"All cameras ready!"
"Safety equipment check passed!"
…
One by one, the pre-shoot preparations were meticulously confirmed.
Inside the 135th-floor suite, Director Cohen was overseeing the setup for the next scene Luke was about to film.
Once this scene was done, the toughest part of the movie's production would be mostly in the bag.
Cohen glanced at the camera monitor, catching the feed from the 156th-floor mechanical room:
Luke was there, warming up, his focus razor-sharp. The sight took Cohen back to their first meeting.
Back then, on the set of Fast and Furious, Luke was just an extra. Yet in just two short years, he'd grown into this.
Luke seemed to have endless drive and courage, fearless in the face of challenges. Working with him pushed you to strive for perfection.
That courage and passion had rubbed off on Cohen. Maybe that's why he'd spotted Luke's potential early on, going out of his way to secure roles for him and even funding his films.
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As a director specializing in visual effects, Cohen, now in his fifties, had worked on countless films and collaborated with heavyweights like Cameron, Spielberg, and Lucas.
He'd always thought action movies had peaked with stars like Jackie Chan, destined to fade in the face of new tech.
But Luke kept proving otherwise, showing the world that action films have no limits!
Today's two scenes had shattered Cohen's expectations, opening up new possibilities.
The upcoming scene had two main parts:
First, Luke, with a cable tied around his waist, would run down the building's glass exterior like a firefighter.
This part was almost a breeze for Luke—he just had to focus on looking cool while running.
The second part, though, was as tough as the double-fall scene earlier. It had to be shot in one continuous take.
Luke would run down the glass with the cable, then leap outward at over 600 meters in the air.
Mid-air, he'd unhook the cable, breaking free, and aim for the 135th-floor room.
According to Bob calculations, this was like a long jump of 8.5 meters on flat ground.
That distance? It was a world record a decade ago, only recently surpassed.
It was insane—playing long jump at 600 meters up was nothing like doing it on the ground!
And Luke didn't just need to jump far; he had to jump precisely.
He had to control his angle and height to hit the window's upper frame, then fall backward.
Absolutely nuts!
Yet Cohen had a gut feeling Luke would pull it off, and this scene would be a milestone in his directing career.
"Director! We're all set here," a crew member's voice came through the earpiece.
"Alright! All departments, get ready!"
Cohen pushed aside distractions and steadied himself behind the camera.
"Action!"
With the clapperboard's snap, Luke spread his arms like a bird and leaped from the 156th-floor broken window.
His body plummeted, dropping four or five floors in a flash before his feet hit the building's exterior.
Without a moment's pause, Luke started sprinting down the glass.
"Man, this is epic—a total cinematic legend in the making," Depp, who had no scenes today, remarked.
Cohen just nodded, staying focused.
"Screech!"
Luke's run suddenly halted.
He reached for his waist, realizing the cable had reached its limit, stopping him short.
He turned toward the 135th-floor window, seeing it was still too far to reach.
"Your rope's too short!" Vin Diesel shouted from the window.
"You think I don't know that?" Luke yelled back, frustrated. "Catch me!"
"What?" Vin Diesel looked confused.
But Luke didn't explain. He decisively sprinted in the opposite direction.
After gaining enough distance, he charged toward the room at full speed.
"Ah!"
With a roar, Luke leaped!
The cable pulled him through a perfect arc in the air. Timing it perfectly, he unhooked the cable, soaring free…
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Seeing this, Vin Diesel crouched slightly, nerves on edge.
Luke aimed straight for the room, but his angle seemed a bit high?
Thud!
Yup, he slammed headfirst into the window's upper frame, a loud crash echoing.
Though he cushioned the impact with his hands, the force left him dizzy, a sharp pain shooting through his forehead as something wet splattered.
No time to think about it—the rebound sent him tumbling backward, headfirst toward the ground below.
"I've got to stretch out my right foot for Vin Diesel to grab, or this shot's wasted," was Luke's only thought.
Vin Diesel, forgetting his fear of heights, had one thought too: "I have to catch him!"
He lunged forward, half his body out the window, and grabbed Luke's right foot firmly!
Behind him, Yuffie dove to the floor, clutching Vin Diesel's leg with all her strength to anchor them.
Huff, huff, huff!
Huff, huff!
The three, having narrowly escaped disaster, leaned against the window, panting heavily, then exchanged relieved smiles.
"Cut!"
The shot was perfect, and Cohen shouted with excitement.
"Luke, you're the man!" the crew cheered.
Only then did Yuffie frantically pull out gauze, shouting, "Tilt your head up—your forehead's bleeding!"
The impact had split Luke's forehead, blood streaming down.
Flustered, Yuffie tried to stop the bleeding.
Luke wasn't fazed. It's just filming—a little injury was nothing. As long as the shot was nailed, it was worth it.
So, that's a wrap on this B-level stunt, right?
Where's my reward?
A line of golden system text appeared before him:
[Host has completed a B-level dangerous stunt. Awarded 5 assignable attribute points.]
[This stunt involved additional high-risk choreography. Extra 2 assignable attribute points awarded.]