A few days later, after finishing the reshoots for Killing Life, Xiao He officially joined the crew of Thief Catcher.
Thief Catcher was recommended to Xiao He by the veteran Zhuo Jianhua. The director and the screenwriter were the same person, and Xiao He had met him once when picking up the script. He was a young man about the same age as Xiao He, named Lin Yipeng.
Lin Yipeng had just graduated from the Eastern Drama Academy last year. He currently had no notable works and was practically unknown within the industry.
If he were a normal actor, there was a high chance he wouldn't accept this role. After all, martial arts films were in decline, with almost no market. Even if they bit the bullet to finish filming, it would only be released on online cinema platforms. As for Lin Yipeng as a director, he was considered a total disaster.
However, Xiao He was not a normal actor—for him, being able to "kill people" was enough. The two of them together, neither could look down on the other.
Moreover, from a reader's perspective, Thief Catcher was actually a fairly decent work.
The story takes place during the Xuanhe era of the Song Dynasty. At that time, the emperor was obsessed with the arts and neglected state affairs, corrupt officials ran rampant, and the economy was on the brink of collapse due to war and corruption. Heavy taxation made life miserable for the common people.
The protagonist was a wandering bounty hunter making a living by capturing thieves—a so-called bounty hunter.
During one bounty chase, the protagonist accidentally got involved in a government salt smuggling case and became the target of multiple forces. However, the protagonist himself had no clue why so many were after him.
He could only keep maneuvering between these forces to survive, using his underworld contacts to investigate and uncover the real mastermind behind the government salt smuggling.
The plot was fairly conventional, centered on the classic "great chivalry serving the country and people" core, but the protagonist's character was not a traditional righteous hero. Instead, he was a money-grubbing "miser" type. The story had many later twists and was quite refreshing overall.
If it weren't for Xiao He knowing he had no martial arts or fighting foundation at the moment, he would have shamelessly tried to audition for the lead role of Jiang Rushu.
Jiang Rushu's character was indeed very charismatic—highly skilled in martial arts, emotionally and intellectually sharp, able to navigate multiple factions and still live a carefree life. He truly embodied the phrase "finish the matter, brush off your sleeves, and hide your merits and fame."
Of course, Jiang Rushu killed a lot of people—the story had him killing almost everyone chasing him. Xiao He could imagine how happy he would be if he could "kill" so many people.
Yet, he was only a cook.After changing into his costume and makeup, Xiao He sighed deeply, sitting outside the shabby inn watching Lin Yipeng direct the crew moving equipment.
Director Lin was a slender young man with pale skin, looking somewhat fragile, but when commanding the scene, his presence was strong enough to keep the rest of the crew in line. From their brief initial conversation, Xiao He knew this was a man with strong principles, not easily swayed by others.
Sigh, a cook is a cook.
Xiao He's current role was Shen Jue, a cook at the Penglai Inn who was actually a martial arts master living under a hidden identity. Back in the day, he was feared across the underworld for his Bone-Cleaving Knife Technique, but later chose to work as an ordinary cook at the inn. He also helped the landlady with odd jobs and dealt with troublesome guests—
Don't get the wrong idea. Their inn didn't make human meat buns; it was just for growing flowers, planting trees, and cultivating refinement.
Jiang Rushu was a friend Shen Jue met during his travels. When Jiang Rushu passed by while chasing bounties, he shamelessly mooched food and drinks and borrowed money from Shen Jue—with no intention of paying it back. Shen Jue hadn't chopped him up for flower fertilizer; he truly regarded Jiang Rushu as his best friend.
In the story, Jiang Rushu was hunted by multiple forces, unable to find shelter with either the underworld or the authorities. Only Shen Jue's place could provide a refuge for Jiang Rushu to catch his breath.
Later, Shen Jue wielded his Bone-Cleaving Knife to help Jiang Rushu break through enemy lines, allowing Jiang Rushu to escape with crucial evidence.
Though Shen Jue didn't appear often, every time he showed up it was at critical moments, making him a relatively important character.
Xiao He was quite easy to satisfy.
"You must be 'Shen Jue'!"
A voice came from beside him.
Xiao He looked up and saw a young man dressed in a heroic chivalrous outfit.The man's face was sharply defined, with rugged features. Beneath his sword-like eyebrows were piercing eyes, radiating the heroic spirit of a chivalrous wanderer.
That was Pu Rong, the male lead in this drama.
According to Xiao He's online search, Pu Rong used to be a child star but then left the industry to study, gradually fading from public view. According to paparazzi reports, Pu Rong's grades weren't particularly good, and he later studied sports, focusing on martial arts. Taking this role was probably a way for him to leverage his strength and regain public attention, returning to the acting world.
Xiao He didn't understand how Lin Yipeng convinced Pu Rong to join this project. Pu Rong had been a well-known child star with national fame and had no need to join such a brand-new crew.
"Hello, Mr. Pu! I'm Xiao He." Xiao He stood up and greeted him.
"I've seen your knife videos!" Compared to Xiao He's reservedness, Pu Rong was much more confident, even a bit excited. "How did you do that? Do you really know the Bone-Cleaving Knife Technique? How many years did you train? Who's your master? Are you still taking disciples? It looks amazing!"
Xiao He: "…"
Confirmed. This guy's martial arts dreams were real.
"That's exaggerated. I'm just playing around casually, no master, and haven't trained long. Thanks for the compliment."
Xiao He could only reply one by one.
Pu Rong's enthusiasm didn't fade: "Oh, really? Could you teach me later? I can teach you martial arts, or do you know how to do wire work? I can teach you hands-on."
Xiao He was delighted: "Sure!"
Thief Catcher had a lot of fight scenes. Although Shen Jue mostly showed knife skills without flying stunts, wire work was unavoidable. Pu Rong's help could greatly solve Xiao He's upcoming difficulties.With this topic, the two chatted casually for a while. Xiao He learned Pu Rong's current situation was not as glorious as he imagined.
"Sigh, being a child star means nothing. I've long lost my fame." Pu Rong waved his hand. "The industry renews itself quickly. There are many handsome newcomers. What advantage do I have? At most, I can earn some nostalgia points, but many comments say I've lost my looks."
As a child, as long as your features were decent, you looked cute. But growing up was different. Pu Rong had lost the baby fat on his cheeks, his features were sharper, and he had developed a tough guy aura, completely different from the well-behaved kid he used to be. Plus, he wasn't particularly handsome, which caused many people's "impressions to be shattered." Trying to squeeze back into the industry was harder than for an ordinary newcomer.
"Don't laugh, I've flopped in several works already. Luckily, not many watch me now; few people know me." Pu Rong gave a bitter smile. "This is the last male lead I can fight for. If it doesn't work out, I'm probably going to quit and open a martial arts school."
Xiao He listened and comforted him, while feeling deeply moved inside.
People's fates were truly different. Some struggled half their lives without lasting success, while others casually stirred up a storm and had a smooth journey... The entertainment industry was indeed an interesting place.
"Shen Jue, Jiang Rushu, come over—"
Lin Yipeng called out their character names from over there.
Xiao He and Pu Rong quickly walked over.
Because the crew was simple and most funds went to props and locations, Lin Yipeng didn't arrange a grand opening ceremony. The core crew stood in the rented inn's hall and bowed to the portrait of Guan Yu hanging in the center of the lobby. That was considered done.
Then they started preparing for the first scene after filming began.