Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

……

……

The scorching sun of the continent poured down without any obstruction, baking the concrete ground until it shimmered with distorted heat waves. The air was dry, carrying dust and the pungent smell of some unfamiliar plant.

Wu Jing's face was even more "exciting" than the scorching weather.

The smug smile that had been on his face at the airport, as if he held an ace in his hand, had vanished completely, replaced by a mixture of shock, panic, and utter bewilderment.

"What did you say?!"

He suddenly grabbed the arm of the assistant director, Lao Xu, who had come to report, his fingers gripping so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His voice was distorted with extreme shock, even cracking:
"Jingshan...she's gone?! Why would she leave out of the blue?!"

"Everything was fine yesterday, they said there were only a few scenes left!!"

Wu Jing felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and his head was buzzing.

He simply couldn't understand it.

The selection of the female lead for "Wolf Warrior 2" was already fraught with difficulties.

The initial choice was a mixed-race actress named Xu Jiawen, who had an excellent image and temperament and met the needs of the film.

But just as he was about to join the production team and sign the contract,

The other party, having somehow heard about the astonishingly high salaries of top-tier celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry, also made outrageous demands, proposing a salary comparable to that of a second-tier domestic celebrity.

Wu Jing was so angry she laughed, and asked the other party directly, "Why do you want such a high price?"

The other party's answer was self-righteous, even somewhat matter-of-fact: "Because your Chinese film crew is very rich."

Wu Jing nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. "Am I some kind of sucker? Do you think I have money to give you?"

His money is reserved for blowing up tanks, creating explosions, and making special effects; every penny must be used wisely, not to satisfy such outrageous demands!

Just when he was racking his brains over finding the female lead and was almost at his wit's end, things took a turn for the better.

He received a box of homemade tomato sauce as a gift from his good friend Lu Jingshan, who was on vacation abroad.

Looking at the gift, Wu Jing slapped his forehead—a mixed-race beauty, wasn't there one right in front of him?

Moreover, Lu Jingshan and he have a long history of collaboration, having made wonderful cameo appearances in "Wolf Warrior" and "Wolf Warrior 1". The two have a close personal relationship and a great understanding.

Upon learning of Wu Jing's predicament, Lu Jingshan readily agreed to come to his rescue without much hesitation.

Not only was his salary far below market price, a completely friendly price, but he also worked hard and endured hardship during filming, never complaining about the harsh conditions and intense action scenes in Feizhou.

In Wu Jing's heart, Celina Jade was simply an "angel" who brought him warmth in the snow, and one of the important forces that supported him to persevere in this unfamiliar land.

But now,
The "angel" suddenly flew away without even flapping its wings, leaving him standing there dumbfounded.

"Brother Jing, this..."

Assistant director Lao Xu looked embarrassed, hesitated to speak, and his eyes unconsciously drifted to Gu Qing, who was standing by the car not far away, looking at them curiously.

Wu Jing followed his gaze and her heart skipped a beat.

correct!

Gu Qing! This "box office lucky star" and top-tier celebrity just got off the plane; the contract hasn't even been officially signed yet.

If this sudden blow scares him away...

"Little brother, you get in the car first, it's cool inside."

Wu Jing instantly suppressed the fear in his heart, forced a relaxed smile onto his face, quickly walked back to Gu Qing's side, and patted him hard on the shoulder.

In a warm tone, he said, "I'm taking care of a little thing here, I'll be right there. Xiao Liu, hurry up and take Teacher Gu to the car to rest."

He practically coaxed and pushed Gu Qing and a bewildered Zhao Ya into the waiting SUV, and only after the door closed...

Blocked from view,
Wu Jingcai let out a long breath, his face darkening again, and dragged Lao Xu to a more distant corner.

"What exactly happened?! Explain yourself!"

Wu Jing lowered his voice, almost gritting his teeth.

Old Xu wiped the sweat from his forehead, then said with a bitter face in a low voice, "Brother Jing... Jing Shan's departure seems to be... related to Teacher Gu Qing."

