Actor: Thank you.

"what's wrong?"

Chaos suddenly broke out on the set of the movie "Lurking".

Little Dragon Girl was escorted by her assistant and bodyguards to the car to meet Zhang Yuan.

After getting into the car, Zhang Yuan glanced at the car and almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

Halfway through my makeup, my face looked like the old house I'd been staying at for three months straight in an internet cafe.

"What are you laughing at?" Sisi nodded his head.

"It's nothing, let's move away from each other first."

He told the driver to drive a few blocks away.

North America is not like China; there are guns here!

If someone causes trouble on a film set in China, the most they'll do is avoid the area indoors.

This won't do. What if we get caught in a stray bullet during a firefight?

slip away.

"What exactly happened?" Sisi asked again.

"It's not because of me, is it?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhang Yuan scratched his head, knowing she was afraid he would cause her trouble.

He figured it was unlikely.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

I'll ask in a bit.

"Yes, I believe you can handle whatever happens," she said encouragingly, feeling that she couldn't be of much help.

The car turned around and found a safe corner to hide in. Only then did Zhang Yuan take out his phone and make a call to Wen Ziren.

What's going on with those people?

"How is it now?"

He recalled the scene that had just occurred.

The cameraman carried his equipment and the prop master carried apple crates into the house, but a group of white people surrounded them and stopped them.

Seeing that the situation didn't seem to indicate a good temper.

But strangely, there were not only burly white men, but also very fat middle-aged white women.

If they were thugs or bandits, they would usually be bald, burly men; there wouldn't be many middle-aged women among them.

Could it be that they've learned from "advanced experiences" in China and are now using older women to extort money?

At least it wasn't about stealing apples, because the apple crates on set weren't actually for holding apples, but rather a common prop.

For example, if an actor is not tall enough, or if the camera needs to show a sense of being high up, the actor will stand on one of these wooden boxes.

This box, along with the clothes clip codenamed C47 and the clapperboard eraser (the clapperboard used to call "ACTION"), are known as the three essential items on set.

These boxes have a general standard format, and different uses have different codes.

Just like crosstalk performers have their own slang, foreigners also have their own film set jargon.

As soon as the director yells "apple," you know it's time to get the apple crate.

Pointing to the box and saying "New York," it means it should be placed upright.

Texas is like a flat surface.

California is the code name for the sideways view.

There are many intricacies involved; the terminology varies from country to country, so you should adapt to local customs.

Wen Ziren was also very cunning; he quickly ran several hundred meters away and hid behind a tree to talk to him.

My brother is a Malaysian Chinese who grew up in Australia.

Australia and New Zealand, the two "twin giants" of Oceania, were once "bitter and cold places" where the British exiled serious criminals in earlier years, and the rate of recessive genes for mental illness is much higher than in other parts of the world.

But these two places are better than North America in terms of gun control.

Although there have been several high-profile shootings that have resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries, it's not like in North America where shootings happen every day, where any random black guy or redneck can pull out a gun from their crotch and fire a burst at you.

James Wan first hurled a string of curses and swears at the local white people, saying things like "the local white people are so rude," before explaining the specifics of the situation to him.

Just as Zhang Yuan guessed, it wasn't some thug collecting a land fee; after all, this isn't Hong Kong.

He had another fear: that these people belonged to some strange and unusual cult.

These are problems that you wouldn't encounter in China.

James Wan also gave a negative answer.

Zhang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, which put his mind at ease.

Upon further inquiry, it turned out that the group of people who were stopping the disturbance were actually the homeowners.

This is the owner of the house where the filming took place.

Zhang Yuan nodded. That's right, men and women.

"Are you trying to raise the rent on the spot?"

“No, it’s more troublesome,” Wen Ziren replied, frowning.

The situation wasn't complicated; they simply wouldn't let us take pictures and wanted to kick us out.

This house belongs to local white people who usually live in downtown Los Angeles and spend weekends or holidays in the suburbs.

Since I'm just sitting around doing nothing anyway, I might as well rent it out through an agency and make some extra money.

James Wan looked at many houses through real estate agents before finally settling on this one.

Moreover, it was required to remain exactly as it was, with all the furniture and even the children's toys still there, to be used directly as movie props.

