I have a persona specifically for acting.

Inside the off-road vehicle’s cargo area.

Tong Zhao, with a blank expression, took the eyebrow tweezers from the makeup bag and used a lighter to sterilize them before using them on her wound…

In instinctual films, some memories can be erased and not brought into reality.

Certain memories of torture and bed scenes, after being reviewed by professionals, are selectively erased to prevent psychological trauma for the actors. Conversely, when actors need to perform difficult action scenes, they might be given a certain level of pain exemption to boost their courage.

In instinctual films, characters only perceive it as “adrenaline kicking in” or “the pain isn’t as bad as expected.” However, *Countdown 72 Hours* doesn’t involve such high difficulty levels, so pain exemptions were never applied to the actors.

When pain exemptions are granted, the percentage is also displayed in the film.

This can be seen as a form of recognition for particularly resilient actors. Some tough male actors take pride in this, and those who endure pain above level III without exemptions often form their own small circles in WeChat groups, sharing resources and recommendations.

Mature actresses scoffed at this, saying who hasn’t experienced level IV pain?

In any case, there are currently no female actresses in this small group.

“How much of a pain exemption should be granted to Tong Zhao?”

The staff asked.

The director, focusing intently on the screen, had access to an actor’s various status indicators in an area unseen by the audience. This allows the director to detect and prevent any potential breakdowns before the actor does.

Tong Zhao’s personal status panel…

Was surprisingly normal.

“Don’t rush to apply the exemption. Let’s observe for now,” the director said.

The wound did not contain a complete bullet; Tong Zhao removed all the metal fragments without even furrowing her brow. The only sign of her true pain was the sweat covering her forehead and the fact that she smoked two more cigarettes.

Close up, sweat beads fell from Tong Zhao’s high-bridged nose, creating a beautiful arc that made one’s heart tremble.

The director gave her many close-ups, and she handled the intense camera work well. Despite her immense pain, her light-colored eyes occasionally lost focus and her breathing became labored. In stark contrast, her hands moved with an emotional detachment, meticulously removing each metal shard from her flesh and tossing them aside with frustration before applying a simple bandage from the off-road vehicle’s first aid kit.

During this process, Song Kaiyu, who was transporting supplies, noticed her treating her own wound. Shocked and heartbroken, he hesitated to speak, afraid of disturbing her. Timing it carefully, he handed her a bottle of opened mineral water, a small packet of bread, and a small pack of sugar to replenish her energy after she finished bandaging her wound.

“Thanks.”

Tong Zhao took the mineral water and chugged it down.

“Drink slowly, be careful not to choke.”

Seeing her drink hurriedly, Song Kaiyu attentively handed her a tissue and opened the small packet of bread for her.

This scene…

He looked just like a gentle and virtuous girlfriend!

“What’s there to thank me for?” Song Kaiyu chuckled.

Tong Zhao looked at him, accepted his logic, and smiled at him, saying, “I was wrong.”

Tong Zhao’s smile was very gentle. In this film, she smiled rarely, and when she did, it was often in a wild, over-the-top way during fight scenes, as if she was about to say ‘Why so serious?’ This tender smile was like a refreshing spring, so sweet it melted the audience’s hearts.

[Wow, wow, I finally feel the chemistry between the male and female leads after all this time!]

[The female lead looks so adorable when she smiles!]

[I’m officially a fan of Zhao Bao now!!]

[Guys can admire too.]

Song Kaiyu was momentarily stunned by her smile.

In their character relationship set up, they were a couple. Tang Jingjie had no ill feelings toward her personally and had been treating her as his girlfriend since getting into character. Now, moved by her smile, he straightforwardly held her hand.

Tong Zhao didn’t refuse but looked at the hand being held with some confusion.

In the apocalypse scenario, there were no male characters to pursue. Apart from protecting specific female characters, Duan Ge had never been in a romantic relationship, leading to a near-innocent clumsiness in handling romantic matters. To put it simply…

“Are you scared?”

Tong Zhao clasped his hand in return: “Don’t be afraid; I’m here.”

??

??

The audience was filled with question marks.

What are you talking about?

Although you’re very brave, isn’t that the male lead’s line?

It’s enough; everyone already knows you’re super brave. Let the male lead have a break!

And because Tang Jingjie’s personality is gentle, without the big-man ego of Wan Zhuo, his portrayal of Song Kaiyu smoothly accepted this setting and bumped heads with her: “It’s really reassuring to have you by my side.”

Tong Zhao was quite pleased.

It felt great to be trusted by a companion.

Song Kaiyu was also happy; his girlfriend was so strong and gave him a strong sense of security.

Only the scriptwriter was unhappy.

The scriptwriter repeatedly banged his head against the director’s tropical fish tank: “Reverse CP! Reverse CP!”

The innocent tropical fish, clueless about what was happening, scattered in fear.

