Lisa's 5-Star Review of "Fated and Fateless"

I've just realized that I omitted posting a 5-Star text review by Lisa of Fated and Fateless, which is dated January 16, 2016.


Lisa's 5-Star Review of Fated and Fateless

A 5-star Text Review of "Fated and Fateless" by Lana

I'm pleased to announce that my debut novel Fated and Fateless has just garnered a 5-star review by Lana, who described it as "an inspiring and heartfelt book"!

Here's the link:-

Lana's Review

The retail price for the e-book at Amazon has just been reduced to US$4.99 (for a limited time):-

Amazon's Product Page for Fated and Fateless

Happy reading!

Review of "Fated and Fateless" by Tracy A. Fischer

A recent 4-star review of Fated and Fateless by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers' Favorite:-

"Love and grief, good and bad, wealth and poverty. The true yin and yang of life is at the heart of Fated and Fateless, the newest novel by Alice Poon. Spanning four decades in colonial Hong Kong, Fated and Fateless follows characters Wendy Kwan and Diana Lee on their journeys to adulthood. Childhood friends in the 1950s, a falling-out in their teenage years turns them into life-long enemies. Wendy, who rises from abject poverty in a true rags to riches story, pulls herself up through the ranks of corporate Hong Kong through her own hard work, dedication and intelligence. Diana, given too much from the time of birth, finds that her illusions of wealth, sophistication and glamour are not what they seem, and are not always there when she needs them. This tale of two women’s wildly divergent paths is somewhat of a cautionary tale in terms of depending too much on what others can give you instead of on what you can earn on your own.

Alice Poon’s newest novel is a short, easy read. I especially enjoy books in which I can learn about countries and cultures through the prose of the novel, and this is definitely one of these books. The lifestyles and customs of those living in 1950s to 1980s Hong Kong are elaborated upon delicately in this novel. I appreciated that the descriptions came organically throughout the book; in no way did I feel like information was being thrust upon me. I look forward to future works by this author, and hope that she continues to center her work around Hong Kong."

"Fated and Fateless" Five-Day Free Promotion!

One of the Goodreads Groups (Books, Blogs, Authors & More Group) of which I'm a member is going through the polls to select a book in the Historical Fiction genre for their July Group Read, and "Fated and Fateless" is one of the contestants. If the book gets selected, I'm committed to providing free Kindle copies for all the voters who would then discuss and review the book on the Group's appropriate discussion thread. Regardless of what the poll result is, I've arranged for Amazon to put the Kindle e-book through a FIVE DAY FREE PROMOTION DEAL, STARTING JUNE 30, 2015 AND ENDING JULY 4, 2015.

For those readers of this Blog who are interested in reading the book, be sure to get a free copy at Amazon during the said 5-day period! I would of course be thrilled if you would leave a review on the Amazon site.

By the way, the Chinese historical epic that I've been working on is only a few thousand words from the finishing line! This is about the life of the first Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty who made an indelible mark on Chinese history (her positive influence impacted on the reigns of three Qing emperors including Kangxi Emperor), but who is relatively unknown in the English-speaking world. This epic novel is based on extensive research of both reference and literary works in Chinese and in English. Her dramatic life is fit for the movie screen!

Elyse's Review of "Fated and Fateless"

Elyse (a Goodreads member) has just posted a 4-star review of Fated and Fateless:

Link to Elyse's review

Confessions of a Bookaholic - Interview with Alice Poon

U.K. Book Blogging site Confessions of a Bookaholic has featured the interview with me on their Sunday Spotlight (April 5, 2015). Here's the link to the interview:-

Sunday Spotlight: Alice Poon, Author of Fated and Fateless

In the interview, I shared my personal thoughts on the underlying themes of the novel, on writing, on my reading interests and on my current writing project. Also shared is a tidbit of Chinese historical information about the Forbidden City.

Melissa Rose's Review of "Fated and Fateless" and Her Interview with the Author

Melissa Rose's book review blog "Around the World in Books" has just posted a review of my novel "Fated and Fateless". Melissa is a member of Book Blogs. Here's the link to the 3-star review:-

Review of "Fated and Fateless"

Melissa has also been kind enough to interview me about my book. Here's the link to the interview questions and answers:-

Melissa's Interview with Alice

Kindle Version of "Land and the Ruling Class in Hong Kong"

Happy New Year to all readers of my blog! I wish you good health, peace and joy in 2015!

