Returning to the 82 Mountain Village: An Encounter with the Journey to the West Film Crew at the Beg

Zhou Fangyuan concluded: "Just use a canvas bag and wrap it in several layers."

Zhang Qiang nodded: "We'll use the third set of pulleys then. The first and second sets aren't very good; the rope won't fit properly here because the friction is too great."

The two walked a few more steps forward to look for another possible hook point.

He examined each stone one by one, noting which ones were usable, which ones were not, and which ones needed to be dealt with, and wrote them all down in his notebook.

Occasionally, a few seabirds would fly overhead, their sharp cries echoing across the empty reef.

As the sky grew brighter, some lights began to appear in the distance, which were the reflections of the sun on the sea.

Zhou Fangyuan straightened up and glanced in that direction.

It's the real ocean, even more magnificent than the one I saw on my phone in my previous life.

A vast expanse of gray-blue water stretched out endlessly, reaching all the way to the horizon.

Waves surged in, crashing against the distant rocks with a thunderous roar.

He stood there and stared for several seconds.

Zhang Qiang, standing nearby, remarked with amusement, "Is this the first time I've seen this?"

"Um."

"Haha, everyone's like this the first time they see it. I was stunned when I first saw the sea too, but I got used to it after seeing it more often."

Zhou Fangyuan didn't speak, glanced at it a few more times, and then lowered his head to continue taking notes.

Lin Zhiqian walked back from a distance, holding a seashell that had been washed ashore by the waves, looking at it as he walked over.

Upon reaching them, he stuffed the seashell into his pocket and asked, "How was the look?"

"That's about it." Zhou Fangyuan closed his notebook.

"Three places are usable, two need to be fixed, and one place is too risky."

"What part is wrong?"

Zhou Fangyuan led him over and pointed to the stone.

The rock is indeed large, but its location is too remote, and it is surrounded by puddles. If the tide comes in, it would be dangerous for anyone to stand there.

Lin Zhiqian glanced at it a few times and nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to you. Let's use those three places first."

The three people started walking back.

The sun has risen, shining brightly on the rocks and in the puddles.

The sea breeze was stronger than in the morning, carrying a salty, fishy smell, and it made my hair a mess.

As Zhou Fangyuan walked, he thought about the hanging points he had just seen.

Cover with canvas, add pulleys, check for cracks... I need to go back and discuss it with Zhang Qiang as soon as possible, and get everything done before filming starts.

And those ropes need to be wrapped in oilcloth again, because the humidity in Fujian is much higher than in Mount Emei.

As he pondered, he recalled the sea he had just seen.

This is the first time I've seen the sea. So this is what it's like. I'll have to bring my mom and the others here to see it sometime...

On the day of the beach shoot, Zhou Fangyuan woke up before dawn.

He lay motionless on the bed, listening to the breathing of Xiao Chen and Xiao Li beside him, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

There was no light outside the window, and the room was pitch black, but he knew that today was a big day.

The first scene at the beach featuring a hanging man.

He lay there for a while, but couldn't stay in that position any longer. He quietly got up, put on his clothes, grabbed his toiletries, and went out.

The courtyard was dark, with only one light on near the water room.

He went over, got some water, brushed his teeth, and washed his face. The water was icy cold, instantly waking him up. After washing his face, he didn't leave; he stood at the door of the water room, watching the sky gradually brighten.

When Zhang Qiang walked over from the other side, it was already dawn.

"So early?"

Zhang Qiang, holding an enamel mug, brushed his teeth while asking indistinctly.

"I can't sleep..."

Zhang Qiang glanced at Zhou Fangyuan, said nothing, and continued brushing his teeth.

The two squatted at the entrance of the water room, waiting for the sky to fully brighten.

Zhang Qiang lit a cigarette, while Zhou Fangyuan squatted down beside him, watching the ants crawling around on the ground.

At seven o'clock, Lin Zhiqian arrived.

"Let's go." He didn't say much, and turned to leave.

Zhou Fangyuan and Zhang Qiang followed, and the three of them skipped the cafeteria and headed straight for the filming location.

As Zhou Fangyuan walked, he took out two flatbreads from his pocket, handed one to Zhang Qiang, and ate one himself.

I hid this during dinner last night, knowing I probably wouldn't have time to eat today.

The beach looks even more dangerous than when I last came here.

The tide had just passed, and the rocks were wet, with the sunlight reflecting in the puddles.

The waves crashed against the rocks, their thunderous roar echoing through the reefs. Several seabirds were startled and flew away, crying out.

Lin Zhiqian stood on a large rock and pointed into the distance:

"The scene we filmed today, from this rock to that rock, is over three meters high, not very high, but there are waves."

Zhou Fangyuan looked in the direction he was pointing.

The two rocks are three or four meters apart, with a pitted rock surface and shallow seawater below.

The anchor point was the large reef that he and Zhang Qiang had worked on. The ridge was covered with canvas, fitted with pulleys, and the rope hung down from it, swaying gently in the sea breeze.

The martial arts team had arrived; several of them were squatting on the rocks, conducting a final check.

Upon seeing Lin Zhiqian and his group approach, a young stuntman stood up, called out "Brother Lin," and nodded to Zhou Fangyuan.

Zhang Qiang asked, "Have you tried the rope?"

"I tried it, no problem," the young man said. "The pulleys run smoothly too."

Zhang Qiang walked over, felt the rope from beginning to end, and then squatted down to check if the canvas covering the anchor points was secure.

Zhou Fangyuan followed and squatted down beside him to watch.

The rocks were slippery, and you had to use your hands to support yourself when you squatted down. When the waves crashed over you, the water splashed onto your feet, feeling cool and refreshing.

After the inspection, Zhang Qiang stood up, and Lin Zhiqian nodded.

Lin Zhiqian didn't say anything, he just waved his hand.

The stuntmen started putting the safety vest on the actor, a young stuntman playing a minor demon, who was his stunt double for today's scene.

Put on the vest, fasten the buckles, attach both hanging points, and tighten the ropes.

Zhou Fangyuan stood to the side, his palms starting to sweat.

"Get up," Lin Zhiqian called out.

The rope tightened, and the young stuntman was lifted off the ground.

Zhou Fangyuan held his breath, his eyes fixed on the hanging points, the places covered by the canvas, the places where the pulleys turned, and every inch the rope traveled.

A sea breeze blew by, and the stuntman swayed in mid-air, but quickly regained his balance.

The double anchor points worked; the person didn't spin around or sway, but remained steadily suspended there.

"Let's go!" Lin Zhiqian shouted again.

The person pulling the rope began to slowly release it, and the stuntman gently landed on another rock. The moment his foot touched the ground, he squatted down, then stood up and made a gesture in this direction.

It became.

Zhou Fangyuan then realized he was holding his breath and quickly exhaled.

He turned to look at Zhang Qiang, who was also looking at him. Zhang Qiang's face was expressionless, but his eyes were clearly relaxed.

Lin Zhiqian walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "Okay, you did a solid job."

Zhou Fangyuan seemed to want to say something, but he opened his mouth and didn't say anything.

We filmed a few more takes, and they all went smoothly.

The young stuntman performed several moves in the air, somersaulted, landed, got up again, and somersaulted again.