Relying on the Kowloon Walled City’s status as an extrajudicial enclave, Chiu Shan Hoi had long made a bloody trade of accepting blood money for contract killings, arson, and terror. Once a job was finished, his men retreated into the labyrinthine darkness of the citadel like fish slipping back into the deep sea, entirely beyond the reach of the law.
Over the years, Master Leopard had enlisted countless ruthless outlaws and desperate vagrants adrift in Hong Kong. Relying on these mercenaries to carry out unspeakable butcheries, he had forged his syndicate into a feared brand of underworld terror.
Lam Siu Ming was a tycoon of considerable standing in Hong Kong. It was hardly surprising that a rival would pay a fortune for his life. Given the target’s immense wealth and the armed bodyguards trailing his every step, an assassination was no simple task. Unless Master Leopard had lost his sanity, he would never assign such a high-stakes hit to an untested, bottom-tier Four-Nine Boy.
Naturally, Master Leopard’s wits had not failed him. The truth was unmistakable: Chan Ka Nam had merely been dispatched as a disposable pawn -- cannon fodder meant to draw attention and create a distraction for the real hitman.
Yet in the original novel’s timeline, Chan Ka Nam had miraculously struck before the genuine assassin, ending the target in one clean stroke before vanishing without leaving a single shred of incriminating evidence behind. It was little wonder that this singular feat had earned him an immediate promotion to a Red Pole enforcer within the Wo Hing Society.
Kiu Man’s thoughts drifted, his gaze resting on the young man feasting across the table.
Chan Ka Nam was stuffing his face in pure delight, completely oblivious to his surroundings. He looked like an eager street glutton rather than a hired killer on a mission.
Amused, Kiu Man observed him more closely. Relying on the original body's memories, he had identified Chan Ka Nam from a distance with ease. Yet to the original youth, Chan Ka Nam’s presence was so intimately familiar that concepts of handsomeness or plainness had never applied to him; he existed as a vital, permanent fixture in Kiu Man's life.
Beneath the flat cap and the glued-on mustache, Chan Ka Nam’s true features were partially obscured. Even so, the sharp arch of his thick brows and the straight bridge of his nose revealed clean, rugged good looks beneath the grime.
Sensing the lingering stare, Chan Ka Nam paused with his chopsticks in midair, raising an eyebrow. "Little Kiu, why do you keep staring at me like that?"
Kiu Man offered a subtle smile. "Ah Ho told me you went out to borrow money for my medicine. Does one really need a flat cap and a fake mustache just to ask for a loan?"
Chan Ka Nam cleared his throat with obvious guilt. "Was I not trying to look respectable? A mustache makes me seem mature and reliable." He clicked his tongue in indignation as an irritating memory returned. "Speaking of that, remember those former neighbors who made fortunes and moved out of the Walled City? I thought old neighborhood bonds counted for something! Before I could even finish explaining, every single one of them started weeping about their own poverty. Selfish bastards."
His fists clenched on the wooden tabletop. Over the past two days, he had swallowed his pride to beg those wealthy former neighbors for a loan, only to be turned away at the door.
Back when they shared the squalid tenement halls, they had acted like sworn brothers; now, they crossed the street just to avoid catching his eye.
Chan Ka Nam gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening. "Mark my words: once I make my fortune, I will slap stacks of thousand-dollar bills across their miserable faces."
Kiu Man laughed under his breath. "And how do you plan on getting rich? Becoming a back-alley hustler and peddling white powder?"
Caught off guard, Chan Ka Nam looked thoroughly exposed. Unable to meet Kiu Man's teasing gaze, he hastily shoved a steamed siu mai into his mouth, muttering around the food, "I will not stay a bottom-feeder forever."
You certainly won't, Kiu Man mused silently. You will claw your way to the top of the underworld, only to end up riddled with bullets in an alley.
Steeling his expression, Kiu Man said firmly, "Ka Nam, my health is on the mend. You do not need to scrape together any more cash. Once my strength fully returns, I will find proper employment."
Chan Ka Nam frowned in disagreement. "Take your time with that. Even desk clerks work grueling hours. Do not force yourself until your body is fully healed."
"I know my limits," Kiu Man replied softly.
He resumed eating at a steady, measured pace. To match him, Chan Ka Nam slowed down his chewing. Seeing Kiu Man clear away substantial portions of food filled Chan Ka Nam with boundless relief. A faint touch of healthy pink was slowly blooming across Kiu Man's porcelain cheeks.
Chan Ka Nam could not explain what had changed, but today’s Kiu Man felt subtly different from before -- sharper, steadier, yet entirely reassuring. Grinning from ear to ear, he kept spooning his brother's favorite delicacies into his bowl.