I'm pleased to announce that the publisher of the Second English Edition of "Land and the Ruling Class in Hong Kong" has decided to produce a Kindle Version of the book, which will be made available shortly.

For the Kindly Version status update or purchase order inquiry, kindly contact Simon.Sui@enrichculture.com.

If you are interested in checking out my novel "Fated and Fateless", just click on this link.

For U.S. Readers, "Fated and Fateless" $0.99 Kindle Sale!

A countdown sale is on from Amazon.com Kindle Store at $0.99 until December 14, 2014 1:00 pm (PST), after which the price will go up to $2.99, again effective for a limited time (53 hours).

This is a novel that paints a culturally vibrant period in colonial Hong Kong. Did you know that in the early to mid-1900s, Hong Kong's Chinese society was very much influenced by the Portuguese, other than the British?

Tony, a leading character in the novel, is a Eurasian from Macau born of a Chinese mother and a Portuguese father, who is the offspring of a well-known historical Macanese figure.

A major character, John Woo the lawyer, is of mixed Chinese and British descent.

Other interesting characters include Jean the French teacher and Jill Simmons, the Eurasian stockbroker, who comes from mixed British, Portuguese and Chinese origin.

Wendy the working girl and Diana the apparent heiress (the two leading female characters), and Edward the doctor (the other leading male character), are Chinese, as are most other major characters (like Mr. Lee the property tycoon and Ms. Yeung the secretary).

Fate throws them onto one another's path and creates distressing chaos in the lives of Wendy and Diana….

A 4-Star Review by Lauren Kathryn for "Fated and Fateless"

I can't express how thrilled I was to read this perceptive review by Lauren Kathryn, who is a seasoned reviewer at Goodreads.

goo.gl/XJuSgV

Here's the full review by Lauren Kathryn:-

Fated and Fateless is a classic example of why I love to read.

I love the fact that I can learn so much, especially concerning other cultures, through the thoughts of an author. We had politics, Chinese cultures and details on social classes in the late 1900's. Anyone who knows me, knows that I really do not read historical fiction unless something really intrigues me. It has to capture my attention and hit me with a really hard poignant story line.

Fates and Fateless, you have entered my exclusive club. Congratulations!

So, the story itself concerns an array of different experiences, set across a vast timeline. Our main character, Wendy, starts out life, around the 1950s mark, with an overall negative stance. She had a tough childhood; her family were relatively poor and, even though she somewhat excelled at school, she is not able to progress. Her family's need for money keeps her behind.

Wendy learns the harsh, abrupt bluntness of life very quickly. Her childhood love, Edward, is from a wealthy background. Their social status hinders them. Edward and his manipulative sister Diana, advance their life skills by studying at University; all the while Wendy is struggling with various jobs, trying to accrue money to support her family.

From the offset we realise that Diana is a very harsh individual. It was clear when Wendy was reminiscing about her childhood, and it is clear as day when they are adults. She involved herself, and the family company, in a very dangerous game - with Wendy stumbling upon shocking truths one after another.

On the other hand, you can tell that Diana is driven - a trait Wendy also possesses. I think a few people have compared this to "good vs evil", and I can agree. Both our female characters harness the same traits, but both have alternative motives in life. I would say that it is pretty clear as to who is good and who is evil!

The key part of this book, and the part that really stuck with me, was it's focus on social class. As I have mentioned, I do not tend to read historical fiction, so this was an interesting, unknown territory for me. I was intrigued to find out how Wendy would approach these constant pitfalls, especially considering her social class was outranked by Diana, among others. She wanted to "step outside the box" and challenge society, but in their eyes, had society already decided? Does it base it's values simply due to an individual's roots and heritage? Or are we automatically assigned as the Fated or the Fateless?

Overall, the writing and story were very engaging. I felt an array of emotions whilst reading this book! The story was remarkable really. It delves into Chinese culture, and mixes it with a political/business scandal. The two, in theory, wouldn't mesh, but they do; which I think is testament to the author's writing and imagination.

