Fortune

by Ian Hamilton

  “So your contact knows about the meeting.”

  “He does, although I didn’t give him all the details. He thinks we’re meeting to finalize our coalition. I’ve kept him updated on that, and he’s kept his bosses informed. They’re in favour of anything that decreases the chances of gang violence, and coming to the restaurant is their way of helping us achieve that.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” Wang said, sounding not quite convinced.

  “It does make sense,” Uncle said. “A Commander Choi will be in charge of the police squad. He knows who you are and has been told to coordinate with you. Introduce him to the other Red Poles and make sure they understand that we’re all on the same side today.”

  “We were going to surround the restaurant,” Wang said.

  “You still can. Our men can form the inner circle, and Choi’s the outer.”

  Wang said, “I’d better get over there. This is going to take some explaining.”

  “If any of the Red Poles don’t like the arrangement, they should leave, with their men,” Uncle said. “I don’t want some hothead to mess up a perfectly amicable arrangement.”

  “They’ll be okay. In fact, a few of them said their men would be happy to go even if there wasn’t a threat. That brawl in Tsuen Wan fostered a sense of camaraderie among the men that has spread from gang to gang. You must have felt it when you were on the phone last night, when you talked to the Mountain Masters who didn’t send men to Tsuen Wan.”

  “You’re right. There was a sense of collaboration that was new.”

  Wang looked at his watch. “I’d better get going. I don’t want the police to arrive before me.”

  “And I need to call some Mountain Masters and then work on my speech,” said Uncle. He went into his office and in rapid succession called Zhao, Tse, Tan, and Ng. He told them what he’d arranged with the police, and all of them seemed to feel it had been the smart thing to do. Uncle asked them to contact the other Mountain Masters to explain.

  With that finished, he turned to his speech. Uncle didn’t want to read from a piece of paper. Instead he was trying to organize his thoughts so that the message was structured but his delivery would come across as spontaneous and unrehearsed. He wrote down headings and listed points under them. Then he tried to memorize them, turned over the page, and repeated them. He did that seven times before he was satisfied that the talking points were locked in his head.

  “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” he muttered, and closed his eyes. “Gui-San, please watch over me today. I am afraid my ambition may be greater than my ability, but I take comfort in knowing I’m not alone in chasing this dream. I’m so fortunate to have friends I can depend on for support. I’ve always had Wang, Fong, Tian, and others in the gang, but now that circle has expanded. Today will be a test for those who have joined with me. I pray, I hope — no, I expect that we will succeed. It may be foolish to be so optimistic, but I’m committed to the path I’ve taken. I can’t permit any negative thoughts or actions to get in the way. So please, watch over me.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Uncle waited until he and Fong were in the car before telling him about the police presence. As it had been with the Mountain Masters, there was immediate understanding. “That almost guarantees the meeting won’t be disrupted,” Fong said. “Man won’t pit his men against the police.”

  “I agree it’s unlikely, but we have to make sure that, if he does come, we allow only Man and his executive committee inside the restaurant. I think you should stay at the entrance to verify that everyone going in is legitimate.”

  “I’ll ask Zhao’s Straw Sandal to stand with me. He knows all of Man’s executive committee members.”

  “Good thinking,” said Uncle.

  They fell into silence, Uncle’s attention on the road ahead of them. They were still some distance from the restaurant when he noticed that many more cars than normal were parked along the street. “You might not be able to find a parking spot near the restaurant,” he said to Sonny.

  “I’ll drop you off, then double back,” said Sonny.

  “That’s fine,” Uncle replied.

  A few moments later, Sonny said, “A parking spot ahead just opened up. Should I take it? It’s still half a kilometre to the restaurant.”

  “Grab it. We’ll walk. The fresh air will do us good,” said Uncle.

  After Sonny had parked, the three men piled out of the car and began walking. They hadn’t gone more than a hundred metres before Uncle began to hear a dull buzz. With each step the noise grew louder, until it seemed to fill the air around them. They were on a street that ran parallel to the restaurant’s, and as they turned the corner the source of the buzzing came into sight.

