Chapter 59: Location Shooting Wraps Up, Collin Chou Returns to China

Neo himself was astonished.

Smith was burning with fury and lunged forward fiercely.

He threw a quick, heavy punch straight at Neo.

Yet in Neo's eyes, his opponent's movements had slowed down by more than ten times.

Casually, using only one hand, Neo dismantled Smith's attack.

After trading blows for a few rounds, he suddenly delivered a side kick, sending Smith flying backwards.

Bang!

Smith crashed heavily to the ground, then hurriedly scrambled back up.

Neo rushed over, radiating an oppressive killing intent.

"Ah—!"

Medium shot. Smith let out a roar and threw a punch in counterattack.

Whoosh—!

Neo plunged directly into his body!

During filming, the scene was split into two takes while maintaining the exact same setup and camera angles.

Neo's charge was filmed first, and Smith's punch was filmed separately afterward.

Post-production composition would easily create the special effect of merging into the body.

Smith's body shuddered violently.

The other two agents were completely bewildered.

What was going on?

"Ah~~!"

Smith's body began to twist and distort; he needed to portray a state of absolute madness and frenzy.

According to the animatics, he would eventually shatter into countless digital fragments and explode outward in all directions.

The actors swapped places on set. Smith's part was done, and Neo stood in his spot.

Filming resumed.

The two agents stared intently ahead down the corridor.

Neo took a deep breath, adjusting his state of mind.

He opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on the two agents.

The two exchanged glances. This guy was clearly invincible; it was time to make a run for it.

Both of them bolted out of frame.

"Cut! Perfect!"

As filming concluded, it was also time for the entire crew to wrap.

Qin Feng stood up and took the lead in clapping.

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Warm applause erupted across the set.

Keanu Reeves hurried over to shake hands with Hugo Weaving. "Hey Hugo, are you alright?"

Hugo Weaving waved a hand. "I'm fine. We've finally wrapped. It wasn't easy."

"Indeed, your performance was fantastic."

"You were brilliant too, Keanu. I truly look forward to working with you again!"

Everyone was overjoyed while simultaneously letting out a collective sigh of relief.

Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Collin Chou, and the other cast members walked onto the set, cheering to their hearts' content!

By the latter half of the filming process, these actors had essentially fought their way through it.

From the initial rigorous actor training all the way to the wrap, they had developed a deep attachment and reluctance to leave this big family.

Qin Feng also walked over, embracing each and every actor.

"You've worked hard, Mr. Chou."

"Splendid work, Carrie."

"You were amazing, Fishburne."

"..."

It was now close to evening.

The wrap party was held right outside the building.

The crew members successively carried the equipment out and neatly packed it away.

The logistics team had already purchased fresh flowers, pastries, and drinks that afternoon.

Before long, everyone gathered together, chatting and laughing, savoring this wonderful moment.

Loria handed Qin Feng a microphone.

"Testing," Qin Feng coughed twice, and the crowd gradually quieted down.

"You've all worked extremely hard, my friends!"

"Thank you so much, whether you're here on set, or working in art direction, post-production, and other departments. Our production schedule was tight, and everyone put in tremendous effort."

"I still remember the scene when I first met Mr. Collin Chou in Chinatown, and I am deeply grateful to him. It's just a pity that, due to the film's runtime and other reasons, his screen time was somewhat limited."

Collin Chou smiled faintly. The working experience on this production was a valuable addition to his career; after all, not every Chinese actor had the opportunity to participate in a top-tier Hollywood project.

Yet going forward, he would likely still have to return to mainland China to develop his career.

Qin Feng continued:

"I also remember how, right at the beginning, several of our lead actors and action performers underwent special training, and I witnessed our leads performing without stunt doubles during the shoot."

Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and the others shared a knowing smile, pressing their lips together as they looked toward the director.

Keanu, in particular, recalled the time Qin Feng traveled all the way to San Diego to find him.

Had it not been for that encounter, he would likely have missed out on this exceptional film, a regret that might have lasted a lifetime.

From this perspective, Qin Feng was the one who had truly discovered and appreciated his talent.

"I am thrilled to have completed this film with all of you, and I firmly believe that when it hits theaters, it will achieve remarkable results."

"The Matrix will be more than just a movie; it is a style, a concept, a benchmark. The future era will sooner or later face the impact that artificial intelligence brings to humanity."

"It will be a trilogy, and all of that remains unknown. It might still be directed by me, or perhaps by another Warner Bros. director."

"Regardless, it is exceptional enough, and that is because... it features the most exceptional people: all of you."

"I love you, and thank you everyone!"

Qin Feng bowed.

Cheer—!

Cheers erupted, and thunderous applause swept across the set.

"We love you, Director!"

"Director Qin, we love you!"

"You're the best of all!"

"..."

The wrap ceremony was simple; everyone was excited yet felt a lingering sense of loss.

It was an indescribable feeling.

In the end, everyone took plenty of videos and photos as mementos.

Early the next morning.

Collin Chou came knocking on the door.

Qin Feng opened his hotel room door and invited him in.

"Mr. Chou, is something the matter?"

"Yes, Director Qin," he sat down in a chair, rubbing his chin. "I'm leaving today, just wanted to say goodbye."

"Oh, so soon? Aren't you heading back to America?" Qin Feng poured him a glass of water and sat down as well.

"No, I've already instructed a few of the stunt actors; if anything comes up, they'll help you handle it."

"Mainly, there's a film about to start shooting back in the mainland, and they've asked me to join."

Qin Feng nodded. "That's great. As I've said before, the mainland market is vast enough, and there's still plenty of room for action films."

"May I ask what project it is? Is it convenient to share?"

Collin Chou smiled. "There's nothing inconvenient with Director Qin. It's a wuxia film called The Four."

Qin Feng joked:

"Oh... So you're not playing the villain this time?"

"No, I'm playing 'Iron Hands' of the Four Constables."

"Wonderful. In that case, if anything comes up, we can keep in touch by phone."

"Indeed. I must thank Director Qin; I've learned so much from this Hollywood experience."

Collin Chou stood up, and Qin Feng walked him to the door.

The two shook hands once more.

"Take care, Director Qin, goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Mr. Chou."

The crew would remain in Sydney for two more days.

Some equipment needed to be counted and inventoried, certain tasks required wrapping up, and some people simply wanted to sightsee a bit longer.

Qin Feng had called Geoffrey Rush in advance to explain the situation.

The actor was pleasantly surprised and readily agreed to meet him.

A café in downtown Sydney.

Qin Feng arrived early out of habit.

At that moment, the glass door swung open, and an elderly gentleman walked in.

Qin Feng raised his head.

The man was approaching sixty, with curly hair, a slender face, a prominent nose, a clean-shaven jaw, and wore round-framed glasses.

He was none other than Geoffrey Rush, a veteran of stage acting.

He had once won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Shine, making history as the first Australian actor to win an Oscar for Best Actor!