Frost_edelweiss

Actress Lin Boyang, as Zheng Nan, the sister of team leader Zheng Bei

Actor Liu Runnan as Zhao Xiaoguang, the "muscles" expert in the team

Actress Lian Lian, as Jiang Ying Zi, "sister" of Xiaohai

Actor Zhao Yutong, as Ding Guozhu, the forensic expert in the team

Actor Liu Wei, as Xin Tie Gang

Actor Cheng Yong, as Qin Yi

Actor Song Jia Teng, as Shou Hou, henchman of Qin Yi. (He also appeared in Escape From the Trilateral Slopes, the Youku White Nights drama that was aired before The First Shot).

Thanks, Potato Chip !

The drama Weibo featured the 10000 heat index poster, a few hours ago (2024.09.19) ; it can be admired in photo section. As drama watcher Dreams noted, "Since 25/07/2024, Youku has changed his heat index system : 10k is not the max anymore." So, it could still climb higher !!

Oh, I'd like to see this poster collection! But only 3 have been added in photo section, and I can't move enough up in time on Weibo to hunt up the missing ones.

I noticed that the "target/maze/round Chinese style design" of the "blind box style" 9 GIF style micro-short mp4 collection was featured, not only on the Johnny Huang Weibo page, on Sept.3, but also on the 4 other leads ones. Interesting design... But they can't be exported to the photo section because they are animated. Only Discussions section can house GIF style copies to perpetuate them, and it's a bit cumbersome to cut them to fit a similar format, there.
To find them, still visible now, here are the Weibo addresses :
Johnny Huang https://weibo.com/n/Johnny黄景瑜
Xie Keyin https://weibo.com/n/谢可寅
Wang Ziqi https://weibo.com/n/王子奇是演员王子奇
Liu Runnan https://weibo.com/n/Liurn刘润南
Zhao Yutong https://weibo.com/n/赵昱童_Donte

Some nuggets on the Weibo pages have too short a lifetime, lol. Thank you to the valiant hunters who bring their spoils to share with everyone in the photo section !

Thanks a lot. I had not scoured the drama Weibo properly on the 15th... (or since, because overlooked it!)
So cunning to have that poster in black and white, full of shadows where the profile of the actor is nestling half-hidden !!

But since the cat is out of the bag, why not add the name now to the cast listed on the drama comments platforms or pages like Baidu (which has a 112 cast list) and Douban (47 cast members but not Ding Xiao Ming nor Qin Jun Jie)? Or here on MDL (that should be your privilege, I'd say, as "original" finder of this nugget 😊)
Perhaps we shall see that tomorrow on Baidu or Douban....
Opening rating should not be far off now, too. 😊
I expect it to be sparkling :)

Wow, has this drama been planned for 4 years with Johnny Huang in mind?
The story is not from a novel, unless I am mistaken, but an original script.
So, Johnny Huang also contributed in addition to his acting the script, through suggesting a modification, which indeed makes his character even more relatable :
a brawl at that point would have diminished the portraying of moral qualities, righteousness, vs. evil that was intended, as you pointed out.
It would also have appeared too expected and repetitive (no need for another "saloon fight between desperadoes and sheriffs", the one mock-acted in "Sheng City" to catch the pushers, and the one at the start of the drama, were totally sufficient and introduced originality in the handling of the old "fight" trope)
-- kudos to HJY for having improved the script then !

I totally agree that the "calm" confrontation was very impressive and did achieve the nuances in acting of Zheng Bei as a 3 dimensional man and law enforcement officer, who has to face not without heartache the shattering of his hopes to see his former friend reform, and his feelings of loss and need to make a clean break while putting the gangster in front of his wrong turns, hearing out his lame excuses, and make him expect the consequences!
Thanks again for your warm input, ADWG !

OK, if you think spoiler tag was necessary, I've added it.
But I m still puzzled because missed that announcement. Do you have a link to it? Did he replace cast-mentioned Ding Xiao Ming then?
I am puzzled at the secrecy. Why would it be detrimental to the drama to know a big actor took part, even in a short guest role ? To my mind, that would only raise more audience interest, and views, and that's what drama business is about, no ?

Yes, you're right, thanks for reminder. It couldn't have been Zheng Bei lending the bullet proof vest, since Zheng Bei still thought Xiaohai had retired to work as an ordinary person at the time, and only remembered later that he had crossed path with Xiaohai near the alley where Ding was knifed, around coincidental time. So, Zheng Bei did not know about the bullet proof vest and his probing Xiaohai's upper body in the public bath is logical.

Yes I think he had the young guy killed.

Did you mean Qin Jun Jie was playing Mr Ma / Da Ma Zi/ Liang Jiaju ? Puzzled.
I agree that Qin Jun Jie is an excellent actor. But:
Couldn't find him in cast list here.

Baidu has the character as played by Ding Xiao Ming 丁晓明 . According to his page on Baidu, the 39 year old actor Ding also appeared in Luoyang, Hidden Love, and in Amidst A Snowstorm of Love more recently, but was not remarked by me in those support roles. I could not find him on MDL; he has a short page on dramawiki. His Douban page doesn't even mention his short role in The First Shot.

That's my idea as well. Actor Zhang Yu is so remarkable in that role, that I always perk up when he appears, apparently loafing unconcerned and smoking his cigarettes (what brand? Not Marlboro I think). He always has a twist in store for us!

He knew too well Long and Ma who are not originally from Halan. He looks innocent but in fact was always calculating his best advantages. Reconnecting with Zheng Bei and playing on his "guilt" allowed him to know about the police operations better than to have a listening device in their office; the bullet resistant vest armor was such an advantage...
But why did not Zheng Bei remember that Xiaohai was wearing it, the evening when he was shot by Ding Guozhu? And was there no trace on the vest after impact, if and when he needed to return it? Minor plot hole (I did not notice many since start) ?

Chen Zheyuan's cat is playing a role! Why is not it featured in the cast, lol ?
Liu Yi is a female, btw, and Chen Zheyuan has had it for years now ; he is a wounded and stray cat rescuer for real.

There's one version with English annotations, mentioned in comments, but since no-one has added it, I'll just do it ;) https://kisskh.at/photos/2wnq0P_3

I have added in (hidden, it happens - MDL software is quirky) Discussions, this "mini-profile" for Johnny Huang, for which I finally gave in to a new "fandom exploration". There are a lot of pictures, Gifs, opinions and facts compilations by me + a good part about The First Shot, where you can find infos on precise shooting locations, dates, characters relationship chart, some pictures of promo and shooting, latest heat index, standing among the top TV series watched in China for the last two weeks (this will be updated, also with Weibo opening rating, when it will be recorded), music links for the song that caught the attention of some here. All pictures lead to their sources where there may be more to see and listen to. Enjoy! And if you have more to add, feel free to do so in comments there or here.

https://kisskh.at/discussions/the-first-shot/130149-a-mazing-johnny-huang

(Title of discussion? Well, partly because of the drama original title, Snow Maze, and partly because this piece originated in my temptation to share with all here the interesting target/maze/round Chinese design that served as background for 9 pictures on Johnny Huang's Weibo page.)