  “My god, look at that!” Fong said.

  The restaurant sat at the intersection of two streets. Directly ahead of them was a wall of men, stretching along the sidewalk and down the side street. The wall was five men deep. On the pavement in front of them clusters of police were walking back and forth, guns strapped across their backs.

  “There must be five hundred triads here,” Fong said.

  “Maybe even more,” said Uncle.

  As they approached the restaurant, Fong nudged Uncle. “Look, down there to the left. The armoured vehicles.”

  The vehicles were parked at least a hundred metres from the restaurant, Uncle guessed. Close enough to be a presence but not a provocation. He looked across the street and saw Wang standing at the curb with an officer. They were talking, and it looked amiable. So far, so good, he thought.

  Uncle stepped off the curb in the direction of the restaurant. He was halfway across the street when he heard someone yell, “There’s Uncle!”

  “Uncle!” another voice shouted. Then another, and then more joined in, repeating his name until it became a chant of “Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!” voiced by a hundred men or more. He felt his face flush. Should he act embarrassed or gratified?

  “Those are our men to the left of the entrance,” Fong said.

  Uncle looked in that direction and was able to pick out familiar faces among the throng. He waved at them, and that initiated another chant of “Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!”

  “The men are in good spirits,” he said to Wang as he approached.

  “So far, no worries,” said Wang. “It’s like a big social gathering. Our men don’t get together in numbers like this very often, and some of them are seeing old friends from other gangs for the first time in ages.”

  “Have any other Mountain Masters arrived?” Uncle asked.

  “You’re the first.”

  “Good. I wanted to be here to greet the others,” he said, and then looked at the police officer. “You must be Commander Choi.”

  Choi bowed his head ever so slightly, a deferential acknowledgement that caught Uncle by surprise. What had Zhang said to him?

  “It’s a privilege to meet you, Uncle. We’re pleased to be here to help make this day as peaceful as possible,” Choi said.

  “I must say, I like the way your men are comporting themselves. Hopefully they’ll have nothing to do but observe.”

  “Wang and his colleagues have your men well under control. I’m confident they’ll be able to maintain order without any assistance from us,” said Choi.

  “All the same, we’re pleased you’re here,” said Uncle.

  Wang looked past Uncle’s shoulder. “Here comes Ng with his executives,” he said.

  Uncle smiled in Ng’s direction and moved towards him. As he did, a voice shouted, “Ng!” and almost at once a chant like the one that had welcomed Uncle greeted the Mountain Master from Sai Kung.

  “What’s this shouting about?” Ng asked Uncle as they shook hands.

  “The men seem excited to be here,” Uncle said.

  “How many are there?”

  “Fong guessed about five h
undred.”

  “Closer to seven hundred,” Wang said. “The other Red Poles and I did a rough count. We had about five hundred committed from the Territories, and we think they’ve all showed up. Then Tse and Zhao each sent more than eighty men.”

  “What a turnout,” Ng said. “Who would have thought this was possible.”

  Uncle heard Poon’s name being yelled and saw the Mountain Master from Mong Kok getting out of a car on the other side of the street. He looked slightly perplexed but then smiled and waved. Another chant began, and for the next half an hour, chant followed chant as the Mountain Masters and their executive teams arrived and were greeted by Uncle, then led into the restaurant by Fong.

  By ten to twelve there were fifteen Mountain Masters inside the White Jade. That number comprised all the gang leaders from the New Territories except Wu and Uncle, along with Zhao and Weng from Kowloon and five from Hong Kong Island. The Kowloon and Island groups had arrived together, causing a ripple of unease among the men encircling the restaurant until they saw Uncle welcoming them warmly.

  Uncle stayed outside the restaurant with Wang, Fong, and Commander Choi. Fong tried to keep a conversation going, but Uncle was too distracted. His eyes darted up and down the street, looking for Liu Leji and, in the back of his mind, fearing he’d see Man approaching with a group of his triads.

