Feng Hao used a lighter to slowly light up the joss stick in his hand, which he then inserted into the incense burner in front of 2nd Lord Guan using three fingers.
As he was doing so, the corner of his lips was raised in a mocking smirk.
Since the very first day that Second Lord Guan’s statue had been erected, the only people with the qualifications to stand in this position and offer incense were the Green Dragon Gang’s leaders. They could shake both the underworld as well as the ones that upheld the law and their influence extended everywhere. They commanded countless men but when it came to wors.h.i.+pping the deity, Second Lord Guan, they would always use both hands to offer the joss stick, being respectful and reverent.
It was probably only this new young master of the triad who had recently a.s.sumed the position of leader that would dare to be so disrespectful. He made offerings to G.o.d, yet didn’t believe in G.o.d. He firmly believed that one’s destiny lies in their own hands.
Due to a feud of his father’s generation it had resulted in the unexpected death of his father who was the previous leader. As such, he, the triad’s young master, was called to return from abroad and take over the reins of his family business. On the outside there were many enemies having designs against them. Inside their own internal affairs, there were many veterans going against this change as well. Covertly, the police had their eyes firmly on them. In regards to all these he had never revealed any trace of fear.
Feng Hao turned and walked into the hall after offering the incense towards the two lackeys who had long been waiting there while holding a trembling Ling Lang down.
Feng Hao stood in the middle of the hall without saying a single word. In front of him, Ling Lang felt a strong sense of oppression brought about by someone that shouldn’t normally be able to do so at that age. His voice unknowingly trembled, “Y..young master.”
Feng Hao gave a faint smile, “Are you the one that released that person?”
“I..I’m innocent young master. I was just taking a nap… Who would know that the cop…” Ling Lang remembered something and he hurriedly lifts up his s.h.i.+rt and anxiously said, “Look! I’ve also been stabbed by him.”
Feng Hao gave an inattentive glance at the blood soaked bandage wrapped around Ling Lang’s abdomen. “If you’re speaking the truth, then you're useless. But if you’re lying, that would mean that you’re not loyal… so why don’t you tell me… why should I keep someone that is either useless or disloyal to me?
As though he did not want to waste anymore words on Ling Lang, he raised his hand to the people on either side of Ling Lang and waved. The two lackeys grasped Ling Lang’s arms tighter – one on the left and the other on the right.
Ling Lang’s face paled immediately, he knelt down at once on both knees, pleading “Young Master, young master…”
Feng Hao turned his palm and signalled the lackeys to stop, Ling Lang immediately took advantage of this opportunity and broke free from the lackeys arms. He crawled on his knees towards Feng Hao and hugged his legs, “Young Master, please I beg of you to give me one chance…”
Feng Hao look down at Ling Lang that was grovelling on the floor. The corner of his mouth lifted up in a mocking smile, “Sure,”  he said and signalled with his jaws toward his legs, ” Just crawl through here and you will still be fit to be my dog.”
Ling Lang’s trembling body suddenly froze, as though he was being struck by lightning and stopped moving. Everyone else in the hall that had heard what Feng Hao had said sneered simultaneously, without prior agreement, and waited to watch the good show that would be coming up.
Lin Lang’s facial expression went through a series of quick changes. There was pain, hesitation and finally there was helpless surrender. He lowered his head, gritted his teeth and crawled between Feng Hao’s thighs.
“Cut! ” The director ruthlessly called for a stop. “How many times have I said this?! At this point, the Young Master’s expression should be proud and arrogant! Just look at your stiff face? Which part of it resembles a triad young master’s exalted and high handed manner?”
“I am sorry! I’m really sorry…” Feng Hao apologized with a ninety degree bow, “I have no idea why… but somehow, when it comes to filming this scene, I get extremely nervous.”
“You ah…” The director was upset that he was failing to meet expectations yet at the same time he was anxious for him to improve. “Your performance till now was pretty good. Why is it that you just keep messing up this part? It’s just a simple scene, but look at how many times you’ve gotten NG! “
“Sorry” Feng Hao profusely apologized, “it might be due to the fact that I highly respect Teacher Ling and thinking that I had treated him with such disrespect is making me feel terrified."
“How you respect him outside of the show is your business! Now we are filming a show! You’re the boss! Here he isn’t teacher Ling, but merely one of your underlings. You are using him to establish your authority and show those people that still haven’t accepted you. Not treating him as an idol to wors.h.i.+p. Do you get it?”
After the director berated Feng Hao, he put on a flattering smile for Ling Lang in an attempt to pacify him, “I was just helping the new actor to get into his role. I hope I didn’t offend you.”
As soon as the director had called for a stop, an a.s.sistant came forward with big strides to help Ling Lang up from the floor, patting the dust off his knees and smoothing the creases from his costume. That eagerly attentive att.i.tude was as though he was serving an emperor.
