A widower's entertainment

Chapter 380 [The Amazing Undercover Agent] (Please Subscribe)
Xinghua Hutong, Beijing.

The courtyard was quiet. The children had all gone to school, and Xie Shuhua had also gone to school for class. As for Lin Youcheng, he was writing a manuscript in his study.

Although the movie "Infernal Affairs" is set in Hong Kong, it is set in Hong Kong in 1992, so there are some timeline changes needed. However, the general plot will not change much. But as Lin Youcheng lives in mainland China, there are still some materials that need to be researched to make it as realistic as possible.

In Lin Youcheng's view, the movie "Infernal Affairs" is undoubtedly a classic. It was not only remade by the United States, but also by Japan and the United States. This is because the story is so wonderful. The key is that the wonderfulness is not simply due to the star power, but also because it is a great breakthrough compared with previous Hong Kong police and gangster films. It uses ingenious plot and dramatic character fates to show the conflicts between the characters.

Most importantly, the story goes beyond the complex relationship between the police and the criminals, and their mutual deception. In particular, Chen Yongren's tragic death in the line of duty sets "Infernal Affairs" apart from the typical police and gangster film's happy ending where good triumphs over evil. There are no side stories; the story flows seamlessly, full of tension. It doesn't focus on the action elements and explosive violence of traditional Hong Kong police and gangster films. Instead, it focuses on the relationship between the two characters, using logic to engage the audience in a thrilling guessing game.

Lin Youcheng believes that if the movie "Infernal Affairs" were actually made now, the history of Hong Kong police and gangster films would probably be rewritten by him, the screenwriter. You know, the original "Infernal Affairs" was a film that saved the market, and three more films were made afterward.

At a time when Hong Kong cinema was almost forgotten, this film, destined to become a classic, suddenly appeared. Despite competing head-to-head with blockbusters like *Hero* and *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, it easily surpassed HK$30 million at the Hong Kong box office within two weeks of its release, ultimately reaching HK$55 million, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year in Hong Kong. Its success speaks volumes. Building on the success of the first film, it was quickly followed by *Infernal Affairs II* and the final installment of the *Infernal Affairs* series, *Infernal Affairs III: The Final Chapter*. The three *Infernal Affairs* films collectively grossed over HK$100 million, setting a new record for Hong Kong film series in recent years.

Lin Youcheng was very clear that he had to keep the copyright of the script. If Xu Feng's Hong Kong company wanted to buy the full copyright, they would have to offer a reasonable price. Otherwise, he would not hand over the full copyright of the story so easily, especially since there would be a sequel to the movie.

Of course, Lin Youcheng was well aware that the success of the movie "Infernal Affairs" was not only due to the excellent script, but also to the outstanding performances of the actors. As for whether Xu Feng would ask those actors to act in the movie, Lin Youcheng did not know, but he did not think that any actor could easily play the role in this story well.

However, all of this happened after the script was completed and given to Xu Feng for review. He also needed to write another American version of "The Departed" to see what price George from Warner Bros. would offer.

Although Lin Youcheng was writing a manuscript, he obviously wouldn't sit for long periods of time. After all, he had unknowingly turned forty-one this year, and naturally he still needed to exercise. Otherwise, he wouldn't still have the plan to have more younger brothers and sisters with Xie Shuhua and Lin Zhaoxi.

Since Xie Shuhua's classes at Yenching Normal University are not fixed, she doesn't need to wait until school ends to come back like Lin Zhaoxi and the others.

Xie Shuhua returned to the courtyard house in the afternoon and saw Lin Youcheng sunbathing in the yard. She couldn't help but smile and ask, "Is that script finished?"

Xie Shuhua knew that Lin Youcheng was planning to write a movie script for Xu Feng of the Hong Kong Film Company. She had also heard Lin Youcheng briefly explain the plot. Although she didn't know much about the underworld in Hong Kong, Xie Shuhua had seen Hong Kong movies and thought Lin Youcheng's "Infernal Affairs" was quite brilliant.

"Not yet!"

Xie Shuhua picked up a cup of tea and sat down next to Lin Youcheng, smiling as she said, "Your story is indeed about the two of them living in a world of reality and illusion, but why is it called Infernal Affairs?"