  Man came first. He marched down the same street Uncle had used, surrounded by at least fifty men. Uncle stiffened, but before he could speak he saw Wang and Choi move towards the perimeter where the police were gathered. He thought briefly about joining them, but realized they had a plan and that he’d just be in their way.

  Uncle watched Choi speak to his men. In quick succession the police formed two straight lines that stretched across the street, unstrapped their guns, and stood at attention. Man hesitated, then came to a stop. Fok, his Red Pole, moved to stand beside him. They stared at the police, then at the wall of triads behind them. There was silence on both fronts, and a tension in the air that Uncle feared could easily ignite.

  Man spoke to a couple of men behind him. Their conversation seemed animated, and Uncle wondered if the outcome was going to result in more foolishness. Finally Man seemed to make a decision. He took ten steps forward, until he was just five metres from the police line. Fok went with him.

  Man stopped, planted his feet, and folded his arms across his chest. He was a tall man, a bit over six feet, but looked shorter because he was so broad. He wore jeans and a black T-shirt that displayed the tattoos on both his arms. His hair was shaved close to the scalp and his face was deeply creased. He projected menace as he shouted at Wang, “What do you think you’re doing? We’re here to attend the meeting.”

  Wang moved past the police line to face Man. Uncle and Sonny joined him. “You and the rest of your executive committee are welcome to join us, but your other men will have to stay where they are,” Wang said. “Commander Choi and his men are here to ensure that nothing foolish happens.”

  “Why the fuck are the police involved in this?”

  “We are here to maintain public order,” Choi said. “If you doubt we have enough manpower to do that, I suggest you look to your right. I won’t hesitate to call for support.”

  Man glanced to his right and saw the armoured vehicles stationed down the alley. He smiled at Wang and Choi and said, “I have a large executive committee.”

  Wang shouted in the direction of the restaurant. “Ko, could you come over here for a moment, please.”

  “What the fuck are you doing here? You’re Zhao’s Red Pole,” Man said to Ko as he approached.

  Ko ignored him. “Yes?” he asked Wang.

  “Can you identify the men who are members of Man’s executive?”

  “Sure,” Ko said, moving a few steps closer. A moment later he said, “There’s only the Red Pole, Fok, present here.”

  “Then you and Fok can go inside. No one else,” Wang said to Man.

  “What does your boss have to say about that?” Man said, turning his attention to Uncle. “I should be allowed to have seven or eight men inside, like the rest.”

  “No,” said Uncle.

  “You little fuck,” Man said, spitting on the ground.

  Uncle heard the men behind him starting to stir. He turned and saw a lot of angry faces among the group from Fanling. “Don’t react to his provocations,” he told them. “I don’t want anyone to give Man an excuse to cause trouble.”

  Man tried to stare them down, his focus switching from Uncle to Wang to Choi. “I’ll take five men in with me,” he said to Uncle.

  “No, only two,” Uncle said.

  Man shook his head and threw his hands in the air. “I came here as a gesture of goodwill, but it’s obvious I’m wasting my time. I’ve had enough of you. Have your fucking meeting. It won’t change anything.”

  “You’re entitled to your opinion,” said Uncle.

  Man spat again, this time aiming in Uncle’s direction but not coming close. Uncle saw Sonny stiffen. “Stay calm. That’s his way of saying goodbye. He’ll be leaving now,” Uncle said. “It was good of you to come, Man, and it was good to see you and Fok again. I hope the rest of your day goes better.”

  Fok stepped forward. “You little fuck,” he said, and spat directly at Uncle, hitting his shoes.

  Before anyone could realize what had happened, Sonny leapt forward. He grabbed Fok by the neck and lifted him off the ground.

  “Don’t, Sonny!” Uncle shouted.

