035 An Imposter Has Infiltrated the Set!

Yellow sand filled the sky, and corpses littered the field. Tattered flags whimpered in the wind, while vultures circled overhead.

"Caw—"

The sharp cry tore through the deathly silence as the birds landed impatiently on the bodies, tearing at flesh and blood with sharp talons and beaks. Their feathers were stained crimson; when the wind blew, one could almost smell the pungent scent of blood.

This was Phoenix Mountain, an ancient battlefield constructed by the film crew—the place where the story of *Little Big Soldier* began.

"Scene 2, Take 1, Attempt 7 of *Little Big Soldier*. Action!"

The opening scene had already been retaken six times. In the original film, the battlefield carnage was rendered with animation, but Qian Lang didn't want a hundred-percent replica. After all, they had spent a fortune on costumes and props; if they weren't showcased on the big screen, it would be like wearing fine silks in the dark.

He wanted to film this battle sequence in reality. However, the quality of the extras was uneven. Despite six attempts, the effects captured on camera were inferior to the original animation.

Qian Lang felt a sense of speechlessness. Although he had been mentally prepared for the creative environment, he was frustrated by the endless repetition of such a small segment. He had to admit that the entertainment industry of his previous life was quite impressive—large-scale war films were shot at a moment’s notice, always grand and magnificent. Why was it so difficult here?

"Cut!"
"Cut!"
"Cut, cut, cut!"

Qian Lang’s throat was practically smoking from shouting.

"Director Qian, why don't we just use special effects for this part?" Chen Yuanyuan and Hao Han whispered, trying to console him.

Qian Lang felt helpless. Initially, he had been stubborn, wanting to capture a breathtaking scene, but the extras just weren't delivering. Problems kept popping up like gophers in a game—you push one down, and another springs up.

"Let’s stop here for now!" Qian Lang waved his hand.

It was noon, time to distribute the meals. The crew never engaged in the "blessing" of overtime work; when it was time, they did what they had to do. Sometimes, worried about disrupting rest, they would even postpone long shots to the next shooting schedule.

"Lunch boxes! Time to get your lunch boxes!"

Following a melodic cry, hundreds of extras swarmed out and soon formed a long, orderly queue.

"There’s even lobster today!"
"I wouldn't dare dream of this!"
"These boxes are better than those in big hotels!"
"I wish I could stay with this crew forever!"

Looking at the sumptuous food, the extras’ eyes lit up, and they drooled, wishing they could pour it straight into their mouths. The scene was instantly immersed in a joyous atmosphere.

But Qian Lang was distracted. He poked at his own lunch box, having no appetite to enjoy the meal.

"Director Qian, shall we shoot other scenes first?"

Chen Yuanyuan and Hao Han offered suggestions, but Qian Lang shook his head. In the past, he would have chosen easier scenes to ensure a successful start, but this time he couldn't follow the conventional path. The standard dramatic performances were effortless; the difficulty lay in the large-scale war scenes. It was better to tackle the hard bone now. After all, the weather would only get colder, which was unfavorable for filming large scenes. If everyone’s breath turned into white mist, how could they play dead?

"Let’s just eat for now!"

For problems that had no immediate solution, Qian Lang chose to set them aside. After all, haste makes waste. The more tense things were, the more one needed to take it easy—perhaps the solution would present itself.

After finishing his lunch, the crew had an hour of rest. Everyone was relaxing, but Qian Lang took a rare stroll around the set. The mountain forest was rugged with layered peaks, and the steep cliffs looked as if they had been carved by blades—it was exactly as he had imagined.

"I didn't expect this crew to be so decent!"
"Heh, regretting it?"
"Not at all! It’s just... I don't really want to do this anymore!"

Qian Lang was wandering leisurely when he suddenly heard the voices of two people coming from a mountain hollow.

"Oh ho, so you’ve turned into a good person now?"
"Can’t I? They only gave me three thousand; I might as well turn over a new leaf!"
"In your dreams! Don't you dare have such thoughts..."

As he listened, Qian Lang had a sudden realization. He finally understood why the war scene had failed a dozen times. The problem lay with these two.

Qian Lang quietly turned on the recording function on his phone. He couldn't be bothered to tangle with petty people, but they were being relentless. However, this matter was easy to resolve. He turned back and returned the way he came, unnoticed.

When the break ended, the afternoon shoot resumed. Before they began, however, Hao Han stood in the center of the set.

"Everyone, I have something to say!"

The extras, who were preparing to take their positions, all stopped and looked at him.

"I hope the upcoming take will be done in one go. If there is another 'NG,' it means you aren't suited for being an extra. If that happens, come see me to settle your accounts and leave!"

Qian Lang had taught him to say this. Upon hearing the reason, Hao Han’s eyes had nearly popped out of his head in rage. The crew had always treated everyone like family, but not everyone was qualified to be family. There was a black sheep among the extras—a spy had infiltrated the set!

"Director, we’ve been working so hard, why are you firing us?" someone among the extras complained.

Although the filming progress had been stagnant, they had indeed been working diligently. To achieve realism, some were even engaging in actual physical combat. Aside from potential injuries, the pain they felt was real.

"I know everyone is working hard, but there are people trying to fish in troubled waters and delay our progress. This crew will never tolerate such things! If you step forward now, we can let bygones be bygones, but if we catch you ourselves, we will have to take legal action!" Hao Han shouted, filled with righteous indignation. His cold gaze swept across the extras repeatedly.

"Who is it?"
"Who’s so shameless?"
"Come out now!"
"They’re giving you a chance, and you won't take it?"

Most of the people were furious. They had finally joined such a divine film crew, and there were fools who didn't know how to cherish it. They wanted to drag them out and beat them up to teach them a lesson about being a decent person!

Unfortunately, they shouted for a long time, but the culprits wouldn't show themselves.

"Not coming out, huh? Not cherishing the chance? Thinking we have no evidence?"

As he spoke, Hao Han opened his phone. On the video screen, it was clearly captured: the two extras hiding in the mountain hollow, whispering. The crowd turned their eyes toward the targets.

"I confess, I confess!" Finally, one of them stood out, wailing.

"Idiot!" The other man cursed with utter disdain. "What can that video prove?"

Indeed, the video only showed them chatting. It didn't directly specify that they were delaying the shoot. However, that didn't matter anymore. Someone had already been tricked into stepping forward, and now it was time to leave it to the professionals from the police station.

Soon, the two spies were taken away. With the problem identified and solved, the subsequent filming proceeded with extraordinary smoothness.

"Ah... ah..."

During the Warring States period, the Wei army marched toward the Liang state. Upon reaching Phoenix Mountain, they were ambushed by the Liang army. A bloody battle ensued, and all three thousand soldiers and officers were wiped out!