A 4-star Review by Sara Knight for "Fated and Fateless" on Amazon

Sara Knight, a Goodreads member, has just posted a 4-star customer review for "Fated and Fateless" on Amazon.com:

goo.gl/QaXy1B

 

Sara Knight's review:-

"Fated and Fateless" by Alice Poon is a story of love, loss and good versus evil. The cover of the book tends to be a bit misleading and make it seem like the book might be a bit lighter than it is. Set in Hong Kong, this is a thrilling tale of intrigue and suspense that will leave readers wanting more. An exciting tale that kept me engaged with its interesting and unexpected plot. The characters are well developed and believable, making you care about what happens to them. This story is fresh and exciting, while the writing is sharp and well paced. I look forward to reading more work from this author.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A 4-Star Review by Johanna Zanten of "Fated and Fateless" on Goodreads

Johanna Zanten, a Goodreads member and reviewer, has posted a 4-star text review of "Fated and Fateless" on Goodreads. Here's her full text review:-

goo.gl/fyUtRO

“This book starts in Hong Kong where Wendy Kwan lives with her parents and her younger siblings, as well as her grandmother, all cramped together in a two bedroom flat. Her father works, but spends his salary on booze and gambling, and goes into serious debt that her mother then tries to pay off. Her mother glues paper bags for a living, at home. They are relatively poor.
 
Wendy starts at an all English school and goes on to high school. She cannot stay in school after her graduation even if she is the second best in academic achievement in secondary school, as she has to help earn money to feed the family.

She had met Diane and Diane's brother at school, but all contact is lost after leaving school. Might as well, as Diane and Edward are from the rich Lee family, living in wealth on the other side of the city in an affluent neighborhood. Wendy had a secret crush on Edward, but experienced Diane as a jealous and ungracious girlfriend. It would have been an impossible friendship anyway due to their difference in social standing. Although Hong Kong was a British protectorate for many years, the old feudal Chinese structures were still active.

This all takes place long after the opium wars between China and Britain, after Britain acquired most of Hong Kong Island in the 19th century, and before the 99 year lease of the territory to the British was to end in 1997. The story starts in the nineteen sixties. The mix of Chinese and English influences in this story is obvious and somewhat confusing, although interesting.

The author is telling the story of ethnic Chinese, from the POV of the protagonist, Wendy, and her nemesis, Diane, but they have English names. The rich are sent to universities in Britain, where they feel secondhand citizens, as the British traditionally look down on anybody from the "colonies", especially when they are not Caucasian and have skin that is not pale as their own. From that experience, Diane returned to Hong Kong to follow in her father's footsteps at the family's real estate company, after having obtained her degree that was facilitated by large donations from her father to her alma mater in Britain. To his father's disappointment, Edward, his only son, did not want to go into business and studied medicine, with ideals for a future of helping his people, not of making money off them.

In the meantime, Wendy struggled to obtain several jobs to keep the family going, with her mother dying along the way, and her abusive father finally leaving the family, to her relief. By design, Diane hired Wendy as her personal secretary with the purpose to demean and exploit her for the price of a salary. Wendy finds out what the company really is doing, it's gambling profits, and the ties to a triad gang and to the corrupt police chief.

The story starts in a rather formal language that feels a bit stilted. As the story unfolds, the language become more fluid and natural. The many adjectives in each sentence could be scaled down in my view, as it makes the novel a bit cumbersome to read at times.

The story gives a good insight into the culture of the real estate business of Hong Kong and the effects of the future transition of Hong Kong back to China's authority. The siblings of Wendy emigrate to Canada eventually. Diane and her mother emigrate as well by the end of the story.

What surprised me most was the brutal and overt exploitation of women: in the first seven chapters already two rapes by wealthy men on employees are happening, with impunity. As well, becoming a mistress, the concubine of the in olden days, is still present. Diane's father, the boss, has three at the time, as he is rich enough to afford them and set them up in their own apartments or mansion (in Hong Kong, where prices are higher than in Vancouver!). I am not sure if that would be indicative of the work atmosphere then, or still currently would be. The completely subservient and strict hierarchy from the top down in the office environment as described, seems alien to me, but likely might be real, then, or now. Diane is only her father's second choice as a female heir.

