down his spine.
The calmer Gu Qing appeared, the more frightened he became.
Just like big-name celebrities in the industry, they rarely lose their temper in public and are usually all smiles.
But in private,
He turned around and told the director to get lost with just one sentence.
Which of those actors who disappeared from the set, the lead actors who were replaced, and the supporting actors who inexplicably lost their roles were driven away by being verbally abused?
In particular, he has recently heard some "terrifying stories" about Gu Qing circulating in the industry.
The person who beat up Director Feng and escaped unscathed, beating up a props team leader would be as easy as crushing an ant.
He knew all too well that the seemingly amiable "top influencer" in front of him was not as harmless and easy to bully as he appeared.
He was willing to risk his life if someone were to harm him, even stabbing him twice with the iron sword in his hand.
Gu Qing stood there, doing nothing and saying nothing, simply holding the iron sword and looking down at it.
But the atmosphere on set was as if someone had pressed the mute button.
The previously noisy film crew fell silent in an instant.
The staff stopped what they were doing and dared not utter a sound.
Some people hunched their necks, some lowered their heads, and some stole glances out of the corner of their eyes, even deliberately keeping their breathing quiet, for fear of attracting attention.
Gu Qing possessed an indescribable aura—not fierce, not irritable, but a quality that came from within, nurtured by the red aura.
That kind of temperament wasn't something you deliberately put on; it just emanated naturally.
Even he himself was unaware of this change.
Is Jiaxing currently so short of funds?
After waiting for a while without a reply, Gu Qing weighed the iron sword in his hand. The blade swayed slightly under the light. He lowered his eyes and asked calmly, his voice not loud, "Or do you think I'm asking for too much, and are deliberately using these to warn me and express your dissatisfaction?"
He has already signed the contract for this film – a 15% revenue share plus a fixed salary of 50 million.
While it may seem that Jiaxing's investment yielded an exaggerated return, in reality, it didn't lose money at all; in fact, it made a huge profit.
Gu Qing's popularity continues to grow with "Wolf Warrior 2," and his records as an industry "lucky charm" and box office legend remain unbroken. He is unmatched in popularity and reputation.
Casting him as the male lead will definitely make the show a huge hit.
Jaywalk Studio brought in all the company's artists, secretly pocketing countless kickbacks, and will reap even greater rewards after the drama airs.
at best,
The price we're paying now is only fifty million.
A salary of 50 million yuan is, at best, the level of a second-tier, moderately popular artist in the current Chinese entertainment industry where salaries are skyrocketing.
You can't even get the most popular A-list celebrities, let alone the top stars.
If you don't have hundreds of millions, they won't even give you a second glance.
Even this was a friendly price from Gu Qing, to prevent the team from overcharging.
In his view, although the previous "Three Lives Three Worlds" had some flaws, it was still a hit drama in essence, and his participation in filming it would help him consolidate his popularity.
otherwise,
The fixed salaries can reach hundreds of millions, and the economic sharing is calculated separately.
Gu Qing's team believes that their small boss is now incredibly valuable.
Even if you tie the fans of the other three top celebrities together, you still won't be able to fight.
Even disregarding the combined salaries of the three top stars, it's already a show of respect for them.
"Teacher Gu... Teacher Gu, we... we wouldn't dare!"
The man was so frightened he was almost scared out of his wits; his stammering hadn't completely stopped.
If there weren't so many people around, he would have knelt down before Gu Qing.
He bent over, head bowed, his voice so humble it sounded like he was begging for mercy: "Please don't torture us."
This was indeed an oversight on our part. We'll make you a new Xuanyuan Sword right away, using the absolute best quality!
How long does it take to forge a sword?
Gu Qing asked.
"One... half a month! At most half a month!!"
The man quickly changed his tune and added a guarantee.
"Xiao Gu, how about we film a short clip to test it out? I'll see if we can use special effects to replace it when we get back."
Looking at the completed scene, Lin Yufen reluctantly stepped forward, took Gu Qing's arm, and pleaded with her.
Her voice was very low, only the two of them could hear: "Don't be angry, don't be angry. When we get back, I'll have someone check the props in the back properly."
She had never wished more that Yang Mi was here today.
Given the other party's smooth-talking skills, they will definitely be able to smooth things over.
Unfortunately, today's scenes...
It was after Mo Yuan rescued Si Yin from the water prison that he sought revenge for his disciple and made a promise with the God of Yao Guang to have a fight showdown at the top of Cangwu.
As for Yang Mi herself, she is currently testing the water temperature in the water dungeon built by the film crew.
Under this green screen...
