Peninsula: From a supporting actor to the best actor in Chungmuro

Chapter 126 Trending Search Controversy and Wire Stalemate
Incheon International Airport Terminal 1.

International departure hall.

As Kang Jae-hoon pushed his luggage cart into the hall, he heard a scream—

"Oppa! Over here!"

Follow the sound.

Fan site administrator Choi Min-ah and several other girls waved frantically at her near the security checkpoint.

"Why are you here?"

Kang Jae-hoon took off his sunglasses and strode towards them.

"Seeing you off at the airport!"

Fans greeting and seeing off their idols at the airport has long been a unique form of fan support culture.

Airports have become a second battleground for celebrities' popularity.

The number of fans greeting an artist at the airport, their orderliness, and the quality of their support items directly reflect the artist's commercial value. Management companies may even privately compile such data as a key bargaining chip when negotiating endorsements.

For Kang Jae-hoon, this was the first time he had ever seen such a spectacle.

"thank you all."

Kang Jae-hoon bowed to thank the girls and then quickly rummaged through his bag, wanting to give them something in return.

But her fingertips only touched the pile of medicine boxes that Lee Sung-kyung had placed there.

After hesitating for a moment, he still took it out and handed it over:

"This... is for you. It's not anything special..."

Fan site admin Choi Min-ah took the medicine box, and burst out laughing after seeing the "gastrointestinal medicine" label on it:
"We're here to see you off, not to visit you in the hospital."

The other girls couldn't help but chuckle as they waved the medicine boxes in their hands.

Vitamins, cold medicine, stomach medicine—the selection is quite comprehensive.

"I'll bring you some delicious food next time."

Kang Jae-hoon touched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"no, I'm fine!"

Choi Min-ah quickly waved her hand, "We're happy just to see Oppa." She shook the medicine box, "Consider this Oppa's blessing for our health~"

"I heard that the female lead in this collaboration is one of China's top actresses?"

A girl with a ponytail suddenly asked.

Kang Jae-hoon smiled and nodded:
"Yes, it's an honor to work with her."

"Will there be any kissing scenes?"

The scene suddenly became quiet.

Kang Jae-hoon coughed lightly: "That depends on the script..."

"Alright, alright, stop asking these questions."

Choi Min-ah came to the rescue just in time, pushing Kang Jae-hoon toward the security checkpoint:

"Hurry up, don't miss your flight."

Kang Jae-hoon nodded gratefully at her and turned to walk towards the security checkpoint.

Behind him came a chorus of blessings from his fans:
"Bon Voyage!"

"Take good care of yourself in China!"

"Oppa, fighting!"

"be careful!"

……

Before boarding.

Kang Jae-hoon took out his phone and quickly edited two messages—

[To Lee Sung-kyung]: Boarding.

[For Im Yoon-a]: [Picture] (A calico cat looks reluctant in its carrier)

My finger hovered over Krystal Jung's chat box for a few seconds before I finally switched to airplane mode and locked the screen.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The plane took off from the runway at Incheon Airport, piercing the clouds.

Outside the porthole window.

The morning light dyed the East China Sea into scattered gold, and the sea of ​​clouds stretched to the horizon like a snowfield.

Three hours later.

The plane slowly landed at Pudong International Airport.

The afternoon sun in Shanghai was blazing.

Heat waves rose from the runway, and in the distance, the traffic flow at the Hongqiao Transportation Hub resembled a shimmering silver chain.

Kang Jae-hoon dragged his luggage out of the cabin.

The air was humid and sultry, typical of early summer, mixed with the smells of aviation fuel and asphalt runways.

He squinted, looking at the sky of this unfamiliar city—

Bluer and higher than Seoul.

Kang Jae-hoon pushed the luggage cart out, while the calico cat in the airline crate impatiently pawed at the door.

I just arrived at the arrivals gate.

He then saw a sign with the Korean name "Kang Jae-hoon" written on it.

A young man wearing black-rimmed glasses was standing next to me, looking down at his phone.

"Hello, I am Kang Jae-hoon."

He greeted them in the Chinese he had just learned.

The other person looked up, paused for a moment, and then warmly extended their hand:

"Hello! I'm Li, the production assistant from the film crew. I'm here to take you to the hotel."

After shaking hands, Xiao Li explained as he walked away:

"Producer Wang said that you should rest at the hotel today, and the script reading will be held at four o'clock this afternoon."

"Ok."

Kang Jae-hoon nodded and followed him toward the parking lot.