That's exactly the kind of everyday feel we're aiming for. Combined with the camera work and post-production, it creates an atmosphere that's both lifelike and eerie.

Moreover, doing it this way saves on prop costs and preparation time.

James Wan achieved this efficiency by doing so quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively, with the entire film costing very little and the shooting period taking only a month or two.

This is what it means for the strong to never complain about their environment, but rather to make use of it.

It's a good idea, but it has one flaw.

The homeowner found out about this.

The agent only told the owner that it was for filming purposes and offered a generous fee of $8000 a month, so the owner was naturally happy to accept.

Knowing it was a horror movie, they became unhappy.

After you finish filming this movie, will I still be able to live here?
The key issue isn't just whether people will live there, but also whether I'll sell it in the future.

At that time, James Wan wasn't that famous yet, and people didn't know that the low-budget horror film "Insidious," which was being filmed, would gross over 100 million US dollars.

All people know is that after this movie is finished, my house will be associated with the supernatural.

Americans are far more superstitious than Chinese people imagine.

Why is North America the place in the world where people claim to have spotted the most UFOs?

This is what happy education is like; it's truly terrifying to be uncultured.

In addition, there are all sorts of strange people who are superstitious about various religious sects.

The main villains in the TV series "Lurking" are the Black Bride and the Red-skinned Demon.

The Black Bride had always wanted the male protagonist's body and wanted to possess him; her deliberate imprisonment of her son was also a way to deceive him.

The fact that he is standing in front of a boy who was abused by his mother and dressed as a girl since childhood is quite a twisted premise.

The Red Demon is a pure evil spirit. To save money, James Wan asked his usual composer to make a cameo appearance, and painted him with red paint.

The homeowner couldn't take it anymore; it was all evil spirits and demons.

In China, saying "666" is considered funny; abroad, saying "666" is seen as summoning demons.

The homeowner also has a reason to say, "If my house is associated with ghosts and demons, what if I can't sell it later?"

What to do if it depreciates?
I'm too scared to stay here after watching the movie!
In the US, houses are subject to property taxes, and California's is relatively low, at about 1.25% per year.

For a house worth 100 million, the annual property tax alone is 1.25 US dollars.

But this 1.25% is not something you can decide on your own, nor is it something the intermediary can decide.

It was calculated by the local government based on the average land price in the surrounding area.

The homeowner thought, "What if the house price drops by 50% after the horror movie is filmed? But the tax bureau won't care and will still collect property tax based on the average price of the surrounding area. I'll lose a fortune!"

Even if your rent is high this month, I will still suffer a huge loss.

He rushed over and tried to stop them, refusing to let them pass.

They were practically about to fight. Zhang Yuan was terrified when he heard this; what if they actually pulled out a gun in a minute?

James Wan said he has already called the police.

"How about..." Zhang Yuan thought, could it be that "I have to pay more?"

Add some.

It's still cheaper than ruining the footage we shot before and having to find a new place.

But James Wan said that his subordinates had already proposed the plan, negotiating from 20% all the way up to doubling it, but the other party still did not agree.

It seems that raising the rent won't solve this problem.

More than half an hour later, Zhang Yuan, sitting in the car, finally heard the American-style police siren.

In top-tier luxury residential areas like Manhattan or Beverly Hills, the police can arrive within five minutes.

The speed at which the police arrive depends on the thickness of the local residents' wallets.

Click!

Zhang Yuan pulled the door handle, preparing to get out of the car.

At that moment, a small, fair hand grabbed his arm from the side.

Looking back, he noticed that Xiaolongnu was frowning nervously and gently shaking her head at him.

I'm worried that it might be dangerous for him to go out.

"It's alright, don't worry."

"I will come back safely."

"With great power comes great responsibility."

He gently stroked the other person's arm before getting out of the back seat.

Brother Long followed, not lagging behind by half a step as usual, but blocking him by about a step and a half.

After walking for a few minutes, I returned to the house on set.

The police had already separated the group and pinned the white man who was leading the group against the hood of the police car.

The homeowner is probably considered middle-class in America, unlike those gangsters.

They became docile upon seeing the police; they didn't want to experience the police's American-style Iaijutsu.

He was just arguing with the crew.

Wen Ziren had a colleague deliver the original and a copy of the rent payment, and also contacted the real estate agent.

