Chapter Summaries

Golden-Tooth Lei discovered that Wanqing had been taken by Rat Xiang, a subordinate of Ngo Keng Ho, and realized rescuing her could bring him into conflict with Uncle Shan. He chose to tell Song Tianyao about the situation, leaving Song to recognize the timing as an opportunity.

• Cheung Wing-kam presented Chu Xiaoxin with a golden dragon and other lavish gifts while his godson mocked him for the table’s amusement.
• Golden-Tooth Lei arrived without Wanqing, and Chu Xiaoxin reproached him for failing to bring her back.
• Golden-Tooth Lei explained that Wanqing was in the hands of a favored subordinate of a Fuyixing uncle and asked Song Tianyao for advice.
• Golden-Tooth Lei learned from Mangongshi that Rat Xiang had taken Wanqing to a brothel for Ngo Keng Ho, who was at Uncle Shan’s house.
• Mangongshi warned Golden-Tooth Lei that rescuing Wanqing would pit him against Uncle Shan, while failing to act could alienate Chu Xiaoxin and Song Tianyao.
• Golden-Tooth Lei told Song Tianyao what he had found, and Song remarked that he had chosen a good time to bring it to him.

Golden-Tooth Lei brought the dispute over Miss Wanqing to Chu Xiaoxin and Song Tianyao, hoping they would decide how to handle Fuyixing’s pressure. Chu Xiaoxin denounced collaborators and refused to let Likang work with them, leaving Golden-Tooth Lei to answer to his boss’s stance.

• Golden-Tooth Lei decided not to choose between Uncle Shan and Song Tianyao, and ordered Mangongshi to keep Miss Wanqing safe until he gave the word.
• Golden-Tooth Lei returned to the flower boat and asked Chu Xiaoxin and Song Tianyao for guidance about the man pursuing Miss Wanqing.
• Song Tianyao explained that Fuyixing’s old ties referred to collaborators who had been involved in his uncle’s death.
• Chu Xiaoxin condemned the collaborators and began to dismiss Fuyixing from Likang’s dock business, but Song Tianyao stopped him from acting rashly.
• Chu Xiaoxin declared that he would not support collaborators, and Song Tianyao told Golden-Tooth Lei that Chu Xiaoxin had already made the decision for him.

Song Tianyao persuaded Chu Xiaoxin to keep Golden-Tooth Lei employed while forcing him to choose a side after the crisis. He then explained how Chu could use his Justice of the Peace powers and connections to have Fuyixing punished for taking Wanqing.

• Golden-Tooth Lei asked Chu Xiaoxin and Song Tianyao to let his men keep working for Likang while he remained loyal to Fuyixing.
• Chu Xiaoxin left the decision to Song Tianyao and warned that he would not support traitors.
• Song Tianyao told Golden-Tooth Lei that his uncle would soon beg him for help and ordered him to make a choice after the night's business.
• After Golden-Tooth Lei left, Song Tianyao told Chu Xiaoxin to use his Justice of the Peace status to pressure Chief Chinese Inspector Liu Fu over Wanqing's abduction.
• Song Tianyao explained that Chu could direct nearby residents to restore order and that Fuyixing members who disobeyed could be arrested and denied bail.

Chu Xiaoxin learned that his new Justice of the Peace title could give him influence over local police and triad disputes, but Song Tianyao steered him away from personally confronting Fuyixing over Meng Wanqing. At the chapter’s end, Detective Sergeant Wong Wan-chiu arrived at Rat Xiang’s room with plainclothes officers, and Meng Wanqing hid behind him and begged for help.

• Song Tianyao explained to Chu Xiaoxin that Justices of the Peace still had authority to assist in maintaining public order and often kept enforcers around them.
• Chu Xiaoxin eagerly proposed using his title and men to retrieve Meng Wanqing from Fuyixing.
• Cheung Wing-kam offered to contact the police and arrange for Meng Wanqing to be brought to Chu Xiaoxin, while Song Tianyao asked Yan Hung to collect her.
• Cheung Wing-kam told Yan Hung he planned to transfer him back to Kowloon and promised to arrange a Detective Sergeant post when a vacancy arose.
• Wong Wan-chiu entered Rat Xiang’s room with plainclothes officers, and Meng Wanqing recognized him, hid behind him, and pleaded for rescue.
• Wong Wan-chiu mocked Rat Xiang for forcing a decent woman into prostitution.

