Reborn Action Star: Starting in Hollywood

“There are three potential traps on our journey. You must be very careful, or you will be in big trouble,” Meng Tao said solemnly.

"The first type is the salt-alkali barbed wire. The exposed salt-alkali land between the dunes is frozen into jagged crystals, which are hard and dense like a barbed wire that can easily pierce through the tires of off-road vehicles. Therefore, we must stop driving after the light conditions drop before sunset to avoid accidentally entering the salt-alkali barbed wire."

Everyone nodded after hearing Meng Tao's introduction.

Nighttime driving offers poor visibility, and getting a punctured tire can be a real problem.

In the middle of the desert, it was truly a dilemma.

But such a trap would at most cause some trouble, but it wouldn't bring any fatal danger. Everyone waited quietly for Meng Tao to continue.

"The second type is what locals call a frost trap. It mainly affects the surface of the sand layer, where frost hardens overnight, forming a seemingly safe crust. When the weight exceeds 300 kg, the frost layer will suddenly break, trapping the vehicle in quicksand, and the vehicle may be quickly swallowed up," Meng Tao said.

Upon hearing about the second type of trap, everyone's expressions turned serious.

If the previous salt-and-alkali barbed wire only caused some trouble by puncturing tires, then frost traps would be deadly.

Lin Yuan imagined the scene unfold: one moment the vehicle seemed to be moving steadily, and the next moment it suddenly lurched.

Quicksand swept in from all directions, causing vehicles to continuously sink downwards.

The people inside the car panicked and tried to escape, only to find that the sand had completely blocked the doors, making it impossible to open them and escape.

This situation is indeed very disheartening.

But this doesn't seem to be the most dangerous situation?
Meng Tao continued, "The third type is the most dangerous, which locals call ice sand vortexes. This occurs in areas with abundant groundwater. Underground water veins form ice crystal grids in the low-temperature environment, making the surface appear very natural at first glance."

However, this balance is very fragile. Once the underground support collapses due to the heavy pressure, a spiral quicksand depression with a diameter of more than 100 meters may even appear on the surface.

The sand spun counter-clockwise like a mixer, making escape even more difficult; it only took 47 seconds to engulf an LC79 SUV.

Scarlett Johansson slapped Meng Tao in annoyance: "That's terrible, you're just trying to scare us with these dangerous situations."

Meng Tao shrugged helplessly: "I'm talking about real dangers."

Lin Yuan said nonchalantly, "I know, I know."

“Aren’t you worried? Is Meng Tao exaggerating?” Charlize Theron asked.

"There's definitely no exaggeration, but there's no need to worry. Meng Tao must have made thorough preparations, otherwise he wouldn't have let the crew set off at all." Lin Yuan knew Meng Tao all too well.

Once he confirmed the filming location, he plunged headlong into the Taklamakan Desert in Northwest China.

In just over a month, he has been going in and out many times.

Lin Yuan believed that Meng Tao's preparations were flawless, from the route and equipment to various contingency plans.

He had absolute trust in Meng Tao.

"Is what Lin Yuan said true? Can you really handle it?" Johnny Depp asked skeptically.

To be honest, he was a little startled just now.

If he were filming alone, he would dare to go with Lin Yuan no matter how dangerous it was.

Even during the Virginia's cliff break at sea incident, Lin Yuan managed to bring them to safety, demonstrating Depp's complete trust in Lin Yuan.

But this time, he was with his fiancée Amber Heard, and he really didn't want any unexpected incidents to happen.

"You call yourself a good brother, but you don't trust me at all," Meng Tao complained. "My job is to ensure you arrive at the filming location safely and complete the filming mission smoothly. How can you not trust my professionalism?"

“I know you’re very professional, but we’ve encountered our share of dangers in the past.”

Depp stopped talking as he was speaking, because he saw Meng Tao clench his fists.

"Don't worry, everyone, we will complete the filming mission safely," Lin Yuan said, taking over the conversation.

Although it was just a very ordinary formality, as soon as Lin Yuan spoke, everyone suddenly felt more confident, and their unease was dispelled.

At this point, director Miller raised his hand and said, "I'm sure that filming Mad Max: Fury Road will be incredibly legendary. I want to follow the example of 'Legendary Road' and document the filming process to see if it can be made into a movie later."

"Give it a try, but don't have too high expectations. Actually, I'd prefer it to be edited into behind-the-scenes footage rather than a full-fledged movie," Lin Yuan replied with a smile.

