COMBAT

Poitier: The hell?! I thought movie stars were just empty suits.
Another volley of silver needles streaks through the air, forcing Liáng and Poitier back.
Qí Xīng stands at the center of the alley. Though seemingly trapped between Liáng and Poitier, she skillfully uses their positioning to her advantage.
Neither officer can risk injuring the other by firing their gun or using an arcane skill, leaving the battle at a deadlock.
Liang Yue: We're not going to last much longer. I have to do something. Poitier, cover me.
Liang Yue: Arise Qiángliáng, swift and fierce!
With the ritual vessel of Qiángliáng in her hand, Liáng recites the ancient incantation, each syllable clear and deliberate.
Qi Xing: ...!
Qí Xīng looks momentarily stunned.
This is the beginning of an incantation. Liáng knows that more silver needles could come flying at her at any moment.
Liang Yue: Banish all evil ...
For a brief moment, hesitation creeps over her.
As a child, she sat before the screen and watched this figure over and over again, her eyes filled with admiration. She had mimicked her arcane skill countless times.
But she never imagined that, one day, those dazzling silver needles would be aimed at her.
Liang Yue: ... and cleanse this place!
Yet, she still speaks the final words of the incantation.
With these words, an ancient contract will be upheld, and the Xiǎndào Beast will be called upon to devour all evil. As is her right as a descendant of the Liáng family.
At least, that's what's supposed to happen.
Liang Yue: What?
But the alley remains as empty as it was before.
Qi Xing: Hey!
Poitier: Rookie, watch out!
Someone pushes her aside. She hits the ground hard. A flash of silver. The sound of shouting.
Then, blood. A body falling. A sticky sensation. Warmth. Chaos ...
...
The events that follow are hazy in Liáng's memory.
Enraged Man: Training isn't over! Stand firm!
A sharp reprimand shatters her haze, pulling her back to focus.
Liang Yue: That's ...
A familiar courtyard. A man with a familiar face.
In front of him, a little girl stands in horse stance, sweat rolling down her forehead. Her legs are trembling.
Yet, the man's ebony ruler comes down mercilessly on the girl's shoulder.
Enraged Man: Wrong! Shoulders and elbows down! Relax your body and mind. How many times do I have to repeat myself?
Two small heads peek over the courtyard wall, giggling and whispering to each other.
Boy: Shh. Look, she's gonna fall any second.
Girl: Heh heh, that's what she gets for saying that to the teacher.
The boy makes a goofy face at the girl holding the stance. The girl, already exhausted, finally loses her balance and collapses to the ground.
Enraged Man: You don't come to training, you're distracted, and you're lazy. How could Qiángliáng obey such an undisciplined master?
Enraged Man: Get up. I'll come back later. If you can't do it by sundown, there will be no dinner tonight.
The man, her father, shakes his head in disappointment and walks away, leaving the girl gasping for breath on the ground.
Girl: Let's go. She's gonna be there all day. Wanna go to the theater?
Boy: Sure! The one on the corner's playing Detective C07 today.
The children hop down from the wall, laughing as they scurry off.
Liang Yue: The theater? I want to go, too.
No one hears her voice.
No one but herself.
Liang Yue: I remember it now. I hated Qiángliáng when I was little.
Liang Yue: Father was always trying to teach me something, about the Twelve Zhènzǐ, the Master of Qiángliáng, fighting the wicked and dispelling evil, fulfilling the duty of my inheritance. I was only a child. It was all too difficult for me to understand.
Liang Yue: The other kids hated me. I was a traitor, a class president who took the side of the adults and enforced the rules. They'd all hang out and have fun together while I was left alone. I envied them.
Liang Yue: Their lives were simple. I wanted that.
Liang Yue: One cent, two cents ... five ...
Her piggy bank lies smashed on the ground as she picks through the shards to count every coin.
Amidst the broken porcelain, half of a shattered face stares up at her innocently.
Liang Yue: I'm sorry, Piggy.