Upon hearing Xie Shuhua's words, Lin Youcheng couldn't help but say, "The Buddha said: Those who suffer in the Avici Hell will never die, and their long lifespan is the greatest calamity in the Avici Hell."

This is also the black screen subtitle after the original movie ends. At the same time, Lin Youcheng is very clear that the core of the storm in this story is actually Liu Jianming and Chen Yongren. He said, "They are actually two sides, each of them is suffering in the infernal purgatory."

Xie Shuhua nodded as she listened to Lin Youcheng's words.

Lin Youcheng knew very well just how complicated Liu Jianming and Chen Yongren were, and what kind of infernal hell they were in.

"I had no choice before, but now I want to be a good person." Lau Kin-ming embodies the core contradictions of the story. That classic line was spoken to Chan Wing-yan on the rooftop, and it must have been something he said to himself countless times. Lau Kin-ming embodies the core moral dilemma of the story. He doesn't know what is good or bad. Is someone who wants to be a good person but is forced to do bad things considered a good person? Should those things done when fate doesn't offer a choice, those things forced upon us, be subject to moral judgment?

"We agreed on three years, then another three years, then another three years, and now it's almost been ten years, boss." In most people's minds, Chen Yongren is a more memorable character than Liu Jianming. This line is rumored to have been changed by Tony Leung himself; the original line directly stated nine years, but this change added three years after three years, showing how much time has passed. In his words, he'd almost forgotten whether he was a cop or a gangster. He'd been playing a gangster for almost ten years, even in his sleep he couldn't tell the truth. Only in Li Xin'er's psychological clinic could he proudly tell her, "I'll tell you, actually I'm a cop." This cop who couldn't sleep, who kept saying he'd almost forgotten whether he was a cop or not, pointed a gun at Liu Jianming on the rooftop and said without hesitation, "I'm sorry, I'm a cop." Sorry, he had no choice. After being a gangster for nine years, he still hadn't forgotten he was a cop.

In Lam Yau-shing's mind, Lau Kin-ming and Chan Wing-yan are the core undercover agents in the entire Infernal Affairs story.

Furthermore, the elevator leading to the rooftop in this story, and the elevator shaft itself, are extremely metaphorical. The elevator scene appears at the beginning of the film. If we consider the rooftop, where the core conflict is concentrated, as an infernal hell, then this elevator leading to the rooftop is actually the road to that hell—a metaphor for "Infernal Affairs." The road to the rooftop seems easy to walk, but it is actually piled with corpses. Superintendent Wong is captured and killed by the villain in this elevator, and Chan Wing-yan is shot and killed by another undercover agent in the elevator. The undercover agent who shot Chan Wing-yan is then killed by Lau Kin-ming in the elevator. Justice does not easily prevail, and even the distinction between justice and evil is not easy to see. Justice and evil clash in the elevator, and the two sides of good and evil in one's heart also struggle in the elevator. The elevator is the most microcosm of Infernal Affairs.

Lin Youcheng and Xie Shuhua were talking about these things, and Xie Shuhua naturally understood.

However, although Xie Shuhua found Lin Youcheng's police and gangster story very exciting, with the two protagonists living in a world of both reality and illusion, she wasn't too surprised. Lin Youcheng had written spy novels with similar undercover stories before. She just found it hard to imagine that the underworld in Hong Kong could be so outrageous, with criminals even planning to plant undercover agents in the police force and then brazenly killing a high-ranking police officer in broad daylight. Such a plot really struck her as unbelievable.

Of course, she had also heard Lin Youcheng mention that the black society in Hong Kong was very powerful, otherwise there wouldn't be any cases of celebrities being kidnapped.

Now that Xie Shuhua knows the story Lin Youcheng wrote, she's also thinking about what kind of actors should be cast in such a movie script. "I think the two characters you wrote are not easy to play."

Lin Youcheng smiled and said, "A true actor is naturally capable of playing such a role well."

……

While Xie Shuhua found Lin Youcheng's script for the film "Infernal Affairs" to be excellent, Xu Feng, after receiving news of Lin Youcheng and rushing to the Xinghua Hutong courtyard to read the script, was completely stunned and utterly shocked.

