Hong Kong variety show: Hung Hing, are you contributing to society?

Nights on Hong Kong Island are never peaceful.

Neon lights are its lifeblood, noise is its breath, but the undercurrents of the underworld hidden beneath the glitz and glamour are its true heartbeat.

Here, news spreads faster than a plague, more swiftly than the sea breeze, especially among shady societies.

Overnight, everyone who made a living "at night" heard about the conflict between Boss B and Babi.

The details were embellished and repeatedly chewed over by countless mouths in the booths of tea restaurants, in the private rooms of nightclubs, and in the salty sea breeze of the pier.

The most widely circulated version is that Boss B's henchman, Chan Ho-nam, failed to do his job properly. Not only did he fail to take down Ba Bi as planned, but he also alerted the enemy, almost causing Boss B's entire family to be wiped out.

At the critical moment, another brother, Lin Yaodong, who usually keeps a low profile, arrived single-handedly and turned the tide. He not only saved Boss B's wife and children, but also personally captured Madman Ba ​​Bi.

Chan Ho-nam's mishap and Lam Yiu-tung's ruthlessness became new topics of conversation among gangsters over drinks.

But what truly made the bigwigs of various triads prick up their ears and squint their eyes was not the performance of these two young men.

Talented individuals emerge in every generation, and there's never a shortage of thugs.

What they were really interested in was the two streets that were vacated in the bustling Causeway Bay area after Babi's death.

Those two streets, lined with nightclubs, saunas, mahjong parlors, and snack stalls, were like juicy, fatty meat.

When Babi was under the protection of Hehetu, no one dared to easily make a move in this territory.

Now that Babi is dead, the cement bucket that contained it has probably sunk to the bottom of the East China Sea.

This unclaimed land naturally became the most tempting prey for gangs.

Lin Yaodong put down his Nokia phone, his eyes sharp.

The call was from his informant, who confirmed that Babi's remaining forces had collapsed and scattered, leaving those two streets in a power vacuum and in complete chaos.

He stood in his newly opened film company office, with the dazzling night view of Victoria Harbour outside the window.

He stroked the ring on his finger, pondering in his mind.

According to his plan, now was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of his illness and kill him. He should immediately gather his best men, equip them with weapons, and storm into Causeway Bay. Under the pretext of avenging Boss B and eliminating the remnants of the Ba Bi gang, he should take over the street as quickly as possible and create a fait accompli.

Thanks to his merit in saving the emperor this time, Boss B will definitely support him. At that time, the person in charge of those two streets will naturally be Lin Yaodong.

Thinking about this, he could even feel his blood flow increase slightly.

What's the point of navigating the underworld?

Isn't it just about money, territory, and face?

That makes sense.

Of course, what he really wants is influence.

However, the waters of the martial arts world are far deeper and more murky than Lin Yaodong imagined.

What happened next completely surprised him.

Hung Hing Society and Wo Hop To did indeed "gather their forces," but it didn't turn into the bloody brawls and violence he had envisioned in Causeway Bay.

The two groups eventually sat down in the banquet hall of the most upscale seafood restaurant on Hong Kong Island.

The negotiating table replaced the cleaver, and the teacup replaced the blood wine.

Regarding this negotiation that would determine the fate of two streets, Lin Yaodong, the person directly involved in the incident, wasn't even qualified to step into that private room.

On the Hung Hing side, the leader was Chiang Tin-sang, along with Boss B, whose territory was in Causeway Bay, and several powerful uncles such as Chan Yiu, the White Paper Fan.

Opposite them were the head of the Hehetu organization and several elders.

According to later scattered reports, the atmosphere at the negotiating table was far more thrilling than the street brawl.

The Wo Hop To faction took the initiative, accusing Hung Hing of breaking the rules. They claimed that Boss B had sent people to attack their brother, Ba Bi, first, and that Ba Bi's subsequent retaliation was merely a passive act of self-defense. Although the methods were excessive, they had their reasons.

They insisted that Hung Hing had provoked them first.

On the Hung Hing side, Chiang Tin-sang wore a smile, but his tone was unyielding.

Boss B slammed his fist on the table, angrily denouncing Ba Bi for breaking the taboo of not punishing one's wife and children, daring to target his family, which is a bottom line that no gang can tolerate.

Chen Yao, standing to the side, cited classical texts and old rules of the martial arts world to refute the other party point by point.

This is not a simple argument; it is a game of strategy, a test, a contest of strength and resources between the two sides.

Every seemingly casual sip of tea, every exchange of glances, can potentially affect thousands of dollars in profits and the future division of territory.

The wrangling went on for three whole days.

For the past three days, the eyes of the entire Hong Kong underworld have been focused on that small private room, with all sorts of rumors and bets emerging in the shadows.

Lin Yaodong could only suppress his temper, managing his fledgling film company business while frequently traveling to and from a company he had established called "Yaodong Capital," all while waiting for the final result.

Three days later, everything settled down.

The news came that of the two streets left by Ba Bi, Hung Hing and Wo Hop To each owned one street, to show fairness.

In addition, the two sides reached an "understanding" on some minor border disputes.

To celebrate the resolution of the "misunderstanding," the two organizations decided to hold a joint banquet to bury the hatchet.

Feast!

When Lin Yaodong received a call from Boss B, asking him to attend the reconciliation banquet that evening, he held his phone and froze for a few seconds.

Finally, I changed into a proper suit and headed to the agreed-upon restaurant.

Outside the restaurant, luxury cars were parked everywhere. The henchmen of both sides stood clearly separated, their eyes scanning each other warily, but no conflict occurred.

Stepping into the banquet hall, the atmosphere became even more eerie.

Not long ago, the two gang leaders were arguing heatedly at the negotiating table. Now, they were sitting at the main table, clinking glasses, calling each other brothers, and their faces were full of warm smiles, as if Babi had never existed and that the bloody conflict was just an insignificant misunderstanding.

Jiang Tiansheng was a man of great manners, and the dragon head of the Hehetu painting was also chatting and laughing.

Big Brother B, holding a glass, was having a lively conversation with one of the other party's elders.

The atmosphere at the banquet was so lively that it felt almost artificial.

Lin Yaodong sat near the door, watching this absurd yet real scene, and silently drank two glasses.

When he saw that Chan Ho-nam had also arrived, his face darkened, and he sat in a corner drinking alone with a few down-on-their-luck brothers.

Clearly, Chan Ho-nam lost points in this incident, while Lam Yiu-tung gained points, but at this banquet, no one seemed to care about their personal gains or losses.

"Heh." Lin Yaodong chuckled to himself and shook his head.

He recalled Ba Bi's arrogant face, which had now sunk to the bottom of the East China Sea.

What he risked his life for was nothing more than a bargaining chip on the negotiating table among the bigwigs, which ultimately turned into an agreement that balanced the interests of both sides and the congratulatory toast before them.

Given this final outcome, it's hard to say whether Babi will be so angry that he'll climb out of the cement barrel at the bottom of the East China Sea and confront these bigwigs.

At this moment, Lin Yaodong had a deeper understanding of the old saying: the martial arts world is not just about fighting and killing, but also about human relationships and worldly wisdom.

The higher one's position, the more likely they are to engage in bureaucratic maneuvering at the negotiating table.

After all, everyone is afraid of being stabbed by a reckless person while walking down the street.