"It's related to Gu Qing?!"

Wu Jing's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, his face full of disbelief. "They're completely unrelated, what could they possibly have to do with each other?! Are they enemies?"
Most actresses would be overjoyed to hear they could work with someone of Gu Qing's caliber.
Also, I remember Jing Shan also quite admires these kinds of effeminate... ugh, pretty boys who can sing and dance!

"Brother Jing, it's not that Jing Shan herself has a grudge against Teacher Gu..."

Old Xu's expression became subtle, and he lowered his voice even further, exuding a sense of mystery as if he were sharing insider secrets, "It's... her boyfriend."

"Boy friend?"

Wu Jing frowned, trying to recall, "Han...Han Geng? I know him, he used to be quite popular. What does that have to do with Gu Qing?"

He was even more confused. "Weren't they both from South Korea? They're compatriots, so they should have something in common, right?"

"Oh my Jing-ge, it's only those who came back together who are in competition!"

Old Xu gave him a look that said, "You don't even understand this?" He continued, "I heard that a few years ago, when Teacher Gu first returned to China, he had a falling out with Han Geng, and the conflict was quite significant."

"Running Man, you must know Jing Ge, right? It was so popular back then!"

"I know, my wife used to watch every episode."

Wu Jing nodded.

"In one episode of Running Man, Han Geng was a guest star, but he disappeared halfway through filming! He barely appeared on screen for the rest of the episode!"

Old Xu vividly recounted, "Back then, there were rumors circulating in the industry that Han Geng and Teacher Gu, who was still a newcomer at the time, had a conflict on the recording set, and it seems that the two sides even got into a physical fight!"

"They've made their move?!"

Wu Jing was genuinely surprised this time, her mouth agape enough to fit an egg. "Really? You're not just listening to those gossip tabloids making this up, are you?"

Gu Qing's physique..." he
The image of Gu Qingqing, tall and slender, even somewhat thin, flashed through her mind. "He looks like a little girl, so well-behaved. How could he fight with someone? And with Han Geng?"

From a visual perspective,

Han Geng feels like he could take on ten Gu Qings.

"Brother Jing, why would I lie to you?"

Old Xu said speechlessly, "There's no smoke without fire. If there wasn't some real story, given Han Geng's status at the time, the production team would have cut almost all of his scenes from the entire episode."
How big of a contradiction would that be?
"So...who won?"

Wu Jing's curiosity was completely piqued; this was even more exciting than the script.

How would I know the specific details?

Old Xu shrugged, "Anyway, Han Geng will definitely be the one who suffers in the end, otherwise his resources wouldn't have dropped so drastically later on."

The common explanation is that Han Geng might have been putting on airs as a senior and trying to suppress the newcomer, but he ran into a brick wall. Teacher Gu was no pushover either, and he probably had some influence behind the scenes.

Anyway, it was a very unpleasant affair, and a grudge has been formed.

Wu Jing listened, completely bewildered, as if he were hearing something from a foreign language.

He glanced at Lao Xu, then recalled Gu Qing's usual gentle and polite demeanor, and simply couldn't connect him with words like "on-set conflict" and "fighting."

But Old Xu spoke with such conviction…

"No, wait,"

Wu Jing shook his head, temporarily putting aside his gossipy thoughts, and faced with a more serious problem: "The key issue now is that the female lead has run away!"
Jing Shan's role is present throughout the entire film. Although she is not the main character, she is an important emotional anchor and atmosphere regulator. She's already halfway through filming and she's gone. What will happen next?
Looking for actors now? Where can we find suitable ones? Time, funding, and getting them to mesh are all problems!

Thinking of this, Wu Jing felt the sweat he had just produced from the sun instantly turn into cold sweat, and his heart turned ice-cold.

When it rains, it pours; when the boat is late, it gets caught in a headwind!

"Brother Jing, don't panic. Why don't you call Sister Jingshan yourself and ask what's going on and if there's any way to salvage the situation?" Old Xu suggested.

