Trembling in the Skies

Chapter 19: Behind-the-Scenes Discussion

After a series of sirens, three ambulances screeched in from the distance. More than a dozen medical personnel, all clad in full protective gear, carried three treatment pods off the three large ambulances and loaded Gao Fei (who had minor injuries), Li Teng (who was seriously injured), and the already deceased Guo Zhipeng into them, respectively. Inside the treatment pods was a substance that existed somewhere between a liquid and a solid. Once Li Teng, who had suffered severe injuries all over his body, was placed inside, he was submerged in this liquid-solid substance. The excruciating pain from his fractures quickly subsided as he was immersed in this substance, and Li Teng could feel his severely injured body rapidly healing. It was a truly amazing feeling. Five minutes later, Li Teng’s body had completely returned to normal. The treatment pod opened, and Li Teng sat up inside it; not a single thread of his clothing was wet. He even felt much better than when he first arrived—incredibly refreshed and invigorated, as if the treatment had repaired all the physical damage caused by extreme thirst and hunger during his time atop the stone pillar over the past few days. Having experienced so many things that would be unthinkable in the real world, Li Teng was now certain that the plane he was currently in was no longer the real world he knew. At the very least, the level of medical technology here was far beyond what the real world could achieve. Before Li Teng exited the chamber, Gao Fei, who had only sustained minor injuries, had already stepped out. Guo Zhipeng was still undergoing treatment. Li Teng took this opportunity to visit the restroom at the café. Ten minutes later, Guo Zhipeng—who had been declared dead—was revived as well; he sat up from the treatment pod with a grim expression. As long as you don’t die on set, treatment in the medical pod is free. However, if you die on set, resuscitation in the medical pod requires a large number of points. Guo Zhipeng spent 1,000 points to save his own life. He simply didn’t have that many points in his account. Therefore, the film studio would seal him away—trapped inside a so-called wax figure. The seal on him can only be broken if someone makes up for his negative points. After treating the injuries and reviving the deceased actor, the filming of this scene officially came to an end. After filming wrapped, the actors would spend some time discussing the shoot behind the scenes. The behind-the-scenes discussion is divided into six segments. The first is the performance debrief, a ten-minute session where actors are free to speak, discuss, and summarize the scene, with the on-set director also participating. The second segment is the wax-sealing ceremony, during which actors who “died” in this scene are transformed into wax figures. The third is the points distribution session, during which the number of points each person earned in this scene is announced. The fourth is the Q&A session, where any actor present may ask a question, which must be answered by a higher-ranked actor. If the answer is correct and the director determines that it was genuinely helpful to the questioner, the responder receives a bonus of 1 to 10 points. Each lower-level actor has the right to ask one question. For veteran actors who have advanced after participating in several episodes, this is also a great opportunity to earn extra points. The fifth segment is the newcomer raffle. Newcomers, upon first arriving on the island, have inevitably spent some points exchanging for food, clothing, and other necessities, as well as on activities like showering, playing sports, watching movies, or visiting the arcade. Some may have used up the 100 points they borrowed on credit; if they cannot pay it off before leaving, they will be forcibly turned into wax figures. That’s why newcomers are granted the privilege of participating in the raffle—something Gao Fei had already explained to Li Teng earlier. Following the newcomer raffle, the sixth segment is the “Additional Matters” segment. It’s not certain exactly what additional matters will need to be handled; there might not be any at all, in which case this segment will be skipped. After the six segments, everyone would be forcibly transported back to their respective stone pillars by helicopter. The first segment began shortly thereafter. Everyone remained seated on bar stools, gathered around a large round table by the street, sipping coffee with a variety of expressions on their faces. Guo Zhipeng, who was about to be sealed in wax, was still seated among them, though this time the looks most of the others gave him were somewhat different from before. There was a hint of both mockery and sympathy in their eyes. Guo Zhipeng, too, had shed his earlier arrogant and domineering demeanor, appearing quite dejected and despondent. “Awesome comeback! Dude, you’re seriously awesome!” Gao Fei gave Li Teng a thumbs-up. “That was seriously impressive! It left me speechless,” the female office worker marveled. “I really didn’t expect that solution. Is that… really okay?” the elderly woman chimed in. Li Teng smiled, said nothing, and continued sipping his coffee. “Director, I protest! He seriously violated the rules during filming! Why didn’t you call ‘cut’ at the time?” Although Guo Zhipeng knew the outcome couldn’t be changed, he still raised the issue with the director. “Exactly! The way he grabbed a stool from the café and took it out onto the street completely contradicts the role of a pedestrian. And jumping up to attack the driver with a barstool as the car was speeding toward him is simply beyond belief. I suggest the director handle this matter with caution—it would be best to reshoot this scene.” The man in glasses echoed Guo Zhipeng’s remarks. Guo Zhipeng was one rank higher than everyone else present; the man in glasses had sacrificed his own dignity just to latch onto this influential figure, so naturally he wasn’t willing to let Guo Zhipeng just stand there like a wax figure. The others also turned to the director. Grabbing a barstool, jumping up, and charging at the sports car did indeed appear to be a serious violation of the rules. The director should provide a clear explanation; otherwise, it would be difficult for anyone to understand exactly what the rules were. “Protest denied! I said before the show that everything would be subject to my on-site instructions.” The director flatly rejected Guo Zhipeng’s protest. “What the hell… Why?” Guo Zhipeng was deeply dissatisfied with the director’s explanation. Is the director related to that jerk? Otherwise, why would he be so biased? How the hell are we supposed to keep performing like this? “We extras do have a certain degree of autonomy; the key is how well we understand and internalize what the director says,” the female office worker remarked, speaking from experience. At the time, she had already crossed the street, but the director told her to retrieve her bank card that had fallen in the middle of the street. The office worker successfully utilized the actors’ meager autonomy—without breaking the rules or disobeying the director’s instructions—by asking others nearby for help. As a result, the unlucky Gao Fei ended up taking the fall for her. “Cut the bullshit!” Guo Zhipeng thought the office worker was just making excuses. “Whether you walk fast or slow, you’re under the director’s control, but stealing a chair to smash a sports car is fine? That double standard is way too obvious!” Li Teng let out a cold laugh, said nothing, and continued sipping his coffee. In that situation, he’d been backed into a corner with no other choice. Grabbing the chair was just an attempt—no one stopped him—which is why the scene that followed unfolded. Everything he did was carried out according to the director’s instructions. Whether to walk fast or slow, he did indeed receive directions from the director—but the director never said he couldn’t use a chair to ram the sports car. History is always written by the victors. He survived, and Guo Zhipeng died—that was enough.