Having inexplicably arrived from the other side of the Pacific, Matthew's greatest fortune lay in his ruggedly handsome face and his athletic physique, his two main assets for making a living. Now, Steve Brand aimed to strike at his face, wasn't this akin to sabotaging his livelihood and destroying his future?
Those who threatened his livelihood were enemies.
Standing before Matthew, who had fallen to the ground, Steve Brand showed no mercy, thrusting his sword directly at him.
Those outside the set thought Steve Brand was having a breakthrough moment in his acting, almost as if he was possessed by the spirit of Manon.
Matthew couldn't afford to take risks or hope for luck. As Steve Brand's prop sword aimed for his face, Matthew kicked out with his right foot. Steve, standing with his legs slightly apart and directly in front of him, received a precise kick to his groin.
Both men were clad in leather armor, equipped with groin guards, making the kick seem like part of a rehearsal, hitting only the leather guard.
Only Matthew and Steve knew the kick had landed solidly.
Although irritated, Matthew had controlled his strength, aware from training how powerful his kicks could be. He had used only half his strength.
Even so, half-strength was too much for Steve Brand to bear in that area.
"Ahh—"
Steve screamed, his face distorting with pain as his eyes and nose twisted in agony.
Since the action directing was delegated to Tim Madison, director Chuck Russell was merely observing. At this moment, he was taken aback.
"Didn't see that coming," he muttered. "Steve Brand turns out to be an actor who shines on the spot. What a performance explosion! Look at him now; it's a top-notch act, worthy of an Oscar."
Then, shaking his head, "Too bad it's too late. This is his last scene. If he had shown this level of performance and energy earlier, he might have overshadowed Matthew Horn."
On set, after kicking Steve, Matthew didn't give him a moment to recover. With a push from one hand, he leaped up from the ground. His hands, like iron clamps, grabbed Steve's wrists and squeezed tightly. Steve could no longer hold the prop sword, which clattered to the ground.
The pain in Steve's groin had just subsided slightly when he felt his hands being squeezed as if by iron bands, which instantly tightened with great force...
Sweat broke out on his forehead, and his already pained face twisted even more. The hands gripping his wrists felt rough and hard, like they were made of alloy, seemingly about to split his wrist bones with excruciating pain.
Even in such a moment, Matthew didn't forget they were acting. He grabbed Steve's hands, turned around, and performed a back throw, sending Steve flying off the platform.
With significant force, Steve was thrown off the platform and fell.
As Steve fell, his only thought amid the pain was: Sometimes, Hollywood's promotional hype does hold some truth.
The platform wasn't too high, just over a meter, with sponge mats on the ground. Steve landed on the mats without injury, but the sensation of falling from a height made it hard for him to get up immediately.
At this moment, Matthew stood victorious as Murias on the edge of the platform, looking down. Kelly Hu, having taken down a soldier, joined him.
The duo formed a picture-perfect ending scene.
"Close-up!" Tim Madison urgently directed the cameraman, "Give them a close-up now."
After a fierce and realistic battle, ending with such a shot was simply perfect.
Steve lay on the thick sponge mat, looking up to see the two above him, serving merely as a stepping stone to their victory.
"Great!" Tim Madison almost shouted, "Fantastic! This will become a classic action shot! It must!"
He had forgotten that the way Matthew defeated Manon was entirely different from the script.
But it didn't matter. The script could be adjusted, as replicating the excellence of this action shot wouldn't have the same effect again.
"You did great."
On the platform, Kelly Hu winked at Matthew, "Especially that back throw."
Matthew smiled and said to the ground, "Steve made a good foil."
Steve Brand, helped up by the crew, stood near Matthew's feet. He snorted coldly, letting the crew assist him away.
Matthew watched his departing figure, surprised by Steve's reaction. If Steve had lashed out, Matthew could have used it to expose Steve's real intentions and make him suffer more.
But Steve had endured it.
This matched the impression Steve had left on Matthew: a man of few words, seemingly action-oriented.
Steve headed to the makeup room, the pain between his legs quick to come and go, but his wrists continued to ache. Unbuttoning his costume's tight cuffs, he saw his wrists were red and swollen, as if struck by something.
"Matthew Horn, that bastard, is so strong!" He shook his wrists, easing the pain slightly, realizing his plans had completely failed.
Steve entered the makeup room, marveling at Matthew's strength and quick reflexes, likening him to a fighter jet among actors. His wrists wouldn't heal for days.
On set, Matthew sat down for a break, drinking tea brought by Mira Wang, preparing for his next scene. His confrontation scenes with Steve were done, but he had plenty more to shoot.
"Hey, Matthew." Dave Billiard approached, giving a thumbs up, "That action scene was spectacular."
Matthew nodded, "I don't have many virtues, but reliability is one."
He didn't feel embarrassed saying this.
In this industry, where lies were common, saying it one more time didn't matter.
Dave's smile broadened, seeing his investment in the future as worthwhile.
"Don't forget our agreement," Matthew reminded.
"I haven't," Dave pointed to his head, "Got it right here. I'm at your beck and call."
Soon, the next scene began, and Matthew moved to another shooting location, leaving Dave behind to film a dialogue scene with Kelly Hu.
Compared to the action scenes, this seemingly simple dialogue scene took three takes to get right, highlighting Matthew's significant weaknesses.
Through his time as the lead, Matthew realized he was an actor with distinct strengths and glaring weaknesses.
Simply put, his weakness was acting.
Fortunately, neither he nor Helen Herman intended to venture into the indie art scene, so this flaw wasn't overly magnified.
In commercial entertainment, acting isn't the primary factor.
After a day's work, Matthew drove Dave to Angel Agency to meet Helen Herman, summarizing the day's events. Helen didn't hesitate, acknowledging the threat to her recent investments. She agreed to terminate Steve's contract and inform other agencies of the reason, making Steve's future in Hollywood increasingly difficult.
After sending Dave off, Helen looked at Matthew, "Are you satisfied now?"
Matthew shrugged, "What would you have done if I had been injured and couldn't return anytime soon?"
"I would've done the same," Helen removed her glasses, "Do you believe me?"
"I've always wondered," Matthew knew Helen wore non-prescription glasses, "Why wear such old-fashioned glasses that hide your face?"
Helen calmly responded with a strong reason, "I have astigmatism."
Matthew didn't believe her. Standing up, he said, "You look better and more beautiful without glasses." He headed to the office door, leaving with, "I believe you."
Exiting, he muttered, "As if I'd believe you."
But that was the end of it with Steve Brand. Matthew didn't plan to pursue the matter further. Steve was now far behind, and there was no need to slow his own progress by engaging with him.
The shooting continued until early November, with Matthew's remaining scenes mostly dialogue. Not as smooth as before, some shots required numerous takes. As filming neared its end and more actors left the set, those with significant roles received gifts from the crew, typically props they had used, like Kelly Hu receiving Cassandra's necklace.
By mid-November, Matthew had completed all his scenes as Murias, leaving the set with the prop sword he had used throughout the shoot.
His work on "The Scorpion King" concluded, welcoming a brief hiatus.
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