Chapter 31

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The days passed one by one. Since Li Chong bought the car, the production team felt that the shooting was going more smoothly. Partly because the actors' cooperation was no longer as awkward as at the beginning, and partly because the two male leads, while competing in their performances, achieved a significant breakthrough in their acting.

Kim Yun-sik portrayed the former detective Joon-ho perfectly, a man with a fiery temper but also principled. Especially in the scenes searching for Mi-jin, Li Chong designed a series of emotional conflicts, one after another, tightly connected, allowing Kim Yun-sik to fully express himself and showcase his acting skills, thus elevating his performance to a new level...

Ha Jung-woo, on the other hand, was in a different state. His acting had been in a bottleneck for years, having been taught by director Kim Ki-duk for several years, he knew well what a director who emphasized visuals needed. Therefore, he was the first to keep up with Li Chong's pace. However, his acting always lacked something, making him clearly overshadowed by Kim Yun-sik during their competition. This greatly troubled Li Chong and Zhang Xun at the time. If the competition couldn't be intense, the movie would be unwatchable.

Li Chong came up with a solution. Chi Young-min was a deranged killer, and as such, he needed to have his own characteristics and ways of handling situations. So, Chi Young-min was calm, cunning, and cruel. Ha Jung-woo's portrayal of Chi Young-min needed to be calm when dealing with the police, cruel when dealing with Mi-jin, and cunning when dealing with Joon-ho. By separating these emotions, he could grasp the essence of the character.

Later, during the actual shooting, Ha Jung-woo gradually found his rhythm. His portrayal of Chi Young-min became increasingly cunning and cruel, and the competition with Kim Yun-sik's Joon-ho was intense, both in the chase and in their acting. Li Chong enjoyed shooting, and the crew members enjoyed watching.

With the first snowfall in Seoul, the movie "The Chaser" was almost complete, with only one scene left. Joon-ho found Chi Young-min's hiding place through the statue of Jesus in the church. At this point, Chi Young-min had already packed his things and was preparing to escape. Joon-ho and Chi Young-min engaged in a fight, and after a life-and-death struggle, Chi Young-min could not escape the righteous punishment.

The plot was straightforward, with justice triumphing over evil. When the last shot was completed, Li Chong's "Cut!" announced the end of the three-month independent film "The Chaser."

"Yay!!!!!!" Everyone felt a sense of relief. Most of the crew members, except for Li Chong and Zhang Xun, were first-time filmmakers, and they had to figure out many things on their own, seek advice, and ask questions. They encountered setbacks and overcame difficulties. With Li Chong, a perfectionist, they endured much hardship, but they also gained a lot.

After the farewell dinner, everyone, except for Li Chong's studio team, truly dispersed. Many of the makeup and props girls couldn't help but cry. Although Li Chong was strict and demanding, the atmosphere on the set was good. Everyone was young, and the work was both passionate and enthusiastic. Moreover, the mix of genders made the work less tiring...

Li Chong was also a bit sentimental. After working together for three months, many people had been scolded by him. But time moves forward, "Let's part on good terms. We are all in this industry, and we might meet again someday! Thank you, thank you all for your hard work these past few months."

The main task now was film editing. Li Chong wanted to try it himself, but Zhang Xun said, "You can edit it yourself, but it's best to have an expert review it after you're done. After all, you are both new directors, and there's a lot to learn..." After Li Chong's film was released, Zhang Xun also planned to start shooting his first movie.

Li Chong could finally get a normal night's sleep, lying down before 10 PM.

At 6 AM, Li Chong suddenly opened his eyes and quietly looked at the ceiling. Last night, he had a dream where he succeeded, and "The Chaser" became a hit movie. Audiences were vying to buy tickets, almost to the point of tickets being hard to come by. Li Chong saw the people who used to look down on him now trying to flatter him, but he ignored them. Instead, he saw a figure standing quietly in the distance: one was Hyun-ju, who often waited for him at his doorstep; one was Seung-yuri, who turned away resolutely after he said something; and one was Yoo-ri, who was startled by him at night and thought he was a bad person... Li Chong was a bit confused, wondering what strange dreams he had in the early morning...

The Girls' Generation had been extremely busy over the past month. After winning the Best New Artist award in 2007, they embarked on a nationwide promotion for their new album. With S&M's strong promotion, the Girls' Generation finally gained some popularity, and their new album's lead single "Girls' Generation" even topped the charts. This encouragement made the young girls work tirelessly, waking up earlier than chickens and going to bed later than dogs. Li Chong hadn't encountered any of them again.

Li Chong still got up, thinking that if he wanted to edit the film well, only two people could help him: Kim Ki-duk and Ahn Byung-ki. Although Kim Ki-duk had a semi-teacher-student relationship with him, Kim Ki-duk's thinking was peculiar, and Li Chong was afraid that his first movie would be edited into an indie film rather than a commercial one. On the other hand, Ahn Byung-ki was a director who specialized in commercial films, and each of his films received significant attention. If he reviewed the edited film, he would certainly give Li Chong better advice.

After making up his mind, Li Chong tidied himself up and, before leaving, glanced at the closed door opposite. He smiled and shook his head, "These little girls..."

Li Chong went downstairs and started his car, which he had obtained with great effort. He saw Yoo-ri, wearing a red T-shirt and denim shorts, run out in her performance outfit, followed by several other young beauties, all laughing and chatting. Li Chong thought about getting out to say hello, but he stopped when he saw Jung-yeon and Hwang Mi-young also come out.

Li Chong thought that going out like this might scare them. A person they had only met a few times suddenly appearing in front of them would certainly startle them. He watched as they boarded the minivan and left.

Li Chong started the car and drove out of the neighborhood, finding a breakfast shop along the street. After finishing breakfast, it was already past 8 AM. He hesitated for a moment and then dialed a phone number.

"Hello, this is Ahn Byung-ki!" a man's voice came from the phone.

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