"Yeah."

Wu Jing took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He walked to a relatively quiet corner and dialed Lu Jingshan's number.

The phone rang for quite a while before it was answered.

"Brother Jing, I can't act."

Lu Jingshan anticipated this and said apologetically, "With Gu Qing around, it's impossible for me to act with him."

"With someone of such high status, there's no reason for you, Brother Jing, to be put in a difficult position. If it really comes down to it, I'll refund your breach of contract fee."

"Refund my ass, Jingshan! What kind of person do you take me for? Did you think I called just to ask for breach of contract fees?!"

Wu Jing said angrily, "What I wanted to ask is, is there something wrong with the crew that made you uncomfortable? Or is there some other difficulty? Tell me, and I'll help you solve it!"

"It has nothing to do with the film crew; everyone has been very kind to me."

Lu Jingshan paused, then lowered her voice, "It's because of... Gu Qing."

really!

Wu Jing's heart sank. "Gu Qing? What happened to Gu Qing? Did you two know each other before? Is there a misunderstanding?"

Jingshan, from what I've learned about Gu Qing, he's a really good young man. He's very tactful in his interactions with others. Is there some misunderstanding? Or perhaps…”

"Brother Jing, you can know a person's face but not their heart."

Lu Jingshan's tone became somewhat stiff, "My boyfriend said that Gu Qing took advantage of her fame to scold him, acted like a big shot, and even asked the director to delete all of his scenes. This kind of person is definitely not a good person."

For me, it's impossible for me to work on the same film set as him, especially..."

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, "There are some scenes in the script where we interact, which makes me... feel very awkward."

What if my boyfriend sees this?

"Jing Shan! We're actors!"

Wu Jing was practically going crazy. "Acting is a job! Just because of your boyfriend, you can't work with other male actors?"
"Then how will you get roles in the future? Are you going to stop filming all romantic scenes?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then came Celina Jade's calm yet firm voice that made Wu Jing despair: "I can choose not to film."

Wu Jing: "..."

He felt a throbbing sensation in his temples, and a surge of inexplicable anger mixed with a profound sense of powerlessness welled up inside him.

Love-obsessed people, get out of the entertainment industry!!
"Jingshan, think it over again! If it really doesn't work, I'll have the screenwriter revise your few interactive scenes right away!"
I promise I won't let you have any direct scenes with Gu Qing, okay?

You'll come back and finish the remaining shots, in two days at most! Leave immediately after you're done; I won't stop you!

Wu Jing practically begged; for the sake of the movie, he was willing to risk his reputation.

"Brother Jing, I'm sorry."

Lu Jingshan's voice was apologetic, but even more so, it was resolute and unwavering: "I don't want to run into him on set."

I know you. If I go back, you'll definitely find a way to persuade me to stay. So... that's it.

"Jing Shan! Hello? Hello?!"

The call was disconnected, leaving only a busy tone.

Wu Jing stood holding his phone, motionless in the bright sunlight, yet everything around him seemed gloomy.

He slowly raised his head and looked at the clear blue sky, but felt as if a huge boulder was pressing on his heart.

After filming this movie,

He felt that his lifespan would be shortened by at least five years.

No, ten years!

"Old Xu..."

Wu Jing's voice carried a weariness that seemed to say he had lost all will to live, "Tell me... what do we do now? The female lead is gone, and we've only filmed half of the movie..."

"Brother Jing, this is great news," Old Xu said with a smile.

"You're the best!"

Wu Jing glared at him angrily, "This is a damn disaster! A huge disaster!"

"Please let me finish."

Old Xu lowered his voice and said quickly, "Jing Shan is gone, so her scenes are now free, right?"
Our script can be flexibly adjusted.

Think about it, if... we could find a way to get Teacher Gu Qing... not just to make a guest appearance for a few days, but to stay longer,

How about we flesh out his storyline a bit, or even... give him some of the functional roles originally played by the female lead?

Wu Jing was taken aback for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up.