Apart from the actress Yao Guang, who had shrunk to one side, only the crew members remained.
Since Lin Yufen had spoken, Gu Qing had no choice but to take the iron sword and walk back.
The props crew member, seeing Gu Qing glance at him before leaving, felt a chill run down his spine. He was filled with bitterness and thought to himself, "It's over..."
Didn't I already warn those kids that even if they try to cut corners, they shouldn't steal the male and female leads' material?
Especially Gu Qing's funds, absolutely do not touch them.
But the man underestimated the greed of his subordinates.
Even Yang Mi was disgusted and had to redesign her own makeup and styling, which shows how corrupt the crew was.
As for Gu Qing?
The props team was initially hesitant, but after seeing Gu Qing complain about the costumes they had prepared as soon as she arrived on set, they went to a team to have some custom-made.
"This is what you don't want, not what we wanted to take!"
One slip of the hand, and the budget is wiped out.
The rest of the prepared props and costumes were obviously extremely flimsy.
Afterwards, when these people are being reprimanded, they'll probably complain to themselves about Gu Qing: "Couldn't you have prepared another Xuanyuan Sword yourself? Not having a complete set is just making things difficult for us."
Of course, this is something.
……
Gu Qing held the "beginner village iron sword" and let the staff around him attach wires to it.
He looked at the actress he was acting opposite—the one who played the goddess Yao Guang—who was trembling with fear and didn't dare to look at him, her eyes darting away.
He was a little embarrassed, but patiently comforted me, "Relax, don't be afraid. Just follow the martial arts instructor's instructions, don't worry about hitting me."
How could I not be afraid?
The actress playing Yao Guang was on the verge of tears, wanting to explain but not daring to speak.
She was afraid of showing weakness during the action scenes later on.
When she first heard about the action scene requirement, she felt that she had to grit her teeth and give it her all for the sake of her career.
But after practicing for an hour on the first day, my two slender arms were so sore that I couldn't even lift them.
She directly asked the martial arts instructor for three days off to rest.
After that, I would practice for ten minutes and then rest for an hour, and I remembered the moves in bits and pieces.
How could anyone endure such hardship?
Most celebrities are spoiled and pampered in the current environment.
They crave fame, but expecting them to become famous through their talent is impossible.
more,
He was just fantasizing about meeting a big spender who would make him famous overnight.
Cunning, lazy, greedy, slippery... these are all true descriptions of him.
"Teacher Gu, that's enough."
The staff checked the quality of the wires repeatedly, and also sent people up to perform various acrobatic feats, making sure the ropes were of perfect quality before they dared to secure them to Gu Qing.
"Okay, thank you for your help."
Gu Qing nodded with a smile, her waist secured by four wires.
There are generally three types of wires: one, two, and four.
When suspending one rod, it only moves up and down.
When suspended by two wires, the wires can move forward, backward, left, and right within a plane, which is also the number of wires often used in early films and television shows.
But nowadays, unless the production crew is ridiculously poor, for the safety of the artists, they all use three-dimensional wire work, which means four wires.
The advantage of having four supports is that they can support actors to perform more special effects, and the force is more secure and stable.
The only downside might be that the four ropes hanging in the air can be a bit uncomfortable for the shoulders and hips.
"Okay, slow down, slow down, don't hurt Teacher Gu."
The entire crew was on edge.
The staff operating the motors, in particular, had sweaty palms and were extremely focused, carefully operating the machines as if they were defusing a bomb.
Gu Qing was hoisted to a height of about five meters and gave an OK sign.
"No, no, that's too high. Lower it to around four meters... no, three and a half meters! We can't stop at four!"
Lin Yufen held the walkie-talkie, her heart still in her throat, and shouted a reminder.
She's a director from Hong Kong, and her biggest fear is suddenly feeling uneasy. The number "four" sounds like "death" in Chinese, which is taboo on set.
"And Yao Guang is here too, hurry up and get up here!"
In contrast to Gu Qing's situation, the process of the actress from Yao Guang being suspended by wires was rather terrible.
As soon as the four steel wires were tied on, before the machine could even exert any force, she screamed in pain, her voice so sharp it sounded like a dolphin's high note.
The staff around were so frightened that they rushed forward to check, examining the object from all angles, exchanging bewildered glances.
"No...it's not tight."
"It's definitely there! My shoulder hurts so much!"
The actress, Yao Guang, was still feeling wronged and wanted to say more, her eyes even reddening.
"It hurts, you fucking bear it! If you're not going to film, get out! How dare you let my leading man hang around for you!"
