Chapter 206: Untitled Title 2

The groundbreaking ceremony for "Detective Chinatown 2" was held in front of a traditional teahouse in New York's Tang Renjie.

A red carpet was laid out, incense burners blazed high, and the main cast lined up one by one to offer incense and pray for blessings. Xiang Fei stood at the front, holding three sticks of incense, his expression solemn. Behind him, actors Duan Yihong, Wu Mengda, Li Bingbing, Zhou Xun, and Chen Daoming stood in a straight line—the scene was magnificent.

Yet, just as the ceremony was about to end, an accident occurred—

"Boom!"

A muffled crash—the signboard on the second floor of the teahouse suddenly loosened and plummeted straight toward the crowd!

"Watch out!"

At the last moment, Sun Honglei, standing in the back row, lunged forward and shoved the assistant director's assistant out of danger, but the sign grazed his shoulder, leaving a dark bruise instantly.

The set erupted into chaos as crew members rushed forward to check on him.

Xiang Fei frowned: "Are you okay?"

Sun Honglei winced as he rubbed his shoulder, then grinned: "I'm fine! This little injury? Nothing! Shooting a movie always comes with a few bruises!"

Wu Mengda patted his back: "Good job, kid—quick reflexes!"

Li Bingbing handed him a bottle of ice water: "Apply it first, don't let it swell."

Sun Honglei was stunned, waving his hands frantically: "No no, really, I'm fine!"

Xiang Fei looked at him, then smiled: "Alright. On the first day of shooting, you've already played a hero saving a damsel—I'm convinced: Lu Guofu is yours."

Everyone laughed, and the groundbreaking ceremony ended amid joy and chatter.

In the film, Duan Yihong portrays Qin Feng in multiple intense scenes opposite Leonardo, who plays the serial killer Springfield.

Leonardo, following Hollywood acting habits, loved improvising. The script originally had Springfield simply sneer one word—"Fuck"—and end the scene. But Leonardo suddenly whispered in English: "You're just like me..."

This improvised line lit up Xiang Fei's eyes behind the monitor—he immediately shouted "Cut!" and decided to keep the dialogue.

Wu Mengda was famously the "joker" on set—and truly earned his title as a "foodie."

The food in Tang Renjie completely unleashed him. Every day before shooting, he'd carry a bag of baozi or shaomai to hand out to the crew: "Come on, eat up—you need energy to work!"

Li Bingbing and Zhou Xun portrayed the hacker Kiko and detective Chen Ying respectively; off-camera, they became inseparable best friends.

During a break in night shooting, the two hid in the trailer eating hot pot. Zhou Xun picked up a slice of fatty beef and mused: "Come to think of it, we've never played best friends before?"

Li Bingbing's eyes sparkled: "Why don't we invest in our own movie? Two female leads—you play the artistic girl, I'll play the ruthless CEO!"

Zhou Xun burst out laughing: "Then we'll need Boss Xiang to approve the budget!"

As a newcomer, Sun Honglei treasured this opportunity immensely.

His role as the second-in-command Lu Guofu originally had decent screen time, but he aggressively added lines and scenes, making the character unforgettable.

The crew brought together actors from China, the U. S., and Japan, sparking many laughs.

In a group scene, all lead actors needed to appear together in front of the Tang Renjie archway. The assistant director shouted in English: "All actors ready!"

The Japanese actor Nagano Hiro immediately snapped to attention and bowed: "Hai!"

The American actors began moving into position, but the Chinese actors were still chatting.

The assistant director yelled in panic: "Chinese actors! Move now!"

Duan Yihong looked confused: "Didn't they just say 'wait'?"

He had misheard "all actors" as "old actors" and thought he wasn't needed.

Xiang Fei laughed helplessly: "If this gets released, it'll be the most chaotic blooper in history!"