The crew was well-prepared for the scene. They cooperated with the property management company of the building and the best cleaning company in order to shoot it. The rent of the equipment alone devastated Qin Guan, who lowered his proud head before the cost and agreed to use a body double.
The experienced man hung outside the window and finished the scene quickly. He had actually risked his life for a really low price.
His agent was quite satisfied with the crew though. Not all filmmakers considered their work important. If they ran out of money, most crews tended to cut down the body double's salary. Some directors thought of them as mere figurants.
As he sat by the office desk, Qin Guan patted the young man's shoulder. Some appreciation would cheer him up.
Everyone left the office except for the cameraman. Qin Guan carefully used a stethoscope on the safe in an effort to figure out the code.
When the door cracked open, Xu Zheng approached him from behind with a crossbow.
Confident about his skill, he shouted at the thief, "Hey!"
Qin Guan was too absorbed in his work to hear the greeting. Angry and ashamed, Xu threw the cap of a pen at Qin Guan's head.
Qin Guan was a professional thief, so he wouldn't allow himself to be captured without putting up a fight. He looked around furtively and fixed his eyes on a paper knife on the table.
The cameraman moved the camera slowly. This was the only fight in the film after all.
Xu Zheng believed in the principle of fighting an enemy face to face, so he told Qin Guan to turn around. This gave Qin Guan a chance to resist. He threw the knife ar Xu at the same time that Xu shot him.
Of course, neither of them was a martial artist, so the pen and the knife fell down on the floor. The special effects would be added later. The two men just kept acting.
Qin Guan got shot on the chest, while his knife sliced Xu's throat.
All clear. Qin Guan pulled the pen out of his chest and grabbed the jewellery. Panting, he took off his mask and called his employer to report the good news.
Buzz....
The phone started ringing suddenly in the office. Startled, Qin Guan hung up immediately. Silence prevailed in the office.
Qin Guan dialled the number again and the phone on the desk started ringing loud and clear. Qin Guan answered the phone with a sense of foreboding.
"Hello?" He heard his own voice through the receiver.
"What the f*ck?"
"Cut! Get ready for the next scene, you two!"
As everyone got to work, Guo Tao tried to negotiate with Ning Hao.
"Can I keep my pants on during this scene?"
"You don't need to take your pants off. It's forbidden in China anyway. I asked the prop master to choose some underpants for you."
Yes, those beautiful flowery underpants.
"I was just wondering why my pants have to fall down during the fight. And why does Qin Guan get to keep his pants on? Everyone knows the girls would go crazy if Qin Guan's pants fell... You'll get a bigger audience. No one will be interested in me!"
"Rubbish! You'll be pushing Qin Guan down against the floor anyway. No one will be able to see his costume. Just do your job!"
We do not have any actresses on site, so there's no need to be embarrassed.
"Attention, please! Three, two, camera!"
The two men began wrestling in the elevator. When the door opened, the policemen found the two guys rolling around on the floor. Guo Tao was sitting on top of Qin Guan's body. His underpants were trembling in the frame, showing his effort to catch the robber.
"Cut!"
No one laughed. Everyone was confused. "Qin Guan, I have a plan."
"What's that?"
"I would like to send a photo to the media with the title 'Guo Tao beating the award-winning actor'..."
Qin Guan hesitated. "Good idea. Don't forget to pay me for the extra promotion."
"Of course!"