She gently brushes her fingers over its face in a gesture of comfort—or farewell.
Liang Yue: That day, I disobeyed Father, gathered up all my savings, and headed to the theater.
Liang Yue: That was the first time I watched Detective C07. It was amazing.
Liang Yue: But I knew. It was just fiction. Just an escape.
Liang Yue: It wouldn't change anything in my real life. Once the movie was over, I'd have to go back to the same home I had just left.
Liang Yue: I didn't want to leave, so I stayed in my seat for the closing credits.
Liang Yue: But the lights didn't come on when the credits ended. Rather, the silver screen lit up again and played something.
Liang Yue: It was an interview with Ms. Qí Xīng.
Reporter: Ms. Qí Xīng, many children love your work and see you as their hero.
Reporter: Yet some adults say that the story of Detective C07 is too unrealistic because she always beats the villain.
Reporter: What's your opinion on this subject? Is it a flaw of the movie?
Qi Xing: The real world's already a cruel and unfair place. Our movie's idealistic, yes, but it shows us a world where good is rewarded and evil is punished. We need that.
Qi Xing: If we can't accept justice and truth even in a fictional world, then what hope do we have for reality?
Qí Xīng gazes into the camera, but also beyond it, her smile carefree, her eyes shining even brighter than the stars.
Qi Xing: C07 is justice, a hero who fights evil and cares for the weak. She'll always bring a happy ending, no matter what she's faced with.
Qi Xing: One of our goals with this movie, and with the character, was to inspire and encourage our viewers.
Qi Xing: We know that most people can't become a C07 in the real world. After all, it's an incredibly difficult path to take.
Qi Xing: But we hope that we can at least inspire people to become heroes in their own lives, to create happy endings for themselves and the people around them.
Liang Yue: It was just a short interview like any other, but I still remember every word she said.
Liang Yue: "As the master of Qiángliáng, you must use your power to fight the wicked and dispel evil. It is your duty to maintain the peace of the world."
Liang Yue: Qiángliáng, the powerful being that had always been a blur to me, suddenly became clear.
Liang Yue: I realized that I could be more than just a hero who creates happy endings for herself and the people around her. I could be the hero who creates happy endings for everyone, just like C07.
Liang Yue: She was right. Not everyone can do that, but I could, because I was Yuè of the Liáng family, the master of Qiángliáng. On that day, the burden that had been crushing me suddenly became a blessing.
Liang Yue: ...
Liang Yue: So, what went wrong?
The image fades as another silver flash brings her back to reality.
Sirens. An ambulance. Blood. Blood. Endless blood. It seeps through the fabric of her uniform, drenching her hands.
She hears someone shouting.
Liang Yue: Stay with me, Poitier. Please!
Liang Yue: Why? Why did you do that?
Liang Yue: I-I thought you hated me.
Liang Yue: People always hate me.
Now she can hear clearly, she realizes it's her own voice, hoarse with desperation.
What did Poitier say to her back then?
Blood bubbles from her mouth and nose with each painful breath.
Poitier: *cough* You could tell, huh?
Poitier: But that's—*cough*—that's in the past. Forget it.
Poitier: We just didn't know you yet.
A bloodstained hand weakly pats Liáng's cheek before falling limp.
Liang Yue: Poitier?
Liang Yue: No! No!! Please! Poitier!
Poitier: Ugh, will you shut up? I'm not dead yet.
Liang Yue: Ugh!
A thunderous smack, unbelievable from someone confined to a hospital bed, jerks Liáng awake from her nightmare.
Liáng's head throbs. Dazed, she looks around, taking in the sterile white of the hospital room and the irritated face of her instructor.
Poitier: The hell you doing sleeping on my thigh, huh? Ugh, my leg's gone numb. And clean up the drool on your chin.
Liang Yue: What? Ah. I'm sorry.
Poitier: Just kidding, boo. You're not drooling.
Liang Yue: ...
Poitier: Alright, turn on the TV for me. I was bored out of my mind waiting for you to wake up.

Open your eyes to see the future that we know?

Fresh Police Story