Reborn Action Star: Starting in Hollywood

"Good morning, did you sleep well last night?" Lin Yuan greeted him with a smile.

Director Miller shook his head: "Saying I didn't sleep well sounds a bit delicate, but the howling wind last night was really unfriendly to an old man like me who sleeps very lightly."

"It was my fault for not doing my job properly, and I'm already making up for it. When the second wave of supplies arrives, it will bring sound-absorbing cotton, which will help a lot when it's pasted on the inner walls of the containers." Meng Tao walked over with two cups of strong coffee, handing one of them to Director Miller.

Clearly, Meng Tao hadn't slept well either, and he started injecting caffeine into his veins early in the morning.

"What's wrong? You can't sleep well either?" Lin Yuan asked.

"It's like sleeping in an airport, with high-decibel whistling all night long," Meng Tao said helplessly. "Lin Yuan, what about you?"

"Me?" Lin Yuan gave an embarrassed smile. "If I said I slept soundly until dawn, would that be too much to ask?"

"F*CK!"*2
Director Miller and Meng Tao both expressed their disdain.

However, their worries lessened somewhat as they complained.

Today we're starting to film the action scene in the quicksand fighting arena. Even though director Miller doesn't fully understand the dangers involved, he's still very worried.

Knowing that Lin Yuan had a good rest was definitely good news.

“Let’s go have breakfast. I specially asked the chef to make a lavish breakfast this morning. Maybe this will be your last meal,” Meng Tao said, putting his arm around Lin Yuan’s shoulder.

"Damn it! Can't you say something nice?"

"Don't you understand the principle that speaking your mind is harmless, and setting a negative flag is actually a positive buff?"

"But don't you know? A jinx can often come true."

"Anyway, I won't be the one fighting tooth and nail in the next round!"

Watching Lin Yuan and Meng Tao walk arm in arm toward the restaurant, talking indiscriminately.

Director Miller was also dumbfounded:

Is it really okay to say that?
But... daring to joke about this... suggests that the danger today shouldn't be too great... right?

……

……

At midday in the desert, the sun hangs high in the sky, and the air is filled with a mixture of smells of engine oil, rust, and blood.

The "flesh and blood cage" built by the crew swayed slightly in the wind and sand, with four thick iron chains hanging down from the towering gantry crane, locking a huge iron cage.

The cages were covered with bloody raw meat—camel legs, wolf entrails, and even a few deliberately aged mannequin limbs—which emitted a nauseatingly sweet and fishy smell under the high temperature.

In the story, this is a "reward" for the winner, but it also makes the blood and flesh cage seem particularly cruel and evil.

Around the filming location, nearly a hundred crew members have taken their positions and are carrying out pre-filming preparations in an orderly manner.

The team that filmed "Mad Max: Fury Road" was mostly from director Miller's crew, and this was their first time working with Lin Yuan.

Such a collaborative opportunity is extremely valuable to each of them.

On the one hand, it will add a significant chapter to their personal resumes: after all, they are people who have participated in the filming of Lin Yuan's movies.

On the other hand, being able to collaborate with Lin Yuan on an action movie was an unforgettable experience for them.

Old Bill, the photographer, carrying his Steadicam, squinted at the iron cage in the distance, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"This place is even more sinister than the scene I imagined after reading the script."

He adjusted the camera, capturing the iron cage swaying slightly in the wind, with bloody chunks of flesh constantly shaking, and below, churning quicksand, like a hungry giant mouth waiting to devour the flesh and blood of the defeated.

"But the filming effect is absolutely chilling! I bet viewers will instinctively feel fear when they see this fighting arena."

Production assistant Kate immediately nodded in agreement: "I'm increasingly convinced that the decision to film in the Taklamakan Desert was incredibly wise. We simply couldn't find a filming location like this in Australia."

The quicksand here feels like the esophagus of the desert, constantly writhing and craving flesh and blood—it's truly bizarre!

Director Miller stood behind the monitor, his expression grave.

"This is exactly the kind of 'I could die at any moment' pressure I wanted."

But this is just the feeling I want; I don't want anything unexpected to actually happen.

No one except the actors filming is allowed near the quicksand area!

"Understood, Director!" came the crew's unanimous reply from the intercom.

Faced with such an environment, even without director Miller saying much, everyone dared not let their guard down.

"By the way, how's Ryan's preparation going?" Director Miller asked.

