"Alishan" Film Script 10

Scene 81 – Daytime

Characters: Shi Ziqiang, Gao Yingxiong, Jian Dafa, Mai Youlong, Pu Tianxiang, Yagu Mana

Time: Afternoon

Location: Police Precinct

△ Ziqiang and Yingxiong escort Jian Dafa to the precinct.

Yingxiong: “Chief, we just caught a member of a timber poaching gang. We’re handing him over to you.”

Youlong: (glances at Dafa) “Oh!”

△ Ziqiang and Yingxiong turn around and leave the precinct.

Dafa: (disdainfully) “Damn! You might as well let me go. My boss will come bail me out later anyway.”

Tianxiang: (grabs Dafa by the collar and pulls him close) “You’re really arrogant. I know who your boss is too. We’ll talk once he gets here. First, I’m settling the score for you and Li Xiaodao murdering my wife!”

△ After speaking, Tianxiang fiercely punches Dafa in the stomach. Bound up, Jian Dafa bends over in pain.

Youlong: (walks over) “Tianxiang, take the statement first.”

Tianxiang: (pulls Dafa up by the collar) “Yes, sir.”

△ The telephone rings.

Tianxiang: “Hello! Criminal Investigation Division.” (hands the phone to Mai) “Chief, it’s for you.”

Youlong: “Hello! This is Mai Youlong. Yes, yes, alright, Councilman, I’ll handle it accordingly. Please don’t worry.” (hangs up)

Youlong: “Release him.”

Tianxiang: (confused) “Release him! Chief, the mountain patrol worked extremely hard to catch this man…”

Youlong: “I said release him, so release him. What ‘but’ are you talking about? That’s an order!”

Tianxiang: (reluctantly unties Dafa’s ropes) “Consider yourself damned lucky. Go.”

Dafa: (straightens his clothes) “I already told you, you’ll never catch me.”

△ Jian Dafa swaggeringly leaves the police station.

Tianxiang: “Chief, you’re just letting him go like this? He was caught red-handed.”

Youlong: “Which one of your eyes saw him stealing timber?”

Tianxiang: “I didn’t see it personally, but I know clearly this guy came to scout the route.”

Youlong: “Come talk to me after you catch him with both the criminal and the evidence.”

Tianxiang: “Chief, you’re shielding him!”

Youlong: “It’s not shielding him. It’s neither wrongfully accusing nor wrongfully releasing. Do you even know what abuse of detention power means?”

Tianxiang: “Chief, you…”

Youlong: (displeased) “And furthermore, your attitude is poor! I’m transferring you to an internal desk duty uniformed officer position.”

△ After speaking, Mai Youlong walks toward the chief’s office without even turning back.

Tianxiang: (glaring angrily, dejected) “Chief, I refuse to accept this.”

Tianxiang: (frustrated, shouting loudly toward the hallway) “I refuse to accept it! I refuse to accept you!”

△ Yagu Mana walks out from the standby room and presses a hand onto Tianxiang’s shoulder.

Mana: (softly) “Kid, you clashed with the chief again?”

Tianxiang: (still furious, shakes his head with a bitter smile) “Words fail me before heaven itself!”

Mana: (softly) “I heard your whole conversation from inside just now. Kid, that stubborn old horse has definitely already been… you understand what I mean, right?”

Tianxiang: “I understand. This is called collusion between officials and businessmen, blatantly working with insiders against us!”

Mana: “Shhh…” (places a finger before his lips) “Keep your voice down. We understand each other without saying it openly.”

Tianxiang: “Is there really no way to punish these people?”

Mana: “Of course there is a way. Here, lend me your ear.”

△ Mana leans close to Tianxiang’s ear and mutters a few words. An unusual gleam blossoms across Tianxiang’s face.

Mana: “I’ve endured that muddleheaded old horse long enough! We’ll make it so he won’t even understand how he died.”

Tianxiang: “When do we act?”

Mana: “Within these next few days, I suppose. We’ll find a suitable opportunity.”

Scene 82 – Nighttime

Characters: Pu Tianxiang, Yagu Mana

Time: Night

Location: Chief’s Office, Dormitory

△ While Precinct Chief Mai Youlong is out attending a banquet, Tianxiang sneaks into the chief’s office to install a listening device, while Mana stands guard outside. In less than five minutes, Tianxiang comes back out and gives Mana an “OK” hand signal. The two return to the dormitory.

Tianxiang: (praising him) “Brother, the master key you made is really useful.”