Kiu Man wanted to eat more, but his frail body was reaching its limit. Fearing that lingering too long would invite disaster, he resolved to drag Chan Ka Nam out before the hitman could strike.
Setting down his chopsticks, he dabbed his lips with a napkin. "Brother Nam, I am full. Let us head home."
"Right." Chan Ka Nam flagged down the waitress for the bill. Because he had ordered half the menu, he had to turn out his pockets, scraping together every loose coin and pooling Kiu Man's remaining cash just to settle the tab.
They were impoverished -- down to their very last cent.
Kiu Man rose to his feet. The moment he straightened, a sharp wave of vertigo crashed over his vision. Chan Ka Nam caught him by the elbow, grumbling in his ear, "See? You can barely stand on your own two feet! Why did you wander all the way out here alone? If you had collapsed in the gutter without me, nobody would have lifted a finger."
Kiu Man drew two measured breaths until the darkness receded. "I am fine, Ka Nam."
As he spoke, his peripheral vision caught movement near the private dining suites. He glanced over. The door swung open, and Lam Siu Ming’s formidable personal bodyguard, Ah Ching, stepped out first. Ah Ching scanned the dining room with vigilant eyes before holding the door for the elder merchant.
Lam Tsz Fai trailed close behind, his voice bright with youth. "Dad, use the washroom first. I will brew a fresh pot of Green Snail Tea for you."
"Good boy," Lam Siu Ming murmured affectionately, patting his son’s shoulder before turning down the corridor toward the washrooms.
Chan Ka Nam’s gaze briefly grazed Lam Siu Ming’s departing back. That was meant to be my target tonight, he thought silently. Consider yourself lucky that my brother's recovery spared your neck.
He curled his lip dismissively and looked away.
At that exact moment, the Southeast Asian patron in the adjacent booth stood up.
Oblivious to the danger, Chan Ka Nam supported Kiu Man toward the staircase. Seeing the hitman approach, Kiu Man’s chest tightened. He willed their steps to be faster, desperate to leave the premises before blood was spilled.
Yet just as the assassin pushed past them, his shoulder grazed Chan Ka Nam's arm. The hitman did not even glance back, pressing forward with chilling focus.
Chan Ka Nam, however, bristled with instant fury. "Are you blind?"
His sharp tone drew the eyes of several nearby diners.
The assassin paused, turning slowly. Beneath his heavy brow, his dark eyes fixed onto Chan Ka Nam with lethal, predatory stillness. The raw bloodlust radiating from his frame was enough to freeze an ordinary man's veins.
Anyone with common sense would have backed away immediately. But Chan Ka Nam was raised on the violent streets of the Walled City; he mistook the icy glare for an open insult. Raising his chin arrogantly, he sneered, "Think you're tough, do you?"
The assassin narrowed his eyes, ignoring the provocation as he turned back toward the corridor. But before he could take a step, Chan Ka Nam clamped a rough hand onto his wrist. "Hold it. You haven't apologized yet."
Damn it, Kiu Man thought in alarm, reaching out to yank the hothead back.
The assassin moved with lethal precision. With a vicious flick of his arm, he broke the grip and shoved Chan Ka Nam backward. Caught off guard, Chan Ka Nam stumbled violently, crashing straight into Kiu Man.
Kiu Man's fragile frame could not bear the impact. Though Chan Ka Nam managed to catch his shoulders, Kiu Man's hip slammed hard against the sharp corner of a wooden dining table.
The frail body was as delicate as silken tofu; the blunt impact sent a blinding jolt of agony through his torso. A muffled gasp tore from his throat, and involuntary tears pricked the corners of his eyes.
Hearing Kiu Man's choked cry, Chan Ka Nam saw red. "You son of a bitch!"
He had only intended to exchange a few insults, but hurting Kiu Man was an unforgivable crime.
"Ka Nam— " Kiu Man wheezed, trying to stop him.
It was too late. Chan Ka Nam lunged forward like an unchained beast.
The assassin reacted instantly, sidestepping the incoming charge.
Missing his mark, Chan Ka Nam twisted mid-air, throwing a savage right hook toward the man’s jaw while sweeping his leg low across the floor.
The assassin dodged the punch, but the sweep caught his ankle.
In the original novel, Chan Ka Nam’s martial dominance stemmed from the secret lineage of Chan Style Eight Extremities Boxing. While growing up, Kiu Man’s constant moral lectures had kept him in check; knowing that flaunting martial arts inside the Walled City would draw fatal attention, Chan Ka Nam had deliberately concealed his training, disguising his moves as wild haymakers. That deliberate restraint was why he had remained a low-level Four-Nine Boy for two years.
Here in the open streets, however, he held nothing back, unleashing the brutal strikes of Chan Style Eight Extremities with terrifying force.
