Chapter Summaries

Jiang Hao copied Officer Huang’s keys, recruited Ah Cang to teach him lockpicking, and helped the police raid a drug factory. Officer Huang secured Jin Feng’s immigration paperwork, earning Jiang Hao her vote, and Jiang Hao turned to persuade Situ Haonan for the Dragon Head election.

• Jiang Hao secretly made impressions of all four keys on Officer Huang’s key ring while pretending to use the restroom.
• Jiang Hao hired Ah Cang, watched him open the office safe, and ordered him to teach him lockpicking and key-making.
• Jiang Hao spent half a month mastering Ah Cang’s skills and filing copies of Officer Huang’s keys.
• The police raided the drug factory, arrested fourteen suspects, and Officer Huang told Jiang Hao that Jin Feng could obtain a certificate of innocence.
• Jiang Hao told Jin Feng the paperwork was ready, and she promised him her vote.
• Jiang Hao challenged Situ Haonan to a bet: whoever persuaded the other would win the other’s vote, and Situ Haonan invited him over.

Jiang Hao tried to persuade Situ Haonan to give up the Dragon Head position, but their negotiation turned into a fight that exposed the gulf between their abilities. After Situ Haonan conceded, Jiang Hao explained that he wanted to lead Eastern Star onto a legal path, leaving Situ Haonan stunned and asking what that meant.

• Jiang Hao visited Situ Haonan at his boxing gym and said he wanted to persuade him to give up the Dragon Head position.
• Jiang Hao drew Situ Haonan into discussing his martial arts achievements, then challenged him to spar.
• Jiang Hao overwhelmed Situ Haonan in the fight, and Situ Haonan eventually called a stop and admitted he could not win.
• Jiang Hao asked Situ Haonan why he wanted to be Dragon Head, and Situ Haonan said the position was the ultimate goal of the underworld.
• Jiang Hao said he wanted to lead Eastern Star onto the right path and warned that its old reliance on fighting and killing would lead to a dead end.

Jiang Hao urged Situ Haonan to help transform Dongxing Society into a legitimate corporation and offered to fund Situ's dream of opening Jeet Kune Do schools. After dinner with Ah Mi, Liang Kun burst into their private room, leaving Situ Haonan confronting him.

• Jiang Hao explained that Dongxing needed to abandon drugs and guns, shift toward legitimate businesses, and operate as a corporation.
• Jiang Hao offered to invest one hundred million a year in a martial arts school company, with Situ Haonan operating it and holding 20% of the shares.
• Situ Haonan said he would think over the offer, while Jiang Hao calculated that winning his support could help secure votes in the society's leadership contest.
• Jiang Hao and Situ Haonan invited Ah Mi to dinner at Afu Ji Restaurant, where she worried about Jiang Hao after learning he and Situ had fought.
• Liang Kun and his men forced their way into the private room, and Situ Haonan stood up to confront him.

Jiang Hao humiliated Liang Kun during a confrontation in Causeway Bay by arranging a police raid on his venues. After dinner, Jiang Hao told Ah Mi he had visited Situ Haonan because he was vying for Dragon Head.

• Liang Kun confronted Jiang Hao, Situ Haonan, Silver Phoenix, and Ah Mi, taunting Jiang Hao and threatening him over Tang Dayu’s death.
• Jiang Hao called Officer Huang and reported drug dealing and forced prostitution at several of Liang Kun’s venues, prompting Liang Kun to warn his underlings to clear them out.
• Jiang Hao dismissed Liang Kun and returned to dinner, while Situ Haonan praised him for making Liang Kun lose face.
• Jiang Hao and Ah Mi drove home after dinner, and Jiang Hao told her he was vying for Dragon Head.

Jiang Hao secured Ah Mi’s support and votes from Sister Jin Feng and Situ Haonan while Liang Kun’s venues were raided by police. The next day, Jiang Hao visited Uncle Gui, apparently to discuss the Dragon Head position.

• Jiang Hao told Ah Mi that Sister Jin Feng had agreed to vote for him after he helped her immigrate.
• Situ Haonan called to report the police raids on Liang Kun’s venues, then called again to tell Jiang Hao he would give him his vote.
• Liang Kun blamed Brother Tyrannosaurus for the raids and vowed not to let the matter go, though he decided to endure it for now.
• Jiang Hao told Ah Mi he planned to visit Uncle Gui and Master Xiang the next day.
• Jiang Hao visited Uncle Gui, admired his bird collection, and was asked what he had come to discuss.

Jiang Hao tried to win Old Ghost and Master Xiang’s support by proposing that Eastern Star become a legitimate group company and share profits among its members. After both elders heard him out, Jiang Hao and Situ Haonan discussed the Dragon Head contenders and the danger of Brother Kele and A Cheng joining forces.

