Training began again. The instructor responsible for Matthew's squad led them into a building training area, guiding them through the most basic considerations for urban special operations. The instructor was from the Delta Force, a true professional.
"James!" the instructor shouted to the dozen or so actors, who were split into several groups, from the middle of the street. "is that concealment? Squat! Squat lower!"
This instructor, in his thirties, probably found training Hollywood actors quite interesting and was very dedicated to his work. In just a few days, he had become familiar with Matthew and James McAvoy's squad, even calling out each person's name.
The training content simulated the actions of that year, requiring Matthew and the other actors to advance towards a Small Building from different directions, using prescribed tactical movements.
Although they weren't wearing helmets or most of their gear due to the weight, after a few days of training, the actors began to show a bit of a soldier's demeanor.
The instructor stood in the middle of the street, observing and pointing out their shortcomings. "Ben! Ben Foster, watch your muzzle! Your muzzle is pointed at the back of Matthew's head! Do you want to murder your superior?"
Matthew crouched behind a low building, looked back, and saw Ben Foster holding his gun diagonally, its upward-pointing muzzle directly aimed at the back of his head.
"Hey, Ben!"
This wasn't a film shoot, so Matthew joked casually, "You're about to become a Pig Teammate."
Ben Foster quickly adjusted his gun-holding posture and grumbled, "This is my first time with this kind of training, unlike you and James, who are both veterans."
"Attack!" the instructor's voice suddenly rang out. "Attack!"
Matthew darted out, crouching as he ran towards the Small Building, followed by Ben Foster, who was in his group.
"Stay low!" the instructor shouted again, reminding them of the tactical movement. "Stay low! Everyone, stay low!"
Matthew further lowered his body, came in front of the Small Building, hid behind a low brick wall, aimed forward, and gave a Tactical Hand Signal to Ben Foster behind him. Ben Foster crouched over, preparing to go to a cover in front, but as he passed by Matthew, his foot tripped on the ground.
Ben Foster swayed and fell towards the brick wall in front of Matthew, his head about to hit the sharp corner of the brick wall.
If he really hit it, Ben Foster's head would definitely be smashed open.
Matthew saw it clearly, but Ben Foster fell too fast to pull him back. In a hurry, he reached out and pushed Ben Foster, slightly changing the direction of his fall.
Bang—
Ben Foster fell to the ground almost brushing the brick wall, then grunted.
Matthew put down his weapon, stopped training, and quickly went over to ask, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Ben Foster, still shaken, felt himself all over with both hands and said to Matthew, "I'm okay! Everything's OK."
Matthew extended his hand and pulled him up from the ground. "Be careful."
After Ben Foster stood up, he calmed down a bit, took a deep breath, and said, "Thank you, Matthew."
Although he hadn't seen it too clearly, he felt that if Matthew hadn't pushed him,
his head would have definitely hit the wall, and it wouldn't have been as simple as just a fall.
The instructor also noticed the situation and shouted, "Matthew Horner! What's going on? is anyone hurt?"
"Nothing!" Matthew glanced at Ben Foster, saw him nod, and shouted back, "Everything is normal."
The instructor's roar came again, "Continue training!"
The training lasted for nearly an hour, then entered break time again.
Most people sat in the shade to rest. Matthew had good stamina, so this intensity of training was nothing to him. He took a bottle of mineral water from where the crew prepared drinks and food, twisted it open, and took a sip. Seeing the Delta Force instructor still walking back and forth between the training buildings, seemingly designing the next training session, he grabbed another bottle of water and walked over.
"Brown..." Matthew called out, "Have some water."
This instructor was Brown Williams. According to himself, he was a veteran who had been in the Delta Force for over five years.
He left a good impression on Matthew, not like the boisterous American Soldiers in movies or TV; he appeared very steady.
"Thank you!" Brown Williams took the water and asked, "Aren't you resting?"
Matthew shook his head, "I'm not tired."
"I almost forgot..." Brown Williams smiled, "You've had military training."
He asked with a hint of curiosity, "Do the retired military officers who train you earn a high income in Hollywood?"
"It's alright..." Matthew glanced at him. "In recent years, many modern war-themed movies and TV shows have been greenlit in Hollywood, and military consultants with professional experience seem to find work quite easily."
He didn't know too much about this, so he could only give a rough idea, but what he said and what he thought were completely different matters. He hadn't heard of many retired soldiers making it big in Hollywood.