The politics of acquiring land for resale laid out in the novel is as familiar as the tactics currently employed in my area: buying unused, cheap farm land and once purchased, petition (and bribe) government to rezone it for residential use, develop it and resell it at many times its purchase price. Also money laundering and unholy deals between "business partners" and Mr. Lee are described, that gave me some insight in how that sort of thing would take place.
 
The cultural practice of Fung Sui (author's spelling) takes a large role in choosing the location of everything, as well as the use of palm readers and other paranormal practices for doing business successfully. These practices have now also become more prevalent in the cities in Canada with the influx of more ethnic Chinese immigrants.

The basic question posed in the novel is whether birth and heritage determine the fate of an individual. Wendy and Diana both are extremely ambitious and focused persons who are not content with the traditional role of the women in their society. Wendy's quest is to rise above her simple beginnings and reach the upper echelons in the business world, while Diana's is to become the head of her father's Sun Tai Land company at all costs.

The next question for Wendy is whether Edward loves her. He is her childhood crush that grew into a mature love, for Wendy, at least. Will they get together and find love?

The last question is whether the traditional rules of the wealthy Chinese to marry off their offspring in arranged marriage will survive the modern times. One needs to read the book to find out.

I found it a good read, and the turns and twists of the story kept the interest going. One needs to be interested in the real estate business, or want to know more about it, as it figures prominently in the story. Big money is the goal, and easy come, easy go, is the the impression I have of how the real estate business took place. The idea of ethical trade was not invented in this time and place; make your money fast and get out.

This world is as foreign to me as sky diving, something I am not thinking about and have no affinity with. It is useful to know more about that world and its specific background in political terms, to understand more of the background of the new Canadians in our country and I am glad I read it. A bit more of that background explained could have been helpful. I liked it overall and the ending was satisfying.

Disclosure: I was gifted the book by the author.
I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.”

A 5-Star Review on Amazon for "Fated and Fateless"

Here's the 5-star customer review on Amazon's site:-

"Alice has brought her first book to a lively fiction. It is an amazing transition from "the Land and the Ruling Class in Hong Kong"; incorporating some of the wealth imbalance and social economic ills to this intense compelling novel.
The book is beautifully written, so rich in details . . I felt I was in the middle of the story. . I could feel the emotion, see the streets of Hong Kong, taste the food, and smell the air. I found it hard to put the book down, it kept me reading long into the night.
The book told the stories of many characters from distinct diverse background, cultures and different generation. . It is a tale of desire, jealously, passion, and endurance . . It is indisputably captivating, filled with suspense and unpredictable twists and turns."

Link to the customer review.

Book Review: The Lasting Honour: The Fall of Hong Kong 1941

I’ve just finished reading Oliver Lindsay’s “The Lasting Honour: The Fall of Hong Kong 1941”.

The book was published in 1978 and was the result of thorough research into wartime official documents as well as interviews with survivors then living in Britain, Canada and Hong Kong. The author himself was with the 2^nd battalion of the Winnipeg Grenadiers (from Manitoba, Canada) during the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941.

If reading “Not the Slightest Chance: The Defence of Hong Kong 1941” (please refer to my book review posted on 25^th February, 2014) makes one feel like watching a documentary with grotesque images popping up now and then, then turning the pages of “The Lasting Honour: The Fall of Hong Kong 1941” is like sitting through a heart-rending war movie that makes one feel anger, despair and repulse about the inhumanities of wars. I couldn't help shedding a few tears out of respect and reverence for the honorable soldiers who defended Hong Kong to the best they could, even though they were aware that it was a lost cause from the outset.

That Hong Kong was doomed from the very beginning can be summed up in this passage:-

“The complete lack of air support, and inadequate sea power, made the defeat of Hong Kong a foregone conclusion. The defenders, too few in numbers and too thinly spread, have no knowledge where the weight of the attack is to be anticipated. So it can only be expected that the assault, with the advantage of surprise, pressed forward in great strength at a few points, will succeed in breaking through. This is what the Japanese achieved, and then they pushed forward to gain possession of the commanding heights which dominate the Island, and from that moment the campaign was lost.”

