"Rusted love on a rainy day thoughts play hide and seek among smoke rings" "Push open the window The rain shimmers on the branches" "The rain falls like dancers' steps" "Gliding down leaves" "Perhaps it was too dark at the bar or her make-up was too thick" "If I hadn't drunk so much" "I would definitely not have slept with her" "I don't earn much as a writer, so I can't afford to be this generous" "When I'm sober I often feel sorry for myself" "Now I feel more sorry for her" "I give her half of my writer's salary because I'm now sober" "Why drink such a strong drink?" "Do you come here often to drink alone?" "Yeah" "You want to forget painful memories?" "I want to get rid of happy ones" "I want to write a novella called "Hemingway in Hong Kong"" "Hemingway is penniless and sick" "He has to eat bread dipped in sugar water everyday" "He approaches various publishers with the manuscript of" ""A Farewell to Arms", but no one takes it" "The publishers urge him to write martial fiction instead, and tell him this is what readers really want" "If he can do that he will no longer have to starve" "He could buy himself a large flat, a car, and have steaks every day" "Hemingway refuses" "The publishers think he is an idiot" "Yesterday I got to the part where Monk Tung wants to take revenge but his enemy Iron Abacus is a hundred miles away" "What shall I write next?" "Let me have a drink first" "I got it" "Monk Tung holds a chopstick with his two fingers, blows on it and tosses it forward" "The chopstick flies through the air through the mountains and lands straight on Iron Abacus' solar plexus!" "That's it" "Mr. Lau, the chief wants today's serial" "I'll give it to you later this afternoon" "Hemingway refuses" "The publishers think he is an idiot" "His landlord kicks him out" "One morning, a prostitute living on the second floor comes home and finds him slumped at the bottom of the stairwell and starts to scream." "People gather to watch" "When the police come, he still clutches a manuscript of "Old Man and the Sea" in his hands." "Want a cup of coffee?" "I prefer something alcoholic." "Lily" "Marry me" "Forget it, have a drink" "Have you found a job yet?" "I'm still writing." "That's a hard living." "Beats starving." "I have a job, do you want to do it?" "What kind of job?" "Setting a trap." "I don't know what you mean." "I'm going out with a factory boss." "He is very rich, a decent guy" "He's been meeting me secretly during office hours." "I still don't understand what you mean" "I'll set a date with him at a hotel" "Then you walk in and take a picture" "Did you learn this kind of dirty tricks from the movies?" "As long as there's money to be made, who cares if it's clean or dirty?" "You want me to pose as a photographer and extort money from him?" "No, I want you to pose as my husband" "Me" "Pretend to be your husband?" "That's right" "Think about it" "If you want to do it, call me" "When I was six, I lived on West Bao Xing Road in Zhabei District of Shanghai near the train station." "When the Globe Theatre was showing "The Ten Commandments"" "The war came." "War, war, war" "Mother was doing the laundry and I snuck out to watch the war." "To us kids war was fun." "We cheered when the hair salon across the street got hit by a bullet" "Soldiers in green uniform rushed by, carrying long rifles." "Later on, soldiers in yellowish-brown uniform rushed by carrying long rifles." "Everyone stared at them." "They didn't know the reasons to go to war." "We couldn't identify who they were the difference only rested with their different uniforms." "These were all Chinese." "Has there been any advances in Chinese fiction?" "Why do you want to talk about this?" "Let's have a drink and talk about women." "What do you think of Mao Dun's "Midnight"?" "In his letters Lu Xun mentions there are no finer novels than that" "How about Ba Jin's trilogy?" "These questions are too taxing for the brain" "Why don't we talk about women?" "Stop talking, let's drink up" "Slow down, don't drink so fast" "We live in such tumultuous times." "Why haven't we produced anything like "War and Peace"?" "There's only ever been one Tolstoy in the whole of Russian history." "It's not so simple" "Impossible, impossible" "Nowadays all popular literature is about the same" "Let's not talk about this" "Let's drink up" "I know there's something you want to say" " No." " Come