Actor: Thank you.

In the evening, at a Chinese restaurant in downtown Hollywood.

"Hello everyone."

Zhang Yuan walked to a large table and raised his hand to greet everyone.

“Come on, let me introduce you all,” Stallone said, raising his large, thick arm.

"This is Zhang."

"A young but very accomplished Chinese actor."

Zhang Yuan nodded, "That's fairly fair."

Now half of the main creative team members have arrived.

Jason Statham was present.

At that time, he was a celebrity, but not a top action star.

"The Transporter" and "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" were both very popular, making him a first-tier actor, but not a super-first-tier actor.

Of all the A-list celebrities present, only Sylvester Stallone was there.

It was the "Expendables" and "Fast & Furious" series that made him a global celebrity and propelled him into the ranks of top-tier stars.

So Stallone took him along and let him act alongside him, for which the man was very grateful.

Moreover, this guy is quite different in real life from his on-screen image; he's a "big boy who loves to laugh" and is relatively reserved.

Zhang Yuan shook hands with him. Everything else was fine, except for one thing.

Looking at him, I always feel like Cai Ming is missing by my side...

Moreover, Zhang Yuan and this person were, in a sense, "close friends".

Because his future wife is Miss Rosie, one of the seven models from last time.

Very powerful.

Statham's character in the film is codenamed "Mr. Christmas".

Among the good guys, that is, the members of the suicide squad, there are two more, one black and one white.

The black guy's name is Terry Crews, he is 190 cm tall and weighs over 250 pounds!
This is a regular center in the NFL, the National Football League.

Once fully activated, it can give Sylvester Stallone a run for his money.

Her weight is 250 pounds, which she adjusted specifically after retiring to enter the entertainment industry and film. Her original weight was over 300 pounds.

Domestic audiences may not be very familiar with him, but this guy has a famous video on YouTube.

Electrodes are attached to all the muscles in your body, and then you use your muscles to control an entire set of musical instruments.

That's him!
Blade Runner, also known as Wesley, was brought in to replace him after Wesley's tax evasion scandal broke.

His character's code name in the film is "Caesar".

The white one is Randy Courture, a professional Greco-Roman wrestler who has won the heavyweight world championship multiple times in the World Cup, America's Cup, and UFC.

Of all the people at this table, Zhang Yuan was the only one who might be at risk of losing.

Not only is its strength astonishing, but its technology is also quite terrifying.

Zhang Yuan wasn't afraid of strong people, but he was afraid of technical talents like wrestlers. If he accidentally fell into a trap, he would be finished.

I took a look at this guy's ears; they were strangely shaped, swollen and deformed.

In professional combat sports, this is called a judo ear; ordinary people call it a dumpling ear.

This is a permanent consequence of repeated ear injuries sustained by wrestlers and judo athletes during training and combat.

In a sense, it's proof of strength; you couldn't have injured someone to this extent without real power.

Just remember one thing: stay away from people with "dumpling ears," because those kinds of people could really kill you with one punch.

This person's ear is very severe; the entire ear is swollen into one piece.

Stallone also designed a character codenamed "Toll Road" for him in the film based on this characteristic.

He's an irritable guy who's insecure about his "dumpling ears" and keeps bringing it up.

Steve Austin, nicknamed Stone Cold, plays the villain's bodyguard and is a WWE Three-Time Champion.

He's very strong, but not as strong as Randy.

Because WWE has a performance element, while classical wrestling does not.

Finally, there's Dolph Lundgren.

Zhang Yuan did not categorize this character as part of the suicide squad, which is the righteous group. The character he played, Gunnar, suffered from mental problems due to post-traumatic stress disorder.

In the film, he jumps back and forth between "good" and "bad," but eventually rejoins the team.

Moreover, he and Li Lianjie were a pair and had fought each other many times.

In the film, Lao Li is codenamed "Yin Yang," and is a typical, agile, short, and swift close-combat expert.

Old Li wasn't there, so Zhang Yuan sent him a text message saying he had arrived.

He replied that he should focus on his work first and not feel pressured by being surrounded by superstars.

Zhang Yuan said you're overthinking it, and that they shouldn't feel pressured.

I can't possibly feel pressure.

I didn't get paid, so why should I feel pressured?

After greeting everyone, Zhang Yuan looked at Sylvester Stallone.

"Then I'll get busy first."

"OK, I look forward to your results."

He then went to change his clothes and get to work.

"Boss, where did he come from?"

“JET’s friend.”

"Oh..." These Americans all knew Li Lianjie as soon as he was mentioned.

"I've also acted in several films with Chenlong."

"Oh!"

When Uncle Long was mentioned, these people nodded repeatedly, and their expressions became much more respectful.

It's obvious that Chenlong has more prestige.

"What did you go to do?" Statham squinted at him.

He noticed that Zhang Yuan turned and headed towards the restaurant's kitchen.

"And why are we eating Chinese food?"

"Yes, I don't like Chinese food, it's all sticky and mushy."

"It's a bit...strange."

