Chapter 379: The End

The character Jiang Lei, played by Hu Ge, has a scene where he returns to his hometown on a bullet train.

The tourism bureau people they'd met earlier came in handy for this scene.

They would tag along, coordinate an empty car on the train, and help keep order.

After leaving the airport, Hu Ge was taken away directly by Guo Fan.

He'd board the bullet train, ride only one stop, then buy a return ticket on another train to come back, and shoot the scene.

There might be a few hours' delay in between, but there was plenty of time.

Meanwhile, Lin Nan and the others were setting up the scene in a rented local home.

"This 'New Year's Eve dinner' was specially ordered from a five-star hotel by the crew—don't waste it after we finish shooting."

"Don't worry, Lin Dao. With this many people, we definitely won't waste it! Ha ha…" Zhang Zhang Hanyu said with a laugh.

Lin Nan looked at Luo Jin. "You'll still be in your 'sacrifice' look—leaning on a crutch, one leg lame."

"So basically, whatever I looked like when I died, that's what I look like now, huh?" Luo Jin quipped self-deprecatingly.

"To be precise, everyone's look at the New Year's Eve dinner is the frozen image in nine-year-old Little Little Shuanzi's mind of every member of the small detachment—the moment of parting after the bandits were wiped out.

He drew his memories of everyone in a notebook and passed it down to his grandson." Lin Nan explained the script for everyone.

It wasn't until three in the afternoon that Guo Fan and the others brought Hu Ge back.

They spent another hour or so shooting the footage meant for the opening of the film.

That is, from Jiang Lei's point of view, officially beginning the flashback of the story of "Taking Mount Mount Weihu by Strategy."

"Lin Dao, about President Cai and Shi Shi… their Weibo thing…"

Hu Ge felt a bit embarrassed. Lin Nan's meaning had been very clear back then, but he hadn't expected them to ride the hype anyway.

"I said it back then—your President Cai is full of schemes." Lin Nan quipped.

He figured that if he'd sent the invitation to Tang Ren back then, by now there'd probably be press releases flying everywhere.

Cai Yino might even have sent several people to visit Hu Ge on set, even though the latter only had one day of shooting.

"Alright, get ready—the New Year's Eve dinner scene is about to start."

Zhang Zhang Hanyu, Huang Huang Xiaoming, Luo Jin, Xie Miao, Tong Tong Liya, Su Su Yiming, and the other main members of the small detachment had all changed into costume and done their makeup.

"Lin Dao, camera, lighting, sound… all set."

"Mm."

Lin Nan's gaze swept across everyone. "Action!"

In the frame, Hu Ge looked refined in modern clothes.

He rang the doorbell, and the one who opened the door was a white-haired old grandmother.

This veteran actress Lü Zhong, who cameos, was specially invited from the People's Art Theatre during casting. Her screen time is small, but the performance has to be vivid.

In the script's story, she is also Xiao Juan, the village chief's granddaughter in the village where the small detachment was once stationed. She and Little Little Shuanzi were childhood sweethearts, went through the detachment's bandit-suppression together, and in the end married Little Little Shuanzi.

"Grandma."

"Little Bao?"

The old woman welcomed her grandson inside.

The camera cut. On the cabinet were black-and-white photos of Little Little Shuanzi and Xiao Juan, and then came three large tables laden with dishes.

On the three tables, more than twenty sets of bowls and chopsticks were neatly arranged.

But in this empty house, there were clearly only the old woman and her grandson?

"Why so many guests today?" Jiang Lei, played by Hu Ge, asked in confusion.

"What guests? These are all family. It's New Year—time for a reunion dinner. It's like this every year…"

In the frame, veteran actress Lü Zhong smiled and nodded to either side, as if the seats around her really were filled with people.

"This shot looks really eerie, kind of creepy."

Han Jianü, that silly girl, muttered softly, and was tugged by Liu Liu Yifei, who reminded her not to talk.

On the monitor, Hu Ge looked toward the inner room. At that moment, soldiers in patched military uniforms filed out one by one and sat down around the table.

Nine-year-old Su Su Yiming sat in the seat of honor, looking at Hu Ge.

The latter stood up, his expression nostalgic: "Grandpa…"

"Young man, you've grown up. It's been so many years since you came back. Come, sit, sit.

Today just happens to be the day we have New Year's Eve dinner with everyone. Pick up your chopsticks…"

……

"Cut."

The moment Lin Nan spoke, everyone instantly relaxed.

"This shot really is a bit creepy at the start."

Han Jianü spoke a little louder this time, and looked at Lin Nan. "Lin Dao, will this scene pass censorship? After all…"

"What are you kidding? If this doesn't pass, Director Tong could hammer that whole group to death. Although later we'll use special effects to give them a different color tone, what I'm doing here is commemorating revolutionary martyrs.

Still, the shot of Hu Ge calling Su Su Yiming 'Grandpa' really is pretty funny, ha ha…"

……

Hu Ge came for the day and left the same day.

Except there was one extra group photo—and even after it was posted online, no one could guess what role Hu Ge was playing.

A flood of netizens left comments on Weibo, asking:

"Did Hu Ge take off his makeup? Why isn't he wearing a military uniform in the group photo?"

"The cast in this photo isn't complete! Zuo Shan… Han Dong? Fan Li Bingbing?"

……

Everyone rushed back to the hotel by eight o'clock in the evening.

People from Hu Bayi Factory came over to report: for the final scene attacking Mount Mount Weihu, all the consumables and props—explosives, rocket launchers, armored vehicles, and the like—were ready.

