Island of Greed 1997

Captain Fong Kwok-Fai, an earnest officer from the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau’s Tactical Squad, dives into Taiwan’s shadowy gambling arcade scene to uncover a mastermind who uses politics as a cover for crime. His target is Chow Chiu-Sin, a ruthless businessman and triad boss who intends to ride into power by running for the Legislative Yuan, aided by bribes and a web of manipulation. Fong’s first strike is inside one of Chow’s arcades, where he prosecutes him for operating an underground casino—only to learn that Chow has already bought the presiding judge and escaped liability.

Undeterred, Fong presses his case by coaxing Chairman Lam Ching-piu of Tak-cheong Construction to blow the whistle on Chow for blackmail and bid-rigging tied to the Coastal Highway project. The pursuit intensifies when Chow seizes Lam, dragging him on a fishing hook through a plantation as Fong and his team close in—with Chow’s attack dogs snapping at their heels and a high-stakes chase that ends with Lam rescued. Exposing Chow to the public makes waves, and the Kuomintang responds by nominating Chow’s rival, Ting Chung-shu, to contest the Legislative Yuan seat. Chow, fueled by ambition, crashes Ting’s press conference to announce a bid for the Legislative Yuan as an outsider with no party backing.

Meanwhile, Fong faces internal turmoil as his superiors, including the corrupt Suen Ching-lim, suspend him from duty. The political landscape becomes more chaotic when rival taxi fleets—Country and White Cloud—back Chow and Ting, turning their competition into street riots. With Country Taxi’s director Kwan behind him, Chow escalates the uproar, while his wife Miu-Heung is sent to a ball where she aims to influence those in power. There, a high-ranking police official’s wife becomes Chow’s leverage, and the plan seems aimed at cementing Chow’s “hero” image in the public eye. Fong’s own father, a taxi driver, is swept into the chaos, and Fong narrowly saves him as explosions threaten their escape.

A turning point comes with the help of Fong’s journalist girlfriend, Ling-Fei, who helps him win back trust from the Justice Minister Fung King-chung and secure reinstatement. This return to duty boosts Fong’s resolve to root out corruption, but Ting retaliates by sending killers after him, resulting in the death of one of Fong’s trusted subordinates, Nicotine. Ting even tries to frame Chow for the murder, yet Miu-Heung works to shore up Chow’s public support, and Chow’s political ascent continues.

In a darker turn, Chow elevates his strategy by hiring a prostitute to lure and murder Ting, propelling Chow to win the Legislative Yuan election with about 125,000 votes. With public pressure mounting, Fong is recalled to actively bring Chow down. The stakes rise as Fong and his squad capture Sung Miu-tin, a fraudulent cult leader entangled with Chow, using the operation to infiltrate Chow’s mansion. Chow then convenes twelve other triad-aligned legislators, hinting at the formation of their own political party, while Fong’s team dismantles Chow’s guards and extracts hard evidence from Chow’s computer.

Chow retaliates in a violent cascade, killing Deputy Minister Hau of the Kuomintang as he fights to escape. A thirteen-vehicle entourage attempt to flee Taiwan becomes a dramatic showdown: Fong confronts Chow from a helicopter, firing missiles to blow up several vehicles. In response, Chow shoots a rocket launcher at Fong, and a brutal skirmish erupts. An explosion kills Miu-Heung during the chaos, leaving Chow visibly broken as he is finally arrested. The charges stack: disfranchisement and death row mark his fate, while Fong faces consequences of a different kind—resigning from the Investigation Bureau amid public pressure and revelations of high-level involvement.

Yet the story doesn’t end there. Fong pivots toward a new mission, announcing his bid to become Mayor of Taipei in 1997, and he marries Ling-Fei, choosing a political career and personal life over the dangerous lure of power. In the end, a hard-won sense of justice prevails, even as the city’s political landscape bears the scars of corruption, ambition, and the fragile line between law enforcement and governance.