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

After walking for a while, Zhou Shaoyuan suddenly slowed down and looked back at Xie Lu.

But he didn't say anything, turned around and continued walking.

Throughout the journey, Zhou Shaoyuan frequently looked back at Xie Lu.

Upon reaching the third floor, Zhou Shaoyuan's office was at the end of the corridor.

Upon reaching the door, Zhou Shaoyuan stopped and glanced at Xie Lu again.

"Go in."

Then he opened the door for Xie Lu.

In the office, He Chongshan and He Jinqiu were already standing up and waiting.

Upon seeing Xie Lu enter, He Chongshan's eyes lit up immediately.

He Jinqiu stared wide-eyed at Xie Lu, still clutching the light blue notebook in her hand.

Zhou Shaoyuan went inside and closed the door behind him.

The air in the office suddenly became very quiet.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the desks, on the piles of documents, and on the faces of the four people.

He Chongshan looked at Xie Lu, and Xie Lu also looked at He Chongshan.

The two met for the first time.

A few seconds later, He Chongshan broke the silence in the office by speaking first:

"Hello, Xie Lv, I am He Chongshan, editor-in-chief of Contemporary."

Xie Lu knew He Chongshan all too well, but for now he could only pretend they had never met and greet him, "Editor-in-Chief He, hello."

Zhou Shaoyuan called out from the side, "Come, Xie Lu, sit down, don't stand."

Zhou Shaoyuan then went to get the thermos and teacup. He brewed a cup of tea and placed it on the coffee table in front of Xie Lu.

"Have some tea."

"Thank you, Dean Zhou."

He Jinqiu was still standing next to her father, her eyes fixed on Xie Lu.

She clutched the light blue notebook in her hand, looking a little nervous yet excited.

He Chongshan also sat down, right opposite Xie Lu.

As he sat down, he took out a kraft paper envelope from his briefcase. The envelope was bulging and the edges were a little frayed.

He placed the envelope on the coffee table and pushed it in front of Xie Lu.

"This is the payment for the second half of 'Infernal Affairs,' a total of 50,000 words. At the rate of 20 yuan per thousand words, that's 1,000 yuan in total. Please check it."

Xie Lu looked at the envelope but didn't take it immediately.

A few seconds later, Xie Lu spoke up: "Thank you, Editor-in-Chief He."

He picked up the envelope, but didn't open it. He just weighed it in his hand; it was very heavy.

One thousand dollars was a huge sum of money in 1985.

But he didn't show any particular expression on his face; he simply placed the envelope on his lap.

He Chongshan's eyes flickered as he watched this action.

Most people would react to receiving so much money; they would be excited or thrilled.

But Xie Lu was not. He was very calm, so calm that he didn't seem like an eighteen-year-old. Instead, he seemed like a knowledgeable and experienced adult.

This further convinced He Chongshan that this child was extraordinary.

He Chongshan spoke, his tone more serious than before: "Attorney Xie, before I collect my royalties, I have a question that's been on my mind for a long time, and I really can't help but ask you."

"Please ask."

He Chongshan leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees.

How did you write Infernal Affairs?

He asked directly, his eyes fixed on Xie Lu.

This is not a casual question.

This is a test.

He Chongshan wanted to confirm that Infernal Affairs was indeed written by this young man, and not copied from somewhere or ghostwritten by someone else.

Zhou Shaoyuan also sat up straight and looked at Xie Lu.

The air in the office seemed to freeze at that moment.

Xie Lu remained silent for a while.

He looked at He Chongshan, at his mentor from his previous life, and at the inquiry in his eyes.

He knew what He Chongshan was thinking. How could a rural boy, eighteen years old, who hadn't experienced anything significant, write something as profound as "Infernal Affairs"?

He needs to provide a reasonable explanation.

"Editor-in-Chief He," Xie Lu said, his voice calm and without any sign of panic. After all, he had written Infernal Affairs in the first place, and he could write more than just Infernal Affairs: "Infernal Affairs is not actually a movie."

He Chongshan was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, Infernal Affairs is a series, a trilogy of three films."

"A trilogy?" He Chongshan's voice rose slightly.

"Yes, the one currently being serialized is, to be precise, the second part."

The first part is a prequel, telling how Chen Yongren entered the police academy, how he was selected to be an undercover agent, and also about Chen Yongren's brother and Han Chen's rise to power.

The third part connects to the present story, telling what happens after Chen Yongren and Liu Jianming.

Xie Lu paused for a moment, then continued, "This trilogy has a main storyline, which is Chen Yongren. From his entry into the police academy to his undercover work, to his final fate, the endings of Chen Yongren and Liu Jianming always confirm the beginning:"

The sins of the eight great hells are collectively known as the Avici Hell.

He Chongshan opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word for a long time.

His mind raced.

Trilogy? Prequel? Sequel?

The first Infernal Affairs movie was already amazing enough, how come there's a prequel and a sequel?

Is there a more complete story structure?

He suddenly realized that he might have underestimated this young man.

Zhou Shaoyuan was also greatly shocked.

He looked at Xie Lu as if he were looking at a monster.

An eighteen-year-old student not only wrote a very high-level work like Infernal Affairs, but also planned a trilogy.

What kind of creative ability is this?

"You...you mean, you planned this all along? A trilogy? A complete storyline?"

Xie Lu nodded and admitted, "Yes, when I was writing this book, the framework for the prequel and the third book was already in place, but some details were still being perfected."

He Chongshan found his throat a little dry: "So... has the prequel been written yet?"

"I'm writing it now. I've been writing the prequel in my dorm lately, and I've already written about 20,000 words."

He Chongshan stood up abruptly.

"Can you show it to me now?" He Chongshan asked this time, his voice filled with obvious urgency.

"I mean," He Chongshan realized he had lost his composure, calmed down a bit, and continued, "if you'd like, could you let me see the prequel? Just a few pages would be fine."

"Of course, but the manuscript is in my dorm, I have to go back and get it."

"I'll wait for you!" He Chongshan said immediately, "I'll wait no matter how long it takes!"

As he said this, his face showed a long-lost look of excitement, a thirst for good works.

Zhou Shaoyuan, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it any longer and coughed, "Chongshan, calm down, don't scare him."

He Chongshan then realized he had been too excited. He sat down again, rubbed his hands together, and smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

"I was so excited just now, mainly because the Infernal Affairs you've written is already very good."

Now that I've heard there's a prequel and a sequel, I can't help but want to watch.

"Should I go back to my dorm to get it now?"

"Okay, okay." He Chongshan nodded repeatedly. "Do you need me to go with you?"

Xie Lu stood up: "No need, the dormitory isn't far from here, I'll be back soon."

Xie Lu picked up the envelope from his lap, hesitated for a moment, and looked at Zhou Shaoyuan: "Dean Zhou, could you leave this with me for now? It's inconvenient for me to carry so much money."

"Sure, sure." Zhou Shaoyuan took the envelope, opened the drawer, put the envelope inside, and locked it. "I'll keep it safe for you, don't worry."