This director loves making friends.

Qin Keqing's film production style is not as grand and sweeping as that of Hong Kong directors. He writes the script in advance and explains the relationships between the characters to the actors. This is an old-fashioned tradition left over from the "academic school" of his previous life.

He found this useful and, after becoming a director, he preserved this old-fashioned tradition.

Most actors in Hong Kong follow a clear "program" and pattern when filming movies, knowing what expression to use in what situation, as if they were taught by a teacher.

This is because the filming cycle in Hong Kong during this period was short. Films would start shooting before the actors even had a complete script. How could they figure out the characters and how could they portray them more appropriately?

Therefore, most of them gradually developed their own little tricks, such as how to portray positive characters, how to portray negative characters, and how to portray minor characters, etc.

Because of this, many supporting actors, if they develop unique skills, become "golden supporting actors" after performing a lot. Unsuspecting viewers might think that their acting skills are particularly good and that they have outstanding performances in different movies.

If you analyze it carefully, you will find that they play "the same person" in almost all of their different movies.

But most viewers won't analyze this.

In short, it has both advantages and disadvantages.

For the actors themselves, this is advantageous if they don't have any particular aspirations.

For commercial film directors, finding such actors is also advantageous, as it can reduce many unnecessary troubles.

For directors who aspire to win awards at internationally renowned film festivals, they are less likely to use such actors, simply put, because they have "poor versatility".

Perhaps this is why Wong Kar-wai likes to "grind" Hong Kong actors, to "grind" them until they break down, to make them forget the established patterns, so that they can become "malleable" again.

Qin Keqing also felt this deeply while filming "Sweet Life".

When he had an idea for a new movie and finished writing the script, the first people he thought of when choosing actors were the actors he had worked with before in "A Bittersweet Life".

This is probably why many well-known directors prefer to use a fixed cast of actors.

The reason is simple: it saves you trouble.

The movie Qin Keqing is going to make is a South Korean film released in 2010 called "The Man from Nowhere" or "The Lone Agent".

In this movie, the male protagonist is a former secret agent who, after the tragic deaths of his wife and daughter, retires and runs a pawn shop in a certain community, living a secluded and decadent life like a walking corpse.

Because her mother is addicted to drugs and in danger, the neighbor's little girl Zheng Xiaomi often comes to the pawn shop alone to seek comfort. Although the male protagonist is initially indifferent and distant, Xiaomi's pure kindness gradually melts his frozen heart, and the two establish a deep emotional bond similar to that of a father and daughter.

However, the peace was shattered.

Xiaomi's mother gets caught up in a drug war between gangs, which leads to the kidnapping of both mother and daughter by a criminal gang. The male protagonist witnesses the tragedy and, in order to save Xiaomi, is forced to pick up his old skills and become a "lone agent" to seek revenge.

In the climax of the film, the protagonist engages in a life-or-death struggle with gangsters in an abandoned factory, fighting violence with violence, and ultimately rescuing the trapped children and eliminating the main criminals.

Although it is a commercial film, like "A Bittersweet Life," it possesses significant artistic merit, manifested in its realistic violent aesthetics, the emotional depth of loneliness and redemption, and the high degree of unity between action narrative and character arcs.

In particular, the ending suggests that the male protagonist achieves spiritual redemption, while Xiaomi's survival symbolizes the victory of humanity's brilliance over darkness.

The film is fast-paced, with sharp and realistic action scenes. It explores themes of loneliness, redemption, and family, showcasing the protagonist's emotional transformation from a walking corpse to regaining "humanity."

This kind of film is both commercially viable and artistically appealing, and it's practically a continuation of "A Bittersweet Life." Even the fight scenes are sharp and realistic, and it could even be considered a "stylized experimental film."

This is the most suitable film for Qin Keqing's second movie.

Another point is that this movie was later called the South Korean version of "Léon: The Professional". As of now, "Léon: The Professional" has not yet started filming. It will be prepared early next year and will not be released until September next year.

By then, "The Man from Nowhere" had already been shown all over the world.

Don't even mention waiting until next September; according to Qin Keqing's plan, this movie should be released before October this year.

He is also preparing to pursue "Hong Kong speed".

Well, actually, a three-month production cycle is a bit out of line with "Hong Kong speed" and is slower than the production efficiency of most Hong Kong films.

At that time, "Léon: The Professional" might be called the Hollywood version of "The Man from Nowhere".

Don't think it's impossible. "Léon: The Professional" is a classic. If "The Man from Nowhere" had been made by another director from Hong Kong, it probably wouldn't have been possible.

However, Qin Keqing's identity can play a huge role here.

He is a recipient of the Camera d'Or and the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, which naturally gives him a high "prestige" in France.

"Léon: The Professional" is a film by French director Luc Besson. Despite his considerable fame in France, Luc Besson is a typical commercial film director and is looked down upon by the art-house film circle centered around Cannes.

Qin Keqing was labeled as a Cannes loyalist, one of Cannes' own people.

By then, other countries might not even have time to react before France is already comparing "Léon: The Professional" with Qin Keqing's "The Uncle".

The result is undoubtedly certain; they might even accuse "Léon: The Professional" of "plagiarizing" Qin Keqing's idea.

Artistically, Léon: The Professional is also a film about "redemption," isn't that a coincidence?

In terms of action, "Léon: The Professional" features a tight, realistic, and cold fighting style with less showy techniques and more efficiency. The action design is restrained and neat, emphasizing the "professionalism" of a professional assassin—fast, accurate, and ruthless, with very few superfluous movements.

See, isn't this another coincidence?

In addition, Qin Keqing was also planning to come up with some other tricks.

The protagonist in "The Man from Nowhere" is a retired special agent. What if he were a retired assassin? Wouldn't that be another coincidence?

It's not that Qin Keqing had to be set up as a retired assassin, the key is that the setting of a retired special agent is unrealistic.

Hong Kong has no retired special agents whatsoever.

Are you suggesting she's a retired mainland special agent who settles in Hong Kong after retiring? That's even more unrealistic.

Could he possibly be a retired British intelligence agent? If a Hong Kong resident is a retired Hong Kong intelligence agent, that would be a huge problem.

Aside from retired assassins, they can't be set up as retired members of the Hong Kong Flying Tigers or PTU, can they?

It wasn't that Qin Keqing looked down on these two "aces," but rather that they were truly unconvincing and not even as good as retired top assassins.

After considering the choice of the male lead, Qin Keqing decided to use Lin Guobin, as there were no other suitable candidates.

Li Lianjie would be a good fit, but he's unavailable, and Qin Keqing doesn't want to use him either.

Zhao Wenzhuo was indeed a good fighter, but he was only 21 years old at the time, too young, and didn't fit the male lead's character. The villainous henchman who was also a very capable fighter in the movie was more suitable.

Qin Keqing had another purpose in using Lin Guobin, which was to make Lin Guobin a kung fu star. This would have great potential benefits for Qin Keqing – if a director can't promote actors, why would actors lower their fees and flock to him?