Corner
On the third day after Jin Yu's funeral, Xiangyang was staying in the hotel room in Taipei.
The windows are bright and clean, and sunlight shines through the gauze curtains.
Xiangyang was wearing a casual suit, ready to go out.
In the corner of the room, the suitcase was securely closed and the handle was tucked away, as if it was ready to depart at any time.
He stood by the window, overlooking the bustling streets of Taipei, with his cell phone pressed to his ear. On the other end of the line was his most capable partner in Beijing's "Nao Hai", Peng Qunshan.
"I'm not an accounting major, but I can tell at a glance that the weekly report and the monthly report don't match..." Xiangyang frowned slightly, his tone serious.
Peng Qunshan's voice on the other end of the line was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "Brother, don't you feel guilty? I've been working on this for three whole nights, staying up all night like a hawk. I really tried my best!"
"Stop," Xiang Yang rubbed his temples. "Forget it. Let Sister Liang report the report analysis to me herself. Don't take on the responsibility... Take care of the confirmation of the advanced push function for me first... Yes, run the program several times for each company and get a quote from each one. I'll go back and... Wait for me for a moment."
There was a notification tone from the phone, and Xiangyang took a look at the caller ID. It was Jin Cang.
He gestured to Peng Qunshan to wait and switched the call.
The background noise on the other end of the phone was very noisy, with voices, car sounds, and the sound of equipment colliding mixed together.
Jin Cang's voice cut through the noise, panting slightly as he said, "Brother Xiang, it's me."
"A Cang? Is there something wrong?" Xiangyang's voice softened unconsciously.
"It's okay, I just want to say goodbye."
Jin Cang's voice sounded muffled and a bit nasal.
Xiang Yang's heart skipped a beat, and he was a little surprised: "How did you know I was on today's flight?"
He remembered that he had not mentioned an exact return date.
"Boss Tianming came to visit Teacher Ni Chaofan's class. He saw me and chatted with me for a few minutes. He told me this."
Jin Cang was explaining, and the background was noisy, with the director's voice faintly mixed in.
At this time, the man on the other end of the phone had a newly completed special makeup on his face, with bruises all over his face, and there was coagulated "plasma" at the corners of his mouth, looking quite embarrassed.
On this day, Ah Cang was working on a movie set as an extra.
At this moment, he was huddled in a mottled corner of an old building, trying to avoid the noise on the set.
"You said you were working on the set today, was it Teacher Ni's scene?"
"Well, he's coming in for a few cameo scenes, big scenes, and explosions."
Jin Cang's voice was filled with the excitement of a young man who had never seen the world, completely overshadowing the tragic makeup on his face that showed he had died a tragic death. "Several people were killed in the explosion, and I was one of them."
Xiang Yang could almost imagine the twinkle in his bright eyes when he said this, and couldn't help laughing: "Ha, you...are playing a corpse?"
Jin Cang was a little embarrassed, and his voice was lowered, a little shy: "I didn't die originally, I rushed over, and there was a bomb in the car... My nose and face were swollen and swollen, and my face was covered in blood, but Boss Tianming still recognized me, hahahaha."
The laughter was so hearty that it seemed to be able to shake off the heavy dust on the body.
"Wait for me," Xiang Yang blurted out, "I haven't seen Teacher Ni for a while. It would be rude not to visit him when I came to Taipei... Send me the location and I'll be there right away."
Jin Cang was stunned for a moment, then happily replied "OK" and hung up the phone.
Xiangyang switched back to the call with Peng Qunshan. His tone had regained some of the calmness of a business elite, but the cheerfulness from the previous call hadn't faded. "Hello, are you still there? Um... I'll be back in a couple of days. Cheer up and don't let me down."
Peng Qunshan on the other end of the line clearly sensed something unusual. "Huh? Something strange is going on? Why are you saying things so loudly? What happened to you? Good or bad?"
"What are you guessing about? What could it be?"
Xiangyang still had a smile on his face. "I forgot to buy you some pineapple cakes."
Peng Qunshan raised his eyebrows mischievously, his voice full of sarcasm. "What are you guessing? He even has a Hong Kong or Taiwan accent... It better be okay. What's your pineapple cake's last name?"
"Last name..." Xiang Yang was momentarily unresponsive and uttered a half-answer. After a pause, he realized Peng Qunshan's teasing. His face flushed, and he feigned annoyance as he growled, "Peng Qunshan, are you looking for a fight? Get lost!"
After hanging up the phone, he glanced at the suitcase standing quietly against the wall and found that he couldn't leave again. Something in a corner of his heart seemed to loosen slightly, and he didn't even notice it. The smile on the corner of his mouth deepened quietly.
