Hong Kong. The surface of Victoria Harbour shimmers, kissed to a blush by the setting sun. Finned junks loll upon tranquil waters, their sails shivering in the cool breeze coming off the ocean. The isle itself squats in the shadow of white-tipped mountains, a flurry of activity in an otherwise sleepy world. Glass towers thrust into the clouds, thirty stories and more. Dragons of silk and satin writhe among red-hot sportscars. The sweet slow-dance of the opium dens mingles with the sweaty frenzy and pressed bodies of the Hong Kong stock market. Hong Kong is a temptress who will seduce you, then slit your throat as you stretch in the afterglow. Don't be surprised if you wake up to the smell of your own blood.

Hong Kong at the millennium's end is an odd mixture of East and West that makes it unique among world business centers. Executives in crisp suits elbow their way through crowded streets, past buddhist temples dwarfed in the shadow of mirrored skyscrapers. In their cubicles, professional secretaries type 100 words per minute protected by jade-carved buddhas and idols as old as the island itself. A starched officer of the law patrols every street, armed with machine gun and tear gas. Taxi drivers honk and shout obscenities when traffic jams halt their progress, yet they bide, silently respectful, as an old man slowly crosses against the light. Young people dole out thousands of dollars to have the shape of their eyes westernized, then as they kneel in daily homage to their ancestors, they wear makeup or shades so the dead will not see and become angered. These are the contradictions that make Hong Kong what it is: enchanting, but moody and fickle toward both friend and foe.

The Fragrant Harbour

In Cantonese, Hong Kong means Fragrant Harbour, a misnomer that originated because of the incense factories lining the coast until the mid-1800's. Now gone, only the scent of the British lingers, permanently sprayed upon Hong Kong. Wherever one turns, one finds a reminder that this region once belonged to the fair-skinned Brits. A large majority of the place-names come from them and because the British occupied the area for nearly a century, many people have a combination of eastern and western features. Even the street language, known as chinglish, is a marriage of Chinese and English. Today, Hong Kong, the third largest financial center in the world, brags the world's busiest port. It revels in the glory and capitalistic decadence it has achieved for itself even as it leans out over the precipice of revolution and chaos.

The legislature of Hong Kong has recently revoked certain laws established during WWII which illegalized the sale of opium. As a result, Hong Kong has become known once again as the Opium Capital of the World. The opium market has exploded. Stylish opium dens have sprung up all over Hong Kong. A ripple of protest has risen worldwide against this, but no country will risk a boycott that would isolate the companies headquartered in Hong Kong. Thus, China has its cake and is eating it too.

Hong Kong Island's population has grown to over ten million people. Ten million people pushing and shoving their way to and from work via mass-transit, cars and bicycles. A perpetual stream of bodies, moving as one, jams the sidewalks. Factories, high rises and shopping centers cover nearly 75% of the land. It is predicted that by the year 2010, Hong Kong will have more than 13 million people living on less than 540 square kilometers of land.

Tourists wandering through the Buddhist temples and shopping in the market might remark on the cleanliness and apparent safety of Hong Kong. This is a naive impression encouraged by fast police response and cover-up whenever a disturbance occurs.

Intrigue runs rampant through the business dealings and political maneuverings of the region. Assassinations occur regularly, as do kidnappings and blackmail. The criminals of Hong Kong are not common thieves. They play for keeps. They are the ruthless, ambitious and wealthy. They are the callously violent and the self-righteously murderous.

History

In 1898, after the Opium Wars and a succession of treaties between the British and the Chinese, Hong Kong came under British rule. Immediately, the region began to flourish, attracting anyone who wanted to make a quick buck. Hong Kong experienced a century of bustling growth which turned it into the eastern version of the American Dream. Trade boomed and despite numerous setbacks, Hong Kong became synonymous with opportunity. "Made in Hong Kong" became equated with mass-production. Throngs of Chinese boated and even swam shark-infested waters to reach Hong Kong Island, the land of hope where anyone could become wealthy.

In 1997, Great Britain upheld its agreement to return Hong Kong to the Chinese with one condition. The region must remain a free enterprise zone. At first, a feeling of panic caused the Hong Kong stock market to dip sharply, spurred riots and looting and threatened overnight to completely destroy the progress that had been made during the previous century. This spawned the greatest social unrest in China since the Taiping rebellion in the mid-1800's. For nearly a year, chaos reigned and China balanced on the edge of civil war. Political assassinations and imprisonment occurred daily. Britain threatened to renege on the treaties and retract Hong Kong back under its wing. A state of martial law was implemented and the people threated to revolt. Several strategic assassinations and a few bombings later, the violence stopped...suddenly. When the dust settled, one group had emerged on top.