Mana: (proudly) “Naturally!”

Tianxiang: (curious) “Brother, how did you learn such an incredible skill? I really couldn’t tell!”

Mana: “My father was a school janitor. Ever since I was little, he made me learn all sorts of things with him—repairing plumbing and electrical wiring, fixing desks, chairs, doors and windows, painting. When I was in junior high school, my dad even taught me how to repair locks and pick them. He thought I’d become a plumber or locksmith in the future.”

Tianxiang: “So it’s a family tradition! My respects! My respects!”

Mana: “Who would’ve thought I was actually pretty good at studying? After graduating from vocational school, I got into the police academy.”

Tianxiang: (humorously) “Oh? A locksmith becoming a forest police officer? Fortunately, you didn’t become a cat burglar.”

Mana: “Yeah! Otherwise, I might’ve become a legendary thief that gives the police endless headaches!”

Scene 83 – Daytime

Characters: Pu Tianxiang, Yagu Mana, Mai Youlong

Time: Morning

Location: Duty Counter, Chief’s Office

△ One morning, the telephone rings at the precinct duty counter.

Mana: (answers the phone) “Hello! Precinct. Please hold a moment.”

Mana: (gives Tianxiang an OK hand signal) “Chief, there’s a call for you.”

Youlong: “Transfer it to my office.”

Youlong: “Hello! This is Mai Youlong.”

Youlong: (looks around cautiously, speaks softly) “Councilman! Yes, yes…”

Tianxiang: (monitoring the wiretap, hangs up after several minutes, secretly delighted, voice-over) “Now the evidence is conclusive. Chief Mai is definitely going to lose his position.”

Mana: (whispering) “Tianxiang, record a few more conversations, then report the evidence to the county police bureau inspector general.”

Tianxiang: (softly) “Mm! Once the evidence is fully prepared, that old horse won’t be able to hide his fox tail anymore.”

Mana: “When the time comes, we’ll arrest Wu Tianliang and the rest of that timber poaching gang too.”

△ Mai Youlong walks out from the chief’s office.

Tianxiang: “Chief Mai’s coming out. Shh.”

Scene 84 – Daytime

Characters: Chen Wendian, Zhong Mingxian

Time: Morning

Location: Chiayi County Police Bureau Inspector General’s Office

△ Inside the inspector general’s office at the county police bureau, Criminal Squad Captain Zhong Mingxian pushes open the door and enters.

Mingxian: (walks to the desk) “Sir, you were looking for me.”

Wendian: “Mingxian, there’s a file on the desk. I’m assigning you a difficult mission.”

Mingxian: “Going undercover in a criminal organization, sir?”

Wendian: “You could say it’s undercover work, but the target of the investigation is one of our own people.”

Mingxian: (curious) “One of our own?”

Wendian: “There’s a rotten apple among us.”

Mingxian: “Oh? Which unit?”

Wendian: “Go back and read through that file first. The details are explained very clearly inside. There’s also a copy of a transfer order and an emergency authorization order in the bag. They can help you complete the mission smoothly in a critical moment.”

Mingxian: “Understood, sir.”

Wendian: “When the time is ripe, notify me, and we’ll close the net together and make the arrests.”

Mingxian: “Yes, sir.”

Wendian: “Go make your preparations. You’ll assume the post next Monday.”

Mingxian: “Yes, sir.”

△ After saluting, Zhong Mingxian turns and leaves the inspector general’s office.

Scene 85 – Daytime

Characters: Zhong Mingxian, Pu Tianxiang, Yagu Mana, Mai Youlong, more than ten precinct officers and policemen

Time: Afternoon

Location: Police Precinct

△ Zhong Mingxian walks into the precinct duty counter area.

Tianxiang: (politely) “Sir, may I ask what service you need from us?”

Mingxian: “Excuse me, is Chief Mai here?”

Tianxiang: “Yes! May I ask who you are…”

Mingxian: “I’m here to report for duty.”

Mana: “Report for duty? How come we never heard that a new rookie was being assigned here?”

Mingxian: (surprised) “Rookie?”

Mana: “Yeah. So, are you one stripe two, or one stripe three?”

Mingxian: (curious) “Does that make a difference?”

Mana: “After putting down your luggage, if you’re one stripe two, scrub the toilets and bathrooms clean with a toothbrush and tooth powder first. If you’re one stripe three, go to the standby room, wash all the bed sheets and pillowcases, dry them, then put them back on.”