Seeing Gu Qing hanging in the air without saying a word, Lin Yufen was so angry that she cursed loudly and almost threw the walkie-talkie in her hand at him.
The sound silenced the entire film set.
The actress remained silent.
They finally managed to hoist it into the sky.
The actress's brows furrowed, and she gasped for breath in pain, too frightened to even glance down.
His hand holding the sword was trembling, and the tip of the sword drew circles in the air.
"Expressions, expressions!"
Lin Yufen roared several more times before finally ordering the clapperboard to be struck and the filming to begin.
"Mo Yuan!"
Yao Guang, unable to obtain the love she desired, had eyes filled with hatred and sharpness.
She held the sword in her right hand, and with her left index and middle fingers together, she brushed across the hilt of the sword to begin her attack.
At the same time, Gu Qing's right hand, which had been resting on his chest, grasped the Xuanyuan Sword hanging in mid-air, and he was about to raise it to block—
"what--"
A piercing scream echoed over the film crew.
Yao Guang, propelled forward by the wire at light speed, screamed repeatedly in terror, her voice distorted.
The pain, especially in her hips and shoulders, caused her wrist to tremble, and the sword slipped from her hand, tumbling several times in the air before crashing to the ground with a thud.
Fortunately, the operator stopped the machine in time, otherwise she would have almost lost control and crashed into Gu Qing while struggling.
The distance between the two people was less than half a meter.
"stop!!"
"I XXX!!"
Lin Yufen broke out in a cold sweat, and a string of profanities, each unique, echoed throughout the entire crew.
The sound was like machine gun fire, rattling and never stopping.
"Director, let's try a few more times. This fight scene is indeed a bit difficult."
Gu Qing was also in some pain from being strangled; her shoulders and hips ached from the steel wire, but she couldn't blame the actress she was acting with.
The fight scene in the previous life was actually quite simple.
The scene where Mark Chao, who plays Mo Yuan, and his co-star are frozen in mid-air for three seconds, with the camera repeatedly cutting to close-ups, is incredibly awkward.
There were basically no fight scenes; they just hung in the air to make a show of it, and the entire fight took place on the ground.
Neither of them received any full-body close-ups, just a few facial expressions to make it look like they were doing something. They used body doubles the whole time, just to get by. Gu Qing naturally wasn't willing to be treated so perfunctorily.
especially,
He has almost reached the pinnacle of the idol industry.
His industry peers and haters are practically using telescopes to analyze his movies and TV series word by word.
Even a small oversight can be used to mock and smear someone.
This also forces Gu Qing to not only do his best in every shot, but he can't be worse than those veteran actors, right?
If you need a stunt double for wire work and action scenes, you're not even as good as Yang Mi when she first debuted.
"Quickly, hand her the sword!"
Lin Yufen was starting to regret it.
Since Gu Qing had spoken, she had no choice but to comply.
The next two takes were still terrible.
Before Yao Guang even unleashed her attack, she already looked like she was in excruciating pain.
Either they've only flown halfway up the sword and can't even hold it steady, or their fighting style has nothing to do with the routines arranged by the martial arts instructor.
"Crack!"
Lin Yufen, with a dark face, had just called "Cut"—
"Waaah, put me down! I won't film anymore, I won't film anymore, okay!"
"You're all bullying me!!"
The actress who plays Yao Guang has become a sensation.
After adjusting the wires several times, the pain became unbearable.
She cried out at the top of her lungs, screaming and demanding to get down, her tears ruining her makeup: "Call an ambulance for me! Call an ambulance for me!"
"You are all murderous monsters!!"
Gu Qing: "..."
Lin Yufen: "..."
The crew: "..."
Lin Yufen turned her head and looked at the assistant director beside her with a blank expression.
"Shut the fuck up!!"
The assistant director's face turned pale and then purple. He rushed over in a fit of rage and started cursing, spitting everywhere.
The film crew was thrown into chaos once again.
"Phew... I'll get a body double to film with me tomorrow."
Gu Qing was slowly lowered down, the steel wire was untied, and she breathed a long sigh of relief.
He moved his shoulders stiffly, his joints making a cracking sound.
He spoke to Lin Yufen, his voice tinged with weariness.
"Okay, Xiao Gu, you go back and rest for a while. I've already found a stand-in, and I'll tell her to come over tomorrow."
After Lin Yu finished speaking to Gu Qing with heartache, she heard the noise coming from inside, glared angrily, and shouted, "Tell her to get out of here!!"
"Boss, boss, come on, get in the car first, I'll put some medicine on you."
Zhao Ya rushed over with concern and supported Gu Qing's arm.
