Life Art

I.T. specialist FONG CHI-CHUNG is young, scrupulous and efficient. He takes very good care of his subordinates, too. In return, they support him wholeheartedly. While chatting with his mother WAI-LING, CHUNG discovers that she has become a more amiable person than before. He finds out later that it is because she is learning calligraphy from renowned calligrapher YAM CHING-CHUEN. Affected by him, she has become less rigid in her opinions. CHUEN is very excited, as his daughter YAM CHI-WAH, who has gone to Beijing for two years, has returned. WAH has a bent for art. She has won countless awards for her works and illustrations since childhood. An accident has left her right hand paralyzed. She finds herself inferior ever since. The company that CHUNG works for is cooperating with an I.T. company in Mainland China. Executives of that company have come to Hong Kong to visit CHUNG’s company.… ...

On their way home, CHUNG keeps on reproaching WAH for not helping LING. CHUNG’s superior, KO BUN, blames CHUEN YING-WAI, leader of CHUNG’s opponent team, in a meeting. BUN assigns CHUNG’s team to take over the project that WAI’s team is working on. CHUNG is the programmer responsible for the cooperation with the Mainland I.T. company. However, his Putonghua is so bad that he cannot communicate with them. As a result, WAI, who speaks fluent Putonghua, steals his limelight. WAH bumps into JAOSN, a classmate of hers at Peking University and who is a Singaporean. The two have a good chat. Learning that CHUNG would like to learn Putonghua, LING takes him to CHUEN to learn from him. CHUNG knows then that WAH is CHUEN’s daughter. TAI-WAI meets LIU SIU-BING at a wedding banquet. TAI-WAI and BING used to be lovers, but they fell out at the Marriage Registry.

WAH goes to the shop a friend of TAI-WAI to buy a digital camera. CHUNG happens to be also at the shop. When he sees that the salesperson is trying to sell WAH some old models, he steps up to give her some advice. The relationship of the two has improved. CHUNG has no mind in his Putonghua lessons for he finds CHUEN’s teaching too slowly. JASON invites WAH to go shopping for furniture with him. They go to BING’s gallery to buy some paintings afterwards. BING feels that JASON has had a crush on WAH. In the evening, BING goes to CHUEN’s place for dinner, during which she tells CHUEN that JASON is running after WAH. JASON expresses his love for WAH, but she refuses him right away. CHUNG goes to Xiamen for business. He throws up at the hotel after work. He tries to seek help from the hotel staff but they cannot understand his Putonghua. Fortunately, he meets CHUEN. CHUNG hurts WAH accidentally.… ...

To calm herself down, WAH moves into the villa of a good friend of hers for a while. All by herself now, she recalls how her father left her hand paralyzed accidentally because of a misunderstanding back when she was a teenager. CHUNG visits WAH at the villa, only to be treated coldly. Because of his poor Putonghua, CHUNG’s big boss mistakes that WAI is to be credited for the project in a meeting. WAH returns home. She tells CHUEN that she is going to work at her friend’s florist as an assistant. BUN is in a meeting with the mainland company. He requests for a markup of 20%. JIANG FENG, the General Manager of the mainland company, does not say anything about BUN’s abrupt request. CHUNG goes to the florist to apologize to WAH. Once again, WAH gives him the cold shoulder. CHUEN is worried, as WAH refuses to go for physiotherapy. CHUNG asks him about WAH’s childhood and characters. Later, he manages to goad WAH into changing her mind.

CHUNG finds out by chance at a car park that BUN and WAI are in fact relatives. WAI succeeds in making CHUNG promise not to disclose his relationship with BUN. As a matter of fact, some colleagues of them have heard WAI calling BUN “Uncle”. Mistaking that CHUNG has broken his promise, WAI asks CHUNG for an explanation. To prove he has not betrayed WAI, CHUNG makes his colleagues believe that they have actually misheard what WAI called BUN earlier with a trick. JIANG finds the markup unacceptable and decides to call off the cooperation. BUN demands CHUNG and BUN to try all they can to recover the deal. JIANG agrees to meet up with CHUNG. However, their meeting ends in discord when CHUNG refuses to go to the nightclub with JIANG’s assistant. CHUEN tells WAH that his calligraphy and painting studio is understaffed. WAH agrees to give him a hand. It is in fact all made up by CHUEN. When she finds out, WAH leaves home in a rage.… ...

CHUNG tries very hard to console WAH. The two are on good terms again. BUN gives CHUNG a good dressing-down and puts all the blame on CHUNG. KA-SING worries that he has taken advantage of SIU-MAN when he was drunk. He keeps asking MAN if anything has happened the night he was drunk. He is relieved when she says No. TAI-WAI forces himself to ask the help of BING in patching up CHUEN and WAH. Their effort proves to be futile nevertheless. To make things even worse, CHUEN leaves in anger. BUN blames CHUNG again in meeting. CHUNG finds out at last he has been used by WAI all along. CHUNG quarrels with BUN. As a result, he receives a warning letter and is forced to take leave. Upset, he goes to a cafe to have a break, where he meets WAH again. WAH gives him some words of consolation and encouragement. FONG, a relative of CHUEN, has to go to Shanghai to take care of her husband who has fallen ill.… ...

Everyone has become very energetic since KENNY came. CHUNG is forced by BUN to take annual leave. He can therefore take KENNY out with WAH. CHUNG’s teammates cannot meet the deadline. He rushes back to the office to give them a helping hand. They work together the whole evening and manage to solve the problem. BUN asks NELSON, the big boss, if he is selling the company. NELSON replies No. Feeling that his power in the company is still strong, he keeps on making things difficult for CHUNG. CHUNG cannot stand it anymore and decides to resign. He is stopped by his subordinates though. WAH has received a letter of acceptance from the Peking University. She, nevertheless, decides to stay in Hong Kong. CHUEN is overwhelmed. CHUNG cannot make up his mind as to whether to quit or not. He visits the Giant Buddha with WAH and KENNY. Inspired by the peaceful atmosphere there, he seems to care less about worldly matters.

CHUNG’s subordinates go to his place, bringing with the news that the company will be bought out. They are worried, and hope that CHUNG would not resign for the sake of their morale. The die is cast. It takes BUN by surprise that JIANG is their new boss. BUN fires CHUNG with the excuse the JIANG finds his performance unsatisfactory. CHUNG is miserable. As he is leaving the company, he bumps into JIANG and finds out the truth. CHUNG is reinstated. BING goes to TAI-WAI’s home for dinner. The two have yet another quarrelling. Deep down, TAI-WAI still loves her, yet he is too arrogant to ask for her forgiveness. KENNY is drawing. WAH joins him. CHUNG thinks very highly of WAH’s drawing. He arranges for her a meeting with the publisher of a children books publishing house. BUN’s power has been weaken since JAING took over the business. Everybody in the company is very pleased.