The afternoon sun was rather scorching, and heat waves were rising from an abandoned old factory area in Sanchong.
Here, a box office hit and a Taiwanese-style "gang movie" is in full swing with the sequel, and today's scene is a fierce gang shootout.
The air was filled with smoke and dust, and dark red "blood stains" and oil stains were seen everywhere on the ground. Not far away, a car was burned to a charred skeleton, emitting terrifying wisps of green smoke.
During the breaks in filming, extras, assistant directors, and technicians jogged back and forth, each busy with their own work. The scene was noisy but also orderly.
Next to the MONITOR that the director was monitoring, Director Song Ye, who had an unruly ponytail and wore an exaggerated floral shirt, was spitting at Jin Cang.
His eyebrows were twisted into a "big" shape, his eyes were fierce and vicious, and with the outfit he was wearing, he looked more like a "gang boss" than the actor he played in the play.
Jin Cang stood in front of him, having changed out of his blood-stained costume and removed the dark makeup on his face, revealing a clean and refreshed face.
He stood with his hands hanging down, his expression focused, and faced with Song Ye's roar, he appeared neither humble nor arrogant.
Assistant Director Huang was a woman in her early thirties, and there were several crew members standing by. None of them could get a word in and could only watch.
Jin Cang's classmate Mai Dong was also not far away. His clothes and makeup were still the same tragic look as in the previous explosion scene. It was obvious that he had just been "killed" together with Jin Cang.
Jin Cang was kept by the director to film the next special scene. Mai Dong's role had already ended, but he was still lingering and didn't leave, looking at this side with complicated eyes.
Song Ye's voice rose eight octaves, but he still couldn't figure out whether he was teaching or scolding people?
"I'll say it again, 'Xiao Te,' do you understand? You're one level below a contract actor, just a little above a 'temporary actor.' In the script, you're called 'Gangster C,' you don't even have a name. You're a minor character among minor characters, and yet you ask me what my character's 'personality' is?"
Director Song Ye's finger almost poked Jin Cang's nose.
Jin Cang's tone remained calm, not letting go of the stubbornness that was typical of youth. "Don't be angry, Director Song. I just wanted to ask... which of the big brothers am I related to? And how long have I been in the Flying Shark Gang? This way, my eyes will look more dramatic."
Song Ye was almost irritated by his "seriousness" and finally waved his hand, unable to bear it any longer: "Why are you so long-winded? Are you trying to cause trouble for me? You only have one shot, so where does all the inner drama come from?"
At this moment, a gentle voice interrupted: "What are you arguing about? Director Song is so powerful on the set?"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Ni Chaofan, a senior actor dressed in casual clothes and with an elegant temperament, walking side by side with Xiangyang.
The two men chatted as they walked, looking relaxed, and it was obvious that they had a deep friendship.
When Song Ye saw Ni Chaofan, a smile immediately spread across his face, and his tone lowered by three points: "Teacher Ni, why don't you rest in the car? No, it's just a small special. You asked me what his personality is, and you said this..."
Ni Chaofan waved his hand, interrupting Song Ye's complaints, and turned to Jin Cang with a friendly attitude: "Do you have any lines?"
Jin Cang immediately stood up straight, like a soldier waiting for inspection, his eyes bright, "Yes, Mr. Ni, 'Hu Yi Si' ('Give him death', Taiwanese), just one sentence."
Ni Chaofan nodded, pondered for a moment, and pointed to an actor nearby who was putting on makeup. "I understand. Okay, listen to me. You're following him, 'Wu Long.' You came to Monga from the south to make a living. It's your first year in the gang, full of vigor and loyalty. How's it going? Now you have a better idea of what's going on, right?"
Jin Cang's eyes suddenly lit up and he nodded vigorously: "Yes, I understand! Thank you, Teacher Ni!"
Song Ye hurriedly smiled and said, "The best actor is the best actor. I'll listen to you..."
Ni Chaofan glanced at him with a half-smile and interrupted him, "If you're listening, stop the flattery. You can explain something in a minute, but you insist on showing off your authority? Do you have a lot of free time? Go do what you need to do. I have a visitor."
"Yes, yes, no problem, you take a rest, you take a rest." Song Ye immediately turned around and made a gesture to Assistant Director Huang.
Assistant Director Huang immediately picked up his megaphone, cleared his throat, and shouted in a resounding voice, "Come on, extras, assemble! Those with makeup on, those with injuries, stand in the front row! Hurry!"
