In the afternoon, an Airbus jet from China Airlines slowly touched down at Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok International Airport. Shawn Young, traveling solo and carrying just a simple piece of luggage, made his way out of the terminal with the other passengers.
Stepping outside, Shawn planned to hop on the airport bus and take a spin around the city. I mean, Hong Kong’s got all those cool nicknames—'Pearl of the Orient,' 'Food Paradise,' 'Shopper’s Heaven,' even 'Best Tourist City.' For a southern guy like Shawn, who grew up watching tons of Hong Kong movies, this place was seriously tempting. Plus, he wanted to surprise Rainie Cheng, so he didn’t tell her he was coming!
But in the end, Shawn resisted the urge to get on the bus or go find Rainie right away. Martin Yang, who was stuck in Myanmar for the moment, had already called ahead to arrange Shawn’s Hong Kong trip. He told Shawn that as soon as he landed, someone would be there to pick him up. So Shawn stood outside the airport, scanning the crowd, curious who Martin would send.
Just as Shawn was looking around, seven or eight black Mercedes rolled up and stopped right in front of him. The doors opened one after another, and a bunch of guys in sunglasses and suits stepped out, lining up on either side. Then, a few more people got out. Leading the pack was an older man in a white Tang suit, tall and imposing, with white hair and a commanding presence. His eyes were sharp, his temples were high and pronounced, and he wore a traditional white robe. In his left hand, he leaned on an intricately carved, ancient-looking Dragon Cane, while his right hand spun two steel balls.
Behind the old man came two other men. On his left was a tall, handsome middle-aged guy in a beige Versace summer outfit—very stylish. He wore a smile and a pair of tinted glasses, looking super cool but kind of distant.
On the right was a burly dude with a buzz cut, probably around forty, built like a tank. Even though it was a scorching 35°C in Hong Kong, he strutted around in a flashy vest, showing off his massive, tattooed arms—one inked with an Azure Dragon, the other with a White Tiger.
As the old man walked forward, the big guys immediately bowed their heads in respect. The two men behind him followed closely, sticking right by his side.
The old man in white, flanked by his two companions, strode up to Shawn and stopped. He looked Shawn up and down with piercing eyes, then suddenly asked, “You’re Shawn Young?”
“Uh, yeah, I’m Shawn Young. Excuse me, sir, but how do you know me?” Shawn was genuinely curious—he didn’t recognize this old man, or any of the people with him.
The old man nodded seriously and waved his hand. The cool-looking guy on his right respectfully took the Dragon Cane from his left hand. Then the old man reached out his left hand toward Shawn, with his thumb and index finger bent, the other three fingers pointing to the ground.
“Oh—this is Hung Society etiquette!” Shawn quickly pulled out the yellow jade Hung Society Emblem that Grandmaster Tyler Xuan had given him, and returned the gesture using the basic Hung Society hand sign Tyler had taught him.
After the formal greeting, the old man took Shawn’s Hung Society Emblem and examined it closely. He nodded to the two middle-aged men beside him, who looked at the badge with surprise and newfound respect in their eyes.
The old man in white finally broke into a warm smile and greeted Shawn in perfect Mandarin. “Welcome to Hong Kong, young brother Shawn! Just like my brother said, you’re truly extraordinary—a young hero indeed! Haha, I’m Henry Hung. In Hung Society, everyone calls me Uncle Hung. My brother, Grandmaster Tyler Xuan, is a monk, but I’m just a regular guy, caught up in worldly affairs. I’ve never managed to be as enlightened as my brother, I admit! But you, Shawn, are our honored guest in Hung Society, with a high status. If you don’t mind, you can call me Uncle Hung!”
Shawn was surprised to learn the old man was Grandmaster Tyler Xuan’s junior. Remembering Tyler’s life-saving kindness, Shawn quickly bowed and said, “Uncle Hung, you flatter me! I really don’t deserve it. I’ll stick with local customs and call you Uncle Hung!”
Henry Hung burst out laughing, his voice booming like a bell. “Good! Good! What a fine young man, so open-minded and not chasing fame or fortune. Excellent!”
“Uncle Hung, how did you know I was coming to Hong Kong?” Shawn asked, still curious.
Henry Hung chuckled. “My disciple Martin Yang called me from Myanmar and told me you’d be coming to Hong Kong on business. Plus, my brother Grandmaster Tyler Xuan already mentioned you have a special connection. I was so curious, I decided to personally bring two of the Three Kings from our Hong Kong Hung Prosperity Syndicate to welcome you!”
“Uncle Hung, you’re too kind!” Shawn said quickly.
Henry Hung smiled. “Here in Hong Kong, we call our Hung Society branch the Hung Prosperity Syndicate. Our brothers and venues are all over Hong Kong and Kowloon, but the most important are the Three Kings—the top bosses of the three main divisions. We call these bosses ‘Zha Fit Yan’ in Cantonese—that’s the big boss who runs the show!”
“Oh, I see! So, Uncle Hung, are the Three Kings the two gentlemen beside you? Who’s the third?” Shawn asked, still curious.
Henry Hung laughed. “Our Hung Prosperity Syndicate’s Three Zha Fit Yan: one runs the Causeway Bay Tong Xin Association, covering Wan Chai and Western District; one heads the To Kwa Wan & Kowloon City Division; and the third, the one you know best—Martin Yang. He’s my disciple and handles our external business development, so he’s rarely in Hong Kong. Of course, Martin’s got the sharpest business mind of all!”