by Ian Hamilton
The train began to slow as it approached Fanling. “Is Sonny meeting you?” Fong asked.
“No. I didn’t have a chance to tell him when we’d be arriving.”
“Then we’ll share a taxi,” said Fong.
“I’d rather walk, and if you don’t mind, I’d rather be alone,” Uncle said. “I have some phone calls to make when I get to the apartment, and I need to organize my thoughts.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Yes. I want you to call the executive and tell them to meet with us at ten tomorrow morning,” Uncle said. “Then I want you to phone some of the Straw Sandals you trust and talk about your idea for a council. I’d like to know their reactions. But Fong, make sure they know that you’re doing this on your own, that the idea didn’t come from me. You also mustn’t mention anything about China.”
“I can do that. I’ll tell them that the coalition in the Territories got me thinking.”
“Perfect.”
“Do you want to hear from me tonight?”
“No, it won’t be necessary. We’ll talk in the morning,” Uncle said.
It was a twenty-minute walk from the station to Uncle’s apartment. Most of the businesses were closed and the sidewalks virtually empty. Still, he walked slowly, his mind preoccupied with the day’s events as he continued to process them. Part of him had trouble believing that Tao’s offer was genuine. Perhaps it was just a carrot being dangled to entice the triads to deliver the ten men to China, and when that was done, the carrot would be pulled back. Except the Liu family was party to the offer, and Uncle could not imagine them participating in anything that would adversely affect their business arrangements.
No, Uncle thought, the offer was real. The thought almost took his breath away as he conjured up what it could mean for the future of the triad gangs of Hong Kong. Slow down, he thought. I’m getting too far in front of myself. Even if the offer was real, it wouldn’t be realized if he couldn’t convince his brothers to come together in a way that satisfied Tao and Beijing. How hard would that be? Uncle didn’t know, but he was going to find out.
When he neared his apartment, Uncle saw a silver Mercedes parked outside the Blind Emperor. As he approached, the driver’s door opened and Sonny stepped out.
“Your shift is supposed to be over,” Uncle said.
“I wanted to make sure you made it home safely,” Sonny said.
“How was the afternoon? Were there any problems in Tsuen Wan or elsewhere in the Territories?”
“Wang called me an hour ago to ask when you were coming back. I told him I didn’t know and asked about Tsuen Wan. He said it was quiet.”
“I’ll call him when I get upstairs,” Uncle said. “First I want to get some beer. You can wait here until I come out, but then I want you to go home.”
“The night-shift guy is coming at midnight. I’ll stay until he arrives. Wang wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Knowing there wasn’t any point in arguing, Uncle shrugged and went into the Blind Emperor. A few minutes later he came out with two San Miguels and made his way upstairs. He took off his jacket, opened a beer, and settled into his chair to phone Wang.
“You’re home,” Wang said.
“I just arrived. Sonny was waiting outside.”
“He’ll leave at midnight.”
“So he told me,” said Uncle. “He’s a good man. I’m pleased we found a way to keep him.”
“Me too. How was your day in Shenzhen?”
“Eventful, but I don’t want to talk about it tonight. Fong is organizing an executive committee meeting for tomorrow morning.”
“I spoke to him five minutes ago.”
“I’m calling to ask about Tsuen Wan. Evidently it’s quiet.”
“I spoke to Song five times today, the last time two hours ago. There’s been no sign of trouble but he’s still nervous, so we’re leaving our men there for another day,” Wang said. “He’s really appreciative of what we did yesterday. He says Chow is as well and has been calling other Mountain Masters to tell them he’s joining your coalition.”
“That’s excellent. I’m beginning to think we have a chance to get every gang in the Territories — except Wu — to join.”
“Who would have thought that was possible? We should thank Man for his help. Nothing demonstrated the need for an alliance more than his move on Tsuen Wan.”
“I would thank him if I could,” Uncle said. “But I imagine I’m the last person he wants to speak to.”
“With Chow on board, this should make for a different meeting on Friday.”
“A very different meeting, but I’ll talk more about that tomorrow,” Uncle said. “I’ll see you then.”
Uncle felt a fleeting sense of satisfaction as he put down the phone. He had been convinced of the need for an alliance, but to see his judgement confirmed was gratifying. Now it was time to see if Tao Siju’s offer would be welcomed by the people whose support was crucial. He phoned his old friend Tse first.
They spoke for close to an hour. Uncle began by getting Tse to agree to hold in confidence what he was about to hear. But then it took him five minutes to convince Tse that he wasn’t drunk or playing a joke on him. When he finally got his friend to listen seriously, Tse constantly interrupted him with questions. Finally there was nothing more for Uncle to say, and Tse became quiet.
“What do you think?” Uncle asked.
“It’s hard to believe.”
“I know, but it’s true. My hope is that Liu Leji’s presence at the meeting on Friday will provide the credibility I need to persuade the others.”
“If it is true, this could be a turning point for us.”
“Do you think some of the gangs will be opposed to working with the Communists?”
