Chapter 170: Black and White Twins beat up the kids

July 1, 2007, the seventh day of the fifth lunar month.

On this day, the sky finally cleared, with occasional breezes, cool and pleasant.

Suitable for weddings, travel, moving, and opening businesses.

The entire *The Message* crew arrived, offered five sacrifices outside the beautiful Qiu Manor, and prayed together to heaven, hoping that the filming process would go smoothly, without disasters or illnesses.

This time, Qiu Manor is indeed beautiful, with mountains and water relying on each other.

Because they are not by the sea in Dalian, but in the Bamianshan Scenic Area next to Hengdian Town.

Hengdian World Studios really put in a lot of effort to let *The Message* settle here, not hesitating to mark out a large piece of land by the Qingshui Lake in the scenic area for the crew to use.

And Gao Qunshu, as the supervisor, found several construction teams to work overtime, and after three months, finally built a 1:1 restored Qiu Manor by the lake.

The cost made Chen Nuo twitch whenever he thought about it, almost spending one-tenth of the budget.

But the actual effect currently looks really damn good.

At least Huang Bo, Duan Yihong, Yu Hewei, and others who arrived at the scene for the first time were all dumbfounded looking at this Chinese-style fortress that covered several acres and was more than 10 meters high.

These people are now just small actors who have only filmed cheap soap operas; where would they understand the luxurious style of big-budget movies?

The first scene of *The Message* started filming in this Qiu Manor that suddenly came to reality from the novel.

For Ning Hao and Gao Qunshu, this scene was really carefully considered before being selected.

Because the filming schedule of *The Message* is really hard to arrange.

First of all, because there are too many guest stars.

Mai Jia finally arranged a rather important role for Choi Min-sik, not an assassin, but the original underground party member played by Ni Dahong. The whole play has no lines, but there is face exposure.

Ni Dahong was pleasantly surprised to receive the script for Commander Zhang, giving this old guy with a face full of flesh who doesn't look like a good person the most suitable destination.

Jeon Do-yeon played an accomplice.

As a Korean maid, she will lead Li Ningyu to the torture room, and will also cooperate with Chen Nuo to abuse Fan Fan Binbing together, forcing her to ask who the old ghost is.

The Lieutenant General Weitian played by Takeshi Kitano, in addition to the lines with Chen Nuo at the very beginning, will also be furious in the middle at the Japanese military meeting, scolding Wu Tian for being soft-hearted.

All kinds of the above are plots not in the original script.

What the effect will be, at this moment, including Chen Nuo, no one knows.

In addition to many stars, the filming schedule must concentrate their guest scenes.

There is another problem, which is that the two biggest names in the crew have their own things to do.

Needless to say, Jiang Wen.

In September, his new film *The Sun Also Rises* will be released. The requirement to wrap up in mid-August is polite; logically, he should be allowed to leave in early August.

That is to say, in the month or so after filming starts, Jiang Wen's scenes must all be filmed first, and then the crew will go to film other things and fill in other people's shots.

Chen Nuo is even more anxious than Jiang Wen.

July 15th, the global premiere of the highly anticipated Warner version of *Batman: The Dark Knight*.

This time, it successfully passed the review of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, obtained the dragon mark, and even mainland China was released on the same day as other parts of the world.

No one knows the reason for passing the review.

Just like why it was banned in the previous life, it is a mystery.

It is possible that that key line was deleted.

It is also possible that someone didn't guest star.

It is also possible that the person playing the Joker was replaced by a local actor.

The heart of the saint is hard to guess, who knows?

In short, this time Nolan handed over the promotion of Batman 2 in China entirely to Chen Nuo.

He himself took the lead team to run the European and American markets.

Chen Nuo is also duty-bound for this. *Batman 2* is different from *My Blueberry Nights*; every bit of it is related to his interests.

In this way, the news that Ning Hao and Gao Qunshu got more than a month ago was that Chen Nuo would leave for about a week on July 15th and then come back to continue filming.

It is best to make appropriate adjustments to his scenes.

Well, so the two directors chose and chose, and the first scene could only be this one.