  But Sonny wasn’t listening. He carried the Red Pole towards Man’s men, stopping just short of them, raised Fok high in the air, and shook him. Fok was gasping for air and his feet swung madly in all directions. “Any of you who wants to disrespect my Mountain Master has to get through me to do it. Never forget that!” he yelled.

  “Sonny, drop him,” said Uncle.

  Sonny looked back at Uncle, nodded, and then threw Fok at Man’s feet.

  “I think you should take your Red Pole and leave,” Uncle said to Man.

  Man looked down at Fok, then turned and walked back to his men. He didn’t stop when he reached them, and soon they were following him back up the street along which they’d come. Fok was left lying on the ground.

  “Stand down,” Choi shouted to his force. Then he and Wang approached Uncle.

  “Please excuse my driver, Commander. He doesn’t take kindly to my being abused,” Uncle said.

  “When will your meeting begin?” Choi asked. “The sooner it can get started, the better.”

  “We’re still waiting for some guests. They should be here any moment,” Uncle said, and then smiled as he saw a black limousine driving up the street. “I think that’s them now.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  The limousine stopped directly in front of the restaurant and the driver leapt out to open the doors. The first person to exit was one of the assistants who had been with Tao in Shenzhen. Behind him was a balding middle-aged man with a thin black moustache. Liu Leji was the last to emerge. The three men stood transfixed on the sidewalk, their attention torn between the police squad on the street and the throng of triads around the restaurant.

  “Welcome to Fanling, Leji. We thought we would greet you in style. Don’t concern yourself about the police. They’re here to make sure the streets don’t get too congested,” Uncle said, and turned to Choi. “Isn’t that correct, Commander.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “This is Commander Choi of the Hong Kong Police Force,” Uncle said to Leji. “Standing next to him is Wang, a member of our executive team.”

  “Pleased to meet you. The gentlemen with me are Lin Wenyan and Wu Shen. I’ll introduce them properly inside.”

  “Speaking of which, we should go in,” Uncle said. “Sonny, please help Wang clear the way for us.”

  Between the limousine and the restaurant door was a solid wall of
men. There had been a clear path earlier, until Man made his appearance and the men had closed ranks to seal it off. “Excuse us, we need to get past,” Sonny said, motioning for them to move back.

  “Follow him in,” Uncle said to Leji.

  The restaurant owner greeted them at the door. “I hope you’ll find the setup to your liking, Uncle,” he said. “As before, Fong wanted each gang to have their own table, but this time we put the tables in two rows with the chairs facing the back of the restaurant, so everyone can see you when you speak. There’s a portable microphone on your table if you need it.”

  “I’m fine with whatever arrangements you and Fong have made,” Uncle said.

  “Good. We’ll start serving food as soon as you take your seats.”

  As Uncle and his group walked towards their table, there wasn’t an eye in the restaurant not trained on them. Uncle knew there would be sharp curiosity about the three men with him, and the Mountain Masters would also want to know what had happened with Man. When he reached the table, he picked up the microphone. There was no reason, he had decided, to withhold that information.

  “Gentlemen, welcome again to those of you who were here last week, and a warm welcome to those joining us for the first time,” Uncle said. “As we did last week, we’ll eat first and then talk. But before they start serving the food, I want you to know that we just had a visit from one of our Kowloon colleagues. Man arrived about fifteen minutes ago with sixty men. He was received by Commander Choi of the Hong Kong police and persuaded to leave. It was all quite uneventful.”

  He heard murmurs of approval and waited for them to diminish. “I would also like to point out that we have three guests joining us for lunch. After we’ve eaten, one of them has a few things he’d like to say to us. Then they’ll leave and we can start our meeting with only brothers in attendance.”

  “Who are they?” someone shouted.

  “I was coming to that,” Uncle said with a smile. “The man in the grey suit is Liu Leji. He was the director of Customs in Shenzhen for many years before returning to Beijing. He has just been appointed chief of staff to Liu Huning, the third-ranked member of China’s Politburo Standing Committee. And if he wouldn’t mind, I’ll ask Leji to introduce his companions.”