on" "There are several reasons" "First, screenwriters' income is not stable" "Second, the audience doesn't appreciate good movies" "The government doesn't protect screenwriters' rights" "There is no true film critic" "The whole environment is bad" "Piracy is ram pant" "Screenwriters like me earn too little" "But this is Hong Kong for you" "What are you talking about?" "I asked you about writers." "Didn't you ask me why all movies nowadays look alike?" "You're drunk." "You're the one who's drunk" "No one wants to know whether "thought" is lean or fat." "You're drunk." "Let me take you home." "Some are fat, some are lean" "I'm not drunk" "Not one bit" "I have no family in Hong Kong" "A soldier in green uniform was dragged into an alleyway" "The one in green uniform was very young about 1 5 or 1 6 years old, and he was injured" "Forget it" "He took out a big knife and cut off the younger soldier's head." "Everyone watching from behind the iron gate was shocked" "After I went home I had a high fever and had nightmares" "Have you ever read Francoise Sagan?" "I think she's a genius." "All her novels are the same." "You only need to read one and don't need to bother with the rest" "I think "Lolita" is an absolute masterpiece." "I'm reading a Chinese translation." "This belongs to your father?" "Stop it" "Are you scared?" "We've been drinking" "It's just a drink, not poison." "Alcohol is not poison but to a 1 7 year old girl, it's even worse." "You think I'm still a little girl?" "I didn't say that." "So what do you mean?" "I mean... poison can kill a person, and when you die it's over" "But alcohol is different it can make you lose your head" "It can make a 1 7-year-old girl do something she might regret for the rest of her life" "Doctor, he is awake" "How do you feel?" "You were hit on the head" "By whom?" "How would we know?" "How can you not know?" "Don't get so excited" "Your injuries are quite serious, you need to rest" "Come in" "Are you OK?" "I think so" "The doctor said he gave me 1 2 stitches" "Take a rest for a few days" "I'll pay the hospital fees" "I didn't know that old fart would bring two bodyguards." "You should have thought of it earlier." "I thought he was just some old fool" "Now look who's the fool" "I'm thirsty" "Bring me some alcoholic drink." "No, that's against hospital rules" "You can't drink alcohol here" "Have a good rest" "Another one" "You just got out of the hospital, you shouldn't drink too much" "Doesn't matter." "One more" "Alright, just one then I have to leave" "Another whiskey on the rocks." "Call me if you need anything." "Drink up." "It's on me" "Going out?" "I just came back" "What do you want?" "I want to discuss something with you" "They're out playing mah-jong." "They won't be back too early" "Watch out." "You're only 1 7!" "Why are you so scared?" "You're even more cowardly than virgins" "You're only 1 7" "And you're not a small kid You're a mature man" "Mature?" "Mary, where are you?" "Your mother won in mah-jong." "Let's go out for a midnight snack." "What caused a 1 7 year old girl to be so brazen?" "She must either have watched too many American movies or read too much pulp fiction." "Mr. Lau" "I want the room back." "You got to move out!" "Why?" "My daughter is still very young" "I don't want her to get ruined by a drunkard" "What are you talking about?" "This is a free world" "Writers have the freedom to write martial arts novels or pulp fiction" "Readers have the freedom to read martial arts novels and pulp fiction" "This place has too much freedom" "Writer's sweat and blood get no protection" "Any book that sells gets pirated and sold in South-East Asia" "If these publishers have freedom" "Perhaps thieves should have the freedom to steal" "Lau" "Haven't seen you in almost a year." "Where have you been hiding?" "Did you win the lottery or got caught up with a woman?" "We miss you, especially when we play mah-jong." "Aren't you afraid that I'll have no money to pay you if I lose?" "Write a screenplay for me" "I've never written one before" "What are you afraid of?" "All screenwriters in Hong Kong are amateurs anyway" "The audience doesn't care" "People only want to see period dramas" "As long as they feature Lin Dai or You Min or some other movie stars" "Also with the cinemascope" "And the movie will make money." "The screenplay doesn't matter" "But Mandarin pictures we make