Liu Yifei, wearing a dark red embroidered cheongsam, sat at the long table, her beautiful hair coiled into a bun.

A goose-egg face, delicate and fair, with a bit of innocence and curiosity in her eyes, looking around in a dazed manner, completely like a wealthy family's daughter performing in her true colors.

This formed a clear contrast with the interpretation of Xun Ge'er in the original version.

Of course, it can be said that Zhou Xun acted more like an underground party member, because you can tell at a glance that this woman is not simple.

But Chen Nuo, outside the camera at this time, felt that Zhang Songwen was really damn good as a teacher, even curing this paralyzed idol woman's illness; this is simply a good doctor comparable to Bian Que.

Liu Yifei didn't act as profound as Zhou Xun, however, isn't this also a deeper disguise?

At least Chen Nuo would rather believe that Liu Yifei's shyness and ignorance of worldly affairs is a more clever mask.

Sitting next to Liu Yifei was Fan Fan Binbing, wearing a black cheongsam.

The costume designer of *Lust, Caution*, a lecturer at City University of Hong Kong, the art designer of films such as *Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl*, *Rouge*, *Center Stage*, and *Red Rose White Rose*, Teacher Pu Ruomu, who even makes Tim Yip play second fiddle to him, seemed to have put all his painstaking research results on the makeup and styling of women in the Republic of China into this enchanting woman, Fan Fan Binbing.

The style of Fan Fan Binbing sitting there thinking with a white cigarette held in her slender fingers not only has the gentleness and beauty of Anita Mui in *Rouge*, the sorrow and beauty of Maggie Cheung in *Center Stage*, but also the purity and greenness of Li Xiaolu in *Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl*.

Chen Nuo stood behind Ning Hao and saw the Mexican guy who was filming the characters as a secondary camera, when the lens moved to Fan Fan Binbing, he actually didn't shoot from a 45-degree angle from the side to modify the character's face shape according to the photographer's conventional operation.

Rodrigo Prieto, who came from Central America, obviously had a higher evaluation of Fan Fan Binbing's face than Tang Wei. He generously let this woman's face be revealed in front of the lens in full detail from the front.

Pu Ruomu's makeup and clothing, together with an Oscar-level photography master, shaped such a charming woman of the Republic of China, making the three men behind the monitor all dumbfounded.

Gao Qunshu muttered: "Is it too much? Is there such an underground party member? Will someone who looks like this really go to be an underground party member?"

Chen Nuo and Ning Hao were silent. After a while, Ning Hao said: "Forget it, there can't be a Japanese ghost who is as handsome as Chairman Chen either."

This flattery was caught off guard, and Chen Nuo had to accept it.

He and Ning Hao had similar views.

Spies have existed in all times and countries. Can't there be a dashing 007, and not a city-toppling Li Ningyu?

That doesn't make sense.

Besides, if you really want to use your brain, how many movies or books can you watch?

Next to Fan Fan Binbing was Huang Bo.

Wearing a military uniform, with a bit of a ruffian taste, he was five points less handsome than the original Zhang Hanyu, but eight points more evil.

His two eyes looked around, one arm was on the back of the chair, and there was a dangling smile on the corner of his mouth; really, no one looked more like a military ruffian who had survived a hundred battles than him.

Ning Hao slapped his thigh and said: "Brother Bo's taste is right."

Chen Nuo also quite agreed.

Although Zhang Hanyu's performance in the original version was sharp, Huang Bo's interpretation obviously had more taste.

Who the hell can tell he is an underground party member?

People who haven't read the original work probably wouldn't even think about it.

Opposite Huang Bo sat the first villain to appear, Duan Yihong.

As soon as he appeared in the lens, the three people next to the monitor all laughed.

This man is too evil.

Bai Xiaonian in the script is a sissy who sings female lead roles in Peking opera.

The performance of Alec Su in the original version was actually a bit exaggerated. But Chen Nuo also understood; if you don't exaggerate, you can't act, because actors born in Taiwanese idol dramas have to perform forcefully, otherwise how can they steal the show, right?

