I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 330

Bangkok was bustling with activity as filming for ‘Beneficial Evil’ got underway. Inside a gray van that had just departed from the hotel, the conversation revolved entirely around Kang Woo-jin. This was the vehicle of the Netflix Korea staff, including the ever-plump Kim So-hyang, the general director, and the writer, Choi Na-na.

Choi Na-na, sporting a safari hat, her face flushed from the excitement of the past couple of days, was practically vibrating with anticipation.

“Oh my gosh, what am I going to do?!”

Her agitation had nothing to do with the sweltering heat; it was pure nerves. Kim So-hyang tried to calm her down.

“I’m so nervous, I can’t settle down.”

“Relax, writer. Even if you’re this worked up, the filming won’t stop. We just need to enjoy the ride.”

“B-but when we get to the set, they’re going straight into the long take scene, right?!”

“If anyone should feel the pressure, it’s Kang Woo-jin… Actually, no. It’s hard to imagine Woo-jin struggling.”

“Yesterday, he wasn’t flustered at all and rehearsed so smoothly. Of course, the rehearsal was done slowly, step by step.”

“Still, he must feel some pressure inside. It’s his first action project, and it’s also his first long take. Especially if it’s a single shot over 10 minutes… anyone would find that daunting.”

“I-if there’s a mistake in the middle, do they have to film it all over again from the beginning??”

“Of course. Long takes are done continuously for dynamism and vividness, so cutting and editing would defeat the purpose. That’s why it’s such a high hurdle, and it’s a type of filming that production teams usually avoid.”

Choi Na-na, adjusting her round glasses, pictured Woo-jin and murmured,

“…I can’t really imagine Kang Woo-jin making a mistake either?”

Hours later, at noon.

Under the blazing sun, in a fairly large village about an hour outside of downtown Bangkok, the ‘Beneficial Evil’ team had set up shop near an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the village, past the city center. The entire building was painted in shades of brown and beige, but the paint was peeling, revealing its long neglect.

In the open space in front of the abandoned factory, numerous vehicles used by the ‘Beneficial Evil’ team were parked, and in front of them, dozens of staff members were rushing around frantically.

However, there were fewer people than expected.

The reason was simple.

The core filming team, including PD [Production Director] Song Man-woo, was inside the five-story apartment building directly behind the abandoned factory. Of course, this side was also quite dilapidated, being an abandoned building. The broken windows and bricks were part of the ‘Beneficial Evil’ art team’s intended design.

About 150 staff members had gathered on the first floor of this empty apartment.

“Martial arts team!! This way!”

Miley Cara, who had finished her makeup, was also present, but all the staff of ‘Beneficial Evil’ were doing their best to hide their amazement and focus on their work.

“PD-nim!!! Please fix the props!”

“Director of Photography! Please double-check the camera work!!”

“Supporting actors!! Prop guns are coming out! No, where did the interpreter go!!”

Among the entire staff of ‘Beneficial Evil,’ the domestic personnel were busy setting up for the first shoot, while the local Thai staff and actors were also moving quickly according to instructions. The Thai supporting actors who had been cast looked incredibly nervous. Soon, they would be involved in a long take scene of more than 10 minutes.

While receiving AK47 prop guns from the staff, some of the Thai supporting actors glanced at Song Man-woo, who had a beard.

Specifically, they were looking at the male lead of this drama.

“I heard it’s Kang Woo-jin’s first time doing a long take too.”

“Do you have experience?”

“Yeah, not 10 minutes like this, but I’ve filmed something about 5 minutes long. It was a Hollywood movie.”

“How long did it take?”

“Just that cut took over 5 hours. There were a lot of NGs [No Good takes]. If the actors or staff don’t match up, you have to keep filming again.”

“…Then it’ll be similar today.”

Most of the Thai supporting actors were looking at Kang Woo-jin. Woo-jin was in the middle of a conversation with PD Song Man-woo, Cara, the martial arts director, Ethan Smith, and others. It was obvious that the conversation covered many topics: crank-in [start of filming], martial arts, CQC [Close Quarters Combat], long takes, and more.

Then, a Thai actor looked at Kang Woo-jin and speculated,

“If it’s the lead actor’s first time with action and long takes, it’ll take even longer.”

Several tens of minutes later.

Kang Woo-jin stood in the center of the first floor of the abandoned building. He wore a fitted gray short-sleeved shirt and ripped black jeans. His overall skin tone was slightly darker. His slightly messy black hair was a bit shorter. His appearance was already indistinguishable from ‘Jang Yeon-woo.’

But his inner self was still Kang Woo-jin.

‘Hoo- now it starts.’

He set aside his own thoughts and steeled his heart. Then, he summoned many things. The first was the imprinted ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ of ‘Beneficial Evil.’ He pulled out everything about him. ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ permeated Woo-jin’s body without any gaps.

“……”

He was calm. He was bold. He was cold. He was nasty. He was cruel. He was skilled. He was flexible. He was meticulous. And he was excited.