are much better than dialect films." "If that's the case, why pay $3000 for a screenplay?" "$3000 is nothing compared to overall budget of a movie" "Director Li once smashed an antique vase which costs three times as much" "I am pretty hard up recently, and I have to move" "If writing screenplays is as easy as you say" "I'm willing to try" "What should I write about?" "Nowadays it's not hard to find subjects" "Dream of Red Chamber, Water Margin, Tale of Three Kingdoms and other classics provide enough materials for one hundred years" "If it's so easy why hire a novice like me?" "The truth is we are old friends" "I would like to give a try" "I need the money for the move" "No problem" "Write a synopsis first" "Once we approve the story we'll advance you $500" "Alright?" "You decided to move?" "It's all your fault" "What did I do?" "How can you tell your parents that I wanted to ruin you?" "There is a way if you don't want to move." "What way?" "You don't need to know but you have to promise me one thing" "What is it?" "Her lips are colored with almond color lipstick, and even the smoke she blows out is almond scented" "Don't be scared." "I'm not a little girl." "If that's the case, why hesitate?" "I need to make a call" "Mak, I need to borrow $300." "I've decided to move" "Be careful" "Come here, I have something to say to you" "What is it?" "Tell me your new address" "Why?" "You need a reason?" "Y es, a very good one." "You're afraid I'd eat you?" "Afraid you'd start more rumors" "Tell me your new address." "Call me when you're 20" "I'll tell you a secret." "What?" "You have to swear not to tell anyone." "Then don't bother telling me" "You're a stubborn man" "Yes, I am a stubborn man" "I like your stubbornness" "Don't talk this way." "I'm going to tell you the secret anyway" "What secret would a 1 7 year old girl have?" "I had an abortion when I was 1 5" "Mary, you're too young," "don't abuse yourself like that" "You're a writer, but your mind is too old fashioned." "Being too new-fashioned is dangerous for a 1 7 year old girl." "Dangerous?" "How?" "You'll know what I mean in ten years." "Goodbye" "Mr. Lau, you sure can drink" "I'm alright" "Why do you have so much alcohol around if you don't drink?" "Well, I can't just leave the liquor cabinet empty, can I?" "Sorry to have drunk half a bottle of your whiskey" "It doesn't matter." "Nobody drinks it anyway" "You were telling me" "Your husband comes home twice a year?" "Y es" "He writes to you every day?" "No." "Once a week?" "No." "Once a month?" "No" "He's never written to you?" "He's illiterate" "Can't he find someone to write for him?" "He's too busy" "When he's on the ship, he's busy gambling." "When he's on shore, he's too busy with women"" "He makes good money smuggling goods" "And you have to raise a kid alone" "Her eyes are like two pieces of glass" "Desire wriggling behind the glass" "Does he love you?" "I don't know" "Do you love him?" "I love money" "I think I love money" "As long as he sends me money every month" "As long as he sends me money every month" "I'll meet him at the pier every time he comes back" "I'll meet him at the pier every month" "He seldom stays in Hong Kong" "Don't you get lonely?" "Don't drink so much" "Why?" "If it wasn't for the drinks, we wouldn't have done what we did..." "Something is bugging me" "You're afraid I'll stick to you like a leech?" "No, no" "Absolutely not" "Save the drink for tonight" "Don't be scared, I won't trouble you" "What's the matter?" "You can tell me" "I earn my living by writing" "I just got notice from the newspaper my martial arts stories are no good and they no longer require my services" "That's that" "I see" "You don't think this is important" "Come and eat" "Ideal swims in the whiskey glass." "Hope swims in the whiskey glass." "Sorrow swims in the whiskey glass." "Is this good stuff?" "Enjoy the meal" "Why aren't you eating?" "War, war, war." "Japanese Army Invaded Shanghai" "Refugees from the south of the city poured into" "Big World Amusement Park which had just been declared a refugee camp" "I was on a bus heading home it just went past the Nanjing Cinema when I heard a loud whistling sound coming through the air followed by an earth-shattering blast" "I saw a man with his head blasted off yet still running on the road" "Failure is the mother of success" "Even though the first screenplay didn't succeed