### Chapter 113: Shark Fight

"Scene 136, Take 1! Action!"

Three days later, Richard stepped in front of the camera and began his performance.

At an opera party, he played Pete, who encountered Tom Ripley (played by Matt Damon).

At this time, Ripley had just killed the playboy Dickie Greenleaf (played by Jude Law) and was impersonating him at the high-society party. He was worried about being recognized by Dickie's friends, so he was constantly on edge.

Pete was one of Dickie's friends, and his companion for the evening was Dickie's girlfriend, Marge (played by Gwyneth Paltrow).

"Sorry!"

At the crowded party, Ripley, dressed in a black suit and looking quite sharp, accidentally bumped into Pete (played by Richard Brad). Ripley immediately apologized.

"Hello!"

Richard, also in a black suit with a white shirt and bow tie, sporting a handsome hairstyle, looked like a refined artist. He nodded slightly, with a gentle smile on his face.

"Richard fits this role perfectly!"

Director Minghella commented softly, stroking his chin.

"Yes, he looks nothing like a boxer when he wears a suit," Assistant Director Stephen laughed.

"Hello!"

On screen, Matt Damon's Ripley also nodded and smiled.

"Tom?!"

At that moment, Marge walked over, looking surprised at Ripley.

Previously, Ripley had dressed poorly, coming to Italy with only a single shirt, wearing it by day and washing it by night. Now, in formal attire, he looked like a different person.

So Marge was very surprised.

"Marge?"

Ripley was also flustered, "What are you doing here?"

"Did you come with him? Is Dickie here too?" Marge asked.

"No!"

Ripley shook his head and nervously looked at Pete, "Hello, I'm Tom Ripley."

"Hello, I'm Pete Smith Kingsley. I've heard Marge and Dickie talk about you."

Pete smiled and shook his hand.

"I've heard about you too," Ripley smiled.

"No, no, Tom, you're not wearing glasses," Marge said, staring at Ripley.

Ripley took his glasses out of his pocket and put them on.

"So where did you hide him? He's quite amazing, isn't he?" Pete asked.

"He's really not here?"

"Oh, Marge, you know Dickie hates opera. He practically has 'I hate opera' tattooed on his chest."

"Cut!"

Director Minghella called a pause, walked onto the set, and said, "The dialogue here is a bit messy. You three need to pay attention to the rhythm and coordination of the conversation. Richard, when you speak, look at Ripley with a sense of affinity."

Richard nodded slightly.

In the film, Pete is the second man Ripley likes and the third person he kills.

As their interactions continue, the two develop a subtle mutual affection, so their first meeting needs to convey a sense of 'love at first sight.'

Although this affection is implicit, it's not too difficult to portray. Otherwise, Richard wouldn't have taken the role.

"Alright, get ready, let's do it again!"

"Scene 136, Camera 6, Take 2! Action!"

Filming resumed.

This scene was quite complex and large-scale. It took two days to complete half of it, and the remaining half had to wait for another actor, Cate Blanchett, to continue.

Before Cate arrived, the crew continued shooting other scenes.

Since Richard was a supporting actor with few scenes, sometimes one scene a day, sometimes one scene in three days, he had a lot of free time.

Sometimes he rehearsed with Gwyneth, but he spent most of his time training.

After playing in the sea with Gwyneth a few days ago, he found that swimming in the sea was also a great way to train.

So besides practicing boxing at the local boxing club, he spent a lot of time swimming in the sea.

——

Splashing~

Near the coast of Sicily, under the bright sun, the blue sea and sky, a white yacht quietly drifted on the rippling water.

A few kilometers away from the boat, a person in a swimsuit was swimming vigorously.

His strong arms continuously pushed through the water, and his movements were powerful and fast.

This person was Richard, who had finished filming.

Every day after training, he would spend more than an hour swimming in the sea, doing strength training without equipment, relying only on the power of his limbs, swimming several kilometers until he was exhausted.

Over time, he found that this training method was no less effective than lifting barbells. It tested his physical strength, endurance, and mindset.

The further he swam from the shore, the more complex the conditions on the sea became. Sometimes the water was calm, sometimes it was turbulent, and sometimes he encountered strong winds and waves.

He had to struggle against the wind and waves, finding every way to push through, fighting with the sea.

It was like a boxing match; sometimes he won, sometimes he lost, and sometimes he encountered sharks.

