1985, the year of the great writer, began with Infernal Affairs!

When Xie Lu pushed open the door to enter the dormitory, there were already people inside.

This is a standard four-person room with bunk beds and desks underneath. There are two beds by the window and two by the door.

The walls were painted a light green, but in some places the paint had peeled off, revealing the cement underneath.

The ceiling was high, and a ceiling fan hung there, its blades covered in dust.

A person was sitting on the lower bunk by the window. Hearing the door open, he looked up.

He was a tall man with a square face, thick eyebrows, and dark skin; he looked like someone who often did farm work.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed packing his things. An old travel bag was spread out on the bed, containing several neatly folded clothes and a few books.

Upon seeing Xie Lu, the other person paused for a moment, then grinned.

"New here?" the other person asked first, his voice loud and clear, with a thick Northeastern accent.

"Hmm." Xie Lu nodded, placing his luggage on the open ground by the door. "Xie Lu, from Liaobei."

"Chen Xiangdong." The tall man stood up, extended his hand, "From Harbin, Heilongjiang."

Xie Lu grasped his hand.

His hands were large and rough, with calluses all over his palms.

"Fellow Northeasterner!" Chen Xiangdong smiled even wider, patted Xie Lu on the shoulder, "Come on, pick a bed. I arrived early and took this one by the window. You can pick any of the rest."

Xie Lu took a look.

There were four beds, and Chen Xiangdong took one by the window. Two beds were left by the door, and one by the window.

Xie Lu pointed to the upper bunk near the door: "I'll sleep here."

"Okay." Chen Xiangdong was not at all shy and enthusiastically carried Xie Lu's luggage over.

Xie Lu began to pack his things. He unrolled his bedding, laid out the quilt and mattress, and took out the items from his travel bag: a few clothes, a few books, and toiletries, which he neatly placed in the cabinet under the table.

As I was tidying up, the door opened again.

A person strolled in.

He was a young man, around twenty years old, of medium height and rather thin. He was wearing a plaid shirt with only the bottom two buttons fastened, revealing a white vest underneath. He wore flared trousers with wide legs that almost dragged on the ground, and black leather shoes that were polished to a shine. His hair was a bit long, parted to the side, and slicked back with hair oil, making it shiny.

He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, unlit, just sitting there. When he saw the two people inside, he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you've all arrived?" He spoke with a local Wuhan accent, his tone a bit drawn out, giving off a slightly roguish vibe.

Chen Xiangdong frowned, but didn't say anything.

Xie Lu raised his head: "Xie Lu, from Liaobei."

"Chu Yunfei." The young man walked in, tossed his small leather suitcase onto the empty table near the door, and said, "He's from Wuhan."

As he spoke, he glanced around the dormitory and pursed his lips, "These conditions are pretty harsh."

Chen Xiangdong finally couldn't hold back any longer and immediately retorted when he heard Chu Yunfei's words: "If it's tough, don't stay here. Go home."

Chu Yunfei glanced at him and laughed: "Oh, you've got quite a temper. You're from the Northeast, right? I could tell from your accent."

"What? Want to spar alone?" Chen Xiangdong stood up. He was half a head taller and a size bigger than Chu Yunfei.

Chu Yunfei didn't respond, shrugged, and started packing his things.

He took out several pieces of clothing from his suitcase; they were all fashionable styles, and the materials looked expensive.

He then took out a radio, a Sony, an imported product.

There are also a few packs of cigarettes, all of them good quality.

Chen Xiangdong frowned even more as he looked at his things.

Xie Lu watched this scene without saying anything and continued to pack his things. It was the same in his previous life. Ever since the beginning of his freshman year, the eldest brother Chen Xiangdong and the second brother Chu Yunfei had been at odds, and this antagonism lasted for four whole years.

After a while, the door opened again.

The person who came in this time was a thin boy wearing thick black-rimmed glasses with lenses that looked like the bottom of a wine bottle.

He carried a large backpack and a net bag in his hand, which contained a washbasin, towel, and toothbrush cup. He walked with a slightly hunched back and looked timid.

He stood in the doorway, adjusted his glasses, and asked in a low voice, "Excuse me... is this 308?"

"Yes, yes, come in, come in," Chen Xiangdong greeted, his tone softening.

The boy walked in, put his backpack and net bag on the ground, looked at the three people in the room, and introduced himself nervously: "I...I'm Zhou Wenbin, from Jiangxi."

"Chen Xiangdong, from Heilongjiang."

"Xie Lü, from Liaobei."

"Chu Yunfei, from Wuhan."

Of the four, Chen Xiangdong is the oldest, at twenty-one, and is the eldest in the dormitory.

Chu Yunfei was in his early twenties and was the second oldest in the dormitory.

Zhou Wenbin was also in his early twenties, but he was a month younger than Chu Yunfei, so he was the third oldest.

And Xie Lu, being the youngest, naturally became the fourth oldest in the dormitory.

Zhou Wenbin nodded, walked to the remaining bed by the window, and began packing his things.

After packing his things, Xie Lu climbed down from the top bunk. He took out the pack of Changjiang cigarettes from his pocket, opened it, and pulled out three cigarettes.

He handed it to Chen Xiangdong first: "Boss, have a cigarette."

Chen Xiangdong took the cigarette, glanced at the brand, and said, "Yangtze River, good cigarette."

After saying that, he took out a match, lit it, and took a deep drag.

Xie Lu then handed a cigarette to Chu Yunfei: "Second Brother, have a smoke."

Chu Yunfei was stunned for a moment, looking at the cigarette in Xie Lu's hand, and then at Xie Lu again.

Changjiang cigarettes aren't the most expensive in Wuhan, but they're not cheap either.

He didn't expect that this seemingly ordinary classmate from Northeast China would be so generous, and it seemed that his family was quite well-off.

He took the cigarette, pulled out a lighter from his pocket, lit it with a click, and took a drag.

"Thanks," he said, his tone much more polite than before.

Xie Lu finally walked up to Zhou Wenbin and asked, "Third Brother, want a smoke?"

Zhou Wenbin hurriedly waved his hands, "No... I don't know how yet."

Xie Lu didn't insist, put away the cigarette, and lit one for himself.

The four of them stood there in the dormitory, some smoking, some sitting, and no one spoke for a while.

After a while, Zhou Wenbin took out a notebook and a pen from his bag, sat down at his desk, and began to write. He wrote very seriously, his head bowed low, his glasses almost touching the paper.

Xie Lu glanced at him, but didn't disturb him, and went back to lie down on his own bed.

After a two-day, one-night train journey, he was indeed exhausted. He closed his eyes, wanting to rest for a while.

Just as I was getting a little drowsy, I heard a noise coming from the balcony.

The dormitory has a small balcony, not very big, only about two square meters. Chen Xiangdong and Chu Yunfei both live there.

Chen Xiangdong held a letter in his hand; the envelope was pink, and the handwriting was delicate.

He had just opened it and hadn't even had a chance to look at it when Chu Yunfei leaned over.

"Hey, what's this? A love letter?" Chu Yunfei said with a grin. "Who sent it? Let me take a look."

As he spoke, he reached out to snatch it.

Chen Xiangdong's expression changed, and he hid the letter behind his back: "What are you doing?"

"What's wrong with looking?" Chu Yunfei was still laughing. "We're all grown men, why are you shy?"