As the self-narration ended, the film used flashback techniques to depict the protagonist's journey from school to becoming an undercover agent.
On screen, Gao Fei's youthful appearance and his inherent rebellious charm perfectly captured the protagonist's adolescence.
In the screening hall.
Gao Fei's handsomeness and rebellious aura initially caused the audience to feel a bit detached from the characters.
However, as the plot progressed, the audience became immersed in the film, losing that initial sense of detachment.
Especially during the fight scene at the outdoor food stall, watching Gao Fei single-handedly battle the thugs, the visceral impact of every punch and kick felt incredibly real.
Below, an audience member quietly remarked, "This scene feels so real, with no hint of performance or staged choreography!"
"Indeed, in typical fight scenes, the actions are deliberately arranged. But in Gao Fei's fights here, every punch and kick is delivered with full force, it's so authentic!"
In fact, the scene at the outdoor food stall in the film was a video secretly filmed at the time when Gao Fei was fighting off the thugs who came to cause trouble. It was now edited into the drama.
It was also because of this fight that the protagonist was eventually expelled, finally embarking on the path of an undercover agent.
The subsequent plot closely followed the content of the novel "The Double-Faced Man," with minimal modifications.
The added scenes were primarily related to the protagonist contacting his superior, which did not detract from the viewing experience for fans of the original novel.
As time and the plot unfolded, the audience was completely drawn into the movie.
When the protagonist infiltrated the villain's inner circle and faced suspicion and probing, with his identity constantly being questioned, the atmosphere in the screening hall immediately became tense.
Some deeply engrossed viewers even prayed that he wouldn't be discovered.
Only when the protagonist narrowly escaped danger did everyone collectively exhale in relief.
The two-hour-plus film initially focused on how the protagonist became an undercover agent, how he operated within the criminal organization, and how he completed the missions assigned by his superiors.
For a full hour, the constantly shifting plot kept the audience's emotions on a rollercoaster, experiencing ups and downs, making it incredibly thrilling.
Mid-movie.
The protagonist once again assisted the police in dismantling a criminal syndicate.
He thought he would be able to return to the police force, but upon meeting his superior, Wu Chenghua, he was unexpectedly assigned another undercover mission.
"Damn it, undercover again? Is there ever an end to this?"
In the film, upon hearing he had to go undercover again, Gao Fei's imposing presence was fully unleashed.
He angrily slammed the table, leaning in to stare at his superior, naturally portraying the anger and weariness of having to go undercover once more.
The actor playing Wu Chenghua, who acted opposite Gao Fei, was also highly capable, and his acting was not overshadowed.
Captain Wu took out a jade pendant from his shirt and smiled, "Alright, alright, this is the last undercover mission. Once it's done, you'll return to the police force immediately. Last month was your birthday, this is your gift."
The protagonist, still angry, immediately shifted from rage to a smile, snatching the pendant. "Every time there's a mission, you placate me with these little trinkets. Next time, if it's not a few hundred thousand, I'm really going to quit!"
"The pendant is nice. Captain Wu, you spent half a month's salary on a gift for me. Aren't you afraid your wife will give you trouble?"
"Your wife wouldn't dare. I have financial freedom!"
The conversation between the two was warm and friendly, a far cry from the initial tension.
Upon learning that the mission was to dismantle a drug network in H City, the protagonist and Wu Chenghua began to discuss plans for infiltrating the syndicate.
After the discussion, the protagonist prepared to leave. Before departing, he reminded him, "By the way, Captain Wu, Wu Xiaotong has been harassed by a group of thugs recently. I've already dealt with it for you."
"How did you deal with it?"
"Of course, by the rules of the street – a direct brutal lesson!"
Hearing "brutal lesson," Wu Chenghua's expression turned cold. "Are you really seeing yourself as a gang leader now? Whoever you want dead, dies! Do you still want to return to the police force, huh?"
Seeing Captain Wu's anger, the protagonist immediately burst into laughter. "Look how anxious you are. Don't worry, I didn't kill them, just sent people to teach them a small lesson!"
"That's more like it!"
In the scene, after the clandestine meeting, the two parted ways and descended the rooftop.
The camera shifted to Wu Chenghua descending the stairs, accompanied by narration.
"Looking at the undercover police officer, who was both righteous and wicked, constantly shifting his stance, Captain Wu felt a bit worried whether his future path would lead him to betray the police force and forget his original intentions. Because the current Xu Long had made Captain Wu unable to discern the truth in his words."
The camera changed again to the protagonist descending in an elevator, his eyes vacant as he stared at the ceiling, also accompanied by narration.
"Actually, what he said earlier wasn't the truth. There were no thugs harassing Captain Wu's daughter; he fabricated the lie himself, testing Captain Wu's bottom line.
But Captain Wu's reaction just now made him realize that for future missions, he couldn't report everything. There were things he had to conceal.
Having been an undercover agent for so many years, he had a certain understanding of H City. The new mission was extremely dangerous, that place was a dragon's den and a tiger's lair. If he followed Captain Wu's rules, he would die very quickly on the new mission.
He knew all too well the saying 'When you're in the martial world, you can't control yourself.' If he didn't act ruthlessly, it would only arouse suspicion from those around him. But Captain Wu would never experience his difficulties.
