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

He Chongshan didn't answer directly, but instead asked him, "What do you think?"

After thinking for a long time, Old Li finally managed to say, "This person... I just can't bring myself to hate him."

Xiao Chen chimed in, "Me too. Even though he's a gangster and the things he's done are enough to warrant being executed several times over, I just can't bring myself to hate him."

Old Zhang put down his chopsticks and sighed, "I'm still thinking about those two sentences he said."

"Which two sentences?" someone asked.

"My name is Ni Yongxiao, and the foundation of filial piety is protecting my family."

And all I want is to help my family hold their heads high.

Old Zhang read it aloud word by word, then shook his head: "Tell me, how could a gang leader say such a thing?"

Xiao Chen said, "Because that's what he really thought. He did those things not for himself, but for the Ni family and for the mess his father left behind."

He wanted the Ni family to live like human beings, but the path he chose destined them to never be able to hold their heads high again.

Old Li nodded: "That's the most painful part. You watch him walk down this path step by step, you know he can't turn back, you even understand why he's going this way, but you can't change anything."

"Han Chen too," Old Zhang chimed in. "Young Han Chen was such a good person, loyal, and grateful. Huang Zhicheng even hinted at it to him, but he refused. Who could have imagined he'd turn out like that?"

Xiao Chen thought for a moment and said, "But look at his change, it doesn't seem sudden at all."

It's written in a way that makes you feel he can only become that way, there's no other way.

Old Li sighed: "That's what's so great about him. He doesn't write about good people or bad people, but about why people become good people and why they become bad people. You see them go through it step by step, and you'll understand."

Sister Wang, who hadn't spoken until now, finally spoke, her voice a little low: "After watching the last part, I felt terrible all morning."

Everyone looked at her.

Sister Wang is the oldest in the editorial department. She doesn't talk much, but she reads manuscripts the most carefully.

She continued, "At the end, even though Ni Yongxiao had nothing left, he still stood up straight."

Everything he did was for his family, but he knew himself that the path he was taking would never lead him to where he wanted to go.

She paused, then said, "The most painful thing is that after he died, the Ni family also disappeared. What he desperately tried to protect, he ultimately couldn't protect. He didn't change anything."

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

Old Li broke the silence: "This level of skill is truly unmatched."

The character of Chen Yongren in the first part was already painful enough.

Now, Ni Yongxiao is another one.

Xiao Chen suddenly asked, "Editor-in-Chief He, when will this prequel be published?"

He Chongshan thought for a moment: "We need to go through the process first. After the review, the final draft, typesetting, and printing, it will take at least next month."

"Next month?" Xiao Chen was a little disappointed. "That's a long wait."

Old Li laughed: "What's your rush? The manuscript has arrived, it's not going to run away, is it?"

Everyone continued eating, and the conversation still revolved around the prequel.

"Huang Zhicheng was quite a complicated person when he was young."

"Yes, he saw that person with his own eyes, dressed smartly and drinking with Ni Kun's men a few years later. He must have felt terrible."

"That's why he hinted to Han Chen to get rid of Ni Kun; he felt he was acting on behalf of God."

"But even he himself couldn't say whether it was right or wrong."

That's the complexity of human beings.

"..."

He Chongshan listened to their discussion without interrupting, and simply ate his meal slowly.

He recalled the same feeling he had when he finished reading the last page last night.

Even though I've finished watching it, my mind is still full of those people, those events, and those words.

I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, thinking about it over and over again, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt that this manuscript was well written.

Xie Lu is truly a gifted child.

After finishing their meal, everyone cleaned up the dishes and chopsticks. Old Li picked up the stack of manuscript papers again and looked at He Chongshan: "Editor-in-Chief He, can I take this manuscript home and read it again?"

Several people nearby immediately looked at him expectantly.

He Chongshan waved his hand: "Put it here for now. You can watch it as many times as you want after the process is complete. Just don't lose it now."

Old Li was a little disappointed, but he still carefully put the manuscript back on the table.

In the afternoon, the editorial department resumed its normal work rhythm, but every now and then someone would glance at the conference room or find an excuse to go for a walk, just to take another look at that stack of manuscripts.

He Chongshan sat in his office, watching the little actions of those people outside, and couldn't help but smile.

He recalled that when he first entered the industry, he encountered a truly good manuscript, and it was treated the same way.

They wished they could keep it close to their hearts and take it wherever they went, as if they were afraid someone would snatch it away.

I was young and naive back then.

Now that he's older, he knows that good things should be shared, but he still remembers that feeling.

He picked up the phone and dialed a long-distance number to Wuhan.

After waiting a while, the call was connected.

"Hello, is this Shaoyuan? This is He Chongshan."

"Hey Lao He, did you receive the manuscript?" Zhou Shaoyuan's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Received. Please tell Attorney Xie for me that this manuscript is excellent."

Zhou Shaoyuan laughed: "I knew you would say that. That kid is truly a talent."

"Talent?" He Chongshan laughed. "You're being modest. This isn't just talent, this is genius."

"Okay, okay, genius, genius, you called just to say this?"

"There's one more thing. I heard that a nationwide essay competition has been issued to universities. Did you have Xie Lu participate?"

"Of course! I'm counting on him. But he hasn't even started writing yet. He just finished the prequel. Let him rest for a couple of days. What, you have other ideas?"

He Chongshan thought for a moment and said, "If he writes it down, regardless of whether he wins an award or not, we can consider publishing it in our journal."

Zhou Shaoyuan was taken aback: "You think it's so promising?"

"I believe in him; what he writes won't be bad."

"Okay, I'll talk to him about it later, but don't put too much pressure on him, take your time writing."

Wuhan University.

The ancient literature class continued in the classroom.

On the podium, an elderly professor with gray hair was lecturing on the literature of the Wei, Jin and Northern Dynasties. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and his pace was neither too fast nor too slow, like the autumn wind outside the window, with a tone that made people sleepy.

Some of the students below were taking notes, some were secretly flipping through extracurricular books, and some were slowly drooping their heads.

Xie Lu sat in the middle seat by the window, holding a pen and his notebook open, but he hadn't written a single word.

He was daydreaming.

He sneezed for no apparent reason just now. It wasn't a loud sneeze, just one sound, which made Zhou Wenbin next to him turn his head and glance at him.

Xie waved his hand, indicating that everything was alright.

Who's talking about me?

Xie Lu muttered to himself, not taking it too seriously, and his thoughts drifted back to the essay contest.

Two days ago, after Zhou Shaoyuan talked to him, he kept thinking about what to write for this essay contest.