Even as early as April 1938, the War Office in London reconfirmed that the Hong Kong Garrison should defend Hong Kong, with no reinforcement, for as long as possible. The Chiefs of Staff in London thought of Hong Kong ‘more as a strategic liability than an asset’.

Then when it was finally decided to ask Canada for reinforcement, only two battalions with little fighting experience or training were sent to Hong Kong. Upon arrival on 16th November 1941, just three weeks before the Japanese invasion (which began in the early hours of 8^th December), they had to hit the ground running, being totally unfamiliar with the battle territory, exhausted from the long sea voyage, and later weakened by malaria.

Was any help from the Chinese ever to be forthcoming? The answer seems to lie in this passage:-

“However China had her own problems. She was divided not only by the Japanese, but also by the political struggle between the Nationalists and Communists, which continued in a desultory manner. In 1937, both had joined in a ‘United Front’ to fight the Japanese. Ostensibly integrated with the Nationalist Army, the Communists concentrated on winning over the people, and setting up base areas from which to mount guerilla operations. The Communists were to be accused of conserving their strength and avoiding decisive engagements while consolidating political power, and the Nationalists were later to be criticized for corruption and inefficiency.”

It was bad enough that the Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek’s empty promises of help raised false hopes for those desperate folks in Hong Kong. But more devastating were the subversive sabotage activities by Communists who had infiltrated into the Colony (referred to as “fifth columnists” in the book), who looted, murdered and in every way added to the already harrowing ordeal that the Hong Kong population were subjected to.

Barbarism is an understatement when it comes to the unspeakable wicked acts by the Japanese during the war. The late Dr. Li Shu-fan (late founder of the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital) had estimated the number of rapes committed during the battle of Hong Kong to be over 10,000. Cold-blooded murders of allied soldiers (in some cases even when a white flag was raised) by the Japanese were especially appalling at the Shaukiwan Silesian Mission Medical Post (where captured prisoners were bayoneted to death from the back) and at the St. Stephen’s College Hospital in Stanley (where many wounded soldiers lying in bed were bayoneted to death, where two soldiers were brutally mutilated and murdered and where several nurses were raped and murdered and still others raped). Civilian deaths during the battle were estimated at over 4,000 (Banham: Not the Slightest Chance).

For the Hong Kong folks, the 18-day battle was only the beginning, horrible though it was, of a protracted period (lasting three years and eight months) of great trepidation, starvation, homelessness and utter destitution under the merciless rule of the Japanese. By May 1945, one million Hong Kong Chinese had left the Colony for the Mainland, leaving only 650,000 behind.

This particular part of Hong Kong’s history is probably unknown or unfamiliar to many of Hong Kong’s young and not-so-young generations. To them, and others who might have an interest in the subject, I would highly recommend Banham’s and Lindsay’s books.

"Fated and Fateless" Excerpt Part 2

Here's Excerpt Part 2 (continued from Part 1):-

[Diana had witnessed the amazing growth of Sun Tai Land on her frequent trips back to Hong Kong while studying in England – the number of staff shot up from a couple of dozens in 1966 to a couple of hundreds now (1972). The company structure had evolved from a simple single-tier one into a multi-department, many-layered management hierarchy led by her father. Her knowledge of the company’s operations, if perfunctory, had come from her attendance as an observer at board and management meetings during all her school vacations.

During those company visits, she couldn’t help noticing that her father had regular secret meetings with Detective Ngan in his private conference room, which was annexed to his large and lavishly furnished office, where valuable Chinese paintings by Cheung Tai Chin were randomly hung. She was going to find out all about the meetings from Ms. Yeung some day.

As she lay reposed on the gold-trimmed velvety couch by the sheer-curtained French windows looking out onto the terrace, she was thinking that it was high time to take the company public and use the public offer proceeds for further expansion,. She must set up a meeting with John Woo, Sun Tai Land’s legal adviser, and Ewen Saunders, the investment banker. She was not going to tell her father yet what was on her mind until she had all the information she needed. She must be able to impress him with her first presentation. But before that important meeting, she must first have a chance to hold an internal meeting with all the department heads to get an update on the company’s business outlook and financial situation. The matter was now of top priority as John Woo had told her that the KHS Group was also planning to go public.

