Original subtitles

TO-PAN, TRILATERAL SLOPES

HEADQUARTERS OF INTERNATIONAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY, MANDALAY

Did you come here just to put out the fire?

Yes.

Womon discovered the fire. We must put out the fire quickly.

My name is Justin. What about you?

Shen Xing.

Shen Xing. Nice to meet you.

Womon. What are you doing here? Are you waiting for me?

Are you okay?

The fire has been put out. You should go back and rest.

-Go back. -Okay.

She is Womon. She is my teaching assistant.

Teaching assistant?

What are you doing here? Not tourism?

No. Do you know the International Benevolent Society?

It's a charitable organization. China has it too.

I learned Chinese in China.

I came here this year

and started to contribute here, giving hope to the children.

Then why didn't you stay in China?

We're not needed there.

We go to places where the government doesn't care.

China has large-scale plans.

I've seen systematic plans being progressively implemented.

We're no longer needed there.

So how long do you plan to stay here?

Five years. I plan to stay here for five years.

I have prepared for half a year to come here to teach.

Why are you laughing?

Because you laughed. Happiness spreads.

Who told you that laughing means happiness?

Aren't you happy?

Alright, here we are. I'm going back.

Thank you for your help.

Oh, it's my pleasure. It's my first time putting out a fire.

It's cool. Thanks for bringing me back here too.

It's already dawn. Have some breakfast.

I make sandwiches myself. Do you like sandwiches?

Come on.

Okay.

Qin.

Borrow a DV.

Qin, your pronunciation has improved.

But I can't lend it to you. I've already said it several times.

My mama asked me to borrow things.

What does your mother need aside from the video camera?

What do you have?

Qin.

When you borrow something, you need to return it.

Borrow and return. Do you understand?

If you can return the scissors to me,

I'll give you another piece, okay?

I don't speak the Bomo language.

But Qin can understand Chinese.

He won't give it back to you.

It's okay. He promised me.

Once my school is set up, he will attend classes.

And Womon's younger brother as well.

I don't understand. Don't you have a rope?

Just secure this end and secure the other end,

then it's easy to set it up.

-I have a rope. -Then why don't you use it?

Qin's mother borrowed it.

Shen Xing. Come over for breakfast.

Your home.

It's okay.

It's not my home.

Womon said

the Blue House and the bamboo house are both your homes.

The bamboo house isn't my home either.

But you seem to care about them.

Here.

Thank you.

It might just seem that way.

Cool, you are great!

Where are you from?

I'm the youngest volunteer in education

from the Trilateral Slopes branch of the International Benevolent Society.

Well. It's so finely divided.

Right, there are fewest volunteers in education.

Once the school is set up, I will start teaching tomorrow.

In five years, I can establish a school here

and call for more volunteers to come.

Would you like to come and help me?

It's just a small tent.

Isn't it quite good?

You've fixed it for me.

Also, I haven't even taken out my teaching materials.

For the sake of the sandwich, I'll just say it.

Those plans you mentioned are issues beyond survival.

But at the Trilateral Slopes, survival is the biggest issue.

This world is very beautiful.

Hope is like a seed. It's more important than knowledge.

Then I wish you good luck.

Thank you for your sandwich.

No problem.

You can come here to have fun if you have time.

Arson.

It's still them.

I guess so.

Except for Kinchamba, To-pan has no other enemy.

Fortunately, it was not aimed at you.

It would be better if it was aimed at me.

Are you really willing to risk your life?

I told you

that even if you didn't contact me,

Blue-King Gamble House would have inevitably ended up like this.

Instead of blaming yourself,

you'd better think about why they would leave you alone in To-pan.

Why is that?

Who was the one making the trips

and communicating between the two casinos?

Aren't you just a scapegoat now?

If they saw me as a scapegoat, they would come at me.

How many trips of supplying water still need to be done now?

Not many, about 60 or 70 trips.

Besides, there are no goods now.

Mr. Cai has been in ascetic practice for almost a month now.

There's been no action.

What action?

The drug traffickers in the mountains

won't be anxious if they can't get the goods?

I didn't ask.

Alright, as you are in To-pan alone, just be careful.

