Central, Queen's Road, Lan Kwai Fong.
Starlight Nightclub.
"Everyone, stay sharp."
Four-Eyed Snake wore a floral shirt and held a Red Marlboro between his fingers. He gestured at the handful of underlings standing guard on either side of the nightclub entrance. "I've got an important guest to entertain tonight, so keep your eyes open. Don't let anything go wrong."
"Yes, boss."
The gangsters filling in for the regulars had put on suits. They copied the security guards' usual stance, staring straight ahead with their backs ramrod straight.
"That's more like it."
Four-Eyed Snake took a drag from his cigarette and looked toward the entrance.
A young man in a tight-fitting suit sidled up to Four-Eyed Snake. He looked like one of his trusted underlings, and spoke in a casual tone. "Snake Brother, who's coming tonight? Why'd you have the boys put on such a big show?"
"Li Kuang, the former Dragon Head's own son. You think I shouldn't show him some respect?"
Four-Eyed Snake tugged at his tight collar, sounding a little edgy. "Lately, every drug den on Hong Kong Island has either gotten into trouble or stopped selling. I'm just hoping I can get in with someone powerful this time, have him put in a good word for us, and make things easier down the road."
"Snake Brother, everyone's saying some big shot from out of town has come to Hong Kong Island. Who is he? At this rate, none of us will have any business left," the trusted underling grumbled.
"Fuck, if I knew, I'd have taken you lot to hack them to death already."
Just thinking about it made Four-Eyed Snake even angrier. Over the past month or two, the drug dens on Hong Kong Island had been putting out far less product, and prices had gone