The airport was bustling with people, and no one recognized him.

But as he walked to the corner of the lobby, he vaguely sensed that someone was taking pictures.

Turning my head to look—

A girl holding up her phone was taking a picture of him.

Seeing him looking over, she hurriedly put away her phone and slipped away.

Kang Jae-hoon didn't pay attention and glanced down at the cat in the carrier:

"Just a little longer, we'll be at the hotel soon."

After one hour.

That candid photo went viral on Weibo.

In the photo, Kang Jae-hoon stands in front of the glass curtain wall of Pudong Airport, his head slightly turned to the side.

Sunlight streamed obliquely through the airport's floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow on him.

His eyes, slightly furrowed beneath his brows, held a hint of weary daze, yet a faint smile played at the corners of his lips.

A wisp of hair, blown by the air conditioner, fell right to the corner of her eye, making her look like a fragile piece of celadon.

The most amazing thing is the composition—

Behind him was a blurry crowd of people hurrying by, but he alone was clear as if he had been forgotten in a corner by time.

The caption was only five words: 【A Broken-Looking Handsome Man】

This Weibo post was instantly forwarded over 10,000 times, and the comment section exploded—

[I need all the information about this man in three minutes!]

Is she mixed race? Her bone structure is just too amazing!

[Help! That look in his eyes! Like a large dog that's been soaked in the rain!]

Does anyone know what's inside a flight case?

The sense of brokenness is incredible... It's like a beautiful, strong, and tragic character who's been deeply hurt by life but remains gentle...

……

at the same time.

Pudong Shangri-La Hotel.

I just arrived at the room.

Kang Jae-hoon immediately released the calico cat from its carrier.

The little guy was wary of the new environment and huddled under the sofa, refusing to come out.

"boom!"

The door was suddenly kicked open.

When Kim Dae-won rushed in with his phone in hand, he saw Kang Jae-hoon sticking his butt out, trying to lure the calico cat with cat treats.

"We're trending on social media!"

Kang Jae-hoon looked up blankly: "What trending topic?"

"look by youself!"

Kim Dae-won handed him his phone, and the screen prominently displayed the trending topic #BrokenHandsomeMan#.

Kang Jae-hoon spent a long time using Google Translate and barely managed to understand the meaning of the word.

So what should we do?

"Of course I replied!"

Kim Dae-won immediately retrieved his phone and took several photos of Kang Jae-hoon.

Next, he quickly registered a Weibo account @姜在勋Official.

"Say hello to everyone."

Jin Dayuan handed over the phone.

Kang Jae-hoon pondered for a moment, then typed:

"Hello everyone, I am Korean actor Kang Jae-hoon. Thank you for your support. I do break dishes quite often."

After editing the post, Jin Dayuan clicked "publish" and immediately bought a trending topic spot.

ten minutes later.

Another trending topic appeared instantly—

#Kang Jae-hoon's Chinese Level 10#
The comments section is full of laughter:
[Help! What kind of straight-man understanding is this?!]

[A sense of fragility = frequently breaking dishes, a logical genius]

This person's Chinese proficiency is indeed at level ten—or rather, level ten in reverse.

[A handsome man with a broken look instantly becomes a comedian?]

[Hahahaha, help! He's so serious!]

[Suddenly I've found him adorable; I love this clumsy yet handsome guy!]

Did anyone notice the blue veins on the back of his hand...?

[Hand fetishist's delight!]

【…】

Kang Jae-hoon was looking at the comments on Google Translate when he suddenly pointed to one and asked:

"Bro, what does 'hand fetish' mean?"

"I just love the perverted look of your hands."

"..."

As Kang Jae-hoon watched the increasing number of "hand fetish" comments in the comment section, he silently put his hands into his pockets.

Jin Dayuan was busy coordinating with the Huaxia team on trending topic operation strategies.

Neither of them noticed the little head peeking out from under the sofa.

"Meow~"

"Are you hungry?"

Kang Jae-hoon crouched down and gently scratched the cat's chin.

Then I took out cat food from my luggage.

When it was poured into the bowl, the little guy immediately came over and ate it in small bites.

"It's almost time."

After finishing his conversation with the Huaxia team, Jin Dayuan glanced at his watch and said, "It's time to head to the script reading session."

"Ah."

Kang Jae-hoon patted the calico cat's head: "I'll be right back."

The script reading was held in the hotel conference room.

The moment Kang Jae-hoon pushed the door open and entered.