Holy crap, that's right!
An angel left, and a God arrived. Is this a bad thing?
Gu Qing's box office appeal and popularity are unmatched by a hundred Lu Jingshans!

If we could turn his "guest appearance" into a "special appearance" or even a "co-starring role"...

But as soon as this thought arose, reality poured cold water on it.

"But... Gu Qing only agreed to make a guest appearance for a few days! How can we get him to agree to stay longer? Add more scenes? Why should he agree to that?"
"Our production crew is short of money and has very difficult conditions..." Wu Jing became dejected again.

"Brother Jing, this is where you'll have to put your 'specialty' to good use!"

Old Xu winked and said meaningfully, "Aren't you the best at retaining people?"
Think of a way to persuade him emotionally and rationally—in short, stall Teacher Gu.

……

"Why has Teacher Wu been gone for so long?"

Inside the SUV, the air conditioning was running at full throttle, but Zhao Ya was still somewhat restless.

She glanced at her watch, then looked out the car at Wu Jing and the assistant director, who were still having a heated discussion, and frowned.

Making guests wait in the car is not a polite way to treat them. "Teacher Zhao, don't worry, I'll go ask Brother Jing right away."

The young assistant, Xiao Liu, was sweating profusely in the driver's seat and quickly opened the car door.

at this time,

Wu Jing finally ended the conversation, strode over, and a smile returned to his face.
But beneath that smile, there seemed to be a barely perceptible tension and...guilt?
"Oh, little brother, I'm sorry, it was just a small work problem, I've taken care of it."

Wu Jing opened the car door, plopped down next to Gu Qing, and patted his leg hard in a loud voice, trying to dispel the awkwardness with his volume.

"It's alright, Jing-ge, how did it go?"

Gu Qing smiled slightly and asked with concern.

"Smooth sailing! Of course it's smooth sailing! It's all minor stuff!"

Wu Jing chuckled, his gaze shifting for a moment, then suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, "By the way, little brother, do you have your passport with you?"

"They're all kept here by me, Teacher Wu."

Zhao Ya, in the passenger seat, turned around and asked, puzzled, "Do we need to use our passports for some kind of procedure? For hotel check-in?"

"Yes, yes, there are some procedures to go through. There are a lot of rules here."

Wu Jing nodded repeatedly, his smile becoming even brighter, even a little anxious, "Little sister, give it to me first, I'll have Lao Xu handle it all together, hurry up."

Zhao Ya hesitated for a moment, but seeing Wu Jing's "sincere" look, she took out her and Gu Qing's passport holders from her file bag and handed them over.

Wu Jing practically snatched it, didn't even look at it, and immediately turned around and handed it to Assistant Director Lao Xu, who was waiting outside the car window.

Speaking rapidly: "Old Xu, get on with it! Be careful!"

"Okay, Brother Jing, don't worry!"

Holding the letter, the assistant director thought to himself, "No wonder he's a member of the Old Plain White Banner. My Jing-ge is so skilled at this kind of thing, he's a natural at it."

Gu Qing and Zhao Ya exchanged a puzzled look.

Is it really necessary to be in such a hurry to complete a procedure?
Don't they even bother to check the passport itself?
The car finally started and drove away from the airport onto a bumpy, dusty highway.

The view outside the window quickly transitioned from the edge of the city to a desolate landscape.

Low, grayish shrubs are scattered here and there, and in the distance are rolling hills with exposed red rocks, and occasionally a few lonely, strangely shaped baobab trees can be seen.

The scorching sun baked the earth, and the air distorted in the heatwave.

Occasionally, there are dilapidated tin shacks and makeshift stalls enclosed by old tires along the roadside, and some dark-skinned children curiously watch the passing vehicles.

The atmosphere inside the car was subtly silent.

The unease in Gu Qing and Zhao Ya's hearts gradually intensified as the scenery became increasingly desolate.

