Global Film Emperor

Chapter 559 Filming Begins!
"Makeup artist, touch up my makeup!"

After joining the film crew, Mickey returned to work mode, his mood fluctuating between excitement and irritability. After filming a simple 45-second scene six times, he yanked off his hat and threw it on another empty chair next to him. He stared coldly at the four actors playing minor roles until they awkwardly turned their heads away, at which point he shouted loudly to the makeup artists who had been waiting on the outer edge of the set.

Holding the script, Mickey approached the actors. The four around him still dared not look him in the eye, and could only close their eyes and pretend nothing was happening. Mickey suppressed his anger, and after taking a deep breath, he calmed down and continued to explain the scene to the four of them, hoping that the next scene would meet his requirements. He only took a moment to ask the makeup artist a question.

When will Lu Ze be available?

"They're already changing clothes."

"I'm already fine."

As soon as the makeup artist finished speaking, a voice came from the side. Mickey turned around and saw Lu Ze standing behind him. Mickey looked him up and down before managing to give a forced smile.

"She's really quite young."

"Go ahead and tell me about your play."

Lu Ze wasn't interested in responding to the jokes. He sat down in his assigned seat next to Zhuang Yu, waved his hand to refuse the cigarette Zhuang Yu offered, opened his thermos, took a sip of tea, and leaned over to look at the scene that had just been filmed. Zhuang Yu glanced at Lu Ze and couldn't help but crack a joke as well.

"Mickey is right, you do look quite young."

Lu Ze was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt over a white T-shirt, and beige cargo pants. The whole outfit was too big for Lu Ze's current physique, and looked loose and sloppy. He was also wearing a pair of distressed and yellowed Converse sneakers.

His beard was cleanly shaved, and his foundation was thickly applied to cover his bluish chin and the crow's feet that are most easily seen on camera. His hair on top was slightly long, slightly covering his eyes. It wasn't a wig, but rather black hair that he had been growing since the preparation began. This student outfit concealed Lu Ze's original spirit, but it also made him look "younger," appearing more than ten years younger. In a place where teenagers and twenty- or thirty-year-olds look almost the same, playing a high school student really doesn't seem out of place.

"Envy?"

"I'm envious, of course I'm envious, but it's a pity I can't go back."

Patting his belly, Zhuang Yu shook his head with a smile. He was never the handsome type. When he was young, he could be described as delicate, but now he was a middle-aged man with a big belly.

No more joking around. The two watched the props move quietly. Mickey finished explaining the play, and Kesha, standing behind the camera, gave a thumbs up. Everything was ready, just waiting for the real protagonist to appear.

"Ready to take position!"

Mickey sat back down and shouted a message. Lu Ze stood up, bumped fists with the two people next to him, strode to the camera, tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and felt the rare sunshine through his eyelids.

In the wooded path inside the company, listening to the rustling of leaves, he quickly went over his lines in his mind, and exhaled a long breath. His consciousness seemed to be isolated along with that breath of air, and a strange soul gradually took over his body.

His physique began to change; he became somewhat hunched over, his hands unconsciously slipped into his hoodie pockets, and his slightly long hair hung down. His entire demeanor shifted from calm and composed to dull, rigid, and insecure.

"No matter how many times I watch it, this 'disappearing person' act still makes me feel like he's a monster."

Mickey chewed his gum, took off the listening earpiece covering his right ear, and smiled as he spoke to Zhuang Yu beside him.

"Who says it's not?"

……

Compared to Mickey and the other two, the four actors who faced Lu Ze directly were able to more intuitively feel the dramatic changes that occurred after Lu Ze got into character. Lu Ze was no longer an unknown actor in Europe; in the acting industry, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe him as a household name.

