Chapter 783: A Terrifying Monster…
After listening to Sister Liu's gossip session all night, the matter of going to the cruise banquet was dropped.
After all, the current priority was the filming of the "Mang" Film Crew.
Early in the morning, Xiao He arrived at the Film Crew.
The "Mang" Film Crew's base was currently located in that old residential building from the previous shoot. This area had basically been booked by the crew, and everyone moving through the building was one of their own.
Don't be fooled by the eerie exterior of this old building. Not only was it filthy and dilapidated, but it was actually a major filming location for crews in Hong Kong. Large and small crews booked the place year-round, so it already had some pre-existing set arrangements.
Besides the overall exterior, the small residential rooms inside were divided into different types of filming sets, similar to modern internet-famous short drama bases. Though the space was small, it was fully equipped, albeit with a simpler and more aged appearance.
One could only say it lived up to being a place where land is worth its weight in gold; they truly pushed space-saving to the limit.
However, this made location scouting much more convenient for everyone.
After spending time together, everyone had adapted to the work rhythm here. So even when things got busy, they remained orderly and rarely made mistakes.
Some staff members had worked with Xiao He during the filming of "Great Thief 2," so they had a good rapport. When they saw Xiao He, they took the initiative to greet him: "Teacher Xiao, morning!"
The other two lead actors, who had arrived early, were already sitting on small stools to the side, reading their scripts.
Hearing Xiao He's arrival, they looked up and greeted him together.
"Morning, Teacher Xiao!"
"Teacher Lv, Teacher Cheng, good morning."
Xiao He walked to the entrance of this floor and was somewhat surprised. "Makeup hasn't started yet today?"
Why were both of them still waiting outside?
Xiao He checked the time on his wrist; it was indeed already their usual makeup time.
He glanced at the door labeled "Temporary Makeup Room," which was still tightly shut.
"Ah, today is a bit special. The actors inside needed to get their makeup done in advance,"
Lv Dun explained.
Beside him, Cheng Jingyu also checked the time on her phone and added quietly, "They arrived very early. I heard they've been in there since after three in the morning."
"That early?"
After his initial surprise, Xiao He immediately understood. "Then they must be doing—"
Before he could finish, the door to the makeup room opened.
Then, under everyone's horrified gazes, a non-human creature covered in fur with a bloody, gaping mouth walked out.
The creature was covered in coarse, messy, dark brown fur stained with dark patches. Its posture was twisted and bizarre, its frame exceptionally gaunt. Only its limbs retained characteristics similar to a canine's. Overall, it looked like a withered skeleton with animal claws, moldy and discolored with black and green hues, as if it had just crawled out of a coffin.
Its head was even more grotesque—distorted and enlarged, lacking regular features. Its face was torn open from the brow downward into a hideous, bloody maw. Dark red bloodstains smeared its lips, and sharp, uneven white fangs were exposed, glinting with a ghostly light. It looked as though it could crush and devour a human head in a single bite.
Xiao He, who was closest to the door, caught a glimpse. Even with his strong composure, seeing that "monster" and its horrifying design gave him a massive fright. He instinctively stepped back, nearly delivering a flying kick to save himself.
"Holy—"
Even Xiao Chen screamed, unable to stop himself from cursing.
Lv Dun, sitting on the stool by the door, even toppled over and landed on his backside. Cheng Jingyu quickly helped him up.
The set, which had been busy with activity, suddenly fell silent. Then, several curious staff members gathered around to see what was happening.
"Teachers, this is our special effects actor. Don't be afraid! It's safe!"
A crew member following behind quickly explained to prevent any misunderstanding.
"Even though I know it's just makeup, this is truly incredible..."
Xiao He was the first to regain his calm, though his eyes continued to scan the "creature" before him. He swallowed hard, once again stunned by this level of special effects makeup.
"Thank you for the compliment, Teacher Xiao."
A somewhat familiar female voice came from inside the room.
Xiao He immediately looked past the tall "creature" and saw a woman with a bun hairstyle walking out.
"Teacher Feng?"
Xiao He recognized her.
Feng Songyue looked Xiao He up and down with a smile, nodding slightly. "Teacher Xiao, long time no see. I'm glad you still remember me. Oh, and I haven't congratulated you on winning the White Magnolia tv king again last month. Congratulations!"
Feng Songyue was the special effects makeup artist Xiao He had met while filming "born to kill."
The murderer Zhu Laosan in "born to kill" required heavy special effects makeup due to his hideous appearance, so Feng Songyue had been responsible for Xiao He's look during that period.
Through their frequent interaction, they had become quite familiar with each other.
"Thank you."
Xiao He smiled and nodded, accepting her congratulations. He then added, "I was just thinking that of everyone I know, only Teacher Feng could have such skill. As expected, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} you really are the top special effects makeup artist in the country."
This wasn't just professional courtesy; Xiao He genuinely thought Feng Songyue was incredible.
To be able to achieve this level of makeup—even he had been startled. It was a testament to Feng Songyue's talent.
"I'm actually fine; she's the one who's going to have a hard time,"
Feng Songyue looked at the "non-human creature."
The "non-human creature" stared at Xiao He for a moment before greeting him in a low, shy voice, "Hello, Brother Xiao."
Feng Songyue had left an air hole in the "bloody mouth" for breathing, so the voice came out muffled. However, Xiao He could still tell it was a young girl's voice.
He was immediately shocked. "You're actually a girl?"
"Yes."
Because the fixed headpiece was very stifling and would fill with condensation if she spoke too much, she didn't say anything else. Feng Songyue introduced her instead: "Her name is Wan Li, a dance major from Hong Kong Arts. Don't be fooled by her tall appearance; she's actually wearing extensions on her hands and feet. This makes the monster's physique look more slender and elongated, allowing it to blend better with animal-like limbs."
"I see. You're both incredible!"
Xiao He was amazed and took the opportunity to circle the creature, carefully observing the makeup. Others also gathered around curiously.
In this heat, staying in a fur-covered bodysuit like that must be incredibly exhausting!