Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

"That's enough," Zhang Shaolin suddenly said. "Let him come out first."

"Okay," Old Li said.

Liu Xiang patted the tiger's head: "I'm leaving now, I'll come see you again next time."

The tiger flicked its tail and then stopped moving.

Liu Xiang turned around and walked out the side door.

As soon as the door closed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Kang Honglei was the first to rush forward: "You little rascal, you're really lucky to be alive!"

Guo Baochang didn't speak, but the slight disdain in his eyes had noticeably diminished.

Ding Haifeng walked over and said seriously, "You're better than me."

Liu Xiang smiled and said, "You're not bad either."

Lan Xiaoling walked over, looked at Liu Xiang, and her eyes showed a hint of appreciation: "Those few moves just now were quite natural."

She paused, then half-jokingly said, "I'll have to think about adding more scenes for you when we get back."

Kang Honglei got anxious: "Hey, that's not what you just said."

Lan Xiaoling laughed: "I said 'may' have more scenes, not 'definitely'."

She turned to look at Zhang Shaolin: "Director Zhang, you probably have a good idea of ​​what to expect from today's trip."

Zhang Shaolin glanced at Liu Xiang, then at Ding Haifeng, and remained silent for a few seconds.

"That's all for today," he said. "I'll think about the specific arrangements when I get back."

Kang Honglei grew anxious: "Director Zhang, you still want to?"

"I have to take responsibility for the whole film," Zhang Shaolin said. "However—"

He looked at Liu Xiang, a slight smile playing on his lips: "I've remembered your performance today."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Guo Baochang glanced at Liu Xiang with a complicated expression, and then followed her.

Ding Haifeng stayed behind and extended his hand to Liu Xiang: "No matter who plays Wu Song in the end, I admire you for this performance."

Liu Xiang reached out and shook his hand: "Likewise."

Lan Xiaoling walked last, glanced back at the tiger in the cage, then at Liu Xiang's retreating figure, and wrote a line in her notebook:

—"Wu Song was destined to be with tigers."

……

On the way back, Kang Honglei was excited the whole way: "Those moves you made just now were so cool! Let me tell you, you even managed to tame a tiger!"

"It might just be... a good mood," Liu Xiang said.

"Being in a good mood depends on the person," Kang Honglei said. "Didn't you see Ding Haifeng's expression just now? He was almost questioning his existence."

Liu Xiang smiled and said, "He's had a tough time too."

"You're still speaking up for him?" Kang Honglei said. "You need to understand that you're competitors now."

"Competitors can also respect each other," Liu Xiang said. "Besides, the final decision isn't up to us."

"That's true," Kang Honglei said. "However, I think you're more promising now."

Liu Xiang glanced at him sideways: "Haven't you always thought highly of me?"

"That's different," Kang Honglei said. "Before, it was a gamble, but now—"

He paused, then said seriously:

"Now I think you can really play Wu Song well."

Liu Xiang did not speak.

He simply looked out the window, watching the buildings recede into the distance.

He silently said to himself:

"Tiger, I petted it several more times."

"System, did you see that?"

There was no response in my mind.

But he knew that the hundred "tiger-petting missions" had already quietly taken a big step forward.

And at this moment, he is just as close as the character of Wu Song.

Liu Xiang leaned back in the van seat, watching the Wuxi street scene recede outside the window, his mind still replaying the image of the tiger rubbing its head against his palm at the zoo.

In the 1990s, the streets didn't have as many high-rise buildings as they do now. The leaves of the plane trees along the roadside were scattered all over the ground, swirling in the wind, catching the bamboo sticks left behind by the sugar painting vendors, and rolling to the feet of the old man riding a bicycle.

The old man had just bought a large cabbage tied tightly to the back seat of his bicycle with straw rope. The bicycle bell jingled and clattered, startling the sparrows that were perched on the telephone pole.

There are also several public phone booths painted red on the street, with colorful little GG stickers on the glass. The most eye-catching line reads "Paging service, 30 cents per minute," and next to it is a crookedly drawn picture of a mobile phone. It is obviously the work of a little GG vendor.

This vibrant, everyday life was completely different from the concrete jungle he had traveled to before. Back then, the streets were packed with cars and people, everyone glued to their smartphones, scrolling through short videos, with no one paying any attention to the scenery along the way.

But now, he can smell the aroma wafting from the dumpling shop on the street corner, hear the soft Wu dialect coming from the alley, and even the wind carries a hint of Jiangnan flavor, which is quite refreshing.

He was staring out the window, wondering whether he should pet the tiger's back or scratch its chin next time he saw it—after all, a tiger's chin looks furry and should be easier to pet than its hard back—when suddenly a crisp notification sound rang in his mind, exactly like the "ding-dong" sound of an old-fashioned television being turned on, loud and abrupt.

[Ding! Detected that the host has completed 50 tiger-petting attempts! Current progress: 50/100! Keep up the good work, host!]

Liu Xiang suddenly sat up straight, his head hitting the metal frame on the roof of the car with a "thud," making him wince in pain and almost burst into tears.

Holy crap!

His low exclamation startled Kang Honglei, who was dozing off beside him. Old Kang rubbed his eyes, gave him a disdainful slap on the elbow—a light but firm tap, delivered with a characteristically hearty laugh: "Are you out of your mind? Just touched a tiger, what's the big deal? Did you hit your head and make it stupid?"

Liu Xiang ignored him, covering the back of her head, her eyes shining as brightly as light bulbs in a street-side grocery store.

Wow, that's 50 times already!

He thought the system was like an overdue pager, long since broken down. But it turned out this thing was still diligently counting his tiger-petting times. If it unlocked some powerful skills, he could walk sideways whenever he encountered any unreasonable crew members or troublesome investors on set.

Having more skills is never a bad thing! That old saying is so true!

Liu Xiang clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking, his mind racing with calculations, more lively than the abacus beads in a night market. Once he joined the crew, he'd definitely be dealing with tigers a lot, and he'd try to master his new skills as soon as possible. With multiple skills added to his repertoire, his portrayal of Wu Song would definitely be more ferocious, more powerful, and more embodied in the ruthless spirit of the heroes of Jingyang Ridge than the original version.

As for Ding Haifeng...

He turned to look at Ding Haifeng, who was sitting in the front passenger seat. Ding was looking out the window, his profile was sharp, his jawline was taut, and there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes and brows. Even the corners of his mouth were drooping.

Liu Xiang sighed inwardly, her mind perfectly clear.

Honestly, Ding Haifeng is a really good guy. He's a professionally trained actor from the Air Force Political Department Drama Troupe, with solid acting skills and a strong command of dialogue. Just standing there, he exudes the uprightness of a soldier.

Reality is cruel, like crossing a single-plank bridge—this train of "Water Margin" is destined to carry only one Wu Song. Liu Xiang got on the train, and Ding Haifeng could only wait on the platform.