The police response efficiency in H Town is particularly fast. Almost ten minutes after the crew called the police, the police arrived at the scene. However, those who are faster than the police are always the reporters who don't know where the news comes from.
This group of people also knew to split into two groups. One group blocked the crew to ask for interviews, and the other group followed the ambulance to the hospital. Now they were the first to hear the news of the wounded being rescued or dying.
"Director Zhou, could you please tell me whether the explosion on the set was man-made or an accident?"
"Mr. Tao insisted on calling the police. Do you suspect someone is maliciously retaliating against the crew?"
"Mr. Zhang Mengcheng, I heard that the stuntmen were rehearsing your movements when the explosion occurred. If it was a normal accident, you would be the one injured. Is this explosion targeting you?"
"Excuse me……"
"Everyone, please be quiet for a moment." Director Zhou Hong gritted his teeth and spoke, motioning for everyone to be quiet: "The cause of the accident is still under investigation. Whether it was an accident or man-made, the police will have to investigate before they can come up with a result. The crew will hold a press conference to explain to everyone. Now please leave the set and don't interfere with the police investigation."
Zhou Hong and other crew members had a hard time persuading the reporters to leave the crew. The scene of the accident had already been cordoned off by the police. After an explosives expert inspected the scene, he determined that the accident was caused by human factors - someone tampered with the placement of the bomb. That's why the explosion point will explode in advance.
Now that the cause of the accident has been determined, the rest of the things will be much easier to handle. Because Tao Mu chose to call the police immediately, all the blasters from the fireworks group stayed on the set. This time, the police asked them to go back and cooperate with the investigation.
It was discovered that evening that a blaster from the fireworks team had been instructed to cause trouble during the filming. But he explained that he had no intention of hurting anyone, he just wanted to scare the crew. It was Zhou Hong who changed the shooting plan without authorization and moved the shooting that was originally scheduled in the afternoon to the morning, which led to the injury of someone.
However, when the police asked him to reveal the mastermind behind the incident, the bribed demolition engineer could not give a clear account. All I knew was that he was a bald guy, not tall, looked quite strong, and spoke with a western Shanxi accent.
Western Shanxi? Wasn’t the coal boss who was the investor in the crew from western Shanxi? Almost subconsciously, everyone thought of the two things together. However, without solid evidence, the police could only find Mr. Huang for routine questioning. Boss Huang certainly didn't admit that the explosion on the set had anything to do with him, and even gloated over it: "...That guy surnamed Tao is so rampant, so he must have offended many people. I think someone must have disliked him, so they deliberately made trouble to scare him, but something really happened. The actor who was injured was really unlucky. The person behind the scenes didn't dare to do anything to Tao Mu, so of course he had to target the small shrimps in the crew. In my opinion, this matter may not be over. If the actors who are still in that crew are smart, they should leave as soon as possible. Otherwise, they will have a life to earn money but no life to spend it."
Of course the police who were recording the statements could see that Boss Huang was gloating over other people's misfortune and deliberately stirring up trouble. But they can't stop others from talking. In the end, I could only leave with a confession that contained a lot of nonsense. As for the short bald man who spoke with a Shanxi accent that the blasting master had told about, he had disappeared without a trace long ago. The police in H Town did not have sufficient manpower to track down the bald man, so they could only slowly track down the suspect based on the description given by the explosives technician and by recording his physical features in detail. As for the determination of responsibility for this explosion accident, the blasting engineer naturally bears full responsibility.
At this point in the case, the truth has basically been revealed. But let alone Tao Mu, even if they came to visit the set, Long Tianao and Miss Luo, who were frightened for no reason, couldn't swallow this breath. The two men somehow obtained the physical description of the criminal and directly posted a reward online.
Such a big noise certainly couldn't deter the reporters guarding outside the set. The entertainment reporters who were always ready to report a big news had a collective climax. News or rumors related to the explosion instantly made headlines in major newspapers and weeklies. When the news got around, some tabloids even made up a rumor that "Tao Mu was injured in an explosion on the set as a result of a malicious revenge, and is now lying in the hospital with his life or death unknown" to deceive sales. It's really infuriating.
