Chapter Summaries

Lin Xiaohe asked Lin Xiaoze to speak with Lin Xiao Qia about his possible guilt over the deaths of their uncles. Song Tianyao learned that HSBC faced heavy losses and a likely leadership change, which could improve his chances of acquiring the Lin Family’s foreclosed properties, and then spotted Yan Hung arriving at the Dulles Hotel.

• Lin Xiaohe told Lin Xiaoze that Lin Xiao Qia might feel responsible for the deaths of fifth uncle and sixth uncle, and asked him to prevent the matter from damaging their family bond.
• Lin Xiaoze agreed to speak with Lin Xiao Qia and praised Lin Xiaohe for raising the concern.
• Michael Sandberg told Song Tianyao that HSBC faced mounting losses over its closed mainland branches and that Morse’s resignation was likely.
• Michael Sandberg explained that Turner, who favored expansion across Asia before returning to China, might succeed Morse and could be more willing to sell HSBC’s seized properties.
• Song Tianyao observed that HSBC might demand a stake in his business in exchange for selling him the Lin Family’s collateralized land and properties.
• Song Tianyao noticed Yan Hung hurrying from a car toward the Dulles Hotel coffee shop.

After Lee Jusheng had Headless arrested, Song Tianyao planned to protect his ally and asked Lai Man-yau whether he wanted to remain in the Police Force. The chapter ended with Song offering Lai a million dollars to become Chief Detective of Hong Kong Island if Lai could ruin Lee Jusheng's reputation.

• Yan Hung told Song Tianyao that Headless had been arrested after guns and opium were found at the Golden Source Club, and that Lee Jusheng had acted without first consulting Liu Fu or the Foreign Devils.
• Song Tianyao told Yan Hung to reassure Headless and summoned Lai Man-yau, while saying he would make Lee Jusheng retire early.
• Lai Man-yau told Song Tianyao that he had assumed Song wanted him to arrange a meeting with Liu Fu to help Headless.
• Song Tianyao asked Lai Man-yau whether he wanted to serve in the Police Force for another term, and Lai explained the cost of retaining or advancing his position.
• Song Tianyao offered to pay a million dollars to secure Lai Man-yau the post of Chief Detective of Hong Kong Island if Lai could find dirt on Lee Jusheng.

Song Tianyao promised to fund Lai Man-yau’s rise to Lee Jusheng’s position, and Lai vowed to deal with Lee within two days. Liu Fu warned Lai that the affair could implicate the Lin Family and the Dongguan Chamber of Commerce, but Lai remained determined to target Lee alone.

• Song Tianyao offered to fund Lai Man-yau’s promotion, with Yan Hung and Headless set to fill the positions Lai and Yan would leave vacant.
• Song Tianyao promised to deposit one million into Lai Man-yau’s brother-in-law’s wig factory account, and Lai vowed to take care of Lee Jusheng within two days.
• Lai Man-yau told Liu Fu that Song Tianyao had already placed a million in the account as proof of his sincerity.
• Liu Fu refused to support Lai, warning that Lee Jusheng’s actions might involve the Lin Family and that Lai’s involvement could draw in the Dongguan Chamber of Commerce.
• Lai Man-yau insisted he would deal only with Lee Jusheng and would not interfere further afterward.

Song Tianyao used the million-dollar offer to pressure Lai Man-yau and planned to profit if Lai failed to act against Lee Jusheng. Meanwhile, Tang Boqi waited at Queen’s Pier, where he drank beer and watched an elderly white man fishing.

• Liu Fu warned Lai Man-yau against pursuing Lee Jusheng and threatened to lock him up if he acted without permission.
• Song Tianyao gave Yan Hung a hundred thousand dollars to negotiate a demotion for Headless with the police, including Lee Jusheng.
• Song Tianyao explained that Lai Man-yau would have to return the million dollars if he failed to act, giving Song grounds to deal with him and eventually offer Yan Hung the Yau Ma Tei post.
• Yan Hung questioned Song Tianyao’s plan, and Song said Lai could still earn his support if he boldly took the chance to deal with Lee Jusheng.
• Tang Boqi sat drinking beer at Queen’s Pier and exchanged a friendly toast with an elderly white man fishing nearby.

Tang Boqi met Lin Xiaokang and Lin Xiaoda at Queen’s Pier and explained how Song Tianyao could use a securities company to raise money through Zhaofeng Trading’s share issue. The three discussed exploiting Prosperity Rubber’s planned stock manipulation for themselves, but Lin Xiaokang’s final remark left Tang Boqi and Lin Xiaoda stunned.

