Chapter 42: Are You Worthy of Being the Protagonist?
Han Fei's voice was barely audible, and Director Jiang didn't quite catch what he said. However, he wasn't in the mood to pay attention to what Han Fei was saying right now.
The relatives of the victims stormed onto the set, disrupting the film production. If not handled properly, this could have a significant negative impact on the movie.
"Everyone, please calm down! The police have begun re-investigating the human jigsaw puzzle case! It won't be long before they catch the real culprit!" Jiang Yi shouted, hoping to calm everyone down. But the anger in the hearts of the victims' relatives had already been ignited.
"We force ourselves every day not to think about those painful things. By making this movie, you're exposing all our suffering to the world," a middle-aged woman in her forties pointed at the crew members and scolded angrily. "But because you said that making this film would raise awareness and garner more attention, we set aside our own pain and entrusted our most desperate memories to you! But what have you done?!"
She raised her tablet high and turned the volume to the maximum, replaying a video clip.
In the clip, the young police officer played by Acheng delivered melodramatic lines, conducted clumsy deductions, and even found love while pursuing the killer. In the end, the female lead sacrificed her life to give the male lead a chance, and the young officer miraculously achieved a counter-kill, followed by a rather awkward crying scene.
"Is this the answer you give us, the victims' relatives? You're simply insulting the pain we've endured for the past ten years!" the middle-aged woman's voice grew louder, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"I apologize for betraying your trust. As the director, I genuinely apologize to all of you. I will do my best to make the necessary modifications. However, I also hope that you can understand the filmmakers to some extent. It's challenging to completely replicate reality in a drama, and the male and female leads need to have a certain proportion of screen time. That's what the investors demand," Jiang Yi explained. This production was primarily funded by two film and television companies, Hanlight Pictures, where Acheng belonged, and Yulong Media, which represented the female lead. Yulong Media had the majority stake and mainly wanted to promote their own actress.
"I don't care how you make your movie, but why did you fabricate such an ending when the killer hasn't been caught?"
"We promised to help you expand the influence of the case. You continue to disrupt the production, and we will call the police!"
"Do you have the nerve to call the police? This is fraud!"
"Let's speak properly and stop pointing fingers!"
The emotions of the victims' relatives grew more and more intense, and both sides stuck to their own arguments, resulting in shoving, and pushing.
It was unclear who made the first move in the altercation. During the quarrel, Wei Youfu's father was pushed to the ground.
The set was already crowded, with many filming equipment set up. After the old man fell, the emotions of the victims' relatives exploded completely. They also pushed Acheng, who was in the front because they needed to reshoot his scenes.
Acheng, who usually appeared as an idol, sat on the ground with his makeup smudged, and shoe prints on his clothes. "Damn it! Nothing goes right for me! You all wait and see!"
"Do you still have the audacity to speak? Solving cases while dating, your portrayal of a police officer is an insult to real police officers! I feel uncomfortable just looking at you!"
"For ten years, I didn't know something so serious and painful, yet you can still smile and joke around. Is this your acting?"
The harsh truth from the victims' relatives ignited Acheng's anger. "A bunch of hooligans! Your families deserve what happened to them!"
Acheng impulsively blurted out this sentence, but he realized halfway through and didn't dare to continue. However, the victims' relatives heard it.
The scar in their hearts was torn open once again. The middle-aged woman closest to Acheng grabbed his hair, her anguish leaving her speechless.
"Let go!" Acheng exerted his strength, shaking off the middle-aged woman's grip. He tried to get up, but someone kicked him.
Unable to contain his inner rage any longer, he grabbed an empty bucket used for fake blood from the props department and without even looking, fiercely smashed it behind him.
"Bang!"
The bucket filled with fake blood landed heavily on someone's back, and the sound alone made it seem painful.
The empty bucket rolled in the hallway, and both sides fell silent, looking towards the center of the crowd.
Han Fei, covered in blood, stood in front of the middle-aged woman. The viscous blood slid down his face, and his eyes sent shivers down everyone's spines.
"Have you had enough?"
His hoarse voice echoed in the hallway as Han Fei walked on the blood-smeared ground towards Acheng. "What they said is right. You truly don't deserve to play a police officer. Your acting, in my eyes, is nothing more than trash."
His words were straightforward, his tone indisputable. Han Fei's bloodstained face stared directly at Acheng.
In that moment, Acheng realized he was afraid. He was so scared that he couldn't even utter a complete sentence.
"In order to solve this case, many people have staked their lives. Your performance is an insult to their arduous efforts," Han Fei spoke, not performing but speaking from his heart. "Ten years of pursuing the killer, and I don't know why, despite the seriousness and pain of it all, you can still act carefree. That's your performance?"
Ignoring the stunned Acheng, Han Fei turned to face the victims' relatives.
He knew their names and had seen their faces in the photos.
"Ma'am, is your name Gu Yu, the sister of Gu Ye?" Han Fei's expression softened slightly.
"How do you know?"
"I know each and every one of you, and I understand your pain," Han Fei's speech slowed down. "I hope you can listen to me for a moment. Director Jiang mentioned that the police have begun re-investigating the human jigsaw puzzle case, and it won't be long before they catch the real culprit. This isn't just to comfort you; it's the truth."
"The truth? It's been ten years, and every year we hear the same thing."
"I can guarantee you this time, we will definitely catch the real culprit!" Han Fei wiped off the fake blood from his face. "If they continue to fabricate and shoot this film before capturing the real culprit, I will join you and resist!"
He looked at the victims' relatives, and in his mind, he thought of the ghost in the 1044 Murder House.
