5: A sudden death! Something is wrong with this extra!

"Action!"

At Director Wang's command, the atmosphere on set instantly solidified.

The young actor playing the protagonist's eyes sharpened, and he twirled the long sword in his hand, lunging like lightning towards Lin Da, who was blocking the sub-leader's path.

The moment the protagonist's long sword thrust out, "Bandit A," played by Lin Da, moved!

He didn't stand still like a wooden dummy or wildly swing his weapon like the other extras.

Instead, his pupils contracted sharply, as if he had seen the most terrifying sight in the world.

It was a shiver from the depths of his soul, causing the muscles in his cheeks to twitch slightly.

"Look out, Big Brother!"

A hoarse, desperate, and broken cry squeezed out of his throat.

He delivered this simple line with a heart-wrenching intensity.

It was not merely a warning but more like the last mournful cry of a beast with one foot already in the gates of hell.

The protagonist's long sword, like a venomous snake striking from its lair, aimed directly for his throat.

In a flash, Lin Da's performance reached a higher level.

His eyes underwent several changes in just one second.

First, there was extreme terror in the face of death, his eyeballs almost popping out.

Next, as the sword tip was about to touch his skin, an unbelievable surge erupted from that terror—as if to say, "In this world... can there truly be such a fast sword?!"

Immediately, this hint of disbelief quickly transformed into a nearly absurd "admiration" or perhaps "understanding."

It was as if, in the moment before his life ended, he suddenly comprehended some supreme martial arts realm, even though this realm was taking his life.

This extremely complex and absurd emotion was clearly conveyed through the subtle glint in his eyes and the slight curve of his lips.

"Pfft—"

The prop sword accurately "stabbed" his throat.

Lin Da's body jolted violently, as if struck by an invisible, immense force.

He didn't immediately fall but remained stiff for a moment in a very strange posture.

His eyes were wide open, staring straight ahead, as if his soul had left his body.

Then, his neck slowly tilted to one side at an extremely unnatural and somewhat comical angle.

It felt like a marionette whose strings had suddenly been cut.

Immediately after, his body began to sway uncontrollably, and his legs went limp like noodles.

But he didn't "die" immediately.

He extended one hand, trembling, as if trying to grasp something—was it the long sword that took his life? Or was it that elusive vitality?

Finally, his hand fell limply.

His entire body, as if its bones had been removed, slumped softly to the ground.

As he fell, he also very "professionally" knocked over a basket full of miscellaneous items nearby.

Apples and pears rolled all over the ground from the basket, and one apple even "rolled" to the protagonist's feet, creating a rather humorous scene.

"Bandit A," deceased.

From the protagonist's sword thrust to Lin Da's fall, the entire process took no more than five seconds.

But these five seconds felt infinitely stretched.

The entire set was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at the "corpse" lying on the ground, maintaining a twisted and comical posture.

The young actor playing the protagonist still held his sword-thrusting pose, his expression a bit bewildered.

He just... it felt as if he had truly stabbed a living person.

The complex look in the other party's eyes before he died made his heart inexplicably skip a beat.

The actor playing the sub-leader also forgot his next reaction, only staring with an open mouth at the apple that had rolled to his feet.

Even the cameraman, who was responsible for filming, subconsciously gave Lin Da a few extra seconds of footage before slowly moving the camera away.

Director Wang held the megaphone, his mouth agape in an "O" shape, unable to utter the word "Cut" for a long time.

He... what did he see?

An extra, an extra with only one line, who was supposed to die immediately, actually... actually performed an unprecedented "death"!

That look in his eyes, that expression, that body language, that final falling posture, even the timing of knocking over the basket was perfect!

Where in the hell was this an extra? This was clearly a master actor!

Especially the final head tilt and the design of knocking over the basket, it was simply a stroke of genius!

It both fit the tragic demise of the character and carried a hint of dark humor, making people want to laugh despite the tension.

Director Wang had been directing for over a decade; what kind of actors hadn't he seen?

But to be stunned by an extra's "death" performance like today, it was a first!

"This... this kid..." Director Wang muttered to himself, more sweat beading on his forehead, but this time, it wasn't from anxiety but from a strange excitement.

Zhou Xingxing, standing nearby, looked as if his eyeballs were about to pop out.

He stared blankly at Lin Da's "corpse," his mind a complete blank.

So... so extras really could act like this?

So "dying" could be done in so many ways?

Lin Da... is too amazing!

This was no longer acting; this was art!

After several seconds, Director Wang, as if waking from a dream, suddenly slapped his thigh and excitedly shouted, "Cut! Good! Excellent!"

His voice was slightly distorted from excitement.

With that cry of "Cut," the set seemed to come back to life.

Prop masters, lighting technicians, script supervisors, and even the surrounding extras couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

"That extra just now... who was he? He acted too well, didn't he?"

"Yeah, yeah, I was holding my breath just now; that look in his eyes, it was incredible!"

"He died with such depth! It's the first time I've ever seen someone act out dying like that!"

"Especially that final head tilt and knocking over the basket, it just killed me, but I also felt so sorry for him!"

"What's this guy's name? Why haven't I seen him before?"

The murmurs were full of awe and curiosity.

Lin Da "resurrected" from the ground, patted the dust off his clothes, and a calm smile returned to his face, as if the astonishingly brilliant "Bandit A" was merely everyone's illusion.

He walked up to Director Wang and said with a slight apology, "Director Wang, I'm sorry, was I a bit... improvisational just now?"

Director Wang's gaze at Lin Da was now like looking at a rare unpolished gem.

He stepped forward, grabbed Lin Da's arm, and was so excited he was incoherent:

"Good kid! You're good! You're too good! What's your name?"

"Director, my name is Lin Da," Lin Da replied, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Lin Da? Good! I'll remember you!" Director Wang patted Lin Da's shoulder forcefully, the fat on his face trembling, "You kid... you really gave me a big surprise!"

He suddenly seemed to think of something, his eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh again:

"This bandit... no, he can't just die like this!"

Director Wang suddenly turned and shouted to the script supervisor and screenwriter, "Xiao Li! Old Zhao! Come here! Give this bandit two more lines! No! Give him a close-up! He must have a close-up!"