RGS 19

Chapter 19

Although this scene did not require the use of tiny flying drones, several cameras were installed on the indoor ceiling. This setup allowed for the simultaneous capture of close-ups and various angles, eliminating the need to reshoot additional angles as Xizi had to in his previous life.

Behind the cameras, the footage captured from various angles predominantly featured Xizi’s close-ups. Particularly striking was a top-down shot, positioned right above the “blood card” location, showcasing Xizi’s entire face. His clear, deep black eyes contrasted sharply with his pale complexion, embodying a dying man devoid of fear, his features flawlessly delicate.

Recently weakened by hunger, Xizi appeared to everyone in person as a frail youth, evoking sympathy; however, through the camera’s lens, the tender youth disappeared, replaced by the character of Ai’er on set—a physically weak but relentlessly optimistic and fearless young man in the face of death.

Tom, standing behind the monitor and stroking his chin while watching Xizi’s close-up, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been concerned that Xizi’s frailty might be too pronounced, doubting his ability to convey Ai’er’s inherent vitality and cheerfulness. Now, he realized his worries were unfounded; Xizi’s eyes alone conveyed the necessary emotions.

The first shot of the day went smoothly. Despite the heavy storyline, everything progressed well, which the crew took as a good omen. However, an unfortunate incident occurred—someone accidentally spilled nutrient solution on Arnold… 

The cast and crew, who doted on Xizi, were deeply concerned. Yet, when the nutrient packet hit Arnold’s chest—a momentary hush fell over the set. The women, previously animatedly throwing nutrient packets, suddenly hesitated to approach.

Strangely, Xizi, looking like a small mouse, began to sip from the nutrient packet in his hands. Arnold, far from angry about being hit, picked up another nutrient packet from the ground and offered it to the overly frail Xizi.

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Mbl pnldl vbyv wdqszele clqsal lhlausdl oyp vswnbkdt—Dkgk, nzwvnbkdt vbl dwvakldv rynjlv yde dkcczkdt sd sdl nsadla, poyzzsokdt okvb bkp dlnj aykple yde kddsnldv lulp zssjkdt wr yv Gadsze, obs jdlzv clpkel bkx. Gadsze, pvkzz olyakdt y xypj, bydele shla y dwvakldv rynjlv, bkp knl-czwl lulp, bkeeld clbkde nsdvynv zldplp, xllvkdt Dkgk’p kddsnldv tygl.

Ohlausdl: “…………!!!”

Mbl qkapv pbsv sd vbl qkapv eyu! Fwnb czyvydv kdvlaynvksd! Yshkdt zktbv pnalldp qsa rbsvsp! “Psd’v vwad sqq vbl nyxlay, rbsvstayrbla; ekddla’p sd xl vsdktbv!”

Rp vbl lmnkvlxldv shla xyzl-xyzl kdvlaynvksd fwpvkqkle? Lsv qsa vbl yhlaytl rlapsd, cwv okvb Gadsze, vbl vayekvksdyzzu yzssq xyzl tse, yde Dkgk, y rwal Oypvlad-qynle, bwdtla-olyjldle Gpkyd dlonsxla… Ebyv yal ol oykvkdt qsa? Nkql kp pbsav, plkgl vbl eyu! Rv’p vbl lay sq xyzl clywvu—kq dsv dso, obld?

Wszzsokdt vbkp pkxrzl kdvlaynvksd clvolld Gadsze yde Dkgk, vbl yvxsprblal sd plv vwadle lzlnvakqukdt. Mbspl okvb xsckzl zktbv pnalldp wple vblx, svblap wple vblka caynlzlvp vs vyjl rbsvsp, lhlausdl cwggkdt okvb lmnkvlxldv yp kq vbkp rbsvs oyp yzz vblu zkhle qsa.

Dkgk, xsxldvyakzu pvwddle yde wdyoyal sq vbl nsxxsvksd swvpkel, ynnlrvle vbl dwvakldv pszwvksd, vbydjkdt Gadsze clqsal pkvvkdt wr. Gadsze yzps pvsse yde oyzjle vsoyaep Msx.

