Fairy Liu: This Matter Must Be Suspicious

Zhang Yang's performance could completely outshine Deng Chao.

Deng Chao merely managed to complete the moves designed by Gu Xuanzhao; the highlight was that the sequence looked difficult but wasn't aesthetically pleasing.

If the movie's pacing had been faster, the audience might not have noticed anything, but those in the know would immediately realize Deng Chao was just acting.

With the decline of wuxia films, a significant portion of the audience willing to pay for movie tickets are theory-minded viewers, which would diminish their viewing experience.

In contrast, Zhang Yang's sequence had no trace of performance; it looked as if he was meant to fight that way, with the wires serving only a protective function rather than as a tool to generate force.

Moreover, Zhang Yang not only executed the moves beautifully but also added upgrades. A move that should have been two aerial spins became three, and a sideways tap on the ground with a 360-degree spin to sprint forward was broken down into an 180-degree mid-air spin, an inverted strike towards the ground, followed by another 540-degree spin to a stable standing position before charging forward.

This kind of move is clearly beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person, and it was also very visually appealing, fitting the character of Leng Xue, a master of assassination, even better.

"I knew A'Yang was good, but I didn't expect him to be this good."

"Sigh, I really ended up looking like a clown this time."

Deng Chao suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

Seeing the undisguised smile on his face, everyone understood he wasn't angry but rather showing off.

Indeed, if they had such a useful body double who could add highlights to their roles, they would also be happy.

"Good," Chen Jiashang said, beaming, not feeling embarrassed at all. "This sequence is beautiful. We'll use this one."

The Four Great Constables is a wuxia action film, so the most important element is naturally the action choreography.

That's why Liu Yifei was the only choice for the female lead, and Deng Chao, who was willing to endure hardship and was popular, was cast as the male lead.

"Chao, come look at the playback and choose the poses you want," Chen Jiashang said into the megaphone. "A'Yang, come over too. Give him some pointers personally."

Zhang Yang could design better moves than Gu Xuanzhao and execute them perfectly, making him qualified to be the martial arts director. The crew had essentially gained two top martial arts directors at once.

No wonder Lin Feng next door was discussing action scenes with Zhang Yang. He thought Lin Feng was trying to slack off, but it turned out Zhang Yang was just that outstanding.

"Brother Deng, please," Zhang Yang said with a friendly smile to Gu Xuanzhao.

He wasn't foolish enough to think Gu Xuanzhao couldn't design better moves. It was obvious that as an old acquaintance of Deng Chao, he knew Deng Chao's limits in terms of performance, which was why he designed the moves that way.

But now that he, a master, had arrived, Gu Xuanzhao could let loose.

"You don't mind if I increase the difficulty?" Gu Xuanzhao approached Zhang Yang.

"As long as it's within the realm of what a normal person can do, please do," Zhang Yang revealed his edge at the right moment.

"Great!" Gu Xuanzhao nodded. He had already recognized Zhang Yang's skill, and now he admired his personality even more.

Not arrogant, but not overly humble either.

The group gathered behind Chen Jiashang to watch the playback on the monitor.

The same scene looks very different when viewed live versus on screen.

Sometimes, a good performance on set results in mediocre effects on screen, which greatly tests the skills of the director and cinematographer.

However, there were no surprises this time; Zhang Yang's sequence was perfectly captured by the camera.

Calling it perfect was no exaggeration, because Zhang Yang's moves were not only visually stunning and realistic but also strategically avoided close-ups of his face. When unavoidable, his hands "coincidentally" covered his face, so he never showed his face until the very last shot.

This saved Deng Chao a lot of effort in posing and post-editing.

And this was not something that could be achieved by simply knowing where to stand.

"You understand directing, cinematography, and editing?" Chen Jiashang looked at Zhang Yang, his eyes filled with admiration.

He didn't believe it was all a coincidence.

"A little. I took a few electives in school," Zhang Yang didn't deny it.

"This isn't just a little," Chen Jiashang felt that Gu Xuanzhao's assessment of Zhang Yang was accurate; he was a little monster.

But he didn't say much more. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Chao, you just need to do a forward charging punch."

After watching the playback, Deng Chao knew what he needed to do and nodded in understanding.

Under Gu Xuanzhao's guidance, he quickly completed the final shot.

This scene ended easily, and they moved on to the next one.

The entire afternoon, any action scenes involving Deng Chao were handled by Zhang Yang.

Gu Xuanzhao initially asked for Deng Chao's input, but after a few times, he began communicating and discussing directly with Zhang Yang, designing challenging yet beautiful moves together.

Deng Chao, the lively fellow, wanted to get involved, but Chen Jiashang pulled him back. "You just focus on your dramatic scenes. Don't overthink the action sequences."

But Deng Chao, having benefited greatly, complained, "But Director Chen, I feel guilty taking this salary. I don't feel like I'm participating."

Hearing this, before Deng Chao could say anything else, Zheng Zhongji suddenly spoke up, "Director Chen, perhaps my body double could also be switched to Yang Zi?"

Zheng Zhongji, nicknamed the "Hong Kong Circle Crown Prince," had extensive connections in the entertainment industry and played Zhui Ming in the film.

In The Four Great Constables, Deng Chao played Leng Xue, and now his action scenes were being performed by Zhang Yang.

Liu Yifei played Wuqing. Due to her character's design, her action scene requirements weren't high, and she performed them well.

Zou Zhaolong played Tie Shou. He was a disciple of Sammo Hung and a skilled martial artist himself, delivering exciting fight scenes.

Only he, Zheng Zhongji, was likely to be relegated to a background role.

"That won't do," Deng Chao said before Chen Jiashang could speak. "A'Yang has been working hard covering for my scenes, so don't trouble him anymore~"

Chen Jiashang was somewhat tempted, but felt it was excessive. He pondered, "I'll ask Zhang Yang's opinion in a few days."

Zheng Zhongji added, "It's not for free, of course. A job is a job, and there's compensation. If not, I can introduce him to movie role audition opportunities."

With him saying that, Deng Chao couldn't really object anymore, lest he hinder Zhang Yang's development.

Zhang Yang was unaware of their discussion, completely absorbed in the fight scene.

His attitude towards doing things was simple: either don't do it at all, or do it well.

And this attitude of his had earned him the approval of many people.

When the boxed meals were distributed that evening, the attitude of the crew staff and the actors, both big and small, towards him had become much warmer.

"What's going on?"

Liu Xiaoli and Liu Yifei, mother and daughter, who had just returned to the set, looked at each other in surprise.

After Liu Yifei's hospital visit, no major issues were found, but the doctor recommended an IV drip to prevent inflammation and a weakened immune system, and Liu Xiaoli agreed.

As it was nearing dinner time, Liu Yifei felt that Zhang Yang was alone and unfamiliar with the set, so she suggested they return earlier to look after him. Thus, they left after only about half of the last bottle of glucose drip had finished.

Now, it seemed they had worried for nothing?

"Is A'Yang good at networking?" Liu Xiaoli asked, somewhat surprised.

Despite Zhang Yang's talkative demeanor that morning, she still held a preconceived notion of him as a shy boy.

"Something must have happened," Liu Yifei felt there was something strange about this and called her assistant, Xiao Qin.

"Why does A'Yang seem so popular?"