Several people complained about it.

Because Chinese cuisine tends to be sweet, dishes like Kung Pao Chicken and General Tso's Chicken, which have little to do with what is served in China, are often coated with a thick layer of sweet sauce.

Even people in Shanghai find this stuff too sweet, so you can imagine how it tastes.

“I think Chinese food is good,” Lundgren, who wore glasses, disagreed with the others.

“Brandon took me to eat authentic Chinese food, and I thought the fried noodles and roast goose were delicious.”

Brandon, whom Lundgren mentioned, is Brandon Lee, Bruce Lee's son.

They acted together in a movie.

This table was full of roughnecks, except for Lunger, who was a "scholar".

The stack of diplomas from everyone at the table wasn't as tall as his alone.

Therefore, this person is quite knowledgeable and well-traveled, which makes them more receptive to new things.

In North America, the more redneck and uneducated a person is, the more closed-minded they tend to be.

People with high levels of education can accept food from anywhere.

"Hehehehe..."

While everyone was debating whether the Chinese food was good or not, Stallone lowered his head and laughed.

"Why is our lord laughing?" the others asked.

"Hahahaha." Stallone clapped his hands: "The way you all look proves that kid was right."

"What do you mean?"

Everyone was puzzled, so Stallone explained.

The reason Schwarzenegger called Vin Diesel to advise him to avoid Zhang Yuan was because he had read the script that Zhang Yuan had written in one night.

Not only the script, but also character biographies.

First of all, almost everyone in this film has a code name.

Trench, church, Christmas, toll road, Caesar...

The US military has always had this habit of giving each other nicknames.

Just like the 108 heroes of Liangshan.

This behavior actually carries a bandit-like air about it.

But there are advantages too; code names are easier to remember than long strings of names.

So the first thing Zhang Yuan had to do was give himself a code name.

His principle is that even if it's a cameo role, he has to be presentable.

Otherwise, wouldn't it be a wasted trip?
He then began to ponder it.

This isn't that simple; we need to "cast a long line to catch a big fish."

Each character needs to have their own unique characteristics in order to be memorable.

He also needs to add some unique features and integrate them into the film.

The plot of this film is divided into two parts: 30% was filmed in Hollywood and 70% was filmed on location in Brazil. The Hollywood part mainly focuses on daily life and the confrontation with the rebellious Gunnar.

Because Stallone's character is obsessed with the female lead, and because the CIA boss behind the dictator bribed Gunnar and other mercenaries to assassinate them.

That's why the Expendables landed on the island a second time for the final showdown.

That's when the most exciting part of the whole movie begins.

The Expendables were actually short-handed because Gunnar, the "traitor," was gone.

Zhang Yuan wanted to exploit this "loophole".

Moreover, Stallone deliberately created contrasts in the characters he designed.

Statham's Mr. Christmas is very strong, but he's a womanizer and has a crush on a slutty bitch.

Randy's "toll roads" were incredibly powerful, but he kept nagging at his own ears.

Lundgren's Gunnar, even Li Lianjie couldn't defeat him, but he was neurotic.

Old Li's character is Yin Yang, and although he is very strong, he is a money-grubber who talks about money all the time.

Each main character has obvious strengths and even more obvious weaknesses.

Such characters have depth and are easy to remember.

Zhang Yuan thought so too.

Even if I only appear on screen for two minutes, I still need to be a real person; I can't be someone no one remembers.

So he quickly came up with a persona.

It originates from a famous meme.

This refers to the "cook" as a unique branch of the Chinese military.

It is also known as the strongest individual soldier unit, with an entrenching tool that can be used for both stir-frying and slicing.

When he consulted with Stallone, he explained the profession of a cook.

I noticed the other person didn't quite understand, because the US military doesn't have field cooks, nor do they have many kitchen trucks.

They either eat individual rations or meals prepared by the base's cooks.

He thought Zhang Yuan was bragging about making 100 meals a day in a field food truck by himself in half an hour.

In the end, he thought it was acceptable, but the foreigners couldn't understand "cook," so they gave him the code name "Chef."

Zhang Yuan thought it was a good idea, at least it was easy to remember.

According to his script, his character is a Chinese veteran who works in the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant.

Yin Yang, played by Li Lianjie, was introduced to the captain.

After all, Gunnar rebelled, the team was short-handed, and they had to tackle the tough challenges.

When the Expendables arrived to recruit, Barney initially doubted the abilities of a young chef.

Then two older white men slammed their fists on the table and said the stir-fried dishes were different from what they usually ate.

Then Zhang Yuan came out and quickly took down two armed men, demonstrating his strength.

That's roughly the process.

During this time, they also complained that Americanized Chinese food was unpalatable.

Zhang Yuan even designed two sets of moves to defeat the minor villain, and even drew action diagrams.

Stallone and Schwarzenegger were both stunned.

This is why Stallone was laughing.

Zhang Yuan's character complains that American Chinese food is bad, and the actors also say that American Chinese food is bad.