Wong Wan-chiu staged a rescue to get Meng Wanqing away from Rat Xiang, while secretly arranging to exploit her and have her brother killed. He drove her away and pressured her to have dinner with him, while she noticed his supposed rescuers fraternizing with Rat Xiang’s men.

• Wong Wan-chiu threatened Rat Xiang with a pistol and had his men escort Meng Wanqing out of the apartment.
• After Meng Wanqing left, Wong Wan-chiu and Rat Xiang revealed that the rescue was staged so Wong Wan-chiu could win her trust and pursue her.
• Wong Wan-chiu paid Rat Xiang to arrange the murder of Meng Wanqing’s brother, Opium Addict Hing, and agreed to help Rat Xiang’s boss target a rival opium den.
• Wong Wan-chiu drove Meng Wanqing away and invited her to dinner, but she avoided his wandering hand and said she wanted to go home.
• Meng Wanqing saw the plainclothes officers who had helped with the rescue chatting and smoking with Rat Xiang’s men outside the apartment.

Yan Hung returned from Sha Tau Kok after hearing of Chu Xiaoxin’s rise, but Song Tianyao sent him to fetch a woman from a brothel. As Yan Hung headed to the Flower Arrangement Apartment, Fuyixing’s men discovered that Chai Fa Chiu had taken the woman to a Mong Kok restaurant, and Fish Ming rushed to intervene.

• Cheung Wing-kam called Yan Hung back from Sha Tau Kok and told him to meet Chu Xiaoxin, whose recent accomplishments astonished him.
• Yan Hung suspected Song Tianyao was behind Chu Xiaoxin’s success but agreed to fetch a woman from the Flower Arrangement Apartment with A Wai.
• Fish Ming learned that Chai Fa Chiu had taken the woman to the Fung Yu Restaurant while Fuyixing’s men watched them.
• Fish Ming ordered the men to go to the restaurant, fearing Chai Fa Chiu might take the woman to a room.

Fish Ming assaulted a plainclothes officer after the man insulted him, then left after Rat Xiang intervened and pointed the officer toward Scribe Tan for help. Song Tianyao explained his scheme to pit Golden-Tooth Lei against Fuyixing before heading back to the Dulles Hotel to sleep.

• Fish Ming gathered his men to go to the Fung Yu Restaurant, then slapped a plainclothes officer who cursed him and had his men disarm the officers.
• Fish Ming struck the officer in the mouth with the back of an axe, breaking two of his teeth, as Rat Xiang arrived and told him to stop.
• Fish Ming left after Rat Xiang shielded the injured officer, and Rat Xiang sent the man to ask Scribe Tan for help against Fish Ming.
• Song Tianyao told Chu Xiaoxin that he had given Golden-Tooth Lei a pretext to provoke a conflict with the Fuyixing elder through Cheung Wing-kam.
• Song Tianyao said he was going back to the Dulles Hotel to sleep and would take two days off before dealing with the Five Counties merchants.

Song Tianyao left Chu Xiaoxin's gathering and planned to bring his family back from the Lin Family, while Wong Wan-chiu took Meng Wanqing to dinner and admitted he had arranged the night's incident. The chapter ended with Wong stopping Meng from stabbing herself in the eye with a chopstick.