This new government, headed by Li Cheng, understood the economic benefits of a capitalistic society, but was clever enough to also know that the people of China would not easily turn away from generations of beliefs to accept the changes they wanted to make. One of these changes involved the expansion of the free enterprise zone so that it could be managed to China's profit. This contradicted everything that their communist predecessors had taught.

The new regime squelched all thoughts of political upheaval. After a time, the people of Hong Kong settled back into their routines and came to realize that their lifestyles were not in jeopardy. Li Cheng took advantage of the moment to decree an addition to the "free enterprise zone," a strip of land along the eastern bank of the Pearl River. On the southern coast of the mainland, Hong Kong had originally been comprised of three separate parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and New Territories, all totalling over 196 square kilometers. Li Cheng expanded Hong Kong's size by over 338 square kilometers. He had plotted in secret for months; by the time he made the announcement, it was too late for anyone to protest.

Recently, unrest has risen again. Construction has fallen off and unemployment has sky-rocketed. Because the flow of information, both within China and internationally, remains strictly controlled, no one knows the extent of the problem. Bombings occur regularly in certain areas of the city and terrorist actions continue to increase in number.

What They Want Us To Think News releases from Li's regime, although consistent, are as believable as the alien invasion reports printed in the Daily Enquirer. Official government spokespeople maintain that the new regime whole-heartedly embraces the edicts of Communism. However, Li claims that his duty to the Chinese people dictates his support of Hong Kong's autonomy, what Deng Xiaoping, his predecessor, called, "One country - two systems." Rather than ruling Hong Kong from Beijing as was originally intended, Li empowered the region to establish its own functional governing body. Furthermore, Li wants everyone to believe that he has re-established a safe and stable environment in which the Hong Kongese may do business. His strategy for this has included a well-trained police force with military backup when necessary. Part of the reason for Li's positive propoganda campaign has been to ensure that international businesses keep their offices and factories in Hong Kong. To this end, they have reduced export tariffs and real estate tax rates. Furthermore, Li has encouraged new trade policies between Hong Kong and the rest of the world. While China is still Hong Kong's #1 customer, the new regime has established several trade treaties which allow Hong Kong to sell its products to a wider variety of countries. The Truth Li and his new regime are more modern, intelligent and unethical than they appear. The generosity of the Chinese government serves as a cover for the network of control they have forced upon the region. Although Hong Kong purports to remain autonomous, Li has both the legislative and judicial systems in his back pockets. The current, "official" governor of Hong Kong, Seng Po, is a puppet. Li has appointed a covert organization to run Hong Kong. No one knows very much about the organization, but everyone refers to it as Papa-san. A japanese honorific, this originated as a joke among westerners in Hong Kong, referring to the Godfather of the western mafias. Indeed, the activities of Papa-san do not differ from those of the western mafia, although they are perhaps less subtle. Seng Po may hold the title of "official" governor of Hong Kong, but Papa-san pulls his strings. All Hong Kong officials, whether directly or indirectly, owe first allegiance to Papa-san, all the way down to the beat cops on the streets. It is very unhealthy to cross Papa-san and everyone knows it. With this network, Papa-san controls every aspect of life...and of death...in Hong Kong. Papa-san extorts huge sums of money from select businesses in Hong Kong. The organization leaves the multinationals alone, targetting instead the service organizations owned by locals: restaurants, gift shops, taxi drivers, opium dens, hotels, grocery stores, brothels, and other such businesses. These establishments have sunk roots in Hong Kong in ways that the multinationals have not. Many are family-owned businesses that have been passed down through several generations. When the British left, these poor locals found themselves under China's thumb. Anyone who resisted soon had nothing at all, no business - burned to the ground - and possibly even no family - murdered. Papa-san uses the billions of dollars it skims each year to finance the organization. BlackEagle/BlackEagle in Hong Kong Because of Papa-san's methods in overseeing Hong Kong, the city never became a major BlackEagle/BlackEagle control center. The agency could not achieve enough privacy and security in the midst of Chinese surveillance. The government taps phone lines with a complex computerized recording system that is triggered by certain key words and phrases. Informants lurk everywhere and no one can be trusted. Operatives in Hong Kong will find themselves as much on their own as they would be in the deep jungle. BlackEagle does, however, maintain a small safehouse on Bridges Street. Operating as a massage parlour and chiropractic clinic, the Purple Peacock has limited medical equipment and supplies. The owner, Barbara Chan, is of British origin. Her husband, Lai, is chinese-american. Needless to say, all visits to the Peacock should be highly covert and great care should be taken not to endanger the Chans or their operation.	