Overheard 3 2014

In Hong Kong’s New Territories, the indigenous Luk clan has dominated rural land for over a century. Under the long-standing Small House Policy, every indigenous male villager can apply to the government to build a three-story detached house exempt from land premium, which has long been controversial. The HKSAR government decides to stop accepting applications for small houses. Property developers plan to consolidate the remaining small house rights and build multi-story “Small House Towers”.

Uncle To, New Territories rural tycoon and head of the Luk family, plans to monopolize the entire development project, but other tycoons all want a share. The key swing vote belongs to landowner Yuen, whose decision would determine control of hundreds of acres of ancestral farmland. To eliminate this obstacle, To’s chauffeur Law Wing-jau kills Yuen in a staged car crash. Yuen’s death enables To to secure the massive development deal. Yuen’s widow, Moon, is left devastated and harbors deep hatred toward Wing-jau and the Luk family.

Five years later, Wing-jau is released from prison. By then, the Luk family has transformed into New Territories’ largest property empire. Fellow villagers working under To, including Luk Kam-keung, do not want to share the spoils with him despite having taken the fall for the murder. Under the direction of To’s daughter Luk Wing-yu, Wing-jau drugs everyone’s drinks to knock them out. He also recruits a computer whiz he met in prison, Joe, to implant spyware into Kam-keung and the others’ mobile phones, secretly monitoring their every move.

During the wiretapping operation, Joe unexpectedly meets Moon and gradually becomes emotionally involved with her, despite her materialism and initial mistrust. Through continuous surveillance, Wing-jau uncovers a massive conspiracy by Kam-keung and his associates. After a violent power struggle between the various forces, most people die. Kam-keung has a change of heart, turning against the family’s corruption. In the aftermath, the Luk empire is shattered. Joe is imprisoned for his role in the surveillance operation but is eventually released and reunites with Moon.