"It's alright, it's not that serious. I'm wearing protective gear, it's just that my blood circulation is a little restricted."
Gu Qing smiled at her, but also chose to leave the noisy place.
……
Back in the RV, Zhao Ya rummaged through the ointment while complaining.
"Boss, should I go and talk to Jiaxing Media? The props department is in such a terrible state, aren't they going to do anything about it?"
Looking at Gu Qing, who was sitting on the sofa with a furrowed brow, she was also really angry. "Such a poorly made drama, if it were to air, it would only ruin your reputation, boss!"
"This drama is all owned by Jaywalk Studio. If they wanted to manage it, they would have done so long ago."
Besides, the contract has already been signed, so there's no point in complaining now. We just need to make sure the work isn't shoddy.
Gu Qing wasn't affected by the previous NG (no good) incident, but she still couldn't stand the fact that the Xuanyuan Sword in her hand had become an ordinary little iron sword.
He thought for a moment and searched his memory for a name.
"By the way, Sister Xiaoya, could you contact Sister Cai for me?"
"Boss Cai? Boss, why contact her?"
Zhao Ya was puzzled. She squeezed some ointment onto her fingertip and gently applied it to the red marks on his shoulder.
"Of course, it's about borrowing a sword."
Gu Qing smiled, her eyes lighting up, "She should have the Xuanyuan Sword in her inventory."
"The Xuanyuan Sword?"
Zhao Ya paused for a moment, and stopped what she was doing.
Immediately, he exclaimed in surprise, "Boss, you mean 'Heaven's Scar'?!"
"Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky" can be said to be the last peak of Tangren Media.
In that drama, Hu Ge, who played the second male lead, was so outstanding in his role as Yuwen Tuo that all the viewers thought he was the protagonist.
The line from the show—"To express my respect, I don't need the Xuanyuan Sword."
Long Yang, who became extremely popular back then and was often compared to the Legend of Sword and Fairy series by many drama fans, said: "Even without that sword, I can still annihilate the enemy army!"
"Since neither of them wants to use it, why don't you let me use it?"
Gu Qing spread his hands and smiled, "If possible, I'll ask Sister Cai for some copyright information. I'll cosplay as Senior Brother Hu as a little Easter egg, and do a collaboration with 'Heaven's Scar'."
"No problem, boss! I'll contact Mr. Cai right now. If we expedite the delivery, it should arrive at the film set in two days at most."
Zhao Ya nodded quickly and picked up her phone to make the contact.
"Ah... Teacher Yang Mi? Yes, yes, the boss is in the car."
"Why is Sister Honey here?"
Gu Qing heard the noise outside the car and tilted her head to look towards the car door.
Next second,
Honey appeared with her hair still a little damp.
Her hair was still dripping wet, and she was wearing a thin coat.
"Hey bro, I heard you made your co-star cry? Really?"
As soon as she got in the car, Yang Mi started spreading rumors with a smile.
His tone and expression were exactly like those of a bystander who enjoys watching a good show.
"It's me who's almost brought to tears by this torment."
Gu Qing looked away irritably, rubbing her still sore shoulders. "Weren't you supposed to be in the water dungeon?"
"Stop talking, that water is filthy!"
Yang Mi was also furious and kept complaining.
She sat down next to Gu Qing, took off her coat to reveal her costume, which was mostly wet, underneath. "They actually used tap water! I only realized it when I jumped in!"
I just don't understand, would it kill you to fill it with bottled water? I'm not installing a swimming pool, how much could it possibly cost?
"Honey, is your company, Jiaxing, desperately short of cash right now?"
Gu Qing also recounted her experience with the iron sword, her tone full of helplessness, "You're supposed to be the top female star in your company, how can you be so lacking in dignity?"
"I'm the biggest 'ox' in Jaywalk Studio. What's the number one female star? I don't know!"
Da Mimi's resentment was about to explode, her peach blossom eyes wide open, "Do I look like the number one sister at all?"
"Forget it, I still have to rely on myself. I even have to prepare the props myself."
Gu Qing sighed and leaned back on the sofa. "If I had known your relationship was this bad, I should have asked your company for more money."
"Did your assistant go get the props for you?"
Da Mimi pointed outside the car and asked in surprise.
She just saw Zhao Ya get out of the car in a hurry, talking on the phone as she walked, looking very excited.
"Yes, I asked her to contact Sister Cai and borrow the Xuanyuan Sword from her company."
Gu Qing nodded.
"Sister Cai? Cai Linong?!"
