novelraw Chapter 93: Heavy Armor and Everyday Clothes
Chapter 93: Heavy Armor and Everyday Clothes
Wei Song's words fell silent.
Peng Shaofeng's agent barely hesitated, immediately stepping forward with a proper smile.
"Director Wei, Shaofeng will naturally use this set of heavy armor that he prepared himself."
He reached out and patted the huge object covered by a black cloth, speaking with full confidence.
"We believe that the role of Xiang Yu must first and foremost be able to dominate the entire scene. This armor was made by the best prop team we could find, took two months to complete, reconstructed according to historical records, and then artistically enhanced. It most perfectly reflects the spirit of the Conqueror."
His words were airtight.
He praised his own artist's professionalism while subtly labeling Wei Song's prepared everyday clothes as "not imposing enough."
Wei Song said nothing for or against, merely nodding.
"Okay."
His gaze turned to Jiang Ci.Jiang Ci had not yet spoken, and the man beside him, Sun Zhou, was in a panic.
How could this be a fair choice?
Their side had a custom-made dragon-slaying broadsword, while this side had a run-of-the-mill standard long sword.
They weren't even in the same league of equipment!
Peng Shaofeng's team had obviously come well prepared. They intended to create an overwhelming visual advantage through this armor alone.
Surrounded by a crowd of assistants, Peng Shaofeng walked toward the makeup room.
Staff carefully lifted the black cloth.
A full set of jet-black heavy armor trimmed with dark gold patterns appeared before everyone.
Every piece of the armor shone with a cold metallic luster, the shoulder guards shaped like ferocious beast heads, the breastplate covered in intricate cloud patterns—every detail exuding weight and murderous intent.
"Whoa…"
A collective intake of breath swept the room.
Even the experienced producers were stunned by the craftsmanship of the armor.
"This… the material is top-notch."
"Just this armor must have cost a fortune. Evergreen really put their money where it counts this time."
"This is how a blockbuster commercial film should look!"
Amid the comments, Peng Shaofeng and the armor were escorted into the dedicated makeup room.
An hour's wait was torture for some people in the studio.
Especially for Sun Zhou.
He fidgeted, repeatedly checking his phone and then glancing at Jiang Ci.
Jiang Ci simply sat quietly in a corner chair, eyes closed, breathing steadily, as if asleep.
Sun Zhou's anxiety reached a boiling point.
Bro! My own bro! When is this, and how can you just sit there!
Finally, the makeup room door opened again.
"Clang… clang…"
The heavy scrape of metal and measured footsteps reverberated through the cavernous studio.
Everyone instinctively held their breath.
Peng Shaofeng emerged.
He was completely transformed.
The complex black heavy armor fit his tall, sturdy frame as if it had become one with him.
Lights glinted off the plates with dim reflections. Each step he took carried the oppressive force of an earthquake.
He was no longer the modern star Peng Shaofeng.
He had become the Conqueror of Western Chu, as if he had just cut down an enemy general on a bloody battlefield and strode across mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.
Majestic, powerful, brimming with destructive might.
"Great!"
"Fantastic!"
Several producers couldn't help standing, their faces full of excitement and satisfaction.
This was what they wanted!
This was a leading man worthy of five hundred million in investment!
A presence that would make viewers willing to buy tickets just from seeing the poster!
Peng Shaofeng walked to the center of the set, looking around with satisfaction at the shock he had created.
It was Jiang Ci's turn.
An assistant approached him politely and gestured toward the makeup room.
The prop team wheeled over another clothing rack.
Hanging there was a set of black everyday clothes.
Although the fabric was exquisite and the tailoring proper, with delicate patterns embroidered in gold thread at the cuffs and collar, compared to Peng Shaofeng's murderous heavy armor, it looked like a civil official's ceremonial robe.
Sun Zhou felt his heart sink completely when he saw the outfit.
Jiang Ci opened his eyes, stood up, and wordlessly followed the assistant into the makeup room.
Ten minutes later, the door opened.
Jiang Ci stepped out.
The astonishment and heated discussion that had risen because of Peng Shaofeng instantly evaporated.
He wore the simple black everyday clothes, a wide matching belt cinched at his waist.
No armor, no weapons.
He remained slender, and next to the tower-like Peng Shaofeng, he even looked somewhat frail.
He did not strike any threatening pose.
He simply, quietly, walked from the doorway, one step at a time, toward the center.
What Lord Guan had cultivated for half a month manifested at this moment.
His steps were light, yet each one landed with remarkable steadiness, as if beneath his feet was not the studio floor but his own territory.
His spine was straight, not from affectation but from a habit rooted in his bones.
His energy settled in his dantian, the whole person presenting a stable top-light, bottom-heavy center of gravity.
Most importantly, he carried the "I-see-no-one" demeanor.
He walked out without looking at anyone.
He did not look at Director Wei Song, nor at the producers holding the deciding power, and not even at his sole rival, the armored Peng Shaofeng.
His gaze was level but vacant.
As if everyone in the room were mere meaningless decor in his eyes.
He lacked Peng Shaofeng's outward "domineering" swagger.
But he possessed a native "nobility."
It was a composed authority that towered above everything.
He was not a general who needed armor and weapons to prove his identity.
Standing there, he himself was power.
Sun Zhou was stunned.
He could feel that the air in the studio changed the moment Jiang Ci stepped out.
Sitting behind the long table, veteran actor Liu Hanyu's muddied eyes suddenly flashed bright.
He understood!
He finally understood why Wei Song valued this newcomer so highly!
An armor-clad tyrant,
and a king who is a tyrant by nature.
These were two completely different paths!
Wei Song was betting.
He was betting that this young man called Jiang Ci could perform Xiang Yu's "soul"!
For the first time, a crack appeared in Peng Shaofeng's confidence.
He watched the lean youth walking toward him, feeling a heaviness rise in his chest.
He had assumed this was an inexperienced newcomer riding on the project's waves.
Now he realized he was wrong.
This newcomer’s understanding of the role was completely different from his—and from his whole team's.
Wei Song watched the two young men with wildly different temperaments stand together, his expression unchanged.
"Begin."
he announced.
"Shaofeng, you go first."
Peng Shaofeng gathered himself and readjusted his state.
He walked to the seat prepared for Xiang Yu and sat down with a commanding presence.
The heavy armor made a dull clang as he settled; he looked like a coiled tiger, poised on his throne.
The studio's atmosphere was instantly pulled taut to an extreme tension.
Liu Hanyu took a deep breath and began his performance.
He played Liu Bang, clutching a jade disk and a jade cup, entering the main tent with humility and fear.
When he saw the imposing figure on the throne, his legs buckled and he fell to his knees with a thud.
"I, with the general, together attacked Qin; the general fought in Hebei, I fought in Henan…"
Liu Hanyu's acting was flawless; he portrayed the pragmatic flexibility of an ambitious man at death's door with vivid intensity.
All the pressure landed on Peng Shaofeng.
Peng Shaofeng looked down at him and slowly spoke.
"Ah, the King of Guanzhong has arrived."
That "Ah" was delivered loud and imposing, full of absolute pressure and contempt.
Each syllable struck at Liu Bang's (Liu Hanyu's) heart.
His performance was nearly perfect—
powerful and intimidating, embodying a tyrant who treats life and death as trivial.
The scene ended.
Peng Shaofeng rose slowly, his armor clanking.
Before Wei Song could comment,
a producer representing Evergreen Entertainment suddenly stood up from behind the long table and began to clap vigorously.
"Great! Wonderful!"
He looked at Wei Song with excitement and said loudly,
"Director Wei, I think there's no need to try any further; this is Xiang Yu!"