Chapter 102: Worshiping the Gods and Starting the Machine

  December 26, 1998.

  On this Christmas Day when American people are celebrating happily, Yi Feiyang is not that happy because he is leading the crew of "Saving Private Rachel" to start filming.

  "Bai Shen Kai Ji" is a Hong Kong custom, I didn't think about doing such things when I was filming with Yi Fei Yang before.

  First, he himself doesn't quite believe in ghosts and gods, so what's the point of setting these up. Secondly, this kind of thing looks simple but is actually a lot of trouble, not to mention other things, just the stuff used for worshiping gods is very scattered. Lastly, this is America, Americans don't really believe in Chinese customs like this, wanting them to adapt will take some time.

  But now, Yi Feiyang suddenly had a decision to "start the machine and worship the gods", because he gradually began to believe in "luck".

  Yes, it's possible that there are no ghosts or gods in this world, but there must be good and bad luck.

  When you're lucky, you can pick up gold nuggets while walking; when you're unlucky, you'll step on stinky dog poop.

  Nowadays many media outlets look down on themselves for turning to shoot erotic films, comparing themselves to self-degrading whores and prostitutes.

  Some people even call themselves in the middle of the night, saying that they scared someone to death last time they took a shot, what do they want to do this time, are they teaching bad kids, and then go straight to jail?

  Yi Feiyang didn't know where he had offended these guys who he had never met before, and even more so, he didn't know why his choices were any of their business!

  But in order to keep his promise with Henry the Elephant for eight movie theater chains, Yi Feiyang endured it!

  The media's collective attack was like stepping on stinky dog shit, Yifei thought that such luck should be turned around, and since he hoped this time his work would go smoothly and auspiciously, he prepared to "worship the gods"!

  "Bill, is everything ready?" Yifeiyang turned his face and asked Bunny Bill.

  "Alright, I'm impressed. Big brother, how did you get me to fetch so many things? Look at this: suckling pig, fruits, pastries... and this red-faced god statue! When I finally managed to 'acquire' it from Chinatown, people on the street were staring at me like I was a freak. Maybe they're wondering how a blonde-haired, green-eyed foreigner like me could believe in your Chinese gods..."

  Yi Feiyang smiled, "Not bad, this is our Chinese god. His name is Guan Yu, but we like to call him 'Guan Er Ge'. He's a god of wealth and war from ancient times. In Hong Kong, when shops open or movies start filming, they often use these things to worship him, praying for his blessing so that their business or film crew will be smooth and successful, without any illness or disaster."

  "Damn it, so he's the legendary 'Guan Er Gei'! I thought he was one of your ancient excellent lumberjacks with that big knife!" Rabbit Bill stuck out his tongue.

  "Alright, no more nonsense! Get everything ready and let's start the ceremony!" Yì Fēi Yáng instructed Tù Zǐ Bǐ ěr.

  Bill quickly arranged for a long table to be brought over, and then the roasted suckling pig. Various fruits and pastries were neatly arranged on the table, and when the offerings were almost ready, he again followed Yifeng Yang's instructions, bringing in an incense burner and a large bundle of sandalwood, preparing everything before nodding to indicate that they could begin.

  Looking at these familiar things, Yi Feiyang couldn't help but laugh. Perhaps in the whole of America, he was the first filmmaker to boot up and worship gods.

  Then I thought, does this count as an original creation?

  What if these green-eyed and blonde-haired guys inherit this habit one day? That would be interesting.

  Just as Yi Feiyang was lost in thought, Rabbit Bill poked him with his finger and said, "Boss, don't be distracted, we still have a shoot later."

  Yi Feiyang finally calmed down, walked forward, picked up the incense and lit it on the candle, solemnly inserted it into the copper stove, bowed three times in front of Guan Ergou's statue, and muttered, "Protect us from having a smooth and successful filming process, protect the entire crew from being safe and sound."

  After Yī Fēi Yáng finished burning the incense, he clapped his hands and then turned to face everyone, saying: "This is our Chinese God! You can call him 'Mister Guan'. Yes, as long as we sincerely worship him, he will bless us from above! Now, one by one come up to burn incense for him. Hmm, Bill, you go first!"

  Rabbit Bill was like a well-behaved good baby, learning from Yifei Yang's previous appearance, took three incense sticks and bowed to Guan Yu's statue, muttering to himself.

  Yi Feiyang was speaking Chinese when he prayed, Bill didn't understand but knew it was roughly a prayer for divine protection and blessings from God.

  So he muttered to himself: "Oh God with a red face, I hope you can bless me to become famous and rich soon! Let those beauties and babes all fall in love with me! Yeah, that's it, my future life will be as luxurious and carefree as a Roman emperor's! With plenty of money in my pocket and plenty of companions in bed! Amen!"

  Bill finished his cigarette and drew a cross on his chest.