When the day's training ended, everyone was basically covered in sweat and mud. Matthew's squad trained far from the Dormitory Area, so by the time they returned to the Dorm Building, most people had already finished showering and come out of the communal Shower Room.
Matthew lived in a double Room with James McAvoy. The two returned to their dorm, packed their things, and prepared to go to the Shower Room when the distinctive ringtone of a Nokia phone suddenly rang.
"Your phone..." James McAvoy reminded him.
"Mhm." Matthew responded, found his Nokia phone, and saw that it was Britney calling. He then said to James McAvoy, "You go take a Shower first. It's my girlfriend calling, I'll go later."
James McAvoy waved his hand and left the dorm with his toiletries.
"Hi, dear." Matthew answered the phone. "How do you have time today?"
Britney's voice came from the other end, "I've arrived in Yokohama, just checked into the hotel Room. I'm free now, and I thought your training should be over..."
In the corridor outside the dorm, in the stairwell leading upstairs, Tom Hardy poked his head out from around the corner, staring intently at Matthew and James McAvoy's Room. He had been observing ever since that group returned.
Soon, he saw James McAvoy and the actor named Ben Foster walking together towards the Shower Room at the end of the corridor.
"How is it?" Jonny Lee Miller, carrying a handbag, stood behind Tom Hardy. "Did he come out?"
"No." Tom Hardy whispered, "I only saw James McAvoy, who shares a dorm with Matthew Horner. Matthew Horner hasn't come out yet."
He was puzzled, "Does that bastard not Shower? He's been sweating all day, that's too disgusting..."
"Wait a little longer." Jonny Lee Miller seemed very patient. "Calm down, let's see what happens first."
Tom Hardy poked his head out again. James McAvoy and Ben Foster had already entered the Shower Room, but there was still no movement from Matthew Horner's side.
Jonny Lee Miller wasn't idle either. He picked up the bag he had placed on the ground, rummaged through the contents of his handbag, and asked, "Tom, are you confident?"
"Even if I can't force him out of the crew..." Tom Hardy was full of confidence, "I can make him lose a lot of face! And... as long as we have the goods, he'll have to consider the consequences of anything he does in the future!"
Jonny Lee Miller nodded. This was similar to Angelina Jolie's methods against him... Back then, after he signed the property division agreement, Angelina Jolie gave him the only videotape. Both parties had even made specific remarks in the division agreement, with Angelina Jolie guaranteeing the uniqueness of the videotape. If she still had a copy, she would have to pay him a large sum of money.
He wasn't worried about the videotape, so when Tom Hardy suggested it, he readily agreed.
Moreover, he was a big star, and Matthew Horner was just a small driver who got lucky. Even if the matter blew up and the crew wanted to settle it, they would choose Matthew Horner as the target, not him.
After finishing the call with Britney, Matthew put away his phone, found his toiletries, left the dorm, and walked towards the Shower Room at the very end of the same floor. Just as he reached the door, he saw James McAvoy and a few others already coming out. He casually greeted them, pushed the door open, and went in.
Like a normal Shower Room, it had a two-Room structure: a smaller Changing Room outside, and a Shower Stall further inside.
Matthew found an empty Locker, put his clothes inside, and then Ben Foster came out of the Shower Stall.
"You came at the right time." Ben Foster said, wiping his wet hair with a towel, "Now this is your private bathroom."
Matthew, holding his towel, walked inside, saying, "This is called being in the right place at the right time."
Entering the Shower Stall, he stood under a Showerhead. The hot water rushed over him, and a refreshing sensation spread throughout his body. Matthew couldn't help but stretch.
The sound of a door opening and closing came from outside; it must have been Ben Foster leaving.
Returning to his dorm, Ben Foster put away his toiletries and went out to buy something. Perhaps tired from the day's training, the corridor was empty, with only two people standing at the entrance of the Shower Room at the very end.
He recognized those two: Jonny Lee Miller, a big-name actor in the crew, and Tom Hardy, a minor actor similar to himself.
The two were wearing clean clothes and didn't look like they were going to Shower. Besides, he remembered they didn't live on this floor, so they wouldn't come here even if they were going to Shower.
Just as Ben Foster was thinking this, the two entered the Shower Room.
"Something's wrong!"
Ben Foster immediately recalled some things. James McAvoy had mentioned that he and Matthew had had conflicts with Tom Hardy on another set. If these two went in, would it be bad for Matthew?!!