After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

The next morning.

Huairou Film and Television City.

A cordon has been set up in front of the old opera house.

Chen Hao, wearing a tattered baseball cap and holding a megaphone, was directing several stagehands to set up the lighting.

"Push the track half a meter to the left!"

"Fatty, set up the camera higher; we're going to shoot a panoramic view from above later!"

"Skinny Monkey, get the reflector ready!"

Jiang Yichen and Meng Lingyu walked out of the dressing room.

Jiang Yichen was wearing a black windbreaker, cargo pants, and Doc Martens boots.

Meng Lingyu, on the other hand, was dressed in a tight leather outfit, with a high ponytail, and was playing with a prop dagger in her hand.

Chen Hao turned his head and looked at the two of them, his eyes practically gleaming with greed.

Brother Jiang's charisma is simply amazing.

There's a hint of ruthlessness beneath the cold exterior.

With that leather jacket on, my junior sister looks like a total violent loli.

"Brother Jiang, Junior Sister, let's film the opening scene of the infinite flow dungeon first."

Chen Hao walked over with a walkie-talkie.

"This scene has no dialogue; it relies entirely on actions and eye contact."

"You two are mortal enemies, forcibly bound to a deadly dungeon by the system. We need that feeling of mutual animosity, yet forced to cooperate for survival."

Jiang Yichen nodded.

Walk in front of the camera and stand still.

Meng Lingyu took a deep breath and stood next to him, maintaining a "safe distance" of half a meter between them.

"Attention all departments!"

"Three, two, one, Action!"

The clapperboard falls.

The camera zooms in.

Jiang Yichen and Meng Lingyu stood back to back.

Several zombie extras in tattered costumes lunged at him, baring their teeth and claws.

Jiang Yichen dodged a zombie's attack by sidestepping it, and then kicked the zombie in the knee.

The movements were clean and efficient.

Meng Lingyu twirled the prop dagger in her hand and slashed a zombie's neck with a backhand motion.

The two worked together with exceptional chemistry.

But every time they passed each other, their eyes revealed blatant disdain.

Jiang Yichen finds Meng Lingyu a nuisance.

Meng Lingyu resented Jiang Yichen for stealing kills.

Chen Hao stared at the monitor, full of satisfaction.

Although these two have never acted, they have practiced martial arts for many years and have excellent physical coordination.

They didn't use stunt doubles for the action scenes; they used real weapons.

The tension of being on the edge of a knife was portrayed exceptionally well.

"Okay! Cut!"

Chen Hao shouted excitedly.

"This one's a success! Time to change outfits and start shooting the final dungeon!"

The production crew quickly got to work.

Jiang Yichen and Meng Lingyu returned to the dressing room.

When they came out again, the two had changed into their costumes.

Jiang Yichen was dressed as a martial arts performer, carrying a long spear.

Meng Lingyu wore a blue pleated dress with her water sleeves hanging down at her sides.

Each of them wore half a strange Peking Opera mask on their face.

Meanwhile, their modern-day stunt doubles also came out, having changed their clothes.

On the stage of the old opera house.

The lights were dimmed, casting a soft blue underlight.

The dry ice machine spewed out thick white mist, which permeated the area around the stage.

The modern male and female protagonists venture into the ultimate dungeon and encounter the two Peking Opera masked bosses guarding the gate—who are actually themselves dressed in opera costumes.

The tragic story of a century of loyal souls slowly unfolds before their modern nemesis.

Chen Hao was holding a megaphone.

"Extras, get ready!"

"Japanese troops are entering!"

More than a hundred extras dressed in yellow woolen military uniforms and carrying rifles with bayonets poured into the old opera house.

The entire stage was completely surrounded.

The dark muzzle of a gun was pointed at the two people on the stage.

Below the stage, more than thirty ordinary people dressed in tattered coarse cloth were kneeling.

In 1937, Nanjing fell to the Japanese.

The two stars of the Peking Opera, Chenqiaotou and Chenxiangkou.

Childhood sweethearts, famous throughout Nanjing.

A Japanese military officer, wearing round-framed glasses, walked to the front of the stage.

He drew his command sword and pointed it directly at Jiang Yichen.