• Tang Boqi persuaded the guards to let Lin Xiaokang and Lin Xiaoda into Queen’s Pier.
• Lin Xiaokang reported that Zhaofeng Trading planned to issue new shares, and Tang Boqi explained how Song Tianyao could conceal the source of its financing through a securities company.
• Tang Boqi said Lin Xiaosen, Lin Xiaoze, and Studwell planned to raise Prosperity Rubber’s stock price, sell their shares, and later buy them back.
• Lin Xiaoda asked whether he and Lin Xiaokang should secretly use the information to make money, and Lin Xiaokang replied with a brief statement that made both men drop their beers into the sea.

At Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, Huang Liu and Uncle Bing traded insults while Song Tianyao visited his recovering family and brought them dinner. Meanwhile, Lin Xiaokang, Tang Boqi, and Lin Xiaoda waited on a pier as Song Tianyao approached by yacht for a meeting.

• Lin Xiaokang explained that the pier was the only place they could speak freely, and Song Tianyao arrived by yacht.
• Huang Liu teased Uncle Bing in the hospital corridor, and Uncle Bing answered him with dry-roasted soybeans and an insult about Song Tianyao.
• Song Wenwen chatted with the recovering Feng Yunzhi, while Meng Wanqing and Sister Xiang kept Lin Yujing company.
• Song Tianyao served dinner and stopped Nine-Tattooed Dragon from eating the black chicken soup meant for Lin Yujing and Feng Yunzhi.
• A young nurse joked with Song Tianyao about Nine-Tattooed Dragon eating seven bowls of hospital food at every meal.

Yan Hung watched the Victory Friend opium den in Kowloon City while recalling Lai Man-yau’s request to find someone nearby. The chapter left Yan Hung and his two men surveying the den as people outside chatted.

• Lai Man-yau asked Yan Hung to help him find someone near an opium den because Chief Liu was watching him closely.
• Yan Hung drove to Kowloon City with A Yue and A Wai and observed the brightly lit Victory Friend opium den.
• Several men outside the den talked about a woman at Song An Lau and a factory job his wife had found at a wig factory.

Yan Hung found the opium addict Cai Wenhong for Lai Man-yau and brought him to Chen Mengjun at a secret gambling vault. Chen revealed that A Mei still remembered Cai and offered him a chance to escape Hong Kong with her.

• Yan Hung sent A Wai to search opium-den back alleys and found Cai Wenhong waiting to drink water containing opium residue.
• Yan Hung had Cai cleaned, given clothes, and brought to a secure vault near Yau Ma Tei Police Station.
• Yan Hung delivered Cai to Chen Mengjun, who explained that Lai Man-yau was still at the station to avoid drawing Liu Fu’s suspicion.
• Chen Mengjun gave Cai letters from A Mei and told him she had been unhappy with Lee Jusheng and had saved money.
• Chen Mengjun asked Cai to escape Hong Kong with A Mei and start a new life in Malaysia.

Song Tianyao returned to Hong Kong by yacht and confronted Tang Boqi, who urged him to stop cutting off others’ chances to make money. The chapter ended with their tense exchange as Tang Boqi asked him to change course.

• Huang Liu helped Song Tianyao jump from the yacht onto the pier, then the vessel sailed back out to sea.
• Song Tianyao taunted Tang Boqi about losing before and threatened to harm his girlfriend if she helped him again.
• Tang Boqi recalled his first meeting with Song Tianyao in the United States and remarked that Song looked older.
• Tang Boqi told Song Tianyao that he was leaving no opportunities for others and urged him to stop.

Song Tianyao met Tang Boqi, Lin Xiaokang, and Lin Xiaoda on a pier, where Lin Xiaokang wounded himself to persuade him to talk about the Lin Family. The chapter then shifted to Liu Fu attacking Lai Man-yau in his office and ordering his men to arrest him.

• Song Tianyao rejected Tang Boqi's warning and asked Lin Xiaokang whether he had summoned him to settle accounts.
• Song Tianyao demanded that Lin Xiaokang repay the wound Yunzhi had inflicted on himself; Lin Xiaokang admitted his earlier cruelty had been an act and said he did not know whose side Sister Xiang was on.
• Song Tianyao refused to discuss the Lin Family until Lin Xiaokang repaid Yunzhi's wound, so Lin Xiaokang stabbed his own thigh and asked to talk.
• Liu Fu burst into Lai Man-yau's office, slapped him, and ordered his subordinates to arrest him or shoot him if he resisted.
• Lai Man-yau spat blood onto the floor and addressed Liu Fu as Boss.

