Chapitre 285: Fist on flesh

Renly tightly twisted and pressed down on Vin's right arm, pinning him firmly against the abandoned engine cover. Yet, his hands could feel the immense power bursting from Vin's arm muscles. It was as if he had been trapped by a crazed bull, the surging strength threatening to break free. Renly had to exert even more force, pushing downward, locking onto Vin's forearm with a counter grip. His right hand clenched into a fist, gradually pushing down on Vin's back. He even tilted his upper body's strength, his muscles tense to their limits, as if they might explode at any moment.

Vin gritted his teeth, the sharp pain in his wrist almost crushing them, his shoulders feeling like they might tear apart. The twist of his right hand shifted his entire right side, rendering it powerless. Yet, he didn't back down. With his left hand, he supported the engine cover, using the power from his waist and abdomen to gradually lift himself up.

In the midst of this clash of absolute strength, he had never been afraid of anyone.

Both their muscles began to tremble slightly, but despite Renly's sheer strength, Vin's suppression was gradually eroding his advantage. Ultimately, he was levered and his feet's strength gave out. His center of gravity wavered, and Vin leaned back, leveraging this motion to send Renly flying.

The immense inertia sent Renly flying. His back slammed hard against the nearby jeep's door with a dull thud. Accompanied by the muffled sound of impact, the muscles on his entire back began to numb. The intense pain felt like an axe cleaving down, pounding him mercilessly. Yet, before Renly could react, Vin's left elbow came at him with a whoosh.

Renly's pupils contracted, attempting to raise his hands, but Vin's right hand was locked too tightly, gripping his fingertips. With a gust of wind, that sturdy elbow came crashing down, smashing into the area beneath his cheekbone. The tearing pain caused Renly to clench his teeth, his gaze focused. He compressed the space between them to the utmost, his shoulder violently colliding with Vin's shoulder.

But both stood in firm stances, shoulders colliding head-on with a dull thud. They bore the impact, their stances unwavering.

Watching from the sidelines, Justin Lin, Paul Walker, Gal Gadot, and others couldn't help but hold their breath. Their heartbeats almost came to a halt. At this moment, Renly and Vin were deeply engrossed in the intense filming, depicting a scene where Hobbs and Dominic engaged in a head-on fight. This was their only direct confrontation, eschewing all flashy moves and weapon embellishments, returning to the most primal choreography – raw, direct combat.

Originally, this scene had been designed as a confrontation between Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel. Although the "Fast & Furious" series wasn't particularly focused on fight scenes, with car chases taking precedence, the showdown between the two muscle-bound stars would undoubtedly spark excitement and anticipation.

After Renly replaced Vin Diesel, Justin had contemplated cutting this scene. On one hand, he worried that Renly couldn't create an effective confrontation, and on the other hand, he was concerned about the martial arts scene's potential subpar effect. More importantly, he feared Vin's retaliation.

Before this, Vin had already harbored various grudges against Renly on set. After the events of the "Buried" limited release, the surface was calm, but an undercurrent of tension had permeated the entire crew.

Now, they were filming a scene where Vin and Renly engaged in combat, and it was a true and intense confrontation. In case Vin intentionally used excessive force, deliberately making a mistake, and actually assaulted Renly, Renly would be the one in real trouble, unable to voice his grievances.

However, considering a step back, in "Fast 5", Hobbs was the antagonist against Dominic and Brian. If it were only a battle of wits, with the hormone-fueled physical conflict being omitted, the entire work would lose its luster.

So, Justin first consulted the martial arts instructor's opinion and then sought Renly's input. He decided to keep this scene, but with some adjustments to the combat approach. He hoped to capture an adrenaline-pumping sensation while minimizing unexpected risks.

However, theoretical discussions only ever existed in the realm of imagination. Once they were truly immersed in the filming, things quickly veered toward chaos.

Normally, scenes like this required restraint, striving to execute the choreography within the appropriate intensity. Especially for an experienced action performer like Vin, he was well-versed in controlling aspects like force, rhythm, and power.

But now, both were clearly unleashing their full strength. Their head-on collision even generated sparks in the air. The dull thud of fists and muscles colliding, along with suppressed groans of pain, made it seem as though even bones were on the verge of shattering. Yet neither had any intention of backing down, their bloodshot eyes giving a somewhat chilling impression.

Vin raised his enormous left fist and smashed it toward Renly's cheek. Still disoriented from the previous collision, Renly's reaction was sluggish. He didn't manage to dodge in time, just barely raised his right hand to shield himself, and endured Vin's punch. Instantly, his right arm grew numb, and waves of pain rippled like ripples on a pond. He couldn't even feel his right shoulder anymore.