• Song Tianyao returned upstairs for his cigarettes, then left for the pier after trading taunts with Chu Xiaoxin.
• Chu Xiaoxin sent Gao Lao Cheng to accompany Song Tianyao, who took him back to the Dulles Hotel instead of going home.
• Song Tianyao considered finding work for his family and bringing Third Aunt and Yunzhi back from the Lin Family, while leaving Golden-Tooth Lei's fate dependent on his conduct.
• Wong Wan-chiu brought Meng Wanqing to a private room at Fung Yu Restaurant, where she became suspicious of his intentions.
• Wong Wan-chiu admitted his feelings and implied he had planned the incident that night; Meng Wanqing declared she would rather die than submit to him.
• Meng Wanqing tried to stab her eye with an ivory chopstick, but Wong Wan-chiu knocked her hand aside.

Yan Hung discovered that Meng Wanqing had disappeared from the Flower Arrangement Apartment, while Fish Ming burst into the private room where Wong Wan-chiu was assaulting her. Cheung Wing-kam then ordered a forceful police sweep to find her and make clear his support for Chu Xiaoxin and Song Tianyao.

• Wong Wan-chiu dragged Meng Wanqing toward an opium bed after slapping her, but Fish Ming kicked open the private-room door.
• Yan Hung learned that Rat Xiang claimed Wanqing had left the Flower Arrangement Apartment and sent A Wai to investigate.
• Yan Hung warned Brother Ching that Wanqing was important to Justice of the Peace Chu Xiaoxin and called Cheung Wing-kam.
• Cheung Wing-kam told Yan Hung he was returning to the station and ordered the officers to gather forces to search Rat Xiang's establishments and seize Wanqing.

Yan Hung led a police raid on Rat Xiang’s apartment to find Wanqing and forced Rat Xiang to reveal that Chai Fa Chiu had taken her. Yan Hung then ordered A Jing to plant opium at Chai Fa Chiu’s house and arrest him, while Wanqing’s whereabouts remained unknown.

• Cheung Wing-kam ordered Yan Hung to lead the operation to find Wanqing, and Yan Hung gathered officers to raid Rat Xiang’s apartment.
• Yan Hung forced his way into the apartment, shot Rat Xiang and one of his men, and demanded to know where Wanqing was.
• Rat Xiang revealed that Chai Fa Chiu had taken Wanqing and said he did not know where she was now.
• Yan Hung ordered A Jing to take opium to Chai Fa Chiu’s house and arrest him for possession.

Yan Hung shot Rat Xiang dead and led a police raid against Fuyixing, putting himself at risk to support Song Tianyao. Cheung Wing-kam used the killing to justify a crackdown on Tan Changshan’s businesses while preparing evidence that could either protect or destroy Yan Hung.

• Yan Hung shot Rat Xiang after Rat Xiang threatened him, then ordered Ah Ching to frame Chai Fa Chiu and took officers to Mong Kok Police Station to find him.
• Cheung Wing-kam arranged for police across Kowloon to raid Tan Changshan’s businesses and secured statements supporting Yan Hung’s self-defense.
• Cheung Wing-kam also enlarged the planted opium evidence at Wong Wan-chiu’s home, keeping statements that could be used against Yan Hung if Chu Xiaoxin abandoned him.
• Tan Changshan learned that police were sweeping his businesses, while Ngo Keng Ho waited for him to order a response.

Tan Changshan restrained Ngo Keng Ho from retaliating until Yanjigui investigated why Sergeant Hung had killed Ah Xiang. Meanwhile, Yan Hung reached Fung Yu Restaurant and found Fish Ming and Chai Huachao locked in a gunpoint standoff over Meng Wanqing.

• Tan Changshan ordered Yanjigui to investigate Ah Xiang’s death and kept Ngo Keng Ho and Shendasheng at the mahjong table; Yanjigui noticed Tan had crushed his walnuts in anger.
• Yan Hung learned that Fish Ming and Chai Huachao were facing off at Fung Yu Restaurant, and he went there with a dozen rookie officers.
• Yan Hung entered the restaurant, told the Mong Kok officers to wait outside the private room, and pushed through Fish Ming’s men.
• Yan Hung found Fish Ming holding a watermelon knife while Chai Huachao pressed a gun to his forehead, with Meng Wanqing protected near the door.
• Yan Hung approached Meng Wanqing and asked whether she was the woman from Taibai Seafood Restaurant.

