We asked you to make an anti-corruption film, but you made one in the name of the people!

A few days into filming "Chinese Zodiac," the most nervous person on set was Wen Ning.

This is her first time acting in a movie; she's still a student and hasn't been out in the workforce before.

In the first few scenes, she was completely tense, her lines were stammering, and she didn't know where to look.

In one scene, Coco and JC are confronting each other. Wen Ning says one line over and over again, but it still doesn't feel right.

"Cut." Lin Mo called out to stop.

Wen Ning stood in front of the camera, head down, face flushed red: "Director Lin, I'm sorry, I... I was too nervous."

Lin Mo stood up from behind the monitor, walked up to her, and said in a low but serious tone, "Wen Ning, look at me."

Wen Ning raised her head, her eyes darting away.

Lin Mo said, "You're playing Coco. Coco isn't a stage-frightened person. She's never been afraid of the police or those antique dealers. You're not Wen Ning now, you're Coco. Peel off that Wen Ning shell from your body first."

Wen Ning bit her lip and nodded.

Lin Mo continued, "You're not just reciting this line; you're challenging the police. They only care about money, while you're driven by anger and determination. You need to make them understand that the animal heads aren't something that money can measure. Where does your confidence come from? It comes from your pain over that period of history."

Wen Ning remained silent.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her eyes had changed.

"Click, let's start again." Lin Mo returned to behind the monitor.

In this scene, Wen Ning seems like a completely different person.

Her voice was no longer weak, and her eyes held that stubbornness. When she spoke her lines, each word was clear and distinct, carrying a spirit of never giving up.

Lin Mo watched on the monitor and nodded slightly.

"Pass."

Upon hearing this word, Wen Ning breathed a sigh of relief, but her eyes involuntarily reddened.

After the scene, Jackie Chan came over and patted her on the shoulder: "Young lady, you acted well. This role requires you to bring out that kind of energy. Director Lin scolded you because he values ​​you."

Wen Ning wiped his eyes: "Big brother, I understand. I need to work harder."

Jackie Chan laughed: "That's right. Newcomers, who hasn't gone through this? I was scolded by directors even more back then. You're nothing compared to that."

As the days went by, Wen Ning's condition visibly improved.

At first, I had to do seven or eight takes for a single scene, but later I could get it right in two or three takes.

She's increasingly finding her footing with Coco.

Meanwhile, Cheng Long was also busy.

When he wasn't filming, he would practice action sequences with Xiang Zuo and Wen Ning.

Xiang Zuo plays Simon, a martial arts expert.

Cheng Long then guided him, practicing moves one by one. The two of them sparred back and forth in the training ground.

"Zuo Zai, lift your leg a little higher. Yes, the force should be crisp, not sluggish," Cheng Long demonstrated and gave instructions.

Xiang Zuo was covered in sweat from practicing, but he was full of energy: "Brother, how come your legs are so strong? They hurt just looking at them."

Jackie Chan laughed and said, "I've been training for decades. You kid, take your time. The character Simon needs to be able to fight. With your physique, you'll be ready after some more training."

Wen Ning's side also has action scenes.

Since she had no prior experience, Jackie Chan taught her some basic self-defense moves, as well as how to perform the moves beautifully and without getting injured in front of the camera.

"Wen Ning, remember this: safety comes first in action scenes. It's better to look less than to get injured. Look at me, when I fall, I use my hands to brace myself and absorb the impact," Cheng Long said as he demonstrated.

Wen Ning studied diligently, practicing again and again.

Cheng Long sighed, "These days, there aren't many kids who are willing to endure hardship. Xiang Zuo and Wen Ning are both alright."

That day, the internet was buzzing again.

Someone has taken photos of the set of "Chinese Zodiac".

In the photo, Jackie Chan is wearing a costume and squatting on the side of the set, helping the props team move things.

The other picture shows Jackie Chan leading Xiang Zuo and Wen Ning in practicing moves, his brows covered in sweat.

The moment the photo was posted, the comment section exploded.

"Brother Jackie Chan is still the same big brother! Moving props on set, he's so approachable!"

"The older brother guiding the newcomers in practicing moves—this scene is so heartwarming."

"Didn't Xiang Zuo and Brother Cheng Long have an old grudge? Now it seems they're getting along quite well."

"The affairs of the previous generation have nothing to do with the younger generation. We are very respectful to our elder brother."

"That Wen Ning, is she the new female lead chosen by Director Lin? She looks quite pretty."

"Wen Ning is from the Beijing Film Academy. Director Lin personally went to cast her. This girl is lucky."

"In Director Lin's films, even newcomers can stand out; that's Director Lin's skill."

"The atmosphere on this film set is really great."

Someone even wrote a long article saying that Jackie Chan is almost sixty years old, yet he still works so hard on set and takes such good care of newcomers. This is what Chinese filmmakers should be like. The article received countless likes.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo was also busy on set.

During breaks in filming, his phone kept ringing.

From the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Lao Wang would call every few days to report on his work.

"Director Lin, I've drafted the publicity plan for this quarter and sent it to your email. Please take a look when you have time," Old Wang said on the phone.

Lin Mo said, "Okay, I'll watch it tonight. Is there anything urgent?"

Old Wang said, "It's nothing urgent. There's just a meeting at the theater, and the publicity department needs to prepare some materials. I've asked Xiao Chen and the others to get on with it. You can focus on filming. I'll keep an eye on things at the department."

Lin Mo said, "Brother Wang, thank you for your hard work. Please contact me anytime if you need anything."

Not long after I hung up the phone, Prosecutor Zhang called again.

"Xiao Lin, how's filming going?" Prosecutor Zhang's tone was as gentle as ever.

Lin Mo said, "It went quite smoothly, Prosecutor Zhang. We just finished filming a few action scenes, and the actors are all in good shape."

Zhang Jian said, "Okay. You can focus on filming. Old Wang will take care of things here at the theater, along with me and Old Zhao. Don't worry about it. But there's something I need to mention to you."

Lin Mo said, "Prosecutor Zhang, please speak."

Zhang Jian said, "Your film is about the return of national treasures. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage is paying close attention to it. They asked me to pass on a message that this film should be well made and that the significance of the national treasures returning home should be fully explained. This is both a mission and an honor."

Lin Mo said, "Prosecutor Zhang, don't worry, I'm really pushing myself with this film. I'm determined to bring the story of the national treasure returning home to life."

Zhang Jian smiled: "Okay. I'm relieved to hear that. You go ahead with your work and take care of yourself."

Lin Mo responded and hung up the phone.