"Richard, there are sharks, a big one—no, a whole bunch of them! Come back quickly!"

On the boat, Mike pointed to the distance and shouted loudly.

Richard glanced and indeed saw several small black flag-like things swiftly approaching. Judging by the speed, there were a few big ones.

After training in the sea for a few days, he dared to fight against strong winds and waves and even compete with light-weight whales and sharks. But encountering a group of sharks was another matter; retreat was the best option. The attacking power of sharks was definitely more terrifying than Tyson.

When the sharks were less than five hundred meters away, he quickly started swimming. Five hundred meters was a dangerous distance—any slower, and he would be caught.

So he had to desperately swing his arms, even though he was exhausted and nearly spent. But with the sharks right behind him, he had to give it his all or die.

After swimming over a hundred meters, he reached the small boat that came to his rescue. He climbed onto the deck and exhaled heavily.

"Haha, that was thrilling!"

Richard laughed, looking up.

"Next time, let's not train here. Fishermen say there are a lot of sharks in this area."

Mike started the boat, keeping a safe distance from the shark group.

"It's alright, the thrill is what makes it worthwhile. I feel a surge of strength when I'm running for my life. Haha, I feel stronger than ever now."

Richard laughed, swinging his fists.

"You're crazy."

Mike shook his head, a bit helpless. The other day, this guy was swimming in the sea, saw a shark coming, and started running. After a while, realizing it was a small shark, he turned back and fought it, driving it away with a few punches. Today's group of sharks might have come for revenge.

"It's a pity there were too many sharks, otherwise I could have had another fight."

Richard shrugged, took a shower in the cabin, changed into casual clothes, and came to the deck.

"Mike, how do you feel?"

Richard opened a can of beer and lay on a lounge chair.

"Not bad, just the language barrier."

Mike laughed, holding a fishing rod.

"You could hook up with a Sicilian girl and learn Italian. If things go well, you could settle down here, living by the sea every day. Not bad, right?"

Richard laughed, looking at the blue sea and sky.

"No, I still think New York is better. The Bronx is not bad either."

"Haha, you're homesick."

Richard laughed, clinking his beer with Mike's.

——

In the afternoon, back on set, Richard watched others perform—Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and the newly arrived actor, Philip Hoffman.

This guy was also a terrific actor, known for "Scent of a Woman," "When a Man Loves a Woman," "Boogie Nights," etc. In the film, he played Freddie, a friend of playboy Dickie Greenleaf, and the second person Tom killed.

The first was Dickie, the second Freddie, and Richard's character Pete was the third.

The relationships among the characters were very complex. Playboy Dickie was like a small sun, attracting both men and women who liked him and were willing to revolve around him—Tom Ripley, Freddie, Marge, Pete, and even Ripley got bent by him.

Today's scene was about Ripley getting jealous, seeing Dickie and Freddie getting close, and feeling extremely jealous. The three of them performed with intense chemistry.

Richard watched without saying anything.

"What are you smiling at?"

Jude Law asked after stepping out of the scene.

"Am I?"

Richard wiped the corners of his mouth, smiling.

"Obviously, I saw it on set, so we had to do another take."

Jude Law pointed at him.

"Alright, you guys were great. I've learned a lot from watching you these past few days. Thank you!"

Richard said sincerely.

"You're welcome! How was the fishing today?"

Jude Law asked, holding a water bottle.

"Not bad, caught over half a bucket—sardines, herrings, and a few big oysters. Want to boost your stamina?"

"No need, keep the oysters for yourself. The rest we'll use for a beach barbecue party tonight. Filming every day is exhausting."

"OK!"

Having spent some time with the crew, Richard got along well with them. Jude Law was open and easy-going, while Matt Damon was a bit reserved, not chatting much, but there were no conflicts either.

"Let's go, I'm done for the day. Let's get the ingredients ready."

Jude Law said.

"Wait, Matt is coming over."

"Don't wait. That guy's been really getting into character lately. I don't want to hang out with him," Jude Law said, putting an arm around Richard's shoulder.

"Haha, really?" Richard glanced at Jude's backside.

"What are you looking at?! Can you keep your thoughts pure? You have scenes like this too, you know!"

"Uh, I didn't say anything, did I?" Richard laughed, gently pushing Jude's hand away. If Matt was deep in character, Jude wasn't safe either.