At first, Xu Feng really didn't expect Lin Youcheng to actually contact her and tell her that he had a movie script he wanted to show her, which already surprised and delighted Xu Feng.

You know, Xu Feng had previously discussed cooperation with Lin Youcheng. Although Lin Youcheng had said that he would definitely cooperate if there was an opportunity, she thought it might just be polite talk. However, she did think that she would still want to cooperate with Lin Youcheng if there was an opportunity in the future. Now that some time had passed, Lin Youcheng had actually written a script and asked her to write it. How could Xu Feng not be pleasantly surprised, especially since it was such an amazing script.

"Youcheng, the story you wrote is absolutely brilliant!"

Xu Feng really didn't expect that when she talked to Lin Youcheng about cooperation last time, about movies in Hong Kong and crime films, Lin Youcheng actually wrote a crime film script. The key is that this film script is really too awesome and too unbelievable!
The key point is that this story, which seems very simple—just catching an undercover agent—is full of Hong Kong flavor. Moreover, in Lin Youcheng's writing, he actually planted undercover agents on both the police and the underworld. This kind of story arrangement is really brilliant.

The moment the police academy gates closed, two drastically different paths diverged. Those outside looked back at their lives as good people; even though Chen Yongren had achieved a complete moral victory, such a fate destined him to be unworthy of it. Those inside, however, could not escape their origins as bad people, even if they were labeled as good. For both young men, this first step was wrong, and what followed was a series of wrong steps…

As a film producer, Xu Feng naturally has a very clear understanding of the film script. It is precisely because of this understanding that she realizes how amazing Lin Youcheng's script is.

It’s amazing!

How could I have imagined such a plot!

That's an amazing imagination!

Although Xu Feng had long known that Lin Youcheng, the writer and screenwriter, was incredibly talented and had an unbelievable imagination, he was still completely stunned when he saw the newly completed script.

That's right, it really shocked them!

Holding the printed script by Lin Youcheng, Xu Feng felt extremely excited. She knew very well that if Lin Youcheng's movie script were to reach Hong Kong, it would definitely be snapped up by other film companies because the script was truly solid and powerful.

Completely devoid of the foolish, flashy, and pretentious displays of heroism seen in previous Hong Kong films, the gunshots rang out, people collapsed, and in the midst of panic, only a vague unease remained.

The entire script of the film "Infernal Affairs" is very calm, completely a pre-set chess game, a steadfast prison, with people in the middle, waiting for the events to unfold, the process to end, and finally only a lament remains. As a crime film, "Infernal Affairs" is truly amazing in its reflection on life and its cruel portrayal of it. The story is a chilling depiction of the state of existence.

Xu Feng naturally knew that the word "Wujian" referred to the "Avici Hell" in Buddhism, which comes from Buddhist scriptures such as the Lotus Sutra, Abhidharmakośa, and Xuan Ying Yin Yi.

"Avici Hell" is one of the eight hells in Buddhist stories, meaning that the punishment is never-ending, and it is the most painful of the eight hells. This story revolves around two people, Chen Yongren and Liu Jianming, whose identities should not belong to them, and who are both undercover cops and triad members. The appearance of many characters one by one unfolds a tragic epic of "Avici Hell".

Most importantly, Xu Feng thought the arrangement of such a tragic plot was quite brilliant, and the commercial elements were just right, because the whole story has an extremely serious ideological core, telling the story of the characters' fates and the misalignment of their lives from beginning to end.

Seeing Xu Feng's excited and thrilled expression, Lin Youcheng didn't find it particularly exaggerated, because he knew very well how classic the script of "Infernal Affairs" was.

Speaking of which, Hollywood in the United States has "The Truman Show," Taiwan has Hou Xiaoxian's "Love," which will soon be presented at the Venice Film Festival, and if Hong Kong were to film "Infernal Affairs," coupled with the established status of writer and screenwriter Lin Youcheng in mainland China, then he would truly be the top screenwriter in the three regions.

Of course, Lin Youcheng didn't intend to give the script for "Infernal Affairs" solely to Xu Feng; he also wanted George from Warner Bros.

(End of this chapter)