Lai Man-yau explained to Liu Fu why he had killed Lee Jusheng, and Liu Fu decided to protect him while letting Song Tianyao take the blame. The chapter ended with Liu Fu planning to use the killing to secure the Hong Kong Island District chief detective post for the Dongguan faction.

• Liu Fu sent his followers out and confronted Lai Man-yau over killing Lee Jusheng without his permission.
• Lai Man-yau explained that he had acted because Song Tianyao’s money and influence threatened his job, his family’s factory, and his safety.
• Liu Fu recognized that Lee Jusheng’s death could be presented as a crime of passion and blamed on Song Tianyao.
• Liu Fu decided to support Lai Man-yau’s succession as Chief Detective Chief Inspector of Hong Kong Island District and present his payment as support for his subordinate.

Liu Fu arranged for Lai Man-yau to buy Guan Bixing’s wife’s company in exchange for support for the vacant Hong Kong Island detective chief post, then ordered him to make a public show of opposition to Song Tianyao. At the pier, Song Tianyao questioned Lin Xiaokang about his haste but said he needed time to think, leaving Tang Boqi unsettled by Song’s parting words.

• Liu Fu told Guan Bixing that Lee Jusheng’s murder had been solved as a crime of passion and raised Lai Man-yau’s appointment to the vacant post.
• Lai Man-yau agreed to pay 1.2 million Hong Kong dollars for Guan Bixing’s wife’s paper company in exchange for Guan’s support.
• Liu Fu gave Lai Man-yau a note for 100,000 dollars and ordered him to take funeral money to Lee Jusheng’s family and beat Headless before arranging his release.
• Song Tianyao asked Lin Xiaokang why he had acted so quickly, and Lin replied that he feared he would otherwise lose his chance.
• Song Tianyao said he needed time to consider Lin Xiaokang’s proposal, then struck Lin’s wound and mocked his attempt to appear tough.
• Song Tianyao told Tang Boqi, “Billy Zai, I’ll be waiting for you,” leaving Tang deeply unsettled.

Song Tianyao left Queen’s Pier after striking Lin Xiaokang, while Lam Kong was dragged from his cell for interrogation after officers accused him of arranging Dragon Master’s murder. The chapter ended with Lai Man-yau ordering the officers to beat Lam Kong.

• Song Tianyao told Huang Liu that he had hit Lin Xiaokang to avenge Yunzhi before he lost the chance.
• Huang Liu suspected that one of the people at the pier might leak what had happened, and Song Tianyao departed for Tsim Sha Tsui.
• Lam Kong told the guard that he would not seek bail because leaving might mean pleading guilty, even though his father was a lawyer.
• Plainclothes officers took Lam Kong from his cell and accused him of hiring a gunman to kill Dragon Master, revealing that Lee Jusheng had been shot dead.
• Lai Man-yau kicked Lam Kong and ordered the officers to interrogate and beat him, and they shoved Lam Kong into the interrogation room.

Lin Xiaoze met with Lin Xiao qia to resolve suspicions that he had accidentally exposed the Lin Family’s Macau plans, while Lin Xiaohe learned more about his brother’s ties to their uncles. The chapter left Lin Xiaohe with evidence that Lin Xiao qia had supported Lin Xiyuan and Lin Xishen privately for years.

• Lin Xiaoze invited Lin Xiao qia to drink gongfu tea and asked whether he had met Headless.
• Lin Xiao qia admitted he had tried to help A He by making the affair more watertight, but denied revealing anything to Headless.
• Lin Xiaoze told Lin Xiao qia that A He did not blame him and urged him to put the matter behind them.
• Lin Xiaoze asked Lin Xiao qia to watch over the company while he and A-Sen raised funds on the stock market.
• Liao Jingxuan told Lin Xiaohe that Lin Xiao qia had privately paid Lin Xiyuan and Lin Xishen monthly for six years and knew their men well.

Lin Xiaohe questioned why Lin Xiao qia had sent Uncle Bing to protect Lin Yujing and ordered Liao Jingxuan to investigate his brother again. Meanwhile, Lin Xiaohe and Lu Yanqun strengthened their connection through conversation and dancing, and Song Tianyao returned home tired to Meng Wanqing.

• Lin Xiaohe concluded that Lin Xiao qia's decision to send Uncle Bing to the hospital was suspicious and told Liao Jingxuan to investigate him discreetly.
• Lin Xiaohe reflected that he needed to keep the Lin Family united against Song Tianyao's attempt to acquire Xizhen Properties.
• Lin Lu Yanqun returned from a dance, and Lin Xiaohe danced with her while she relayed Swire's interest in discussing development on Hong Kong Island's eastern district.
• Meng Wanqing welcomed Song Tianyao home, took his coat, and found him resting on the sofa with his eyes closed.

