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

When Ni Yongxiao appeared, he used only a few phone calls to first win over Han Chen to support him, and then used the behavior of the two bosses betraying their brothers and seducing their wives to make them submit.

Not a single shot was fired, and not a single person was killed.

They successfully used the conflicting interests of the various leaders to defuse the crisis before it escalated into an internal power struggle.

Seeing this, He Chongshan realized he had misjudged the situation. All the previous foreshadowing was actually preparation for Ni Yongxiao's appearance and for this moment.

With just one scene, the vivid character of Ni Yongxiao was brought to life.

The story ends abruptly here.

He Chongshan raised his head.

He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and then looked at Xie Lu.

"That's all?"

"Yes, the rest is still being written."

He Chongshan remained silent for a long time.

The office was quiet, with only the ticking of the wall clock.

Then, He Chongshan gently placed the manuscript on the coffee table, looked up, and looked at Xie Lu.

His eyes were complicated.

There was shock, admiration, excitement, and a sense of joy as if I had found a treasure.

"Lawyer Xie, I want this prequel."

I want your entire trilogy.

He Chongshan was somewhat excited, his face flushed. Although Xie Lu had only given him five thousand words of the prequel, he could tell that it was definitely a work that was in no way inferior to the first Infernal Affairs.

As for the third part, which hasn't even started writing yet, He Chongshan plans to pre-order it. He believes that as long as it's written by Xie Lü, it won't be too bad!

"The payment is 20 yuan per thousand words, no, 30 yuan per thousand words."

"Send me the prequel once it's finished, and the third one too. I promise you'll get the best layout and the best promotion."

After a pause, He Chongshan added, "Also, if you have other works during your university years, you can submit them at any time. The door to contemporary literature is always open for you."

That's a very strong statement.

This is the greatest recognition and commitment a senior editor can make to a young author.

Xie nodded: "Thank you, Editor-in-Chief He."

"No need to thank me." He Chongshan shook his head. "It's your own ability that's the key."

He put his glasses back on, picked up the manuscript again, and began to read.

As he read, he murmured to himself, "This is so well written, the background setup, Ni Yongxiao's appearance...it's fantastic..."

Zhou Shaoyuan watched from the side, feeling a mix of emotions.

He had known He Chongshan for so many years, and he had never seen him so excited or so out of control.

It seems that Wuhan University has truly produced a genius.

A genius who could change the literary world.

The conversation continued in the office.

He Chongshan and Xie Lu discussed the future plot of Infernal Affairs.

He Chongshan asked very detailed questions, from the characters' psychological motivations to the logical foreshadowing of the plot, one after another.

Xie Lu answered calmly and clearly, as he was already very familiar with the entire story structure of the Infernal Affairs trilogy.

Zhou Shaoyuan would occasionally chime in with a few words.

Although he doesn't understand creative writing like He Chongshan, he is, after all, the dean of the School of Literature, and his literary literacy is undeniable.

His questions leaned more towards character development and thematic expression, and Xie Lu answered them one by one.

The three of them were very engrossed in their conversation.

He Jinqiu stood behind her father without saying a word, but she listened attentively, her eyes bright, glancing at her father and then at Xie Lu.

Her gaze was mostly fixed on Xie Lu.

Watching Xie Lu remain composed and unhurried under the questions posed by two elders, one a senior editor and the other the dean of the School of Literature, was quite a sight.

Xie Lu's voice was not loud, and his speech was not fast, but his logic was rigorous.

He Jinqiu had met many so-called talented men.

There are many people in the Chinese Department of Peking University who can write poetry and articles, and some of them are quite well-known.

But this was the first time she had ever met someone like Xie Lu.

It's not the kind of ostentatious display of talent, but rather a restrained, solid, and convincing confidence.

She held the notebook tightly in her hand the whole time, her palms were sweaty.

We chatted for about half an hour, and the clock on the wall pointed to 11:30.

He Chongshan glanced at his watch, then looked up and said, "Oh, it's already noon."

Zhou Shaoyuan glanced at his watch and said, "Indeed, time flies when we're chatting."

He Chongshan stood up: "Alright, it's my treat today. Let's find a place to eat and chat."

Zhou Shaoyuan immediately waved his hand: "How can that be! You've come all the way from Beijing, how can I let you treat me? This meal must be on me!"

"Why are you being so polite with me? I'm a guest in Wuhan, so I'll listen to what the guest says."

"Who lets the guest pay? It's my turn to treat!"

Zhou Shaoyuan also stood up: "We haven't seen each other for so many years, and you've finally come all this way. How could I let you pay for this?"

And so the two started arguing.

One said, "I'll treat," while the other said, "No, I have to treat," and neither was willing to give in.

Xie Lu sat there, watching the two argue, without saying a word.

He turned to look at He Jinqiu.

He Jinqiu was also looking at him, and their eyes met, and they both smiled.

He Jinqiu walked over first and sat down in the seat next to Xie Lu. She handed over the notebook in her hand and turned to the first page.

"Attorney Xie, could you please sign your name for me?"

He Jinqiu made her request in a very generous and open manner, her eyes shining as she looked at Xie Lu, waiting for his response.

Xie Lu looked at her.

He knew that face all too well.

In his past life, He Jinqiu was his senior when he was pursuing his doctorate.

At that time, she had already stayed on to teach at the university, while he had just been admitted to He Chongshan's doctoral program.

She showed him around the campus, helped him find information, and gave him advice when he encountered difficulties writing his thesis.

The two had a good relationship, but always maintained a proper distance.

Later, He Jinqiu fell ill with cancer, which was already in its late stages when it was discovered. Xie Lu stayed by her side for the last few months.

Now, she is sitting in front of him again.

At twenty years old, healthy, lively, and poised, with sparkling eyes, she was still the confident and beautiful senior sister Xie Lu remembered.

"Of course." Xie Lu took the notebook and pen.

He flipped to the homepage, thought for a moment, and wrote:

"To He Jinqiu: May you always retain a childlike heart on your literary journey."

Xie Lu, September 1985.

The handwriting is neat and strong.

He Jinqiu took it, looked at the words, and smiled sweetly.

"Thanks!"

Xie Lu started chatting with her quite naturally.

Xie Lu knew He Jinqiu's preferences all too well, and he got her talking in just a few words.

As she spoke, her voice gradually grew louder, and she began to gesture with her hands. When she got excited, she would laugh out loud, cover her mouth, and her eyes would curve into crescent moons.

Xie Lu listened, nodding occasionally and chiming in with a comment now and then. The two chatted naturally, like old friends.

He Jinqiu completely forgot that her father and Uncle Zhou were still arguing about the dinner party.

On the other side, He Chongshan and Zhou Shaoyuan finally reached a conclusion, and Zhou Shaoyuan won in the end.

"Alright, alright." He Chongshan waved his hand helplessly. "You can treat me if you want, but next time you come to Kyoto, I have to treat you."

"Of course!" Zhou Shaoyuan smiled, then turned to Xie Lu, "Xie Lu, let's go eat... Hmm?"

He then noticed that Xie Lu and He Jinqiu were having a pleasant conversation.

He Chongshan also turned his head.

Ok?

Is that right?!