Tell me immediately if anything happens. Got it?

Hurry up and come home.

Let's go. Come home.

Soh, a needle pulling thread La, a note to follow Soh

Be quiet. Be quiet.

Come here. Sit down, be quiet.

Qin, the teacher is singing. Be quiet.

Qin, come here. Danmin.

The teacher is singing.

You two, sit properly.

Don't run, sit properly.

Behave yourself.

-Moji, no. -Ah, Yeah! Just…

No fighting. Take a seat.

Sit, sit.

Sit, sit.

Be quiet. Leave him alone.

-Stop it. -Stop it.

Take a look.

Do you recognize it? Chocolate. Do you want it?

Chocolate. Take a seat if you want it.

Be quiet now.

-Womon. -Okay.

Shen Xing. Shen Xing.

Thank you for the chocolate you bought for me.

No need to get sentimental here.

I didn't buy it for you.

I can't eat it all by myself.

I don't want it to go to waste, so I'm giving it to you.

But I still want to thank you.

I'm giving you this sandwich.

Thanks a lot.

Be quiet please, the children are in class.

It's edible.

Now we can eat.

Danmin.

Look, right here.

Imagine that we set up a tent right here

and the children can sit here for classes.

There would be a blackboard here. That's my dormitory over there.

You know, the tent is too small now.

There are more and more children and not enough seats.

What do you think? How about this open space?

I need your opinion, Shen Xing.

It's up to you.

This is cool, right?

As long as we can turn that open space into a school,

we can surely achieve our five-year plan ahead of schedule.

That's wishful thinking.

Five years? You won't last five months before you have to leave.

How about this? Let's make a bet.

If I fail, then this will be yours.

It has the world's greatest playlist.

Childish. See?

Womon, it's not easy for you.

Every day you have to play along with this silly foreigner.

I offered to help Justin. Although I'm not an official teaching assistant yet,

Justin has promised to help me

acquire a certificate from the Benevolent Society.

Right, Justin?

Of course. The results now are due to our joint efforts.

Even without these, you deserve to go out and see the world,

so as to find a better future for yourself.

The rice for your family.

-Are they doing charity work? -I don't know.

Are they locals?

I haven't seen them before. Womon, have you seen them?

My family doesn't want the rice.

-Did your father say that? -My younger brother is not in good health.

What illness does he have?

It's contagious.

Womon. What do the two of them do?

Aren't they here to deliver provisions? Why did you say that your brother is ill?

Do they use provisions to exchange for children?

They are drug traffickers.

They want the children to work in the fields for them.

I have already refused them. My brother won't be taken away.

They are drug traffickers. Do you think you can refuse them?

You really don't need to be afraid of them.

They don't force you.

They will discuss it with the parents.

They even ask the children if they are willing to work.

If they aren't, they won't work properly.

They don't want that. Every year, there are people who refuse.

Because they provide provisions,

there are many people who offer to work for them.

Womon. You are afraid you might scare him, right?

You don't need to be so nervous.

Womon.

Actually,

you don't need to worry.

I have seen this kind of situation in the files.

Drug traffickers make children do hard labor because it's low-cost.

But rest assured. This is exactly why I decided to stay.

Heaven helps those who help themselves.

The problem here

is not that drug traffickers are providing provisions.

It's that everyone actively wants to get the provisions.

Our education is to get everyone to refuse provisions provided by drug traffickers.

The children sit here for classes. There will be a blackboard here.

Justin. Take a break. It's time to eat.

Shen Xing, come over. It's time to eat.

I…

-I didn't do anything. I shouldn't. -Take one.

Running out of chocolate?

Are you still giving classes?

I saw that. I saw you.

Stop, I saw it.

You stole my chocolate. Give it back to me.

Give it back to me.

If you don't give it back, I'll strangle you.

Why did you do that? I'm about to buy new chocolate.

What are you doing?

You still want to eat?

Lie down. How come you are disobedient?

How come you are disobedient?

Stop. Stop.

-Go ahead and eat. -Stop beating him.

This is my younger brother.

I must make him understand that this is wrong.

-This is not the correct way. -What is correct way?

