The next part of “Dawn City” is filled with mostly battle scenes, occasionally interspersed with some emotional drama. While progress wasn’t fast, the plot was progressing steadily.
After a day, half day and night, Xia Tian finally arrived near the scouting team led by Little Gray Wolf in the east. But they were soon encircled and suppressed by the chasing troops.
Seeing Little Gray Wolf facing a hard fight, Xia Tian finally couldn’t bear it, and brought his people to help from the periphery, helping Little Gray Wolf to tear a gap enough to evacuate their men. Little Gray Wolf succeeded in breaking through the siege with only half his team remaining, merged with Xia Tian’s forces, and temporarily escaped the encirclement and suppression.
The team temporarily settled in a hidden mountain col. With a serious look, Xia Tian dragged Little Gray Wolf by the wrist, and led him to the dense forest covered by bushes not far away.
Without too much foreshadowing, Xia Tian went straight to the point: “Why betray us?”
Little Gray Wolf was startled: “…What?”
Xia Tian stared at Little Gray Wolf’s eyes: “It was you who leaked our movements, right?”
Little Gray Wolf subconsciously looked away.
Seeing his dodgy appearance, the remaining hope in Xia Tian’s eyes suddenly dimmed.
He was furious, stretched out his hand and squeezed Little Gray Wolf’s jaw, and pressed the boy against the tree trunk. “Why don’t you dare to look at me? Why don’t you dare to answer?!”
“…What do you want me to say?” His voice was trembling, but he still didn’t look at Xia Tian.
“You… In the battle of Tiger Hill, Lao Wu and Xiao Xie died, and so many soldiers died… How could you stay here with peace of mind?” Xia Tian stared into the eyes of Little Gray Wolf and sneered. “Being with me is to steal news and send it to the real master behind you, right?”
Seeing Little Gray Wolf pursing his lips and not saying a word, Xia Tian’s fingers slipped from the boy’s jaw to his neck, his grip getting harder and harder. “I believed you so much, but what did you do? During our retreat, you actually… using a locator to reveal our location, how dare you face those soldiers in the wounded barracks?!”
Little Gray Wolf raised his eyes suddenly, his throat hoarse: “…Locator?”
Xia Tian’s fingers suddenly tightened: “Still pretending to be stupid?”
Little Gray Wolf clenched Xia Tian’s hand hard, shaking his head with difficulty. A weak voice game out: “No… I… don’t…”
Clasping Little Gray Wolf’s throat, Xia Tian tossed him aside, only to follow up with a punch to the side of the boy’s face.
“Stop! Start all over again.” Mu Zhixing frowned. “Xia Tian’s punch needs to be harder. You have been betrayed, and are in a fit of rage at this time. You can’t be merciful, got it?”
This scene has been polished for an entire day because Jiang Dao and Chu Yinlong’s emotions were always a little warmer than needed. Especially Xia Tian’s ruthless chokehold on Little Gray Wolf – it took many repetitions until it finally met Director Mu’s requirements.
This punch is even more difficult to control. This is a close-up shot capturing the collision between fist and cheek, so some force must be there, and the actor has to receive a solid punch.
Of course, the crew made sufficient preparations for Jiang Dao’s safety.
Jiang Dao took out the mouthguard in his mouth, and smiled at Chu Yinlong: “It’s better if Teacher Chu can finish the punch in one shot. If it still fails to meet requirements, won’t I have to be beaten many times by you?”
In fact, the pain is just a piece of cake for him, but neither did he want to be beaten for no reason.
Chu Yinlong clenched his fists, took a deep breath, calmed himself for a moment, and nodded to Director Mu. “…I’m ready.”
Reopen the clapper to shoot.
Xia Tian punched Little Gray Wolf in the face, causing him to stagger back. A trace of blood immediately oozed from the corner of his mouth.
Chu Yinlong resisted the throbbing pain in his heart, preventing his face from showing an expression he shouldn’t have.
When Mu Zhixing announced that the scene had passed, he quickly stepped forward, held Jiang Dao’s face, and carefully checked the wound on the corner of Jiang Dao’s mouth. “I’m sorry, it was my mistake…”
Mu Zhixing didn’t expect Jiang Dao to be injured either, and rushed up to check.
The medical staff also came immediately. As soon as the tools were taken out, Chu Yinlong snatched the alcohol cotton ball and carefully pressed it on the corner of Jiang Dao’s lips.
“It’s alright…” Jiang Dao spat out the mouthguard, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “…I moved a little slowly, it’s nothing major. The wound is so small, and there’s no bleeding. My face shouldn’t swell, and it won’t affect the shooting.”
“I’m sorry.” Chu Yinlong was still distressed.
“It’s obvious that I slowed down, why are you apologizing?” Jiang Dao chuckled. “It’s not bad, the wound is real. Saves us makeup!”
Chu Yinlong was speechless.
In the past, he didn’t like it when those young actors were squeamish and lazy, but when he saw Jiang Dao, who didn’t care about being injured, hurt, he just wanted to protect him and stop him from being hurt.
It’s a pity that despite his distress, filming must continue.
