The Showdown

"Want to see what I can do?"

Yang Chu looked at the young man called Hong Ye. He could naturally hear the challenge in the other man's tone.

Although this was their first time meeting, Yang Chu had already heard Hong Ye's name when Fish Head Xu called Jia Le earlier. On the way here today, Jia Le had told him more about him.

Still, he hadn't expected Hong Ye to make such a show of things at their first meeting.

But Yang Chu soon understood. He had heard Fish Head Xu mention a few things about the film industry. Everyone was constantly fighting for opportunities to get ahead.

While Yang Chu had been away, Hong Ye had taken his place as stunt double for the male lead, Wu Zai. Now that Yang Chu was back, Hong Ye was obviously unwilling to give the position up.

Besides, judging from the sword dance just now, Hong Ye really did have talent. He had impressed plenty of people there and earned director San Bao's approval.

He was young and proud. It was only natural for him to act this way.

Yang Chu glanced at director San Bao, who was standing nearby. The man didn't say anything; instead, he looked rather entertained.

"Then what is it you want to see?" A smile suddenly spread across Yang Chu's face.

"I heard that since you joined us, you've been doing even more impressive moves than Brother Jia Le."

Hong Ye lifted his chin slightly. Standing among the crowd, he seemed to radiate confidence. He pointed toward the upper floors of the abandoned factory. "Earlier, I told Big Brother San Bao we could choreograph a scene where the male lead climbs from the first floor to the fourth while sneaking in. How about it? Think you can show us?"

"Climb from the first floor to the fourth?"

Yang Chu glanced up at the spot Hong Ye was pointing to, then looked back at him with a smile. "See who gets up there first?"

"Exactly!"

Hong Ye pulled the long sword from behind his back and planted it in the ground. Then he strode over to the first-floor wall of the factory, where various scaffolds and pipes were fixed in place.

"Whoa, this'll be fun!"

The many stuntmen and crew members all started hollering excitedly.

"Anyone taking bets? Let's see who reaches the fourth floor first, Ah Chu or Hong Ye!"

One of the more gambling-inclined stuntmen shouted loudly from the crowd.

"Big Brother, looks like you're the only one who can run this betting pool!" Jia Le called out to director San Bao, who stood amid the crowd as everyone shouted.

"Sure."

Director San Bao deliberately rolled up his sleeves and walked over to a small folding table. He slapped it and said, "I'm running the pool. Bets start at ten dollars, max out at a thousand. Place your bets and see who gets to the fourth floor first, Ah Chu or Hong Ye."

"I'm betting on Hong Ye!"

"Obviously Ah Chu!"

The stuntmen, who seemed to know nothing but gambling whenever they weren't working, grew even more excited. Some bet ten dollars, others a hundred. The prop, makeup, and set-dressing crews farther away saw the commotion and came over too.

"Don't crowd. Jia Le and A-Fa from accounting, you two keep track of the bets."

Standing in the middle of the crowd, San Bao looked around at the noisy crew and laughed, in high spirits. "I haven't seen things this lively in fifteen or twenty years."

He could tell Hong Ye was competing with Yang Chu. Young men with real skills did this sort of thing all the time. It was perfectly normal.

Back when they were making movies, it had been the same. One person pulled off a difficult stunt, and the next would try to outdo him. They'd attempt all kinds of life-threatening moves.

That was the competitive spirit among stuntmen. It was what made the kung fu movies they filmed so exciting.

As for everyone urging him to run the betting pool, he didn't mind.

There were few people here who didn't know that director San Bao loved gambling. He'd taken his Big Brother phone onto set and directed people to bet on horses more than once. They didn't have much work that afternoon; they were just scouting and setting up the location. On top of that, filming had gone smoothly so far, and even the meddling investors had stopped calling. His mood had been excellent lately.

"Have you two picked your spots?"

As the crowd pressed in to place their bets, director San Bao called out to Yang Chu and Hong Ye, who had walked up to the factory.

To director San Bao and many of the stuntmen, jumping down from the fourth floor was dangerous. But climbing up was nothing much with all the water pipes, scaffolding, and metal bars to grab onto. Even if someone fell, as long as it wasn't fatal, a few injuries were no big deal.

"I'm ready!"

Hong Ye called back from the spot he'd chosen on the factory's outer wall. He glanced toward Yang Chu, who stood not far away, his eyes seeming to burn.

He'd trained in martial arts since childhood, and his skill was only a little short of his master's. He hadn't joined the film industry just to be a stuntman. He wanted to make movies, become famous, and earn a fortune.

His many displays of skill on set were all meant to win the approval of director San Bao and the rest of the crew, so he could get more opportunities in the future.

He had taken Yang Chu's place on the crew. Now that Yang Chu was back, if Hong Ye wanted to hold onto the position, he'd have to prove himself and outdo the other man.

"Ah Chu, what about you?"

San Bao called loudly to Yang Chu on the other side.

"I'm ready."

Yang Chu stood in front of the factory and answered too.

He didn't feel particularly bothered by Hong Ye's challenge. But the chance to control his body and perform all kinds of difficult stunts appealed to him. It let him explore his body's potential and discover what he still needed to improve.

Still, Yang Chu wasn't about to let things end there. He called to San Bao, "Big Brother San Bao, I'm betting a thousand."

"I'm betting a thousand too," Hong Ye called from the other side.

