This director only directs blockbusters.

The next morning at seven o'clock, Yang Ning had just arrived at the restaurant when he saw Wang Lei standing at the door, his face ashen as if it were leftover tea from the night before.

"Director Yang, something's happened."

Yang Ning took the folder he was handed over and opened it. Inside was a copy of an insurance contract, with a red stamp on the last page bearing four large characters: "Rejection of Insurance".

Which one?

"Ping An," Wang Lei said. "They rejected it yesterday afternoon. This morning I contacted Pacific Insurance, PICC, and two foreign companies, but they all shook their heads as soon as they heard it was our project."

Yang Ning closed the folder and walked into the restaurant.

There weren't many people at the table. Nicholas Tse was drinking coffee in a corner, while Chen Wei was eating bread next to him. Deng Chao hadn't gotten up yet, and Hu Jun was nowhere to be seen. Li Binbin and Gao Yuanyuan were sitting together, and when they saw Yang Ning come in, they looked up at him.

"Director Yang, what's wrong?" Li Binbin asked.

"It's alright." Yang Ning sat down, poured himself a cup of coffee, and said, "You guys eat."

Wang Lei followed over and lowered his voice: "Director Yang, this is a big problem. Without insurance, the crew can't start filming. South African law stipulates that all filming must have comprehensive accident insurance, medical insurance, and third-party liability insurance—none of them can be missing."

"How much?"

"It's not about the money," Wang Lei said. "It's that they won't sell. I explained our security measures to them—road closures, professional drivers, security personnel retired from special forces—but it was useless. As soon as they heard about mountain roads, helicopters, and drifting, they shook their heads."

Yang Ning took a sip of coffee and didn't say anything.

Li Binbin overheard this and whispered, "The insurance company rejected it?"

"Um."

"What should we do then?"

"Let's think of a way." Yang Ning stood up. "Director Wang, come with me to make a phone call."

---

At the end of the corridor, Yang Ning dialed Han Shanping's number.

"Chairman Han, there's been a problem with the insurance."

Han Shanping paused for two seconds on the other end: "Rejected?"

"Yes. Ping An refused. The other companies also shook their heads."

"What reason?"

"The risks are too high," Yang Ning said. "Mountain roads, helicopters, high-speed driving—insurance companies would back down as soon as they heard that."

Han Shanping remained silent for a few seconds.

"What do you want to do?"

"I want China Film Group to handle this," Yang Ning said. "They should negotiate with the insurance company on behalf of the investors. It won't be just us taking out the insurance; it will be four investors jointly insuring the company. If the scale is large enough, they might be willing to take it on."

"Joint insurance?" Han Shanping repeated, "This method... has never been tried before."

"That's why we need you to take the lead," Yang Ning said. "China Film Group, Edko Films, Shanghai Film Group, and Huayi Brothers should all step in together. We'll still pay the premiums, but we'll ask them to increase the coverage amount. If something goes wrong, all four of them will share the burden, which will actually reduce their risk."

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

"Okay," Han Shanping said. "I'll contact them this afternoon. You should refine the safety plan again, make it as detailed as possible, with every step based on evidence. Insurance companies need data, not slogans."

"clear."

After hanging up the phone, Yang Ning stood in the corridor and lit a cigarette.

Wang Lei waited nearby.

"Director Yang, will this method work?"

"I don't know," Yang Ning exhaled a puff of smoke, "but we have to try."

---

At 3 p.m., Wang Lei received a phone call.

"Director Yang, Ping An has given his consent." He ran over, his face finally regaining some color. "But there's a condition."

"explain."

"The premiums have tripled, and—we have to bear 20% of the retention ourselves."

Yang Ning frowned: "Reserved quota? What do you mean?"

"If something happens, the insurance company will only pay 80%. We'll have to pay the remaining 20% ​​ourselves."

"How many?"

Wang Lei gave a number.

Yang Ning fell silent.

That amount is enough to make another half of a low-budget movie.

"And another thing," Wang Lei continued, "they require that our security plan be audited by a third-party organization. Only after the audit is passed can a contract be signed."

"A third-party organization?"

"They're a local South African firm specializing in high-risk filming safety assessments," Wang Lei said. "We'll cover the costs, estimated at around 500,000 yuan."

Yang Ning thought for a moment.

Tell them, okay.

Wang Lei was stunned: "Director Yang, these conditions..."

"I agree," Yang Ning said. "Money can be earned again, but people can't be harmed. Their security assessment will help us find the vulnerabilities. If it passes, everyone will be at ease."

Wang Lei nodded and turned to make a phone call.

---

At 7 p.m., Yang Ning called the core team to the conference room.

Nicholas Tse, Chen Wei, Hu Jun, Li Binbin, Gao Yuanyuan, Deng Chao, Han Duoduo, and Liu Yong.

"The insurance thing is looking promising," Yang Ning said, "but there's one condition—our security plan must be audited by a third-party organization. If it fails the audit, the insurance is off."

Nicholas Tse raised an eyebrow: "What organization?"

"They're local South Africans, specializing in high-risk filming assessments," Yang Ning said. "They'll send people to the site and check everything one by one. Road closure plans, vehicle modifications, driver qualifications, medical plans—everything has to pass."