you can still write another one" "I'll be honest with you what the movie business lacks most are scriptwriters like you" "My boss" "He adapted Japanese movies into Chinese by changing bits and pieces" "That's what things are like" "There's shortage of good scripts" "Don't get discouraged" "If you truly want to enter movie business, don't give up" "Let me tell you" "If I was the boss, I'll let you make a historical epic" "Your brain has big problem!" "Boy!" "Mr. Lau" "No need" " Take it" " No need" "Mom, I'm going to school" "I'll get my coat" "There are two problems that need to be solved." "Which two?" "First, job, second, moving." "You want to move again?" "Why?" "Although I'm poor, I still have my pride." "I don't understand." "Without any income, I will become a spineless person living off women" "An escapist becomes tired of this world" "That's right." "I don't know what's left for me in this world" "I want to start a literary magazine, and you will be the editor" "My mother has promised to use her own savings to help me" "What about your father?" "He would not approve" "I suggested this idea to him before but he said literary magazines in Hong Kong should not exceed "Youth Journal" level or else it would lose money" "His view is quite correct." "If our magazine can have a positive effect on this polluted city then losing a few thousand dollars is still worthwhile" "That's a fool's way of thinking." "In this society there are too many smart people and too few fools" "I've made up mind" "Have you thought of the name for the magazine?" "I think we could simply call it "Literature."" "What do you think?" "We could call it "Avant Garde Literature"" "People will know right away that it is ahead of its time" "What do you think?" "Alright, We'll call it "Avant Garde Literature"" "I will not accept any kind of subsidy and will never stoop to publishing pornography" "I will give you a salary of $300." "It's not much, but as long as you don't drink, it should be enough" "Even if our literature magazine attracts only one reader" "Our efforts will not be in vain" "Alright" "You have my support" "I need to move" "Can you advance me $300?" "Why are you crying, mom?" "Do your homework" "Who is this?" "Who is this?" "Who is sleeping in my bed?" "It's Mrs. Wong" "Why are you in my bed?" "This is my bed" "Leave" "Have a drink with me" "No, I've had a lot already" "Please leave" "If you don't leave, I will" "Why are you crying?" "Mom was taken to the hospital" "What happened?" "She drank half a bottle of disinfectant" "You shouldn't give up on yourself" "You should quit drinking" "Use the money to buy food" "Use your time to write" "You once told me that James Joyce was half blind" "He had to teach to make a living" "He also worked as a clerk" "But he never gave up on what he wanted to do and completed Ulysses" "The Irish censors banned his book and publishers made money off pirated copies" "Readers misunderstood him" "But he was not discouraged" "He kept writing and almost starved to death although he died only 21 years ago" "He is already recognized as a "modern literary giant"" "Literature is a type of hard labor" "You have to keep working at it like a mule" "You told me all this yourself" "Min, don't work too hard" "Mrs. Lei, I'm a new tenant here" "I'm not Min" "Mr. Lei" "Mr. Lau, have a seat" "Who is Min?" "That's the name of my elder brother" "Where is he now?" "He died in Chongqing during the Japanese war" "He was in his early 20s, and had just graduated from university" "He hadn't got married yet" "He was a bright kid, my mom's favorite" "This is my brother" "We were walking along the Hanyu highway someone discovered an undetonated bomb in front of the iron factory" "We stood still War, war, war" "We dared not take another step but my relative walked on quickly ahead" "His wife ran after him, and pulled him back" "She scolded him at the top of her lungs" "Saying that the bomb might explode any time" "He said, because the bomb might explode any time that's why he has to move it to the fields" "Otherwise it will blow up the whole factory then he would not have the will to live" "His wife would not let him take the risk" "She ran after him like a mad woman" "When he was moving the bomb with his bare hands" "Boom!" "It exploded" "Afterwards we could not even find their corpses" "All we found was a charred yellow leather shoe