He had already donned a mask adept at change, never to reveal his true face, whether black or white."
Accompanying the film's narration, Gao Fei in the elevator naturally portrayed the protagonist's helplessness and inner conflict...
Fans of the novel knew that the film was about to reach the most regrettable plot point.
Audiences who hadn't read the novel, due to Gao Fei's natural and engrossing acting, had already vaguely guessed that the film's climax was approaching.
The subsequent plot involved the undercover agent Xu Long, with Captain Wu's cooperation, fleeing to H City, joining Jin Dahai's ranks, and becoming a small-time debt collector.
All the plot points were filmed according to the original novel, which greatly satisfied the fans.
Finally, it wasn't another movie that claimed to be based on a novel but drastically altered the storyline.
As for other viewers, watching the realistic depiction of the film, they couldn't help but marvel at the production team's dedication and boldness.
As the playback progressed, Jin Dahai was arrested and imprisoned, and the plot moved to the protagonist meeting Mr. Fu.
When they heard Mr. Fu's demands and saw the protagonist's difficult choice, the audience clenched their fists, not wanting him to touch those things.
But in the film, the protagonist merely frowned slightly, and then naturally accepted the cigarette and leaned down.
Moments later, after finishing the cigarette on screen, the protagonist's body began to tremble uncontrollably. His expression became dazed, and he sat on the sofa, drooling and laughing.
Gao Fei vividly portrayed the protagonist's experience of trying drugs for the first time.
Ultimately, the protagonist gained Mr. Fu's trust and became H City's representative.
In the subsequent film, besides a few minutes of romance between the protagonist and the female lead, there were scenes of the protagonist recording shipments, selling goods, and collecting evidence, interspersed with scenes of the protagonist suffering from addiction.
(Due to strict censorship, content depicting suffering will not be written.)
Watching the tormented protagonist, the audience felt intense hatred towards the renowned entrepreneur, Mr. Fu, a seemingly refined man with gold-rimmed glasses who was utterly depraved.
If it hadn't been for his coercion and temptation, the protagonist would not have suffered so much.
However, when they saw the female lead helping the protagonist quit his addiction, meticulously caring for and accompanying him, and finally helping him overcome it, the audience also breathed a sigh of relief.
Similarly, everyone praised the female lead's tenderness and unwavering support.
After the protagonist quit his addiction, he crossed the line by using illicit funds to open a dance hall for his girlfriend, which was met with praise from the audience for the protagonist's loyalty.
Watching the heartwarming scenes, and the approximately ten minutes of romantic moments, the film managed to portray love in the best way within the shortest amount of time.
But the novel fans knew that the moment of greatest regret was about to arrive.
On screen, Gao Fei, playing the protagonist, appeared in a small dark room. He sat in front of a camera, with a deeply affectionate smile of a man in love, beginning his undercover recording.
"The mission will soon be over. I have collected all of Mr. Fu's criminal evidence. Captain Wu and his team can move in soon.
Next month is my thirty-third birthday. By then, I should have recovered my true identity.
I've decided to reveal my true identity to that silly girl, Yang Xiaoxiao.
Tell her my name isn't Xu Long.
Tell her the name I haven't used for almost ten years.
Under the identity of Zhang Haisheng, I will propose to her and take her home..."
As the protagonist confessed his feelings on camera, the ending quickly approached.
And the novel fans, watching this scene, clenched their fists.
They knew that the scene they least wanted to see was still going to happen.
When the protagonist contacted Captain Wu and led a team for a final transaction in the neighboring city, it marked the critical moment for the sting operation.
In the scene, a truck stopped before an intersection, waiting for the red light, which was counting down.
The protagonist and Mr. Fu's confidant sat in the truck, smoking and discussing where they would go to party after today's transaction.
Just then, a silver sedan slowly approached from behind and stopped next to the truck.
The man in the sedan glanced at the protagonist in the truck, his eyes lit up as if he had thought of something.
"Zhang Haisheng!"
As the man in the sedan shouted this name, the atmosphere inside the truck suddenly froze.
And in the movie theater, the audience roared in unison.
"Idiot, shut up, shut up!"
"No, don't call him Zhang Haisheng!"
Whether they were novel fans or ordinary viewers, they all understood what consequences would befall the protagonist once the name Zhang Haisheng was exposed.
In the end, Gao Fei, playing Zhang Haisheng, did not appear. Instead, the scene showed Captain Wu and his team apprehending Mr. Fu.
After the arrest concluded, the scene shifted to an unmarked tombstone.
A group of people, dressed in formal attire, stood in neat rows before the nameless tombstone.
Captain Wu, standing at the forefront, had red eyes, and held a police ID card with "Zhang Haisheng" written on it.
"Fire a salute, attention!"
Captain Wu cried out choked with emotion, and gunshots rang out. The comrades in front of the tombstone also saluted with red eyes.
At this moment, the film's opening line, spoken in a soft, tearful female voice, was heard.
"Do you know... Zhang Haisheng?"
The audience watching the film in the theater were already teary-eyed. Upon hearing this line, they all realized it was the voice of the female protagonist, Yang Xiaoxiao.
"Do you know... Zhang Haisheng?"
As the voice faded, the funeral scene on the big screen gradually blurred. Accompanied by the film's ending music, Zhang Haisheng reappeared...