Chapter 134: My Terrible Temper (Bonus Update: Requesting Monthly Votes and Rewards)

July 20, Fang Hong arrived in Shanghai, where The Big Shot would be filmed.

The main crew remained the same; the lead roles of protagonist and antagonist were still Fang Hong and Zhang Songwen.

The other supporting roles were nearly identical to the original version; Wang Yanhui played the police officer, who was Zhang Songwen's colleague.

Wang Xun still played the sidekick; he had already debuted, portraying the bespectacled secretary in Crazy Stone.

This kind of role was his strength.

There was also a role of Young Master Zhao's father, which was given as a cameo to Wang Zhiwen.

The one who delivers lines with incredible flair!

As for the other roles, they weren't very important.

These actors had little connection to Beijing's circle; although Wang Zhiwen belonged to it, he didn't mix with them.

Red Pants' wife had once washed Wang Ziwen's underwear.

Red Pants had never forgotten this incident!

Actors weren't brought on all at once; they were called in according to shooting schedules for their scenes—no one could keep supporting actors on set for two months just because the film took two months to shoot! What about their other jobs?

So far, only the main actors—Zhang Songwen, Fang Hong, Wang Yanhui, Wang Xun—and some supporting actors and extras had arrived.

Just meet and get to know each other; no need to involve the crew—the core crew remained the same, with only two new additions.

One was the visual effects team, led by Yao Qi!

The other was Guo Fan, the newly added assistant director.

This was Fang Hong's core film team; his own skill was limited, but the team's level was limitless.

Film is inherently a product of teamwork! On location, Lu Dabo strutted around in fancy clothes, looking smug.

"Hey hey hey, handle the equipment carefully—it's expensive."

"Check the vehicles constantly for oil theft; make sure the boxed meals are safe and no one's slipped in drugs; security, stand tall and straight—drive away any street thugs."

"Don't make me say everything—I've a bad temper."

Lu Dabo was utterly conceited; once he gained power, he forgot his own name.

"Dabo!" Fang Hong called out.

Lu Dabo hurried over: "Principal!"

Fang Hong put an arm around his shoulder and asked quietly: "No one's come after you about that thing, right?"

He meant the incident where Fa Ge was beaten.

That incident had caused a huge uproar, but no one knew what had happened to Fa Ge afterward.

Media reports were all over the place, saying all kinds of things.

"No, Principal, rest assured—I handled it very discreetly. Even if they catch me, I won't betray you. I'll take full responsibility," Lu Dabo patted his chest, looking utterly loyal.

Now he had income and status—all thanks to the Principal. If he betrayed him, all of it would vanish.

He knew what was important and what wasn't.

"Good man. From now on, you're my confidant—anyone who threatens me, crush them in the bud." Fang Hong crushed an "ant."

"Yes, I'll protect the Principal at all costs," Lu Dabo pledged.

Fang Hong smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Principal, take care as you leave," Lu Dabo bowed repeatedly.

After Fang Hong walked far away, Lu Dabo straightened up and kicked a man in the butt: "Gazi, what the hell are you sneaking around for?"

"Nothing, Boss—I'm just like this," Gazi looked miserable.

He was here as a guest actor, essentially an extra, so Lu Dabo didn't take him seriously at all.

"Just act properly—why are you creeping around like a thief?" Lu Dabo scolded.

Gazi cursed inwardly: Who's the "dog" here? But he only muttered it in his mind—he was just a crew member, while Lu Dabo was the production supervisor, in charge of everything from meals to toilets; he was nothing.

In a factory building, the crew shot the first scene.

The scene depicted Zhang Songwen solving a counterfeiting case.

During filming, the fight scenes were humorous and lively, the character design funny, with a bold, unstoppable spirit.

This scene established Zhang Songwen's character: a down-to-earth, highly principled police officer.

"."

After filming, the crew moved locations.

Fang Hong explained the film's intended tone to Guo Fan, Wen Mu, and Zhang Songwen.

"This movie satirizes the black-money society, but the hero must be made relatable—subject to the same everyday struggles as ordinary people: can't afford a house in a good school district, lives an ordinary life, needs money, etc."

"He comes from the masses and returns to them—that's how you create a sense of authentic, relatable realism. After all, audiences identify with the protagonist; if you portray him as distant and lofty, they'll feel disconnected."

Fang Hong continued: "The villain must be unhinged. Justice triumphing over evil remains the core tone—most moviegoers are ordinary people; we must let them vent their resentment toward the rich."

This was the core reason this film could succeed: venting resentment toward the rich.

"Old bottle, new wine—if you want it to be entertaining and satisfying, you must control the pacing," Guo Fan said.

"Right, pacing is crucial—it must be tightly linked, so the audience feels satisfaction and immersion."

