It is just past midnight. Paparazzo Zhuo Wei and his partners have been following film director Gu Changwei for six hours. The paparazzi have been chasing the director on Beijing's roads after catching a glimpse of a woman, other than his actress wife, get into his car and spend 50 minutes with him on the back seat.
On an isolated strip, Gu stops and steps out. Two photographers immediately set off, clicking their cameras furiously. Zhuo is off too.
"Did I ever offend you?" Gu asks.
"We have followed hundreds of people, none of them have offended me personally. Actually I like your 'Peacock' very much."
"Is this job really interesting?"
"Interesting, very interesting, and this is my job."
"Zhuo Wei, I know you. You are famous and very capable, can you call it a day?"
"We have to continue. You know what we are chasing, we do not have her photo, as yet."
Four days later, the story and photograph hit entertainment headlines.
Recalling that night with China Daily, Zhuo says he was caught in a dilemma. "As a journalist we should not stop before we uncover the truth, but personally I felt it was improper to continue the spying. After all, a 50-something was pleading. But the report had to come out."
Zhuo, who works for Southern Metropolis Weekly and has his own studio, is a well-known name in mainland entertainment circles, and is highly recognized by tabloid readers, stars and their managers. Just last week, a local magazine ran a cover story on him, referring to him as China's "No 1 paparazzo".
Zhuo, 37, hardly fits the stereotype. Dressed in a dark blue suit and silver-brimmed glasses, he speaks slowly and gently, quoting from Chinese strategist Sun Tzu to Austrian novelist Stefan Zweig, sounding more like a middle school teacher.
Yet, of the 20 professional mainland paparazzi, Zhuo and his partners have a formidable reputation.
They are behind some of the most thrilling entertainment news in recent years, including diva Faye Wong's relationship with actor Li Yapeng and director Feng Xiaogang's affairs.
When "Mummy III" was shot in Beijing in 2007, a photo of Zhuo appeared on a message board that read: Wanted, for revealing the costumes and production design of Zhang Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers" and Chen Kaige's "The Promise" by taking secret pictures.
Rumors say some entertainment companies even display his picture prominently to alert young stars to keep away from him.
Zhuo reacts to mention of his notoriety with a bashful smile, but is clearly excited to recall the stories behind his scoops.
He recounts how he hid in a haystack for 18 hours for a photo of Tom Cruise while he was shooting in China for "Mission Impossible III". His team got their pictures of "The Promise," after waiting it out for four days in a deserted building in freezing weather. His partner, photographer Feng Ke, suffered cuts to his legs from shards of glass as he followed Stephen Chow's "Kungfu Hustle." He just bound his legs with socks and continued taking pictures, fainting just as he reached the hospital.
Sometimes Zhuo and his partners rely on information from friends or paid informants, such as restaurant waiters and security staff. Often, they just drive around places where the stars liked to hang around, such as the bar area near the Workers' Stadium, Wangjing complex, and the East 3rd Ring Road in Beijing.
Zhuo's typical work day begins at 9 in the morning and ends around midnight. Sometimes, he is not done until 4 or 5 the next morning.
To write a story about actress Huang Yi, Zhuo went door to door in the lane where she used to live. He found the house after knocking on more than 500 doors and finally pieced together details of her early life from former neighbors.
While following actor Huang Xiaoming, he overheard some old ladies talking about the former mother-in-law of director Feng Xiaogang who lived in the same block. He stood near the entrance and asked every old lady entering, if she was this woman. Feng's ex-mother-in-law was the 10th woman to walk in through the gates - and he got his picture.
