"Brother Shing, is the boss going for total control?" In a mahjong parlor in Causeway Bay, Fa Lau Shing was playing when one of his Maids asked him.
If people had been unsure before, now that even Eight Taels of Gold's turf had been taken, even the rank-and-file Maids had begun speculating.
"You only just fucking figured that out?" With a cigarette dangling from his mouth, Fa Lau Shing gleefully pushed his tiles over. "Mahjong! Full flush! Pay up."
But the others' minds were no longer on the game.
"The boss really wants total control? Isn't this too fast? How long has it even been? And I'm worried the Hongxing Society and the Zhengxing Society will fight to the death."
"Is that your fucking problem? That's for Brother S and me to think about!" Fa Lau Shing snapped.
Although the Maids knew their boss loved to brag, their eyes still lit up. "Brother Shing, tell us about it?"
"Tell you my ass! Who knows if there's a mole among you? You think I can tell you things like that?" Fa Lau Shing said scornfully.
"Oh, come on, Brother Shing. You're bluffing again!" the Maids laughed.
"Anyway, you'll find out when the time comes. Stick with me, and I guarantee you'll live the good life."
After drawing a full hand of tiles, Fa Lau Shing turned them facedown and pushed them away. "Forget it. I'm done playing. We've got work tonight, so all of you stay sharp."
Then he sat in his chair, turning the matter of the turf over in his mind.
It wasn't just Fa Lau Shing. The other leaders were doing the same.
Although hundreds of men were lying in hospitals or recovering at home, the others' morale hadn't dropped at all. Instead, it had soared even higher.