Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

"Someone."

Yang Zhan's voice wasn't loud, but it froze the entire set instantly.

He stood in the shadows of the corner of the studio, his gaze fixed on a spot outside the window like that of a hawk.

It was an old six-story office building in the film and television base, about two hundred meters away from the studio.

"What time and direction?"

Li Su immediately moved closer, his hand already on his lower back.

“At nine o’clock, the rightmost window on the top floor,” Yang Zhan said, “there was a reflection just now. It wasn’t a natural reflection from the glass, it was from the lens.”

Wang Chuang had already taken out a small pair of binoculars and was quickly observing through the gap in the curtains: "The window is closed, and the curtains are half-drawn, so I can't see inside. But there are traces of dust being wiped off the edge of the window, so someone opened that window recently."

Jiang Nian sat in his wheelchair, his expression calm: "How long has it been?"

"uncertain."

Yang Zhan shook his head, "But the reflection only appeared for a moment and then disappeared. If it's an observation device, the other party is very professional."

Director Zhang Yi walked over, his face somewhat pale: "Mr. Yang, you mean..."

"Director, let's continue filming."

Jiang Nian interrupted him, "Just pretend nothing happened. Su Qing, push me to the dressing room to touch up my makeup."

“But…” Zhang Yi wanted to say something more.

"Listen to Jiang Nian."

Yang Zhan patted the director on the shoulder, "Filming is fine, work is fine. Leave the rest to us."

The atmosphere in the dressing room was even more tense than outside.

Lin Wei and Chen Lu stood guard at the door, while Su Qing quickly checked every corner of the room.

Chen Meng stood by the window, scanning the surroundings for any possible listening devices.

"clean."

Chen Meng put away the instruments.

Jiang Nian looked at herself in the mirror. The bruise on her forehead was almost invisible thanks to the makeup artist's skillful touch.

He moved his fingers, and a slight stinging sensation came from the wound under the bandage.

“Instructor Yang,” he said to himself in the mirror, “do you think they’re targeting me, or is it just routine surveillance?”

"They came for you."

Yang Zhan leaned against the dressing table, toying with a coin in his hand. "The location of that building is perfect; it offers a complete view of the entire photography studio."

“If it’s routine surveillance, there’s no need to choose such a precise spot.”

"The organization's style has changed."

Li Su said in a deep voice, "They used to prefer direct action, but now they've started using underhanded tactics."

"Because Shen Qianshan failed."

Wang Chuang continued, "They know that Advisor Jiang is protected by skilled guards, and a direct attack would be too costly. So they're monitoring him first, figuring out our patterns of action and security vulnerabilities, before looking for an opportunity."

The makeup artist's hands were trembling, and the brush almost fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Teacher Jiang..."

She hurriedly apologized.

"It's alright," Jiang Nian said gently. "Please continue."

He turned to Yang Zhan and said, "Let them see. We'll proceed according to plan, filming when it's time to film and wrapping up when it's time to wrap up. The more they watch, the less they'll understand our situation."

“That’s what I mean too,” Yang Zhan nodded, “but we have to give them a little ‘surprise’.”

He winked at Li Su. Li Su understood and quickly walked out of the dressing room.

Filming resumed ten minutes later.

This scene features Jiang Nian and Chen Xiao. Lu Chenxi discovers that Chen Yang has secretly contacted the patient's family, trying to persuade them to accept conservative treatment.

"Dr. Lu, I just want to help them."

Chen Yang, played by Chen Xiao, stands in front of the desk with a somewhat resentful expression.

"That family really can't afford the surgery."

Jiang Nian sat in a wheelchair.

"So you're making the decision for me?"

"I do not have……"

"you have not?"

Jiang Nian interrupted him, "Contacting the family and giving medical advice is beyond the authority of an intern. Chen Yang, do you know that if a patient follows your advice and is discharged, and then dies at home, the family can sue the hospital, and they can also sue you?"

Chen Xiao's lips trembled: "I... I just wanted to help."

"Helping others is not about causing trouble."

Jiang Nian's voice turned cold. "In the hospital, every word and every suggestion carries responsibility. I've seen far too many cases where good intentions lead to bad outcomes, even if you think you're doing it out of kindness."

The camera zooms in, focusing on Jiang Nian's eyes.

There was anger in his eyes, but even more so, heartache.

It is heartbreaking to see the young doctor's recklessness, the helplessness of the medical system, and the fragility of life in the face of reality.

"Card!"

Zhang Yi called for a halt, but did not speak immediately.

He stared at the monitor replay several times before slowly exhaling: "Good... this take is excellent. Jiang Nian, your look just now perfectly captured Lu Chenxi's inner conflict."

“He was angry, but even more afraid, afraid that Chen Yang would go astray.”

Jiang Nian nodded slightly and leaned back in his wheelchair to catch his breath.

That scene was very emotionally taxing.

The wound started to ache again.