and a gold ring" "Min, I made you some pork liver congee" "It's cold out." "Eat it and you'll be warmer" "I don't eat pork liver" "Min, you are always so stubborn" "Pork liver is good for your body" "Listen to mom and eat up" "Be a good boy" "It's delicious." "Now I feel warmer" "Thank you" "I know you like roses." "They were selling them cheap this morning" "She told me she has a father who likes to gamble, an invalid mother two younger brothers and two younger sisters" "She said her father owed $500 in gambling and was unable to pay it back they were persuaded by the landlord to put her to work as a dancing girl" "She said that elderly patrons sought to re-discover their youth in her" "She earned a lot of money but had not saved a penny" "She told me she didn't know how to dance so she went to dancing school the teacher put Spanish fly in coffee and forced her to drink it" "Lulu and Mary are both early bloomers, but they are in fact different" "Lulu has been hurt and abused, while Mary wants to hurt herself" "After she had learnt Waltz, the dance teacher turned to another girl." "I might hate Mary, but I can't help pitying Lulu." "She said she hated young men and old men but liked middle aged men" "She liked middle aged men like me" "She remembered the first time we met and everything I said to her" "She likes to listen to me talk" "If Lulu wants to seek revenge on me, I'm glad to let her" "Among the different thoughts inside my head, one had won the day" "I want to prove myself a hero in front of a 1 7 year old girl" "Are you ready with the inaugural piece?" "Y es" "I still need to make changes." "I'll give it to you in two days, ok?" "No, let me send it out first, and you can correct it later" "Alright" "You are not going out tonight?" "It's already 4 o'clock" "I've been writing non-stop, and I haven't even had lunch yet" "Why don't you come out now and I'll buy you dinner" "Afterwards you can take a rest" "Go home and work on Gramont's "Proust As I Knew Him"" "You treat me like cattle" "Those who engage in literature must work like a mule" "Alright then" "Min, you haven't even had lunch yet." "I just made this sweet soup." "Have some before you go out" "It's exactly like my script!" "I wrote the script!" "You wrote it?" "So boring!" "The more despicable you are the higher you rise" "Those who are true to their consciences are at the bottom of society to be tram pled upon" "I just saw "Butterfly Dreams"" "What do you think?" "I think the script has problems" "What problems?" "It has artistic value but lacks commercial worth" "I still haven't received my money" "We are old friends, don't talk this way" "You still think of me as your friend?" "We've been friends for over 20 years." "If you are my friend, you shouldn't steal my script" "How should I put it?" ""Butterfly Dreams"" "Now I want you help with a problem" "Sure, what is it?" "I still haven't found a job, and I got to pay back some debt." "How much do you need?" "$3000 is a big sum." "Can you make it less?" "That's the price for a movie script" "O.K. I'll see what I can do." "Listen," "You have to" "I'll do my best" "You still live in the same place?" "I'll send someone over with the money" "No, I've moved" "I'm leaving" "You haven't finished your coffee" "I've made up my mind I can't go on being a fool" "I can't starve or live without alcohol, nor do I want to worry about paying the rent" "I'm looking for Mr. Lau." "Oh, you're looking for Min." "Please wait a minute." "I'm looking for Mr. Lau." "Min, there's someone here for Mr. Lei" "The Director asked me to give you this." "Which director?" "Director Mo." "Enclosed please find $50 to assist you, kindly reply to this note" "Please wait a moment" "I'd rather starve than take your charity" "Give it to Mo" ""Everything Visible Is Empty"" "What do you think?" "It's very well written." "Just the title is eye catching enough, "Golden Lotus'Sex Escapades"" "I didn't know you could write like that" "To earn a living" "I hope you can help me." "It's you who are helping us" "Does this mean you'll publish the piece?" "It'll appear in the paper day after tomorrow." "What is the fee?" "We are a small paper and can't be compared with the big boys" "Perhaps you'll find our fee too small" "How much per thousand words?" "US$8" "If the readers respond well we'll increase to $1 0 in 2 months" "Alright, that's settled" "There's