This proves that this is correct.

This young Chinese man has grasped a real pain point.

Just like how he deliberately designed the plot involving infighting between the FBI and the CIA, and the CIA's support for warlords' drug trafficking.

This movie is full of complaints; the men are constantly criticizing everyone and everything, including each other.

Zhang Yuan did this to create a character with the image of a reclusive master, similar to a "sweeping monk."

Those who have seen the movie "The God of Cookery" in China will not be surprised by this kind of skill.

The Americans never expected the chef to be such a master, which created a surprising contrast.

He also designed backstory, which is a character biography.

Why would a master chef hide in the kitchen?

Zhang Yuan pointed out that this location was unreasonable.

Therefore, a reasonable explanation must be given.

His reason was, for the woman.

He designed this character so that women would travel across the ocean, abandoning everything to come overseas.

However, he was rejected by the other party, and feeling disheartened and cynical, he hid in the kitchen to despondent.

Stallone thought it was great after hearing it.

His character only returned to fight because of the female lead.

To set the stage for this story, which is a very cliché hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress trope, he also designed a scene where Mr. Christmas, after being cheated on, still stands up for the woman.

Another tattoo artist, burdened by guilt for failing to save a girl on the battlefield, became incredibly promiscuous and had a constant stream of women.

These characters and their stories are all connected to the main storyline.

Zhang Yuan created this character, ostensibly to fit his story of rescuing a damsel in distress.

Since it's a cameo role, he definitely can't join the Expendables.

Then there needs to be a reason for refusing.

Stallone originally offered it to him, but he didn't like it and refused.

Zhang Yuan changed the scene so that Stallone offered to rescue the woman, but the "chef" refused to participate because he had been hurt by the woman, and even cursed at her.

So Stallone thought it was "very good" after watching it.

Not only did it capture the key points, but it also resonated with my story!

And this makes the cameo scene more dramatic and intense.

It would have been better if he hadn't watched it, because after watching it he found it interesting.

Furthermore, Zhang Yuan demanded that if they were going to film, it had to be a real film. He said he needed to contact a hotel kitchen first so he could "show his face" and borrow their space.

That's why Stallone brought everyone here for Chinese food, and they'll be filming here later too.

But this is only the "surface".

The chef and cook roles were designed as labels to make them easy to remember.

The character could be designed to be hurt by a woman, or to travel across the ocean for her, but this is not just to find a reason to reject the suicide squad, or to make the character's behavior reasonable.

There is a more important reason.

There will be a second movie, The Expendables!

What is the content of the second part?
Sylvester Stallone is a rare example of a "conscientious" Hollywood actor; he wanted to tap into the Chinese market, but he wasn't arrogant.

Unlike "Iron Man 3," which had a "China-exclusive version" but deliberately had scenes cut out overseas, this film is different.

His productions have a global reach, and he actually cast Chinese characters, and important ones at that!
That is, Yu Nan in the second part.

Yu Nan's character is a female special agent, but not the typical American bitch or pretty face; she has action scenes.

Moreover, given Yu Nan's appearance, she doesn't seem out of place among this group of men. The casting was clearly carefully done; they didn't just randomly pick someone with high popularity.

This film also partnered with LeEco, which was still active at the time and running a Ponzi scheme, for co-production and distribution.

It was intended to be a co-production.

The theme of the second part is no longer the hero saving the damsel in distress in the first part, but "revenge".

At the beginning, the Expendables received a fresh member, a sniper played by "Thor's brother," Chris Hemsworth's younger brother.

His later mission stemmed from his death at the hands of the villain played by Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Simply put, the suicide squad is short of men again...

In addition, due to Li Lianjie's poor health and scheduling conflicts, he "retired" not long after the start of the second film.

Therefore, Asian characters are needed to "fill the gap".

Now, let's return to the previous question: why did Zhang Yuan orchestrate the situation where he was hurt by a woman?

This woman could be Yu Nan!
He needs to leave himself an out.

If I have the time and the other party is willing, then it would be perfectly reasonable for him to participate in the filming of the second part.

He who does not plan for the long term is not fit to plan for the short term.

My purpose in coming here is to maximize my benefits and turn a passive situation into an active one.

This is what he meant by "not coming for nothing".

This film is basically the pinnacle of action movies worldwide, at least in terms of its cast and crew.

Having the opportunity to participate is great, but having the opportunity to participate more deeply would be even better.

Standing on the shoulders of giants makes it easier to see a wider world.

Stallone was unaware of his thoughts; he simply thought it was good.

To be able to come up with such detailed and reasonable ideas in just one night, while also resonating with the film's theme and fitting the characters perfectly, is quite impressive.

Zhang Yuan's habit of taking advantage of others on set finally came in handy.

Schwarzenegger also saw this.

To be able to produce such a thick stack of papers in one night, and at such high quality, shows that one's brain is extraordinary!
And then think about Vin Diesel's brain...

You should probably forget about it.

And so, Zhang Yuan began his practical experience in the kitchen... (End of Chapter)