No Regrets

Year 1984; Guangzhou. Human bones have been found at a construction site. It is believed that the site was a burial mount where the Japanese buried anti-Japanese citizens during the Japanese occupation. As soon as she hears the news, CHENG KAU-MUI goes to the site with her granddaughter and two friends, TONG KAT and YEUNG YEUNG, immediately. In 1936, KAT’s grandmother sold her piece of land and a cow so that she could have the money to bribe Superintendent LEUNG FEI-FAN to find GAT a job in his police station. Captain LAU SING’s plot to earn some quick money has thus been ruined. KAT’s timidity creates a bad impression on SING. Tung Tai Company, which is owned by gang kingpin CHENG LONG-KWAN, has got the license to run an opium den. At the opening of his first licensed opium den, his eldest daughter, MUI, goes down from Shanghai to attend the happy occasion. KWAN’s third son and MUI’s half brother, SIU-KIT, picks up a verbal fight with MUI as soon as he sees her. KWAN is displeased. KWAN’s businesses are all doing remarkably well, he therefore thinks of investing in Wing Yip Bank. The director of Wing Yip Bank, WU TAI-YUEN, is a stubborn old man. MUI volunteers to talk to him. He turns her down resolutely, saying that Tung Tai Company only engages in sinister businesses. In order to force him to surrender to her, MUI spreads rumors that there is a run on Wing Yip Bank. It is reported that the robbers who broke into Nanjing treasury have fled to Guangzhou. FAN orders SING’s team to hung for them, but he changes his mind when he learns that whoever arrests the robbers will be awarded. FAN uses KAT as bait to attract the robbers.

SING and his team have arrested the robbers. When the Chief visits the police station, FAN takes all the credits as well as the award. LONG-HEI and the others discuss how to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Tung Tai Company. LEUNG decides to hold a banquet at a hotel. HEI suggests letting KIT take charge of some of MUI’s businesses. To her surprise, MUI offers to let KIT take whole charge of her operations. SING tells KAT to place a Pacapio bet for him. KAT is robbed on the way. MOK YIN-PING, a passer-by, advises him to turn to CHOI TAI-FUNG, the most influential man in town, for help. SING has won the Pacapio Grand Prize of over seven thousand dollars. KIT and FUNG refuse to give the prize money to him, because if SING really has placed a bet, there should be a copy of his ticket at the Tung Tai Pacapio Company. In the midst of their argument, MUI shows up and settles the matter. KIT wants to take PING home by force. KAT is going up to her help when KIT is suddenly being shot…

MUI stops KWAN from shooting at KAT. The truth has come to light. SING invites KAT home to eat dog meat. With the concerted effort of SING and the others, LAI-SIM agrees to let a bed to KAT at a very affordable rent. MAU takes care of KIT’s funeral. When it is over, she gives HING a box of money then leaves Guangzhou. KWAN hates to see her leave, though he does not show it. SING’s wife, TUNG-NEI, has returned from her parents’ home. SING waits for her at the train station. With the help of SIM and the others, the couples finally make up with each other. SING sees HING being kidnapped. He also hears the noise of gun shots. In the meantime, a car carrying MUI drives by. KWAN takes back his decision of letting SIU-HONG take charge of the opium den. Instead, he tells HONG to learn from MUI, much to the displeasure of HEI.

HEI brings along the six hundred resignation letters of the den’s staff to MUI. When he knows this, KWAN orders HEI to get them back. Typhoon signal number 10 has been hoisted. SING goes picking NEI up at the station, not expecting FAN, who happens to have driven by, will give her a lift. LAU-CHING has gone to Xiguan for a job interview. YEUNG rushes to Xiguan to take her home. When she finally appears, she is soaked to the skin. YEUNG gives her a piggyback ride back to Chu Lung Lane. SING’s intelligence report indicates that some armed robbers are planning to smuggle unlicensed opium to Guangzhou. SING and his mates take action in no time. When they are getting going, FAN appears. He orders that everybody to stay except YEUNG and KAT. SING tells his team members MUI plots to kill HING. Someone leaks the information to FAN. SING and the others go to the CHENG family to ask MUI about the overdue lottery money. On the other hand, MUI, as well as HEI’s followers, hurry home when they learn that HING has been killed.