Chen Wei raised his hand: "Director Yang, may I say a few words?"

"explain."

"I've seen these kinds of assessments during my years driving in Hong Kong," he said. "They check very thoroughly, even measuring tire pressure. But if you pass, it means you're truly safe. It's not just that you feel safe, it's that professionals feel safe."

Nicholas Tse nodded: "Chen Wei is right. It's better to have them investigate more thoroughly than to have anything go wrong."

Hu Jun chimed in, "What about the helicopter? We need to check that too, right?"

"Investigate," Yang Ning said. "Investigate everything, from pilot qualifications to cableway equipment."

Li Binbin raised his hand: "Director Yang, what are we actors supposed to do?"

"Cooperate," Yang Ning said. "They might ask you individually how long you've been training and whether you're confident in your movements. Just tell the truth."

Gao Yuanyuan asked softly, "What if they don't think it's okay?"

"Then let's change it," Yang Ning said. "Change it until we stop. We're not in a hurry, we just want to be safe."

Deng Chao scratched his head: "Director Yang, what if it's still not good after all the revisions?"

Yang Ning looked at him.

"Then let's try a different filming style," he said. "Action films can change the action sequences, but human lives can't be brought back."

The meeting room fell silent for a few seconds.

Nicholas Tse suddenly laughed: "Director Yang, I like hearing you say that."

---

The next morning at eight o'clock, the assessors from the third-party organization arrived.

A man and a woman; the man was in his fifties, and the woman was in her early thirties. The man's name was Peter, he was white, with gray hair, and spoke slowly and deliberately. The woman's name was Anna, she was black, with short hair and sharp eyes.

Peter spoke first: "Director Yang, we'll be here for three days. The first day we'll review the plan, the second day we'll inspect the site, and the third day we'll produce a report. Any questions?"

"no."

Anna pulled out a notebook: "Let's begin. First question—road closure plan. How do you plan to close that mountain road?"

Yang Ning looked at Wang Lei. Wang Lei handed him a document: "This is our preliminary plan, including the road closure periods, detour routes, police deployment coordination, and emergency response plan."

Anna took it and turned the pages slowly, occasionally asking a few questions. Wang Lei answered them one by one.

After asking questions for half an hour, Anna closed her notebook: "This plan has several flaws. First, the detour route is too long, and local residents will complain. Second, the police force coordination is not clearly stated, including who is in charge of command. Third, the emergency plan lacks procedures for connecting with medical helicopters."

She looked at Yang Ning: "These all need to be changed."

"Okay," Yang Ning said. "You tell us, and we'll change it."

Peter laughed from the side: "Director Yang, you're quite cooperative."

"Safety first," Yang Ning said. "You're the professionals, we'll listen to you."

Over the next two days, the evaluation team thoroughly investigated the entire film crew.

Vehicle modification plan – Chen Wei was questioned for three hours, from engine model to seat belt fastening method.

Driver qualifications – Nicholas Tse personally drove the car and demonstrated drifting on flat ground, while Peter sat in the passenger seat, watching and taking notes.

Hu Jun showed them the helicopter cableway equipment, while Anna shone a flashlight on every screw.

Medical contingency plan – local hospital ambulances arrived and conducted a drill for the transfer of the injured.

On the afternoon of the third day, Peter and Anna sat in the conference room with a thick stack of documents spread out in front of them.

"Director Yang," Peter said, "we've approved your proposal."

Wang Lei breathed a sigh of relief.

"But—" Anna continued, "there are five recommendations that must be implemented. Only after they are implemented will we issue a formal report."

She read them aloud one by one:

First, during the road closure period, local residents must be notified two hours in advance each day, and leaflets and notices must be distributed and posted.

Second, vehicle modifications must include the addition of two seat belts, one for the driver and one for the front passenger.

Third, a safety net with a width of more than five meters must be laid under the helicopter cableway.

Fourth, the medical team was supplemented with two local first responders who were familiar with the terrain and the hospital route.

Fifth, all actors must sign an informed consent form, confirming that they understand the risks and are willing to participate in the filming.

After reading it aloud, Anna looked at Yang Ning and asked, "Can you do these things?"

"able."

Peter stood up and extended his hand: "Director Yang, it's a pleasure working with you."

Yang Ning shook hands with him.

"You guys are the most cooperative production crew I've ever seen," Peter said. "I hope we can work together again in the future."

---

That evening, Wang Lei brought the final insurance contract.

The premium was four times higher than normal, and the retention rate was 20%. But the policy was still signed.

Yang Ning looked at the contract and signed it.

"Send it to Chairman Han and the others," he said. "Let them know where the money went."

Wang Lei nodded and left.

Yang Ning stood by the window and lit a cigarette.

Outside the window, the night view of Johannesburg was hazy and gray. A few lights in the distance looked like stars.

My phone vibrated. It was a text message from Li Binbin: "I heard the insurance contract was signed?"

"Um."

"So, can it be turned on tomorrow?"

"able."

A few seconds later, she replied, "Director Yang, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for treating us like human beings," she said, "not like props."

Yang Ning looked at the text message but didn't reply.

He stubbed out his cigarette and drew the curtains.

Tomorrow, filming will officially begin.