Ling Lang had no qualms accepting all these homages, his back straight as a ruler, his gaze looking straight ahead and nothing else. Anyone who saw that would not a.s.sociate him with the person who had just been grovelling on the floor with tears and snot running down his face.
If it was just a normal scene, the number of NG takes going up to two digits was a usual occurrence that even most actors would have become accustomed to. However, this particular scene, from its start to the end, had been NG'ed up to 7 times by now, which meant that Lin Lang had been crawling on the floor for 7 times. Even someone with the best temperament would still be somewhat unhappy with this not to mention Lin Lang, who was not just popular, but well known in the entertainment world as an iceberg. Right at this moment he didn’t have a good expression.
Everyone at the scene broke out into cold sweat for Feng Hao. The most pitiful ones were the few actors acting as his subordinates. As the scene was being shot, they were nervous to death, but still had to wear a mocking smile on their face. They had smiled so long that their muscles had turned stiff yet they were forbidden from relaxing their expressions. From the start till now they had to maintain this strange expression.
“Let’s take a break.” without waiting for the director’s approval, Ling Lang walked off the set on his own. It was only then that the director helplessly clapped his hands, “Okay, let’s take a half hour break before resuming the shoot.”
Everyone collectively let out a sigh of relief. As expected, wherever Ling Lang was, there would be tension. Â That was to be expected as he was the king of the silver screen. Even if his temper increased in direct proportion to his acting skills, it would still be accepted.
The crew members who were near Feng Hao came forward and patted his shoulders in sympathy. As a new actor, his performance during shoots was outstanding. Outside shoots too, he had a humble and cheerful personality. Thus, he was popular and had great relations with the crew members.
As for the scene on which he had had 7 NG takes, to be honest, no one dared to boast that they could do better in his stead.  To let Ling Lang do such things and yet at the same time remain cool headed… if it were them they would probably have more NGs than that. They empathized with Feng Hao’s difficulties as though it were them in his position however, they could do nothing but offer sympathy.
“What should I do? Teacher Ling must be blaming me! Should I find him and apologize?” Feng Hao’s voice was filled with anxiety. It was a rare chance to collaborate with his idol and he had messed up badly with his poorly executed acting.
“I don’t think you should.” a crew member who had been consoling him said, ” Didn't you see how bad Ling Lang’s expression was just now? If you go and find him now you would definitely be in his line of fire."
“That’s right, why don’t you wait for his anger to subside before you go? After all, you’re a new actor …”
Feng Hao nodded his head despondently.
Ling Lang, after leaving the set did not go to his personal dressing room, but instead walked straight to the toilet located at the other end of the corridor.
Closing the cubicle door, he leaned his back heavily against it and lifted his hand to cover his eyes.
d.a.m.n it!
After standing motionlessly for a while, Ling Lang’s hand slowly trailed its way down his body. Stroking past his own Adam's apple, he gulped unintentionally, pa.s.sing over his chest, it caused a wave of s.h.i.+vers to surge through his entire body. Through the sheer fabric of his s.h.i.+rt he touched the bandage on his abdomen and kept going until finally reaching the destination he had in mind.
Ling Lang’s hand movements started out slow and began to increase in tempo. From a light touch, it heavily intensified over time to the point where it turned rough, seeming as if he was trying to vent his resentment.
The cool and dignified image that he, as an A-list movie star, constantly portrayed to the ma.s.ses was unexpectedly absent. He was now actually filled with such a burning desire due to the filming that he was forced to hide in the male’s toilet and resolve this type of matter. If this was ever exposed, it would probably shock everyone till their eyes popped out.
When Ling Lang closed his eyes, memories of the 7 NG takes he went through were played back in his mind like a live movie. In full view of everyone’s eyes, he had crawled through the opening of another man's legs over and over again. That indescribable sense of humiliation, however, elicited an uncontrollable reaction from him which he could not suppress.
He had evidently overestimated the new actor’s ability. He had originally thought that he could grit his teeth and clear the scene. Yet, as the director shouted cut over and over again, it caused him to fall deeper into his role and develop a sense of illusion that acting and reality were reversed whereby seemingly everyone on set was mockingly laughing at his pitiable and worthless self.
Under the scrutiny of everyone looking from high above, it was as though Ling Lang was naked without a st.i.tch of clothing, allowing other people to examine his inner self and all his secrets being exposed in broad daylight with no means of escape.
Feng Hao’s dialogue recited in his magnetic voice felt like it was still ringing in his ears and brainwas.h.i.+ng him. “Just crawl through here and you would still be fit to be my dog.”
“Ohhhh…” When his climax came, Ling Lang was finally unable to hold himself back from grunting out loud.
Ling Lang, thirty-two years old and an A-list movie star. He was the youngest to become the king of the silver screen. Known for having a cold and aloof disposition, people nicknamed him Iceberg of the silver screen.
His biggest secret? He was a m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t down to his very bones.