Claiming that loyalty is always her priority, MUI promises SING if FAN dares make things difficult for his team again she will always protect them. HONG gathers his followers together. He is determined to do anything he can to prove that MUI is not KWAN’s biological daughter. NEI is returning to her hometown to visit her grandmother. SING wants to go with her but FAN does not allow him to take leave. CHING has found a clerical job at a large company. She is so excited that she goes straight to the police station to tell SING the good news. FAN follows NEI to her hometown. MUI pays SING an attractive price to escort UNCLE LUNG, a former gang kingpin, to leave Guangzhou. Under HEI’s threat to kill his granddaughter, UNCLE LUNG admits that KWAN’s biological daughter has already died, and that MUI is a substitute. FAN is not happy with SING’s going on leave. SING resigns in anger. He goes home to tell NEI about his resignation, only to find out FAN has followed NEI to her hometown.

SING and his mates are busy looking for a place to open a restaurant. CHING reports duty today. As YEUNG is meeting with a dim sum chef he gives her a lift. KWAN plans to send HONG to Shenyang, which has fallen in the hands of the Japanese, to explore business opportunities. He makes a sarcastic remark that he would not be surprised if one day HONG became a traitor. Sing Kei Restaurant opens today. KAT takes his grandmother to Chu Lung Lane to live with him. FAN sends some junkies to make a mess at SING’s restaurant. He also circulates rumors that its food is unhygienic. KAT’s grandmother has passed away. He is most grateful to SING, who spares no effort to help him with his grandmother’s funeral. SING closes his restaurant. NEI is annoyed that he should give the staff their entire redundancy pay. With the help of MUI, SING and his friends can resume their original posts. He, nevertheless, is completely ignorant that NEI has asked FAN to do her the same favor. NEI thanks FAN, who shamelessly makes a merit of himself.

SIM worries that FAN will nit-pick YEUNG at work. SING is taking his team to put a gang of swindlers under arrest, but FAN tells YEUNG to take charge of the action instead. CHING falls down in a faint on the street. YEUNG holds her in his arms and takes her to hospital. At the hospital, he reads her dairy by accident. SING worries a lot about CHING’s medical expenses. His neighbors raise money for him. NEI complains to FAN that SING loves CHING more than her after yet another argument with SING. When she is drunk, FAN takes her to a hotel. A neighbor informs SING about this. As soon as SING has finished telling him about his wife’s adultery with FAN, KAT rushes to the police station, swearing to take FAN’s life.

The only treatment for CHING’s congenital heart disease is a surgery, but her only wish now is to live her remaining days peacefully with her family. MUI promises to do all she could to treat CHING if SING would do her a favor. He rejects her resolutely when he realizes she wants him to save LAI-WAH, who is now in prison in Hong Kong. MUI mixes threats with promises in order to make him agree. NEI has sent SING a divorce agreement. People in Chu Lung Lane despise her for her fickleness. For fear that the news would affect CHING’s condition, SIM reminds YEUNG not to tell her about it. FAN announces that he is leaving the force, as MUI has employed him as General Manager of the opium den. He also invites the team to come to NEI and his wedding. Two months later, SING sees FAN and NEI arguing over whether they should sell their jewelry in front of a jewelry shop.

NEI visits CHING before she returns to her hometown. Her neighbors in Chu Lung Lane see her off at the train station. Now that CHING’s condition is stable, she hopes SING would let her work. WAH refuses to go to university in Shanghai because she would like to follow MUI’s career path. MUI agrees to find her a clerical job at Wing Yip Bank. HEI learns that MUI has visited WAH at her boarding school. She therefore decides it will be easier to find out about MUI’s real identity through WAH. WAH throws a tantrum when MUI visits her at the boarding school. When MUI finds a bugging device in the room, WAH is thrown into a panic, as she remembers she has mentioned MUI’s secret in the room. MUI picks up a fight with FUNG. Taking the tape of their conversation, MUI goes to the police station to ask SING to edit the tape for her. After a long separation, SING meets MUI again when he is putting up a roadblock.