Mingxian: “Tsk tsk tsk, is that really the rule here?”

Mana: (righteously) “Of course. I didn’t make the rule myself. When I was first transferred here, I went through the same thing.”

Mingxian: “Then may I ask, if someone is two stripe two, what kind of treatment would he get?”

Mana: (suddenly realizing, immediately stands up) “Greetings, sir! I’m Yagu Mana.”

△ Mana proactively shakes hands in greeting, scratching his scalp awkwardly.

Mingxian: “Hello! I’m Zhong Mingxian. Just a mere two stripe two.”

Mana: (voice-over) “This is bad!”

Mana: (pulls Tianxiang over) “This is Pu Tianxiang.”

Mingxian: “So you’re Pu Tianxiang?”

△ Zhong Mingxian looks Tianxiang up and down from head to toe.

Tianxiang: “Yes, sir.”

Mingxian: “Mm! You’ve got courage!”

Tianxiang: “Thank you, sir!”

Tianxiang: (voice-over, puzzled) “Courage? This chief just met me for the first time, yet he says I have courage?”

Mana: “Sir, I’ll take you to the chief’s office.”

Mingxian: “Alright! Thank you, Yagu…”

Mana: “Yagu Mana.”

Mingxian: “Yagu Mana. Your name is very special, though not easy to remember.”

Mana: “Reporting to sir, I’m a local.”

Mingxian: “No wonder you’re so slick! Don’t ever tell me to take a toothbrush and tooth powder to scrub the bathrooms and toilets again, Yagu.”

Mana: (awkwardly) “Wouldn’t dare, sir.”

△ Yagu Mana brings Mingxian outside the office, then leaves. Mingxian lightly knocks on the office door.

Mingxian: “Reporting! Zhong Mingxian reporting to the chief.”

Youlong: (looks up) “Good, good. Please have a seat.”

Mingxian: “Chief, sorry about this. The county police bureau’s transfer order originally instructed me to come next Monday, but I wanted to arrive early to familiarize myself with the environment, so…”

Youlong: “No problem, no problem. Young people as proactive and motivated as you are rare these days.”

Mingxian: “Thank you, Chief.”

Youlong: “Then let’s head outside first. I’ll introduce you to everyone in the precinct.”

Mingxian: “Alright, Chief, after you.”

△ Mai Youlong and Zhong Mingxian walk out one after another.

Youlong: “Everyone, please come out to the hallway and line up!”

Mana: (walking out while muttering) “What’s this old guy up to now? Definitely nothing good.”

Tianxiang: (nudges Mana) “Keep your voice down!”

Youlong: “Everyone, this is Zhong Mingxian, the new Criminal Investigation Section Chief transferred from the county police bureau. Please give him a warm welcome with applause.”

Mana: (voice-over) “Damn! So he’s our new superior. I thought he was a rookie just now. Looks like my days ahead are going to be miserable!”

Tianxiang: (whispering) “Let’s see if you still dare to bully rookies from now on.”

Mingxian: “Thank you, fellow officers.”

△ Zhong Mingxian smiles at Tianxiang and Mana.

△ Mana’s face turns red with embarrassment, and he quickly lowers his head.

Scene 86 – Dusk

Characters: Wu Tianliang, Zhou Tianyou, Gao Yingxiong

Time: Dusk

Location: Mountain Patrol Team Workstation

△ Wu Tianliang picks up the telephone and calls the Tefuye Mountain Patrol Team workstation.

Tianliang: “Hello! Is this the Tefuye Mountain Patrol Team? Get Zhou Tianyou to answer the phone.”

Operator: “May I ask who is calling?”

Tianliang: “I’m his boss.”

Operator: “Please hold on a moment. I’ll go get him.”

△ Upon hearing that his boss Wu Tianliang was looking for him, Tianyou feels uneasy and his face becomes grave. Gao Yingxiong notices Tianyou’s unusual expression and follows behind him.

Tianyou: “Councilman, this is Tianyou.”

Tianliang: “Zhou Tianyou, your mother is now in my hands. I’m giving you three days to bring my daughter back here to apologize for her crimes! Otherwise, your mother will never see another sunrise again. Three days. Did you hear me clearly?”

Tianyou: “I heard clearly.”

△ The other side immediately hangs up the phone.

Tianyou: (hangs up the phone) “Sigh!”

Yingxiong: “Tianyou, what happened?”