On the other hand, people around Boss Huang panicked when they learned that the two major shareholders, Xiaxing Entertainment and Longteng Entertainment, had actually posted a bounty on Feixun.com.
"Boss, they've made such a big fuss online, is there anyone who..."
"What are you afraid of?" Boss Huang said nonchalantly, "There's not even a photo. Based on these verbal conditions, who knows who they are looking for. Tell Qiangzi to be careful and hide for the next few days. If it doesn't work, take a boat to Southeast Asia to play for a few days. Come back after the storm has passed."
At this point, Boss Huang frowned fiercely and couldn't help cursing, "... Damn it, you can't even handle such a small matter. You almost killed someone."
He also didn't expect that the blaster would act so rashly. Boss Huang couldn't bear being kicked out of the crew by Tao Mu, a little brat who hadn't even quit. I have been following the movements of the crew of "The Great Wall of Flesh and Blood". Then he found out that Boss Wang had never invested in the crew, and Tao Mu had brought over a young man who was only a few years older than him. It is said that he is also engaged in finance. It seems his surname is Li or Li.
But no matter whether they are in finance or the Internet, in the eyes of industrialists like Boss Huang. That is synonymous with having no background. Because in China, people with real backgrounds are all engaged in industry or real estate. Because of this fixed mindset, Boss Huang didn't even investigate Li Xiaoheng's background - after all, a big boss with real wealth would not go to a small place like H Town in person during the Chinese New Year just to invest a mere five million yuan and pretend to be inspecting a project. It is estimated that this person, like Tao Mu, made some money in the financial market by chance. He dared to come over and take advantage of him.
As for Boss Wang who had threatened him on the phone, Boss Huang didn't even need to think about it - he was unwilling to invest even 5 million. It was estimated that Boss Wang was just saying nice things to Tao Mu for the sake of face.
Just because of this coincidence, Boss Huang directly calculated that Tao Mu had no background. Since he has no background or backing, he will naturally seek revenge. Out of consideration for Boss Wang's reputation, Boss Huang didn't dare to go too far. He simply bribed the crew's demolition engineer and asked him to create a few more accidents when setting up the explosion to scare the crew. He then took the opportunity to spread rumors, hoping to scare away all the actors in the crew. Look at how this little bastard takes pictures.
But Boss Huang had not expected that the blasting engineer he hired was so useless. Not only did he fail to do the job well, but he also almost caused a loss of life. If this happened in their kiln, he would have to throw such a fool who only cared about his head and not his butt into the kiln to dig coal.
"So what should we do now?" asked Boss Huang's trusted subordinate. That blaster caused such a big mess, will they continue?
"Isn't this nonsense? Everyone knows that I don't get along with the guy named Tao, and I've said it out loud. But there's been no follow-up action. Won't they be even more suspicious of me?" Boss Huang's theory is amazing. He thinks that if you do bad things, you have to do them openly. This way, others won't associate him with the previous wave of bad things. One can only think that he is taking advantage of the situation to retaliate against Tao Mu and the crew of "The Great Wall of Flesh and Blood".
Besides, Boss Huang thought he had done a good job of cleaning. Even if those people suspected something, they couldn't find any evidence.
Boss Huang has done this kind of thing many times and has never made any mistakes. He didn't care this time and was happily preparing to watch a good show in which a little bastard was so anxious that he banged his head against the wall because the crew members went on strike and refused to perform.
Damn it, you deserve it. Who made you, a little bastard, so blind as to challenge me for a little girl?
Tao Mu certainly didn't know how Boss Huang was so complacent. He had to keep an eye on the police investigation into the truth of the accident, hire people to take care of the stuntman who was accidentally injured in the explosion, and maintain the normal filming of the crew.
The very next day after the explosion, the stuntmen and extras hired by the crew went on strike, insisting that the explosion on the crew was a deliberate retaliation. They did not dare to go to work as usual, fearing that they would suffer the same fate as the injured stuntman.
"Boss Tao, we didn't cause trouble on purpose. Please understand us. The police have concluded that the explosion was caused by human error. Although the blasters have been asked to come to the police for questioning, none of us can guarantee that the person who wanted to retaliate against the crew only bribed one blaster. What if he bribed the prop master or other staff members? If the crew encounters accidents one after another, it will not be auspicious, right?"