"Brother Jing,"

Gu Qing couldn't help but speak, breaking the silence. He looked out the window at the rapidly receding scenery, where there was hardly any sign of human habitation, "Where are we... going? It seems like we're getting further and further away from the city."

"Let's go to one of our main filming locations."

Wu Jing replied immediately, her tone still enthusiastic, "It's an old factory run by Chinese people. I finally managed to negotiate to borrow it. The location is a bit out of the way, but the setting is perfect. The photos will definitely have a great feel to them!"

"Teacher Wu, this... doesn't seem to be 'a little off-center'?"

Zhao Ya couldn't help but chime in, her voice trembling slightly.

She thought she had just seen a dark shadow dart past in the roadside bushes, but she couldn't tell if it was a stray dog ​​or some other animal.

The desolate wilderness gave her the creeps.

Wu Jing chuckled twice, not giving a direct answer, but simply pointing ahead: "Almost there, almost there."

After another bumpy ride of nearly an hour, just as Gu Qing and Zhao Ya were becoming increasingly uneasy due to the long journey and desolate scenery,
Finally, a cluster of buildings surrounded by a high wall came into view.

The car slowed down and approached.

A heavy, rusty iron gate, estimated to be five or six meters high, came into view.

There was even barbed wire on top of the wall.

What made Gu Qing and Zhao Ya's hearts tighten the most was that outside the iron gate, there were three or four local security guards wearing camouflage vests and with dark skin. They were either standing or squatting, holding what looked like genuine rifles in their arms, and their eyes were scanning the surroundings warily.

This doesn't look like a movie shooting location at all.
This clearly resembles... a small military outpost or a heavily guarded factory!

The car stopped in front of the iron gate.

A security guard came over, spoke a few words to the driver, Xiao Liu, in heavily accented English, then peeked into the car at Wu Jing before nodding to signal them to let them pass.

The heavy iron gate was slowly pushed open with a piercing creak.

"Boss...I...I'm a little scared..."

Zhao Ya's voice trembled, and she subconsciously moved closer to Gu Qing, her fingers secretly gripping his sleeve.

The way those black men looked at her made her feel extremely uncomfortable and terrified.

"Don't be afraid, it's okay, I'm here."

Gu Qing gently comforted her, patting the back of her hand. But his own heart was also racing.

The dark barrel, the heavy texture, and the languid aura emanating from the gunman all created a real sense of oppression.

He seemed to understand now why so many actors had hesitated to come here to film.

It was not just hardship, but also accompanied by an indescribable sense of insecurity.

"We're here, we're here. Get out of the car, little brother."

Wu Jing was the first to push open the car door, jump out, and wave enthusiastically.

Gu Qing took a deep breath and got out of the car with Zhao Ya. His feet touched the scorching sand, and he looked around.

The factory interior looks even more "hardcore" than the exterior, with piles of abandoned machinery and containers, and several red brick factory buildings that look quite old.

The air was filled with the smell of rust and engine oil.

"Brother Jing, I'll keep the passport for now. I'll have my assistant handle anything that needs to be done later."

Gu Qing forced a smile but didn't move.

"Oh, no rush, let's talk inside."

Wu Jing had a bad feeling. Had Gu Qing found out?

"No, give me your passport first, then I'll go in."

Gu Qing's tone was resolute.

"Little brother, go inside and give it to me, come on, come on."

Wu Jing tore off the disguise and, using his strong arms, pulled Gu Qing through the iron gate despite her resistance.

With a sound,
A loud crash followed.
The iron gate was tightly closed.

"Brother Jing, what exactly are you trying to do?!"

Gu Qing turned her head to look at the tightly closed iron gate, then turned back and her face darkened.

Unexpectedly,

"Brother, there were too many people outside just now, I was too embarrassed to say it."

As he spoke, Wu Jing grabbed Gu Qing's arm, his face full of tears, and said, "Please help your brother, I'll kneel down and beg you if it really doesn't work."

As he spoke, he began to bend his knees.

"Hey, hey, Brother Jing, what are you doing?"

Gu Qing was startled and quickly helped the person up, "What happened?"