Tianyou: “My mother has been taken hostage by Wu Tianliang. He’s demanding that I bring Lily back within three days to apologize.”

Yingxiong: “What? Truly heartless! Even a seventy-year-old elderly woman was taken? Then what are you planning to do?”

Tianyou: (helplessly) “Tell me, what other option do I have? I can only comply with his demands.”

Yingxiong: “I’ll go with you.”

Tianyou: “No! It’s too dangerous for you to come with me. I’ll just bring Lily back. I believe that with Lily there, Wu Tianliang won’t dare do anything to me.”

Yingxiong: “What you say makes sense! But you must be careful yourself.”

Tianyou: “Brother, lend me your girlfriend for a few days.”

Yingxiong: “I’ll explain it to Lily first.”

Tianyou: “Thanks, brother.”

Scene 87 – Daytime

Characters: Zhou Tianyou, Gao Yingxiong, Wu Lily

Time: Afternoon

Location: Lulin Mountain Patrol Team Workstation

△ Three days later, Zhou Tianyou brings Lily and is about to leave the patrol team workstation.

Tianyou: “I’m entrusting everything to you.”

Yingxiong: “Tianyou, don’t worry! We’ll proceed according to our plan.”

Lily: “Yes, no matter how bad my father is, he’ll still show consideration for me as his daughter.”

Yingxiong: “As long as you bring Lily back, I believe Wu Tianliang won’t lay murderous hands on your mother.”

Tianyou: (lets out a sigh of relief) “Mm! It’s getting late. Lily, let’s head out.”

Lily: (walks in front of Yingxiong and lightly kisses him) “I’m leaving now. You must take good care of yourself!”

Yingxiong: “Mm, you too.”

△ Tianyou and Lily drive away, while Yingxiong silently watches them off from behind.

Scene 88 – Nighttime

Characters: Wu Tianliang, Li Xiaodao, Zhou Tianyou, Wu Lily

Time: Night

Location: Wu Tianliang’s House

△ Wu Tianliang and Li Xiaodao are in the living room as Tianyou and Lily enter through the door.

Tianliang: (grabs Tianyou by the collar and slaps him across the face) “You’ve got a lot of nerve, daring to oppose me?”

Tianyou: “Councilman, I…”

Tianliang: “Search your conscience and tell me yourself, how have I treated you all this time? Yet you dared to side with outsiders against me?”

Lily: (shouts) “Dad!”

Tianliang: “What? Am I wrong? Everything Tianyou has today was given to him by me.”

Tianyou: (bows) “Councilman! I’ve been disrespectful.”

Tianliang: “You think one apology will make me spare you? Keep dreaming. Today I want one of your arms and one of your legs left behind.” (casually grabs a short-handled samurai sword hanging on the wall)

Lily: (nervously) “Dad! Do you really need to go this far? Even if Tianyou has no merit, he still has worked hard for you. Dad! If you want one of Tianyou’s arms and legs, then chop off mine as well.”

△ Lily grabs the sword handle in Wu Tianliang’s hand with one hand and snatches the sword away.

Tianliang: (shouting loudly) “Lily, what are you doing? Don’t act recklessly.”

Lily: (draws the sword, holds it in her right hand, placing it against her left elbow) “I can put it down! But Dad, you must spare Tianyou and his mother. Otherwise, I’ll cut myself first.”

Tianliang: “Alright, alright, Lily, put the knife down first and we’ll talk.”

Lily: (trembling, the sword slips onto the floor) “Dad! You said it yourself.”

Tianliang: (lets out a sigh of relief) “Tianyou, consider yourself lucky. Lily is protecting you. Xiaodao, lock Tianyou in the basement first and wait for further punishment.”

Xiaodao: “Yes! Councilman.”

△ Li Xiaodao pushes Tianyou toward the basement.

Scene 89 – Daytime

Characters: Zhong Mingxian, Pu Tianxiang

Time: Day

Location: Police Precinct

Mingxian: (calls Tianxiang through the extension line) “Tianxiang, please come over for a moment.”

Tianxiang: “Yes! Section Chief.”

△ Tianxiang walks to the door of the Criminal Investigation Section Chief’s office and lightly knocks on the door.

Mingxian: “Come in.”

Tianxiang: (enters) “Section Chief, you were looking for me!”

Mingxian: (gently points toward the sofa beside him) “Tianxiang, come sit over here.”

Tianxiang: (sits down) “Section Chief, what did you want to see me about?”

