Volume Two: Shadows of the Past Chapter Fifty-Nine: A Classic Scene—The Alley Battle of Kill, Break, Wolf

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The baton and the dagger collided, producing a piercing, metallic screech. Ma Jun and the assassin, Ah Jie, were locked in an evenly matched struggle.

"Cut!"

However, no sooner had Chen Jing and Liu Manqiang begun their fight than Wang Shumin called for a halt.

The sparring stopped instantly. This time, Chen Jing didn't need to ask why or check the playback; he knew exactly where the problem lay. He turned to Liu Manqiang and said, "Manqiang, you were too restrained just now. You should be attacking me with everything you've got—don't hold back."

Liu Manqiang looked at Chen Jing, hesitated for a moment, and remained silent.

Wang Zhou and Wang Shumin walked over. Wang Zhou shook his head at Chen Jing and said bluntly, "It’s not working. The effect isn't right. Even though you two were actually fighting, Manqiang’s movements were too guarded. It looks like you're holding back."

Chen Jing nodded in acknowledgement. "Let’s film it again," he said. "This time, Manqiang, don't hold anything back. Treat me as your actual target. Don't worry, I can handle it." He smiled at Liu Manqiang to reassure him.

This time, Liu Manqiang didn't hesitate. He nodded decisively and said, "I understand. Let's start over."

Seeing that Liu Manqiang was on board, Wang Shumin stepped in before Wang Zhou could speak. Frowning, she said, "Jing, a real fight is too dangerous. Even if the dagger is unsharpened, if you don't hold back, it’s far too easy to get cut. Can’t we just choreograph the moves?" She didn't want to see Chen Jing get hurt.

"Don't worry, I won't get hurt. I’m watching everything," Chen Jing said, waving his hand with a smile to put her at ease.

Wang Zhou said nothing more. He knew that if he truly let Liu Manqiang fight at full strength, there was a high chance Chen Jing would end up injured. After all, Liu Manqiang was wielding a dagger—even a dull one. If Chen Jing failed to block just once, even a glancing blow would leave a scar.

Although he knew Chen Jing had a military background and impressive combat skills, he wasn't certain Chen Jing could withstand Liu Manqiang's full assault. It wasn't that he thought Chen Jing was inferior, but in real combat, attacking is always simpler than defending.

However, Wang Zhou understood that to make a film look authentic, one had to commit to the real thing; injuries were sometimes inevitable. If Chen Jing were just some pampered idol, Wang Zhou would have advised against it. But knowing Chen Jing was a former soldier, he felt it would be an insult to suggest he give up.

Soon, they were ready for the second take. Chen Jing and Liu Manqiang returned to their original positions in the alley.

Liu Manqiang looked at Chen Jing with a stern gaze, as if to say: *Jing, here I come.*

Chen Jing watched him back, a flicker of excitement in his eyes, responding: *Come on, let’s have a real fight.*

"...Action!"

At the command, Ma Jun and the assassin Ah Jie moved simultaneously, lunging at each other and colliding in an instant.

Ah Jie held the dagger in his right hand, slashing, chopping, flicking, and stabbing with lightning speed. His strikes were crafty and vicious, showing no restraint. Ma Jun, wielding his baton, parried each strike, his expression grave and focused, not daring to relax for a second.

They traded blows, locked in a fierce, inseparable struggle. Yet, the balance was soon broken. While parrying, Ma Jun made a slight error and was sliced across the chest by the opponent.

The two separated instantly. Ma Jun glanced at the bloody wound on his chest, ignored it, and immediately assumed a defensive stance, his eyes fixed intently on his opponent. The assassin, Ah Jie, wore an excited expression, twirling the dagger in his hand with a crazed look in his eyes.

"Cut!"

Clap, clap, clap! As the call of "cut" rang out, applause erupted across the set.

"Cool!"
"That was amazing, Director!"
"Hey, to be honest, I think Liu Manqiang looked cooler this time."
"Ha, you dare say that? Aren't you afraid the director will dock your pay?"
"Uh... did I say anything?"
"Pfft..."

Hearing the cheers, Liu Manqiang finally relaxed. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked toward Chen Jing, only to find that he had already run over to review the footage.

The fight had been real, but the wound on Chen Jing’s chest was fake. Before filming, they had agreed that after a few exchanges, Liu Manqiang would intentionally land a strike on a specific spot on Chen Jing’s chest. Clearly, their coordination was excellent.