But now, Duan Yihong, a proper stage actor from the National Theatre of China, interprets this role, so he doesn't need to be forceful.

His beard was shaved clean, and his eyebrows were trimmed like two willow leaves. In a pair of deep and evil eyes, looking at people lowered a few points, the appearance contained a few points of charm, and the left hand placed on the table seemed to inadvertently raise an orchid finger.

Gao Qunshu shook his head and said: "I watched *Soldiers Sortie*, I really didn't expect his plasticity to be so strong. Chairman Chen, when he came to find you, *Soldiers* hadn't been broadcast yet, right? How did you decide on him?"

Chen Nuo said: "Who can act and who can't, don't you know at a glance?"

Good guy, this act of showing off was so good that even Ning Hao turned his head to look at him.

The subsequent Yu Hewei playing Jin Shenghuo.

This time, Ning Hao and Gao Qunshu slapped their thighs together.

Jin Shenghuo is the director of the puppet military secret service in the script, gentle in handling affairs, eating, drinking, and playing, raising concubines, timid, and worrying about gains and losses. In the end, when facing possible torture, he committed suicide directly.

Imagine, when Yu Hewei's face appears in the lens with a fawning and small-minded look, what does it feel like? Is it like Jin Shenghuo?

Not only did Ning Hao and Gao Qunshu marvel at it, but also in Chen Nuo's eyes, this person also basically didn't need any lines to perform. The audience looked at it directly, and they could see the character's personality clearly.

"Cut. Alright, everyone rest for five minutes, start the next group."

Ning Hao said to the walkie-talkie.

After this group shot, there should be lines. Similarly, the villain Jiang Wen should also appear.

This guy is locking himself in the standby room to find the feeling.

Ning Hao as a director, can only be said to be used to suffering; as long as the actor can look okay, he won't film a second time.

Regarding this point, Chen Nuo actually has some opinions, but now it is difficult to say more, anyway, Wong Kar-wai is coming soon.

By then...

He is a bit terrified.

Don't come as the Wong Kar-wai of *Ashes of Time*, that is really impossible to serve; just come as the Wong Kar-wai of *My Blueberry Nights*.

After letting the actors rest, several people had nothing to do for a while, so they chatted.

Gao Qunshu couldn't help shaking his head and said: "To tell you the truth, Chairman Chen, when Haozi told me who the actors you decided on were, I was dumbfounded at the time. I thought it was over, you know? Haozi, do you remember? What did I say on the phone at that time?"

Ning Hao smiled and said: "I remember, you said Chen Nuo is crazy, choosing some big-headed garlic one by one. If you have too much money and nowhere to spend it, then it's better to give it to us to spend."

Gao Qunshu stared at him and said, "Haozi, is that what I said? I clearly said that Chairman Chen and the others have a unique eye and saw the flash points in these people that we can't see."

Ning Hao smiled: "Alright, then let's assume that's what you said."

Gao Qunshu glared at him again before smiling and saying to Chen Nuo: "In short, I am really convinced of you, Chairman Chen. Fan Fan Binbing and Liu Yifei don't need to be mentioned; they are the trusted confidants of your company. But these other few people, I really didn't expect that they would cooperate with the roles so seamlessly." Ning Hao also said seriously at this time: "Brother Gao is right, Chairman Chen, I will also say a word from the bottom of my heart. When you took over the casting, I was unconvinced. But now I am sincerely convinced. When you decided on Bozi to play this Captain Wu, I even felt a bit strange. As a result, I didn't expect that you actually understood him better than I did."

Chen Nuo smiled: "Actually, luck accounts for the majority. I actually just wanted to save money, so I looked at whoever's appearance was suitable and decided, which is about the same as pointing soldiers and generals."

Ning Hao and Gao Qunshu looked at each other, and both saw two words in each other's eyes:

Don't believe.

Still pointing soldiers and generals.

Why don't you say you are passing flowers with drums?

Obviously there is only one possibility, just like what the small directors and small actors in the circle say, looking at people particularly accurately.

Looked accurately at Zhang Yiyi, won the Berlin Best Actor.