  Then came Big Bird Lucci, Stormy, Abraham and others. They looked at the Chinese God in front of them, his face red with blood, holding a big knife, majestic and awe-inspiring, and their hearts were filled with respect and reverence, so every move was unusually solemn and dignified, completely unlike Rabbit Bill's nonsense.

  After the bizarre worship ceremony that looked strange to Americans, Yi Feiyang pulled down the red cloth covering the camera and officially announced the start of filming for "Saving Private Rachel".

  At 9:00 am, Yi Feiyang drove a simple vehicle and led the crew members out of TOP Film Company to head for the previously arranged outdoor filming location where they would shoot the first scene of the entire movie.

  Ten kilometers west of Los Angeles, there is a vast forest with complex terrain, trees and hills. The snow is white and looks desolate.

  It's hard to find a place that looks desolate in a bustling metropolis like Los Angeles, but luckily the heavy snow helped, covering everything under its whiteness, leaving only the vast land and endless forests.

  Yi Feiyang thinks this location is great, the crew doesn't have to run far away, they can shoot all the scenes they need, it's the best thing that could happen, saves money, saves effort, and saves trouble!

  Shooting begins on "Saving Private Rachel" based on a script written by Yi Feiyang.

  This first shot is the most important and meaningful scene in the entire film, mainly expressing the lives of Americans living in remote areas during World War II. Due to the outbreak of the Pacific War, the originally peaceful small town became restless.

  And all the opening shots carrying these contents are --- Jungle Hunting!

  To be precise, it was in the snow-covered woods that a lame old hunter took aim at a deer and fired, then went on to tell the story.

  This scene is one of the key scenes in the entire film. As the saying goes, "all things are difficult at the beginning", as long as a good start can be made, Yi Feiyang believes that the subsequent shooting will be much easier.

  To shoot this scene well, Yi Feiyang carefully recalled the opening of his previous life's film "The Siege".

  In Yifeiyang's view, the opening of this play perfectly presents the living background of ordinary people in that era. In the snowy land, a shot instantly kills a deer, and on the battlefield, a shot explodes the enemy's head. An ordinary shotgun can become a terrible devil in the hands of someone with superb marksmanship.

  War turns good into evil.

  Hunters, the targets are no longer deer, but living people!

  With the excellent trailer "Besieged City", Yi Feiyang carefully pondered, created and then called Abraham's old house, telling him that the first shot was to shoot his hunting scene in the jungle, requiring him to achieve "gun skills entering the divine" and "calm and composed".

  If old Abraham himself was a hunter, then shooting such scenes should be easy to pass, but the kind old man, this generation except for "fighting soy sauce" in the play, is "fighting odd jobs" outside the play, holding a mop with both hands, carrying a broom, but never holding a hunting gun!

  So when Abraham lay in the snow, holding a wooden fake gun and pretending to aim at the deer, Yiyang immediately shook his head.

  "No, your eyes are all wrong. You don't have even a hint of the killer instinct that a hunter should have. Your gaze needs to be sharper, so sharp it makes you look like a leopard stalking its prey. A leopard, you know, those fierce and brutal creatures in the animal kingdom, most importantly, they're patient and wait for the perfect moment to strike!"

  Yi Feiyang patiently explained to Abraham the shaping points of the role, telling him how to act, what kind of eyes, what kind of expression, and what kind of inner implication...

  Abraham is very embarrassed!

  Yes, I'm ashamed!

  He felt that before filming had even started, he was already holding back the entire crew.

  So when Yifei Yang told him about his role, Abraham was very attentive, afraid of missing something.

  "When your gaze becomes sharp, we will shift the main camera to that doe, and then, that doe was originally a pregnant mother deer. At this time, your gaze must change again... Yes, it must change from being cold-blooded to becoming gentle. Do you understand what I mean? You are not only a good hunter but also a good father. Your three sons all died on the battlefield for the country, and you were left crippled, unable to do anything except hold a rifle and hunt here. In your heart, there is hatred towards fascism, love for your sons, and love for your daughter, with love and hate intertwined - this is your underlying theme!"

  Yi Feiyang took a deep breath and said everything he wanted to say, everything he wanted to express.

  Abraham was flabbergasted.

  As the "Soy Sauce Emperor of the Millennium", where had he ever heard a director say such things?!

  Making movies is actually so profound, making movies is actually not easy!

  People, it's really true that one learns until old age!

  Dear wife, if you can see from heaven, you must be happy for me. Yes, I have become a real actor!

  Abraham was excited, under the guidance of Yifei Yang, and with his more than 30 years of experience in making soy sauce, he quickly grasped the true meaning of this play.

  It seemed that Abraham was guaranteed to do well, and Yi Feiyang let out a sigh of relief, thinking that this time the shoot would definitely go smoothly.