Heart of Greed

Following the death of Sheung Wan’s abalone tycoon TONG YAN-KAI, his descendants are to launch a legal battle for an estimated fortune of HK$600 million. TONG CHI-YAT is on the side of his stepmother WONG SAU-KAM, who is against his siblings CHI-ON, CHI-FOON and CHI-YAN. The story goes back a few years, when KAI was still alive… KAI has got two wives, namely LING HAU and WONG SAU-KAM. Despite the complex relationships among them, the TONGS have been living together in harmony and their business has expanded from a small sea-products retailer to a portfolio of assets worth more than HK$600 million. LING LEI, the younger sister of HAU, is in charge of the daily management of Tong Ki Sea-products. She is furious to discover that her brother LING PO has purchased a consignment of poor-quality mushrooms. A customer called SHEUNG TSOI-SUM has just bought some mushrooms at Tong Ki.… ...

The whole family has held a dinner for HAU to celebrate her birthday and her recovery, during which everyone has got a chance to try the “double head abalones”. Now that KAI has a bite of the “double head abalones”, his lifelong dream is finally fulfilled. YAN has a crush on a shoe salesman named HO SIU-KEI and is amazed to find out that he is going to take part in a cross-harbor swimming race. She tries to persuade ON to buy her a set of fitness equipment so that she can keep herself in shape and show her best face to KEI. ON comes to discover that SUM is actually a good friend of YAN. Following her defeat in her legal action against her husband’s mistress, Mrs. WONG comes to Tong Ki with her son to cause trouble. ON gets injured in the confusion and is sent to hospital for treatment. HAU goes to the hospital to see ON, during which she manages to have a talk with Mrs. WONG.… ...

KAI has won a voucher for a free tour in the lucky draw. To enjoy a holiday with KAM, KAI offers to pay top-up fees for a cruise to Dubai, in the hope that HAU, who is prone to seasickness, will choose not to join them. KAM has changed her mind and would like to go on a shopping trip to Europe. KAM and KAI bump into YAN when they are shopping around. KAI is shocked to discover that YAN has started dating (which is a breach of the family rule as children of the TONGS are not allowed to go out with members of the opposite sex until they get into university) while YAN and her friends have noticed that KAI and KAM have bought two sets of ski gear. YAN and KAI have then made a pact to keep each other’s secrets. To make his plan work, KAI even tries to enlist the help of YAT and FOON. KAI and HAU’s 35th wedding anniversary is coming, so ON plans to arrange a family tour to Dubai for a celebration.… ...

In an attempt to approach KEI, YAN decides to take part in the cross-harbor swimming competition. Unfortunately she is injured by a jellyfish midway through the race and needs to be sent to hospital for treatment at once. KAI tries to get KAM to apologize to HAU, but in vain. KAM thinks that she has been ill-treated by the TONGS over the years. Fearing that her biological son FOON will only get a small share of the family fortune, KAM remains in a bad mood and is getting more and more sensitive. HA has split up with her boyfriend. To cheer the girl up, YAN lures ON to HA’s flat in the name of his biological father, hoping that he will bring a bit of fun and laughter. She forces ON to play mahjong with her friends, making him an object of ridicule all through the night. On their way home, SUM gives ON a few words of consolation and ON is so impressed by her thoughtfulness.… ...

HAU decides to hold her 35th wedding anniversary celebration in Hong Kong. The family of nine have a buffet dinner, following which ON and his siblings present HAU with a specially made music video. HAU gets so surprised and is deeply moved by her children’s thoughtfulness. HAU and YAN head for the United Kingdom to look for information on universities. Before she goes, HAU reminds KAI to put KAM’s name on the title deeds of two shop premises. KAM wants to have a site visit and needs KAI to look around the shop premises with her. SUM wants to borrow HK$30,000 from ON and ON, without much consideration, agrees to her request. ON is shocked to discover that SUM has spent all the money on football betting. He feels cheated and tells KAI and PO about the whole incident. KAM has picked out her favorite shop premises and proposes to increase the rent from HK$30,000 to HK$70,000 per month.… ...

SUM is devastated by the insults flung at her. To prove her integrity, she not only pawns everything she has to repay part of the loan but also writes ON an IOU. KAM and LEI have hardly been on speaking terms since the dispute over the shop rentals. KAI would like to put KAM’s name on the title deeds of two bigger shop premises but offers it as a suggestion from LEI. KAM reveals during the dinner that the two shop premises recommended by LEI are found to be full of problems. She believes that it is all a plot by LEI and is so angry with her. KAI tries to prevent LEI from showing up, but in vain. LEI and KAM pick a quarrel as soon as they meet in the restaurant. LEI can no longer put up with KAM’s verbal insults and decides to move away. HA asks ON out for SUM’s sake. She reveals to ON that SUM’s brother TAK had run up debts and SUM, as his guarantor, was being threatened by the loan sharks.… ...

KAI wants to settle the argument between KAM and LEI through the help of PO but ends up offending him unwittingly. PO gets so angry with KAI that he decides to resign. PO is going to work for another sea-products shop and has successfully convinced his colleague KAT to join him in making a career move. ON tries his best to make it up to SUM and is surprised to discover that she is planning to sell her cat via the Internet. With the help of YAT, ON manages to win the bid at a high price. ON does not want SUM to find out too soon that it is he who has been helping behind. To keep the truth from her, ON has been hiding his identity. But no secret can be kept forever and SUM is really furious when she finally finds out the truth. She assumes that ON is only playing a trick on her.… ...

The goods left by TAK do not sell well, and to lend a hand to SUM, ON tries to learn some simple Filipino words from his Filipino friends so that he can help promote the sale among the Filipino community. HAU learns from her maid and the restaurant staff that the TONGS were caught up in a series of family conflicts while she was away. YAT and her girlfriend CHEUK MAN-LAI go on a date together but they get hounded by the paparazzi all through the day. LAI is in fact a married woman. YAT wants to terminate their adulterous relationship but LAI is so unwilling to break up with YAT. YAT suddenly gets attacked when he is walking along with ON in the street. ON happens to meet SUM’s father and offers to help him with different types of household repairs. PO reveals to the TONGS that he has approached certain travel agencies and that the people in charge have agreed to bring their tour groups to Tong Ki.… ...