The Goldfinger 2023

When a stock market crash causes the sudden collapse of a multi-billion-dollar company, a ICAC principal investigator Lau Kai-yuen uncovers a criminal conspiracy involving the company’s founder, Henry Ching and becomes entangled in a long-running investigation.

In 1974, the ICAC was founded and charged many corrupt officers. Due to this, the officers decided to riot at the ICAC office, lead by Sarge who is then talked down by Lau to leave after rioting. In order to pacify the protestors, the government announces am amnesty for any minor offenses before the start of 1977.

2 years later, Henry had left Singapore due to being laid off in the construction of homes. Henry comes to Hong Kong seemingly unable to apply as an engineer until he meets K.K. Tsang who was deceived into believing Henry was more successful than him, in which they are able to develop a partnership and make millions in real estate over the next 11 years forming Carmen Century, named after Henry’s assistant Carmen. During the timeframe, Henry is able to develop more ventures/businesses and secures more deals with the bribes of wealth and women.

Over 11 years, Lau leads the ICAC investigation into Henry. Lau is able to seize an arrest warrant for Henry, but Henry is able to avoid arrest or charges for any of his crimes. Things seem to go well for Henry and K.K. for their developments until the 1982-1983 downfall where stocks have plummeted down in price, straining his relationship with K.K. as K.K.’s company is more likely to go under with the police heat on him. K.K. threatens to take Henry down with him unless Henry calls his backer Musharra Hafa, who gives the pair only $5 million instead of the promised $20 million. Kelvin, Henry’s lawyer advises everyone to repeat what he told everyone to say if it’s questioning or stay silent should it appear to be an arrest. During the same time, it’s revealed K.K. Cheung has disappeared and his fate is left unknown as to whether he was gone or gone into hiding when he tries to flee with the $5 million. Henry then agrees to cooperate under the condition his subordinates get released, but later, not only is there nothing in Henry’s safe to incriminate him, but the subordinates are all murdered under Henry’s orders with Wan’s model wife getting murdered in order to get him to testify on the side of Henry. Even Kelvin is found to be dead with a suicide note despite how his body was found chained in his pool.

A month later, Henry is put on trial, but cleared of all charges when K.K.’s son comes forward and takes the fall for fraud and bribery, resulting in him serving 14 years. In an attempt to capture Henry, Lau tracks down Hafa to the U.K. where Hafa is being held and tries to convince him to come back to Hong Kong to testify, where it is revealed Hafa was another pawn of Henry and had informed him about the undercover agent Wensecala who Henry had hired a killer to get rid of earlier, but the killer later denied Henry hired him. Lau tries to get Hafa to return to Hong Kong to testify, but Hafa refuses in fear for his life as it is revealed the judge who handled Henry’s case earlier was found dead in a car crash. 5 years later in 1988, Henry is put on trial again when U.S. Bankers were arrested for taking bribes from Henry and giving loans to Carmen Century according to the FBI. Henry walks again when his lawyer cites a conflict of interest as the judge in charge of the case had bought Carmen Century’s stocks 7 years prior prompting the judge to call a mistrial.

8 years later in 1996, Lau gets an extradition order for Hafa to come back to Hong Kong to testify against Henry. As a result, a new trial occurs being able to sentence Henry. The film ends with Lau narrating wondering if it was worth 10 years just to put Henry away as the aftermath reveals that Henry is sentenced to 3 years and a few years later Carmen Century Group completed the liquidation with proceedings distributed among major creditors while general shareholders received nothing.