-We have already done so much. -Enough, both of you, stop.

Look, the child is in too much pain.

No, we must quickly take him somewhere else to check. Let's go.

I called you many times.

But none of you answered.

I can't get in touch with you.

We've been in ascetic practice.

We chanted mantras in the Buddhist temple for seven days,

and we went deep into the mountains. There was no signal.

I'm sorry.

I didn't do a good job.

It's not your fault.

It can't be helped if someone is coveting it.

How come you came back alone? Where is Mr. Cai?

One can't give up halfway through ascetic practice, right?

So why did you come back?

The war at the Mokwel River has ceased.

After Luoyang was badly beaten, he went straight back to his hideout.

Now the Kyu-lawn belongs to Luan Basong.

What does this have to do with you coming back?

After Luoyang was holed up in the mountains,

he immediately issued orders for arms and supplies.

Did Mr. Cai ask you to deliver arms to them?

How could that be possible?

Even if Kyu-lawn and Monung

had both been cut off by Luan Basong, we can't possibly do such a thing.

But about the supplies, Mr. Cai can't keep putting it off.

That's why he asked me to come down and look for ways in Laza.

Why don't you come to Laza with me?

I'd better not.

Once you've got everything done there, let me know.

I'll just deliver the goods then.

What's wrong?

I've been thinking these past few days.

Your matters are too complicated.

It seems that I am

not quite cut out for getting too involved.

So I'm thinking, after a few dozen trips of supplying water,

I'll go back.

I wish you good luck. Who are you?

Shen Xing mentioned that you helped put out a fire for us.

Thank you.

You are Shen Xing's friend, right?

There's a girl who has been waiting for you.

Khin Nai, you should go home. There is no chocolate today.

She didn't come for the chocolate.

Do you want this?

Chalk.

I wish you good luck.

Why did you give that to her?

I'm asking you.

Khin Nai.

Are you really Shen Xing's friend?

When I arrived, she was stealing your chalk dust.

I'm simply presenting the reality.

I don't have any ill intentions.

As you've come here to do charity,

I'm sure you have some understanding of this place.

Chocolate is just creating an illusion for you.

Chalk dust is the reality here.

Chocolate is not an illusion. Chocolate is a method.

Teaching is about changing step by step.

-As long as you stick to the goal… -What changed?

What have you changed?

You're not educating. You're training dogs.

Do you know?

Danmin shared the chocolate with Shen Xing twice.

That's a fact. You can go ask him.

Danmin is Womon's younger brother.

He injured Qin yesterday. I saw it.

What did you change about him?

And why did Khin Nai steal your chalk dust?

Do you know?

Do you dare to know?

What you see is something Khin Nai has to face every day.

Whether it's raw opium paste or powder,

her parents can't live without it every day.

This is the real Trilateral Slopes.

We originally didn't cultivate poppies.

But who brought the poppies here?

You should be well aware.

You can be a kind person.

But no matter how many of you come to do charity, it's meaningless.

Because the evil seed

was planted by you.

Did you see it clearly? If you did, you should leave early.

How could I possibly come to work at the Trilateral Slopes

without knowing what it's like?

Well said.

The Trilateral Slopes likes dealing with people like you.

Which kind?

The ones who are not practical. Idealists.

-What does it have to do with you? -What you do is none of my business.

I'm just doing it for Shen Xing.

Next comes the golden period for drug traffickers to ship out their goods.

While you haven't caused any problems yet,

hurry and leave.

It's your only choice.

Justin.

Why didn't you give a class today?

I helped a friend fix a car,

so I couldn't make it over. What's all this?

It'll get better.

What's wrong with you?

I plan to give these supplies to Qin.

All of them? There's so much. Aren't you keeping any?

It's also time for me

to return to headquarters to report my work.

Things other than the tent are over budget.

Did you pay for all of this yourself?

But we need to see that the situation has improved.

The school has grown.

And there are more children.

Fine, you're quite good at consoling yourself.

I need to return to the headquarters at Mandalay to report on my work,

get more resources,

and also

apply for a formal teaching assistant position for Womon.

Shen Xing. You'll definitely take me back to headquarters, right?