‘A real bastard.’ ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ is evil.

However, Kang Woo-jin, the owner of ‘Jang Yeon-woo,’ summoned another monster. It was ‘Park Dae-ri’ from ‘Profiler Han-ryang.’ It was to mix a deep madness into the ‘real bastard.’ The current ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ was already a complete form.

But Kang Woo-jin wanted another kind of brilliance.

‘Roughness or rawness.’

The technique was ‘Jang Yeon-woo’s,’ the distortion was ‘Park Dae-ri’s.’ Kang Woo-jin had envisioned a half-mad veteran. He hadn’t listened to anyone’s advice. It was Woo-jin’s choice. So what? If it was wrong, he could just take out ‘Park Dae-ri’ on the spot.

‘Jang Yeon-woo’ and ‘Park Dae-ri’ were appropriately mixed.

‘Next.’

Kang Woo-jin, having completed his preparations, called for the necessary weapons. It was ‘Martial Arts’ and ‘CQC.’

At that moment.

-Ziiik!

A thick cable tie was fastened to Kang Woo-jin’s wrist, and two Thai supporting actors stood on either side of him. One held an AK47 rifle, and the other held a Glock 17 pistol.

Song Man-woo, who was standing with Miley Cara and Ethan Smith in front of several monitors, picked up a megaphone.

“Camera!!”

Soon, the director of photography with a camera on his shoulder stood in front of Kang Woo-jin. One person was assisting him. There was also one person from the audio team.

This was the beginning, the 10-minute long take.

“Standby!!!”

At Song Man-woo’s loud shout, the numerous staff members who had gathered around Kang Woo-jin quickly moved away. The Thai actors included in this scene settled into their designated positions. At this point, Kang Woo-jin’s vision was that of ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ himself.

‘The smell is foul.’

The camera in front of him had long disappeared. The many staff members around him were also invisible. Only the world and the feelings of ‘Beneficial Evil’ were unfolding. There was a musty smell. The smell of cigarettes and another smell. Drugs? He was tied up now. But untying it was easy. Assess. Assess it. The building has 5 floors. Two are guiding me. Assume there are more guys on each floor.

‘This is going to be fun for a change.’

‘Jang Yeon-woo’ had come here at the suggestion of L, a former colleague. The request was to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a Bangkok drug lord. The kidnappers were a rival drug organization. Both sides were large in scale, and this was where the kidnapped daughter would be. Currently, ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ was a broker for drug deals as a disguise.

Meanwhile, Song Man-woo in front of the monitor spoke again.

“Hi-”

Many people gathered on the set fixed their eyes on Kang Woo-jin. Not only the staff, but also Joseph and Megan, about 20 foreigners, Cara and her team, Kim So-hyang and writer Choi Na-na, and so on. All together, it easily exceeded 200 people.

It was then.

“Action!!”

The first signal of ‘Beneficial Evil’ rang out. It was the moment of the crank-in, and Kang Woo-jin was shown on the camera and monitor. Kang Woo-jin’s expression with his wrists tied was calm. But there was a hint of mischief somewhere.

-Thump!

The two male gang members who were in charge of guiding the broker, standing on either side of him, tapped Kang Woo-jin’s shoulders.

“Move quickly.”

It was in Thai. Woo-jin glanced at the AK47 rifle held like a fashion accessory in the man’s hand and then moved his feet. The camera moved backward and then moved behind him. Kang Woo-jin went up the spiral staircase. Past the second floor, to the third floor. Eventually, he reached the fifth floor. The end of the guide was the last room on the fifth floor. There was thick cigarette smoke and loud music of an unknown nationality.

-♬♪

The two gang members pushed Woo-jin into the room. Kang Woo-jin didn’t resist. He stood in the center of the room. He had no expression. But his eyes were quick. Two in front, one at the table in the back, two at the entrance, and one in front of the TV.

Six in total.

Were there no more? He sharpened his keen senses, but there were only six in this room. There would definitely be more in other rooms, but it wasn’t a problem.

‘The guy in the back has a knife. Four guns, two knives. First, I’ll take care of this room.’

The camera moved to Woo-jin’s side. A mustached man, who seemed to be the leader of the group in the room, blew cigarette smoke into Kang Woo-jin’s face.

“……”

He remained calm and expressionless. Then, the mustached man chuckled and spoke in Thai.

“This guy seems nervous. Is he going to piss his pants or something?”

Kang Woo-jin replied. It was in English.

“I don’t understand Thai.”

“Shut up!”

The mustached man suddenly became agitated and roughly pressed the pistol in his hand against Woo-jin’s chin. But Kang Woo-jin’s calmness was maintained. For about 5 seconds. The mustached man, who was smirking again, turned his head to the surrounding gang members.

“This guy’s got some guts, huh?”

Soon, the camera zoomed in on the two figures to about the bust. It was about to start.

Kang Woo-jin spoke again.

“I don’t understand Thai.”

