Written by Funn Lim
I think I must have mis-date some episodes because according to my site, I stopped at episode 28 before the CNY holidays. It started again on Monday with 3 episodes left and according to my calculation it should be 31 episodes but in my General info page, it should have been 32 episodes! I wonder did I missed an episode, mis-date one episode or quite possibly there was only 31 episodes shown on ASTRO? I must have mis-date one but I did not miss any episode. Now I am confused. I hope I didn't confused you but whatever it may be, except for the episodes which I clearly noted that I missed them which I still list them, my episodic thoughts covered the entire series. So mis-date or otherwise, it is still as complete as I could write them. This teaches me a lesson; to just add the episodes links first!
Anyway I am combining the last 3 (in my count) or 4 (in ASTRO's count) episodes because I can't go through the torture of writing each one by one. Moreover I really did lost count.
So where was I? Oh yes, "I am a fugitive".
That was what Bak Chuen told Jun whilst they were in bed and he explained to Jun everything, with emphasis that "Father in law knew...". Jun forgave Bak Chuen and even promised to stand by him, no matter what. So to dispel all rumours, he did what he should have done from the very beginning; he introduced Jun, Fu Yi Chek, Master Kwan to Fa Ling Lung who was rather confused. She kept denying she was Ko Wa but Fu Yi Chek said "You're my sister, we have been together for a very long time, how can I be mistaken?". Well they took her to see this, see that, eat this, drink that and yet, she couldn't quite remember. But she had doubts, so she faced her mamasan and her mamasan at first denied everything but then she began to give vague threats and in the end Ling Lung knew she was Ko Wa but yet can't quite remember her past. She told her mamasan "I have earned enough for you these past few years. I can redeem myself now and be free of you!" but the mamasan said "Free of me? You can't be free of me! The money you have earned is not enough! I clothed you in the best silks, gave you the best food, the best room, the best medicine, how about all those cost? You seem to have found yourself a rich merchant. Get him to pay me $10,000 and then I may consider letting you go!" and so Ko Wa was stuck.
Pause here. Just take note this scene is of no significance. I will tell you why later.
They all took Ko Wa to see horses, she was a natural with them. When she was getting down from a horse, she fell and knocked her head. Classic cure for amnesia! Boom! She remembered everything and she remembered her intense love for Bak Chuen and decided to pretend not to remember everything and to go undercover to help Bak Chuen.
Bak Chuen was entertaining Sir Chai, he knew he kept some accounts books in some safe, and a key which opens the lock to the safe deposit in some international foreign bank. Bak Chuen wanted to get his hands on the account books and so on the day of Sir Chai's birthday, he came to congratulate him and Ko Wa came too to entertain Sir Chai although Bak Chuen never expected her. Whilst he was entertained, Bak Chuen slipped away and later so did Ko Wa. Sir Chai of course knew. I mean how can anyone not know? This had to be the stupidest and most careless spying scene ever (other than Secret of The Heart involving Ada Choi, Nick Cheung and a really huge mega camera used as a spying tool) so Sir Chai followed them. Bak Chuen couldn't find the key or whatever, Ko Wa came and tried to assist him when Sir Chai came and Bak Chuen slipped away and Ko Wa stayed back, pretended to have lost her way and said "I was just trying to find a private room to take my opium" and Sir Chai even prepared the opium fix for her and Ko Wa took the opium.
Bak Chuen thanked her and asked if she was ok after the opium fix and she said she was. I think at this point he knew that she remembered. Anyway she continued spying on Sir Chai and was taking opium and then fast asleep. Ko Wa tried to take the keys from the body of a sleeping Sir Chai but he woke up, caught her and forced open her mouth and force fed her opium! He almost killed her but I think (this I missed) Master Kwan came in time and saved her. But Ko Wa was weakened by the opium and would become very addicted.
Meanwhile Sung Man was doing investigation on his own and he wondered if Bak Chuen was involved when he made a move to arrest Bak Chuen. Sir Chai too made a move to arrest him but Sung Man came first and told Sir Chai to leave them alone since Bak Chuen told Sung Man "I have something to tell you".