Gqvla nsxrzlvkdt vbl qkapv pnldl kd sdl vyjl, Dkgk oyp kxxlekyvlzu pwaaswdele cu y taswr sq osxld lmralppkdt vblka nsdnlad. Kwpv vbld, Kkyd Gddkdt, obs bye clld swvpkel vbl plv nbyvvkdt okvb Dky zk, ldvlale yde iwknjzu pbklzele Dkgk, yzzsokdt vbl xyjlwr yavkpv vs nsxl shla qsa vswnb-wrp.

Msx oyp hlau pyvkpqkle okvb vbl qkapv pnldl. Nssjkdt yv Dkgk, obs oyp tlvvkdt bkp xyjlwr vswnble wr, bl vwadle vs Gadsze yde pyke, “Tl pvyahle qsa vos olljp fwpv qsa vblpl qlo pnldlp. Mseyu, usw’hl osajle byae vss. Nlv’p qkdkpb bkp alxykdkdt pnldlp kd sdl ts.”

Arnold glanced at Xizi, then nodded in agreement, saying, “Alright.”

As soon as Arnold agreed, the assistant director appeared seemingly out of nowhere, covering his mouth and whispering to Tom, “Director, Selena is… somewhat unhappy…”

Tom immediately understood the situation.

In “Dragon Sparrow,” having Arnold as the lead meant that acting opposite him as a romantic interest or adversary could significantly boost any star’s career. Announcing that the first scene shot was with Arnold could serve as a promotional highlight. Arnold’s current schedule was very limited, making such opportunities for collaboration rare. Naturally, Selena didn’t want to miss out.

Selena’s agent had already discussed this with Tom. As a director of commercial films, Tom naturally considered the promotional benefits. Utilizing stars to hype the movie was part of the marketing strategy, and he was open to it. However, due to Xizi, the first scene was changed at the last minute.

As a director, Tom prioritized the quality of the film over promotional tactics. He had informed Selena’s side of the adjustment, hoping for understanding since the change was made not for promotional hype but for the film’s quality. Unfortunately, Selena seemed to take issue with this.

Tom, slightly annoyed, retorted, “She’s the female lead; what’s there for her to worry about?” In other words, she had plenty of opportunities to promote herself through the movie. Was she really that concerned about the “first scene”? Tom felt Selena was being overly proud and ignored her complaints, instructing the assistant director, “Tell her to get ready and come over in half an hour.”

After giving the order, Tom picked up the megaphone and announced, “Prepare for the second scene!! All departments, get ready. Xizi, the next scene is Ai’er’s first encounter with Jo. Get ready.”

Having regained some energy from the nutrient solution, Xizi looked less frail after getting his makeup redone and changing his outfit. The set had been transformed into a cluttered laboratory filled with miscellaneous items and specimens.

Arnold changed into a new camouflage outfit, still wearing a mask that covered half of his face. Tom walked onto the set, briefed Xizi on the scene, and then asked, “There’s a lot of movement. If you’re not sure, we can do a trial shot.”

Xizi mentally rehearsed the movements and shook his head, “No need, I can do it.”

Tom returned behind the camera, picked up the megaphone, and announced, “All departments ready! We’re shooting this scene for real!”

Hearing that they were shooting for real, several crew members praised Xizi. Since Jian Anning was standing nearby, she boasted, “Xizi is amazing!! A newcomer who doesn’t need a trial shot?”

Jian Anning’s pride was evident as she added, “Of course, our Xizi is from the Soro Academy’s acting department.”

Turns out he’s a top talent from a prestigious school! Wow!

This scene depicts Ai’er’s first encounter with Jo in his father’s abandoned laboratory. Ai’er, unaware of his father’s death, is prompted to visit the lab after seeing news about the dangers of reverse genetic engineering. Here, he meets Jo, who is searching for the Dragon Sparrow gene but initially mistakes Ai’er for a spy sent by the rebels.

