Reborn Action Star: Starting in Hollywood

On the other side of the dune, Depp lay on his back, clutching his buttocks, a blissful smile on his face.

Beside him was his tender and loving fiancée, who cared for him with concern.

When an older man marries a younger woman, the man tends to show a fatherly affection in their relationship.

It's only right that the man should take care of the woman more, since he's the one who enjoyed her youth.

But at this moment, Depp discovered that he had become the one being taken care of.

Compared to the humiliation and frustration of the last time, this moment is like heaven and earth, it's like reaching the pinnacle of life.

More than ten meters away, Meng Tao shrugged helplessly: "I've known Depp for so long, and I've never seen him act like that. It's hard to imagine that the man who was once the worst slacker in Hollywood could have such an innocent side."

He was speaking in Chinese, which was an encrypted call for Depp and Amber Heard, so there was no need to worry about them being overheard.

Lin Yuan replied with a smile, "Originally, I wasn't too optimistic about their marriage. Amber Heard was too ambitious, and Depp couldn't handle her. But after what happened today, perhaps they will have a better future."

“My Scarlett is still better.”

"You guys, do you even need to compare yourselves to each other?" Lin Yuan laughed and scolded, "You're all old cows eating young grass, no wonder you're birds of a feather."

After the sinking of the Virginia, Meng Tao made up his mind to marry Scarlett.

Lin Yuan was delighted to see his two friends get married again, so he was doing his best to create the conditions for them.

This matter may have caused a slight delay today, but the outcome has been better.

"Let's go, they have enough time, we have to get moving."

Meng Tao patted Lin Yuan on the shoulder, and the two walked together toward Depp and Amber Heard.

“Although you have already been given antivenom, we still need to send you back to the hospital for further examination and treatment,” Meng Tao said.

"No need, I'm fine now. I can definitely continue with you all, so don't hold back the filming," Depp declined.

"Don't be careless. If there are any residual neurotoxins, that could be an incurable disease," Meng Tao warned again.

The venom of the Central Asian viper has both blood-clotting and neurotoxin effects.

If any neurotoxins remain, it can cause long-term, or even lifelong, neuralgia.

This kind of nerve pain is like burning, cutting, or sometimes like being stabbed by countless needles. It won't kill you, but it's extremely torturous, and there's no cure. It will accompany the patient for life.

If someone in your family has had shingles and delayed treatment, resulting in postherpetic neuralgia, you'll know very well how painful that is.

Depp knew this, but he still insisted, "It's okay, the toxins should be mostly cleared out. I can feel it myself, there's no need to waste time on this."

"You're not afraid of delaying the filming..." Meng Tao suddenly seemed to have guessed something: "You're afraid of delaying your desert wedding with Amber, aren't you?"

Depp was speechless for a moment, and a suspicious blush rose on his wheat-colored skin.

Amber Heard, standing to the side, lowered her head unusually, her fingers unconsciously tugging at Depp's clothes, her ear tips turning bright red.

In the midst of this sweet silence, Meng Tao suddenly said seriously, "But you need to think carefully. Amber was just blown away by the storm. Although she doesn't appear to be injured, she still needs a full check-up, especially to see if there's any inhalation damage to her lungs."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Depp, waking him up.

He turned sharply to Amber, his blue eyes filled with worry: "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

“I can only feel some scratches myself,” Amber replied hesitantly, not entirely sure.

“Let’s go back.” Depp made the decision without hesitation, reaching out to firmly grasp Amber’s hand.

His eyes were firm as he turned to Meng Tao: "Arrange her return trip now; she must undergo the best possible examination."

"Is the journey back to the city safe?" Depp asked with some concern.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have Saragamar escort you back,” Lin Yuan said. “Don’t be scared by today’s storm; it should just be an accident. We’ve only been gone for a little over a day and aren’t far from the base.”

Even if an accident does occur, you can get immediate help by dialing a satellite phone.

Depp nodded: "I'll be back as soon as possible."

"Don't rush, check everything carefully. We'll need to do some pre-production work after we arrive at the filming location. The entire filming process will take about two months, so arriving a week late is no problem at all," Lin Yuan reassured him.