Is this how you foreigners ask for favors?

Mandalay is far from here. Didn't headquarters send a car for you?

I hate appointments.

It's too slow.

And you believe that my ride will be faster, right?

What are you writing so intently?

A work report.

Each work report for the Benevolent Society is important.

This determines our plan for the next stage.

-This is it. -Oh, it's here.

In fact, our Benevolent Society has only three rooms upstairs.

We share the office with various charitable organizations

from all over the world.

Indeed, I see the signs are all different. Not from the same organization, right?

Right. They call this place the Peaceful Land,

a mini United Nations,

an office and dormitory combined.

I need to go find the boss.

-Wait here for me. -Okay.

Okay, no problem.

I'll fix it. No problem.

Okay, let's talk in person.

I need to pack some suitcases.

Okay, see you.

Bye, see you soon. Okay.

I'm from Shanghai. You can call me Zhou.

I'm Shen.

Do you drink beer?

No, I can't. I drove here.

Then have this instead.

Okay, okay. Thank you.

How come I've never seen you before?

I came with a friend.

His name is Justin. Do you know him?

Justin? Is he back?

Yeah. He's upstairs.

-Are you also doing charity work? -Yeah.

Which organization? Is it Chinese one?

It's Bomo's.

A local one? What's it called?

Yeah.

But I've never heard of it. What do they do?

Logistics.

Class is almost over. Can you wait a little longer?

He won't come again after this.

It won't be long. Just let him finish the class.

No need.

Everyone, don't forget today's homework.

Tomorrow's lesson will be very interesting.

-Hello. -Hello.

Shen Xing.

-Ms. Zhou. -Justin.

This is my former colleague in China.

Whenever I see Ms. Zhou, my Chinese improves.

Also, this is Shen Xing,

my current neighbor. He is my best friend.

Alright, enough sweet talk. Come over here.

Sit here, come on. Best friend sits here, right?

How did it go? I heard Anita went to Kyu-lawn.

-I don't know. -You don't know?

What are you saying?

-Anita? -Who's Anita?

Aren't you his best friend?

I guess not now.

-He's had a crush on Anita for 20 years. -Really?

-Not for 20 years. -He told me last time.

That he fell in love with her when he was little.

Doing charity was also to pursue her.

Doing charity was my dream in the first place.

It just so happens that she's doing it too.

You seem different today.

What's wrong?

Just now, reporting work to the boss didn't go very smoothly, right?

It's alright.

At least I managed to secure a formal

teaching assistant position for Womon.

With this,

she can get a five-dollar subsidy every day.

It will be convenient for her to go abroad, study,

and apply for a Schengen visa.

Get in the car quickly.

Sit properly.

I really didn't expect your group to withdraw.

If you want to do good deeds, having good intentions is not enough.

The strategies differ for every deck of cards.

The deck of cards for the Trilateral Slopes

is extremely difficult to play.

So Justin, you don't have to blame yourself.

The problems you encounter are what we are going through.

You don't need to comfort me, Ms. Zhou.

Look at the street behind you. There are many charitable organizations

engaged in doing business and running companies

under the guise of humanitarianism.

In fact, they just want to make money.

Not to mention there are some organizations

that launder money through charity.

Some 90% of the charitable organizations at the Trilateral Slopes

have not got to the root of the problems here.

What is the root of the problem?

You, sometimes, are just too focused on the matters at hand.

Isn't Shen Xing with you every day?

How come you haven't learned something from him?

In my opinion, their organization

is the one that truly has got to the root of the problem.

Shen Xing's organization?

Are you doing charity work by working at the Blue House?

To-pan's Mr. Guess

primarily provides logistical support for farmers in remote areas.

I've summarized it correctly, haven't I?

That's right.

But we generally do not transport the crops they cultivate.

I see.

For some areas where agriculture is the main source of income,

the farmers are the fundamental issue.

Right, I've just received some information recently

that I must share with you. Hold on.

So you are also engaged in charity work.

Look.

At the Trilateral Slopes,

centered around two special zones on the Bomo border,

they're breaking ground for sowing along both sides of the two rivers.

