Wen Zhang gave an awkward, sheepish laugh and scratched the back of his head.
Tao Feifei looked Qi Hui up and down, completely stunned by what he had just done.
Aren't you just a fresh performance graduate straight out of university? How do you even know about explosives?
"Quickly, all extras, bring over every single grenade you're carrying!" Director Chen's urgent voice rang out.
Director Du likewise shouted repeatedly: "Props team, safety officers, everyone come over here right now and inspect them!"
"Everyone else, stay where you are and don't crowd around."
The latter instruction was entirely redundant; nobody had any intention of going near the explosives.
The extras holding the grenades trembled, feeling anxious yet handling the explosives with extreme care as they brought them over to the two directors.
These weren't real military-grade explosives, after all—they were props made specifically for filming.
There was zero guarantee of safety with these items, and nobody knew under what conditions they might accidentally detonate.
Prop grenades used in films were supposed to be blank effects charges, designed under normal circumstances to produce smoke rather than an actual blast.
The real explosions were handled by pre-planted charges in the ground, which were far safer.
Yet right now... the extras were shaking in their boots, terrified that the things in their hands would blow up right on them.
Even Yu Zhen, a seasoned veteran of anti-Japanese war dramas, cautiously retreated toward the rear.
Seeing this, Qi Hui set down the wooden-handled grenade in his hand and slowly backed away behind the crowd.
"Qi Hui, come help with the inspection," Director Chen called out, stopping him.
After all, he was the first person to spot the problem, which showed he clearly knew what he was doing. Working together would resolve the issue as quickly as possible without delaying the shooting schedule.
Qi Hui shrugged and stepped forward to help with the check.
"He even knows about this stuff?" Zhang Jian said in shock, glancing over at Zhang Ruoyun with a puzzled expression.
Zhang Ruoyun scratched his head: "I've no idea either. He never showed any of this before..."
Zhang Jian silently took a puff of his cigarette. This turned out differently than he expected—that kid wasn't a totally useless good-for-nothing.
Boom, boom, boom!
In the distance, a few grenades thrown by Qi Hui and Director Chen went off with dull, roaring explosions.
Fortunately, the blast radius was small, kicking up nothing more than plumes of black smoke and gunpowder residue.
The men tossed a few more at random and found they no longer detonated, instead producing white smoke just like normal prop grenades.
"All right, that's it." Director Chen let out a sigh of relief and said gratefully: "Thank you, Qi Hui."
Everyone else was just doing their jobs, but Qi Hui was someone he had hastily pulled in just to save time.
"Safety is no small matter, it's the least I could do," Qi Hui said with a cheerful smile.
Chen Haowei and Du Yuming exchanged glances, both looking rather surprised.
Unflustered and level-headed—that certainly didn't look like a young man fresh out of university.
When he himself had first graduated, he was unbearably arrogant. Thinking back on it now, he wanted to slap his past self across the face.
"Not bad, not bad..." Chen Haowei nodded. The kid had genuine talent.
"Let's get back to work first," Du Yuming said. "We can talk about everything else later."
"Right," Chen Haowei nodded, grabbed his megaphone, and shouted: "Everyone in position, get ready to shoot!"
At the command, the extras and actors gradually moved into position.
Du Yuming stepped back. He didn't direct war scenes; this was Chen Haowei's domain.
"Producer Zhang," Du Yuming walked over to Zhang Jian and asked with a smile:
"That kid Qi Hui is pretty good. How about giving him a supporting role?"
Qi Hui had done the production crew a massive favor, so it was only right to return it.
If not for him, the crew very well could have suffered a serious accident because of those grenades.
Zhang Ruoyun's eyes lit up: "Dad, I think Director Du is right."
Zhang Jian glared at Zhang Ruoyun, fell into a brief contemplation, and slowly said: "Let's finish watching this scene first and see his acting chops."
"Dad, don't worry," Zhang Ruoyun patted his chest. "My senior brother's acting is top-notch."
Du Yuming tapped his cigarette case, pulled out a cigarette, and calmly lit it.
In the adult world, those who understand already know.
Without explicit agreement, silence meant refusal.
Besides, how could someone who played an extra suddenly transition to a supporting role?
Furthermore, what kind of acting could anyone possibly showcase in a bit part with only a handful of shots?
On the other side, the assistant director nodded to Chen Haowei.
"Very good," Chen Haowei picked up the megaphone: "Snow Leopard, Scene 37, Take 2, action!"
The clapperboard snapped shut, and filming officially began.
The cameraman shot handheld, the shaky footage heightening the tension and grim atmosphere of the battlefield.
Yu Zhen crouched among the extras and bit-part actors, delivering his lines to boost morale as they prepared to make a desperate last stand against the enemy "Japs."
Soon, Wen Zhang and Tao Feifei, playing a student, rushed onto the battlefield alongside Krupp, bringing relief supplies.