Legally speaking, he has the proper procedures and can continue to use it.

But the homeowner also hired a lawyer, saying that if you continue taking pictures, we will sue.

No matter how right you are, getting involved with a lawyer is troublesome, and if the film has problems after its release, it will be even more of a loss.

After discussing the matter with Wen Ziren for a while, Zhang Yuan understood the problem.

"OK." Zhang Yuan clapped his hands: "You have a direct conflict with the other side."

"There were even physical altercations, and now no one will listen to anything I say."

"Let me do it."

"I'll go talk to them."

"You..." Just as Wen Ziren was about to question him, Zhang Yuan walked easily toward the police car.

I chatted with a Black police officer for a bit. After squinting a few times, the officer burst out laughing and recognized me.

The older black guy watched "Rush Hour 3" because Chris Tucker is also black.

Zhang Yuan talked for a while and took a group photo with them, but said that he needed to stand aside as a notary first so that he could talk to them.

The homeowner will be more composed if someone with a gun at their waist is present.

The film's screenwriter, Leigh Whannell, who is also James Wan's good friend, came to the director's side.

"What's going on with this Chinese actor?"

"His behavior is so strange."

"First, he brought a girl to play, then he went to negotiate with someone."

“He wouldn’t be…” The man twirled his finger next to his head and then made a smoking gesture.

Director Wen understood that his friend wasn't gesturing about smoking.

They thought Zhang Yuan was having a blast, so he was just doing whatever he wanted.

"I don't know either, but since he's already paid for it, let him give it a try."

"You know, rich people are all very strange."

“A bit too arrogant, a bit too confident,” Wen Ziren muttered, glancing repeatedly at Zhang Yuan’s location.

At first glance, he was all smiles, while the landlord, an old white man, gestured with his hands, his face full of anger.

Zhang Yuan's expression remained unchanged, while the homeowner became increasingly agitated.

Then Zhang Yuan started gesturing as well, raising his hand towards the house, while the old white man fell silent.

A few minutes later, Zhang Yuan was still smiling, and the homeowner's expression relaxed for the first time.

Then, the white man actually hugged him.

He even called his wife, friends, and others to hug him.

"Alright, you can continue filming now." Zhang Yuan slowly walked back.

In just over ten minutes, he returned to the two crew members.

Wen Ziren saw that the landlord, who had been furious before, was now not only kind-looking but also waving goodbye in Zhang Yuan's direction.

Both Old Man Wen and Ray Whannell were dumbfounded.

what's the situation?
No matter how much we pleaded, we tried everything – soft and hard tactics – it was all to no avail.

As soon as he arrived, people smiled at him.

"Is this some kind of mysterious Eastern magic?" Leigh Whannell asked, tilting his head, then looked at James Wan: "You've never shown me this before."

Wen Ziren was speechless for a moment. "I'd like to know how to do that too."

"Zhang, how did you convince the homeowner?"

Wen Ziren guessed curiously.

"You tell the other person that our movie is actually a heartwarming family story."

Zhang Yuan glanced at him and said, "Do you even believe that yourself?"

"Or, you can tell the other person that our show will be a hit and that it can get them involved in a great cause."

"They said they didn't believe an Asian monkey could make any good films," Zhang Yuan bluntly relayed.

James Wan: ...

I am a bit short and thin, but this is excessive.

"Then, how did you do that?" He really couldn't understand.

With a charming smile, Zhang Yuan raised his hand and gently patted him on the shoulder.

“I am rich.”

Zhang Yuan's mouth is imbued with the laws of heaven and filled with the truths of the world.

“I told them I would pay $50 to buy this house, which is worth $40.”

It's that simple, without any fancy tricks.

Or rather, the US dollar is the biggest trick.

If adding more money doesn't solve the problem, it means not enough money has been added.

I'll buy it directly, so you won't have to worry about devaluation or other issues.

Just as ballistics is also a principle, marksmanship is also a method; this is called the American way of following nature.

So, money power is also a form of power.

This is what I call "using force to overcome all methods".

Didn't you see that lawyer was all smiles? I've even cracked North American civil law.

James Wan and Leigh Whannell, this pairing, left everyone speechless.

After exchanging a glance, he nodded repeatedly to Zhang Yuan.

Let him pretend, let him pretend... (End of Chapter)