More than a dozen pairs of eyes turned to them at once.

"This is Kang Jae-hoon, the South Korean actor who plays Seo Seung-hoon."

Producer Wang Lei explained.

Kang Jae-hoon bowed slightly: "Hello everyone, I am Kang Jae-hoon. Please take care of me."

His Chinese pronunciation was fairly standard, which drew a round of good-natured applause.

Kang Jae-hoon sat down in the designated spot.

Open the script.

The paper has a faint smell of ink.

The Chinese and Korean bilingual dialogue is marked with different colors, and even the Korean pronunciation is thoughtfully indicated below the Chinese text.

After giving it a quick glance, Kang Jae-hoon discreetly looked up at Yoo Mi-seon sitting opposite him—

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, making her skin appear almost translucent with its whiteness. She had a high, straight nose and naturally pale pink lips, exuding an aloof and detached air.

While he was looking down at the script.

She suddenly looked up as if sensing something, and met Kang Jae-hoon's probing gaze.

"I know you."

"I?"

Kang Jae-hoon pointed to himself.

"A handsome man who breaks bowls while being fluent in Chinese."

After saying that, Liu Meixi couldn't hold back anymore and covered her mouth, laughing so hard she collapsed onto the table.

The meeting room was filled with blank silence.

Everyone looked at each other.

Seeing that no one responded, Liu Meiqianzi looked up and blinked:
Don't you guys use the internet?

The assistant director pulled out his phone in a daze and opened Weibo's trending topics.

A few seconds later, he burst out laughing:

"Ah! This is it!"

The phone was passed around, and soon bursts of laughter filled the meeting room.

Kang Jae-hoon blinked blankly and asked the translator:
"So, what exactly does 'feeling broken' mean?"

After translation and explanation.

Kang Jae-hoon's question made the laughter in the room even louder.

The script reading session began amidst laughter.

The entire event lasted three hours.

Although Kang Jae-hoon's Chinese proficiency is limited, he can basically keep up with the pace thanks to the bilingual dialogue.

Only when reading about romantic scenes.

His pronunciation made Liu Meixi laugh several times.

After the entire script reading, Kang Jae-hoon's impression of Yoo Mi-seon was completely overturned.

The image of that aloof and detached artistic goddess I first met shattered completely.

This woman not only has an outrageously low threshold for laughter, but she also always breaks character unexpectedly at strange moments.

However, this also relieved Kang Jae-hoon.

The other party is, after all, a well-established and famous actor.

Kang Jae-hoon was also worried that the sense of distance would affect his performance in the emotional scenes.

In retrospect, Liu Meixi's down-to-earth personality actually makes it easier to build rapport.

This contrast made him even more excited about the upcoming filming.

The next day.

nine in the morning.

The crew of the TV series "For Love or Money" held a launch ceremony. A red carpet was laid out.

The incense table was set high.

On the offering table were roast suckling pig, fruit and incense burner.

The director, holding three incense sticks, led the entire crew in a devout worship ceremony.

Standing in the line of actors, Kang Jae-hoon imitated the others by putting his hands together and bowing.

This Chinese director is known for his historical dramas.

His representative works, "New Three Kingdoms" and "Legend of Chu and Han", are both well-known epic works.

This foray into directing an urban romance film is itself a highly topical topic.

With the addition of popular young actress Liu Meixi and the policy benefits of Sino-Korean co-productions, the opening ceremony even attracted reporters from CCTV-6's "Movie Channel" to follow and film the entire event.

In the Chinese film and television industry.

The production teams that can get the "Sixth Princess" (a nickname for a high-ranking official) to personally send reporters to follow them on set are all equipped with top-tier resources and official endorsement.

what does this mean?
—Prestige.

— Exposure.

—And, box office guarantee.

Although Jiang Zai-xun had only a superficial understanding of the Chinese media landscape, judging from Jin Da-yuan's excited expression of "finding a treasure," the significance of this collaboration far exceeded expectations.

After the opening ceremony, the photo shoot for the costume fittings began immediately.

Kang Jae-hoon has seven different looks, ranging from a down-on-his-luck painter to a wealthy heir.

The styling team was all brought in from South Korea.

The first scene started filming promptly at 2 PM.

This scene marks the second encounter between the male lead, Xu Chenghun, and the female lead, Xing Lu.

Previously, Xing Lu unexpectedly discovered that she had become her boyfriend's mistress, and in a state of collapse, she ran to the rooftop.

