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As soon as Director Lu gave the order, the props team promptly delivered the costume and equipment.
Lu Chen was outfitted in a set of silver-black armor, typical of big-budget commercial films: sleek, stylish, and visually impactful, though completely detached from historical accuracy. It was designed for effect, not authenticity.
The props team had done their homework, and the armor they selected fit Lu Chen's tall frame perfectly. With their help, once he was fully geared up, a strikingly heroic silver-armored young general stood tall before everyone.
Lu Zhiyong was very pleased. "Not bad at all!"
Standing over 1.8 meters tall, Lu Chen had a well-trained, athletic build, honed through years of physical training. Clad in armor, he exuded sharp, disciplined energy. Just in terms of appearance, he was practically flawless.
The props team then brought over a Longdan Bright Silver Spear.
The spear had been crafted with great care. Made from alloy, it was finely cast and polished. While not excessively heavy, it still had a solid heft to it, firm and weighty in the hand, with an authentic feel.
Together with the armor, a longsword, and the spear, the total weight surpassed forty jin (about 20kg). Anyone without physical strength or stamina wouldn't be able to handle it.
But for Lu Chen, this level of burden was easily manageable.
Once fully equipped, Lu Chen mounted his horse again.
As soon as he settled into the saddle, he gripped the spear in one hand and suddenly thrust it forward. With a flick of his wrist, he spun the weapon, producing a beautiful flourish of spinning silver, a perfect spear blossom movement.
"Nice!"
Even among the crew, a few stunt coordinators and martial arts instructors were present. Seeing that single move from Lu Chen, their eyes widened with admiration. As the saying goes: a real expert reveals his skill in a single move. Whether someone had genuine ability or not, just one flourish was enough to tell.
Lu Chen's spear spinning movement was executed effortlessly and with absolute precision. There was no way this had been learned casually or in a short time. The stunt coordinator had never seen a celebrity pull off such a clean, elegant spear move.
To the layperson, Lu Chen's motion was dazzling and graceful. Combined with his striking appearance, it was simply cool to the extreme.
At that moment, everyone was completely convinced.
Even Director Lu Zhiyong, who had originally been skeptical, felt like he'd just struck gold. The stern expression on his face melted into a satisfied grin.
But Lu Chen's performance was far from over.
With the reins in his left hand and the spear in his right, he guided the horse back into the grassland set, charging forward like a true general launching an attack against enemy lines.
He galloped a full circle, demonstrating just a few basic moves on horseback, and already the entire crew was thoroughly impressed.
"Alright, come back!" Lu Zhiyong called out loudly. "The role is yours!"
He was completely won over, and his impression of Zhang De improved dramatically too. "Chief Zhang, Lu Chen is one of your company's signed artists? You're really lucky."
What he didn't know was that Lu Chen wasn't actually under Zhang De's management.
Lu Zhiyong didn't listen to pop music or follow entertainment gossip. He'd been on location for the past half year, so he had no idea who Lu Chen really was. He simply assumed Lu Chen was a fresh face signed under Qiande.
Otherwise, why would their GM personally recommend him?
Zhang De gave a bitter smile. "Director Lu, if I had that kind of luck, I'd be thrilled."
Lu Zhiyong was surprised. "He's not with you?"
Zhang De explained, "Lu Chen runs his own studio. He only debuted earlier this year. Before that, he was a street singer."
"A… street singer?" Lu Zhiyong was speechless. Since when were street singers this capable?
And he even runs his own studio?
He couldn't help but exclaim sincerely, "That's really impressive!"
He already knew that Lu Chen had just wrapped up a TV drama as the male lead, but he didn't expect him to be so well-rounded, equally talented in both acting and action.
Among the older generation of actors, it wasn't rare to find those who were skilled in both literary and martial arts performance. But these veteran actors had either retired or passed away, and most were no longer active in the industry.
The newer generation had a very different focus, looks, charisma, acting chops (sometimes even without the last one), and marketability were the main priorities.
Lu Zhiyong didn't look down on actors who made a career off their face, after all, he made commercial films. He catered to the market. If audiences loved pretty faces, he wasn't going to argue, what mattered was box office success.
Still, that didn't stop him from genuinely liking Lu Chen. Right there on the spot, he confirmed that Lu Chen would play the role of Chen Jia!
Not only that, he wanted to shoot Lu Chen's scenes the very next day.
The movie's production schedule had already been delayed for various reasons. There wasn't much time left to waste. Lu Chen had no objection. All that remained was to have his sister handle the contract signing.
Even for a cameo, a proper contract was needed to protect his rights.
The agreement was struck immediately. That very afternoon, Lu Xi came over to sign the contract, and the next day, Lu Chen returned to the Qian Nian Pass set.
But things were completely different now compared to the day before. The set was bustling with several hundred extras dressed in armor and wielding weapons. They looked like a small-scale army. While not exactly well-trained, they still exuded a certain imposing presence.