Lin Yuan was quite conflicted about director Miller's idea.

He certainly hopes that making one movie can produce two movies, which would not only save time but also double the money-making effect.

But the price...

Thinking about the thrilling experiences during the filming of "The King of Spies 2" that allowed "The Road to Legend" to stand alone as a documentary, Lin Yuan decided to give up on that idea.

Hopefully, this filming trip will be safe.

At this moment, the Boeing 747 finally came to a stop on the runway.

Next, the crew members got off the plane and were immediately warmly received by the local government.

There's nothing he can do; given Lin Yuan's current status, he can't keep a low profile even if he wants to.

Moreover, the filming also requires support from the local government.

Thus, another unavoidable banquet ensued, which will be omitted from this discussion.

……

……

The Mad Max: Fury Road crew rested for two nights in Ansar before heading to their starting point at the Tarim Oil Base in Kel City to adjust to the time difference.

When the bus carrying the film crew arrived at the starting point, everyone realized how thorough Meng Tao's preparations had been.

The parking lot was packed with 30 SUVs, along with mountains of supplies. To everyone's surprise, there was also a large herd of... camels...

"This smell is a bit strong!" Amber Heard said, covering her nose.

It is well known that places where livestock congregate in large numbers must have a truly tantalizing aroma.

Meng Tao said with a smile, "Just bear with it. These guys are essential partners for us."

“Explain? I don’t quite understand.” Amber pointed to the 30 SUVs in the distance and asked, “I just counted, there are 14 Mitsubishi Pajeros, 9 Ford Jeeps, and 7 more…”

“Seven Dongfeng military trucks,” Meng Tao said, knowing she didn’t recognize Dongfeng.

“Well, what I mean is, we already have 30 off-road vehicles, why do we still need camels? If we need to load cargo, can’t we get a few more vehicles?” Amber Heard wasn’t questioning Meng Tao, but rather humbly seeking his advice.

In this respect, she truly demonstrated an active drive to climb the ladder at all times.

Meng Tao knew that this wasn't just a question Amber wanted to know; Scarlett, Charlize, director Miller, and others were also puzzled. So he explained, "In today's technologically advanced world, off-road vehicles and modern equipment certainly provide strong support for desert exploration, but camel caravans are still widely used, especially among professional expeditions and local people."

This is not out of tradition or sentimentality, but because camels have irreplaceable practical advantages in the desert environment.

"First is the ability to adapt to the climate. Camels can adapt perfectly to both extremely cold and extremely hot environments, but cars are prone to engine overheating or freezing oil and breaking down."

"Secondly, there's the huge difference in terrain traversal capabilities. If the ground is slightly softer or the sand dunes are steeper, we can only rely on camel herds. Have you considered what to do if the off-road vehicle gets stuck in a sand pit?"

“Use another vehicle to pull it out…” Scarlett said halfway before immediately realizing something was wrong.

If a vehicle gets stuck in a sand pit, it means the sand in that area is very loose. If you try to pull it out with another vehicle, it's very likely that the vehicle will also get stuck.

So she asked curiously, "Did you pull it out with camels? Won't the camels get stuck?"

"No, camels' large feet mean that the pressure they exert when walking on soft sand is only 10 kPa. Since vehicles have encountered problems, the camel herd is the main force," Meng Tao explained to his fiancée with a smile.

Women are more adorable when they're a little silly; otherwise, they'll never have the chance to show off.

After hearing Meng Tao's explanation, Scarlett looked at him with admiration, which satisfied his male pride once again.

“But won’t the camels slow down the whole caravan?” Amber asked.

"No, under normal circumstances, a camel can carry 150 kg and travel about 60 km a day. I selected the strongest camels, which can ensure a daily travel of 70 km, which is almost the same speed as the convoy in the desert," Meng Tao explained.

Even off-road vehicles can only travel 70 kilometers a day...

Everyone could already imagine how difficult this journey would be.

"During the expedition, camels and vehicles are not an 'either/or' choice, but rather complementary," Meng Tao summarized.

"Coach Meng is awesome!" Lin Yuan led the applause.

Everyone joined in the applause.

Meng Tao rolled his eyes in annoyance and said, "Stop making a fuss, let me tell you about the upcoming itinerary."

Upon hearing this, everyone perked up.

"Our starting point is the Tarim Oil Base in KEL City, which is the only resupply point within a 300-kilometer radius where a large convoy can gather. The destination is the Weilu Lake Ruins, a total distance of 560 kilometers, and the journey is expected to take 8 days," Meng Tao said.

