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

"Sit down." Old Master Qian didn't exchange pleasantries.

Xun Gao did not sit down, but first bowed slightly.

"I apologize for bothering you, but the production team encountered a real hurdle in creating the character of Sun Wukong. It's easy to depict his physical form, but difficult to capture his spirit."

Director Yang Jie and we pondered this day and night, not daring to be negligent. After much thought, we concluded that only you, Teacher Qian, could dispel the fog of uncertainty.

These words were spoken with great seriousness and sincerity; they were not mere politeness, but rather a presentation of both the challenge and the respect to the expert.

After hearing this, Old Master Qian's face remained expressionless. He simply raised his chin and pointed at Zhang Jinlai: "He's acting?"

"Yes," Xun Gao nodded.

Zhang Jinlai immediately walked to a slightly more spacious part of the room, took a deep breath, his eyes narrowed, and he moved.

He then performed several classic Sun Wukong poses, such as scouting and observing, as well as his earlier poses with his hands on his hips.

Unlike the test collection, he incorporated his insights from the Wave Moon Cave, making him agile, swift, and full of monkey-like qualities.

The old man watched, his fingers tapping lightly on his knees—that was his only movement.

When Zhang Jinlai stopped and looked over, slightly out of breath, the old man slowly stood up and stood at eye level with him.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap that cleaved through the somber twilight.

"Almost."

The air in the room seemed to freeze, and Zhang Jinlai became even more reserved.

Xun Gao stepped forward half a step, leaning slightly forward as if listening intently: "Please enlighten me, teacher."

Qian glanced at Zhang Jinlai's reserved demeanor, then turned his gaze to the void, as if sketching an invisible form.

"It's okay to act like this on stage, but not on screen... Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, a stone monkey who has just gained intelligence, and a wild monkey in the mountains—these are all monkeys, but they are all different."

The cheek-scratching gesture is good. The "old guys" in the industry say the Great Sage can't scratch his cheek. Hmph, they say if he does, he'll look like a "small" character. I don't agree, but the Great Sage's cheek-scratching has to be done beautifully!

The old man instantly regained his composure and looked into the young man's eyes.

This time, however, the young man did not back down because of his personality; his eyes became resolute.

"Whether it's the Great Sage or Wukong, they both possess divinity. Scratching their ears and cheeks shouldn't be a crude scratching; it should be more agile."

On the journey to the West, he became more human, showing loyalty to his master, teasing his junior brothers, and displaying childlike temper when wronged.

Your spirit is outward-directed, while his spirit is inward-directed. It only becomes disruptive when this inward focus becomes uncontrollable.

After saying that, the old man patted the young man on the shoulder.

"You have a good foundation; you're just lacking that one crucial muscle inside."

Recalling the performance just now, although the old man didn't feel utterly miserable, there were some things he couldn't bear to say directly. He paused for a moment and then continued:

"You're acting too much like a bandit king. You want to portray his authority? You have the idea, but you can't pull it off. Think about it carefully..."

Zhang Jinlai was struck dumb, standing there stunned.

He kept thinking about "like a monkey," "like a god," like the fearless Great Sage, but he never tried to understand Sun Wukong's "spirit" from a human perspective or from the perspective of emotions and momentum.

It was a revelation for him, but it also gave rise to deeper doubts.

Can I really play Sun Wukong well...?

Xun Gao was overjoyed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When I opened my eyes again, they were filled with a sense of enlightenment and a deeper respect.

He cupped his hands in greeting, bowing even deeper this time: "One sentence is worth ten thousand words, teacher, your words have truly touched our souls."

After listening, Old Master Qian waved his hand, thinking that the young man in front of him was a promising talent, and then said a little more.

He has already pinpointed the root cause of the illness, and the prescription will have to be figured out by himself, step by step, based on this diagnosis.

This is the true way of passing on skills: giving direction, not rigid methods.

Only then did Mr. Qian turn his gaze to Zhou Fangyuan, who had been standing at the back, almost holding his breath.

"And him?" the old man asked Xun Gao. "He's not bad-looking."

Xun Gao stepped aside, letting Zhou Fangyuan move to the front.

"Zhou Fangyuan is a newcomer in the group. Director Yang said he has good eyesight and a calm mind, so he asked me to bring him here to learn some real skills."

Zhou Fangyuan quickly stepped forward and, imitating Xun Gao, bowed respectfully: "Hello, Teacher Qian."

The old man looked at him for a few seconds, then suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.

Did you understand what I just said?

Zhou Fangyuan wasn't a fool in his past life; this question is tricky. To say he "understands" is arrogant, and to say he "doesn't understand" is foolish.

He didn't force himself to recall every word Qian Lao had said, but instead let it come to mind naturally.

Zhou Fangyuan's voice was steady: "I wouldn't dare say I understand... but I think I've... gotten a little bit involved."

Tell me about it.

"You said 'the compressed tendon,' is it like a bow that is fully drawn but not released?"

Are all the spirits and disturbances simply the force bursting forth from that taut string?

A hint of surprise and admiration flashed in Xun Gao's eyes, and Zhang Jinlai also turned to look at him.

A slight change appeared on Old Master Qian's face.

"The metaphor is crude..." the old man said calmly.

"It's somewhat related to the meaning..."

He said nothing more, but turned to Xun Gao.

"If I get stuck on a monkey play in the future, I'll just have him come and give me a message. I'm too lazy to see any strangers again."

This is both an expulsion and an extremely high degree of permission.

Xun Gao understood immediately, thanked them again sincerely, and the three of them left the fruit and documents before respectfully withdrawing.

Only after leaving the alley did Zhang Jinlai let out a long sigh and mutter, "Director Xun, I have to go back... I have to dismantle everything from scratch and start all over again..."

Xun Gao patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him in a deep voice.

"Okay, this trip was worth it. It's equivalent to three years of figuring things out on our own. We need to go back and reflect on it carefully."

He then looked at Zhou Fangyuan with a complex expression, a mixture of surprise and reassessment.

"Kid, you're quick on the uptake! Did you understand what the old man said at the end?"

Zhou Fangyuan nodded, then shook his head.

Xun Gao rarely tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing an expression that resembled a smile.

"That's just opening a crack in the door for you. Whether you can squeeze in or not depends on your own fate! Understand?"

Zhou Fangyuan responded, thanked Director Xun and Director Yang for giving him the opportunity, and then the three parted ways.

In the humble room in the courtyard, the old man muttered Journey to the West to himself. He hummed softly, it was unclear whether he was appreciating the project or what.

After all, during this period, most people in the industry still held traditional literature in higher esteem.

Filming a story like Journey to the West, which is heavily influenced by mythology, is not considered a good option.

As Zhou Fangyuan walked out of the alley, he repeatedly pondered Qian Lao's words.

In his previous life, he also mentored many newcomers behind the scenes, but he focused more on perfecting their movements and appearances, striving for a realistic portrayal.

Only today did I realize that a truly masterful person plants a seed directly into your heart, tells you about the soil and climate, and leaves it to you to see how it grows...

The difference in our levels is too great; I've truly learned a lot this time.

Lost in thought, he was suddenly pierced by a rapid ringing of a bell and an angry cry of "Hey!"

Suddenly snapping back to reality, I saw a brand-new Phoenix brand 28-inch motorcycle hurtling straight toward me!

Zhou Fangyuan instinctively jumped to the side, but he was still half a step too late.

The front wheel of the bicycle grazed his leg, causing a sharp pain, and he lost his balance, staggering a couple of steps.