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

Seeing how exhausted her father looked, He Jinqiu didn't insist any further.

The two walked out of the square and found a guesthouse near their home.

The guesthouse wasn't big, but it was clean enough. He Chongshan booked two single rooms and put his luggage away.

He Jinqiu asked impatiently, "Dad, when are we going to see Lawyer Xie?"

"Tomorrow, take a break today. Don't get too excited. She's still a freshman and has classes."

"I know, I know," He Jinqiu said, but the anticipation in her eyes was almost impossible to hide.

He Chongshan looked at his daughter and sighed inwardly.

This little cotton-padded jacket is probably going to let in the wind.

The next day, early in the morning.

As dawn broke, the corridor of the guesthouse was still quiet. He Chongshan was fast asleep when he was suddenly awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

boom! boom! boom!

He Chongshan opened his eyes and looked out the window.

The sky outside was just beginning to lighten, probably a little after six o'clock at most.

He rubbed his temples, his head aching, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Who is it?"

"Dad! It's me! Open the door!" He Jinqiu's voice came from outside the door.

He Chongshan sighed and slowly sat up.

He had been on the train for too long yesterday, and his back was still sore and his legs were stiff.

He put on his coat and shoes, then went to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, He Jinqiu squeezed in. She was already dressed neatly, wearing a white shirt, dark blue trousers, and her hair was tied in a ponytail. She had an excited expression on her face.

"Dad, why are you still sleeping? It's past six o'clock!"

"A little past six." He Chongshan glanced at the clock on the wall; the hands had just passed six. "Isn't that too early?"

"It's getting late! We still need to take a bus to Wuhan University, so let's go early and not make people's classes late."

Looking at his daughter's anxious expression, He Chongshan shook his head helplessly: "You have to let me wash up first, don't you?"

"Then hurry up! I'll wait for you downstairs."

After saying that, she turned and left, her steps light and quick, like a hopping little bird.

He Chongshan closed the door and slowly washed up.

The cool water splashed on my face made me feel a little more refreshed.

He shaved his beard, changed into a clean Zhongshan suit, and tidied his hair in front of the mirror. Although he was middle-aged and didn't have much hair to tidy up, he still had to take care of it.

When I went downstairs, He Jinqiu was already waiting at the entrance of the guesthouse.

She was carrying a canvas bag and holding a small notebook, seemingly writing something down.

"Let's go."

The two walked out onto the street.

Breakfast stalls have been set up on the street, with fried dough sticks sizzling in the pan and soy milk steaming hot.

People hurry by on their bicycles to work, their bicycle bells jingling.

They walked to the bus stop, waited for a while, and then the bus arrived.

He boarded the bus, bought a ticket. The ticket seller was a middle-aged woman with a ticket holder in her hand. He Chongshan bought two tickets, one cent each.

The car was driving very slowly, swaying and rocking.

Passing through streets, passing shops, passing factories.

Wuhan outside the window is gradually waking up; there are more pedestrians and more cars.

After about half an hour, we arrived at Wuhan University Station.

After getting off the bus, the gate of Wuhan University is right in front of you.

It was early morning, and the school gate was bustling with people.

Standing at the school gate, He Chongshan suddenly remembered a problem. He only remembered that Xie Lu was in the School of Literature, but he forgot which class he was in.

Wuhan University is so big, and the School of Humanities has so many students, we can't possibly ask them one by one, can we?

He thought for a moment and suddenly remembered someone.

His old classmate, Zhou Shaoyuan, is now the dean of the School of Literature at Wuhan University.

I called him a couple of days ago, pressing him for details about the sequel to "Infernal Affairs".

He Chongshan stopped a passing student and asked how to get to the School of Literature. After receiving accurate directions, He Chongshan thanked the student and took He Jinqiu there.

After walking for about ten minutes, I saw a three-story red brick building with ivy covering the exterior walls. There was a wooden sign hanging at the entrance that read "College of Arts".

This is it.

He Chongshan led his daughter into the building.

They went up to the third floor and found the dean's office.

The door was half-open, and He Chongshan knocked on it.

"Please come in." A strong, resonant voice came from inside.

He Chongshan pushed open the door.

The office was small, with an old desk by the window, piled high with books and documents.

A fifty-year-old man sat behind a desk, looking down at documents. He wore black-rimmed glasses and had gray hair, but it was neatly combed. Hearing the door open, he looked up.

Eyes facing each other.

The man paused for a moment, then pushed up his glasses and looked at it carefully.

"Chongshan?" He stood up, his voice filled with surprise. "It really is you?"

"Shaoyuan." He Chongshan smiled.

Zhou Shaoyuan quickly walked around the table and took He Chongshan's hand: "Why are you here? You didn't even tell me!"

Zhou Shaoyuan then looked at He Jinqiu: "What's this?"

"This is my daughter, Jinqiu," He Chongshan introduced. "Qiu'er, call him Uncle Zhou."

"Hello, Uncle Zhou," He Jinqiu greeted him politely.

"Okay, okay." Zhou Shaoyuan nodded repeatedly: "You've grown so much. The last time I saw you, you were only this tall."

He gestured with his hand to indicate his waist.

"It's been almost ten years." He Chongshan said with some emotion. Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and his daughter has grown up.

"That's right," Zhou Shaoyuan said with a touch of emotion. "Come in and sit down."

He ushered the two into his office, pulled over two chairs, and then turned to get a thermos and teacups. He brewed two cups of tea and placed them in front of He Chongshan and He Jinqiu.

"What brings you to Wuhan University?" Zhou Shaoyuan asked as he sat back down in his chair.

"I came to see you."

Zhou Shaoyuan laughed: "Come on, do you think I don't know you? You're the kind of person who only comes to me when you need something. So, what is it?"

He Chongshan smiled too; an old classmate is an old classmate, he knows him too well.

"There is something I need to take care of."

"I knew it." Zhou Shaoyuan picked up his teacup, blew on the steam, and said, "Is it related to 'Infernal Affairs'? That article is really popular right now. Several teachers in our department are discussing it. You're not in Kyoto, but have come to Wuhan. There must be something going on."

He Chongshan nodded: "It is related to Infernal Affairs, but not entirely."

"How so?"

"I'm looking for someone, a student from your college."

Zhou Shaoyuan raised an eyebrow: "Who?"

"Lawyer Xie."

"Lawyer Xie?" Zhou Shaoyuan repeated, his brows furrowing slightly. "I don't recognize the name. Is he one of my students? I don't recall having him under my supervision."

"No, he's a freshman who just enrolled a few days ago."

Zhou Shaoyuan thought for a moment and shook his head: "Freshmen... I'm not too sure about that."

There are hundreds of students in the department, how could I possibly remember which major he is?

"Chinese Literature Department"

"The Chinese Literature Department." Zhou Shaoyuan pondered for a moment. "Then it should be in our department. Here, I'll have someone ask you."

He stood up, walked to the door, opened it, and looked outside.

The corridor was quiet, with only the rhythmic clatter of a typewriter in the distance.