We asked you to make an anti-corruption film, but you made one in the name of the people!

Filming for "The Storm" took almost half a month, a frighteningly fast pace.

Old Zhao updates the progress chart every day; he's long been used to it. Anyway, if Director Lin says it's okay, then it's okay.

The scene to be filmed that day was a major one—Xu Jiang's entrance.

Xu Jiang is a gangster boss in Jinghai City. He is arrogant, domineering, and ruthless, but he is not a stereotypical villain.

He has his own logic, his own temper, and even his own sense of humor. If he acts well, he can become one of the most outstanding villains in the entire series; if he acts poorly, he'll just be an ordinary mob boss.

The actor who plays Xu Jiang is Jia Bing. He is in his early forties and has a face full of fat, but his smile has an indescribable comedic quality. Lin Mo chose him because of his face—it's scary when he's not smiling, and even scarier when he smiles.

This scene depicts Xu Jiang causing trouble at Tang Xiaolong's house.

The plot is simple: Xu Jiang and his men came to the Longhu brothers' house to look for someone, but they didn't find them. Before leaving, they saw a TV in the living room and said the classic line - "Smash this TV before you leave. What kind of class is this? It's the same as mine."

Lin Mo laughed when he got to this part of the script.

This line was incredibly popular when the TV series "Raging Waves" aired. Netizens turned it into memes, voice packs, and all sorts of fan-made videos.

The character Xu Jiang became legendary with just this one line.

Lin Mo called Jia Bing over and explained the play to him.

"Teacher Jia, you can't portray Xu Jiang as a purely evil person. He's bad, but he's bad in a distinctive way. He's rich, powerful, and tasteful—or rather, he thinks he's tasteful. Everything he uses, wears, and eats in his home is the best. So when he sees that Tang Xiaolong has the same model of TV as him, his first reaction isn't anger, but rather feeling that it's beneath him."

Jia Bing listened attentively, his brows furrowed slightly and his lips pressed tightly together—his habitual gesture before getting into character.

Lin Mo continued, "So his line wasn't a threat, it was disdain. 'What class are you? Using the same thing as me?'—which translates to, 'You think you're worthy?' But you can't act too fiercely; you have to act nonchalantly, even casually. It's like going to a friend's house and finding they use the same toothbrush as you, and you say, 'Oh, the same one,' that kind of feeling."

Upon hearing this, Jia Bing chuckled.

The actors surrounding them also laughed.

Zhang Yi stood a few steps away, arms crossed, a smile on his lips.

Jia Bing smiled and looked at Lin Mo: "Director Lin, do you mean—when Xu Jiang said that, he wasn't angry, but rather showing disdain?"

"That's right." Lin Mo nodded. "Who is Xu Jiang? He's the godfather of the underworld in Jinghai City. If he wanted to kill Gao Qiqiang, the Longhu Brothers could do it as easily as crushing an ant. They wouldn't need to get angry. Getting angry is something only incompetent people do. Xu Jiang is a capable person, so all he needs to do is express his dissatisfaction—you made me unhappy, so I'll make you unhappy too. Smashing the TV isn't the goal; it's the attitude."

Jia Bing thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, I'll give it a try."

Before filming this scene, Lin Mo went through the choreography.

Tang Xiaolong's living room was small, with an old-fashioned leather sofa, tea set on the coffee table, and an old-fashioned television opposite it.

The door is on the left, the window is on the right, and sunlight shines in through the window, landing directly on the television.

Lin Mo looked at the lighting and the camera position, then said to the cameraman Lao Zhou, "First, give the TV a close-up, but not too long, three seconds, then cut to Jia Bing's face."

Old Zhou nodded and looked for the right angle in the viewfinder.

Lin Mo then turned to Lin Jiachuan and said, "After Tang Xiaolong was beaten, he curled up in the corner. Don't move. Keep curling up tighter, but keep your head up and look at Xu Jiang. Look at him with fear and resentment in your eyes."

Lin Jiachuan nodded.

"Teacher Jia," Lin Mo said to Jia Bing, "After you finish hitting someone, don't rush to say your lines. Stand for a while, look around the room, look at the TV, and then look at Tang Xiaolong before you speak."

Jia Bing asked, "How long will you stand there?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment and said, "You decide for yourself. Speak when you feel it's enough."

Jia Bing nodded.

The stage manager claps the clapperboard.

Jia Bing walked in from the doorway, his steps neither fast nor slow, his leather shoes clicking on the floor like a countdown. He glanced at Tang Xiaolong, who was huddled in the corner, but didn't say anything. Then his gaze fell on the television and lingered for two seconds.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes changed. It wasn't anger or ferocity, but a subtle, deep-seated disgust.

He tilted his head slightly, as if to confirm that he hadn't misread it, then pointed his index finger toward the direction of the television.

"When you leave, smash the TV." The voice wasn't loud, and it even sounded a bit casual.

He paused for a moment, then added, "What level is it? The same as mine."

After saying that, he turned and left, the sound of his leather shoes clicking away, growing fainter and fainter.

Behind the monitor, Lao Zhao was the first to burst out laughing, but he quickly covered his mouth after laughing, afraid of affecting the recording.

Lin Mo turned and glanced at him. Old Zhao shrank back and stopped laughing.

"Click." Lin Mo called for a stop. Jia Bing walked back from outside the door, his expression completely changed, a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor.

Lin Jiachuan stood up from the corner, dusted himself off, and walked over to watch the playback.

Jia Bing stood behind the monitor, staring at his own face on the screen, his brows furrowed, and looked at it twice.

"Director Lin, would you like to do another take?" Jia Bing asked.

Lin Mo shook his head: "No need, that's enough."

Jia Bing was stunned for a moment: "That's it?"

Lin Mo nodded: "You acted exactly what I wanted. The rhythm of that line, that disdainful look, the decisiveness of turning around and leaving—everything was right. You don't need to do it again."

Jia Bing opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then swallowed it back, and finally smiled.