The hitman had intended to dismiss the scuffle, but nearly being swept off his feet ignited his temper. Recovering his footing, he retaliated with murderous aggression.
Surrounded by packed tables, the two brawled like cornered tigers. Crashing timber and shattering porcelain echoed through the second floor, sending terrified patrons screaming down the stairs in a chaotic stampede.
The floor servers panicked, scrambling toward the counter to dial the police.
The uproar immediately alerted the corridor. Ah Ching's eyes flared with professional suspicion. He shoved Lam Siu Ming into a private room. "Mr. Lam, stay inside!"
Seeing his cover blown, the assassin abandoned all pretense. Flinging Chan Ka Nam aside, he pulled a tri-groove bayonet from beneath his jacket. Vaulting across the overturned Eight Immortals tables, he sprinted straight toward the private suite.
His blood boiling, Chan Ka Nam rushed back to Kiu Man's side. "Little Kiu, are you all right?"
Clutching his bruised hip, Kiu Man shook his head faintly. "I am fine. We need to leave now."
Chan Ka Nam glanced toward the corridor. Spotting the cold steel in the assassin’s grip, he drew the short blade hidden at his own waist, his teeth grinding together. "Wait here."
At the end of the hall, the assassin had already locked in combat with Ah Ching. Every thrust of the tri-groove bayonet was designed to eviscerate and kill.
Even now, Chan Ka Nam did not realize that the man before him was a fellow hitman hired by Master Leopard. Seeing an armed assailant attempting to butcher an elderly gentleman inside a teahouse, Chan Ka Nam's innate chivalry took over.
Leaving Kiu Man by the table, he charged into the fray.
Ah Ching had already taken two deep cuts to his arms, slowly losing ground. The assassin was reaching to force open the private room's door to finish Lam Siu Ming. But Chan Ka Nam’s sudden intervention shattered his momentum. Brandishing his short blade with street-forged ferocity, Chan Ka Nam teamed with the bodyguard, violently shifting the tide against the lone killer.
Just as the deadlock solidified, the wailing sirens of approaching colonial police cars echoed from the streets below.
Realizing his window had closed, the assassin slashed twice in a frenzied circle, spun around, and hurled his weight against a decorative window. Glass exploded into the alley, and the killer vanished into the night below.
Chan Ka Nam moved to give chase, but Ah Ching seized his arm. "Brother, let him go!" Turning to the locked door, Ah Ching knocked rapidly. "Mr. Lam, it is safe!"
The wooden door clicked open, and Lam Siu Ming stepped out, gripping his polished cane. "Ah Ching, where is the assassin?"
Clutching his bleeding arm, Ah Ching panted heavily, nodding toward Chan Ka Nam. "He escaped. He was a seasoned killer -- if this young brother had not stepped in, I could not have held him off alone."
Lam Siu Ming turned to survey Chan Ka Nam, his aristocratic face filled with genuine gratitude. Reaching into his breast pocket, the tycoon produced an embossed business card and handed it over with deep reverence. "My deepest gratitude, young brother. Take my card. For saving my life tonight, I, Lam Siu Ming, will reward you handsomely."
With the assassin gone, Chan Ka Nam’s adrenaline plunged. Staring down at the dignified elder, his mind caught up with the reality of what had just transpired.
He had just saved his own assassination target.
Numbly accepting the gilded card, Chan Ka Nam stood utterly speechless.
"Dad!" Lam Tsz Fai rushed from the staircase, grabbing his father's arm in trembling terror.
Lam Siu Ming waved an assuring hand. "I am unharmed, son."
"How could someone try to kill you?" Lam Tsz Fai stammered, pale with shock.
Lam Siu Ming smiled faintly with world-weary composure. "Someone is always trying to take your dad's life."
While the father and son embraced in relief, Chan Ka Nam quietly slipped away. Rushing back to Kiu Man, he seized his wrist in a panic. "Little Kiu, I might have brought down catastrophic trouble. We have to run!"
Realizing that Kiu Man’s fragile legs could never keep pace, Chan Ka Nam crouched down without hesitation, hoisting the slender youth onto his back. Taking advantage of the lingering pandemonium, he sprinted down the staircase.
Bursting through the teahouse doors, Chan Ka Nam checked his surroundings. With the street in complete disarray, he hoisted Kiu Man higher and vanished into the enveloping darkness of the alleyways.
Lying across the broad, trembling shoulders, Kiu Man let out a long, silent sigh.
The novel’s original narrative had derailed beyond recognition. Not only had Chan Ka Nam failed to become a cold-blooded murderer -- he had intercepted the genuine assassin and walked away as Lam Siu Ming’s personal savior.
It was undeniably an enormous mess.
Once Chiu Shan Hoi discovered what had happened, he would probably want to tear Chan Ka Nam to pieces.