• Jiang Hao warned Old Ghost that police crackdowns and changing times threatened Eastern Star’s traditional businesses, then proposed transforming the gang into a company.
• Jiang Hao outlined potential income from Sneaker Street, stock investments, and the mainland, and offered to merge Eastern Star’s assets and Sneaker Street into the group so members could receive dividends.
• Old Ghost agreed with Jiang Hao’s assessment and was tempted by the promise of a share in Sneaker Street’s profits, while dismissing Smiling Tiger’s offer of two million as a filial gift.
• Jiang Hao and Situ Haonan visited Master Xiang, who listened to Jiang Hao’s proposal and said he would consider it.
• Situ Haonan praised Jiang Hao’s decision to withdraw from the Dragon Head race and warned that Brother Kele and A Cheng could threaten the remaining contenders if they joined forces.

With East Star’s Dragon Head election scheduled for the next morning, Jiang Hao prepared for possible trouble and watched the Police Department. After Officer Huang left the building, Jiang Hao disguised himself as a police employee and entered, reaching Officer Huang’s office.

• So Wai, Ah Sum, and Little B reported that Smiling Tiger was courting other bosses and that A Cheng’s men were looking for gunmen.
• Jiang Hao brought Ah Mi to the nightclub to spend the night there with his associates before the election.
• Jiang Hao sent birds and Chinese ferret-badgers to watch the Police Department while Chief Superintendent Guo ordered officers to monitor the election.
• Officer Huang left the Police Department after discussing Jiang Hao’s uncertain chances with Chief Superintendent Guo.
• Jiang Hao disguised himself, slipped into the Police Department, and found Officer Huang’s office, marked 722.

Jiang Hao stole undercover files from Officer Huang’s office, decided to pursue a way out of his mission’s control, and burned the files before seeking comfort from Ah Mi. The East Star Dragon Head vote began, with Jiang Hao, Smiling Tiger, and A Cheng voting for themselves while Coke backed A Cheng.

• Jiang Hao cracked the safe in Officer Huang’s office, found his own file warning that he might defect, and took the other undercover operatives’ files as well.
• Jiang Hao discovered files on Chen Yongren, Ah Le, and other undercover operatives, then decided he would rather risk failing the mission than remain controlled.
• Jiang Hao burned all the files and returned to Ah Mi, who comforted him when he sought warmth.
• Jiang Hao and Ah Mi arrived at East Star’s Dragon Head election with their supporters, while Officer Huang ordered Officer Yang to begin an operation elsewhere.
• Uncle Gui began the vote; Smiling Tiger, Situ Haonan, Ah Mi, A Cheng, and Jiang Hao voted, and Coke cast his vote for A Cheng.

Jiang Hao disrupted A Cheng’s bid to become East Star’s Dragon Head by exposing his scheme to abduct Master Xiang’s family, then was elected Dragon Head. He revealed to the gang that he was a cop and promised to lead East Star into legitimate business.

• Cola withdrew from the Dragon Head contest, while Old Ghost counted the votes and A Cheng tied Jiang Hao at four votes each.
• Jiang Hao interrupted the final vote to call Master Xiang’s family, confirming they were safe and revealing that A Cheng had abducted them.
• Master Xiang, Situ Haonan, and Cola confronted A Cheng, and Master Xiang killed him with his ice pick.
• Master Xiang and Old Ghost voted for Jiang Hao, and East Star’s leaders accepted him as the new Dragon Head.
• Jiang Hao announced to East Star’s members that he was a cop and vowed to transform the gang into a legitimate, share-based company.

Jiang Hao celebrated becoming Dongxing’s Dragon Head and outlined plans to reform the society’s businesses. Officer Huang discovered the undercover agents’ files were missing and suspected Jiang Hao had taken them, so Jiang Hao arranged to meet him at Qingsong Temple.

• Jiang Hao celebrated with Dongxing’s members and proposed separating the society’s businesses into black, gray, and white companies while gradually abandoning illegal trades.
• Smiling Tiger questioned whether Jiang Hao had meant it when he said he was a cop, but the others defended Jiang Hao, and Smiling Tiger apologized and pledged to obey him.
• Officer Huang considered using Jiang Hao’s control of Dongxing to weaken Hong Kong’s gangs, then discovered the undercover agents’ files had vanished from his safe.
• Officer Huang called Jiang Hao about the missing files, and Jiang Hao arranged to meet him at Qingsong Temple that evening.

Jiang Hao met Officer Huang at Qingsong Temple after revealing that he had taken the file and planned to lead Dongxing away from crime. He insisted he had not betrayed anything, only broken free of Officer Huang’s control, and began describing the suffering he endured while undercover.