But Renly had no time to worry about his right shoulder. He was half a beat behind, realizing he couldn't dodge. So, he clenched his teeth and took the hit. Simultaneously, he adjusted his balance, lifted his knee, and thrust it toward Vin's abdomen, regardless of whether the knee's force could reach its target. Immediately, he raised his left elbow, aiming it at Vin's chin.

In the blink of an eye, Vin didn't anticipate that Renly would take his punch head-on. The solid texture ignited a surge of boiling blood throughout his body. However, before he could exploit this advantage, he sensed an impact from his lower body. It was a powerful and heavy force that created a gust of wind, causing the muscles below his chest to tense to the extreme. He instinctively avoided Renly's knee.

Immediately after, his reflexes hadn't made any further moves, and his chin was struck by an elbow. The fierce impact almost flipped his entire body over, and the joints in his mouth crackled, as if the sound of teeth shattering could be heard. Even his brain shook vigorously, causing him to stagger backward several steps.

After retreating repeatedly, Vin barely managed to regain control of his footsteps. A bout of dizziness swept over his head, yet his blood continued rushing toward his heart and brain. The surge of adrenaline erupted fully. He clenched his teeth so tightly they were about to give way. Sharp, lingering pain spread, making his eyes feel like they were about to burst. He could hardly believe what had just happened. He clenched both hands into fists, as if he were on the brink of exploding.

However, Renly didn't back down either. He slightly lowered his body's center of gravity, stabilizing his stance, and raised his fist, ready for another round of combat.

Vin ground his teeth, showing no hesitation. He charged forward directly. Renly's feet firmly met his advance, raising his fist to strike Vin's body. Yet, he didn't anticipate Vin's swift dodge, a low crouch that allowed him to evade the blow.

Renly noticed Vin's shoulder pushing upward, so he changed the trajectory of his empty fist and smashed it directly into Vin's back. There was no holding back, all the force concentrated into his fist. A dull thud resonated, making one almost believe that their spine was about to break.

However, Vin clenched his teeth, not a sound escaping, and pushed against Renly's body. Like a raging bull, he continued charging forward, then forcefully slammed Renly onto a wire mesh fence. At the same time, his left hand relentlessly hammered Renly's side, one of the body's most sensitive areas.

Renly felt as if an eighteen-wheeler had just rolled over him. The pain in his abdomen spread through every corner of his body's blood vessels. He couldn't even muster the energy to concentrate, and then a stinging sensation shot through his back. His internal organs churned, and even his gallbladder and kidneys felt sharp pain as if a power drill was drilling into them.

His left elbow struck down heavily, and his right leg's knee swiftly followed, the first blow landing on the iron plate. Renly knew it must be Vin's abdominal muscles, so for the second strike, he adjusted his angle, and his knee accurately hit Vin's ribs. The soft texture of the muscles triggered the release of all the force from his lower body. One hit, then another.

With fists and knees, the ferocious hammering tormented both their bodies. Yet ultimately, Vin curled up, unable to channel the strength from his waist and abdomen into his fists. He ended up falling short, the strength in his blows slightly easing.

Swiftly seizing the opportunity, Renly grabbed Vin's left arm with both hands, and with a forceful twist and turn, exerted such overwhelming strength that Vin's upper body contorted. It seemed as if it could be torn in two at any moment.

Underneath the pain, Vin let out a roar, using the last of his shoulder's power to ram Renly twice more. Then, pushing against Renly, he slammed him into the nearby wall. First one collision, then another.

For Renly, it felt like every organ in his abdomen was being crushed by a steamroller. The thickness and hardness of the wall reverberated throughout his chest cavity. His lungs churned, a strong urge to cough up blood surged up, which he struggled to suppress with all his might. Then he twisted Vin's arms tightly with his hands and gave them a forceful twist.

Crack.

The crisp sound made one almost think that Renly had broken Vin's arm. But unfortunately, he hadn't.

Nevertheless, due to the excruciating pain, Vin's grip on Renly's hands slackened. Immediately, Renly pushed Vin toward the wall, causing the nearby shelves to shatter.

However, Renly's balance was off, and Vin, enduring the pain, forcefully pushed Renly away. At the same time, his left foot subtly hooked, directly tripping Renly's right ankle. Renly stumbled backward without any cushioning and fell flat on the ground.

From the corner of his eye, Renly caught sight of Vin's bloodshot eyes, revealing a bloodthirsty ferocity and determination. An acute sense of crisis made every hair on his body stand on end. He raised his legs, exerted power from his waist and abdomen, and leaped back onto his feet!