This director only directs blockbusters.

July 15th, 4 AM.

BJ was still asleep. There weren't many cars on the Third Ring Road, and the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow on the road. Yang Ning sat in the passenger seat of the van, staring blankly out the window. The back seat was piled high with luggage, and Lao Xu was driving, yawning one after another.

"If you're tired, I'll drive," Yang Ning said.

"No need." Old Xu rubbed his eyes. "Sleep when we get to the airport. You still have to deal with reporters later, so make sure you're well-rested."

Yang Ning didn't speak and continued looking out the window.

The car arrived at the airport's international departures area just as dawn was breaking. Seven or eight reporters were already squatting at the entrance, their cameras and microphones set up. As soon as they saw the car arrive, they swarmed forward.

"Director Yang! How are the preparations going in South Africa?"

"Are all the actors here?"

How long is the filming expected to take?

Yang Ning got out of the car without stopping and walked straight inside. Old Xu followed behind, pushing a luggage cart, while reporters chased after him, their flashes particularly glaring in the dimly lit hall.

"Everyone," Yang Ning said as he walked, "we'll talk after the film is finished. Anything we say now is just empty talk."

"Just take one photo of us leaving!" a reporter shouted.

Yang Ning didn't stop, but slowed her pace a bit. The reporters quickly snapped a few photos before being stopped outside by airport security.

---

The waiting area is now full of people.

Nicholas Tse sat in the corner, wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, looking down at his phone. Chen Wei next to him was dozing off against the wall; the two of them probably practiced driving until midnight again last night.

Li Binbin and Gao Yuanyuan were sitting together, talking quietly. Seeing Yang Ning enter, Li Binbin waved, "Director Yang, over here!"

Hu Jun and Deng Chao were on the other side; Hu Jun was reading a newspaper, while Deng Chao chattered incessantly beside him. Xue Kaiqi, carrying a small backpack, sat quietly by the window, smiling as he saw Yang Ning.

Han Duoduo and Liu Yong were also there, discussing special effects solutions on their laptops.

"Everyone's here." Old Xu counted. "Including the staff, there are thirty-two in total. We'll go in two groups. Our group of sixteen will go to Johannesburg first. Chen Yong has made arrangements; someone will pick us up when we land."

Yang Ning nodded and sat down.

Li Binbin handed over a cup of coffee: "Just bought it, it's hot."

Yang Ning took it and drank a sip. It was bitter, but refreshing.

"Director Yang," Gao Yuanyuan leaned closer and whispered, "Once we get there, should we rest first or start working right away?"

"Let's rest for a day first," Yang Ning said. "To adjust to the time difference and get used to the environment. We'll start location scouting the day after tomorrow, and officially begin filming the day after that."

Gao Yuanyuan nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

The boarding announcement came on.

---

On the plane, Yang Ning sat by the window, next to Li Binbin. He fell asleep shortly after takeoff.

When I woke up, the clouds outside the window had turned the yellowish-brown of the African continent. Li Binbin was still asleep, his head tilted to one side, covered with a blanket.

He glanced at the time; there were still three hours until he landed.

He took out his phone, but there was no signal. He turned it off and continued looking out the window.

The shooting plan started running in my head—the first week for street scenes, the second week for car chases, the third week for mountain roads, the fourth week…

I went through every shot and every scene in my mind.

When the plane landed, the Johannesburg sun was blindingly bright.

After clearing customs and collecting his luggage, he pushed his cart out. At the arrivals gate, Chen Yong held up a large sign, with two black security guards in camouflage standing beside him.

"Director Yang!" Chen Yong greeted him. "You must be tired from your journey! The car is outside, let's go back to the hotel and rest first."

"Have all the actors arrived?"

"We've arrived. We're leaving in two groups; the second group will arrive this afternoon," Chen Yong said as they walked. "The hotel is booked; it's not far from the filming location. Security is also arranged—twenty people working in three shifts."

The car drove onto the airport expressway. Outside the window was a typical African landscape—wild grass, low-rise houses, and the occasional herd of cattle.

Deng Chao peered out the car window and said, "This place... is completely different from what I imagined."

"What are you thinking?" Yang Ning asked.

"I thought it would be all grasslands and animals," Deng Chao said, scratching his head. "I didn't expect there to be cities and buildings too."

Hu Jun laughed from the side, "You think Africa is all like 'The Lion King'?"

Everyone in the car laughed.

---

The hotel is located in eastern Johannesburg. It's a four-story building with a small courtyard surrounded by a high wall topped with barbed wire. Two armed security guards stand at the entrance and open the gate when they see a car approaching.

"Safety first," Chen Yong said. "You can't go out casually at night here. Call security if anything happens. The rooms are all arranged, two people per room. If you need to adjust, just let me know."

There was a little hiccup when assigning rooms. Deng Chao wanted to share a room with Nicholas Tse, and Nicholas Tse had no objection, but Chen Wei also had to go with Nicholas Tse—he was brought by Nicholas Tse and needed to be taken care of. In the end, the three of them squeezed into one room, and Deng Chao was overjoyed.

"I love living with Tingfeng. I can ride his coattails and get some publicity, then I'll be set for life!"

Li Binbin and Gao Yuanyuan were assigned to adjacent rooms. They exchanged a glance, said nothing, and went inside with their luggage.

Yang Ning had a private room at the end of the corridor.

I put down my luggage and washed my face. I could see the city skyline in the distance through the window, a hazy gray, with the sun shining brightly.

The phone rang. It was Xu Qin calling.

"arrive?"

"Just arrived."