"Yes! Mr. Tao, you should not be anxious. It won't be too late to start the work after everything is investigated clearly."
"Bullshit!" Zhou Hong, who was already worried about the explosion, became anxious when he heard this: "Are you waiting for the matter to be investigated? How do you want to know? With such a big mess, the loss of stopping work for one day is hundreds of thousands. Can you take this money?"
Everyone was silent for a moment.
"We're not going to do this anyway." After a long silence, someone said awkwardly, "We don't make much money, and we have to risk our lives. Director Zhou, you're right. The crew is so big that we can't afford to delay it. But our lives are more important."
"I'll double your salary." Tao Mu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Everyone's pay will be doubled. This accident was indeed man-made, and we will pay more attention to shooting safety in the future. If any accident really happens, the crew will be responsible for everyone's medical expenses and subsequent recuperation expenses. But I promise that this will never happen again in the future. I hope everyone can get through this with the crew."
Some people looked at each other in surprise. However, they had already received money from Boss Huang, so they dared not refuse to do their job - Boss Huang's methods were much more ruthless than those of the approachable Mr. Tao.
"Then what conditions do you want?" Tao Mu himself is an actor, so of course he is better at observing people's expressions. When he saw the leading extras making faces, he knew someone might be playing tricks behind the scenes. He tested calmly.
"Boss Tao, this is really not about money." The so-called greed blinded them. With Boss Huang behind the scenes, and Tao Mu usually being too approachable and easy to talk to in the crew, these people dared to take advantage of the situation. The lion opened his mouth and said, "If you can increase our pay tenfold, we will go all out. We will risk our lives to help you finish this scene."
As soon as these words were spoken, people immediately started to cheer.
"Yes, it will increase tenfold!"
"I won't do it unless you give me ten times the amount!"
"That's right. You guys risked your lives, so you must give them a tenfold pay raise."
"You are simply taking advantage of the situation!" Zhou Hong was shaking with anger, and the other creative staff of the crew were also very dissatisfied. One by one they gathered around and tried to reason with him.
"What's going on? You guys can get tens of thousands of dollars per episode. We extras only get 50 dollars a day, and stuntmen only get 200 dollars a day. Now something happened on the crew, and we bear all the risks. Don't we deserve a raise?"
"Yes, either raise the wages or go on strike."
"That's right. Aren't you afraid of losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a day if you don't start work? Now let's see if you want to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars a day, or give us a raise!"
"Think about it quickly! It won't be ten times as much later."
"Fifteen times... twenty times..."
Someone deliberately fanned the flames, and with the addition of a bunch of extras who had low IQs and only knew how to follow the crowd and join in the fun, a bunch of people started to raise the price, and in a short while the pay of the actors was higher than that of the main actors.
I really thought Tao Mu was a vegetarian.
"Why are you like this? Has Tao Mu been bad to you? Has the crew been bad to you? President Li came to visit the set to deliver takeaways, and even took share for you extras. You said the crew treated you well at first, but now you're turning your back on us?" Tao Mu's students from Beijing Film Academy hadn't been through much, and they almost cried when they saw this scene. They all stood up for Tao Mu.
But this group of extras were originally instructed to cause trouble. I don't care what others say at all.
"Brother Gou. Call Lawyer Zhou." Tao Mu ordered expressionlessly, "Ask Lawyer Zhou to come and sue."
He looked at the group of shouting extras in front of him and said calmly, "Extras don't count. Special actors and stuntmen all signed contracts when they joined the crew. Either fulfill the contract or pay the penalty. It's your choice."
Tao Mu is like this, he always responds to soft tactics but not hard ones. If they dare to take advantage of his misfortune, he will see if these people have the ability to raise the price.
"Tell the casting staff to keep track of the number of people. Write down the names of those who are clamoring to quit the crew. In the future, Feixun.com will no longer recruit these people as extras in movies and TV series."
Long Tianao, who was watching from the side, immediately said, "Give me a copy of the list. Xiaxing Entertainment will not use these people in future investment projects."