Wu Jing wasn't stupid; he wouldn't dare explain to Gu Qing the real reason Lu Jingshan left.

He tearfully made up an excuse, saying that Lu Jingshan was sick and had to leave the crew to return to China for treatment, so the rest of the filming couldn't be done.

"Brother, I'm begging you, please stay a few more days, even if it means losing face. Is that alright?"

Wu Jing held Gu Qing's hands tightly and pleaded, "I'll get the screenwriter to revise the script right now and make sure to add lots more scenes for you."

But as soon as he finished speaking,
"Teacher Wu, that's really unfair of you!"

Zhao Ya, disregarding her fear, said coldly and with dissatisfaction, "Adding so much drama, is it better for you or for my boss?"

"We originally came here out of kindness to help you with a cameo role, but you're trying to scam us, aren't you?"

"They're paying you for a cameo role to give you a leading role?"

Zhao Ya almost cursed out loud.

"Little sister, do you think I'm the kind of person who would take advantage of others?"

Wu Jing blushed and hurriedly explained, "The contract definitely needs to be changed. We previously agreed on a 5% share of the box office revenue for a cameo role. How about I increase it to 10%?"

"Mr. Wu, do you think your movie is 'Detective Chinatown'?"

Zhao Ya scoffed, her words laced with sarcasm and disdain.

Gu Qing ignored it, quietly acting as a passerby.

"15%!"

"This is the most I can offer. If it's any more, you can take my head and your passport!"

Wu Jing was in great pain, and every word he uttered seemed to be dripping blood.

Artists' box office revenue sharing contracts usually do not require them to give half of their earnings to theaters.

Typically, if a movie grosses 100 billion yuan, the cinema needs to receive at least 38% to 43% of the revenue.

The distributor will take a cut of 5% to 15%, and the producer gets the last share of the profits.

Like cinemas, big-name celebrities usually receive a share of the box office revenue directly from the total box office.

of course,

The prerequisite is that the film's investors, including the theater chains, agree before the artists can receive a profit-sharing contract.

obviously,
Offering Gu Qing a box office revenue sharing contract is something everyone is optimistic about in this military-themed film that was not initially well-received.

In their eyes, they are the ones who profit.

A top-tier celebrity lowered their price to make a cameo appearance and become the lead actor; they've made a killing!

Since this movie was directed and starred by the author,
Wu Jing actually had a considerable share of the profits, the largest portion of which went to him.

It wasn't that he didn't want to give Gu Qing a larger share.
Rather, it's because after filming for so long, I've lost all confidence.

If they give too much, I won't even be able to earn back the money for the house, and that would be the end of me.

"Little brother, just give me a straight answer!"

Wu Jing looked at Gu Qing, his face filled with torment and expectation.

Gu Qing was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Brother Jing, what will you do if I don't agree?"

“I’ll tear up your passport. You’ll have to spend some time getting a replacement. I’ll beg and plead to keep you on set for a few days.”

Wu Jing truthfully stated.

"good idea."

Gu Qing couldn't help but nod.

"Brother, do you agree?"

Wu Jing was excited and thrilled.

"If I don't agree, won't they tear up my passport?"

Gu Qing said helplessly.

"Haha, okay! Okay! Consider it a favor I owe you!!"

Wu Jing's gloom vanished, and he burst into laughter.

I have to thank myself for this.

Gu Qingxin felt a little embarrassed.

of course,

This is God's perspective.

In Wu Jing's eyes, or in the eyes of everyone who knew the situation.

Gu Qing is truly a wonderful person.

As a top-tier celebrity, he was coaxed to Africa, had his passport confiscated, and had to go from a cameo role to a leading role in a movie that was not well-regarded, with the possibility of losing commercial value.

Isn't this obviously a scam?

Just as Gu Qing agreed to stay and film Wolf Warrior.

Another wave of publicity has swept across the country.

Kris Wu's "L.O.R.D.: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties" is about to be released.

……

...(End of chapter)