• Officer Huang discovered that the safe had not been forced open and realized Jiang Hao had taken the file, leaving him beyond control.
• Jiang Hao persuaded Situ Haonan and several others to invest thirty million each by promising to make them wealthy the following year, while Smiling Tiger hesitated.
• Jiang Hao arrived at Qingsong Temple with So Wai and eight underlings, then went alone to meet Officer Huang on the mountain terrace.
• Jiang Hao shared cigars with Officer Huang, who accused him of abandoning his identity, oath, and police badge.
• Jiang Hao said he had not betrayed anything and told Officer Huang that his undercover work had plunged him into the deepest layer of hell, Avici Hell.

Jiang Hao told Officer Huang that Tung Sing knew he was a police officer and offered to cooperate with the police as an equal rather than remain an undercover agent. He gave Huang intelligence on the Tuen Mun killer in exchange for another raid on Liang Kun’s turf, leaving their new arrangement in place.

• Jiang Hao confronted Officer Huang over treating him as a disposable undercover agent and revealed that he had publicly identified himself as a police officer at his inauguration as Tung Sing’s Dragon Head.
• Jiang Hao explained that Tung Sing’s members supported him because he could bring them benefits, making Huang’s files useless as leverage.
• Jiang Hao proposed an equal exchange of intelligence and assistance between himself and the police, and Huang accepted the idea of cooperating with him as an informant.
• Jiang Hao handed Huang information about the Tuen Mun serial killer, Lin Guowei, whose crimes had left residents frightened and the police without leads.
• Huang asked what Jiang Hao wanted in return, and Jiang Hao requested another raid on Liang Kun’s turf and that Liang Kun be held for twenty-four hours.

Jiang Hao ended his undercover relationship with Officer Huang but offered him intelligence on a serial killer in exchange for a police raid on Liang Kun's turf. After returning home, Jiang Hao talked with Ah Mi about buying a bigger house or building a villa.

• Jiang Hao gave Officer Huang intelligence on the Tuen Mun serial killer and offered to cooperate with the police, while accepting that he could no longer complete his system mission.
• Officer Huang reported Jiang Hao's situation to Chief Superintendent Guo, who agreed to leave Jiang Hao's file alone and restore the files of the other undercover officers.
• Chief Superintendent Guo approved Officer Huang's promise to raid Liang Kun's turf, making it the police's first formal cooperation with Jiang Hao.
• Jiang Hao offered incense at Qingsong Temple, rented his usual private room, and donated five hundred thousand Hong Kong Dollars.
• Jiang Hao and Ah Mi discussed buying a larger home, and Jiang Hao suggested acquiring land in Kowloon to build a villa district.

After reviewing Dongxing’s accounts, Jiang Hao began reorganizing the society and gathered its bosses in Causeway Bay to settle a district appointment and discuss asset shares. He left them watching as police raided Liang Kun’s nightclub and reporters photographed Liang Kun’s arrest.

• Jiang Hao reviewed Dongxing’s finances with Sister Jin Feng and Fu Yang and began the process of corporatizing the society.
• Jiang Hao arranged a gathering at Heji Restaurant and nominated Ah Kun to become Kwun Tong’s district boss, which the other bosses approved.
• Sister Jin Feng presented Dongxing’s accounts, and Fu Yang distributed a proposal for dividing the society’s assets for the bosses to review.
• At ten o’clock, police raided Liang Kun’s Wild Nightclub, while Jiang Hao and the Dongxing bosses watched from across the street.
• Police arrested Liang Kun and held him for reporters’ photographs; Liang Kun cursed at them and threatened to chop up a reporter’s family.

Jiang Hao persuaded Dongxing’s leaders to shift toward legitimate business and cooperate with the police, then promoted Zhou Kun to district boss of Kwun Tong. He later profited from the Japanese stock market’s collapse, leaving his fortune growing by tens of millions each day.

• Jiang Hao explained that Dongxing needed to move toward legitimate business and cooperate to a limited extent with the police, and the other bosses accepted his direction.
• Bai Tou Weng told Ah Le to follow Jiang Hao, praising his leadership and willingness to share opportunities.
• Jiang Hao announced that Zhou Kun would become the district boss of Kwun Tong, and Zhou Kun celebrated with the others.
• Jiang Hao congratulated Officer Huang on becoming deputy superintendent after police solved the Tuen Mun serial killer case using leads he had provided.
• Jiang Hao liquidated his Japanese stock holdings on December 20, then used his funds to buy Nikkei put warrants when the market opened in 1990.
• The Japanese stock market plunged, and Jiang Hao’s assets rose by tens of millions each day as he profited from the crash.

After Smiling Tiger was killed over a failed investment, Jiang Hao used the murder to arrange a police-backed attack on the Fuxing Gang. Its leader, Hou Qinglong, was implicated in numerous crimes, and the chapter left the O Unit dismantling the gang while Chief Superintendent Guo promised to recommend Officer Huang for promotion.