This time, he didn't act. He spoke his heart out: "Trust me, I will give you all an explanation."
The relatives of the victims stormed onto the set, disrupting the film production. If not handled properly, this could have a significant negative impact on the movie.
"Everyone, please calm down! The police have begun re-investigating the human jigsaw puzzle case! It won't be long before they catch the real culprit!" Jiang Yi shouted, hoping to calm everyone down. But the anger in the hearts of the victims' relatives had already been ignited.
"We force ourselves every day not to think about those painful things. By making this movie, you're exposing all our suffering to the world," a middle-aged woman in her forties pointed at the crew members and scolded angrily. "But because you said that making this film would raise awareness and garner more attention, we set aside our own pain and entrusted our most desperate memories to you! But what have you done?!"
She raised her tablet high and turned the volume to the maximum, replaying a video clip.
In the clip, the young police officer played by Acheng delivered melodramatic lines, conducted clumsy deductions, and even found love while pursuing the killer. In the end, the female lead sacrificed her life to give the male lead a chance, and the young officer miraculously achieved a counter-kill, followed by a rather awkward crying scene.
"Is this the answer you give us, the victims' relatives? You're simply insulting the pain we've endured for the past ten years!" the middle-aged woman's voice grew louder, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"I apologize for betraying your trust. As the director, I genuinely apologize to all of you. I will do my best to make the necessary modifications. However, I also hope that you can understand the filmmakers to some extent. It's challenging to completely replicate reality in a drama, and the male and female leads need to have a certain proportion of screen time. That's what the investors demand," Jiang Yi explained. This production was primarily funded by two film and television companies, Hanlight Pictures, where Acheng belonged, and Yulong Media, which represented the female lead. Yulong Media had the majority stake and mainly wanted to promote their own actress.
"I don't care how you make your movie, but why did you fabricate such an ending when the killer hasn't been caught?"
"We promised to help you expand the influence of the case. You continue to disrupt the production, and we will call the police!"
"Do you have the nerve to call the police? This is fraud!"
"Let's speak properly and stop pointing fingers!"
The emotions of the victims' relatives grew more and more intense, and both sides stuck to their own arguments, resulting in shoving, and pushing.
It was unclear who made the first move in the altercation. During the quarrel, Wei Youfu's father was pushed to the ground.
The set was already crowded, with many filming equipment set up. After the old man fell, the emotions of the victims' relatives exploded completely. They also pushed Acheng, who was in the front because they needed to reshoot his scenes.
Acheng, who usually appeared as an idol, sat on the ground with his makeup smudged, and shoe prints on his clothes. "Damn it! Nothing goes right for me! You all wait and see!"
"Do you still have the audacity to speak? Solving cases while dating, your portrayal of a police officer is an insult to real police officers! I feel uncomfortable just looking at you!"
"For ten years, I didn't know something so serious and painful, yet you can still smile and joke around. Is this your acting?"
The harsh truth from the victims' relatives ignited Acheng's anger. "A bunch of hooligans! Your families deserve what happened to them!"
Acheng impulsively blurted out this sentence, but he realized halfway through and didn't dare to continue. However, the victims' relatives heard it.
The scar in their hearts was torn open once again. The middle-aged woman closest to Acheng grabbed his hair, her anguish leaving her speechless.
"Let go!" Acheng exerted his strength, shaking off the middle-aged woman's grip. He tried to get up, but someone kicked him.
Unable to contain his inner rage any longer, he grabbed an empty bucket used for fake blood from the props department and without even looking, fiercely smashed it behind him.
"Bang!"
The bucket filled with fake blood landed heavily on someone's back, and the sound alone made it seem painful.
The empty bucket rolled in the hallway, and both sides fell silent, looking towards the center of the crowd.
Han Fei, covered in blood, stood in front of the middle-aged woman. The viscous blood slid down his face, and his eyes sent shivers down everyone's spines.
"Have you had enough?"
His hoarse voice echoed in the hallway as Han Fei walked on the blood-smeared ground towards Acheng. "What they said is right. You truly don't deserve to play a police officer. Your acting, in my eyes, is nothing more than trash."
His words were straightforward, his tone indisputable. Han Fei's bloodstained face stared directly at Acheng.
In that moment, Acheng realized he was afraid. He was so scared that he couldn't even utter a complete sentence.
"In order to solve this case, many people have staked their lives. Your performance is an insult to their arduous efforts," Han Fei spoke, not performing but speaking from his heart. "Ten years of pursuing the killer, and I don't know why, despite the seriousness and pain of it all, you can still act carefree. That's your performance?"
Ignoring the stunned Acheng, Han Fei turned to face the victims' relatives.
He knew their names and had seen their faces in the photos.
"Ma'am, is your name Gu Yu, the sister of Gu Ye?" Han Fei's expression softened slightly.
"How do you know?"
"I know each and every one of you, and I understand your pain," Han Fei's speech slowed down. "I hope you can listen to me for a moment. Director Jiang mentioned that the police have begun re-investigating the human jigsaw puzzle case, and it won't be long before they catch the real culprit. This isn't just to comfort you; it's the truth."
"The truth? It's been ten years, and every year we hear the same thing."
"I can guarantee you this time, we will definitely catch the real culprit!" Han Fei wiped off the fake blood from his face. "If they continue to fabricate and shoot this film before capturing the real culprit, I will join you and resist!"
He looked at the victims' relatives, and in his mind, he thought of the ghost in the 1044 Murder House.
This time, he didn't act. He spoke his heart out: "Trust me, I will give you all an explanation."
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