OBS Chapter 36 No Waste on Set
Chapter 36 No Waste on Set
The steel pipe dragged across the concrete floor, making a screeching sound.
The man in the lead wore his helmet askew and carried a hollow iron pipe wrapped with black duct tape in his right hand.
The motorcycles formed a semicircle, all with their headlights on high beam, illuminating the wooden frame of the construction site in a stark white light.
"Director Chen, we haven't reached an agreement on the land, so it seems the building won't be built."
The man carried the iron pipe on his shoulder and took long strides.
Chen Yan sat in a folding chair behind the monitor, adjusting the focus knob with his right hand.
He didn't look up; his gaze remained fixed on the black-and-white image on the monitor.
"Old Zhang, move the light position two meters to the left."
Zhang Yuan stood on the two-story scaffolding and reached out to unlock the latches on the light fixture.
"Chen'er, people are getting too cocky."
"Dimming".
Chen Yan uttered two words.
Wu Gang emerged from the shadows, clutching a mud-covered walkie-talkie in his hand.
He wasn't carrying a weapon; he was only wearing his faded work clothes.
The dozen or so fishmongers and tricycle drivers in the back row were scattered in the shadows.
"Master Wu, Boss Lu said that he'll give you five hundred for each beam we remove today."
The man carrying the iron pipe spat.
"Brothers, let's do it!"
The roar of the motorcycle suddenly increased in volume.
The tires spun aimlessly in the black mud, kicking up large amounts of mud.
"Turn on the lights."
Chen Yan pressed the call button on the walkie-talkie.
Four sets of 3,000-watt high color temperature movie lights were turned on instantly.
White light cuts vertically into the field.
The originally dark construction site instantly turned into a blinding white zone.
The man at the front was pierced through the eyes by the white light, and he instinctively held the iron pipe in his hand to his brow bone.
The motorcycle lurched, and its front end crashed into an unreinforced wooden post.
"Uninstalled."
Wu Gang let out a low roar.
He turned to the side, avoiding the beam of light from the front, and grabbed the leader's wrist with his left hand.
He braced himself with his right hand on the ground, his body weight pressing down on the old injury in his groin.
He hooked his toes on the motorcycle kickstand and pulled it backward sharply.
The man and his vehicle fell to the ground in the mud.
The iron pipe struck the cement post with a dull thud and bounced into the nearby ditch.
Several dark figures emerged from the shadows.
The old men were holding cable ties and tape of varying lengths.
They don't hit people.
Two or three people in a group held the man who had fallen to the ground down firmly.
The tape was wrapped around the helmet and hands and feet several times.
They acted quickly, without uttering a single unnecessary word.
Just like bundling up cargo that has just been unloaded at the dock.
Before the remaining motorcyclists could even see what was happening, the long stick had already been stabbed into the front wheel hub.
The chain snapped, and sparks danced in the darkness.
Less than three minutes.
Six men lay on the ground, looking like silkworm cocoons.
The remaining people turned the car around, ignoring their companions, and fled towards the entrance of Laochang Street.
Chen Yan stood up from behind the monitor.
He walked over to Wu Gang and pointed at the man on the ground.
"The force has dissipated."
Wu Gang wiped the sweat from his face and breathed heavily.
"Director Chen, these kids have never seen anything like this before, they're terrified."
"I mean you guys."
Chen Yan looked down at the iron pipe that had fallen to the ground.
"The movements were too sluggish, like they were just dragging things out. What I wanted in the movie was suppression."
He squatted down, picked up the iron pipe, and weighed it in his hand.
"This isn't a fight, Mr. Wu."
"This is murder. Or rather, it's a replica of the murder Lu Haiming committed twenty years ago."
Wu Gang was stunned for a moment.
He looked at Chen Yan's face, which was almost too young.
In that instant, he felt that what was in the other person's eyes was even hotter than the white light behind him.
"Understood, I'll be more forceful next time."
Chen Yan handed the iron pipe to Zhang Yuan.
"Keep the props safe. Next time they come, use a still from the French Concession police station in the press release."
In the makeshift house on the south side of the construction site, a dim incandescent light was on.
Su Wan sat behind the writing desk.
Five bundles of blue-gray hundred-yuan bills were neatly stacked on the table.
These newly issued banknotes have a distinctive ink smell.
Wu Gang led a dozen or so masters in.
Everyone's cuffs were covered in mud, and some people had half of their fingernails torn off, with blood seeping out.
"Director Chen said that tonight is the audition, and he would like to thank everyone for their hard work."
Su Wan stood up.
She took out a stack of opened envelopes, each containing five hundred-yuan bills.
"This is the subsidy for tonight's night shoot, five hundred per person."
The craftsmen didn't move.
In Tianjin in 2000, 500 yuan was more than half a month's salary for many people.
They originally thought it was just helping their old friend Wu Gang fight a group brawl.
"Take it."
Wu Gang reached out and took the first envelope.
"When Lu Haiming kicked us out back then, he gave us severance pay."
He patted the envelope in his hand.
"What Director Chen gave me was wages."
The craftsmen walked over one by one.
The calloused hands took the envelope, and someone subconsciously wiped the mud off their clothes before putting it in their inner pocket.