something else" "You have other questions?" "I want an advance of $1 00." "Can you do it?" "Our paper has never done this before." "I understand" "Just this once, please help me" "I can personally lend you $1 00" "We are old friends" "But write me an I.O.U." "One more" "Drink up, great!" " Again" " Let's eat first" "You know what?" "I'm tired of this dancing girl life" "You want to get another job?" "I want to be a house wife" "Do you like Elvis'songs?" "You know how to do "mash potato dance"?" "No" "You like watching movies?" "Who's your favorite movie star?" "I like Lin Dai with her large eyes" "Du Juan when she is angry and I like You Min, Grace Chang and Julie Yeh Fung in "Stars, Moon and Sun"" "Have you seen Grace Chang's "Mambo Girl"?" "I watched it when I was young." "I went home and imitated her dance" "I liked them all" "Big sister" "This is my brother" "Do the potato dance for me" "I can't" "Sorry to trouble you" "I'm leaving" "Is big sister drunk?" "That's right" "She doesn't really know how to drink" "Why don't you take her to a hotel?" "I don't understand what you mean" "They say that big sister is a bad girl" "Whoever has money can take her to a hotel" "Don't say that." "Why?" "Because your sister is doing it for your sake" "We never asked her to." "But you have to eat and go to school" "Our dad earns money to pay for that" "Your dad is out gambling all the time, how does he get the money?" "Silly boys, look after your sister" "Behave yourselves" "When did you arrive?" "Why didn't you go to work at the newspaper?" "Take a look at this stage play" "It is very well written, the technique is excellent" "I don't want to" "Why?" "I'm sick of it." "I've decided to give up doing serious literary work" "Honestly, even if I managed to write something like "Old Man and the Sea"" "nobody will appreciate it" "Are you drunk again?" "No, I had a few drinks but I'm not drunk" "Every writer wants to be known, but it's not necessary" "You told me that even James Joyce faced humiliation and was misunderstood whe he was alive, but he never gave up" "If what we do will be appreciated a hundred years from now then our present sufferings are all worth it." "Society is too cruel and practical" "We can't go on living in our dreams" "Don't you remember what you told me?" "You said Proust suffered from asthma" "He was confined to an airless room for over ten years" "But he ended up writing "Remembrance of Times Past"" "Mak don't talk about that again" "In order to make a better living, I've decided to write porn fiction." "You can take away any of the books on the shelf if you are interested" "Today I wrote a very pornographic piece 6000 words, and gave it to a newspaper in Central" "They gave me $1 00 in advance" "You are giving up your ideals for $1 00?" "That's right" "What about your editor position at "Avant Garde Literature"?" " I don't want to do it any more" " I've lost all interest in literature" "Haven't seen you in ages." "Here alone?" "No, I came with my husband." " You're married?" " Y es" "Why didn't you tell me?" "He looks familiar." "You've met him" "He is the factory boss" "The one who sent his thugs to beat me up?" "You married him?" "Yes" "Why?" "Why do you have to marry him?" "Because" "He's rich" "Money rules everything." "It's the devil." "It is more powerful than God, especially in Hong Kong" "I've fallen in love with you" "If I treat her as a prostitute, I am a hero but if I treat her as a lover, I'm pitifully inadequate" ""Avant Garde Literature"" "I plan to describe Golden Lotus'sex lives with her various tenants" "I'll describe how horny she is" "How she seduces the men" "How she achieves greatest sexual satisfaction with all the male tenants" "So on and so forth" "Don't need much thought" "No need for plot nor character description No need to create atmosphere" "As long as I write about sex I'll get my money" "Telephone call for you." "I sent you the first issue." "Did you get it?" "Y es." "How is it?" "I'd like to know your views" "I admire your courage and determination." "What about the content?" "What do you think?" "Very good, every piece is above standard." "And the original writings?" "Not as good, but passable" "How about the translated pieces?" "They are of a high standard" "The deadline for the second issue is coming up" "I know you are too busy for translation work" "But you read a lot, so