hooklinebooks Chapter 8 Fangbeidong Car God
Chapter 8 Fangbeidong Car God
The engine emitted a deep roar, and the car suddenly shot forward.
However, three minutes later.
On a wide, flat road, where not a single car cut in, a domineering black Porsche Cayenne was crawling along at a steady pace with an extremely "steady" demeanor.
Li Zhixing chuckled as he looked at the pointer on the instrument panel, which was stuck firmly on "40 kilometers per hour".
Outside the window, cars passed by one after another with ease, and even a delivery motorcycle honked its horn and sped away.
"Noona, is this what you meant by... going on a rampage?"
Ha Ji-won leaned forward, her eyes fixed on the empty road ahead, and said, "The traffic in Seoul is so complicated. I'm doing this for our safety, don't you understand?"
Li Zhixing was already used to this older sister's stubbornness—"both bad at it and loves to play"—so he just smiled and shook his head, no longer exposing her.
To ease the awkwardness, Ha Ji-won casually changed the subject: "Ji-haeng, how's 'Jeon Woo-chi' going? It feels like you've been stuck on that set for ages."
"It's over. Filming just wrapped up in the Philippines a few days ago."
Ha Ji-won turned her head in surprise: "Was this drama filmed on location overseas?"
"Just that last little beach vacation scene at the end," Li Zhixing explained, shifting into a more comfortable sitting position.
"The main problem is that there are too many scenes in this movie where the crew is suspended by wires and swinging around in the air. Everyone was exhausted, so the director took advantage of the wrap-up to take the crew to Boracay Island to relax for a few days."
"That won't interfere with the upcoming movie promotion."
Ha Ji-won nodded, then looked at him with some admiration, "Last year's 'Haeundae' and this year's 'Jeon Woo-chi,' you've only been in the industry for a few years, yet you've managed to serve as the action director for blockbuster productions worth billions."
"Alright, stop flattering me."
Li Zhixing said helplessly, "Others may not know, but don't you? These kinds of large-scale projects usually have two or even three action directors. I'm just assisting the main director and lending my name to the project. To put it bluntly, weren't these two films all got through connections?"
"It was director Je-jun who brought me into the cast of 'Haeundae' despite the pressure from the investors; as for 'Jeon Woo-chi,' it was Doo-hong who asked me to join, and at most I was just an assistant to him."
"Nonsense! A production worth tens of billions—can you really get in just by relying on connections without real talent?"
Ha Ji-won glared at him, annoyed, and then, taking advantage of the moment while waiting at a red light, her tone turned serious. "What are your plans for the future?"
"What?" Li Zhixing was stunned for a moment.
"It was after 'Haeundae' was released," Ha Ji-won looked at him earnestly, "After your acting debut, did you continue working as a martial arts choreographer? Were you planning to juggle both?"
Li Zhixing leaned back in his chair and said calmly, "I'm not doing that anymore. I plan to focus on being an actor from now on, and I won't be taking any more stunt work."
"Huh?" Ha Ji-won exclaimed softly.
She knew this little guy too well; he was very opinionated, even a bit stubborn.
I've tried to persuade him many times before, and he's had many opportunities to debut, but he's refused them all.
He has just established himself in Chungmuro as a martial arts instructor. I thought he would struggle with the choice between being a stuntman and an actor for a long time, but I didn't expect him to make the decision so easily this time.
"What did Senior Zheng Douhong say? He's been grooming you as his last disciple, how could he bear to let you go?"
Li Zhixing rested his elbow on the edge of the car window, his hand supporting his chin, watching the street scene rushing past outside: "My teacher has never restricted my development. As long as I've decided on the path I want to take, he's always supportive."
Hearing this, Ha Ji-won sighed helplessly, her tone tinged with regret: "It's because he indulges you too much."
"I don't know what you were thinking back then. When I introduced you to the cast of 'The Miracle of Ichiban-gai,' I originally wanted Director Jijun to arrange a role for you."
