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

"Are you still going to this class?" Chu Yunfei asked listlessly. "I feel like I can't concentrate on anything."

"Go ahead," Chen Xiangdong sighed. "We can't skip class."

The four of them walked slowly along the campus path toward the teaching building, and from time to time they could hear snippets of conversation about "Infernal Affairs" drifting by.

"Liu Jianming's final salute was absolutely brilliant; his mental fortitude is truly remarkable."

"What a pity about Chen Yongren..."

"What do you think the author was trying to express?"

"..."

Xie Lu walked quietly, listening to the discussions.

Just as I approached the vicinity of the School of Literature building, a familiar figure strode out of the building—it was counselor Wang Zhiguo.

He spotted Xie Lu and his three companions at a glance, especially when he saw the copy of "Contemporary" magazine they were holding; his eyes revealed his understanding.

"Lawyer Xie," Wang Zhiguo called out to him.

Xie Lu stopped in his tracks: "Director Wang."

Wang Zhiguo walked over, nodded to Chen Xiangdong and the others, and then said to Xie Lu, "Dean Zhou wants to see you. He wants you to go to his office now."

Chu Yunfei and the other two were taken aback and exchanged glances.

Dean Zhou? Looking for Attorney Xie again?

Xie Lu knew perfectly well what the reason was.

He nodded: "Okay, I'll go right away."

He handed the newspaper to Chen Xiangdong: "You guys go to the classroom first."

Chen Xiangdong took the newspaper and patted him on the shoulder: "We'll be going now, take care of yourself."

Xie Lu walked to the third floor of the School of Arts.

The corridor was quiet, with only the faint sound of a typewriter coming from the far end, its rhythmic clicking echoing.

The door to the dean's office was open. Xie Lu walked to the door, raised his hand, and knocked three times on the door with his knuckles, neither too hard nor too soft.

Tap, tap, tap.

A voice came from inside: "Come in."

Xie Lu pushed open the door.

Zhou Shaoyuan was sitting in the chair behind his desk, his back slightly hunched, wearing his black-rimmed reading glasses. His head was bowed low, almost touching a newspaper lying open on the table. He was so engrossed in reading that he didn't even look up when Xie Lu pushed the door open and came in.

Xie Lu stood at the door, not going inside, and called out again, "Dean Zhou."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shaoyuan slowly raised his head, his reading glasses sliding down to the middle of his nose.

Upon recognizing Xie Lu, a smile immediately appeared on his face. He casually took off his glasses and placed them on the newspapers on the table.

"Attorney Xie, come in quickly."

As Zhou Shaoyuan spoke, he stood up, walked around the table, and his steps were lighter than usual.

Xie Lu walked in, casually closing the door behind him, but not completely, leaving a crack.

Zhou Shaoyuan waved his hand: "Close the door and make it quiet."

After saying that, he walked to the small table with a thermos and tea set against the wall, picked up an old enamel mug with white background and red lettering, uncorked the thermos, and steam "poof"ed out. He pinched a small pinch of tea leaves into the mug, lifted the thermos, and slowly poured in boiling water. The tea leaves rolled and unfurled in the boiling water, and the color gradually seeped out.

"Sit down, sit down and talk." Zhou Shaoyuan walked over with a cup of hot tea and handed it to Xie Lu.

Attorney Xie accepted the teacup with both hands: "Thank you, Dean."

Zhou Shaoyuan sat back in his office chair, leaned back, and tapped the cover of the newspaper on the desk with his finger. Xie Lu looked over and saw that it was the cover of the latest issue of "Contemporary" newspaper.

"I just finished reading it." Zhou Shaoyuan pointed to the newspaper, getting straight to the point with a complex mix of emotions, "The second half of your work is really..."

He paused, seemingly searching for the right words, and finally shook his head: "I watched it all in one go. When I saw Chen Yongren die in the elevator and Liu Jianming pull out his badge and say 'I am a policeman,' my heart felt a lump in my throat."

He picked up his reading glasses, then put them down, his gaze sharp as he looked at Lawyer Xie: "The scene where Lau Kin-ming leads the team to salute Chan Wing-yan is so vivid, especially the part where you describe Lau Kin-ming's memories in the book at the end, the police academy, Chan Wing-yan being expelled, and Lau Kin-ming thinking, 'I want to switch places with him,' is simply a stroke of genius, elevating the tragedy and absurdity of the whole story to more than one level."

Lawyer Xie held his teacup, remaining silent as he listened quietly to Dean Zhou's lavish praise.

Zhou Shaoyuan sighed, leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands together: "Xiao Xie, to be honest, after I finished reading it, I only had one thought in my mind: What happened next? Liu Jianming became a hero just like that? Is that all? I feel so uneasy and frustrated."

After saying that, he picked up the newspaper and turned to the last page: "However, the ending you wrote is actually a bit risky right now."

"What is the mainstream trend now? It's the clear distinction between good and evil, and the inevitable victory of justice."

You, on the other hand, let an undercover smuggling ring member survive to the end, even get promoted, and stand in the sunlight.

This doesn't quite align with our main theme.

Zhou Shaoyuan is absolutely right. The current mainstream narrative is not about the future. Even if it were the future, such an ending would be difficult to pass censorship.

Xie Lu raised his eyes and looked at Zhou Shaoyuan, not intending to explain, because he knew that Zhou Shaoyuan hadn't finished speaking.

Sure enough, Zhou Shaoyuan changed the subject and a smile appeared on his face: "However, when you talked to Editor-in-Chief He last time, you mentioned the Infernal Affairs trilogy."

When you said that Liu Jianming would eventually be executed, I knew I was sure of it.

Editor-in-Chief He dared to defy public opinion and publish this second half because he knew you had a more complete plan for the later parts. This seemingly disjointed, even somewhat daring, ending takes on a different meaning when placed within the larger framework of the trilogy, right?

Xie Lu nodded and admitted, "That's right. Judging from the ending of this part alone, Liu Jianming is indeed the 'winner'."

But within the broader context of the Infernal Affairs story, this is merely one stage leading to its ultimate demise.

"The deepest hell, from which no one can truly escape."

Zhou Shaoyuan nodded in satisfaction, his eyes filled with even more admiration: "He has a global perspective, courage, and the ability to control such a complex structure."

Lawyer Xie, you've really impressed this old man.

Indeed, this world ultimately belongs to you young people!

He paused, tapped the newspaper again with his finger, and his tone became more casual, but the expectation in his eyes was undisguised: "I called you here today for two reasons. First, Lao He wrote to me asking how your second book, the prequel to Infernal Affairs you mentioned, is going. He's been asking a lot about it and has been urging me to find out. Second..."

Zhou Shaoyuan cleared his throat, sat up a little straighter, and showed a hint of embarrassment on his face: "As your dean, I am also your mentor, right?"

Your work has generated such a great response, it's my duty to check on the progress of the next phase and see if there's anything I can do to help or offer guidance.

His words were very well-reasoned, and his reasons were very valid.

But Xie Lu immediately understood that Zhou Shaoyuan's serious expression concealed a reader's eager curiosity about the upcoming plot.