The lab is in disarray, with cluttered test benches strewn with various specimens, discarded beakers, and old equipment, indicating long disuse. Ai’er, covering his nose and mouth, sifts through the mess on the bench but finds nothing of value, only useless discarded items.

Confused, Ai’er steps back and accidentally knocks over a bench, causing items to crash to the floor. Startled, he turns around, his eyes wide like a frightened deer, but he quickly steadies another falling stand with fast reflexes.

The eerie silence of the lab is broken only by Ai’er’s movements. He thinks he sees a shadow when he lifts his eyes but dismisses it as his imagination. However, as he turns to leave, he freezes, sensing someone behind him. Without hesitation, he throws the stand towards the presence, glimpsing a figure in dark green before fleeing.

As Ai’er attempts to escape, a gun is suddenly pressed against his shoulder, halting his movement. Without turning, he senses the seriousness of the situation, his eyes wide with fear.

The voice that follows commands him to turn around. Complying, Ai’er slowly raises his hands in surrender, finally facing the man behind him.

The man, dressed in dark green camouflage and wearing a leather mask that conceals his lower face, leaving only his eyes and forehead visible, possesses an unmistakable aura of authority. His ice-blue eyes and the controlled demeanor demand attention.

Taken aback, Ai’er recognizes the danger as the man lowers his gun and coldly identifies him by name, not as a question but as a statement.

Overwhelmed by the rapid turn of events—from nearly losing his life to suddenly facing someone who seems to know him—Ai’er can’t bring himself to trust this stranger. As soon as the man lowers his gun, Ai’er turns and runs, swift as a rabbit escaping danger.

Before Ai’er could reach the door, the stranger swiftly caught up from behind and restrained him. Ai’er struggled, shouting, “Who are you? This is my family’s lab!”

The man, cold and silent, effortlessly lifted Ai’er by the waist with one hand while holding a gun in the other, and walked towards the door, his movements sleek as if Ai’er weighed nothing. His masked gaze was indifferent, his boots making no sound on the floor. This action, directed towards the main camera, exuded a silent but commanding presence.

At this moment, Ai’er, still a fragile youth unaccustomed to hardship, struggled vainly against Jo’s grip. Despite his efforts, he realized he was no match for the stranger’s strength. His angry protests were ignored as the man continued his silent march towards the camera, merely issuing a cold command to “Stay still.”

The crew was speechless.

The director was jokingly questioned if he had considered making Ai’er the female lead instead, given the affectionate male-male interaction. The script seemed to imply a deep connection between Jo and Ai’er, leading to playful accusations against the scriptwriter for embedding personal fantasies into the script.

Despite challenges in scenes involving Arnold and Selena, Xizi (Ai’er) effortlessly delivered his performance, highlighting Selena’s shortcomings by comparison. Tom’s dissatisfaction with Selena’s performance was evident, his standards evidently elevated by Xizi’s prior scenes.

Jian Anning took pleasure in Selena’s critique, realizing that compared to Xizi, Selena lacked potential. She was grateful for the opportunity to work with Xizi, thanking Selena’s decision to switch to a competitor.

After being criticized again by Tom, Selena was visibly upset, especially when Jian Anning shared a smug glance with her before confidently walking away. Overwhelmed by her defeat to a newcomer and robbed of the first scene, Selena felt helpless, recognizing Xizi’s undeniable talent and support from influential figures like the Silver Fox agency’s owner, Xiali, and the experienced agent, Jian Anning. The fact that Xizi was also a student from the prestigious Soro Academy only added to her frustration.

But little did she know, more surprises were yet to come…

On that evening, Silver Fox Entertainment’s homepage featured a stunning new promotional photo that occupied the entire page. Set against a backdrop of stars, it showcased a young man with a flawless visage, pure Asian heritage, and distinctive black hair and eyes—a sight never before seen in the media.

This marked the beginning of a “Crazy Night.”