※

Feng Sisi noticed that no one came to persuade her to change cars and saw that the supplies had been moved. Fearing that her sister would abandon her, she walked over with a look of grievance. When she climbed into the SUV, she found the two of them cuddling together, and the warm atmosphere made her feel a pang of sadness.

It’s not that she likes her brother-in-law that much.

It’s just that, seeing her sister so wronged and distressed, how can others be happy while leaving her out?

“Brother Kaiyu, are you hurt?”

Feng Sisi, noticing the bloodstains on the ground and the bandages in the trash can, rushed over anxiously: “Sis, let me see. I didn’t waste my time interning at the hospital; I do know a bit of first aid…”

“Uh,” Song Kaiyu stopped her outstretched hand and continued speaking: “I’m not hurt. By the time we got in the car, those robbers were already dead. It’s your sister who got shot in the thigh. She just used tweezers to extract the bullet fragments.”

……

This was quite awkward.

[Let the injured person take a look, Feng Sisi, you’re really something.]

[Help, my embarrassment is acting up. I really want to skip the parts with her and just watch the female lead solo.]

[To be honest, Feng Sisi is just like a useless accessory and even got Miss Anna killed.]

In all artistic works, people naturally dislike those who hold them back.

Moreover, Feng Sisi’s performance not only shows her lack of insight and usefulness but also lacks the traits of kindness and gentleness. She isn’t a major villain but reveals selfish details in the finer points.

The sense of immersion is too strong.

We don’t get to see villains who are ruthless in real life, but who hasn’t encountered self-righteous and selfish people in everyday life?

However, it’s not entirely a negative evaluation.

A comment [I won’t watch face-slapping dramas without Xu Zhu as the villain; that bowing scene was so relieving] received 99 likes, indicating that sometimes, the most seemingly insignificant roles can stand out and be appreciated.

“Sis, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were hurt.”

Feng Sisi, knowing she was in the wrong, apologized hesitantly.

Tong Zhao didn’t even glance at her, opening the window and lighting a cigarette: “Let’s head to the research institute. Don’t waste time.”

Seeing that her sister was ignoring her, Feng Sisi finally panicked.

In the current situation, she had no one else to rely on besides her sister. Her previous words had a hint of living off her sister’s kindness, but since she accidentally caused Anna’s death, she felt her sister’s attitude had completely changed.

She tried to boost her favorability: “Sis, you should smoke less; it’s bad for your health.”

“Not smoking hurts.”

The camera captured Tong Zhao’s cold and refined features as if sculpted by wind and snow, immaculate and noble.

Feng Sisi was taken aback: “Huh?”

“Not smoking will hurt your mouth,” Tong Zhao clarified.

Feng Sisi fell silent, finally realizing, just a little, how selfish she had been and that she had never truly paid attention to the suffering her sister had endured.

She secretly felt relieved that her sister was always there to protect her from such physical suffering.

As nightfall approached, Tong Zhao insisted on finding a place to hide and stay as quiet as possible to avoid attracting the zombies’ attention.

Although Feng Sisi was eager to obtain the antidote as soon as possible, she dared not oppose her sister’s wishes.

Soon, the changing environment confirmed that Tong Zhao’s approach was correct.

After night fell, the city became a playground for zombies. Even the slightest sound would draw their attention. The three of them hid in the car, remaining so quiet that not a single word was spoken. Feng Sisi, terrified by the sight of zombies roaming outside the car window, quietly edged closer to Tong Zhao in the darkness.

Tong Zhao didn’t sleep well.

With Feng Sisi on her right and Song Kaiyu on her left, how could she possibly get any rest?

This cozy scene gave the behind-the-scenes staff a sense of satisfaction as if the plot had finally gotten back on track.

Screenwriter: “Don’t get too excited. How will you get into the research institute without Anna’s fingerprint?”

Screenwriter: “And there’s a whole series of deadly traps inside. The female lead is injured… Do you think these two are useful? Maybe it’s better to take the chance now to lower the difficulty inside the research institute and just have them walk straight into a ‘Grand Opening Free Antidote Giveaway’ event?”

The others glanced at him, concluding that he was rambling due to the chaos caused by the altered plot.

“No need to lower the difficulty just yet. I want to see how far the female lead can go in this apocalypse live show.”

A male voice cut in, and everyone in the backstage immediately put down their work and turned to the source of the voice, including the director, who gave a respectful look: “Supervisor.”

The man referred to as the supervisor was about twenty-five years old, strikingly handsome, with tea-colored eyes that gave him a slightly stern appearance. He wore a long black trench coat, jeans, and combat boots, moving as if he had his own background music and wind.

“She’s very interesting.”

The supervisor’s gaze fell on the screen, where Tong Zhao’s face, flushed with fever, was visible.

The female lead had a fever.