Da Mimi jumped to her feet, startled and somewhat incoherent, "She...she's coming to the film set?"
"Probably not, I only asked her to send me a sword."
Gu Qing chuckled and looked at her, "What's wrong, Sister Mi, are you feeling guilty?"
"I……"
Yang Mi paused, then forced herself to remain calm, brushing aside her still-dripping hair.
"What do I have to be ashamed of? Can you even empathize with the boss of your agency?"
"Fine, I can't argue with you."
Gu Qing shrugged, too lazy to argue with her.
at this time,
Then a sound came from outside—it was the producer from Jaywalk Studio.
When they heard the news that Gu Qing was "furious and refused to perform," they were almost scared to death.
After all these days, who hasn't heard about Gu Qing's deeds?
Even Director Feng can't afford to offend them, so who does Jiaxing think they are?
Jiaxing also quickly sent someone over to apologize, much faster than they would have for a regular meeting.
The producer's surname was Fang. He was in his forties, with his hair neatly combed and dressed in a suit and tie. He looked like a seasoned veteran in the workplace.
But at this moment,
He stood at the door of the RV, an apologetic smile on his face.
When he saw his girlfriend in the car, he was stunned for a moment, then felt extremely fortunate.
"Honey, thank goodness you're here! Please help us persuade our little brother."
I've already arranged for someone to handle those props-related issues. Those bastards, they've got some nerve, they should have been dealt with long ago!
His tone was fast and urgent, and his attitude was very sincere.
"Mr. Fang, I don't have that ability. I'm just an ordinary employee of the company."
Da Mimi also displayed her sarcastic and unpredictable nature, with a half-smile playing on her lips.
The tone and expression clearly said, "Now you know to come to me? Why didn't you do this sooner?"
"Producer Fang, I have a question. Will the special effects for our show be cheap, like those costing only 5 cents?"
Gu Qing asked another important question, her voice not loud, but it made Producer Fang's face turn even paler.
"No way! How could that be! I'll definitely give you top-notch special effects, it won't be any worse than any current TV series!"
The producer hurriedly made repeated assurances, almost swearing an oath to the heavens.
No wonder he acted like a grandson.
After Gu Qing joined the company, advertisers and investors went crazy wanting to join as well.
It's fair to say that their company has already recouped its investment even before the show has aired.
If Gu Qing were to throw a tantrum and refuse to perform at this point—the top star has the money to pay compensation, and the penalty for breach of contract is not high.
They're only doing this because they're willing to lower themselves to the role, so their conditions aren't demanding.
But their company can't afford to pay that!
You have to coax her gently and kindly.
"That's good, thank you Producer Fang. Remember to max out my special effects. As for Sister Mi, if the company is really short of money, just give me 5 cents."
Gu Qing smiled.
"No, no, Mimi is an artist in our company, so... of course we won't wrong her."
Producer Fang was sweating profusely, unsure of what to do with his hands.
Seeing this scene, Da Mimi suddenly felt a little uneasy.
In all her years at this company, when had she ever seen a producer treat her so politely?
When have I ever seen them so concerned about her?
She earned so much money for the company and starred in so many dramas, but in the end, she had to pay for her own makeup and styling.
Gu Qing casually said, "Give me 5 cents worth of special effects," and Producer Fang immediately replied, "We won't wrong her."
She wasn't stupid; she could tell that Gu Qing was standing up for her.
"Honey, you're overthinking it. I genuinely want them to give you 5 cents worth of special effects."
As soon as Producer Fang got out of the car with a sigh of relief, the moment the car door closed, Gu Qing spoke first, cutting off the words she had been preparing for so long.
"You're such a lousy straight man!!"
Yang Mi slapped him in anger.
"And one more time, is Cai Linong really not coming?"
Da Mimi was still a little uneasy.
Nothing more than that,
The things she did back then were indeed a bit outrageous.
One of them was a game spokesperson that Mr. Cai kindly found for her, and he even specially reserved a role for her.
However, the company encountered a better competing game, and she was cast as the female lead. Of course, Yang Mi was unwilling to play a supporting role and chose to back out.
This can be considered normal business competition, with people pursuing better treatment.
There's not much to delve into regarding the competition between her dramas "Palace" and "Scarlet Heart".
But... later, Sister Yu, who supported him,
He publicly posted the message, and the leaked audio recordings even went so far as to curse Boss Cai as a "little bastard".
That would be a very serious problem.
Thinking about this, Da Mimi felt her legs go weak.
"I don't know, you'll find out in a couple of days," Gu Qing said, indicating that she was unaware of the situation.
"I…"
……
...(End of this chapter)