“Everyone’s here, so let’s get started. Big D and Ah Lek, time to vote.”
Uncle Deng, with his broad frame and slow gait, was helped by Chen Dong into the back room and seated. The other uncles were already settled, waiting.
Uncle Deng, without further ado, started the proceedings.
Chen Dong, on the other hand, sat quietly at the back, observing the old men perform their ritual.
“I choose Big D. Big D has money, men, and territory – he’s the best fit for the position of Sit Guan.”
Uncle Deng’s words had barely left his lips when the veteran, Chuan Bao, who had received the most benefits from Big D, stood up to state his position, as was his duty.
Chuan Bao was a truly loyal man. He would always go the extra mile for whoever paid him. In the movie, he was always running around for Big D, lobbying for him, speaking up for him.
“I choose Ah Lek. Ah Lek is a man of honor.”
Of course, if there was someone supporting Big D, there would also be someone backing Ah Lek. Shuang Fan Dong stood up as well.
“Ah Lek is loyal, but Big D is not bad either. Recently, Big D has been working hard for us old guys, putting his all into everything. I think Big D would be a good choice.”
At this time, Long Gen, who had been eagerly hoping that Big D would find him an English tutor, saw Shuang Fan Dong stand up and, unwilling to be outdone, also made his voice heard. Perhaps he had been studying too hard with his tutor these past few days because Chen Dong felt that his voice lacked energy.
“Long Gen, are you okay? You’re getting up there in age, take it easy. Everyone knows that Big D found you a few foreign chicks. Humph! A respected uncle of the Triads, bought over by a few foreigners. I choose Ah Lek. Ah Lek has promised that his first act after becoming the Sit Guan will be to lead us into Tsim Sha Tsui.”
Seeing Long Gen stand up to support Big D, Quan Shu, who had always had a good relationship with Ah Lek, couldn’t help but taunt him before declaring his allegiance to Ah Lek. After all, Ah Lek was his protégé, and Quan Shu had only retired to let Ah Lek take his place. So, who else could he support?
Big D, that bastard, gave Long Gen several English tutors, but never gave Quan Shu any, so there was no way he would support Big D.
“C**p… You actually believe that? I’m telling you I’ll lead everyone to the moon, why don’t you choose me?”
Chuan Bao wasn't just loyal, he was also a great teammate. Seeing his newly recruited comrade Long Gen being ridiculed, he stopped him just as he was about to stand up and start an argument. Chuan Bao gave him a reassuring look, then turned his attention to Quan Shu with a retort.
“Chuan Bao, if you had the ability, I’d choose you again. I think Ah Lek is capable.”
Then, the elder uncle, Leng Lao, joined the fray.
“Big talk is useless. You think Ah Lek is good, so he is? You’re not his wife, you know. Big D has made the entire Tsuen Wan his own. His ability is there for all to see. Ah Lek has been around for so long and he’s still stuck in a small area like Jordan. He’s good for nothing! I choose Big D.”
With Leng Lao joining the fight, another elder uncle, Lao Gui Gao, also applied for entry.
“Lao Gui Gao, how much has Big D paid you to speak for him like this?”
“What? You can speak up for Ah Lek, and I can’t support Big D?”
“You old fart…!”
For a moment, the back room was filled with voices, each side taking their turn. Normally, these old guys sat in the meetings with their eyes closed, looking like grandfathers, but at this moment, they were arguing with flushed faces. They had all been together for decades, each holding a bit of dirt on the others. They fired off insults, and every now and then someone would drop a bombshell, revealing a secret from the past, much to the delight of one quiet observer who was enjoying the show.
For example, twenty years ago, Chuan Bao injured a mistress of a leader in the Long Le Triad and was nearly ambushed while fixing a sewer drain later that night.
And Long Gen, the reason everyone called him Long Gen, was obviously gifted, but it wasn’t a natural gift. It was because he had spent a period of excessive indulgence in his youth and his little brother had refused to cooperate for a month. Long Gen panicked. At that time, medical facilities were poor, and, after all, he was a triad boss, so he couldn't bring himself to go to a hospital for a checkup. Instead, he tried every aphrodisiac on the market. And, surprisingly, because the cost of fake medicine was so high in those days, everything he bought was genuine. After trying almost every aphrodisiac on the market, he actually cured his ailment. Not only that, he unexpectedly developed a unique talent.
Of course, although he had this special ability, it also meant he was unable to have children. That was why Long Gen was still a bachelor.
And then there was...
Anyway, the bombshell revelations continued to flow from the mouths of these old guys. Chen Dong was shocked to discover that these old men, who looked like they lived honorable lives, had been so wild in their youth, especially Long Gen. The sheer audacity of him not going to a doctor when injured, but treating himself, deserved the respect of a “Uncle”. This guy was so hardcore!
No wonder they were still able to sit up at night and study their swords...
But from the way these old guys were arguing, Chen Dong could see that, because Uncle Deng hadn’t joined the debate yet, Chuan Bao's team was currently in the lead. Their lead wasn’t huge, but it was clear that Big D had been working hard these past few days. In the original story, the elders who supported Ah Lek clearly outnumbered those who supported Big D. But then Uncle Deng joined the fray, and Long Gen’s betrayal over the missing ten thousand dollars caused many of the elders who had accepted bribes from Big D to change sides.
But now, things were different from the movie. The warm gestures Big D had made over the past few days had been so generous that many of the old guys simply couldn’t resist them.
“Okay, stop it all. Tea time.”
Seeing that the old guys were not only arguing but also revealing secrets, Uncle Deng had to step in and stop them. It was fine to reveal dirt on others, but if they went too far and started exposing his secrets, it would be a laughing matter for the younger generation. After all, he had been young once, and he had been wild too...
Moreover, he could see the current situation. More elders were supporting Big D, proving that he had been doing his job well.
The old guys, knowing that Uncle Deng had something to say, all stopped and picked up their teacups, taking a sip to clear their throats. They would continue the battle later.
“This kind of thing, you know, I went through it in my youth. At that time, I didn’t understand why, when electing a Sit Guan, we needed a bunch of old men to vote. Later, I realized that this is about fairness. If someone does something for you just because they received money, then you might as well auction off the position. What kind of credibility would we old guys have? Why would we be needed? Who would respect us?”
“The Triads need balance. We can’t have one faction dominating. I choose Ah Lek.”
After speaking to the assembled crowd, Uncle Deng slowly set down his teacup and raised his hand to express his position.
“I choose Uncle Deng… No, I support Uncle Deng.”
The fun was over, and Uncle Deng had already stated his position. Chen Dong knew it was his turn. He raised his hand and spoke.
But his meaning was clear: he wasn't supporting Big D or Ah Lek. He was Uncle Deng’s man, and whoever Uncle Deng chose, he would follow.
He remembered what the old man had told him, and he knew that clinging to Uncle Deng’s big, fat leg was the right way to go.