The film tells of a well-intentioned narcotics agent, Nick (Daniel Wu) deep undercover in the heart of Hong Kong's lucrative heroin trade. He is forced to deal with the hypocrisy and despair in a life of drugs and crime, as he plays protege to one of the key players of the game, "Banker" (Andy Lau). In the eight years he has been infiltrating the heroin industry, he finds himself corrupted by the easy money and his new found power. Unable to separate himself from his undercover persona, he immerses himself into his role as a drug trafficker.

In "Protege", with Daniel Wu playing Nick, these questions are explored. He acts as a narcotic agent who goes undercover in the heart of Hong Kong's greatest heroin trade, and has been following the leader of the ring, Kuan (Andy Lau), nicknamed Banker, for eight years, hoping to expose the ring's doings. Kuan, being a born-diabetic, decides to quit from the industry after kidney failure and thus, hands over his business to his well-trusted protege, Nick.

Nick meets single-mother, Jane (Zhang Jing Chu), who ironically, became a drug addict to prove to her drug-estranged husband (Louis Koo) that it is possible to quit drugs. She however ends up hooked, along with her daughter, and leaves her husband. Her brief affair with Nick gives her hope of a new life, and decides to quit drugs with his help. This, however, is brought to a halt when the estranged husband re-emerges in her life.

Being a drug-trafficker, Nick is brought into the dangerous situation of the heroin culture, where each and every decision brings a different consequence.

Director Derek Yee explores the true and factual situation in the whole process of drug-trafficking. Bringing in the characters, he has a complete picture of those in and affected by the heroin culture. With a drug dealer, a drug addict, the victim, the wife of the dealer and the trafficker, it brings a whole complete picture of the situation.

The plot looks into the complex relationships within the multi-layered, international drug manufacturing and distribution syndicates of today, stimulating the mindset and perspective of the audience about the issue.

Veteran actor Lau, acting in over 115 movies, plays well as the Banker. He portrays well the perspective of a drug dealer. At one point, when the character was faced with the situation of his protege feeling guilty distributing heroin, he expressed frustration (as a dealer), saying that he did not force the addicts to consume, but that they were the ones who wanted them; when there is a market, there is business, and he, as a dealer is just doing business. This provokes the thought that drug dealers, who know the damage of drugs to human bodies, actually feel no remorse doing what they do as they are just earning a living.

Wu is seen in this film with his improved Cantonese. His character as the narcotic undercover is convincing, showing the dilemma he faces, one being the guilt he feels towards drug takers, and also, the friendship he has with his mentor and family.

Yuen, makes an awesome appearance in the movie as Kuan's wife, who masks her knowledge of her husband's 'business' from the beginning. A mother of two, she shows the softness of a mother and wife, but has great mental strength towards her husband's career. Zhang, being an actress from China, has this weird spoken Cantonese that is normal to actors/actresses from China, but she certainly did a better job than Shu Qi when she first acted in Hong Kong movies. Playing a drug addict and a single mother, she conveys the situation when they get the urgent need for drugs, but at the same time, she is trying to give her young daughter what is best. Koo, after watching him in "Happy Birthday" is getting a new role in here, playing a cowardly drug addict.

Loneliness leads to drugs; but is loneliness scarier? Or are drugs scarier?-one tough question asked in the movie that haunts me. A suspenseful exploration into the darkest corners of the human experience.

What makes a man take drug? And what is the perspective of the drug dealer?

In "Protege", with Daniel Wu playing Nick, these questions are explored. He acts as a narcotic agent who goes undercover in the heart of Hong Kong's greatest heroin trade, and has been following the leader of the ring, Kuan (Andy Lau), nicknamed Banker, for eight years, hoping to expose the ring's doings. Kuan, being a born-diabetic, decides to quit from the industry after kidney failure and thus, hands over his business to his well-trusted protege, Nick.

Nick meets single-mother, Jane (Zhang Jing Chu), who ironically, became a drug addict to prove to her drug-estranged husband (Louis Koo) that it is possible to quit drugs. She however ends up hooked, along with her daughter, and leaves her husband. Her brief affair with Nick gives her hope of a new life, and decides to quit drugs with his help. This, however, is brought to a halt when the estranged husband re-emerges in her life.

Being a drug-trafficker, Nick is brought into the dangerous situation of the heroin culture, where each and every decision brings a different consequence.

Director Derek Yee explores the true and factual situation in the whole process of drug-trafficking. Bringing in the characters, he has a complete picture of those in and affected by the heroin culture. With a drug dealer, a drug addict, the victim, the wife of the dealer and the trafficker, it brings a whole complete picture of the situation.

The plot looks into the complex relationships within the multi-layered, international drug manufacturing and distribution syndicates of today, stimulating the mindset and perspective of the audience about the issue.

Veteran actor Lau, acting in over 115 movies, plays well as the Banker. He portrays well the perspective of a drug dealer. At one point, when the character was faced with the situation of his protege feeling guilty distributing heroin, he expressed frustration (as a dealer), saying that he did not force the addicts to consume, but that they were the ones who wanted them; when there is a market, there is business, and he, as a dealer is just doing business. This provokes the thought that drug dealers, who know the damage of drugs to human bodies, actually feel no remorse doing what they do as they are just earning a living.

Wu is seen in this film with his improved Cantonese. His character as the narcotic undercover is convincing, showing the dilemma he faces, one being the guilt he feels towards drug takers, and also, the friendship he has with his mentor and family.

Yuen, makes an awesome appearance in the movie as Kuan's wife, who masks her knowledge of her husband's 'business' from the beginning. A mother of two, she shows the softness of a mother and wife, but has great mental strength towards her husband's career. Zhang, being an actress from China, has this weird spoken Cantonese that is normal to actors/actresses from China, but she certainly did a better job than Shu Qi when she first acted in Hong Kong movies. Playing a drug addict and a single mother, she conveys the situation when they get the urgent need for drugs, but at the same time, she is trying to give her young daughter what is best. Koo, after watching him in "Happy Birthday" is getting a new role in here, playing a cowardly drug addict.

Loneliness leads to drugs; but is loneliness scarier? Or are drugs scarier?-one tough question asked in the movie that haunts me. A suspenseful exploration into the darkest corners of the human experience.