This is part of the opium substitution planting program

initiated by multinational companies.

In addition to rubber plantations, there are also coffee and tea plantations.

They plan to increase the yield

to 100 times the current level within ten years.

Tea.

These companies give away seeds and fertilizers for free.

They also regularly offer training

and teach the local farmers hands-on how to cultivate

and they've signed a purchase contract.

That is to say, regardless of the quality of the crops the farmers cultivate,

they will all buy them.

For the previous tobacco farmers,

switching to other crops turns out to be a profitable deal.

The Trilateral Slopes is a place that emerged from the poppy fields.

If we want to fundamentally change this place,

it requires tremendous effort and determination.

We cannot do it alone.

So, being kind alone is not enough to do good deeds.

A foreigner is helping me apply for a teaching assistant position.

Becoming a teaching assistant can have a monthly subsidy.

I'll give you the money. Don't let Danmin work.

How dare you mention that foreigner?

Danmin injured another family's child.

Is this the education you mentioned?

Education? Education? Education?

Education?

Danmin.

Danmin.

You've been brainwashed,

running to the foreigner's place all day long.

If you don't want to stay at home,

I'll find a matchmaker tomorrow and get you married off.

Shen Xing.

Why didn't you tell me earlier what you were doing?

Let me tell you.

Because

I am not doing charity work.

I'm just a truck driver.

I'm not as noble-minded as you two think. Nor am I a good person.

Do you understand?

Have you drunk too much?

Anyway,

no matter what you do,

I want to thank you for the inspiration you've given me.

I also want to tell you my official decision,

that is, leaving To-pan.

You're leaving?

Really?

Then you've lost.

No, I haven't. I just gave up my teaching plan.

Your friend is right.

Chocolate is an illusion.

The problem with the Trilateral Slopes, ultimately, is an economic issue.

-I want to do something useful. -Which friend of mine?

The one with long hair from the Trilateral Slopes.

I am going to leave this place,

but not to admit defeat. Because I have new plans.

Seeds. I am going back to systematically study farming knowledge.

Real change should come from within the soil.

The poppy seeds can be replaced with seeds of tea, bananas, and coffee.

The more people who do that,

the better this place will surely become.

Don't be proud.

He's doing this on purpose.

He's afraid of losing his iPod to me.

This year is special. We can only make do with these for now.

They are too young.

Do you think they can work in the fields?

I see. I'll continue searching.

What's this? A love letter?

This was originally going to be mailed.

It's not necessary now. I can go directly to Kyu-lawn to find her

and tell her about my crop promotion plan.

What about Womon?

You got a girlfriend, and you won't bother with Womon anymore.

Womon already has a choice.

She can go work in Mandalay directly or she can join me.

I did not

lose this to you.

It's a present.

Make sure you think it through. It has the world's best playlist.

It's yours. As a souvenir.

Thanks.

Do you want to know Womon's choice?

Anyway, it's certainly not to stay in To-pan.

Alright, let's not worry about these for now.

Let's go ask her.

Hurry.

I heard there was gunfire again across the river.

I'm fine.

The silly foreigner is dead.

Do you know why

the donkey grinding the mill must be blindfolded?

Because if it knows that it's going around in circles,

it won't pull anymore.

The children of the Trilateral Slopes are considered a resource.

They all went to the foreigner's class,

instead of taking the drug traffickers' provisions.

It's tantamount to tampering with the drug traffickers' resources.

He was about to leave!

What do you think he's here for?

He comes from a wealthy home.

The first time I saw him, I knew he was just a fool.

He came to help.

Does the rule here mean

that if you help, you have to risk your life?

After the rainy season, it's the golden time for shipments.

So they recruit people at this time.

The situation outside is already so chaotic.

Besides, people in the mountains

are already suffocating under Luan Basong's pressure.

They certainly can't stand not recruiting children.

It's all because of this stupid place.

If he didn't come here, there would be no trouble.

It's all self-inflicted.

I can leave here.

I can go to Mandalay now.

STORY BASED ON THE ESCAPE FROM TRILATERAL SLOPES SERIES

OF STORY HUNTING PROGRAM

NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS FILM