Miss Luo was a step behind and could only echo Long Tianao's words.
As soon as the three of them finished their words, the extras went wild.
“Is this bullying?”
"Is that unreasonable?"
"Damn it, I knew these guys didn't treat us as human beings. Let's all come together and beat them up—"
Before he finished speaking, the person who spoke suddenly screamed. Gou Rixin kicked him three meters away.
"Just shut the fuck up!" Gou Rixin hasn't been back to H Town for more than half a year, but he still has prestige in the hearts of some of the old extras in H Town.
Especially as Gou Rixin finished saying this, there was suddenly a commotion outside the set. It turned out that it was Daluo who led Gou Rixin's gang of martial arts brothers, as well as a hundred or so extras.
"Brother Gou, Brother Mu, we are not too late, are we?" Da Luo hurriedly ran in front of everyone and said with a chuckle, "I just received a call from Brother Gou and contacted everyone. We have recruited all the extras we can, including special actors and stunt actors, a total of 132 people. Some brothers are filming in other crews and can't spare the time today. If there are not enough, let them come tomorrow."
Anyway, extras are paid by the day. Generally speaking, everyone will work in the same crew until the end of the filming. But if you encounter special circumstances, there is no way you can run away temporarily. And the crew wouldn’t care. After all, the extras are just like props, and no one cares if they come and go.
"It's enough for now. Thank you all." Tao Mu walked to the front of the crowd and said without further ado: "Thank you all for coming to help. Without further ado, anyone who comes here today will be paid twice the market price. Please report your names later. In the future, Feixun.com, Xiaxing Entertainment, and Longteng Entertainment will continue to film. When looking for extras or special actors, you will be given priority."
Tao Mu said this and bowed deeply to the extras and martial artists that Daluo had brought with him.
After he stood up, he didn't even glance at the group of extras who had just caused trouble, and directly said to Gou Rixin: "Tell them to get out!"
Tao Mu, who has always had a serious idol burden, was so angry that he swore. Everyone was surprised, but also felt relieved.
It's okay for the Beijing Film Academy students to be full of youthful vigor, but even a veteran like Zhan Bin could see that these extras were instructed to deliberately cause trouble. The purpose is probably to prevent the crew from continuing filming. The crew of "The Great Wall of Flesh and Blood" has just started filming for a few days. Who could they have such a deep hatred with? Everyone knows it without having to think about it.
On the one hand, I despise the coal boss's behavior, but on the other hand, I am also worried about the crew. But I didn't expect Tao Mu to be so capable at such a young age. There was also Gou Rixin, who followed Tao Mu quietly and looked honest. They were able to quietly gather more than a hundred people, including extras, special actors and stunt performers... They are even more competent than the casting actors of their crew.
Tao Mu wanted to make an example of someone and directly asked Gou Rixin and the crew to kick out all the extras who had caused the most trouble. The remaining extras looked at each other in bewilderment. Some of them left out of shame, while others stayed behind, looking ashamed and worried about the future.
Tao Mu didn't say anything. Although he wanted to make an example of someone, he couldn't kick everyone out. So as to avoid arousing this group of people's hatred towards the enemy, which would cause more trouble. It would be better to disintegrate them from within. However, in order to teach these extras and stuntmen a lesson, Tao Mu asked the crew to give the new extras double the pay, but these people were not included in the good thing.
As for the extras who had not been provoked and were still obediently waiting to go on stage, they were delighted to find that their salaries had also increased.
After a few strong blows of sweet dates and big sticks, the crew, which was originally in turmoil and panic, finally calmed down. Some people are happy, some people regret it. It has nothing to do with Tao Mu anymore.
Tao Mu turned around and called Wang Ye's father. He remembered that Wang Ye's father once said that Mr. Huang's small coal mine might not have the necessary procedures. He wanted to ask about the reporting process. However, he learned from Uncle Wang that Li Xiaoheng had already asked him to be responsible for the reporting. It is said that Li Xiaoheng communicated with Jinxi personally as the eldest son of the Li family.
I guess this time, the weasel definitely won't run away.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