"And what did you do? You plunged headfirst into the action choreography group, working your way up from the stuntmen every day! You've delayed your debut by two years!"
Ha Ji-won slapped the steering wheel in an annoyed tone, "Otherwise, with your face and skills, you'd be famous by now!"
Li Zhixing waved his hand somewhat absurdly: "What? How could I become famous? Back then, I didn't even have the concept of an actor in my mind, so how could I debut? Besides, it's not too late now, I'm not that old."
"Hmph!" Ha Ji-won rolled her eyes at him. "How can you say it's not too late? Lee Min-ho, who's the same age as you, became a sensation at the beginning of the year with 'Boys Over Flowers,' and now he's getting endorsement deals like crazy!"
Everyone has their own path to walk.
Li Zhixing casually brushed it off and immediately changed the subject, "Oh, Nuna, stop talking about me."
"Didn't your movie 'My Love Is By My Side' wrap up filming in May? Where have you been all this time? I often can't get through when I call you."
Upon hearing this, Ha Ji-won paused slightly, her smile fading as she sighed softly, "I'm going to get treatment."
"what?"
Li Zhixing's casual expression vanished, and he looked at her with concern: "Wasn't that film a drama? How did you get injured? Where are you hurt? How are you now?"
Seeing his anxious expression, Ha Ji-won felt a warmth in her heart and waved her hand, saying, "It's not a physical injury, it's a heart injury."
Her voice was somewhat low: "After filming that movie, I got too immersed in the role. I couldn't get out of that feeling of despair as I watched my lover die little by little."
"For a period of time after filming wrapped, I completely broke down mentally."
"I happened to have a photoshoot in Amsterdam at the time, so I went there to rest for a while and only just returned to China a few days ago."
Li Zhixing, still somewhat uneasy, asked, "And now? Have you completely moved on?"
"He's almost fully recovered."
Ha Ji-won turned around, flashing a bright smile again, "Oh, it's okay! Don't you trust your Ji-won noona's mental fortitude?"
Li Zhixing finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The carriage was quiet for a while.
As Ha Ji-won looked at the congested traffic ahead, the relaxation on her face gradually faded, and she sighed, saying, "Actually, I'm more worried about our movie than myself right now."
Li Zhixing raised an eyebrow, instantly understanding what she meant.
He had vaguely heard about the film "Haeundae," which was touted as South Korea's first disaster blockbuster, when he was on set a while ago. The film seemed to have a bad reputation in the industry recently.
Ha Ji-won shook her head helplessly: "It seems that since the production briefing for industry professionals at the end of last month, a lot of negative rumors have been circulating."
Upon hearing these words, Li Zhixing's expression turned serious.
Tonight's dinner party might be much more tense than you imagine.
The two chatted as the car cruised smoothly along the road at a top speed of 40 kilometers per hour.
After more than half an hour, we finally arrived at our destination, a private barbecue restaurant located in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District.
Led by the waiter, the two entered the private room at the back of the barbecue restaurant.
The private room was filled with the smoky aroma of barbecue, and two middle-aged men sat around the large solid wood dining table.
The slightly chubby man with a round face and wearing black-rimmed glasses, who looks like a kind neighbor, is Yoon Je-kyun, the director of "Haeundae".
The man sitting on the right, with deep nasolabial folds and a rugged aura that exudes an unapproachable presence when he's not smiling, is none other than Sol Kyung-gu, one of the "Three Musketeers" of Chungmuro and a top-tier actor.
Upon hearing the door open, the two of them looked up at the same time.
Yin Jijun smiled and was about to invite them to sit down when Xue Jingqiu's face suddenly darkened without warning.
"Bang!"
He slammed the glass of liquor in his hand heavily onto the table.
Those eyes were fixed on Li Zhixing, and his voice was filled with undisguised anger.
"Leave the director and senior actors here waiting idly? Li Zhixing, is this the attitude a newcomer should have?"
......