Looked accurately at the unknown Ning Hao, earned 30 million.

Looked accurately at the tiger-fallen-in-the-flat-sun Fan Fan Binbing, swept a big mountain of gold.

Feels more powerful than acting.

If anyone enters his eyes, it can really be said that they will be prosperous and promising.

Gao Qunshu thought gloomily, good brother entered this person's eyes, but what about himself? Why didn't anyone ask about me?

Five minutes passed quickly.

Actually, from this moment on, it can be considered to have entered the formal filming of *The Message*.

The group of shots just now was just for the director to see the feeling.

The plot being filmed now is in the early part of the script.

Gu Xiaomeng, Li Ningyu, Wu Zhiguo, as well as Jin Shenghuo and Bai Xiaonian are suspected of having spies hidden in the secret service agency.

So Wang Tianxiang, the director of the puppet military secret service, accepted the order of the Japanese ghost secret service chief Wu Tian and brought them into Qiu Manor.

Qiu, connected to prisoner.

It is a word game played by Mai Jia.

Ning Hao set up a three-camera setting here.

One main camera shoots the panoramic view, and two secondary cameras are set up to shoot close-ups, so that the dialogue can proceed smoothly.

This is the benefit of the crew having money; the number of burned film rolls is directly x3.

Only movies will be so particular.

TV series can get a dual-camera setup, which is a configuration only available for big productions.

Ordinary small crews just shoot one shot after another.

When broadcasting, it looks like two people are talking, but in fact, it is spliced together shot by shot.

From the perspective of performance, it would be very difficult for actors to film this kind of solo scene. Once the actor's performance is not up to standard, the audience will be out of the play.

But for *The Message*, this problem does not exist.

Soldiers are elite and food is sufficient; in order for actors to perform better and more fluent and natural performances, it can be said that they spare no cost.

Under the leadership of some small secret agents, the five people walked into the hall and sat on both sides of the long table.

Just like before, these five puppet military men and women have different beauty and ugliness, and different appearances.

But this time, there was one more person in the main seat of the long table.

Jiang Wen sat in the main seat.

He sat there, just like a tiger crouching on a high mountain, a dragon coiling in a deep pool.

There is no need to open his mouth with a treacherous smile like Wang Hongwen; as soon as he opens his mouth, the voice is like a tiger roaring and a dragon singing, deterring the whole scene.

"Today, I invited everyone here because this afternoon, the Imperial Army intercepted a piece of ciphertext. At first glance, it is a lottery advertisement, but in fact, it is an underground terrorist organization passing messages."

Jiang Wen's tiger eyes swept, naturally majestic: "They want to come and engage in assassination again. Inviting everyone here is to crack this secret telegram."

Ning Hao and Gao Qunshu behind the monitor looked at each other.

Jiang Wen's acting method, saying he is a general who kills without counting, is no problem.

However, it seems that it doesn't match the director of the secret service who combines trickery, viciousness, alertness, and smoothness in the script.

If it were someone else, Ning Hao would have already shouted cut.

But facing this Cannes Best Actor who directs and acts himself and has won countless awards, he really couldn't shout it out.

What if people are playing a big game of chess?

If you can't see it, forget it, you still want to flip the table?

Ning Hao felt that if it were really like this, he couldn't afford to lose this person.

However, he really felt that Jiang Wen didn't act quite right.

So he turned his head, wanting to pin his courage and hope on a companion who was more experienced than him and also much more sophisticated.

But before he could speak, the experienced Gao Qunshu seemed to have guessed what he was going to say, and said naturally: "Wait, let's see and talk."

The plot in the lens continues to develop.

Duan Yihong's eyes and eyebrows were all feminine, naturally raising an orchid finger, and said with some dissatisfaction: "Funny. Except for Section Chief Li, none of us are professional decoding personnel. Why call us here? To make up a card game?"

Jiang Wen said in a deep voice: "Deputy Officer Bai, the order was issued directly by the Japanese military headquarters..."

After speaking, he chuckled, a trace of viciousness appearing in his eyes, "I hope everyone will cooperate well."