In particular, the final confrontation between Xia Tian and Little Gray Wolf is the last and most complicated emotional outburst in the whole film.
Xia Tian punched Little Gray Wolf, but did not continue.
Little Gray Wolf raised his hand to wipe off a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, and smiled bitterly. “Locator… Didn’t you check me with an instrument before? How do you not know if there’s a locator on me? Don’t you know me inside and out?”
“Little Gray Wolf, you’ve never answered me directly,” Xia Tian’s tone was indifferent and cold. “Have you ever sold our news? Don’t go around in circles, just answer me, yes, or no?”
After a long silence, Little Gray Wolf closed his eyes and asked, “The head confirmed it?”
Xia Tian didn’t speak.
Little Gray Wolf asked again: “Asking you to come get me, did he issue a military order?”
Xia Tian remained silent.
Little Gray Wolf continued: “The order he gave you is to execute me with his own hands? If you can’t do it, will you be punished?”
Xia Tian avoided answering and repeated the question: “Have you ever betrayed us?”
This time, Little Gray Wolf did not escape.
He answered in a hoarse voice: “I am a member of the city guards.”
The backlogged emotions in his heart could no longer be controlled, so he simply continued: “I was sent here by the city guards. They asked me to seduce you and steal intelligence about your movements. Our ‘chance’ meeting was all arranged for you to save me from those guards.”
“Stop.” Director Mu called out again. “Little Gray Wolf’s self-destructive feeling should be heavier. Now that you’ve been abandoned, you know that Xia Tian is here to execute you. You don’t want to implicate him, and you also want to apologize using your death, understand?”
Jiang Dao nodded.
After brewing for a while, the shooting restarted—
Looking at Little Gray Wolf with red eyes and almost madly revealing his identity, Xia Tian stood there, his body stiff like a stone sculpture.
Little Gray Wolf said indifferently: “You can kill me now.”
Xia Tian still did not move.
His eyes were suddenly red, and there was a layer of tears in his eyes, but they stubbornly refused to fall.
He stared at the young man in front of him, his lips twitched and his throat trembled: “You… you can lie to me, I allow you to lie to me…”
The sunset was stained with blood.
In the dim forest, Little Gray Wolf’s voice was as soft as a whisper: “How can I lie to you? Lie to you that I really like you? Heh… How could I like you? I’m just using you to eliminate the resistance army. Stealing news was too easy… It’s ridiculous, you actually took the bait so easily.”
Xia Tian couldn’t bear it anymore, and punched Little Gray Wolf.
This time, Little Gray Wolf fought back.
He blocked Xia Tian’s fist, raised his leg and swept under the opponent’s ribs, and let out a low sneer. “It was me who sent news about Tiger Hill. Lao Wu and Xiao Xie died in the right place, and the city guards will remember them…”
Xia Tian let out a suppressed roar from his throat, and slammed into Little Gray Wolf’s ribs.
Neither of them took out their weapons, but their fists and feet hit mercilessly. Every move and every move was aimed at each other’s deadly places, landing on flesh.
Little Gray Wolf gasped and said with a hoarse smile: “When you came to the workshop that night, I thought I was going to be exposed. Haha, who would have thought you were so easy to deceive, and a stone would deceive you, haha… uh! Cough cough…”
The two of them twisted together and scuffled violently.
Little Gray Wolf was still laughing: “You actually tried your best to save me. I was thinking… how stupid do you have to be to save a guy like me… ah, cough… You also have your share of fault in killing those guys in the resistance, Xia Tian!”
Limbs collided violently, and blood splashed everywhere.
“Xia Tian, you don’t know at all,” Little Gray Wolf bared his teeth, his voice hoarse. “Before you, I was with the leader of the city guard! It was he who taught me how to sleep with people and how to act like that. I’m lied to you—”
“Shut up!”
Xia Tian roared, pressing the bruised Little Gray Wolf under him. Pulling out the pistol hidden behind him, he pressed the barrel against the soft flesh of the youth’s jaw like a madman.
He threw away his tears viciously: “One more word… you dare say another word!”
Little Gray Wolf looked at the angry, but also crying Xia Tian with messy clothes, clenched his molars, raised the corner of his mouth, and smiled.
Then he suddenly raised his hand and squeezed Xia Tian’s fingertip which was on the trigger.
A gunshot pierced through the silent forest, startling the jackdaws in the trees.
The soldiers who were resting and recovering in the temporary camp not far away, heard the sound of gunfire and were immediately alert. A patrol team immediately rushed towards the sound of gunfire.
Breaking through the dense forest brush, they came across a picture they couldn’t understand–
Xia Tian, who was covered in scars, sat on Little Gray Wolf and pressed him to the ground.
The black muzzle hung above Little Gray Wolf, trembling slightly.
Little Gray Wolf opened his eyes slowly, with no sorrow or joy in his eyes.
He quietly stared at the last trace of the sunset, reflected in Xia Tian’s tear-stained eyes.
Apologies for the mini-cliff. There wasn’t any good places to stop that’d split the 2 halves evenly. 🙏
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