Yan Hung killed Wong Wan-chiu after claiming the gangster had resisted arrest, then escorted Meng Wanqing to Taibai Seafood Restaurant so she could tell Song Tianyao what had happened. On the way, a young officer praised Yan Hung for standing up to the gangsters.

• Yan Hung identified himself to Wong Wan-chiu and Fish Ming, then had Meng Wanqing escorted out while he spoke with the two men.
• Yan Hung told Fish Ming and Wong Wan-chiu to put down their weapons, then shot Wong Wan-chiu when he sat down with his pistol on the table.
• Yan Hung announced that Wong Wan-chiu had resisted arrest and threatened a police officer, then left Fung Yu Restaurant with Meng Wanqing.
• Yan Hung asked Meng Wanqing to tell Song Tianyao exactly how he had brought her back, and promised to take responsibility for the night's events.
• A young uniformed officer praised Yan Hung for standing up to the gangsters and wished he could serve under him.

Yan Hung escorted Meng Wanqing through a hostile jianghu crowd at Tong Sai pier and shot Tan Changshan when he approached to apologize. As Yan Hung pressed forward under threat, A Yue shot Ngo Keng Ho, while Golden-Tooth Lei’s faction attacked Yanjigui and Shendasheng.

• Yan Hung arrived at Tong Sai pier with Meng Wanqing and faced more than a hundred armed jianghu figures blocking the jetty.
• Yan Hung rejected A Wai’s suggestion to retreat and led Meng Wanqing toward the crowd, where Tan Changshan approached to apologize and offer gifts.
• Yan Hung shot Tan Changshan at close range, then warned the crowd that he acted under the authority of Justice of the Peace Chu Xiaoxin.
• Ngo Keng Ho and his followers charged Yan Hung, but A Yue shot Ngo Keng Ho before Yan Hung could fire; Yan Hung took A Yue’s gun and continued forward with Meng Wanqing.
• Mangongshi urged Golden-Tooth Lei to kill Yanjigui and Shendasheng, and Golden-Tooth Lei attacked Yanjigui as his men stabbed Shendasheng.

After killing Tan Changshan, Yan Hung brought Meng Wanqing to the Dulles Hotel to see Song Tianyao, while Golden-Tooth Lei ordered Fuyixing’s men to act. Song Tianyao welcomed Yan Hung and arranged for the shaken Meng Wanqing to rest, leaving their conversation for later.

• Mangongshi told Tan Changshan’s men to stand down, and Scribe Tan withdrew with Heizai Jie, Shar Pei Dog and the others.
• Yan Hung said he would kill anyone who stood in his way and took Meng Wanqing to the Dulles Hotel to see Song Tianyao.
• Mangongshi urged Golden-Tooth Lei to act, and Golden-Tooth Lei ordered the Fuyixing brothers to move.
• Gao Lao Cheng told Song Tianyao that Yan Hung had killed Tan Changshan, prompting Song Tianyao to get up and receive Yan Hung and Meng Wanqing.
• Song Tianyao paid two Songstresses to accompany Meng Wanqing to rest before discussing what had happened.

Yan Hung sought Song Tianyao’s protection after killing three men while rescuing Meng Wanqing, and Song explained that Yan’s actions had earned him a chance at a powerful police position. Song offered to help him regain his Detective Sergeant rank, but left the final decision dependent on how Yan would handle the underworld gangs.

• Gao Lao Cheng stopped Yan Hung from reaching for his gun, but Song Tianyao told him to stand down.
• Yan Hung pointed his gun at his own head and begged Song to give him a chance; Song told him he had earned one and urged him to explain what happened.
• Yan Hung recounted the events after leaving the Taibai Seafood Restaurant, and Song explained that he had planned to help Yan return to the city and rise through the police force.
• Song said Yan’s decisive actions had won him the dock position and offered to secure his Detective Sergeant post, provided he could handle the underworld men who might seek revenge.
• Song warned that a poor answer would leave Yan with only temporary protection and money for his family, while a good answer could lead to a Detective Station Sergeant’s post within a year.