Once this scene wrapped, the Mount Weihu stockade would be pretty much torn down.

"Pass it down: starting tomorrow, we shoot the final scenes." Lin Nan said to Guo Fan.

…………

After a full day of work, both Lin Nan and Liu Liu Yifei were exhausted.

But after his shower, he still lay in bed and scrolled through the news out of habit.

Miss Liu fell asleep fast, hugging Lin Nan's arm, and was soon in dreamland.

"This sequel—it's been about ten years, right?" Lin Nan saw the news about Li Li Baotian.

The second part of *The Miraculous Doctor Xilaile*, *The Miraculous Doctor Xilaile: The Legend*, had been broadcast on satellite TV.

Ever since seven years ago, when the producers had branded Li Li Baotian with the nasty label of "scene-stealer," he hadn't acted in anything. This could be considered his comeback.

But from the look of it, things had changed and the people remained.

The main creative team had been swapped out almost entirely—even the most eye-catching Sai Sai Xishi had been recast.

He remembered when the first *The Miraculous Doctor Xilaile* first aired—how many viewers had been drawn in by Shen Shen Aojun's Sai Sai Xishi? Absolutely stunning!

"If there's a suitable role in the films coming up, I could invite Teacher Li Li Baotian again. His acting is absolutely top-tier in the industry."

The promotion for the premiere of *Tiny Times* was everywhere, known across the entire internet. That showy streak was really eye-catching.

Sure enough, Guo Guo Jingming had been called out by quite a few film industry veterans again—nothing but criticism.

At this moment, he was sniffling and crying in front of the media, accusing the film industry of being exclusionary and suppressing him.

……

Nestled against Miss Liu, Lin Nan fell asleep quickly too.

……

Every actor knew the final scenes of *Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy* were coming.

Maybe one day to finish, maybe three or four, maybe a whole week—it all depended on how everyone performed.

For more natural outdoor lighting, around three in the morning, all the crew and actors got out of bed one after another.

After all, this was the Hundred-Chicken Banquet on New Year's Eve inside the Mount Weihu stockade—the sky definitely had to be dark.

"Mm? What time is it?"

Liu Liu Yifei mumbled the question without even opening her eyes, unusually not losing her temper.

"Three-fifteen a. m. Go back to sleep."

Lin Nan spoke very softly, lowered his head, and kissed the person in the blankets.

"Mm, wait, I… when I wake up I'll find… you…"

Liu Liu Yifei's voice was faint, broken—she was clearly half-asleep, but somewhere deep down she knew Lin Nan was going off to shoot.

He tucked the blanket around her, kissed her warm cheek again, then Lin Nan got dressed and went out.

…………

The wind on the mountain was still quite chilly.

The small squad members sliding on snow, leaping off cliffs and pulling up ropes, others rigging homemade zip lines across the chasms—these shots would definitely need special effects.

Nearly an hour later, at the Mount Weihu stockade, everyone was ready.

Han Han Sanping, playing Zuo Zuo Shandiao, had already changed into the Nationalist Army's lieutenant general uniform—and he really did look quite imposing.

Zhang Zhang Hanyu bellowed in a rough voice: "Presenting the birthday star… Ding Tianliang… Third Master Cui…"

The camera swung, and Han Han Sanping strode forward, walking with a dragon's gait and a tiger's tread. On both sides at his feet, firecrackers popped and crackled.

A shot of over two hundred extras flashed by—wine jars, steamed chicken, food—filling the Mount Weihu Hall.

Picking up from the last shot, Fan Li Bingbing, whose rope had been cut, had been dragged back. On Zuo Zuo Shandiao's orders, she was strung up directly in the Mount Weihu Hall.

The small squad members quickly set out the explosive packs and charged into the Mount Mount Weihu armory…

The battle scenes had begun!

Gunfire, cannon fire, shouting—starting and stopping—went on for a full two and a half hours.

It wasn't until nearly seven o'clock, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, that filming was forced to stop.

"Keep this set untouched. We pick up shooting again at six tonight!"

……

Lin Nan hadn't expected that this final scene wouldn't wrap in two days—the gunfire and cannon blasts had gone on for two days straight.

Every day: up at three a. m., shooting until past six; then shooting again from six p. m. until nine.

Almost everyone needed to catch up on sleep during the day—except for Liu Liu Yifei and Han Jianü.

Miss Liu was even clamoring to get up at three a. m. with Lin Nan to keep him company.

What a joke—even if she was willing, Lin Nan couldn't bear to let her.

The third night, eight o'clock.

At last, they filmed the final scene: Zuo Zuo Shandiao fled into the secret passage with Ma Ma Qinglian.

Seven Vajra and Eight Vajra were the only two of the Vajras to survive.

"On the two ways Zuo Zuo Shandiao can die: one, he gets killed; the other, like a warlord, he gives up his chance to live and falls off the cliff."

"Han Dong, congratulations—you've wrapped!"

"I hereby announce: *Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy* is officially wrapped!"

Lin Nan raised the megaphone and shouted to all the leads and extras—at last, it was over.

"A perfect wrap…"

"Wrap complete—good luck!"

The shouts shook the heavens, as if it were really New Year.

…………

That night, Lin Nan and Liu Liu Yifei let themselves go a little, because once they got back, they would surely have to rein themselves in.

"Lin Nan, I want to, I want to sleep…"

Miss Liu wrapped her arms around Lin Nan's neck and said in a faintly trembling voice. The bewitching flush on her face was unusually intoxicating.

Gently stroking her smooth, beautiful back, Lin Nan answered softly, "I'll hold you, and we'll sleep together…"

…………

(End of Chapter)