Fang Hong added: "But don't portray the bystanders as evil—depict them positively. Police and civilians working together to punish evil is best—this point can't be ignored."

In Hua Guo, whether film or TV, there's a common flaw: they love portraying the masses as evil, foolish, and stereotyped—as if only this makes the protagonist or some group seem noble and righteous, while everyone else is wrong.

This has been heavily criticized by many Wangyi, and is one reason people feel movies and TV are becoming dull—they think these creators simply don't understand ordinary people, having become detached and alienated.

South Korea's film and TV handle this well—they always portray ordinary people positively.

I'm not praising them blindly; their films really do have this strength, though reality remains what it is.

Fang Hong would absorb the good and discard the bad.

The three discussed how to create the film and settled on its shooting philosophy.

Fang Hong only knows how to blab; if you asked him to shoot proper evidence-based footage, he couldn't do it anyway.

If remakes were really that easy to shoot, Chinese filmmakers would have copied every film in the world by now.

Even if he can't shoot it himself, co-creation is still possible.

This film is Fang Hong's original creation; the original Korean version didn't come out until 2014—it's ancient! "When I'm shaping the character, shouldn't I design some signature movement to make him more grounded?" Zhang Songwen had been listening for a long time.

"You can take off your socks and smell them with your nose."

Fang Hong's remark made everyone around him burst into "Ha-ha!" laughter.

But the original really did design it that way.

Fang Hong added: "Joking aside, character traits are one thing—you just need to portray a sense of humanity."

Zhang Songwen nodded, indicating he understood.

The following filming went smoothly, all the way through August.

Everyone was a method actor; Fang Hong didn't need to teach anyone how to shoot or act—he just explained what he wanted, and since they were all smart, they naturally got it.

This was the easiest film he'd shot in two years, mainly because Liu Tianxian wasn't here.

If Liu Tianxian knew Fang Hong disliked her, she'd probably beat him to death.

"Ding-ding-ding!"

Just as he was thinking that, Liu Tianxian called.

"Hey, how's filming going over there?" Liu Tianxian's sweet, high-pitched voice.

"Ah, it's complicated—when we worked together, our chemistry was so good, so in sync—now someone messes up here, someone fails there, it's driving me crazy." Fang Hong feigned a sigh.

"Take it slow—nobody starts out knowing everything; everyone makes mistakes," Liu Tianxian believed him, thinking he was struggling with a big production.

"F**k your mother, can't you even do your job? Useless and disruptive!"

Fang Hong cursed at Lu Dabo, then said: "Feifei, I'm not talking about you—some people are just impossible to deal with."

"Don't get so angry—be more tolerant!" Liu Tianxian advised.

Lu Dabo had just walked by and was randomly scolded for no reason.

"I just can't hold back—I have to yell at them a few times to feel better. You know my temper—I can only tolerate you; no one else."

"Hehehe!" Liu Tianxian caught on: "Are you just bullshitting me?"

"Look at you, always suspecting me—I'm telling the truth!" Fang Hong said.

"Fine, I'll come over and watch you film."

"What? You're coming?" Fang Hong was startled—he'd overacted.

"What, you don't want me to come? Are you hiding something, afraid I'll find out?" Liu Tianxian teased.

"No no no, I really miss you, very much—I just wondered if you're busy over there?"

"I don't have any scenes these days—I'll come see you, and meanwhile, arrange for me to film that female star's role," Liu Tianxian became slightly more serious.

He still remembered that role—he thought she'd forgotten it after taking the part in The Four.

"Oh, fine then."

"Your tone sounds reluctant," Liu Tianxian's voice carried suspicion.

"No reluctance—I'm thrilled you're coming. That female star's role hasn't been cast yet—I've been saving it for you." Fang Hong waved Guo Fan over.

"Perfect, wait for me!"

Liu Tianxian hung up immediately.

Fang Hong put away his phone and asked Guo Fan: "Have you found someone for the female star's role?"

"Found her—a Tangren actress named Liu Sisi. She's pretty good."

"Tell her not to come—someone else will play that role," Fang Hong said.

"That's not good—we already made the arrangement!" Guo Fan looked at him, thinking he was being capricious.

"What's wrong with that? It's not a major role or main actor—whatever." Fang Hong didn't care.

Fine, Guo Fan said nothing—the role wasn't important anyway, just a minor one to highlight the villain as a scumbag.

As for Liu Sisi—who cared?

Liu Sisi's Maertai Ruoxi hadn't aired yet; she wasn't nearly as popular as imagined—she'd only starred in Guaixia Yimei, with all other roles being supporting ones.

Even if she became popular, in film she was still a nobody.

Though this role had few appearances, it was striking—later, the Bilibili clip of Young Master Zhao injecting the female star with poison gained millions of views.

It left a deep impression—Fang Hong certainly remembered it well.

(End of Chapter)