Wang Zhou walked over to Liu Manqiang and asked curiously, "Did you hold back during that take?" He asked because he couldn't see any sign of restraint, yet Chen Jing had managed to absorb every single one of Liu Manqiang’s attacks. If Liu Manqiang hadn't held back, didn't that mean Chen Jing was truly capable of matching him blow for blow? That seemed impossible; it was more likely he just hadn't been able to spot the restraint.

That must be it, he thought. If he couldn't even spot the moment they were "faking it," he certainly wouldn't be able to spot subtle restraint. This forced Wang Zhou to admire their acting skills—the transition between the real and the staged was seamless.

However, Liu Manqiang’s answer made Wang Zhou’s jaw drop: "You didn't hold back at all during the whole fight?" Wang Zhou stared at him in disbelief.

Liu Manqiang smiled bitterly and nodded. "That's right. I gave it my all throughout the entire process. Even the part where I was supposed to stab Chen Jing—I didn't hold back there either. It was just that while I was fighting at full strength, Chen Jing led me to land that hit on him..."

Wang Zhou fell silent. If what Liu Manqiang said was true, they both knew what it implied. It meant Chen Jing’s combat ability was far beyond Liu Manqiang’s. Only then could Chen Jing control the rhythm of the entire fight, leading Liu Manqiang exactly where he wanted him to strike.

Laymen might find this ridiculous, but it was the truth. There truly were people in this world who could hone their martial arts to a level that defied common logic. Even without mentioning others, back when his and Liu Manqiang’s master was still alive, he was exactly that kind of person.

Wang Zhou exhaled, suppressing his shock. Once again, he was forced to view Chen Jing in a new light. Aside from his astonishment, he felt a deep sense of admiration. For martial artists, things were simple: age didn't matter, and the strong reigned supreme. As long as someone wasn't a malicious villain, their strength alone earned them respect.

Nearby, Wang Shumin was leaning against Chen Jing, crowding into his space to watch the playback. "It’s so cool, Jing! I finally understand where your confidence in this movie comes from—it’s definitely these fight scenes, right?"

Chen Jing glanced at her with a hint of surprise. To identify the "finishing touch" of the film from just one shot showed that Wang Shumin had an excellent eye for cinema.

Of course, Chen Jing wouldn't praise her directly. "Obviously," he said with a feigned tone of disdain. "It's an action movie; the highlight is bound to be the fight scenes. Did you really need to guess? Stop crowding me, move aside a bit. Didn't you just watch it?" He nudged her with his shoulder.

He had intended to nudge her arm, but her hands happened to shift, and he accidentally collided with her chest.

Chen Jing felt an unusual softness against his shoulder and stiffened instantly. He sat up straight, not daring to move.

Perhaps Wang Shumin was just too carefree; she didn't seem to notice anything amiss. She just rolled her eyes, stepped back a little, and said, "Tch, can't I watch it again?" She then pushed him aside and urged, "Alright, enough watching. The shot is fine. Go get ready for the next one."

Chen Jing acted helpless and let her push him up. "Fine, fine, I'm going to finish the rest of the shots." He turned and walked away, rubbing his nose with a guilty expression.

*Hmm... quite substantial. You really couldn't tell just by looking.* Chen Jing’s mind began to wander, so he didn't notice the flush spreading across Wang Shumin’s cheeks behind him.

With the success of the first take, the subsequent fight scenes went smoothly.

However, after Ma Jun reversed the situation and beat the assassin, they no longer needed to fight for real. Those scenes were carefully choreographed and relied on the pair’s acting chemistry.

Finally, Ma Jun backhanded the knife into the assassin’s chest, and Ah Jie slowly collapsed to the ground. Ma Jun took off his coat, tossed it aside, and without a second glance at the body, continued on his way.

"Cut!"

"Perfect." Chen Jing reviewed the playback and was very satisfied. He announced to the crew, "Okay, that’s it for tonight. We’ll film the final scene tomorrow."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone from the crew boldly shouted, "Ah, Director! Tomorrow is the weekend. We’ve been filming for over two weeks straight—how about giving us a day off?"

"Yeah, yeah, give us a day off, Director!" Seeing someone take the lead, many others joined in the chorus.