Chapter 31: The World Is Just a Giant Prefabricated Shack

Zhou Le was cast to play a wealthy, pampered second-generation heir in "Wolf Warrior." The character runs a factory in Africa and, while arrogant and conceited, has a good heart.

While reading the script, Zhou Le couldn't help but think that if this role had gone to Zhang Han, it would likely have turned out greasy and insufferable. The idea of having someone like Zhang Han stuck in such an impressive cast made him cringe. Zhou Le didn't feel inferior to anyone; he just hadn't played a wealthy heir before. But when it came to being overbearing and arrogant? Who hadn't experienced that? Back when he worked at construction sites, he was constantly bickering with workers and the surveyors, and then getting yelled at by his superiors during meetings. Regardless of who was right or wrong, he would always start an argument first.

Of course, the role wasn't that simple. To make a character three-dimensional, one had to show various facets. Beyond arrogance, there was exaggeration and bravado. The clearest embodiment of this was what a man says when he's had too much to drink: "Sit down and listen to me," or "I’m not bragging, but..." It was just a matter of translating that drunken state into a sober one. Zhou Le felt he could handle that perfectly.

After the shift in location, Zhou Le toured the set with the crew, then used the script to visualize his performance and blocking.

"Director Wu, to be honest, I never thought I'd work in a factory after finishing school. But here I am, an actor, and I’ve ended up in a factory after all."

Wu Jing smiled. "Well, this is your final destination, and as the factory manager here, you’ve got it pretty good. Who knows what you’ll be doing next? Maybe in your next film, you’ll be shoveling dung or playing a street thug."

Zhou Le brightened up. "That sounds great! I’m good at playing thugs. I’m not bragging, but given my skills, who could be more suitable than me?"

Wu Jing instinctively clamped his legs together, recalling the unreasonable, low-blow fighting style Zhou Le had used during his audition. He went straight for the groin every time—no fair play, just pure dirty tactics. Thinking back, Wu Jing suspected Zhou Le hadn't even shown his full potential. If he’d had a cigarette butt in his hand, he probably would’ve flicked it straight into his eyes.

"Indeed, no one is more suitable. I’ll keep an eye out, and if any roles like that come up, I’ll let you know."

"Thanks, Brother Jing."

"Though, the pay for those street thug roles isn't exactly high."

"It’s fine. My greatest strength is that I don't waste anything; I always finish every single grain of rice."

The factory was a set built in the wilderness, so the surroundings were bleak. There were many scenes to shoot there, and they couldn't be finished in a day or two, so Wu Jing had arranged for some simple prefab cabins to be set up during pre-production. The conditions were a bit harsh, but it made filming convenient. Besides, everyone who came to the set was used to hardship. After all, starting with Wu Jing himself, the whole crew was known for risking their lives for their craft. Zhou Le still vividly remembered how Wu Jing had broken several ribs while filming "SPL: Sha Po Lang." When the director and lead actor pushed themselves that hard, anyone else who didn't work just as hard would feel completely out of place.

Lying in the prefab cabin, Zhou Le felt a sense of returning to the past. Suddenly, it occurred to him that the world might just be one giant prefab cabin. Life was just emerging from one cabin only to move into another.

After resting for two days and getting the set ready, with all the extras and main cast in position, filming for the new phase officially began. As usual, they shot the simple scenes first, saving the fighting, gunfights, and explosions for later. Otherwise, an injury during an action sequence would derail the dramatic scenes.

Zhou Le interpreted his character, Zhuo Yifan, as similar to the arrogant soldiers seen in "I Am a Soldier" or "Soldier's Sortie," rather than a stereotypical wealthy heir. Even though he had Wu Gang—who played the retired soldier Wu Jianguo—under his command, he couldn't just act like a fool while running a factory in a place like Africa. Therefore, the character's flaw could be his lack of combat experience.

"Le, I think your interpretation of the character is excellent. It really brings him to life. I’m so glad I chose you for this role."

"I agree, Brother Jing. But since you value me so much, how about a raise?"

As soon as money was mentioned, the warmth in Wu Jing’s eyes vanished. "Hey, you, Zhou Le, right? We’re shooting the combat scenes in a few days. The prop team is setting up the new scene, so let’s go rehearse your part. I want to see if your moves are up to par."

Zhou Le was stunned. "Brother Jing, why are you being so cold-blooded?"

"What are you talking about? I don't follow. Let's go, let's go rehearse."

Zhou Le sighed helplessly. "Which part?"

"Which part do you think? The scenes where you’re rolling on the ground."

Zhou Le thought, *I bet when your ribs were broken back then, the doctor accidentally stitched a piece of the rod inside you.*

And so, Zhou Le rolled on the ground dozens of times that day, covered in dirt and mud.

"Not bad, not bad. There’s obvious improvement. See? Practice pays off, right?"

Zhou Le nodded. It did pay off, he had to admit. But the next moment, he opened his arms and went to give Director Wu Jing a big, dirty hug.

"Director Wu, I owe it all to you for helping me discover my shortcomings."

Wu Jing, who was spotless, recoiled. "Don't you come over here!"

"I can't help it! Only a hug can express my endless gratitude toward you."

Wu Jing turned and ran, but how could he outrun the young, fit, and healthy Zhou Le? He was caught in no time and ended up covered in dirt as well.

Just then, Celina Jade walked over with the script to ask Wu Jing a question. Seeing the two of them, she immediately covered her eyes with the script. "I'm sorry, I think I’ve come at a bad time. I’ll come back later." She turned and hurried away.

Jokes aside, the following days of filming were intense. While there were many retakes, it was truly because of Wu Jing’s high standards; he was just as ruthless with himself as he was with others. Zhou Le’s performance was consistently up to standard now. Everyone understood why; after all, he had spent his career as an extra, and suddenly jumping into such an intense production—without formal training—meant his progress was already quite remarkable. Even Celina Jade, upon learning that Zhou Le’s previous "four-billion-yuan" claim was just the cumulative total of his work as an extra and bit-part player, found it hard to believe.

"Teacher Jade, some actors are Method, some are Classical, but I think I’m more of a Method actor."

At this, Wu Jing chimed in from the side, "Method my foot. You’re an Abstract actor."