On that thought, she rose from the couch and walked across the chandelier-lit living room to the fireplace, above which hung a huge, three-panel mirror. She picked up the antique phone on the side table while admiring her own reflection in the mirror, and dialed Ms. Yeung’s number. Ms. Yeung had been her father’s private secretary for as long as she could recall and knew the company’s staff like the back of her hand. Diana was aware of the rumor that had been going round the office in recent years: that her father had taken Ms. Yeung as his mistress and had bought her a high-end apartment in Happy Valley. For this reason, no one from the office dared to cross her and everybody was trying to please her. If there was anyone apart from Mrs. Lee, to whom Ms. Yeung would care to show some courtesy, it was Diana. Diana had once casually dropped the question on her mother, but she had shrugged it off in an unaffected manner without saying anything. She had thought it best to feign ignorance in front of her father.

“Hello Ms. Yeung, how have you been?”

“Hello Diana, it’s good to hear your voice again. When did you arrive? Did you have a pleasant trip?”

“I arrived on Saturday. The trip was OK – you know, as usual, I slept during the flight. Look, I was wondering if you could set up a meeting of department heads for 10 o’clock on Tuesday, if my dad doesn’t have anything on.”

“Let me just check his diary – yes, he’s free. I’ll have the meeting set up right away. Is there anything else?”

“Please tell my dad that the purpose of the meeting is to let me catch up. Oh, and please ask the chief accountant to let me have copies of the audited accounts for the last five years – have them on my desk first thing tomorrow morning. Another thing is that I want you to place an ad in the English papers for two personal assistants for me. Also, ask the fung shui master Mr. Yau to come by the office tomorrow. That’ll be all for now.” Mr. Lee had hired Mr. Yau as the company’s fung shui master on a retainer basis right after that house-warming dinner in 1970.

“Yes, I’ll get on to it. See you tomorrow morning, Diana. Welcome back.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Edward hauling himself up agilely from the water. His lanky torso and tight butt, dripping wet and exuding life in the bright sunlight, looked even more sensual. As his elder sister, she felt she had a duty to watch over him, not letting him fall prey to those tramps hovering around him. He was always such a naïve and warm-hearted big boy. It was a good thing he didn’t want to go into the business world – he was just not cut out for it.

She walked out to the sunlit terrace and picked up a white thick towel from one of the wooden poolside benches to hand to him.

“I’m going shopping at Lane Crawford’s this afternoon. Want to come along?” she was hoping he’d say yes.

“Umm, I don’t think so – there’s some reading that I have to catch up on. Why don’t you ask Mother to go with you?”

Masking her disappointment, she said in a teasing tone: “What a bookworm you are! Mother has her mahjong party to go to. She wouldn’t be a great help anyway. Don’t worry, I don’t mind shopping alone.”]

Giveaway of "Fated and Fateless" at Goodreads

One signed paperback copy of "Fated and Fateless" is available as a Goodreads Giveaway from March 8 to March 15, 2014. Enter to win the copy!

 
 

    Goodreads Book Giveaway
 

   

       
   

   

     

          Fated and Fateless
     

     

          by Alice Poon
     

     

         
            Giveaway ends March 15, 2014.
         

         
            See the giveaway details
            at Goodreads.
         

     

   

   

      Enter to win

"Fated and Fateless" Excerpt Part 1

The book excerpt that I'm going to post consists of almost a full chapter. As it is too long for one post, I've split it into two parts. This post contains Excerpt Part 1.

 [The last thought on her mind, as she climbed out of the Mercedes, was that she needed to advertise for a personal assistant, or maybe two, on the first day she started to work at the office.

Diana had never quite gotten over the spat she had had with Wendy when they were kids. She had never forgiven Wendy for ruining her new pink frock that day. She had the nerve to say it was my fault! She wondered where Wendy was working now, and how she was making out.