“No one cares about politics. It’s all about money and the well-being of the gang. Most of them would work with the devil if they thought it would be good for them,” Tse said. “Besides, they’ve all seen how well you and I have done in China.”
“What about Beijing’s insistence that they deal with only one person with the authority to speak for everyone?”
“It could be a stumbling block, but if that authority is well-defined and limited, and if the rewards are sufficient, you’ll get some of them to come along.”
“Will you?”
“Yes,” Tse said without hesitation.
“Thank you.”
“Listening to you has made my gang a lot of money. I’d be a fool not to.”
“The thing is, Tse, I want you to do more than listen,” Uncle said. “I want you to work with me to make this happen.”
“How?”
“I’d like you to attend the meeting at the White Jade Restaurant in Fanling, and I’d like you to convince your Island neighbours to attend as well.”
“What reason should I give them? Do you want me to mention the Chinese offer?”
“That’s the last thing I want,” Uncle said sharply. “I want them to learn about the offer at the same time as everyone else, and I want them to hear out Liu Leji and understand that this is a serious and crucial moment for our organization.”
“Okay, I’ll come up with something. Sammy will be easy to persuade, and Feng in Causeway Bay usually does what I ask if I frame it as a favour. Yeung and Ling in Central will be more difficult, but I’ll do what I can.”
“Thank you again.”
“Will it just be Mountain Masters attending?”
“No, we’ve invited their senior people as well. We had close to sixty at our first meeting.”
“Will you be inviting anyone from Kowloon?” Tse asked.
“Zhao and I spoke after the races on Sunday,” Uncle said. “He actually asked to be invited, so I expect him to be there. I’m going to call him after you and I finish.”
“Will yo
u tell him about China?”
“Yes, and I’ll ask him to speak to Weng, Yin, and Man about attending. I’m not expecting any of them to accept, but I don’t want to exclude them. That would only give them a reason to complain later.”
“And Wu?”
“He’s in jail. I’m told he won’t be released before the weekend, but if he is, he’s welcome too.”
“I hope he’s not, and I hope Zhao talks the Kowloon gangs into attending,” Tse said. “That would make for a very interesting meeting.”
“It’s going to be interesting enough without them,” Uncle said.
“I was trying to be funny,” Tse said.
“I know, but I don’t find any humour where they’re concerned.”
“I’ll bring my serious side to the meeting. And I’ll do everything I can to drag Sammy and the others along with me.”
“That will be much appreciated. I’ll see you on Friday,” Uncle said, and ended the call.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Thursday was a blur for Uncle as the meetings and phone calls piled up, one on top of another. By the time he sat down for dinner with Tian and Fong at Dong’s Kitchen, the last thing he wanted to do was talk, but he hadn’t seen Fong since that morning’s executive committee meeting. There was a lot to discuss.
“You look tired,” Tian said as Uncle sat down.
“I was barely out of the shower this morning when my phone started ringing,” Uncle said. “I had a quiet hour at Jia’s for breakfast, but the rest of the day has been frantic.”
“There’s a lot of excitement out there, and for once it isn’t because brothers are shooting each other or trying to strong-arm their way into someone else’s territory,” said Fong.
All three men were drinking beer. Tian sipped at his tentatively, but the fact that he was drinking at all surprised Uncle. “Are you sure you should be doing that?” he asked.
“I sense that you’re going to have a successful day tomorrow. Since we may not be able to celebrate together when it’s over, I want to take advantage of this time with you.”
“What have you heard?” Fong asked Tian.
“I was told an hour ago that all the Mountain Masters from Hong Kong Island are coming to the meeting,” Tian said. He looked at Uncle. “Is that true?”
“It appears to be a strong possibility. Our friend Tse has been encouraging their attendance,” Uncle said. “But I won’t know for sure until I see them in person.”
“What about Kowloon?” Fong asked.
“Zhao will attend, and at my request he has invited the other Kowloon Mountain Masters. I haven’t heard that any of them have accepted.”
“With all the buzz in the air, it might be difficult for them to stay away,” said Fong.
“Have the details of what we’re going to discuss been leaked?” asked Uncle.
“I don’t think so. I haven’t heard anything relating to the offer. People are just guessing that there has to be a major reason why Tse and Zhao are pushing for the Mountain Masters to attend the meeting.”
“If there is a leak, it didn’t come from Fanling. You made it clear enough this morning that we aren’t to talk about it with anyone. No one would think of violating that,” said Tian. “Who else did you tell?”
“Only Tse and Zhao, and they both promised to keep it to themselves until tomorrow.”
“People are just speculating,” Fong reiterated.
A server arrived at their table with platters of chicken feet, salt-and-pepper fried squid, and Hokkien fried rice laden with seafood. Conversation dwindled as they dug into the food.
Uncle had briefed the executive committee that morning on his meetings with Tao and Liu Leji. The response had been enthusiastic, with everyone wanting to know what they could do to help make the offer a reality. Uncle had asked them to keep it confidential but said there was something else they could assist with. Then he asked Fong to explain his idea for a council.
