Chapter 69: Impressive

The Tongcheng Film and Television Base wasn’t particularly large, but it had become quite popular lately. A modern drama that had gone viral online had just started filming there.

The person in charge of the base seized the opportunity to launch a slew of promotional events, recreating many of the show’s sets to attract fans who couldn’t get enough of the drama and came to visit the filming location in person.

Director Cheng An felt quite fortunate. He had signed the contract with the base before that modern drama aired. If he’d waited until after, who knew how much more expensive it would have been?

He’d been making movies for years. Though his box office numbers weren’t stellar, he still managed to turn a profit thanks to one principle: thrift.

If something could be saved, it would be. For example, the tattered coat worn by the lead character was bought off a real homeless man for two hundred yuan. Fortunately, his lead actor was Feng Jiajun. If it had been someone even slightly famous, they would’ve never agreed to wear it.

While the protagonist’s look was settled, Aofeng’s nose was having a hard time. That ragged, army-green coat reeked like pickled cabbage that had been fermenting in a vat for centuries. Compared to it, even the notoriously pungent snail noodles didn’t stand a chance. The overwhelming stench hit Aofeng’s nose like a punch, and he nearly gagged.

Of course, Feng Jiajun wasn’t the only one with a makeover. Aofeng’s appearance had also been transformed. The makeup artists from the crew had smeared something all over his fur, making it clump and mat as if he hadn’t had a bath in ages. They sprinkled in some dust and bits of grass, and just like that, a stray dog was born.

Standing in front of the mirror, Aofeng looked at his new image and couldn’t help but wonder: if he hadn’t collapsed in the middle of the road that day and had actually escaped the Training Base, would he have ended up like this? Or maybe even worse. At the very least, he wouldn’t look as strong as he did now. Even Da Huang, who seemed like a carefree stray, often went hungry during his time on the streets.

This was only Aofeng’s second day at the Tongcheng Film and Television Base, and his appearance had already undergone a dramatic transformation. Clearly, Director Cheng An was a true professional. The moment he returned to the base, he couldn’t wait to start filming.

During filming, Song Changfeng always stayed close to Aofeng. While Aofeng was acting, Song stood nearby. This was at the director’s request. After all, German Shepherds were considered large and potentially aggressive dogs, and they couldn’t be leashed during filming. If one suddenly went berserk and hurt someone, it would be a disaster.

In truth, Song Changfeng had complete faith in Aofeng’s professionalism. He knew Aofeng would never harm an innocent person. But others didn’t know that. If his presence helped make people feel safer, then why not?

Aofeng’s first scene at the base was one where he fought off another stray dog to win some food, only to return home and find the cardboard he usually slept on had been taken over by the protagonist.

Cheng An didn’t expect much in terms of animal acting, so he gave Song Changfeng two simple instructions: first, have Aofeng act fierce during the fight, and second, when he returned to his “den,” he should drop the food from his mouth to show his shock.

For a professionally trained police dog, these two actions were easy. For Aofeng, they were a breeze. But since he was here to act, he wanted to take it seriously. A performance this simple wouldn’t challenge him at all. He needed to find a way to add more depth to his portrayal. He couldn’t let the Training Base lose face.

So, when filming started, Aofeng came face to face with another stray dog. This one had been captured by the crew and kept in a cage. It looked terrified, its tail tucked between its legs, body trembling uncontrollably. It was clearly scared out of its mind.

Aofeng felt a bit conflicted. He approached the cage and gave a few low barks. The stray tilted its head, some of the fear in its eyes fading, replaced by confusion. Aofeng barked again, and the stray’s expression softened. Its tail slowly untucked and gave Aofeng a friendly wag.

Everyone around was stunned. No one had expected that in just a short moment, the police dog had managed to establish a friendly rapport with the stray. After a brief moment of surprise, Cheng An felt a surge of delight. The camera crew had been testing the angles, so they might have caught this moment on film. If so, it would make for great behind-the-scenes footage.

To avoid multiple takes, Aofeng even gave the stray a quick rundown of the scene, instructing it to follow his lead when the time came. The stray agreed without hesitation. Once the props team was ready, filming began.

…

The scene opened with someone tossing out the trash. They flung the bag carelessly, and it missed the bin, landing on the ground instead. With a sharp “pop,” the bag split open, and a half-eaten chicken leg tumbled out.

That chicken leg immediately caught the attention of two stray dogs. They locked eyes. The German Shepherd bared its teeth first in a show of dominance. The Chuanchuan looked nervous, but after glancing at the chicken leg, it mustered the courage to inch forward.

The German Shepherd wasn’t pleased. It advanced slowly, growling low in its throat. The Chuanchuan’s legs trembled, fear flashing in its eyes. Just as it was about to turn and flee, a small stone came skittering over from who-knows-where, sparking the fight.

The German Shepherd lunged in a few swift strides. Realizing it couldn’t escape, the Chuanchuan found its courage and stood its ground. The two dogs clashed in a flurry of fur and dust, locked in a fierce battle that made it impossible for anyone to intervene.

In the end, the fight concluded with the Chuanchuan limping away in panic, one leg curled up. The German Shepherd lowered its head, picked up the chicken leg, and walked off. In the sunlight, its face was full of pride. With its tail held high, it strode away like a true victor.

…

Behind the camera, Cheng An was stunned. The cigarette in his hand burned untouched. He had been fully prepared to spend hours reshooting this scene, but to his amazement, the two dogs nailed it in one take.

This dog… was something else!

“Cut! Next scene, get ready,” Cheng An called out.

Everyone knew exactly what those words meant. And precisely because they knew the kind of person he was, they found this moment all the more unbelievable.

Cheng An shot a glance at the crowd and said impatiently, “What are you standing around for? Get moving! And you, give the police dog and that stray a few chicken legs.”

At his command, a staff member quickly grabbed a bowl and filled it with several spare chicken legs before bringing it over. Aofeng looked at the four chicken legs in the bowl but didn’t start eating. Instead, he nudged the bowl toward the stray dog beside him.

The stray dog’s eyes lit up instantly. After letting out a few soft whimpers and receiving a confirming response, its tail started wagging like a windmill.

Then, unable to hold back any longer, it dove into the bowl and began gnawing on the chicken legs. They weren’t particularly large, so even after scarfing down eight of them, it wasn’t overly stuffed. Instead, it experienced a rare and satisfying sense of fullness.

Once it finished eating, the staff locked it back in the cage. There was no helping it – they might need the dog again later. The last time a stray bit someone and ran off, it caused quite a headache for the crew.

Before long, someone from the props team came over to inform them that the second scene was ready and told them to head over quickly.

Aofeng picked up the prop chicken leg in his mouth and followed Song Changfeng to the next location.

When they arrived, Aofeng couldn’t help wanting to toss the chicken leg into the props team’s lunch bowl. The setup perfectly recreated the reality of street drifters, down to the last detail. Especially the lead actor, hunched over and curled up on a piece of cardboard, wrapped in a tattered army-green coat.

Aofeng was sure – without a few years of real experience living on the streets, there’s no way someone could pull off that look!