Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

Liu Xiang thought for a moment, and since her injuries were almost healed, she nodded: "Okay, Brother Lei. But I can eat a lot, so please don't mind that I can eat so much."

Old Lei laughed heartily: "Don't worry! There's plenty!"

The two left the hospital and turned into a small restaurant next door. The restaurant wasn't big, but it was very clean, and the heating was on full blast. Old Lei found a seat by the window, picked up the menu, and started ordering.

"Two bowls of noodles with soybean paste, extra sauce and extra noodles, plus four braised eggs, a plate of smashed cucumber, and a plate of braised beef," Old Lei called out to the proprietress, adding, "Make sure the noodles are cooked a little firm; this young man has a good appetite."

Liu Xiang smiled sheepishly, "Brother Lei, you don't need to order so much. It'll be a waste if we can't finish it."

"It's okay, we can pack up the leftovers." Old Lei patted him on the shoulder.

Soon, the food was served. Two steaming bowls of noodles with soybean paste were placed on the table. The golden noodles, the fragrant soybean paste, and the bright green cucumber strips made Liu Xiang's mouth water. He hadn't eaten much these past few days and was starving.

Ignoring the heat, Liu Xiang picked up his chopsticks and began wolfing down his food, the slurping sounds particularly loud in the small restaurant. He ate so fast that he choked and hiccuped. Old Lei laughed and said, "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

He glanced at Lao Lei, then continued eating his noodles. The bowl was empty in the blink of an eye, and he even licked the last bit of sauce clean. He rubbed his stomach, feeling still hungry, and looked at Lao Lei sheepishly.

Old Lei was dumbfounded. He had never seen anyone eat so heartily in his entire life.

He immediately called out to the proprietress, "Proprietress, another bowl of noodles with soybean paste! Extra sauce and extra noodles!"

Liu Xiang scratched his head sheepishly: "Brother Lei, this is too much of a waste."

"It's alright, you need to be well-fed to have the energy to pursue your dreams." Old Lei smiled.

The second bowl of noodles was served quickly, and Liu Xiang devoured it all in no time. After finishing the noodles, he ate two braised eggs and half a plate of braised beef before letting out a satisfied burp, patting his round belly, and leaning back in his chair contentedly.

Looking at him like this, Lao Lei couldn't help but laugh: "Liu Xiang, your appetite is probably comparable to that of the stuntmen in our crew."

Liu Xiang chuckled: "Brother Lei, I used to train at the Songshan Martial Arts School for a few years, and my appetite has always been this big."

"Oh? You've practiced martial arts?" Old Lei's eyes lit up with interest.

Liu Xiang nodded: "I practiced Changquan for a few years and also have some Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) skills."

Looking at his 1.85-meter height and sturdy build, Lao Lei nodded inwardly. He patted Liu Xiang on the shoulder: "Liu Xiang, with your looks, it's a pity you're not an actress."

Liu Xiang sighed, "Sigh, I wish I could too. But I have no connections or influence, so I can only try my luck as a security guard at the Beijing Film Studio."

At that moment, Old Lei smiled but didn't say anything. He already had an idea in his mind.

After finishing their meal, Lao Lei paid the bill. The two walked out of the restaurant. The snow had stopped, and the sun was high in the sky, shining so brightly on the snow that it was almost blinding. Lao Lei looked at Liu Xiang and said with a smile, "Liu Xiang, my place isn't far from here, it's at the Jimen Bridge Guesthouse. If you're free, why don't you come over and sit for a while?"

Liu Xiang thought for a moment. He figured he'd just be lying around at the factory anyway, so he might as well go with Lao Lei and see if they could get any news from the production crew. He nodded, "Okay!"

The two hailed a taxi and headed to the Jimen Bridge Guesthouse.

Upon arriving at the guesthouse, Lao Lei led Liu Xiang into a room, which he described as a temporary office. The room contained two tables, several chairs, and a few snakeskin bags piled in the corner, their contents—whether props or miscellaneous items—was unclear. Several cigarette butts lay scattered on the floor, making the room look rather messy.

Old Lei poured Liu Xiang a glass of water and said with a smile, "Liu Xiang, to be honest, I'm not here on ordinary business; I'm here to cast actors."

Liu Xiang paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up instantly: "Casting? Which production team?"

Old Lei took a business card from his drawer and handed it to him, smiling as he said, "I didn't tell you before because I was afraid you'd think I was bragging. Take a look at this!"

Liu Xiang took the business card, which bore several large, gold-embossed characters: Kang Honglei, assistant director of the TV series "Water Margin".

"Kang Honglei?" Liu Xiang almost dropped his water glass. He stared at Lao Lei with wide eyes in disbelief.

Kang Honglei was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Is it that shocking?"

Liu Xiang's heart was pounding. In his past life, he was a huge fan of "Soldiers Sortie". He never expected that he would meet Kang Honglei, who was not yet famous, in 1997! This was like a pie falling from the sky!

Seeing Liu Xiang's excited expression, Kang Honglei smiled and said, "Judging from your ambition, you really want to be an actress! I happen to be short-staffed here. Which role would you like to apply for? I can introduce you to some opportunities; there are still chances for minor supporting roles."

Liu Xiang took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement, straightened her back, looked at Kang Honglei, and said, word by word, "Director Kang, I want to apply to play Wu Song."

Upon hearing this, Kang Honglei slammed the teacup in his hand onto the table with a loud bang. He stared wide-eyed at Liu Xiang, speechless for a long time.

After a long while, Kang Honglei finally came to his senses and looked Liu Xiang up and down, saying, "Liu Xiang, you're not kidding, are you? The role of Wu Song is no joke. We're filming a tiger-fighting scene, and we'll be using a real tiger!"

Liu Xiang nodded, showing no fear on her face: "Director Kang, I'm not joking. I'm not afraid of a real tiger. I trained in Changquan at Songshan Martial Arts School for five years, and I also have a foundation in Sanda (Chinese kickboxing). I'll be fine."

Kang Honglei was still a little incredulous. He stared at Liu Xiang for a long time, then suddenly slammed his hand on the table: "Fine! You've got guts! Then show me some martial arts! Don't just put on a show!"

Liu Xiang had been waiting for these words. Enduring the pain, he took off his coat, revealing the undershirt underneath. He took a deep breath, spread his feet shoulder-width apart, and assumed the starting stance of Songshan Long Fist—his left hand loosely clenched, his right hand clenched into a fist, protecting his chest, his eyes sharp as an eagle.

This body still possesses consciousness and instincts; those moves are as if they are etched into its bones. He lowered his waist and assumed a horse stance, throwing a punch with a fierce and powerful force. The wind from his punch howled, making the papers on the table rustle.

Immediately afterwards, he leaped into the air, executing a spinning kick that sent his legs tracing a beautiful arc through the air. He landed as steadily as a mountain, the floor beneath his feet trembling slightly. Then came the lunge punch, the horse stance parry, the resting stance cover strike… each move was powerful and vigorous, exceptionally strong and forceful.

His movements were fluid and effortless, each punch carrying immense power, each kick precise and ruthless. When he got into the swing of things, he would let out a loud shout and throw both fists at the air, as if a fierce tiger were standing in front of him.

Kang Honglei stood to the side with his arms crossed, his eyes widening. At first, he was somewhat skeptical, but as he looked, his skepticism turned into surprise, and finally into excitement.

He had seen many actors who had practiced martial arts, but their skills were either flashy or impractical. Liu Xiang's skills, however, were genuine and solid, clearly the result of hard work. Especially his fierce and powerful energy, which seemed tailor-made for Wu Song.