Yan Hung returned to Mong Kok Police Station with a promotion and a powerful reputation after killing Wong Wan-chiu and several underworld figures. Song Tianyao told him to recover property deeds and land rents from Fuyixing Collaborators, while Yan Hung began using his new position to pressure Scribe Tan.

• Golden-Tooth Lei announced that Lin Man, Tan Changshan, Bai Chunting, and other Fuyixing uncles had collaborated with the Japanese and were executed and expelled from Fuyixing.
• Liu Fu publicly took responsibility for the operation against Wong Wan-chiu, and Yan Hung was appointed to Wong's vacant post and promoted to Senior Detective Sergeant.
• Rumors spread that a Justice of the Peace backed Yan Hung, while Wanqing was identified as the woman whose protection had driven the killings.
• Yan Hung returned to Mong Kok Police Station, treated his colleagues generously, and paid his new subordinates red packets.
• When Scribe Tan invited him to a banquet through a messenger paid ten dollars, Yan Hung ordered a raid on Tan's establishments unless Tan came to meet him himself.
• Song Tianyao instructed Yan Hung to retrieve the Fuyixing Collaborators' property deeds and land rents, tying Yan Hung's prospects in the police force to how much money he recovered.

Yan Hung asserted his authority at the police station, then welcomed Meng Wanqing, who came to report her brother missing. Yan Hung told her Rat Xiang’s men had killed her brother, and Meng Wanqing left composed after hearing the news.

• Yan Hung proposed framing Scribe Tan and seizing his businesses, then sent A Yue to demand that Tan meet him and return the ten-dollar gift as charity.
• A Wai told Yan Hung that Meng Wanqing had arrived, and Yan Hung hurried to welcome her and ushered her into his office.
• Meng Wanqing reflected on how her reputation and circumstances had changed after leaving Secretary Song’s hotel, and explained that her brother had been missing for days.
• Yan Hung told Meng Wanqing that Rat Xiang’s men had beaten her brother to death and sunk his body at Fish Tail Rock, though his body had not been recovered.
• Meng Wanqing thanked Yan Hung and rose calmly after hearing that her brother was dead.

Song Tianyao's family prepared to open the British-German Western Pharmacy, which he had established to give his parents a comfortable livelihood. As neighbors gathered for the noon opening, Song Tianyao still had not arrived, and the chapter left his family waiting for him.

• Song Tianyao opened the British-German Western Pharmacy on Tai Wo Street so his parents could run a shop instead of doing odd jobs.
• Song Chunliang, Zhao Meizhen, Song Wenwen, Scribe Hui, Sister Fen, Wu Xiu'er, and Lou Fengyun prepared the shop for its auspicious noon opening.
• Lou Fengyun pieced together that Song Tianyao had helped Likang bring down the Zhang Family and reflected on his flirtatious attention toward her.
• Neighbors gathered outside the pharmacy as the opening approached, but Song Tianyao had not arrived by past ten.

Song Tianyao’s parents’ celebration drew old neighbors and underworld figures, including Meng Wanqing, while Lou Fengyun watched the guests arrive. Song Tianyao then arrived with another capable young woman at his side, leaving the women’s connections to him and their rivalry unresolved.

• Chen Tai brought a red packet to congratulate Song Chunliang and Zhao Meizhen, and told his followers to address Scribe Hui as Brother Hui.
• Golden-Tooth Lei and Mangongshi arrived, and Lou Fengyun joined them and Chen Tai beneath the Wind-and-Rain Corridor.
• Yan Hung arrived with Meng Wanqing, whose brief glance with Lou Fengyun made Lou suspect she had a connection to Song Tianyao.
• Song Tianyao arrived with Gao Lao Cheng and a young woman in a suit who stepped out of the car and walked beside him.
• Yan Hung joked that the new arrival might be Germany while Lou Fengyun and Meng Wanqing formed an Anglo-American alliance.