She had no intention of jumping off the building, but the male lead, Xu Chenghun, misunderstood her, and during the struggle, they both "fell."

In the plot, this is a fall from a seven or eight-story building.

During the actual filming, the crew used only a two-story building and wire work to create a beautiful falling scene.

"All departments, prepare!"

The assistant director's voice came through a loudspeaker.

"Scene 1, Shot 1 of 'Dewy Beauty'—"

"Action!"

"Snapped--"

The sounds of the clapperboard and the blower rang out simultaneously.

Liu Meixi, who plays Xing Lu, stands on the edge of the rooftop, her long hair flying wildly in the wind. Her eyes are vacant as she stares into the distance, her thin figure swaying precariously in the wind.

Below the "tall building" were onlookers, chattering amongst themselves.

This is the scene that Seo Seung-hoon, played by Kang Jae-hoon, saw when he rushed onto the rooftop.

"Don't come here."

Liu Meiqianzi turned around impatiently: "If you come any closer, I'll jump!"

Kang Jae-hoon immediately stopped and raised his hands to indicate that he meant no harm:

"Girl, have you ever seen what a watermelon looks like when it's smashed? Imagine someone as pretty as you falling like that... tsk tsk..."

Are you a firefighter?

Liu Meixi did not appreciate it.

"Ok?"

"have a finger in the pie!"

As she spoke, she took a step forward.

"Hey! Watch out!"

Kang Jae-hoon stepped forward and grabbed her wrist.

"let me go!"

She began to struggle violently.

"..."

"Okay, click!"

The director called a halt to the performance.

This scene wasn't difficult.

Both the emotional tension and body language of the two actors matched the director's vision for the shot.

The only drawback was Kang Jae-hoon's accented Mandarin.

Anyway, the voice acting will be re-dubbed later.

This minor flaw is not a big deal.

After reviewing the footage three times, the director signaled for wire work to be used to film close-up shots of the fall.

In the movie, the two fall from the building at the same time.

However, the shots were filmed separately and then composited in post-production.

Because Liu Meixi had injured her cervical spine while filming "The Condor Heroes", her body posture during the fall could not meet the director's requirements.

This woman is really going all out.

If it doesn't work the first time, try it again.

They were completely unaware that their arms were cut.

It fell six times in a row.

The director finally yelled "Cut!"

Remove the wires.

The woman then happily accepted the interview with "Sixth Princess".

Then came the famous scene of using a CCTV camera as a mirror to check the dust on his forehead.

Liu Meixi has finished filming her wire work scene.

Then it was Kang Jae-hoon's turn to take the picture.

Even Liu Meixi, who is used to filming with wires all year round, had to be asked by the director to film six times before it was acceptable.

Can be imagined.

How difficult must the filming process have been for Kang Jae-hoon, who had never been suspended by wires before?

as predicted.

Under tension.

Kang Jae-hoon lost his rhythm and took an extra step.

The two people pulling the rope didn't coordinate well either.

Jiang Zai Xun's body swayed and he landed on the protective mat with a "thud".

"hiss……"

Jin Dayuan, who was watching from the sidelines, was startled when he saw this and quickly ran over to ask if he was injured.

Kang Jae-hoon quickly got up from the mat and waved his hand to indicate that he was alright.

"Come again."

The director's emotionless voice blared from the loudspeaker.

Kang Jae-hoon didn't say much and climbed back up to the second floor.

I don't know if it's because coordinating with multiple people is difficult or if someone is deliberately trying to sabotage things.

Several times in a row.

Kang Jae-hoon couldn't perform the falling action well, and he couldn't find the right rhythm.

After trying it again and again.

Director Gao's face grew increasingly dark.

"Click."

"Never been suspended by wires before?"

Upon hearing the translation, Kang Jae-hoon's face stiffened, unsure how to respond, when Director Ko roared:
"You think I'm going to teach you from the very beginning, by doing wire work?"

"Is this all there is to working in China?!"

"..."

The film set was deathly silent.

One of the guys from Lavia wanted to say a few words to defend Kang Jae-hoon.

But seeing the director lose his temper, he didn't say a word at that moment.

After listening to the translation, Kang Jae-hoon remained silent for a moment, then suddenly removed the harness buckle from his waist, looked up and stared directly at Director Ko:
"Director Gao, I don't think this scene needs wire work."

The translator relayed the information with trepidation.

Everyone around them stared at Kang Jae-hoon in astonishment.

(This guy...)
(Is he really that tough?)
"unnecessary?!"