Song Tianyao spent a quiet evening with Meng Wanqing before learning that Lee Jusheng had been shot dead and Headless was being beaten at Central Police Station. He sent A Yue to deliver a warning to Lai Man-yau and keep Headless safe.

• Huang Liu waited outside while Song Tianyao joined Meng Wanqing, who noticed how much more mature he had become.
• Song Tianyao found tear stains in Meng Wanqing's copy of Six Records of a Floating Life and understood why she had identified with Wen Hanyuan.
• Huang Liu arrived with A Yue and reported that Lee Jusheng was dead and Headless was being interrogated at Central Police Station by Lai Man-yau.
• Song Tianyao told A Yue to send a warning to Lai Man-yau and make sure Headless stayed safe.

A Yue and Fuyixing men confronted Lai Man-yau as Lam Kong lay gravely injured in the interrogation room. A Yue could not bring himself to shoot Lai, so he put the gun to his own head and offered his life in exchange for Lam Kong’s release.

• Lai Man-yau ordered his men to beat Lam Kong again, and struck him across the back with a broken stick.
• A Yue burst into the interrogation room with Red Pole Fish Ming and other Fuyixing men, aiming his gun at Lai Man-yau and demanding Lam Kong be sent to the hospital.
• Lai Man-yau challenged A Yue to shoot him and warned that Song Tianyao would suffer the consequences.
• A Yue realized that shooting Lai Man-yau could bring disaster on Yan Hung and Song Tianyao, while the officers pointed their guns at him.
• A Yue pressed his gun to his own temple and offered to surrender in exchange for Lam Kong’s release, threatening that another death at Central Police Station would bring trouble from the Foreign Devils.

A Yue secured Lam Kong’s release after Lai Man-yau and A Qiu decided not to risk a confrontation, while Lu Yuanchun weighed Hong Kong as a destination for Malayan Chinese merchants and considered opening Guangyi Bank there. She ended the chapter still assessing whether Hong Kong’s banks would try to squeeze out her new venture.

• Lai Man-yau deferred to A Qiu, who urged him to let Lam Kong go rather than risk being blamed if A Yue fired his gun.
• Lai Man-yau allowed A Yue to take Lam Kong away but ordered A Yue to remain for Chief Liu to deal with later.
• Fish Ming and the others took Lam Kong out of the station for medical treatment, and A Yue collapsed after they left.
• Lu Yuanchun returned to the Morrison Hotel, drank alone, and reflected on her visit to Hong Kong and the dangers facing Malayan Chinese.
• Lu Yuanchun considered opening Guangyi Bank in Hong Kong and wondered whether local banks would work together to squeeze it out.

Lu Yuanchun reflected on the Lu Family’s decline and considered settling in Hong Kong, while Tang Boqi prepared a stock-market scheme to manipulate Prosperity Rubber shares. The chapter ended with Tang and a trader imagining the larger exchanges in London and New York.

• Lu Yuanchun considered settling in Hong Kong as she thought about the Lu Family’s lost influence and its political divisions.
• Investors crowded the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to open accounts and buy Xizhen Properties shares after its price had surged the previous day.
• Tang Boqi instructed Prosperity Rubber’s secretary to promote the stock and arrange for companies linked to Studwell to sell shares that Tang’s accounts would buy.
• Tang Boqi learned that Wealth-Through Securities had agreed to underwrite Zhaofeng Trading’s new share issue and advance it 27 million Hong Kong dollars.
• Tang Boqi and a trader spoke about the scale of Wall Street and London’s stock exchanges.

Song Tianyao and Luo Zhuankun prepared to challenge the Lin Family in the stock market as Zhaofeng Trading consolidated its Xizhen Properties shares. Song Tianyao then welcomed Angie Pellis at the airport with two foreign arrivals, Madam Juliana Aiber and Mr. Gore.

• Luo Zhuankun learned that the Lin Family had sold a 31 percent stake in Prosperity Rubber to six obscure companies and decided to monitor its rising share price.
• Song Tianyao and Luo Zhuankun suspected Tang Boqi was behind the Lin Family's stock-market maneuver and agreed to watch for further developments.
• Luo Zhuankun told Song Tianyao that Zhaofeng Trading would announce the consolidation of its six percent stake in Xizhen Properties, and Song Tianyao declared they would face the Lin Family directly.
• Song Tianyao, Huang Liu, and Chen Xingfu waited at Kai Tak Airport for Angie Pellis and her companions.
• Angie Pellis introduced Song Tianyao to her mentor Madam Juliana Aiber and the elderly Mr. Gore.