I'm hoping you could provide us with some materials" "I haven't read any serious literature lately" "What?" "I dream that 40 years from now" "A Hong Kong film director adapts my novel to the screen" "But this director does not pay me a cent" "I dream that 50 years from now" "Another director adapts another novel of mine" "This is the first time I get money for film adaptation rights" "I drink a bottle of brandy to celebrate" "Not finished yet?" "You're here" "Here's the light." "How is "Avant Garde Literature" coming along?" "The second issue is at the printer's" "We don't have much original writings yet." "How is the first issue selling?" "Very poorly." "How poorly?" "We shipped 1 000 copies to Singapore and Malaysia, but the distributor said they could only sell 30 copies and we should only send them 1 00 copies next time." "1 00 copies?" "They also want us to have serial novels" "I see" "What about the sales situation in Hong Kong?" "It's a little better, but we've sold fewer than 1 00 copies" "Mak, we're old friends." "Can I be frank with you?" "Sure" "If the magazine sells only 1 00 copies a month then it's not worth your effort." "As long as there is a single reader" "I will continue to publish "Avant Garde Literature"" "In that case, I try to write a short story for you" "Sure, but what pseudonym will you use?" "The one I use all the time" "But you're writing four porn novels under that name!" "So?" "So?" "I can't have you writing serious literature under the same pseudonym with which you write Golden Lotus' Sex Escapades!" "If that's what you think then forget it" "Mr. Lau" "I'm quitting next month." "Why?" "You switching to another club?" "You're tired of the trade?" "Then why are you quitting?" "I'm getting married" "Who are you getting married to?" " A young client." " You don't know him" "The word 'young' pierced my heart like an arrow" "Your cheeks are redder than Lord Kwan's." "Stop drinking" "I'm OK" "I want to drink" "Drink up." "We should celebrate" "Come on, I'll drink" "Alright, I'll drink with you" "We obtained some donations and bought a few dozen grey military overcoats" "We were young then, and didn't trust anyone but ourselves." "We want to see the soldiers'warm smiles as they received the overcoats from us" "So we braved gunfire to deliver the coats" "We crawled through a bamboo forest" "As we did so an enemy mortar exploded among the bamboo grove" "Someone beside me yelled" "I lifted my head up to look our class rep was lying with his face up, his face covered in blood" "War, war, war Japanese Army Attacked Shanghai" "A piece of his head had been blown away by shrapnel pieces of his brain came dribbling out" "His eyes were wide open and his eye balls remained still" "I couldn't take it anymore." "I stood up and was about to leave" "The class rep talked to me in a trembling voice," ""Please smash my head in with a rock!"" "Is this the military hospital?" "You had a bad dream" "Where is Lulu?" "Who?" "The girl I was drinking with." "I'm sorry, I don't know" "How did I end up here?" "The police brought you." "Someone hit you with a bottle" "Who?" "I'm not sure." "Nurse, can you loosen up the bandages for me?" "Sure, no problem" "When can I get out of the hospital?" "Your injuries are serious" "You have a concussion" "So you have to stay here for observation" "Is this better?" "Could it have been Lulu?" "You'd gone missing for days, I didn't know what to do" "I didn't expect this." "I was in the hospital for a few days" "You could have kept on writing on the hospital bed" "All you need is a pen and a stack of paper" "My head was hurting, I got no inspiration" "You're a professional writer" "You should be able to write under any circumstances" "Professionals get sick too you know." "I'm telling you" "You cannot stop writing from now on, even if you're sick in the hospital." "If I have to write even when I'm sick, then I quit" "Fine." "A lot of people would kill for your job" "What's up?" "You're drunk again?" "No" "Maybe not yet, but don't drink any more." "Why?" "My daughter really wants to meet you." "You want to introduce your daughter to me?" "That's right." "How much?" "US$300" "$300?" "I haven't won the lottery yet" "Take a look" "I don't have much money on me." "She may be young, but she can make you happy." "I know, but I don't have that much money" "How much do you have?" "How old are