"It really is 70 kilometers a day," Depp said belatedly.

"As planned, on the first day we traveled southeast along National Highway 218 to WL County, a total of 92 kilometers. Some of the roads were paved, but many were covered by snow."

"On the 2nd and 3rd, we entered the edge of the desert from WL County and advanced southwest along the dried-up ancient Peacock River channel. The entire journey was 160 kilometers long and required crossing the salt crust zone and the mixed zone of ice and sand."

“第4-8日，是最难走的一段路，我们从N40°12' E86°48'，向正西穿越流动沙丘区。这段路程直线距离178公里，实际迂回行进达310公里。”

“It sounds daunting, but this route is probably the safest one you’ve ever explored, right?” Depp asked.

“Yes, this route is safer,” Meng Tao replied. “Now that we’ve confirmed everything is in order, let’s get ready to go. Everyone, please choose your vehicles.”

The guide's vehicle was at the front, and there were mechanics and others in the car.

Meng Tao, Scarlett Johansson, Depp, and Amber Heard were in a car, in second place in the team.

Lin Yuan, on the other hand, was driving a Mitsubishi Pajero in third place in the convoy, with only GAKKI and Charlize Theron in the car.

Then the crew members lined up one by one to get into the vehicles.

For this filming trip, Lin Yuan once again brought five security personnel, led by Saraga, who had obtained temporary firearms permits from the local government.

Security personnel rode in Dongfeng military vehicles carrying supplies, positioned at the rear of the convoy, serving as escorts.

In short, with everything prepared, the convoy began its journey toward its destination—the Weilu Lake Ruins.

……

The first day's journey went very smoothly, with the convoy encountering no unexpected incidents and arriving at the campsite as planned before sunset.

As the sun sets over the desert, the entire sky is ablaze with the colors of Van Gogh's "Starry Night"—dark blue and orange-red splashes of light are painted between the clouds, the ridges of the dunes are gilded with liquid gold, and the snow-covered national highway meanders to the horizon like a silver snake.

As the last rays of sunlight disappeared below the horizon, the mercury column in the thermometer visibly sank, and the cold wind swept snowflakes across the bare branches of the poplar trees, producing an ethereal echo like a chime.

However, the convoy had contingency plans in place for nighttime conditions.

Dongfeng trucks formed a sheltered harbor around the outermost circle.

Then there were the off-road vehicles in the inner circle and a herd of up to 70 camels, which together formed a solid and reliable camp.

In the center of the camp, a bonfire blazed with flames two meters high. Meng Tao took a whole marinated Tarim lamb out of his camel saddlebag and placed it on the rotating grill.

Sparks flew as oil dripped into the fire, filling the air with the aroma of cumin, chili powder, and cedar charcoal.

Scarlett Johansson tore off a piece of lamb chop, stuffed it into her mouth, and her mouth was filled with delicious meat juices.

"Wow! You're amazing! This is so much more satisfying than an American-style dinner! Honey, you're incredible at everything you do!"

Praised by his fiancée, Meng Tao became even more motivated.

Men should be praised more; the more praise they receive, the more confident and attractive they become.

At this moment, Meng Tao is in high spirits, a stark contrast to his previous dejected state.

Depp, on the other hand, presented a completely different picture.

He painstakingly used tongs to turn the tandoor potatoes, finally managing to get the aroma of caramelized potatoes mixed with the sweetness of jujube branches. However, his tanned face proved that he was not good at it, but he had definitely tried his best.

When he offered the potatoes to Amber in a conciliatory manner, she said with some disdain, "I don't like this stuff, it's easy to choke on. I'd rather go get some of Coach Meng's grilled meat."

After saying that, she got up and walked towards Meng Tao.

Depp was left sitting there, stunned.

Lin Yuan walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and sat down: "What's wrong? Did you get the short end of the stick?"

Depp nodded somewhat dejectedly: "This is the first time I've felt women are so difficult to deal with. Lin Yuan, you're the most experienced in this area, could you give me some pointers?"

"Don't say that. When it comes to women, I'm nowhere near as good as you," Lin Yuan said, looking at Charlize not far away.

"Quantity doesn't matter, quality is key. Tell me, what kind of men do women actually like?" It's rare to see a seasoned player like Depp so perplexed.

Lin Yuan said with a smile, "Women like men who are rich and powerful."

"Does it mean you're rich? Am I not rich enough?" Depp asked, puzzled. (End of Chapter)