"I'm putting on makeup now, it should be almost done," Meng Tao replied.

The moment director Miller finished asking his question, the noise on set suddenly froze.

A heavy metallic scraping sound came from the direction of the dressing room, like some ancient behemoth dragging chains.

The ground trembled rhythmically, and the scattered screws bounced slightly on the sand.

"Thump. Thump. Thump."

The footsteps grew closer, and director Miller suddenly felt a moment of darkness before his eyes—a huge figure blocked the sunlight.

Actor Ryan Crowther, or rather, Bloodfang Gam, walked up to director Miller.

His character in the show is named Bloodfang Gam, the strongest fighter among Immortal Joe's men.

In Old Norse, "Blógarmr" means "blood" or "blood tooth," and "Garmr" is the name of the Nordic hellhound.

There are only wrong names, not wrong nicknames.

Being called "Bloodfang Gam" speaks volumes about the character's strength in the series, and he is also the first life-or-death enemy Lin Yuan faces.

Actor Ryan Crowther perfectly portrayed the imposing presence of "Bloodfang Gam":
His 2.25-meter-tall frame almost filled everyone's field of vision, and his modified military boots left three-centimeter-deep dents in the sand with every step he took.

His entire body was covered in a rusty metal exoskeleton, with six titanium alloy pillars extending from the back of his neck to his tailbone, and each joint protruding with a row of wolf-tooth-like barbs.

The hydraulic device implanted in the neck made a "hissing-clicking" mechanical sound with each breath.

Bloodfang Gam turned to the crew members and asked in a cold, mechanical voice, "Are you waiting for the incarnation of death to descend?"

"Boom!"

Under his gaze, the art director subconsciously took a half step back, knocking over the equipment box.

“F*CK! What kind of bloodthirsty beast is this?” photographer Old Bill exclaimed.

Director Miller rubbed his hands together in satisfaction: "Perfect...this is the murder weapon I wanted. Use this feeling to act it out in a bit!"

"I also think it's great, the sense of oppression is top-notch."

At this moment, Lin Yuan walked over with a smile.

Upon seeing Lin Yuan's arrival, the usually domineering "Bloodfang Gam" immediately straightened up.

"Mr. Lin Yuan, when we're filming later?" The mechanical voice carried a hint of caution.

It really doesn't match its fierce appearance.

It's not Ryan's fault, after all, that domineering and fierce appearance is just a facade; in reality, he's a huge fan of Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan said with a smile, "Give it your all during filming, don't hold back!"

"Huh?" Even though it was a mechanical voice, Lin Yuan could hear a hint of panic in it.

Ryan was genuinely worried; he knew how formidable Lin Yuan was, of course.

His exoskeleton armor is just for show, designed to reduce weight, and doesn't actually offer any protection. Today's scene mainly utilizes the internal insulation material.

If Lin Yuan were to launch a full-scale attack, would he still be able to walk off the set standing up?
“This…this…” Ryan stammered.

Seeing his expression, Lin Yuan couldn't help but laugh.

It's no wonder Ryan is worried, because action actors have to go all out when filming fight scenes in order to achieve realistic effects, and it's not uncommon for them to suffer serious injuries or even disabilities.

Lin Yuan is a formidable man who could kick Tyson away with one kick and break several of his bones. How could Ryan not be afraid?
"I'm telling you to go all out, don't hold back, otherwise it would seem fake. I'll hold back when I hit you, don't worry," Lin Yuan explained with a smile.

"That's good, that's good!" Ryan patted his chest, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

“Now that we’re all ready, let’s begin filming,” director Miller said.

"The embodiment of death is ready to slaughter!"

Having eased his worries, Ryan transformed back into Bloodfang Gam, unleashing his ferocious aura once more.

Lin Yuan and "Blood Fang Gam" stepped on specially made pressure-reducing mats and walked towards the huge iron cage suspended under the gantry crane.

Although it was winter, the temperature was still over 10 degrees Celsius under the midday sun.

Therefore, Lin Yuan, who was wearing only a single layer of clothing, did not feel very cold. Instead, he felt an overwhelming sense of heat.

Wearing a suit of heat-resistant armor, "Bloodfang Gam" felt the heat even more intensely and was even sweating.

The two quickly crossed the pressure relief mat and arrived at the iron cage.

The winch of the gantry crane is not stable, and the iron cage will sway slightly with the wind and sand. Every sway is terrifying.