Director Gao was amused by his words:

"How do you plan to film without wires?"

"Just skip it."

It wasn't that Kang Jae-hoon lost face because he was scolded by the director.

But I did feel a bit resentful.

During the filming of "Veteran," action choreographer Chan Wai-keung from Hong Kong specifically trained Kang Jae-hoon in action scenes like these.

The scene in the drama where Detective Yin chases a criminal on the rooftop and falls to his death is actually him jumping from a platform more than three meters high.

Chen Weiqiang said at the time:
“Wire work restricts an actor’s natural reactions; the muscle tension and terrified expression during a real fall cannot be acted out.”

Although the role was ultimately played by Kang Ha-neul.

However, Kang Jae-hoon was genuinely involved in the early training process.

now.

He was looking up, estimating the height of the small two-story building—

Approximately 4.2 meters.

Below is a thickened protective pad; as long as you control your landing posture, there won't be any problems.

"Are you crazy?"

Kim Dae-won slapped Kang Jae-hoon hard across the back:
"Apologize to the director right now!"

"Don't!"

Director Gao sneered, "Don't make him apologize to me, I can't accept that."

The situation on set was clearly at a standstill.

The stagehand immediately ran to find producer Wang Lei.

"Director, let's try that shot without wires, and you can see the effect."

Kang Jae-hoon's tone was neither hurried nor arrogant.

"Fine, you've got guts."

Director Gao stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly sneered:

"Everyone step back and make room for him to try!"

"If you fall or get hurt, it's on me!"

"I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!"

"I refuse to believe in this today!"

The set fell silent once again.

The group looked at each other, somewhat at a loss.

Really clearing out space?

Are you really going to jump without being strapped in by wires?
……

At that time, producer Wang Lei had already rushed over upon hearing the news.

As he ran, he asked the stage manager what was going on.

"I can't say for sure..."

The stagehand carefully chose his words and whispered:

"That Korean actor had never been suspended by wires before, so he was probably nervous. He couldn't get it right even after several takes."

"The director was unhappy and scolded him a couple of times."

"Who knew that guy would immediately get angry and say he wouldn't use wires anymore, and just jump..."

Wang Lei was immediately overwhelmed with worry after hearing this.

Although Kang Jae-hoon is not irreplaceable.

But he is indeed the most cost-effective K-pop actor who can currently reap the benefits of co-productions.

Director Gao, who comes from a background of directing period dramas and historical dramas, has always been hostile towards foreign actors.

How are we going to handle this?

The actors clashed with the director right after filming started?

Producer Wang Lei became increasingly anxious and subconsciously quickened his pace.

Just as he was about to step into the photo studio, he was about to shout something to calm things down, but unexpectedly—

The center of the second floor.

Without hesitation, Kang Jae-hoon jumped off.

As her clothes fluttered in the wind.

The weightlessness of falling instantly contorted his expression, his pupils instinctively contracted, and his arms instinctively opened as if trying to grab something.

"boom!"

There was a muffled sound.

The thickened protective pad has sunk slightly.

Kang Jae-hoon rolled twice to dissipate the force.

The set fell completely silent.

Everyone was stunned by this reckless jump.

In fact, these kinds of action scenes were not considered dangerous at all during the golden age of Hong Kong films.

However, with the changing times...

The decline of action movies.

There are very few scenes of such a clean and decisive fall from a building anymore.

Producer Wang Lei thought he was seeing things.

He subconsciously rubbed his eyes, trying to find a thin wire behind Kang Jae-hoon's figure.

however--

No.

There is no steel wire.

There were no seat belts.

There is no concealed boom.

Nothing at all.

Less than ten meters away—

The figure was kneeling on one knee, his hair disheveled and hanging over his forehead, but his eyes were surprisingly bright.

……

at the same time.

Director Gao, who was watching the playback on the monitor, suddenly fell silent.

The micro-expressions of Kang Jae-hoon as he fell in the video were indeed impeccable.

The fear and instinctive reactions brought about by weightlessness are incredibly real.

That sense of despair on the verge of death is something that no amount of acting can replicate.

Although he was extremely reluctant to admit it.

but……

Kang Jae-hoon's performance of falling from the building was absolutely brilliant.

Light yet powerful, with a crisp and clean rhythm, without any hesitation.

The effect is much better than using wires.

"director……"

The assistant asked in a low voice how to handle this awkward situation.

"...Prepare for actual filming."

(End of this chapter)