Mingxian: (stands up and looks around the surroundings before sitting back down) “Tianxiang, I know you’ve recently been busy laying out plans. Catching timber poachers truly is a thankless and exhausting task.”

Tianxiang: “Section Chief… you.”

Mingxian: (leans close to Tianxiang’s ear) “Don’t be nervous. I was sent here undercover by the county inspector general. My mission is to investigate and gather evidence of Mai Youlong’s crimes.”

Tianxiang: “Section Chief, why didn’t the county police bureau contact me? I thought…”

Mingxian: “You thought this case would sink to the bottom of the sea like a stone?”

Tianxiang: (nods) “Mm!”

Mingxian: “My mission must be carried out under conditions of secrecy! I hope you won’t leak this out, including to your old partner Yagu Mana.”

Tianxiang: “Yes! Section Chief.”

Mingxian: “I heard from the others that your wife was murdered by the timber poachers, and they also injured your right hand! You’ve been determined to capture this gang.”

Tianxiang: “That’s right! Section Chief, I can’t wait to throw Wu Tianliang’s entire gang and Chief Mai into prison.”

Mingxian: “My mission here is extremely important. You must cooperate fully with me. We’ll coordinate internally and externally and bring these lawbreakers to justice.”

Tianxiang: “I’ll do my best to cooperate. Thank you, Section Chief.”

Mingxian: “What are you thanking me for? Remember, we are the people’s protectors. Eliminating evil and punishing criminals is our sacred duty.”

Scene 90 – Morning

Characters: Gao Yingxiong, Pu Tianxiang, Shi Ziqiang, Gao Huijun, Zhao Jia’en

Time: Morning

Location: Small Conference Room at the Lulin Mountain Workstation

△ Inside the small conference room at the Lulin Mountain workstation, there is a floor plan roughly the size of two tables spread across the desk. Gao Yingxiong, Pu Tianxiang, and Shi Ziqiang are discussing strategy.

Tianxiang: (uses a pointer to indicate a location on the map) “Yingxiong, you’re more familiar with the forest roads of Lulin Mountain! Lead the Tefuye patrol team and set up ambushes at these forest road intersections.”

Yingxiong: “Mm!”

Tianxiang: “Also, after the convoy passes through, scatter tire spikes across the forest road to cut off the timber poachers’ retreat route.”

Yingxiong: “Ha! As expected from someone from the Criminal Investigation Division. You’ve thought this through very thoroughly!”

Ziqiang: “What about me? Surely you’re not leaving me without an assignment?”

Tianxiang: “Of course not. How could I let you and the Dabang patrol team sit around idle?”

Ziqiang: “Why not let me go to the scene to arrest people? With my skills, I guarantee not a single one of them would escape.”

Tianxiang: “Precisely because you’re clever, agile, highly skilled, and quick to react, I want you leading the team staying behind at the workstation. Only two or three people need to be sent first to the logging site to collect evidence. Once the evidence collection is completed, retreat back to the workstation.”

Ziqiang: (disappointed) “My mission is only this?”

Tianxiang: “Don’t rush me, I haven’t finished talking yet! I’ll remain at headquarters, responsible for communication work, and I’ll contact the county police bureau and our Criminal Investigation Section Chief Zhong to request timely police reinforcements. Once the timber poachers’ convoy gets flat tires and becomes trapped on the forest road unable to move, you’ll lead the Dabang patrol team to reinforce Yingxiong and the others, attacking the timber poachers from both front and rear.”

Ziqiang: (scratches his head embarrassedly) “Tianxiang, I understand now.”

Tianxiang: “Everyone! Any other questions?”

Yingxiong: (skeptical) “Tianxiang, you mentioned your Criminal Investigation Section Chief Zhong just now. Is this man reliable?”

Tianxiang: “Don’t worry! Section Chief Zhong is one of us, a hidden chess piece secretly deployed in the precinct by the county police bureau inspector general.”

Yingxiong: “I understand now. Turns out your plan is even more meticulous than we imagined!”

Tianxiang: “If there are no further questions, we’ll proceed according to the plan. Everything must be watertight, remember that! Keep your mouths tightly sealed. I want to avenge Aiyu. I cannot let her sacrifice be in vain.”

Ziqiang: “Brother-in-law, for my sister’s sake, I’ll support you to the very end.”

Tianxiang: (smiles bitterly) “Ziqiang, ever since Aiyu passed away, it’s been a long time since I last heard you call me ‘brother-in-law.’”