Su Qing immediately handed him warm water, and Lin Wei squatted down to check the brace on his knee.

"fine."

Jiang Nian waved his hand, "What's the next game?"

"Your scene with Lin Wan in the corridor," Zhang Yi said, flipping through the shooting schedule, "but your current condition..."

“You can take the picture,” Jiang Nian said. “Push me over there.”

Just as the film crew was moving to a new location, Li Su returned.

He walked over to Yang Zhan and lowered his voice: "I checked, that building is the old archives of the film and television base, and it's in a semi-abandoned state."

"The management office's records show that only three people have applied for access in the past month. They are all staff members of the base and have clean backgrounds."

"Where is the scene?" Yang Zhan asked.

"I had Zhao Qing and Zhou Yan sneak up there."

Li Su said, "There were fresh footprints by the window, at least two people. We also found this on the windowsill."

He opened his palm, revealing an extremely tiny black particle, only the size of a sesame seed.

Yang Zhan took the particle and examined it carefully against the light: "A component of a listening device."

“Yes.” Li Su nodded. “They must have been left behind in a hurry during the evacuation. Zhao Qing and the others also found cigarette butts in the hallway. The brand was very special and rarely seen in China.”

"what brand?"

"Black Devil," Li Su said. "This cigarette is strong. In China, it's generally only smoked in border areas or by specific groups of people."

Yang Zhan narrowed his eyes: "From overseas?"

“Not necessarily,” Wang Chuang interjected. “The organization’s members are cautious, and using imported cigarettes might be a way to mislead people. But it could also mean that the members are genuinely from overseas.”

At that moment, Zhao Qing's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Instructor, bloodstains have been found."

Yang Zhan grabbed the walkie-talkie: "Explain in detail."

"At the corner of the stairs, behind the fire door on the third floor."

Zhao Qing's voice was calm. "The bloodstains are very fresh, no more than two hours old. The amount is small, probably a graze or a minor wound. Also, there are drag marks on the ground."

"Someone is injured?" Li Su frowned.

Yang Zhan turned off the walkie-talkie. "Zhao Qing, Zhou Yan, retreat. Don't leave any trace."

"clear."

Yang Zhan turned to Jiang Nian, who had already listened to the whole thing. "What do you think?" Yang Zhan asked.

Jiang Nian pondered for a moment: "If it's surveillance, there's no need to bring wounded soldiers who need bandaging. If it's an ambush, the number of people is too small."

"So it might be a reconnaissance team."

Wang Chuang said, "First, we'll gather information to determine your location, security arrangements, and operational patterns. Then the main force will arrive."

"How did they get their wounds?" Su Qing asked.

“It could be one of our people,” Chen Meng said. “The base has deployed sentries around the film studio. If these people trigger the alarm, the sentries might take action to probe.”

Yang Zhan nodded: "Chen Meng, contact the base and confirm whether there was any conflict this morning."

A few minutes later, Chen Meng returned, his expression grave.

"Two sentries stationed at the southeast corner of the film and television base lost contact. When the emergency response team arrived, they only found signs of a struggle; the sentries were gone."

The temperature in the room dropped sharply.

"Both sentries are skilled."

Li Su's voice tightened, "To be able to take them down so quietly, the other party is no ordinary person."

“It wasn’t Shen Qianshan,” Yang Zhan said definitively. “If Shen Qianshan were to make a move, he wouldn’t leave anyone alive, nor would he simply take them away.”

He looked at Jiang Nian: "The organization's actions are faster than we anticipated. They've already infiltrated."

Jiang Nian was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, "Can that building see our current film studio?"

Yang Zhan was taken aback, then understood what he meant: "Yes. The angle is better."

"So they knew we had moved the venue."

Jiang Nian said, "They know which studio I'm in and their route of movement."

He paused, then looked up: "Then let them see."

"What do you want to do?" Yang Zhan frowned.

"acting."

Jiang Nian smiled and said, "Now that the audience is all in place, it would be a disservice to their tickets if we didn't put on a good show."

Filming continued in the afternoon.

Jiang Nian was completely absorbed in her work, as if the earlier incident had never happened.

The corridor scene between him and Lin Wan went exceptionally smoothly, and they got it right in just two takes.

Director Zhang Yi was very satisfied and specially moved the end time of the afternoon by an hour.

"Jiang Nian, you're in such great shape today." Zhang Yi couldn't help but say as they finished work. "If I hadn't known you were injured, I wouldn't have believed it."

"I've got the hang of it." Jiang Nian smiled. "Director, tomorrow's scene..."

"Tomorrow we'll be filming the hospital at night, and you'll have a monologue scene on the rooftop."

Zhang Yi looked through the plan. "But with your leg like this, the rooftop performance will probably have to be changed."

“No need to change it,” Jiang Nian said. “The rooftop scene is very important; changing it will ruin its essence. I can film it.”