“Whatever income she may be earning, I can always give her an offer she can’t refuse.” The corners of her lips turned up in a sly smile with this thought.

The next morning, which was a Sunday, she had a chance to have a long chat with her mother at the breakfast table, her father having already gone out to the Deep Water Bay Golf Club to play golf and Edward was doing his daily laps in the terrace pool.

In the Lee family’s Sai Wan Ho days, Chuen Fat Kee had been used as a cover for a big word-guess gaming (字花) operation which was run by Ah Chuen and Ah Fat. The brothers had come from Chiu Chow like Mr. Lee. Being a sociable and astute businessman, Mr. Lee had found out about the operation during his casual chats with the brothers. He had offered to inject capital into the operation to make it bigger, using his commission earnings from broking land deals. Immigrants from Chiu Chow had a natural habit of sticking trustingly to one another. The brothers had accepted his offer without hesitation. Two years into the operation, Mr. Lee had suggested to the brothers to start a horse-racing bookie business alongside word-guess game betting. The party of three had it so good ever since that they were virtually swimming in cash.

The word-guess game was a game in which thirty-six names of well-known ancients, or of places, or of animals or profession, were put up for betting on a daily basis. Each operator would have a number of couriers who acted as collectors of bets from street gamblers. Each morning the operator would announce by word-of-mouth to the couriers which group of names would be put up for betting that day and would write up numbers in running order against the thirty-six names on a piece of paper. He would randomly pick one number (name) by marking it and would then put the piece of paper inside a porcelain container that would be hung from the beam of the flat. Bets could then be accepted by the couriers. The payout multiple for the winner was thirty to one. Thus, the odds are heavily in favor of the dealer. Such operations were illegal gaming and had to be conducted underground. The flip side to running such operations was that it would often attract triad members as well as policemen to come around to collect protection fees and bribes.

Now Diana remembered when she was in primary school, her father had a habit of placing before her each day a list of numbers and Chinese names and would urge her to pick out a number or name on the paper. Ever since she took on the job of “the gold finger”, money was flowing in faster than her father could ever have hoped for. It was thus that she became her father’s good luck charm.

As the underground operation was bringing in more and more cash, it had caught the attention of the Wo Sing Wo triad gang. Gangsters had begun coming round to extort protection fees from Ah Chuen and Ah Fat. By a stroke of chance, the brothers had got acquainted with a police detective named Ngan from the vice squad attached to the Shaukiwan Police Station. Ngan had also come from Chiu Chow and once he came to know the brothers, they just hit it off in no time. Ever since they had befriended each other, gangsters had stopped showing up. But of course there was no free lunch. Instead of paying ever increasing protection fees on demand to triad gangsters, the brothers and Mr. Lee had had to allow Ngan a cut of the gaming profits. Diana had picked up much of this information from the chauffeur Ah Wong during her car trips to and from the airport on her annual vacations. Ah Wong was a second cousin of Ah Chuen and Ah Fat. Her mother now confirmed those stories.

When the Lee family had first moved to Repulse Bay in 1960, they had settled into a 2,000 square feet apartment unit which Mr. Lee had bought with the hard cash that he earned from his underground business. Then in 1970, they had moved again into the huge 4,000 square feet, two-storey beachside mansion, which had a large manicured garden at the back and a sun terrace with a full-size swimming pool at the front facing the beach. By this time, Ah Chuen and Ah Fat had also moved out of Sai Wan Ho to live in a luxury apartment on The Peak. Together, the brothers were now the second largest shareholder in Sun Tai Land, although they were content to leave the day-to-day management of the company in the hands of Mr. Lee.

Starting from the early 60s, Mr. Lee had begun to focus his time on buying land for his own company and building low-end residential buildings in urban Kowloon for the newly arrived mainland immigrants. The business had taken off in no time and he had begun to look for land in the New Territories. In 1967, the communists in Hong Kong had started up a riot that had threatened to turn uncontrollable, which had scared a lot of rich people into running for cover overseas. The unexpected exodus had given Mr. Lee and a couple of other gutsy developers, including the Lee family’s current neighbor Mr. Ko, a golden chance to load up their land banks at negligible costs, when land and housing prices had taken a dive.]