MUI takes SING to the opium warehouse. After telling him how she was kidnapped at the age of six and what she has gone through over the years, she is more determined to set the warehouse ablaze. SING gives her a hand. FUNG informs KWAN about the fire, pointing the finger at MUI. This nevertheless makes KWAN believe he and HEI are trying to pin the blame on MUI. MUI goes to Hong Kong to borrow opium from YING-HUNG, who holds an old grudge against her. CHING goes on an errand for her boss. She is trapped in a heavy rain in Xiguan. When SING has finally found her, she is running a high fever. WAH refuses to go to Shanghai. MUI makes her give in by force. MUI plans to advice KWAN to close some of the opium dens with the reason that they have failed to borrow opium from HUNG. Worried about her safety, SING takes a day off to accompany her.

A rich guy tells WAH he will cut a record for her, she therefore pleads MUI to let her stay in Guangzhou. Of course MUI knows very well the real reason. LAN-HEUNG has come round. MUI makes a beeline for Hong Kong to see her. KWAN is going to Shanghai for a medical check-up. Before he goes, he hands MUI the rein, making HEI very jealous. FAN has escaped from prison. SING fears that he will harm MUI. MUI has been calling WAH for hours but cannot reach her anyhow. She is heartbroken later to know WAH has been raped by some westerners. HEI is having a meeting with Tung Tai’s disciples as MUI pops in to announce that quite a few cities have fallen into the hand of the Japanese. Then she orders a temporary closure of all the opium dens. HEI strongly opposes the idea. A gunfight between MUI and HEI’s supporters is about to begin when SING shows up with a gun to escort MUI out of the restaurant.

LONG-HUNG has returned from Shanghai. He is taken aback by the news that the Japanese have also taken Beiping. He commends MUI for her foresight on the other hand. MUI goes to Shanghai to take KWAN back to Guangzhou. The sound of gunfire is echoing in the air. KWAN faints. MUI decides not to leave Shanghai before he gets better. The air raid siren goes off. People in Guangzhou rush to the bomb shelter. SING sees FAN in the shelter. A section of the railway has been bombed. The train service will not resume in ten days. Regardless of her seasickness, MUI decides to go to Hong Kong by boat. The attack of the Japanese has stopped because of the cloudy weather. CHING and YEUNG take the opportunity to go out. It is dead quiet on the streets. WAH sees FAN setting off skyrockets in the back alley. In the meantime, MUI gets a call from SING telling her FAN has turned a traitor.

MUI mingles well with the people at Chu Lung Lane. According to radio broadcasts, Guangzhou has suffered heavy causality under the Japanese’s attack. In response to the government’s appeal, SING and his friends join the rescue. A film director invites WAH to play the leading role of a patriotic film. She hopes MUI will invest in it. SIM wants to go back to the countryside with YEUNG. She gives the title deed to the house to SING for his custody. SING is interrogating FAN when the air raid comes again. SING is so kind-hearted that he sets FAN free. The municipal government is moving to another city, so SING and the others return their guns to the force. CHING reads from the paper that MUI has drowned. Guangzhou is in a state of anarchy. FAN has formed a Victory Squad to clean out households. When the Victory Squad enters Chu Lung Lane, SING and the others have no choice but to let them in.

Everybody is surprised to see YEUNG return. MUI visits her friends at Chu Lung Lane with a large pile of food. She is astonished to hear FAN’s voice as she arrives. SING and his fellow boarders dig a hideout next to the water vat in the kitchen so that CHING can hide in there during emergency. SING borrows a camera from MUI to take a “family photo” with his fellow flat mates. MUI receives a call telling her HEUNG is in a critical state. Her life lingering, she wishes to hear the voice of her daughter. Many places in Guangzhou have fallen. A Japanese team has come to Chu Lung Lane. After hiding CHING into the hideout, SING and the others wait for CAPTAIN MIYAZAKI in the sitting room. CAPTAIN MIYAZAKI sees the photo on the wall. He suspects that CHING is a guerrilla. Meanwhile, CHING crawls up to him. She explains in tears she has a congenial attack just now. She pleads him to spare the lives of the others.