Depp said no more and obediently nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go back to the convoy. There’s still a lot to do after the storm.” Meng Tao was the first to climb onto a camel.

Lin Yuan helped Depp and Amber Heard get on a camel, and the entire rescue team returned safely.

……

……

Depp and Amber Heard returned in a military truck, escorted by Saragamar.

The SUV with its windshield smashed was also marked, awaiting retrieval by the base's logistics personnel.

The remaining crew members continued on their way to their destination.

The journey remained difficult, with sand entering many spare fuel tanks after the sandstorm.

But Meng Tao immediately proposed a solution:

Using actors' prop wigs, sand particles in diesel fuel are filtered out; nylon fibers can intercept impurities with a particle size >0.3mm.

Immediately after Luo Ri, they arrived at a blind spot where GPS signals were lost. Meng Tao skillfully took out a sextant and observed the angles of the three stars of Orion's Belt. Within an error of ±2 kilometers, he found the correct road.

Starting on the third day, the crew's schedule went smoothly, and they easily passed through the area where salt crusts and ice slush mixed.

Even though they had to detour 310 kilometers south to bypass the quicksand area, they did not encounter any major difficulties.

The minor troubles I encounter are not a hassle; they can be resolved with a little effort.

For example, on the fourth day, the slope of the sand dunes reached 38 degrees.

The Jeep lacked power and had to be towed by a truck winch, which made it take 45 minutes to travel 1 kilometer and greatly increased fuel consumption.

On the sixth night, the temperature dropped sharply, causing the oil in the transmission to freeze.

The logistics staff had to inject 75% medical alcohol to lower the freezing point, but this caused corrosion of the rubber seals.

In short, these are all minor issues.

On the eighth day of their journey, the crew finally completed the arduous 560-kilometer march and officially arrived at the filming location—the Weilu Lake Ruins at 38°57'06"N, 83°45'33"E. As the wheels of the last Dongfeng military truck rolled over the dry riverbed of the Keriya River, cheers erupted from the walkie-talkies.

Director George Miller jumped out of the car, his pupils slightly contracting behind his goggles.

What unfolded before him was a doomsday theater meticulously designed by the Creator:

The Dragon Scale Sand Dunes truly live up to their name. In winter, the northwest winds cut the sand grains into reverse-bladed shapes, stretching and undulating like the spine of a giant beast.

Under the sunlight, the surface of the sand dunes reflects a metallic sheen, perfectly matching the concept design of "Blade Runner" in Mad Max: Fury Road.

These five-meter-tall "blood crystals" stand scattered about; they must be the Ice Blood Stone Forest, right? Director Miller immediately realized that these were the bloodthirsty totems worshipped by the followers of "Immortal Joe."

Not far away is a narrow valley called "Ghost Cry Valley," where the fierce wind whistles loudly against the rock walls.

Director Miller nodded in approval, saying, "This doesn't need any post-production sound effects! Just record it straight out of the theater and it'll sound like hellish screams!"

While everyone was still immersed in the natural wonder, Meng Tao led his staff forward and lifted the giant blackout cloth that had been prepared in advance.

A steel fortress constructed from abandoned oil derricks, tank wreckage, and photovoltaic panels has come into view.

This pre-built "Immortal Joe's Lair" cleverly utilizes the cliff face of an ancient riverbed:

The main structure consists of twelve oil pipelines, each 1.8 meters in diameter, inserted at an angle into the ground, forming a natural support with the weathered rock layer.

To recreate the energy system from the movie, Meng Tao used 3000 mirror-finished stainless steel plates to form a parabolic concentrator, focusing sunlight onto the central distillation tower.

This is the core device used in the movie to extract the "water of life".

In the base's defensive fortifications, Meng Tao modified a discarded tunnel boring machine cutterhead into a rotating gate, which resembled a giant underground worm growing a set of steel fangs, giving people a great sense of oppression.

"This is real post-apocalyptic aesthetics!" Director Miller exclaimed excitedly, "The models we built in the Australian studio looked like children's building blocks!"

Not only was director Miller overwhelmed with excitement, but the crew members who accompanied him were equally thrilled.

Many of them had experienced filming the first three Mad Max movies.

Everyone has their own ideas and understanding of creating a wasteland aesthetic.