When Fong had finished, Uncle said, “I think this is an idea whose time has come. What I’d like you to do is reach out to your most trusted colleagues and friends in other gangs. Share Fong’s reasoning with them and make especially sure they understand that the council wouldn’t have authority over any of the gangs and wouldn’t be making decisions for them. Instead, stress that it would exist to resolve disputes that the gangs are unable to sort out on their own.”
For the remainder of the afternoon Uncle had various committee members popping into his office to report on the conversations they’d had about the council. He was pleasantly surprised that most of the reactions, while not necessarily supportive, weren’t negative.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk since this morning,” Uncle said to Fong as Tian plucked the last chicken foot from the platter. “What are the Straw Sandals saying about your council idea?”
“There was some initial resistance and skepticism, but most agree that the idea has some merit,” Fong said. “But I think they’ll need a concrete reason or reward to support it.”
“We could link it to the expansion into China,” Uncle said. “Any gang that declines to join the council could be shut out of those cities.”
“That would get their attention,” Tian said. “But, speaking of China, if we’re given only four cities, how will you decide who gets what? You run the risk of pleasing four and alienating the other gangs.”
“I went to sleep thinking about that last night,” said Uncle. “Why do we have to restrict ourselves to one gang per city? Tao said all the cities will have a population of more than a million. We could assign multiple gangs to each city and help them sort out who does what. I would have to coordinate that with Beijing, but their main focus seems to be ensuring that the right officials get paid. More gangs would mean more payments.”
Fong raised an arm in the air, indicating to the server to bring more beer. “It’s almost unbelievable that we’re sitting here talking about these things,” he said. “Early yesterday we were still recovering from Man’s attack on Tsuen Wan. I never expected this, and when I think about tomorrow, I get goosebumps.”
“It does have the potential to be a memorable day,” Tian said. “What’s the agenda?”
“I spoke to Leji this afternoon and we’re scheduled to talk again tonight. Our tentative plan is for him to speak first,” Uncle said. “I’m not entirely sure what he’s going to say, because he isn’t either. There’s still discussion going on in Beijing about what will be permissible. But his sole reason for being here is to support us, so we have to trust that his message will be tailored accordingly.”
“What happens after he speaks?” asked Tian.
“He’ll leave the restaurant and then it will be my turn. I’ll explain what happened in Shenzhen with Tao and present Beijing’s offer. Then, hopefully, we’ll have a fruitful discussion.”
“There will be a lot of questions,” said Fong.
“I’ve been trying to anticipate them. I think I’m prepared for just about anything.”
“Our friends in the Territories will support whatever you recommend,” Fong said. “I spoke to every gang today, and they all mentioned what went down in Tsuen Wan. You’ve made believers of them.”
“That’s reassuring, but to make this work we need Kowloon and the Island gangs on board as well,” Uncle said.
“Aren’t Tse and Zhao enough?” Fong asked.
“No, and although they told me I have their support, I sensed that they aren’t totally committed. I expect they’re waiting to see how their neighbours react.”
“Will they speak at the meeting?”
“They told me they might, but I didn’t press them on that. My priority was to get them to bring the other Mountain Masters to the meeting. And that brings me back to the agenda,” Uncle said. “After everyone has had a chance to express his opinion, I’m going to press for
answers from them — simply, are they in or are they out?”
“You want them to declare tomorrow?” Tian said. “Isn’t that rushing things?”
“It is, but Leji was talking about a deadline this afternoon. He didn’t set one but he made it clear that this can’t be a long, drawn-out process. Beijing wants an answer as soon as possible. I figure, why not push for one while we have everyone in the same room? We’ve invited all the members of the executive committees, so if the gangs want to huddle in individual groups, they can do it at the restaurant. My fear is that, once they’re out of there and back on home turf, we’ll have a lot of second thoughts and requests for more time to think it through.”
“Do you think the gangs from the Territories might do that?”
“No, I think we’ve got them onside. It’s the others I worry about. If my instincts are right, the active support of the Territories gangs should create a feeling of momentum, maybe even excitement, at the meeting. That’s why I want to push for commitment from the others.”
“Do you want us to make more phone calls? We could urge our supporters to come to the meeting ready to be enthusiastic,” Fong asked.
“How many gangs do you need to commit?” asked Tian.
“Beijing didn’t set a number, but they’ll expect a majority. My goal is fourteen, with Kowloon and Hong Kong Island well represented.”
“Assuming you get the majority you want, what happens next?” asked Tian.
“We’ll need to create a structure that can deal with the Chinese government. I don’t know if Leji will touch on that during his remarks, but it would be helpful if he did. I’ll recommend it to him tonight.”
“And the structure is based on Fong’s notion of a council,” Tian said.
“Exactly. That won’t come as a surprise to the people he spoke to today, but it will be to the gangs from Kowloon and the Island. So when you explain it, Fong, you should focus on them. They need to understand it takes nothing away from them, and in fact opens up opportunities.”