HEUNG’s funeral is over. MUI tells WAH she will give her a good education so as to repay her mother’s kindness. SING announces that they can go back to their jobs. MAN-FAI calls them traitors. The drug storeroom in the hospital has been bombed. CHING tells YEUNG not to mention it to SING, as she does not want SING to risk his life to get prescription for her. The Chief has bought some cakes to welcome the return of SING and his team. While they are eating, COLONEL MUKAIYAMA TETSUYA appears. He has heard that SING is Guangzhou’s sharpshooter, so he has come to see how good SING is. MUI meets with SING. She tells him COLONEL MUKAIYAMA TETSUYA would like to partner with her in reopening the opium dens. WAH goes out dressed up as a man. Some Japanese soldiers see through her trick however and want to rape her. To save herself, she tells them to go to Chu Lung Lane for CHING. YEUNG lies to the soldiers that COLONEL MUKAIYAMA TETSUYA and SING are good friends who admire and respect each other. CHING’s life is thus spare.

MUI visits Chu Lung Lane. CHING tells her the owner of the drugstore has seen WAH being taken to the back alley by some Japanese soldiers. And not long afterwards, WAH was released and the soldiers came to Chu Lung Lane for her. MUKAIYAMA TETSUYA goes to MUI’s office to talk about their cooperation. MUI asks her for exit passes in return. MUI runs into SING. She tells him she will be able to get some exit passes. She also urges him to take CHING to Hong Kong. MUI has managed to get one exit permit only. People at Chu Lung Lane agree to give it to CHING so that she can go to Hong Kong for treatment. FAN resumes his post as superintendent with the help of MAJOR KUROKI SAIGO from the Japanese army. SING and the others hand in their resignation. To their surprise, FAN suggests reconciliation. The first opium den jointly run by MUI and the Japanese army opens today. Someone throws eggs at MUI and call her traitor.

MUI has been attacked. COLONEL MUKAIYAMA TETSUYA calls for the arrest of the attacker in no time. KAT and his mates cannot stand FAN any longer. SING explains why they have to stay. MUI asks SING to help her shipping orphans to Hong Kong at the small hours. Without telling MUI, KWAN comes back from Shanghai. He accuses MUI of reopening the opium den with COLONEL MUKAIYAMA TETSUYA, making him a traitor too. FAN calls for an operation. Judging from the words of the thief they have arrested, SING believes he is a guerrilla. FAN is going to release the man. KAT informs SING without delay. SING forces Brownnoser Keung to reveal FAN’s plan. At the grand opening of the opium dens, SING risks his life to save MUI. SING enters into a coma following a shot. CHING collapses on her way to the hospital. In order not to affect SING’s condition, his fellow boarders cover this up from him.

Cannot bear to involve SING in further troubles, MUI tells him not to see her again. HEI gives KUROKI SAIGO a tape that has recorded MUI’s remarks on opium when FAN introduces her to the Major. MUI awakes HEI in the middle of the night, questioning why she has to make things difficult for her. MUI takes one hundred exit permits to an orphanage and asks the director to send the orphanages abroad. She also asks him to look for a boy named YIP KWOK-SANG, who is the son of a guerilla. SING gets a mysterious call in the evening. Fearing that something bad will happen to MUI, he goes to Tung Tai, only to see MUI smoking opium. FAN threatens MUI with SANG’s exit pass endorsed by her. MUI needs a fix badly. SING stops her. He drags her to the church to help her kick the habit. SING and MUKAIYAMA TETSUYA have a fierce shooting competition.

Thanks to SING’s whole night companion, MUI manages to quit. MUI learns accidentally that MUKAIYAMA TETSUYA and KUROKI SAIGO almost had a fight a couple of days ago. Making use of MUI and KUROKI SAIGO’s feud, HEI tries to sow discord between MUI and her father. MUI has been busy working with the Japanese in running opium dens lately. On the other hand, she continues to send as many orphanages away as possible. She is so constantly on the run that she goes back to opium at last. Later, she notices that every time she returns to the office to have a fix, SING is always waiting for her outside. She makes up her mind after some painful struggling. KAT goes fishing with YEUNG and CHING. They run into KUROKI SAIGO, who is in one of his black moods, on the way home. KAT gets seriously beaten up. SING and the others take him to hospital. When they are leaving the hospital, SING sees MUI’s car parking outside the Japanese restaurant. He is worried to death.