Upon hearing the news, more than a dozen extras and special actors needed for the next scene quickly gathered together and followed the dispatch and instructions of Assistant Director Huang.
Jin Cang turned his head, gave Xiangyang a bright smile, made a big "OK" gesture, then turned around and ran towards the assembled team like a gust of wind.
His steps were brisk, and his broad shoulders outlined powerful lines in the sunlight. Even his back revealed the vigor of a young man.
Xiangyang looked at his back as he ran away, and the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously.
"Are you so engrossed in watching?" Ni Chaofan's voice sounded beside me, with a bit of teasing, "Didn't you say you came here specially to visit my class? Hello, Xiangyang, I'm here..." I deliberately whispered, deliberately teasing him.
Xiang Yang came back to his senses and smiled: "Of course I came to see you."
He lowered his voice slightly, and asked with a hint of curiosity: "You also shoot such down-to-earth dramas?"
Ni Chaofan also lowered his voice, his tone helpless: "When you are in the underworld, there are always some debts of favor that cannot be evaded and need to be settled. I will just make a cameo appearance and show my face."
He suddenly remembered something, his eyes lit up, "Come, let me show you something interesting."
As he spoke, Ni Chaofan took out his mobile phone, skillfully opened the group page of a communication software, took out two photos from it and handed them to Xiangyang.
The first photo was taken next to a prop car riddled with bullet holes. A group of actors playing gang leaders were lying on the ground in all directions. The scene was quite spectacular, but because it was a long shot, everyone's face was not clear.
The second photo is Jin Cang’s personal portrait.
His face was covered in blood, and there was a hideous "wound" on his forehead, but he grinned and made a big "Ya" gesture to the camera, his eyes full of the pride and innocence of a young man.
"This morning's group scene," Ni Chaofan pointed at the first photo. "This kid was just an extra. There were a bunch of them lying on the ground, and it was impossible to tell who was who, right? After the shoot, I saw him hiding off to the side, rubbing his neck. Guess what?"
Xiang Yang's eyes fell on Jin Cang's silly smile and asked, "What's wrong?"
"He fell right on the edge of the wheel," Ni Chaofan gestured. "The fat guy next to him, who was playing a corpse, squeezed him, and his neck got stuck on the tire wall... at a 90-degree angle, twisted rigidly. The director had very high expectations for this scene, so the actors had to do several NGs. To maintain the continuity of the scene, no one dared to move the corpse on the ground. He held on like that, neck at a 90-degree angle, for a full half-hour."
Xiangyang was a little shocked when he heard this. He imagined how it would feel, and thought his cervical vertebrae might not even be his own. "After half an hour, my neck doesn't even belong to me anymore. No wonder he rubs it. This silly boy is really amazing."
Ni Chaofan's expression was both amused and appreciative. "I asked him, 'If you move a little, who can see you with the camera so far away? Doesn't your neck hurt?'"
"He will definitely answer you that the dead don't feel pain." Xiangyang was almost certain.
Upon hearing this, Ni Chaofan's eyes widened in surprise. "Hey, how did you know? I said, 'You're breathing, what's the point of dying?' And guess what he said? He said, 'Teacher Ni, I've tried my best to hold my breath.'" Ni Chaofan couldn't help but laugh and shook his head. "What a freak! This kid is truly astonishing."
Xiangyang sighed softly, but an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart, a little sour, a little soft, and a kind of inexplicable appreciation: "Without madness, there is no life." This sentence, when used on Jin Cang, is so appropriate.
"Acting skills can be learned slowly, and those who understand drama can always teach them with sincere instruction. But this kind of foolhardy determination to commit to a role, and that pure passion, is so rare," Ni Chaofan said with admiration. "It just so happened that a special guest this afternoon couldn't make it due to a fever, so I mentioned it to the director and asked him to give it a try. I heard that after he got that line, he chased the director to ask how old the character was and how long he had been in the gang, fearing he wouldn't be able to play it well. Ha, so adorable, so adorable."
Just like that, just before he was supposed to go home, Xiangyang once again "had to" stay.
He tried his best to suppress himself from delving into the matter. How much insincerity and willingness were contained in this repetitive "I have to"?
But at this moment, listening to Ni Chaofan praising Jin Cang in such an appreciative tone, Xiangyang felt a warm current quietly surging in his chest.
He felt happy for Jin Cang (and also for Jin Yu), and he felt an inexplicable yet real happiness that he could witness another bright spot in this boy's character that was so vivid and so compelling that people couldn't help but look at it a few more times.
Xiangyang was actually very glad that he "had to" stay, although he would never admit this happiness to anyone.
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