"Boss Chen, the Imperial Japanese Army greatly appreciates your performance."

"Today, we'll revise the script and perform a new play that celebrates the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere."

"Well sung, these thirty ordinary people are alive."

"If you don't sing, you'll all die!"

The Japanese officer waved his hand.

Click click click.

Dozens of bayonets were pressed against the necks of the civilians.

The people below the stage were terrified, trembling and crying out in despair.

Jiang Yichen stood in the center of the stage.

He looked at the Japanese invaders below the stage, and at the innocent civilians.

There was no fear in his eyes.

Only a resolute decision is possible.

He turned his head and looked at Meng Lingyu beside him.

Meng Lingyu was also looking at him.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

Without saying a word, they already understood each other's feelings.

Jiang Yichen bowed slightly.

"If the Japanese commander wants to hear a new play, then we will sing it."

He turned and gave instructions to the backstage staff.

"Serve the wine."

"Today, at Chenqiaotou and Chenxiangkou, we sing for the Imperial Army."

Several servants carried trays onto the stage.

The tray held a wine jug and wine glasses.

The two had poisoned the wine beforehand.

The Japanese officer laughed heartily.

"Wow! Boss Chen is a smart man!"

He picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The Japanese soldiers in the audience also raised their glasses.

Jiang Yichen picked up the tinderbox.

He looked down at the Japanese soldiers below the stage, whose faces were gradually turning blue after drinking the poisoned wine.

With a light flick of the finger.

The fire tinder traced an arc in the air and landed on the pile of dry firewood at the edge of the stage.

That was the potent fire oil they had prepared long ago.

boom!

The flames shot into the sky in an instant.

The flames greedily devoured the wooden stage, crackling and popping.

Smoke billows.

The Japanese officer below the stage clutched his neck and collapsed to the ground in agony, convulsing.

The poison has taken effect.

But he still mustered all his strength to raise his pistol and aim it at the two people on the stage.

boom!

The bullet grazed Jiang Yichen's arm, leaving a trail of blood.

Jiang Yichen didn't even frown.

He stood amidst the raging flames, his posture upright as a pine tree.

Meng Lingyu stepped forward and stood beside him.

The firelight illuminated their faces.

That's the backbone that belongs only to actors.

Jiang Yichen suddenly flicked his water sleeves.

Warm up your voice.

His voice pierced through the crackling fire and the screams from the audience.

"Now it's just the two of us."

Meng Lingyu followed closely behind, her opera singing melodious yet poignant. She looked at Jiang Yichen, her eyes filled with endless affection and resolute determination.

"Today, my husband and I..."

Jiang Yichen was taken aback and looked at Meng Lingyu, his gaze instantly turning into tender affection.

The two people clasped their hands together.

His gaze was fixed on the struggling Japanese soldiers below the stage.

The chorus resounded throughout the old opera house.

"Erect the incantation on this platform!"

"With this body and this soul, I will suppress you sinners!"

"Those who invade our land and harm our people!"

"You will be haunted by my soul day and night, and never find peace again!"

Flames shot into the sky.

The crossbeam of the stage broke and crashed down.

The two figures gradually blurred in the flames, but they remained standing tall.

That was the most humble yet the most resilient backbone in a great era.

Modern nemesis stands amidst ruins.

I remained silent for a long time as I watched this scene.

A century of loyal souls, sacrificing their lives for their country.

They finally understood why these two Peking Opera mask bosses had transformed into the most ferocious vengeful spirits, guarding this stage so fiercely.

"……Card!"

Chen Hao's voice trembled slightly and was hoarse.

The extras all forgot to get up.

The extra who played a Japanese officer was lying on the ground, his eyes red and swollen.

When he met Jiang Yichen's gaze just now, he truly felt that relentless killing intent.

Jiang Yichen pulled Meng Lingyu out from behind the prop fire.

Meng Lingyu was still sobbing.

She got too into character.

For a moment just now, she truly felt like she was Chen Xiangkou, destined to die alongside her senior brother.

Jiang Yichen patted her back and comforted her in a low voice.

He walked up to Chen Hao.

"Director Chen, is this take okay?"