In interviews with actors who had previously worked with Lu Ze, the word "pressure" was frequently mentioned. They hadn't realized the true significance of this word until they actually faced the man standing before them. Suddenly, they found their palms sweating and their hearts racing, like when they first stood in front of a camera. This wasn't the mystical aura of a martial arts master from a wuxia novel; it was simply the profound lack of confidence they felt when facing a top-tier actor while still under the pressure of Mickey's previous work, coupled with an overestimation of Lu Ze's acting abilities.

Unfortunately, Mickey didn't give them enough time to adjust.

"The Unheard Voice, Act I, Scene II, Begin!"

With the board set off, Lu Ze was already in the zone. When his eyes swept over the four people opposite him, a hint of fear flashed across his face. He quickened his pace, trying to get around them as quickly as possible.

"Joey! Come here."

The four sat on a bench, laughing and talking loudly. Their posture was relaxed, even somewhat unruly. When the boy on the far left saw Joey, who seemed eager to run away, he shouted loudly. Unfortunately, Joey didn't listen and instead quickened his pace, trying to get away from the four. This instantly enraged the teenager, who was still in his adolescence and had nowhere to vent his frustrations.

"You son of a bitch! Stop right there!"

The leader charged forward, catching up with Joey in a few steps. He grabbed Joey by the back of his collar and yanked him hard. The slender boy was no match for the immense force that Joey could not resist. Joey staggered and fell to the side, his head less than half a meter from Kesha's camera. Kesha captured the entire process of Joey falling and getting up from an overhead angle.

Didn't you hear me tell you to stop?

The boy in the lead stepped forward and continued shoving, pushing Joey in the chest and sending him sprawling on his butt. Joey stood up without a sound, but his feet didn't move. He stood still, but his eyes involuntarily scanned his left and right sides, and his hands quietly went into his shirt pockets.

"Is there something in your pocket?"

The boys exchanged glances, and the leader spoke again, reaching out to pat Joey's pockets on both sides. Then he pulled Joey's arms out of his pockets, and when Joey tried to put his hands back, he quickly slapped Joey's arms away.

"do not move!"

Only then did the four notice the small red bloodstains on Joey's palm. He was too thin, and his hands lacked the muscles to maintain the elasticity of his skin. The pebbles easily cut several wounds on his palm, which were constantly oozing blood.

This was not a planned wound. The four of them were instantly pulled out of character, but seeing that Lu Ze was still in the act, after a brief moment of stunned silence, they had no choice but to force themselves to continue acting, even though they were no longer in character.

Joey pressed his thumbs into his palms, while the other four fingers were extended. He didn't speak, but simply waved his hands slightly, placing his right hand on his face and gently rubbing his nose, revealing a bloody scratch on his face. His gaze remained unfocused, never meeting anyone's eyes.

"you you……"

The actor was already under a lot of pressure acting opposite Lu Ze, and his condition wasn't good after the clapperboard was cut. Just now, Lu Ze's accidental injury caused him to lose focus. The actor, who was supposed to be reciting his lines, instantly forgot what he was supposed to say next. He forgot his lines, and this huge mistake made his face turn pale. Unsurprisingly, a furious outburst of curses immediately followed.

"What the hell are you doing! You can forget these few words? I'm so pissed off!"

A thermos fell to the ground. Mickey stood up and pointed at the actor who made the mistake, cursing wildly. The first fall was an unexpected performance by Lu Ze. Fortunately, Ke Sha had worked with Lu Ze for a long time and they had developed enough tacit understanding to quickly catch up and shoot a scene that made Mickey slightly happy. The bloodstains on his face then excited him and Zhuang Yu even more. Unfortunately, all of this was ruined by this bastard who forgot his lines.

And what could the other party say? They could only say "Sorry."

Lu Ze sighed, waved his hand, and accepted the other party's apology, but did not stop Mickey from continuing his tantrum. However, the self that had been put aside was "resurrected," and he returned to his seat with a frown, reaching out to pick at the small pebbles stuck in his skin, listening to Mickey transfer his anger to others.

"Damn it, they're still staring at it! Is it a dead person?! Get it dealt with!"

"..."