TRAVEL BASICS Transportation to Hong Kong can be achieved by either flying into Hong Kong International Airport in Kowloon or by reserving passage on an ocean-going ship. Regular ocean voyages are made to Hong Kong from Australia, Hawaii and from various locations in the Middle East. Transportation options on Hong Kong Island include double-decker buses, taxis, rickshaws (more for tourists and staunch traditionalists), the Hong Kong Ferry hovercraft system (called HKF) which skips among the islands and up the Pearl River; or rental cars, which taxes render very expensive. The Hong Kong dollar is the currency used throughout the region. The exchange rate fluctuates near HK$10 to one U.S. dollar and HK$20 to one Ecu. An Exchange Bank can be found on nearly every corner. Hong Kong depends on its foreign visitors and caters to their convenience. Certain innoculations are considered practical when visiting Hong Kong, mostly due to the dense population of the city. On two occasions over the past 5 years, certain communicable diseases have spread to epidemic proportions there. Because of this, a shot for influenza is strongly suggested. Furthermore, the International Health Association recommends an antimalaria shot to anyone traveling anywhere in the Far East. Do not drink the water in Hong Kong. It lists as non-potable. Buy bottled water, but be careful to purchase only well-sealed, international brands. Temperatures in Hong Kong vary between average lows of 13C in January and highs of 31C in July and August. Typhoon season begins in June and lasts through September. Typhoons are very dangerous and it is strongly recommended that operatives obey the local directives. Customs Regulations Entry prohibitions include firearms, explosives, narcotics, and alcohol. Certain items are limited, such as tobacco (200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, and 250 grams of tobacco). Warning: customs agents in Hong Kong are thorough and have a great deal of authority. Operatives should be extremely cautious when transporting questionable materials. Exit prohibitions and limitations: none. In emergency situations, to summon the police, fire/rescue squads or an ambulance, dial 999. English-speaking police wear a red band on their shoulder. Be descriminating when giving out information.
NPC Contact in Hong Kong BlackEagle/BlackEagle Contact Biosketch Location: Hong Kong Contact: Wang Li Age: 24 years old Height: 142cm Weight: 50 kg Hair: short, black Eyes: black - surgically altered, westernized Distinguishing marks: tattoo - chinese red dragon which curls around her leg from her ankle to her thigh Other characteristics: speaks impeccable English; ambidextrous; black belt Karate (rated: lethal) Contact Rating: Secure Update: 10.15.1998/Op511-DPW. The Wang Kung Fu Supplies Company is located in Wanchai off Lockhart Road. To get there, turn down the alley at mid-block between O'Brien and Fleming. On the left, past the tattoo shop called the Ancient Wisdom Tattoo Shop, there is a gray metal door decorated with Chinese characters painted in bright red. The door opens onto some stairs, which lead directly up to the entrance doors of the shop, the Wang Kung Fu Supplies Company. The Wang Kung Fu Supplies Company sells a wide selection of Bruce Lee memorabilia. His face looks out from everything, posters, ashtrays, and even toilet seat lids. In a far corner of the shop, a rack displays Kung Fu supplies instruction books written in every language, double daggers, swords, whips, and drum cymbals, to name a few examples. The place smells strongly of incense and tinkling, disonant Chinese music plays in the background. Wang Seng and more importantly his daughter, Wang Li, run the Wang Kung Fu Supplies Company. Wang Li has contacts among the less upstanding members of Hong Kong society, weapons dealers and the Black Market through which stolen merchandise moves to Europe or the U.S. for sale. If you need supplies, this lady can help you. ADDENDUM: Wang Li's father, Wang Seng, is unaware of Wang Li's activities, so discretion is imperative.
Fiction Excerpt BlackEagle/Blackeagle operative James Driscoll skittered from shadow to shadow between the streetlights on the north side of Victoria Park. He stopped briefly in the doorway of a fish stall on Gloucester Road. It was 3am and Driscoll had been running for hours. "Think! Think!" the operative commanded himself aloud, trying to drown out the hammering of his heart. Just moments before, he had barely avoided having his guts splattered across the dappled stone wall of the Central Bank building. His ears still rang from the submachine gun bursts. In Hong Kong for less than twenty-four hours and already in trouble - so what else was new? Driscoll chuckled - almost. A great hacking cough started deep in his lungs and he choked up a gob of phlegm mixed with blood. Internal injuries, no doubt. That goon in the apartment had a strong upper-cut; it had come in hard under his ribs to the soft parts. The buildings of Hong Kong surrounded Driscoll, foreign and oppressive. He didn't understand this city. It lived, waited, and watched his every move. Nowhere in the crowds did he feel anonymous. Nowhere did he feel safe. All he felt was fear, a prickly paranoia that wouldn't go away. It squated among his bowels where his sanity and common sense couldn't reach it. For once in his life, Driscoll had no idea where to go or what to do. He hadn't been trained for this. This was neither a desert nor a jungle. He could have handled that. As it was, his only friend in the city was splayed out across the wall of her apartment and he hadn't read the damn location brief as closely as he should have.....