Huang Bo spoke, turning his body happily and asking: "Deputy Officer Bai, does our military headquarters know about this?"

Duan Yihong said: "I don't know, our commander went to Nanjing on a business trip and will return the day after tomorrow."

Jiang Wen picked up the teacup, took a sip, his eyeballs moved slightly, as if observing without moving.

Yu Hewei picked up the piece of paper that recorded the information, looked at Duan Yihong with some hesitation, and said in a low voice: "These are all numbers..."

Duan Yihong started to trim his nails with a nail clipper and said lightly: "Don't look at me, I don't understand."

Yu Hewei bent over, crossed Duan Yihong to look at Huang Bo.

Huang Bo chuckled and said: "If you want to talk about pushing Pai Gow, Er Ba Gang, I am an expert."

Before Huang Bo could finish, Yu Hewei cast his gaze at Fan Fan Binbing sitting opposite: "Little Li, what do you say?"

Fan Fan Binbing was smoking, her expression neither cold nor indifferent, and she didn't speak when she heard it.

Liu Yifei covered her mouth next to her, looking at the table, not knowing what she was thinking.

Yu Hewei asked again: "Little Li, you are an expert, give some opinions."

Fan Fan Binbing exhaled a puff of smoke into the air, and then she opened her mouth, saying lightly: "This looks like an 18-character ciphertext at a glance. To decipher it, you must find the master copy, otherwise, it's useless for us to sit here and think until we die."

Huang Bo stood up all of a sudden, and said to Jiang Wen with a cheeky face: "Did you hear that? Go tell the Japanese quickly."

For a time, the few people at the table began to complain.

Liu Yifei showed an impatient expression, patted her hand on the table, and said: "I don't care, I want to go home."

Zhang Songwen didn't stand behind the monitor, because he didn't pay attention to others.

He just paid attention to Liu Yifei.

This time, in addition to waiting to guest star as the traitor at the beginning, he was also hired by Chen Nuo as Liu Yifei's acting teacher.

Seeing the impatient look on Liu Yifei's face, Teacher Zhang was almost excited to jump up.

A month, finally can do some complex expressions.

Huang Bo also followed up and said: "The day after tomorrow, I have to go to the countryside to suppress bandits, no time to waste here."

Jiang Wen's face had a smile and he didn't speak, at this time Chen Nuo appeared behind him.

He was wearing a khaki Japanese military uniform, walking in carelessly, his body very relaxed. It was like going to an ordinary banquet.

Most of his figure was hidden in the darkness, only seeing him holding something in his hand, flipping through it slowly.

As soon as Huang Bo's voice fell, Chen Nuo gave the camera a front view all of a sudden.

He raised his hand, and the booklet he was holding flew over, accurately landing on the table; it was a yellowed old book stained with blood.

Jiang Wen turned his head to look, and stood up from his seat all of a sudden.

Chen Nuo also walked out of the darkness into the light.

In the directors' monitors, he had a faint smile on his face, a head of thick short hair, and short stubble on his face.

The military uniform on his body was straight, which matched his tall and straight posture very well; he was completely a young military officer with full military temperament.

Everyone hurriedly stood up in a panic.

Bai Xiaonian said loudly: "Sergeant Major Wu Tian, hello."

Chen Nuo nodded to Bai Xiaonian, then said in a strange accent: "Miss Li, long admired. Not a professional for nothing. This is the master copy, can we start deciphering now?"

Ning Hao behind the controller saw Jiang Wen's body shrink by several inches all of a sudden.

People who haven't seen Jiang Wen fawning really can't imagine how such a face can simultaneously act out two expressions, both smooth and vicious.

Alright, smooth, vicious, cruel, treacherous. In this short scene, Jiang Wen acted it all out.

Ning Hao saw it, and Gao Qunshu also saw it.

Gao Qunshu chuckled: "So I told you to wait a while. Haozi, when filming with these people, don't be in a hurry; if you are in a hurry, you will be very miserable."

Ning Hao didn't speak, because he looked at Chen Nuo in the viewfinder and wanted to shout cut again.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 171 =====