"But……"

"I used a stunt double to move around, and I filmed close-ups."

Jiang Nian said, "Find a body double with a similar build, wear the same clothes, and shoot from behind and in the distance. All my shots are taken from a wheelchair, and then edited in post-production."

Zhang Yi's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! I'll have the assistant director find a stunt double right away!"

The convoy returning to the hotel was much tighter than when it arrived.

The three vehicles became five, with two escort vehicles in front and two in the back.

Yang Zhan and Jiang Nian sat in the back of the middle car, Li Su was driving, and Wang Chuang was in the passenger seat.

The bulletproof glass in the car windows was tinted, making it impossible to see inside from the outside.

"Have the people in that building been evacuated?" Jiang Nian asked.

“They’ve withdrawn.” Yang Zhan looked at the surveillance footage on the tablet. “Zhao Qing deployed miniature sensors along their withdrawal route, tracking them out of the film and television base and into a black van with a fake license plate.”

"Can you keep up?"

"I followed him for three blocks, and then he got lost under the Jiefang Road overpass."

Yang Zhan shook his head. "The other side is very professional. They used signal jamming and multiple line switching techniques."

"However, Chen Lu stuck a tracker on their car, and now the signal is stuck at the secondhand market in the west of the city."

“The flea market,” Jiang Nian murmured, “is a mixed bag, a good place to hide.”

"The base has already sent people over there."

Yang Zhan said, "But I doubt we'll catch anyone. If the organization dared to use that place as a temporary base, they must have a well-thought-out evacuation plan."

The car drove into the hotel's underground parking garage.

The elevator goes directly to the suite floor.

In the corridor, Zhao Qing and Zhou Yan were already standing guard on both sides.

"What's the situation?" Yang Zhan asked.

"everything is normal."

Zhao Qing replied, "We checked the entire floor and found nothing unusual. Lin Wei and Chen Lu are doing a final check in their room."

The suite door was open, and Lin Wei was using a device to scan every corner of the living room.

Chen Lu was inspecting the ventilation openings and air conditioning ducts.

"The drinking water and food have been tested and are safe."

Jiang Nian was ushered into the room, and Su Qing helped him take off his coat and change into comfortable home clothes.

Yang Zhan called a meeting with everyone in the living room.

"Everyone is aware of the situation today."

He stood in front of the whiteboard, on which a simplified map of the film and television base and several key locations had been drawn. "The organization has already infiltrated."

"Their modus operandi has changed."

Li Su said, "In the past, it was a direct assault; now it's reconnaissance and infiltration. This shows that they are also assessing the risks and don't want to pay too high a price."

“Because Advisor Jiang injured Shen Qianshan last time,” Wang Chuang continued. “The organization knows that Advisor Jiang is not easy to deal with, so they are being even more cautious.”

Yang Zhan drew a circle on the whiteboard: "Filming the rooftop scene tomorrow is a risky point. The rooftop is high and has a wide view, but the escape route is limited. If the organization wants to take action, tomorrow is an opportunity."

“We can cancel the rooftop performance,” Su Qing said.

“No.” Jiang Nian pushed the wheelchair out of the bedroom. “This scene is very important and cannot be canceled. Moreover, if we change the plan because we are afraid, it will only show that we are guilty.”

“But it’s too dangerous.” Chen Meng frowned.

“Danger exists everywhere,” Jiang Nian said calmly. “Aren’t hotels dangerous? Aren’t roads dangerous? Aren’t film crews dangerous? Unless I stay in the base forever, the risk will always exist.”

He looked at Yang Zhan: "Instructor Yang, if it were you, would you have taken action on the rooftop?"

Yang Zhan pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "No. The rooftop may seem like an easy place to strike, but it's actually a trap. It's too high up; once surrounded, there's nowhere to escape."

"Moreover, there are many people and eyes on the film crew, making it difficult to evacuate after a fight."

“But what if they don’t intend to capture them alive?” Zhao Qing suddenly asked.

The room fell silent.

"What do you mean?" Zhou Yan asked.

“What if the organization’s goal isn’t to capture Advisor Jiang and bring him back, but rather,” Zhao Qing paused, “to eliminate him?”

"impossible."

Wang Chuang immediately retorted, "The organization went to so much trouble just to kill Advisor Jiang? What about the key? What about the Guixu plan?"

What if there's more than one key?

Zhao Qing looked at everyone and said, "What if Consultant Jiang isn't the only key, but one of the candidates? The base still has Zero, doesn't it?"

This speculation sent chills down everyone's spine.

“If Jiang Nian isn’t the only key, then the organization’s strategy makes sense. Try to capture him first, and if you can’t, destroy the key. We can’t let it fall into our hands.”

"So tomorrow..." Su Qing's voice trembled slightly.

"Tomorrow will be even more dangerous."

Yang Zhan turned around. "If they came here to kill, their methods would be more direct and ruthless." (End of Chapter)