These past few days, Hao Ge's father had appendicitis surgery, and in order to take care of his father, he often runs between the hospital and the company.
As a close friend, Li Ling would naturally visit Uncle Song from time to time, and it was through this that he met Song Zijie.
With striking features, a commanding presence, and unparalleled elegance, he is a memory of an era…
The moment Li Ling saw Song Zijie, he felt a momentary daze, as if he were really seeing his brother Leslie Cheung, which filled him with emotion.
In this world, none of the characters in "A Better Tomorrow" have corresponding actors; there is no Chow Yun-fat, no Leslie Cheung, and no Ti Lung.
On the way back from the hospital, Hao sincerely thanked Li Ling, saying, "Ling, thank you for doing so much for me, for letting me retire from my life of crime, and for entrusting me with the management of your film company, allowing me to face A-Jie with a clear conscience. I..."
Although Hao Ge was forced to join the underworld back then, he placed his hopes for the future on his younger brother, Song Zijie.
His wish was to see Song Zijie pursue his doctorate, get married in a church, and have children. This reflects a deep brotherly affection for his younger brother.
Now that Li Ling has helped him retire from his criminal life and put him in charge of the film and television company, he is truly grateful.
Li Ling waved his hand to interrupt Hao Ge's words of thanks, and looked at him seriously: "Hao Ge, don't say such things. We're all brothers. The company's counterfeit money business will eventually go out of business. It's a good thing that you can get out of it sooner."
"Little Ma and I will gradually distance ourselves from each other in the future. For now, you should focus on managing the film company's business; it's also a way out for us brothers."
"Brother, okay, I won't say much more. I'll manage the film company well and wait for you guys." Brother Hao said firmly, nodding earnestly.
"A Better Tomorrow" is a movie with a strong tragic tone. Everything Li Ling is doing now is not only to complete the mission of this world, but also because Little Ma and Brother Hao are his brothers. He will arrange the future for his two brothers and prevent the tragedy from happening again.
......
As dusk falls and neon lights begin to illuminate the night, Hong Kong Island's nightlife becomes intoxicating and dazzling.
In a bar in Lan Kwai Fong, colorful lights flickered from time to time, and the music drifting from the speakers was soft and lyrical, creating a quiet and leisurely atmosphere.
Li Ling, Xiao Ma, Hao Ge, and Tan Cheng were sitting and drinking in front of a booth.
"Snap!"
The match flicked past the cigarette pack and ignited a flame. Little Ma leisurely lit a cigarette, not even throwing away the blown-out match, but holding it in his mouth as well. He took a deep sniff of the smoke, exhaled the vapor, and looked at Brother Hao through the wisps of smoke, asking, "How's life after you've retired from the life of a gangster?"
Sitting across from him, Hao smiled slightly, shrugged, and said leisurely, "I don't need to be so worried anymore. I'm no longer uneasy when facing A-Jie."
"That's fine, after all, you have too many things to worry about." Although Brother Ma said this, he couldn't hide the reluctance in his eyes.
Hao patted Xiao Ma on the shoulder and comforted him, "Don't be sad. When you're no longer working at the company, we brothers can work together at A Ling's company. Although there will be a lot of work, you don't have to worry about getting arrested by the police one day."
Little Ma nodded, looking forward to the future when he and his two brothers would start working together again in the business world.
Deep down, Brother Ma cherishes the friendship between the three of them and is willing to stay with his brothers. However, since Mr. Yao has been kind to them and Brother Hao has now retired, he and Li Ling need to do a few more business deals for Mr. Yao.
Li Ling, who was standing to the side, took a sip of wine, put down his glass, looked at Brother Hao, and said in a relaxed tone, "Brother Hao, don't worry. Leave Hengda to me and Brother Ma. We'll take good care of the brothers down there."
Over the past three years, Li Ling has cultivated many loyal brothers, while Brother Hao and Brother Ma also have their own supporters.
Little Ma shrugged, glanced at Tan Cheng who was standing quietly to the side, and suddenly said to Li Ling meaningfully, "I think A-Cheng has been eyeing the boss's seat for a long time. Why don't we let him sit there?"
Upon hearing this, Tan Cheng waved his hands repeatedly, a smile appearing on his lips: "Brother Ma, don't joke around. I'm still far from good enough, and there are many things I need to learn."
Perhaps it was because Li Ling's position in the company had become so important in recent years that Mr. Yao felt threatened, so he arranged for Tan Cheng to be Li Ling's driver. Whenever Li Ling and his colleagues were working, they always had Tan Cheng with them.
Tan Cheng's behavior elicited sneers from Li Ling and Xiao Ma, but neither of them said a word.
Someone as trusting as Brother Hao might not see it, but Brother Ma has such a sharp eye that he could see right through Tan Cheng. On the surface, he seemed honest and kind, but in reality, he was like a hungry wolf, eyeing the boss's position and waiting for his chance to strike.
Little Ma took another deep drag of his cigarette, exhaled, and looked coldly at Tan Cheng, scoffing, "You think you can learn it just because you want to?"
Don't think you can be a boss just because you read Mafia books every day. You're not even as good as one of Brother Ling's fingers! Have you ever had a gun pointed at your head?
At this point, Brother Ma narrowed his eyes slightly, recalling the past, and said, "Back then, Brother Ling, Brother Hao, and I went to Indonesia for the first time to sell goods. The boss there invited us to dinner at a nightclub."
I said something wrong and offended the boss there. Then two guns were pointed at my head! They wanted me to drink the whole bottle of whiskey! I was terrified, I really was!
Brother Ma, looking excited, described the perilous journey he had taken to Indonesia to transport goods last time.
He continued, "At that time, Brother Hao drank the whole bottle of whiskey for me. It would have been better if we hadn't drunk it, because drinking it made things worse. Then four guns were pointed at our heads."
"Do you know what we're supposed to drink? Urine! But do you know what Brother Ling did? He snatched the gun from the thug, pointed it at the boss, and showed the explosives strapped to his waist. That's how he led Brother Hao and me out of the encirclement and finally closed the deal with Indonesia."
"Study? This is what you call studying! Can you learn Ling Ge's courage and boldness? Humph, you don't know what's good for you!" Little Ma said, not forgetting to scold and reprimand Tan Cheng.
He recounted Li Ling's glorious deeds as if they had just happened yesterday, with every detail still vivid in his mind. As he spoke, his eyes welled up with tears of emotion, and he looked at Li Ling with immense gratitude.
Li Ling patted Little Ma on the shoulder and said jokingly, "That's all in the past. Little Ma, you're not going to wet yourself again, are you?"
"Go away! You brat!" Little Ma's tears instantly welled up, and he punched Li Ling.
Their eyes met, and their brotherly bond was unspoken.
Little Ma spoke without thinking, but Tan Chengguang was taken to heart. He broke out in a cold sweat after hearing Little Ma's story, and when he looked at Li Ling, he clearly showed a hint of fear.
Hao put his arm around Li Ling and Xiao Ma's shoulders. The trio looked at each other and smiled. All their past experiences flashed before their eyes, making them cherish each other even more.
Over the years, the three brothers have been united in heart and mind, sharing joys and sorrows. They have lived a life of constant danger, but the brotherhood forged through these trials is as deep as the sea, something that ordinary people cannot comprehend, making it all the more precious!
The three brothers clasped hands together, tears glistening in their eyes.
Glorious years, brothers with no regrets!
...
That evening, Hao left alone, while Li Ling and Xiao Ma went together.