you?" "20" "You lie!" "Do you do this all the time?" "My first time." "You're lying again!" "Do you do this willingly?" "My father is sick." "He needs the money for medicine" "You are such a cliche" "This is mid-day news from Radio Hong Kong" "First up is international news concerning Cuban crisis" "According to Reuters, US President Kennedy's speech at Congress today reiterated that US government is highly concerned about Soviet missile bases in Cuba, which US views as military provocation" "President Kennedy will present an ultimatum to Soviet Premier Khrushchev demanding that the USSR dismantle all missile bases already under construction in Cuba" "Or the US will take military action including bombing of Cuban bases with nuclear weapons" "I'm sorry, Lulu doesn't work here any more" "Sir, do you live here?" "I'm looking for Lily" "Mister, who are you looking for?" "I'm looking for Lily, Lily!" "Madam!" "I don't know him" "Her voice sounds familiar" "You are Lily, right?" "Who are you?" "I want Lily" "She's already married" "That's 1 5 catties in total" "I'll give you $30 for them" "How about $50?" "Literature isn't worth that much" "You have blue books?" "They are worth more" "Who are you looking for?" "I want to find a little girl." "She's around 1 5 or 1 6" "What's her name?" "I don't know" "I've been here. her mother brought me" "She said she wanted to introduce me to her" "They moved" "I only have a few dollars on me." "Why look for her?" "Am I so desperate that" "I just want to see another human being more pitiful than me?" "He's awake, he's awake" "He didn't die" "Don't feel sad." "There are no problems that can't be solved." "That's right." "The world is a wonderful place" "Min, you're a smart person" "Why would you do such a silly thing?" "Promise mom you won't drink so much from now on" "I promise I won't drink anymore neither alcohol nor disinfectant" "Mother" "You have come home" "I take a rest first." "Sure" "Min, don't drink any more alcohol from now on" "It's bad for you" "Listen to mom, don't drink anymore" "Here's $3000" "It should last you for a while" "How can I take your money?" "I can't..." "Of course you can." "You're my son" "Min you came back from the war safe and sound" "Mama is too happy" "Take it, take it" "Before I drank the Dettol, I thought I had lost everything" "After I drank the Dettol, I seem to have regained everything I had lost" "What would you like?" "You want whiskey or brandy?" "A bottle of whiskey" "Sorry, forget it" "I'll just have a packet of cigarette" "Haven't gotten my salary yet" "You must be joking, you look like a boss yourself!" "Thanks" "Hot coffee" "To me, drinking is very important, but it is not like the sun and air" "You need money to buy it" "In order to drink I have to earn money" "How else will I live after I'd spent all of Old Mrs. Lei's money?" "I was just over 20 years old, in Shanghai" "The buttonwood trees on Avenue Joffre" "The squash court on Avenue du Roi Albert" "Roast suckling pig at DDC Cafe" "All of them were attractive, but not as attractive as alcohol" "I met a dancing girl Lily, who was tired of life" "She said she liked my eyes" "I didn't know she was so good at lying, and willingly became her slave" "I gave her everything I had" "She took me drinking all the time" "I never got drunk once" "I was proud of my ability to drink" "But she told me, "One day, you will get drunk."" "And sure enough I did" "That was when she quit being a dancing girl because she was marrying the cotton king" "I went to our usual haunt and got so drunk that I didn't know where I was" "I was just over 20 then" "From then on drinking became a passport that took me to another world" "I may not like the oblivion alcohol brought but I hate the ugly reality of life more" "There was a time when I drank white rice wine everyday in foggy Chongqing" "There was another time when I drank yellow rice wine in the rain" "For a time I drank whiskey everyday at a restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui" "I think wisdom is created by the devil" "The more you have, the more worries you have" "What happened?" "You were really drunk last night but were still capable of arguing with mother-in-law in the end, she cut her wrist in her room" "That afternoon I wrote on my notebook," "I'm quitting drinking today" "But by night fall, I drank a few glasses of brandy in a restaurant."