The battle resumed. Krupp "died a tragic death" on the spot, terrifying Zhou Wen and Chen Yi into shivering wrecks.
Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Nineteenth Route Army began to buckle under the pressure. With their ammunition exhausted and grenades distributed, Battalion Commander Chen Zhenglun, played by Yu Zhen, issued a desperate order to defend the position to the death.
Finally, the soldiers fixed bayonets, preparing for hand-to-hand combat down to the very last man.
Just then, a thunderous roar echoed as countless artillery shells rained down from the rear, tearing the enemy soldiers to pieces.
"Artillery! It's our artillery!" Chen Zhenglun's astonishment was mixed with a sense of surviving a disaster and a lingering hint of regret.
In the background, Central Army troops in khaki uniforms poured in.
Equipped with superior gear and high morale, the battle-ready Central Army rapidly reinforced the Nineteenth Route Army's positions.
Qi Hui stood tall in his crisp military uniform, his face smudged with soot and his white gloves stained with dirt.
"Tang De, commander of the 1st Battalion, 521st Regiment, 261st Brigade, 87th Division of the Infantry, reporting to provide reinforcements on orders," Qi Hui delivered a crisp military salute and said in a resonant voice.
At that moment, Tang De appeared like a deity descending from the heavens to save the day, drawing the gaze of everyone present as all the soldiers silently saluted him with their eyes.
Gratitude, appreciation, and profound relief—their bloody battle hadn't been in vain.
Their efforts had paid off, preventing the enemy from advancing even a single step.
The camera swept across the exhausted yet indomitable soldiers of the Nineteenth Route Army after the fierce battle.
It also panned over Zhou Wen and Chen Yi, huddled together and trembling unnoticed in a corner.
Damn it, I really got my thunder stolen... Wen Zhang felt a heavy sense of frustration in his heart.
With a solemn expression and a heavy tone, Qi Hui said: "You've worked hard, comrades. We're late..."
"You're not late, you're right on time," Chen Zhenglun said with a profound sense of release.
Afterward, the two men stated their respective units to complete the defense handover.
Chen Zhenglun insisted on staying behind to continue fighting the Japanese, because the majority of his battalion's brothers lay buried right here.
"Very well, Battalion Commander Chen, let's fight shoulder to shoulder and slaughter a few more little Japs!" Tang De agreed to his request and returned a solemn military salute.
"Thank you, Battalion Commander!" Chen Zhenglun saluted, officially placing himself under Tang De's command for the battle.
"Cut! Excellent, perfect," Chen Haowei shouted as the clapperboard came down, officially wrapping up the scene.
Yu Zhen pursed his lips and unconsciously sized Qi Hui up. Looking that baby-faced, how on earth did he manage to hold his own against every single one of his lines?
This kid actually had some real skills!
A graduate of the Central Academy of Drama, Yu Zhen had broken into film in 1999 before spending the following years working in theater troupes.
While he wouldn't dare call his acting world-class, it certainly wasn't bad either, yet...
Yu Zhen looked at Qi Hui. Were graduates these days really this formidable?
...
Over on the other side, Du Yuming and Chen Haowei walked up to Zhang Jian.
Seeing the two of them approach together, Zhang Jian knew full well what they were here for.
It was all because of that troublemaker Qi Hui.
Zhang Ruoyun smiled: "Dad, my senior brother acted pretty well, didn't he?"
"Truly impressive," Chen Haowei said with a smile. "Producer, what do you think about that role..."
"The roles have already been cast, there's no way to swap people now," Zhang Jian replied.
He admitted that Qi Hui had some talent, but he simply didn't like him.
As for a reason... there was none. He just didn't like him.
"Old Zhang, isn't that a bit unreasonable?" Chen Haowei frowned.
"Dad, that's not what you said just a moment ago!" Zhang Ruoyun blurted out in frustration.
Du Yuming held him back: "Listen to what your dad has to say. Your dad isn't that kind of person—how could he bite the hand that feeds him?"
Zhang Jian's facial muscles twitched as an urge to curse swept over him.
Old Du was deliberately backing him into a corner.
Just then, Qi Hui walked over at a leisurely pace, having changed back into his own clothes.
Everyone turned their eyes to Zhang Jian. Well? What's the verdict?
"Ah, Qi Hui. Great performance," Zhang Jian said with a smile.
"You flatter me, Uncle Zhang," Qi Hui replied with a polite smile and a nod.
Zhang Jian continued smiling broadly: "I have a friend who's currently shooting a production, how about I recommend you to their crew?"
"They happen to be short on a role over there..."
As for his own crew, forget it—it was far too small to accommodate a heavy hitter like Qi Hui.
Rin-rin-rin~
Before he could finish speaking, Qi Hui's phone rang.
Pulling it out to check, he saw it was a call from Ling Xiaosu.