At first, many members of the crew didn't say it aloud, but they complained a lot in their hearts:
Wouldn't it be better to film in Australia?
Why travel thousands of miles, across the ocean, to the far northwest of China, to film in a little-known (for them) desolate place?

The arduous eight-day journey, in particular, amplified their complaints.

The reason they haven't openly expressed their dissatisfaction is entirely out of respect for director Miller, and out of respect and recognition for Lin Yuan.

But at this moment, when the natural conditions of the filming location and the set built by Meng Tao appeared before the crew members, everyone felt that it was all worthwhile:
"I made three Mad Max movies, and this time I felt a passion that was different from before."

"Who hasn't made three movies? I feel this one is bound to be a huge hit!"

"Do I need to tell you? Wasn't the movie Lin Yuan starred in a huge hit?"

"Everyone says Lin Yuan is meticulous in film production, willing to put in ten times the effort if it can enhance the effect by even a little. After this trip and seeing the set in front of me, I am truly impressed!"

"I feel full of energy, and countless ideas have popped into my head. I want to put them into practice right away."

The entire crew was overjoyed, and the fatigue from eight days of arduous marching vanished.

The crew members, whose morale was instantly boosted, couldn't wait to get to work.

Meng Tao clapped his hands with a smile and said, "I know everyone is eager to show their skills."

But sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood; right now, everyone's primary goal should be to settle down as soon as possible.

Let's rest and recharge today, and we can officially begin filming tomorrow.

"Coach Meng, we don't need to rest! We can immediately get into battle," one of the top players shouted.

"Huh? Where did this scab come from? Is he really going to betray his comrades like this? Find this guy right now!" Meng Tao teased with a smile.

There was a burst of laughter, and the air was filled with a joyful atmosphere, but no one actually pulled out the "King of Curry".

Because that's what many people really think.

"Even if you want to work your butts off, you won't get that chance today. You have to get some rest!"

"I'll have the support staff take you to your respective lounges and put your belongings away. We'll have a barbecue celebration party later," Meng Tao said with a smile.

Immediately afterwards, the logistics staff came forward and divided the crew members into different groups, taking them to their respective accommodations.

GAKKI-chan quietly followed and took charge of the logistics.

Once the crew members had all left, Meng Tao waved to Lin Yuan, Charlize Theron, and director Miller, signaling them to follow him.

The group rode camels westward along the rock wall of the base, rounded two sand dunes, and arrived at a huge "gantry crane" support.

On the "gantry crane support", a huge metal cage was hanging, and below it was a piece of sand that looked extremely loose.

"What is this?" Director Miller asked in surprise.

"This is the first action scene, filmed at the quicksand fighting arena," Meng Tao explained.

As the director, George Miller was certainly very clear about the plot.

The quicksand fighting arena is a very important scene in the movie, and it is also the location where the inhumane life-and-death struggle is depicted in the context of the apocalypse.

According to the plot, Lin Yuan will engage in a thrilling life-or-death battle with Immortal Joe's ace henchman in the quicksand fighting arena.

"Let me tell you about this location; I have a feeling it's going to be pretty weird," Lin Yuan said with a smile.

"Of course it's perverted! You wouldn't even look at the parts that aren't perverted, because you're a super pervert yourself!" Meng Tao retorted.

Despite his complaints, Meng Tao remained confident afterward and said:
"During the duel, both actors will enter the cage, and then the iron cage on the gantry crane will slowly sink."

"The area directly below the gantry crane is an underground salt lake left over from an ancient ocean, with a 30-meter-thick layer of quicksand covering the lakebed. The sand grains formed the quicksand lake due to the dissolution of underground salt, with a water content of 32% and a density of 1.2 g/cm³."

“Once the iron cage is placed on the sand layer, the sand layer inside the cage rises by 0.4 meters per minute.”

"The protagonist and his enemies fight in an iron cage that is constantly being swallowed by quicksand, which brings a deadly sense of pressure, like a time bomb counting down!"

Director Miller immediately understood the highlight: "And during the fight, the two will keep sinking. They have to overcome the obstacles of the sand! That's another major attraction!"

Meng Tao nodded: "That's not all! Look at this!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a huge plume of white steam erupted from the ground not far away… (End of Chapter)