A True Mob Story 1998

Wai Kat-cheung grows up under the shadow of the triads, following in his father’s footsteps, and becomes an underling to Prince as a young man. When [Prince] owes a hefty HK$3 million debt to the ruthless Crazy Ball, a sinister kidnapping unfolds: Crazy Ball abducts Prince, and Cheung intervenes, slashing Crazy Ball’s left eye to rescue him. The brutal act elevates Cheung’s status in the gang and earns Prince’s respect, but it also sows seeds of a lifelong vendetta with Crazy Ball. That same night, Cindy witnesses the slaughter and, in a desperate bid to help Cheung, is struck and killed by a car, a tragedy that casts a long shadow over Cheung’s world.

Five years pass, and in 1998 Cheung and Prince become partners in a factory that produces unlicensed VCD discs, while Prince covertly hides from Cheung and secretly oversees a dirty mass production of cocaine. During a debt collection, Cheung crushes a man named Chow Tai-man’s head, turning the attention of the authorities toward him. He meets defense attorney Sandy Leung, who will later play a pivotal role in his life. Sandy’s boyfriend, Michael, has been monitoring Cheung’s operation and grows suspicious of drug trafficking. When Michael learns that Sandy is taking Cheung’s case, he urges her to drop the defense, but she refuses, and ultimately she helps Cheung win his case.

As Cheung oversees his factory, he also protects Ruby, who works at an entertainment venue and has long harbored feelings for him. Prince covets Ruby, and Cheung’s protective stance toward her becomes a point of tension; Prince’s resentment toward Cheung deepens after repeated clashes. After a confrontation over Ruby, Cheung is badly injured, and the two begin a fragile, formal bond that deepens as Cheung resolves to shield her and Tai-hung, his son, from danger.

One night, Crazy Ball resurfaces seeking revenge. Cheung and Sandy narrowly escape on a motorcycle, while Cheung tries to rally the gang for support, only to find that they refuse to get involved in what has become Cheung’s personal feud. Meanwhile, Sandy learns from Michael that Cheung’s activities may be tied to drug trafficking, and she confronts him in the factory. As Cheung investigates, he uncovers a long-standing drug trafficking operation run by the gang.

Crazy Ball breaches Cheung’s home and takes Ruby and Tai-hung hostage, triggering a frantic race to save them. In the ensuing chaos, Cheung is arrested on drug-trafficking charges, though he is released soon after. That night, Ruby is gang-raped and Tai-hung loses his sight, a brutal blow that hardens the path ahead. Crazy Ball’s relentless pursuit ends when Cheung kills him, a murder that is witnessed by David, an undercover cop planted by Michael. Cheung becomes a wanted man for Crazy Ball’s murder, and the case threatens to drag him into a deeper courtroom nightmare.

Sandy reveals her true feelings for Cheung and commits to defending him, suggesting he turn himself in to anchor the defense as a tainted witness in the drug-trafficking case, which would lead Uncle Mei to prison. Michael remains intent on apprehending Cheung, but David’s undercover testimony threatens to tilt the scales in Cheung’s favor. In a dramatic courtroom turn, Sandy arranges for another lawyer to take over Cheung’s defense, and she herself steps forward as a new witness, declaring that Cheung and she were together at her apartment during Crazy Ball’s murder. The jury accepts this testimony, and Cheung is acquitted. Sandy’s confession of love provides a bittersweet counterpoint to the victory, leaving her to confront her own guilt and the costs of her actions.

Outside the courthouse, Cheung approaches Sandy to express his gratitude, but she is blunt about their future: they do not belong together, and she admits she orchestrated the turn of events to keep him out of jail and to protect Ruby and Tai-hung. As they part, Cheung’s life takes a final cruel turn when he is suddenly killed by Uncle Mei’s henchmen in the street, a grim ending that echoes the price of loyalty, love, and a life spent navigating an inescapable cycle of power and revenge.