Frankly I can't remember if it was Sir Chai or Sung Lai was there but I think it was Sung Lai who led the guards to arrest Bak Chuen since Mr Cheung asked Sung Lai to assist Sung Man or something like that. So I made a mistake. Sir Chai wasn't there.
Bak Chuen took Sung Man into the vault and confessed his real name was Chai Bak Chuen and his past. Sung Lai was shocked with what he heard and went back to report to Sir Chai who was now all panicking. They decided to make the first move.
Sung Man believed Bak Chuen was innocent but since Sir Chai was pushing Sung Man and gang, they all ran and they so happened to run into the French embassy and saw Anna and her father. Anna was eager to help and persuaded her father to protect them since Sir Chai can't break into the embassy and create a diplomatic problem. But Sir Chai reminded Anna's father "Are they worth the break of our diplomatic relationship?" and her father quite simply answered "That is a question you're not qualified to ask!".
Anna's father showed them a secret passage way and before they left Sung Man said thanks to Anna and they ran. Anna was very happy they were going to be fine when she saw outside the window and the guards were leaving. Immdiately she knew what was happening. "Father! How can you betray my friends?!" and he simply answered "It is a rift in a diplomatic tie that I am not prepared to sacrifice. Moreover, Sung Man never loved you, why do you protect him? Why do you still help him?" and Anna was so angry with what her father did all she could do was cry. Ya, cry. Very effective. Flood the embassy Anna with your tears!
Anyway they escaped with a very sick Ko Wa when the guards came and arrested them all. Sung Man knew Anna's father betrayed them.
Pause here.
I forgot to mention, earlier when they were escaping, the guards came to kill them all when Master Kwan valiantly told Bak Chuen to run and Master Kwan fended off a dozen guards all by himself to buy them time and he was killed in the process. Very sad.
Anyway they were about to be arrested and Sung Man faced Sir Chai and said "Fan Chi Chai is innocent of all charges. You on the other hand is guilty!" and allegations were made against Sir Chai who denied them all and was about to make a motion to kill them when suddenly an arrow was shot out and pierced through his heart and he died instantly. Guards rushed out and it was Sir Cheung who came and saved the day. He explained Anna knocked her father unconcious and came to find Sir Cheung to save Sung Man.
All was happy, all was fine. Bak Chuen faced Sir Chui who knew earlier on he may have killed an entire family of innocent people when more funds were missing from the treasury. Sir Chui was very guilty about what he did to the Chai family and sought forgiveness from Bak Cheun the sole heir but Bak Chuen forgave him.
Meanwhile Sung Lai was panicking and Sir Cheung faced him and told Sung Lai to drink a tea to calm down. But Sir Cheung put something into the tea. Sung Lai drank and Sir Cheung said "Did you nthink I do not know of your activities? After all Sir Chai worked for me and he told me everything!" and it dawned on Sung Lai that his father was the one who masterminded all the theft and such for many years and suddenly Sung Lai couldn't breath and he said "Father you ..." and Sir Cheung said "I can't go down! You will bear the accusations, you will take the blame!" and as Sung Lai lay dying, Sung Man and mother rushed in and Sir Cheung pretended to cry "Sung Laiiiiii!!! Why are you so stupid? Why must you kill yourself because of what you masterminded with Chai Ngai????" and Sung Man and mom were shocked and Sung Lai's last words as he pointed at his father were "Father...father ... you...you..." and he died.
Before the Empress Dowager, Sir Chai and Sung Lai were blamed and the Empress Dowager stripped Sir Cheung of one rank and gave Bak Chuen back his real name and family fortune as well as gave his father some title. Bak Chuen had his entire family interned with I think the Kiu family, anyway Bak Chuen was happy that he had cleared his family's good name. Sir Cheung meanwhile sought Bak Chuen's forgiveness over what Sung Lai did but secretly Sir Cheung swore to kill Bak Chuen to avenge his son's death.
Hmmm.. didn't he kill his own son?
Now all was well but Ko Wa was addicted to opium but only for a very short time since she kicked it off not long later.