This time, the mustached man also answered in English. However, it wasn’t fluent and was clumsy.

“How much do you want?”

“The more, the better.”

“The money.”

“As much as you want.”

“Hehe, good. Let me show you the goods first.”

As he was about to show the drugs, Woo-jin asked him something else.

“Are there kids too?”

“What?”

“I heard you’re selling kids too.”

“…Do you need them?”

“I need them. If they’re here, show them to me.”

“Boys? Girls?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

It was when the mustached man, who had been chuckling, turned his head back and gestured to the two gang members at the entrance.

-Swoosh.

Kang Woo-jin raised his tied hands up and then quickly brought them down. The sturdy cable tie snapped with a thud! The camera naturally moved behind Kang Woo-jin, and the gang members, recognizing Woo-jin’s strange behavior, screamed.

“That bastard!!”

“Dangerous!!!”

The mustached man’s head returned. At the same time.

-Thwack!

A short blade pierced his neck. It was Kang Woo-jin who had done it. He had used the knife that was tucked into the man’s waist. Woo-jin grabbed the pistol while holding the collapsing man.

-Bang! Bang!

Two gunshots. Intense muzzle flashes. And flying shell casings.

“Eek!!”

The bullets accurately hit the chest. Blood splattered. It was the gang member at the entrance. He collapsed powerlessly. The AK47 rifle lay scattered on the floor.

-Bang!

One more shot. Blood and brain matter splattered from the back of his head. It was the gang member with the pistol. Three out of six were dead in an instant. The guy watching TV was startled and stood up. He also held an AK47 rifle in his hand. The gang member in front with the knife also rushed at the fallen Kang Woo-jin.

“Aaaah!!!!”

“Get out of the way! Get out of the way!!!”

It was a boon for Woo-jin. Because it blocked the TV guy’s view. But the gang member in the back was faster.

-Swoosh!

He swung a long blade. Woo-jin, who was lying down, moved his head to the right to avoid it, and then rolled his body to pick up the AK47 rifle that had fallen near the entrance. He immediately shouldered it. By now, the camera was behind Woo-jin. The gang member with the long knife rushed in quickly.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

His chest was pierced. Splatter! Blood was scattered. One more shot to the head of the fallen guy for confirmation.

-Bang!

His head was smashed open. Kang Woo-jin quickly raised his gun. Woo-jin twisted the shouldered gun.

-Bang! Bang!

The face and head of the panicked guy with the rifle in front of the TV exploded. Thick blood splattered on the TV.

“Uwaaaah!”

The last remaining gang member swung a long knife at Kang Woo-jin. There was a thud. Woo-jin had blocked and turned the knife with the muzzle of the AK47 rifle. Kang Woo-jin shouldered the rifle again.

-Bang! Bang!

The side and face of the gang member whose arm was twisted were shattered.

“$*@&(%*&@(@!!!”

“*%&(*@%&(%@@@$(*(!!”

Shouts echoed from below. Other gang members were coming up. The camera moved to Kang Woo-jin’s side. Woo-jin replaced the bullets in the AK47. He also grabbed the pistol. Then, he stood in front of the door and counted the seconds. Specifically, he was listening to the sound of footsteps.

-Thump thump thump!!

They were close. Kang Woo-jin rushed out.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!!

The heads of two gang members who had just entered the hallway from the stairs exploded. Woo-jin rolled down the hallway. The camera also roughly followed behind him. Then, Woo-jin kicked the closed wooden door. Two gang members with knives rushed in. There were four gunshots, and the hearts and brains of the guys turned into blood and exploded.

The camera moved smoothly in front of Kang Woo-jin’s face.

His cheeks were covered in blood.

‘They’re running again.’

He was smiling. But there was madness in his smile.

‘Good, this feeling. Resting was the right answer after all.’

It was a distorted ‘evil’ itself.

But there was still time left for him to rampage. Only about 5 minutes had passed in the long take. At this point, PD Song Man-woo in front of the monitor was in a frenzy.

‘This is crazy!! It’s like ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ has jumped out into reality and is running around! This sense of speed! This impact!’

The blonde Miley Cara was covering her mouth with one hand. It was a sight beyond imagination.

‘W-what, what is this?? It’s the first take of the first scene? Isn’t he too skilled??! And how can his ‘CQC’ be better than the Hollywood actors I’ve seen, while filming a long take for his first action scene!! Is that even possible!!’

She was internally shocked and turned her head to the right. She saw the giant Joseph, Megan, the stunt team, and executives from ‘Universal Movies.’ All of them were frozen without even blinking. Everyone had a look on their face that seemed to say, ‘What am I watching right now?’

Cara deeply sympathized with them.

‘The feeling of your brain being frozen, the feeling of your basics being destroyed. It’s natural to see something so out of the ordinary. I know it well.’

They, the leading figures in Hollywood, had their mouths slightly open. There wasn’t even a small movement.

“……”

“……”

“……”

The monster’s ‘CQC’ broke everyone.

End