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

At this hour on weekdays, the "Lai Choi" teahouse on Lockhart Road is already bustling with people, as regulars drink morning tea, read horse racing books, and gossip about the neighborhood.

But today, the atmosphere is completely different.

A sign indicating that the teahouse was temporarily closed was hung at the entrance. Two or three henchmen in black short jackets with wary eyes stood guard at the door, waving to the occasional neighbors who wanted to come in for breakfast, indicating that they should come another day.

Inside the teahouse, in the largest private room on the second floor, the air was thick with smoke, making it almost impossible to see each other's faces.

Almost all of the Hung Hing Society's most important leaders and senior uncles were present.

Fat Li absentmindedly stirred the foam on the surface of the cup with the lid, his eyes glancing towards the door every now and then; another hall master, Baki, was talking quietly with his uncle beside him, his expression serious.

And sitting in the main seat with him was none other than Boss B.

He wore a brand-new silk Tang suit today, trying to appear more dignified, but the slight sweat on his forehead and the fingers that kept rubbing the teacup betrayed his inner turmoil.

This was the first time in all his time in Hung Hing that so many hall masters and uncles had come to his door at the same time. Moreover, he could clearly sense that those gazes, which usually carried a hint of disdain or scrutiny, held an indescribable meaning today—inquiry, expectation, and even... a subtle hint of respect.

This respect is not directed at his boss B himself, but at his now-famous henchman, Lam Yiu-tung.

All of this stems from the explosive news story on the front page of today's financial newspapers.

As soon as the news came out, the leaders and uncles of Hung Hing immediately became restless. Unable to find the elusive Lin Yaodong, they all went to his direct superior.

When Boss B received the first call, he managed to maintain a calm demeanor, but when the calls continued to come, and even when several senior uncles personally expressed their desire to come over for tea, he knew he couldn't avoid it any longer.

He immediately sent his underlings to find Lin Yaodong, while he invited this group of powerful figures to the Lai Cai Tea House on Lockhart Road, which he often looked after, and booked the entire place.

"Uncles... I'll go down and see if Ah Dong has arrived yet."

"Okay, go ahead."

"Hurry him up."

...

At the entrance of the teahouse, Boss B paced anxiously, craning his neck to look towards the street corner from time to time.

Chan Ho-nam, Tai Tin Yee, and Bao Pi stood behind him.

"Why hasn't Ah Dong arrived yet?" Boss B asked the same question for the third time, his anxiety growing more and more obvious.

Many vehicles passed by, but none of them were that eye-catching black Bentley.

Chan Ho-nam, being more composed, stepped forward and whispered, "Brother B, it's rush hour now, the traffic is terrible. Could Brother Tung be stuck in traffic?"

Big Brother B frowned and nodded; that was very likely.

Baopi, standing nearby, rolled his eyes, as if he'd thought of something. He lowered his voice and said with a hint of uncertainty, "Brother B, Brother Nan, do you think... Brother Dong... might be helping an old lady cross the street again?"

Upon hearing this, both Chan Ho-nam and Tai Tin Yee looked at Bao Pi with strange expressions.

Big Brother B was also stunned for a moment, then his lips twitched.

This would be utter nonsense for anyone else, but for Lin Yaodong... it's actually quite possible!

Lin Yaodong was an outlier in the Hung Hing Society.

Young in age, ruthless in his methods, and quick to rise to power, he is Boss B's most capable henchman and a strong contender for the position of Mong Kok gang leader.

But at the same time, he was also a well-known philanthropist.

Instead of collecting protection money, he helps mediate disputes among neighbors; instead of running a noodle stall, he invests in legitimate businesses; he is particularly fond of doing charity work, donating to schools, helping elderly people living alone repair their houses, and even his daily morning routine of helping elderly people who get up early to take a walk to cross the street.

At first, everyone thought he was just putting on an act, but as time went on, they discovered that he was genuinely enjoying it, and his reputation as a great philanthropist of Hung Hing spread like wildfire.

Seeing the fine sweat on Boss B's forehead, Chan Ho-nam considerately said, "Brother B, why don't you go upstairs first to greet the other gang leaders and uncles? The three of us will wait here for Brother Tung. As soon as he arrives, we'll take him upstairs immediately."

Boss B took a deep breath and shook his head: "No way. Those old foxes upstairs are ostensibly here for tea, but they're really after A-Dong. If A-Dong doesn't show up, anything I say will be useless. Let's wait a bit longer."

He knew in his heart that although Lin Yaodong was still nominally his subordinate, as long as he could win the election against Shengfan this time, becoming the leader of the Mong Kok gang was almost a certainty.

By then, the two would be among the twelve leaders of Hung Hing, on equal footing.

At this critical juncture, he must show sufficient respect, not only to Lin Yaodong but also to those upstairs.

He had originally planned to step down and hand over the position of leader of Causeway Bay to Lin Yaodong, but plans never go as expected...

Thinking of this, Boss B couldn't help but glance at Chan Ho-nam.

Anan....

Why....

Big Brother B sighed inwardly.

Chen Haonan has made two major mistakes in a row, and this time he even slept with his own brother's girlfriend...

.....

Time ticked by, and another ten minutes or so of agonizing waiting ensued.

Instead of the Bentley, two police cars with sirens blaring arrived and screeched to a halt precisely in front of the Lai Cai Tea House.

"Brother B, it's the police! They seem to be after us." Chan Ho-nam's eyes sharpened as he whispered.

Da Tian Er and Bao Pi tensed up instantly.

Boss B, a man who had seen his share of storms, was inwardly alarmed but outwardly maintained composure. He quickly glanced at the police officers getting out of the patrol car and whispered to the three behind him, "You guys haven't gotten involved in anything you shouldn't have lately, have you? Haven't left any loose ends, have you?"

"No, Brother B, we've been behaving very well lately," Chan Ho-nam and the other two said in unison, their expressions certain.

"Okay, then it's fine. I'll handle everything. Don't say anything out of line." Boss B straightened his collar and went to meet them.

However, things were clearly not as simple as he thought.

The lead officer looked serious. After showing his identification, he didn't give Boss B a chance to ask any more questions. With a wave of his hand, the officers behind him rushed forward noisily.

Not only did they handcuff Boss B and Chan Ho-nam at the door, but they also rushed up to the private room on the second floor and dragged out all the Hung Hing bosses who were drinking tea inside, including Brother Kei, Fat Lai, Buddy, and several uncles, and handcuffed them one by one.

For a time, the scene at the entrance of the teahouse was chaotic.

Boss B, being shoved around, was both shocked and furious: "Officer, what's going on? Are we breaking the law just for having tea?"

Brother Kei, his belly bulging, yelled, "Are you kidding me?! Do you think the police can just arrest people arbitrarily? I want to see my lawyer!"

Fat Li exaggeratedly shouted, "I demand to wear a hood! I'm a respectable intellectual, I have my pride!"

He was terrified that some passing reporter would capture his disheveled state, which would affect the sales of his "art" magazines.

Senior Inspector Ma Haotian, who was leading the team, scanned the group of big shots who usually wielded great power in the underworld with a blank expression. At this moment, they looked like crabs being caught in a pot.

He took out a folder he carried with him, looked at the list, frowned, and looked up to ask, "Where's Lin Yaodong?"

This question instantly silenced everyone.