"How's it going over there?"

"It's alright," Yang Ning said. "I just settled in. How about you?"

"The deal for the parking space is all settled," Xu Qin said. "The car is 1200 million, the phone is 1000 million, the drinks are 800 million, the clothing is 800 million, and as for the parking space—guess who got it?"

"Who?"

"Chow Tai Fook," Xu Qin said, "is looking to do product placement for the female lead. They're offering 1100 million."

Yang Ning raised an eyebrow: "Jewelry? What does jewelry have to do with this play?"

"They said they could design something, like the necklace Leng Yue wears when she's on a mission is a token of love," Xu Qin paused, "I figured it wouldn't affect the plot, so I agreed. The extra 300 million can be used to increase the budget for the special effects team."

Yang Ning thought for a moment and said, "Okay, but the integration needs to be natural, not forced. You should talk to their designer about it later."

"clear."

After hanging up the phone, Yang Ning stood by the window and lit a cigarette.

The 50 million yuan product placement fee has now become 53 million yuan.

With this money allocated to special effects, Han Duoduo can work more freely.

---

7 p.m., hotel restaurant.

Long tables were pushed together, seating over twenty people. The chef was from China, and the dishes tasted like home—braised pork belly, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and a soup. Deng Chao ate with gusto, his mouth drooling, saying, "Where did you hire this chef? His cooking is excellent!"

"I was poached from a local Chinese restaurant," Chen Yong said. "He'll be cooking for the next few months. If you don't like the food, you can give him your feedback."

Nicholas Tse ate very little, just a few bites of vegetables. Li Binbin, sitting next to him, asked softly, "Not to your liking?"

"I'm jet-lagged," Nicholas Tse said. "My stomach's still upset."

Hu Jun ate meat heartily, bragging to the people next to him. Gao Yuanyuan and Xue Kaiqi huddled together, whispering something. Han Duoduo and Liu Yong were still discussing special effects; Liu Yong's chopsticks were almost poking Han Duoduo's face.

Yang Ning sat in the main seat, looking at the people at the table.

Three months ago, they were training in BJ's old factory. Now, they're sitting in a hotel in South Africa, preparing to shoot a movie that no one has ever made before.

"Director Yang," Deng Chao suddenly raised his glass, "I'd like to toast you! Thank you for introducing me to the world!"

Yang Ning clinked glasses with him.

"I'd like to toast you too!" Xue Kaiqi raised his glass, his face flushed. "I'll definitely give it my best!"

Yang Ning clinked glasses again.

Li Binbin didn't offer a toast, but simply raised his glass from a distance. Yang Ning nodded.

After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

Yang Ning stood in the corridor for a while and smoked a cigarette.

Gao Yuanyuan came out of the room, saw him, and walked over.

"Can't sleep?"

"Hmm." Yang Ning flicked his cigarette ash. "And you?"

"I came out for some fresh air." She stood beside him, looking at the lights in the yard. "Yang Ning."

"Um?"

"Thank you for letting me come," she said softly. "I'll do my best."

Yang Ning turned to look at her.

Under the moonlight, her eyes shone brightly, as if she had many unspoken words.

"I know," he said.

She smiled, turned around, and went back to her room.

Yang Ning finished his cigarette and went back.

---

The next day, we went to scout the scenery.

The convoy, consisting of five vehicles and twenty people, drove in a grand procession towards Johannesburg's old town.

The streets were dilapidated, the walls were mottled, and graffiti was everywhere. The shops were all fitted with iron gates, and people squatted idly in front of them. The sun softened the asphalt, and there was an indescribable smell in the air.

Yang Ning got out of the car and stood on the side of the street to look.

Nicholas Tse walked over to him and said, "This place... is pretty run-down."

"The more dilapidated it is, the more realistic it becomes," Yang Ning said. "For a car chase scene, you need this kind of background."

Nicholas Tse nodded and said nothing more.

Chen Wei came up from behind, holding a small notebook, looking around and taking notes.

"What should I write down?" Yang Ning asked.

"Terrain," Chen Wei said, "the gradient of curves, the material of the road surface, the location of obstacles—these will come in handy when racing."

Yang Ning glanced at his notebook, which was covered in dense drawings.

"Are you a professional driver?"

"I used to," Chen Wei smiled. "But then something happened, and I stopped running around. Now I help Brother Feng."

"Chen Wei used to work in an underground parking garage in Hong Kong," Nicholas Tse added from the side. "He almost died in that accident. He quit afterward."

Yang Ning nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

The location scouting lasted three hours. Every street, every intersection, and every possible angle was photographed and videotaped.

By the time we finished work, the sun had already begun to set.

Chen Yong walked over: "Director Yang, shall we go see the mountain road tomorrow? Or should we rest for a day first?"

"Let's go see it tomorrow," Yang Ning said. "Time is tight, we need to hurry."

Back at the hotel, everyone was exhausted. Deng Chao collapsed onto the sofa and couldn't get up, while Hu Jun was okay, but he also sat there, unwilling to move.

Li Binbin seemed energetic; he changed his clothes and went to the gym. Nicholas Tse and Chen Wei were studying a map, gesturing how to navigate the famous curves.

Gao Yuanyuan and Xue Kaiqi were chatting in the courtyard. Han Duoduo and Liu Yong were still working on their computers.

Yang Ning stood by the window, watching all of this.

Tomorrow, I'm going to Cape Town.

Filming will officially begin the day after tomorrow.

The battle is finally about to begin.

He lit a cigarette.

The smoke slowly dissipated in the setting sun.