"Good. A thousand from each of you. Get ready—"

Director San Bao moved to a spot not far behind the two men and called out, "On your marks."

The stuntmen who had placed bets and the staff from the various departments all rushed forward, full of anticipation.

Quan, who was in charge of the camera, switched it on and found an angle to start filming.

"Action!"

San Bao struck a director's pose and swept his hand forward.

Hong Ye moved first. He sprinted forward a few steps, planted one foot against the outer wall of the abandoned factory, and leapt up. Grabbing the edge of the second-floor platform with both hands, he pulled himself up in one smooth motion. Then he kicked off a water pipe with both feet and used the momentum to climb toward the third floor.

His movements flowed seamlessly, his hands and eyes working in perfect coordination. The display of his martial arts foundation left many of the stuntmen amazed.

But on the other side, Yang Chu's performance made everyone's eyes nearly pop out of their heads.

Starting from the ground, Yang Chu barely used anything to push off from. He sprang up and caught the edge of the second-floor wall. With a pull of his arms, he hauled himself up—and without even pausing, he stepped on the ledge and grabbed the edge of the third floor. From there, he grabbed the next ledge and sprang up again, reaching the fourth floor and sitting in the window.

His movements were stripped down to the bare minimum, without a hint of showiness. He had started half a beat after Hong Ye, yet by the time Yang Chu reached the fourth floor, Hong Ye had only just grabbed the ledge of the third.

Yang Chu's leap, arm strength, and nimble movements were truly astonishing.

It was fair to say no stuntman in the business could pull off a climb like that.

When Hong Ye reached the fourth floor and saw Yang Chu already waiting there, shock and frustration surged through him.

He had always considered his skills far beyond those of an ordinary stuntman. Yet Yang Chu had climbed faster than he had. He couldn't help feeling surprised and frustrated.

But before those feelings could take hold, a fresh burst of gasps rose from below.

Yang Chu suddenly stood up and jumped from the fourth-floor window where he'd been sitting.

He landed lightly on a metal bracket attached to the third-floor wall. Then he ran across a metal pipe more than ten meters long and barely a handspan wide, leapt over a gap, and landed on the second-floor platform. Finally, he did a backflip down to the ground.

Whoosh—

The stuntmen and crew below burst into applause and cheers as Yang Chu landed.

For most stuntmen, climbing to the fourth floor was something you could manage with enough physical strength.

But jumping back down from the fourth floor was something else entirely.

It wasn't just about physical ability. You needed courage too.

The jump from the fourth floor to the metal bracket on the third didn't look like much of a drop, but the bracket was tiny. Landing and steadying yourself took real nerve.

Then there was the narrow-pipe tightrope walk. You needed balance at that height, and there was a two-meter gap to jump across to the second floor. It took both courage and skill.

They all worked in the same business. They knew how difficult a stunt like that was. It would be a showstopper even in a movie.

More importantly, Yang Chu had done it all in one smooth sequence, without rehearsing, and right in front of them.

"Ah Chu, you—you really..."

San Bao stared at Yang Chu, who had landed with a backflip and didn't even look out of breath. For a moment, he couldn't find the words.

"That takes even more guts than Big Brother and De."

"Talk about having the heart of a leopard!"

The many stuntmen gazed at Yang Chu with admiration.

The Big Brother they were talking about was another of director San Bao's junior brothers, a genuine international superstar. But they didn't think even he could have pulled off those moves so effortlessly. He'd have needed plenty of rehearsals, and others would have had to test things out with him first.

As for De, he was another of director San Bao and Big Brother's junior brothers. He had once fallen backward straight onto ice from the third floor. He was another one who was shockingly bold.

Even among stuntmen, they were in a league of their own.

And Yang Chu had done all this without even being on a film set. His courage was truly astonishing.

"It wasn't that hard."

Yang Chu brushed the dust from his palms and replied with a calm smile.

"I could pay you ten thousand for a stunt like that today. No, twenty thousand."

San Bao collected himself and excitedly patted Yang Chu on the shoulder, his admiration growing.

Yang Chu's sudden move had naturally startled him, but he came from the stunt world and was a practical man. If you had the skill and ability, there wasn't much else to say.

"Hey, Hong Ye, don't jump!" Jia Le shouted up at him, tilting his head toward the fourth floor.

The stuntmen and crew standing below seemed to remember only then that Hong Ye was still up on the fourth floor.

"Don't jump. Come on down," the others called as well.

The fourth floor was twelve or thirteen meters up. Climbing up was one thing, but getting down was a different challenge entirely.

Yang Chu had already shown them how easily he could descend. They didn't try to egg Hong Ye on; instead, they urged him to be careful.

They were afraid Hong Ye would get carried away and jump down just like Yang Chu. Without mattresses or cardboard on the ground, a single mistake could easily end in disaster.

Standing in the fourth-floor window with one hand gripping the wall, Hong Ye's face changed when he saw Yang Chu land. He had no confidence in his ability to jump down as lightly as Yang Chu.

Even if he didn't fall to his death, getting injured wouldn't be worth it.

After hearing everyone shouting below, Hong Ye hesitated for a while. In the end, he climbed back through the fourth-floor window, took the stairs inside the factory, and ran back out.

As soon as he came out, his face was livid. Ignoring everyone else, he went straight over to Yang Chu and director San Bao and said stiffly, "Big Brother San Bao, I want to spar with Yang Chu."