Su Wan looked at the group of silent middle-aged people.
The deathly stillness in their eyes was slowly easing.
"The ointment is in the basin next to you; apply it yourself."
After giving her instructions, Su Wan sat down again and crossed out an expense heavily in the ledger.
The cash earned from those $15,000 is rapidly dwindling.
Chen Yan pushed open the door and walked in.
He walked behind Su Wan and glanced at the account book.
"Not enough?"
"The money from WildBunch is still in transit; we're currently using our existing funds."
Su Wan said in a low voice, "The material suppliers in Tianjin have started raising prices. The price of cement and timber is changing every day."
Chen Yan looked out the window at the dark, imposing frame of the clock tower.
"Lu Haiming is cutting off our supply lines."
He placed the business card that Yan Huaizhong had given him on the table.
"Go and contact Liang Qinian and ask him to include the security responsibility area of Laochang Street in the construction site."
Will he agree?
"Tell him that we arrested six wanted suspects for 'burglary' tonight."
Chen Yan pushed open the window, and the wind blew ice shards into the room.
"The evidence is complete, and we have already 'helped' him record his statement."
Old Factory Street Entrance
The taillights of the black Santana flickered in the thick fog.
Wang, the comprador, sat in the back row, holding a Nokia phone that was getting hot.
"Mr. Lu, things have gone wrong."
There was no sound on the other end of the phone.
Wang, the comprador, wiped the sweat from his brow and quickened his pace.
"His construction site was full of old-timers from the stunt business. These guys were reckless; they even brought movie lights to blind people."
"Six of our brothers have been detained."
Lu Haiming's voice came through the receiver, very softly, as if he were reading an official document.
"Six people won't be locked up for long. But if the clock tower is built, you'll have to live there permanently."
Wang, the comprador, trembled slightly.
"I understand, I understand. As for the Municipal Public Security Bureau..."
"Don't go to the Municipal Bureau, that's Liang Qinian's territory."
Lu Haiming paused for a moment.
"Go and investigate that female student."
"Su Wan?"
"She's Chen Yan's cash cow. Find out which bank that 1.5 million US dollars is in and through which channel."
Lu Haiming hung up the phone.
Wang, the comprador, put away his phone and yelled at the driver.
"Go to the Tianjin branch of China Merchants Bank."
The lights on the construction site were turned off again.
Chen Yan sat on the edge of the tower base.
Zhang Yuan walked over carrying two bottles of Yanjing beer and handed one to Chen Yan.
"Chen'er, are we really going to finish filming here?"
"If we don't finish filming here, Lu Haiming won't be able to sleep, and neither will I."
Chen Yanqi opened the bottle and took a sip.
"Old Zhang, how many negatives do you have left?"
"Less than five rolls. WildBunch needs at least the first heavy rain scene from the 'Thunder' sample footage."
Zhang Yuan looked towards the horizon.
"But the weather is dry and cold, where did the rain come from?"
Chen Yan looked at the clock tower.
"No need to wait for the weather. Liang Qinian promised to help me arrange a few water trucks."
He stood up and brushed the dust off his pants.
"Starting tomorrow, bury the medicine in the clock tower according to the blueprints I gave you."
Zhang Yuan spat out a mouthful of wine.
"Wow, it really exploded?"
"How can it be called 'Thunder' if it doesn't actually explode?"
Chen Yan stared at the black soil beneath his feet, as if he could see the collapse that happened twenty years ago.
"Once that sum of US dollars arrives, I'll turn this entire building into Lu Haiming's urn."
in the dark.
A figure in an old police uniform walked past the outside of the wall.
Liang Qinian was carrying a flashlight.
He paused for three seconds at the spot where his sister was buried.
The flashlight beam swept across the room.
It illuminated the first brick that Chen Yan had just laid.
Two small, blurry characters were carved on the brick: "Pay back the debt."
Liang Qinian turned off his flashlight and disappeared back into the shadows of the old alleyway.
"bell--"
Chen Yan's phone vibrated in his pocket.
It was an unfamiliar number.
connected.
"Director Chen, this is from the Academic Affairs Office of Beijing Film Academy. Vice Principal Yan has been suspended from his duties pending investigation."
The other person's voice was very low, tinged with panic.
"Lu Haiming reported that he misappropriated the academic funds for 'The Night Watchman'."
"The review team will arrive at 10 a.m. tomorrow to seal all your original film prints."
Chen Yan gripped her phone tightly.
"understood."
He hung up the phone.
He looked at Su Wan, who was struggling with a calculator in the makeshift house.
"Old Zhang, has the car arrived yet?"
"At the back door, what's wrong?"
Chen Yan picked up his camera bag.
"No need to wait until tomorrow. Let's film that rain scene tonight."
He strode quickly toward the center of the construction site.
"Su Wan, call Wu Gang and tell everyone to come back to the set."
"We must break through this sky before dawn."
The sound of water trucks was already roaring at the entrance of the old factory street.
A huge column of water shot straight into the sky.
Water vapor quickly condenses into fog in the cold winter night wind.
Chen Yan stood in the midst of a massive, artificial rainstorm.
Through the viewfinder.
He saw the mud-covered killer slowly emerge from the darkness.