"Bang!"

Lin Yuan opened the iron gate and went inside.

After Bloodfang Gam entered, he closed the cage door behind him.

"Click!"

As soon as the lock was locked again, the two immediately got into filming mode.

"All departments, prepare yourselves!"

With the director's hoarse shout of "Action!", the camera suddenly zoomed out.

The iron cage, like a rotten fruit, hung from the gantry crane. The four iron chains, as thick as pythons, were taut and made a teeth-grinding creaking sound in the wind.

The cages were covered with bloody chunks of meat: dried camel legs, wolf entrails, and even several deliberately aged "human remains," oozing thick blood plasma under the high temperature, which dripped down in thin red threads.

Inside the cage, Lin Yuan and "Blood Fang Gam" stood facing each other.

Lin Yuan's tactical vest was soaked with sweat, and he kept adjusting his center of gravity.

Bloodfang Gam's spinal exoskeleton hummed like a hydraulic pump as he deliberately stomped his feet, causing the entire cage to shake violently.

The camera continues to move upwards until it's shooting from directly above:
Through the mesh at the bottom of the iron cage, you can clearly see the swirling quicksand below, resembling a chewing mouth.

The continuous shooting of this series of shots creates a deadly sense of psychological pressure.

The camera suddenly cuts to outside the cage—

The audience of three hundred war boys erupted in inhuman screams.

Their faces were smeared with patterns of engine oil and blood, and they were banging on the "seats" welded to the tanker truck with steel pipes.

"Bloodfang Gam, I've put five bottles of purified water on you. Hurry up and crush that bug's skull!"

"Bloodfang Boss, I've bet my beloved woman! I'm going to win today!"

"Unlucky Commander Freyosa, bad luck in the draw, forced to be the opponent, betting on this outsider to win."

"But I heard that Commander Freyosa bet 100 bottles of purified water at once. If she was forced, why did she bet so heavily?"

The War Boys turned to look at Commander Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron, not far away. With her short hair, she appeared calm and showed no sign of worry.

Now, the war boys who had bet on Bloodfang Garm were starting to get worried:

"Do you guys think Bloodfang won't lose?"

"How is that possible? That outsider looks like a little chick. Bloodfang could crush him with one hand. Not to mention, he only has a single layer of clothing, while Bloodfang has an exoskeleton armor."

"But... Commander Freyosa seems to have never failed, has he?"

"..."

"Impossible! Bloodfang can't possibly lose! Today marks Commander Freyosa's first defeat!"

The audience was in an uproar.

At this moment, the camera pans to the referee.

The referee, dressed in punk rock attire, raised his hand and said, "The duel will officially begin once the iron cage is lowered onto the quicksand surface."

The iron cage will sink completely into the sand within 5 minutes as gravity pulls down.

The gantry crane will only lift the cage again if any one of you dies.

If you can't determine a winner within the time limit, then you'll both perish in the desert.

Understand? "

Lin Yuan did not answer, but nodded slightly, his eyes as cold as a knife.

"Did you hear me?" Bloodfang Gam's voice boomed from behind the metal mask, carrying the distinctive hiss of hydraulics: "You must die today. I'll make you suffer every single second!"

Before he could finish speaking, the gantry crane overhead suddenly emitted a piercing metallic wail.

The heavy iron chains began to turn, and the entire iron cage trembled violently as it sank into the sea of ​​sand.

The moment the bottom mesh of the cage touched the sand, there was complete silence; there was no loud thud as it landed.

The fine sand surged wildly through the iron mesh like a living thing, instantly submerging the two men's feet.

The suction of the quicksand made Lin Yuan feel his feet sink, but what was even more deadly was the dark shadow rushing towards him—

Bloodfang Garm moved.

This steel behemoth, over two meters tall, was now displaying ghostly agility.

The exoskeleton joints emitted a sharp whistling sound as he crashed in like an out-of-control armored vehicle, tearing through the air mixed with blood and sand with his massive, all-encompassing hands.

In Lin Yuan's pupils, the breastplate studded with bone spurs rapidly magnified, and he could even see the undried blood plasma shaking off it.

"boom!"

At the critical moment, Lin Yuan twisted his waist and spun around, using his military boots to push off the cage bars.

A razor-sharp flying kick struck the opponent squarely in the chest, the clang of metal sending chunks of flesh raining down from the cage ceiling. (End of Chapter)