• Jiang Hao bought a Mid-Levels villa for himself and Ah Mi, then learned that Smiling Tiger had been killed while fleeing after losing money in Japanese stocks.
• Situ Haonan discovered that Hou Qinglong had killed Smiling Tiger and stolen his last three million, so Jiang Hao proposed taking down the Fuxing Gang by reporting the murder to the police.
• Jiang Hao and Officer Huang agreed to cooperate, and Eastern Star captured Fuxing Gang members and pressured them to surrender and testify against Hou Qinglong.
• More than a dozen Fuxing Gang members turned themselves in and confessed to the murder, drug trafficking, and other crimes, giving the O Unit evidence against Hou Qinglong.
• The O Unit arrested members of the Fuxing Gang, uncovered multiple criminal charges, seized drugs, and rescued more than a dozen women; Chief Superintendent Guo praised Officer Huang and promised to recommend him for promotion.

Jiang Hao met with Dongxing’s leaders to distribute wealth and assign district bosses, then met Officer Huang at Qingsong Temple as he prepared to leave the world. He recognized the undercover officer Liu Jianming and offered him a way out of his torment, leaving Liu stunned by Jiang Hao’s insight and his frank relationship with Officer Huang.

• Jiang Hao announced that every Dongxing leader had become a billionaire and secured Ah Jun’s appointment as district boss of To Kwa Wan and Kowloon City, while leaving Sha Tin’s appointment to the others.
• Jiang Hao went to Qingsong Temple with So Wai, reflecting that he had fulfilled his wishes and was ready to leave the world.
• Officer Huang arrived with Inspector Liu Jianming, whom Jiang Hao recognized, and left the two men alone while he went to the bathroom.
• Jiang Hao described undercover work as a living Avici Hell and told Liu Jianming to seek him out if he ever wanted to escape it.
• Officer Huang and Jiang Hao discussed Dongxing’s remaining illegal businesses and Jiang Hao’s legitimate investments, while Liu Jianming listened in disbelief.

Jiang Hao discussed Hong Kong’s triads, Han Chen, and his own influence with Officer Huang, while Liu Jianming suspected Jiang Hao knew about his undercover role. After meditating at Qingsong Temple, Jiang Hao decided to call Han Chen and invite him to dinner.

• Jiang Hao told Officer Huang that Hung Hing lacked a strong economic base and admitted Han Chen’s drugs were sold on Eastern Star territory.
• Officer Huang asked Jiang Hao to help gather intelligence on Han Chen, but Jiang Hao hesitated because he considered Han Chen a friend.
• Liu Jianming asked why Jiang Hao was unafraid of the police, and Officer Huang explained that Jiang Hao’s wealth, influence, and Golden Light Protection shielded him.
• Jiang Hao meditated at Qingsong Temple and reflected on Liu Jianming before deciding to have some fun.
• Jiang Hao called Han Chen and invited him to dinner.

Jiang Hao invited Han Chen to dinner and unnerved him by joking that he was choosing an auspicious day for time travel. He then revealed that he had met Chief Superintendent Huang Xingcheng and discussed Han Chen, leaving Han Chen anxious about what Jiang Hao would do next.

• Jiang Hao invited Han Chen to dinner at Li Yuan Restaurant and asked So Wai to give him the private room number.
• Han Chen worried that Jiang Hao might cut off his drug business, which depended on Tung Sing territory, after Han Chen had traded most of Lianying Society's assets for operating rights.
• Han Chen arrived with Chen Yongren and Silly Keung, and Jiang Hao greeted them before explaining that he was reading an almanac to choose an auspicious day for time travel.
• Han Chen choked on his tea when Jiang Hao mentioned time travel, then tried to hide his unease as they ordered dinner.
• Jiang Hao told Han Chen that he had met Chief Superintendent Huang Xingcheng at noon and that they had talked about Han Chen, leaving Han Chen alarmed.

Jiang Hao told Han Chen that the police were investigating his drug business and argued that it was a risky venture with a limited future. He invited Han Chen to make money through legitimate business with him, but Han Chen doubted Jiang Hao’s promise of enormous returns.

• Jiang Hao told Han Chen that Chief Superintendent Huang wanted help finding evidence of Han Chen’s drug crimes.
• Han Chen asked why Jiang Hao had called him, and Jiang Hao raised the risks and limits of Han Chen’s drug business.
• Jiang Hao recalled how Wang Sen’s drug factory had been shut down and explained why he had ended Tung Sing’s drug trade.
• Han Chen admitted that drug sales had stabilized and that the police had recently seized tens of millions worth of his goods.
• Jiang Hao urged Han Chen to join him in legitimate business and claimed his mainland investments could grow to fifty billion in ten years, but Han Chen doubted him.