Lu Chen's scenes in The Great Emperor Wu were minor. The film primarily revolved around Emperor Wu of Han, focusing on the internal and external power struggles of the imperial court. The story featured many prominent historical figures.
At this fortress set, the central figure was General Huo Qubing. The scene being filmed depicted his legendary campaign west of Longxi, the Hexi War. It would be a grand, cinematic sequence, but in the actual film, it would only take up around ten minutes.
"All departments, stand by!"
"Camera, OK!"
"Props, OK!"
"Sound, OK!"
With everything ready, the clapperboard snapped down, Bang!
"ACTION!"
In the next moment, the war drums thundered, their deep, pounding rhythm echoing through the air, stirring excitement with each beat.
Lu Chen, riding a warhorse, suddenly charged out from the formation of soldiers. Two cameras mounted on rails followed from different angles, capturing his every move in high definition.
Lu Chen's face, tanned by makeup to give him a weathered look, was set in a serious, composed expression. His lips pressed tightly together, eyes locked straight ahead, radiating a fierce killing intent. In his hand, the silver spear suddenly raised high.
The tip of the spear pointed directly at the "Xiongnu" army stretched out across the plains.
A lone rider charges the enemy!
Watching from behind the monitors, Director Lu Zhiyong couldn't help but slap his thigh and exclaim, "Excellent!"
He had already been impressed with Lu Chen during the audition yesterday. Now that filming had officially begun, Lu Chen had surprised him yet again.
The character Lu Chen was playing, Chen Jia, was fictional. A minor supporting role with only two lines, his main task was this lone cavalry charge, meant to showcase the character's bravery and pride as a general of the Big Man army.
Originally, this role belonged to another actor, who had injured himself while attending a promotional event and couldn't make it to Jinling for filming. They had to scramble to find a replacement.
Who would've thought the replacement would be this good? Lu Zhiyong even felt that Lu Chen was stealing the spotlight.
He's good enough to play Huo Qubing himself!
And speaking of Huo Qubing, the actor playing him was watching from not far away.
His name was Wen Bing, about the same age as Lu Chen but with an earlier start in the industry. He'd appeared in several films and TV series, though always in supporting roles.
This role in The Great Emperor Wu, Huo Qubing, was the biggest and most important one of Wen Bing's career to date. As an idol-genre actor, Wen Bing had great confidence in his looks and his acting. But now, watching Lu Chen's performance, his confidence wavered.
"Who is that guy?"
Wen Bing knew the Chen Jia role had to be recast. He had even considered recommending a friend for it, but that friend wasn't available.
He hadn't expected someone else to be brought in so quickly.
Replacements were replacements, and Wen Bing hadn't thought much of a minor role. But Lu Chen's appearance was so eye-catching, so commanding, that even Wen Bing, the "lead", instinctively felt threatened.
His assistant, more informed, leaned over and said, "That's Lu Chen, the male lead from 'Autumn in My Heart'."
Wen Bing finally understood. "So it's him!"
'Autumn in My Heart' was a huge hit right now. Wen Bing hadn't watched it, but of course he'd heard about it. Still, he hadn't expected the male lead to show up here for a mere cameo. A complicated feeling rose in his chest.
He had fought hard to land the role of Huo Qubing, beating out several strong competitors. He had believed he'd finally reached a new peak in his career, only to now be instantly outshone in comparison.
His only consolation was that his role was far more significant than Lu Chen's.
"He's not all that," Wen Bing thought to himself with a trace of scorn.
Still, he had to admit: the momentum Lu Chen brought to that cavalry charge, he himself couldn't pull that off.
At that moment, Lu Chen, unaware that his performance had sparked envy from a fellow actor, was locked in his role, brandishing his spear as he engaged in a duel with a Xiongnu general. He smoothly completed all the required action choreography.
The morning flew by, and by midday, Lu Chen had wrapped all of his scenes.
He had only caused two takes to be redone, an exceptionally low number for action filming.
As he was preparing to leave, Director Lu Zhiyong personally handed him a business card, saying he hoped they could work together again in the future.
He wasn't just being polite.
Lu Chen had proven himself worthy of more collaborations, worthy of attention.
For Lu Chen, this cameo was just a small detour in his acting career. Despite having only a few scenes, he got to enjoy the thrill of filming a movie and earned 200,000 yuan in the process, nothing to complain about.
In the following days, Lu Chen stayed in Jinling, working closely with the post-production team on 'Autumn in My Heart'. He oversaw editing, completed his own dubbing, and worked on the series' musical score.
Then, on the 21st, Lu Chen Studio received an invitation letter from Shacheng.
It came from Xiangnan Satellite TV, inviting Lu Chen to attend the Chinese Music Chart Mid-Year Awards ceremony on February 2nd, to be held in Shacheng.
Lu Chen had received nominations for Best New Artist and Best Composer.
When he heard the news from his studio, Lu Chen thought there had been a mistake.
After all, the Chinese Music Chart Mid-Year Awards were organized by Xiangnan TV, one of the most influential networks in the country!
(End of Chapter)