Meanwhile she came back to face Mr and Mrs Cho who were promptly arrested. I assumed they would be executed since their end was not shown. Anyway in prison awaiting trial, King Yin came to visit them. To their shock, King Yin was now a monk. I think called Mo Chan, not No Dust but rather No Past or No Past Sins. Anyway they cried saying "You're our only son, how can you be a monk?". I think to their death they never repented, only King Yin repented on their behalf.
Some months passed. A voiceover said in 1900 or so, 8 nations combined to fight China. Obviously China can't win since 8 nations! Cixi had to leave the palace in a disguise and she came to Ping Yiu and decided to stay with Bak Chuen and family. They had to donate large sum of money so to help her to keep up the pretense of richness, etc. When she saw how great the foreign banks were, she suggested which means she commanded that Bak Chuen open an international bank whose rules are different from local banks. What is Bak Chuen to do? Plan lar.
One night during a performance, I think it was Tong Yuen day, Sir Cheung showed Cixi a list of performances when he slipped some poison into the bowls of tong yuen prepared by the Kiu family. Cixi was so pleased with the arrangements she betowed that bowl with poison unknowingly to Jun since I think Jun made the arrangements and Bak Chuen fed Jun. Sir Cheung's eyes widened and suddenly Jun felt faint and vomitted and her fingernails turned blue black. Sung Man immediately knew she was poisoned and everyone protected Cixi knowing there was an intruder but it was the entire Kiu family that was arrested. Sung Man was very worried about Jun who was very weak. Bak Chuen secretly met with Sir Chui and he confessed his doubts about Sir Cheung when he saw Sir Cheung had the same keys as Sir Chai and they never found the keys on Sir Chai's body so they never could open the deposit box. Sir Chui refused to believe Bak Chuen but he was more inclined to believe Bak Chuen since he caused his entire family's death. So Sir Chui arranged for Bak Chuen to leave the prison to investigate the matter when Sung Man bumped into them.
Earlier Sung Man was in the prison as he heard Jun's cries when she was giving birth. She was very weak and as she was giving birth she cried "I want my husband! Where is my husband? I want my husband!" as she begged to see Bak Chuen. Sung Man heard her gave birth to a healthy baby boy and saw her looking very weak and his face was filled with pain when he noticed her fingernails were the same as Sung Lai when Sung Lai was poisoned. He suspected the same poison was used.
Back to Sir Chui, Sung Man too confessed his suspiscion since don't know who who said he saw poison powder on Sir Cheung's clothes and how eager he was in killing Sir Chai. So they set up a trap.
Sung Man told his parents Cixi wanted to have them over for dinner and so they dressed and left. Sung Man somehow took the keys out and hid them somewhere. Bak Chuen went in the room to retrieve the keys when Sir Cheung realised he didn't have the keys with him and went back to his room and found Bak Chuen there. So accusations were flying and all when Sung Man walked in and with a pained look said to his father "Father enough. Please stop with the lies. You were the mastermind, you killed brother to pin the blame on him, I know father" and Sir Cheung looking hurt said "You are my son and you believe a stranger rather than I your own father? Take this up with the Old Buddha, she shall give me my justice!! I am a man of honour, or integrity, I shall have my name cleared of all charges!!" and so Sung Man, Bak Chuen turned to leave to see Old Buddha when Sir Cheung pulled a gun out of the pillow and Sung Man rushed to cover Bak Chuen and said "Enough father!! If you kill him, you will have to kill me first!" and Sir Cheung angrily said "I will have no regrets killing you useless son! I deliberately used very little poison on the tong yuen so that you will be arrested for attempting to assassinate the Old Buddha but who knew your wife would have taken the tong yuen? Get out of the way Sung Man" but Sung Man refused to leave and then Mrs Cheung saw what was happening and rushed into the room and begged Sir Cheung to stop with the madness but Sir Cheung refused and as he fired at Sung Man, his mother stepped in front and was shot. Sir Cheung was surprisingly surprised at what he did and as Sung Man held his dead mother tearfully I think Sir Chui arrived and arrested a shocked Sir Cheung. You must be wondering where was Bak Chuen in all these drama? Well he stood there like a log of wood, never even attempted to take the gun away from Sir Cheung.
Bak Chuen went back to prison where Jun laid dying. The poison weakened her already weakened body and she cried "I can't die now, my son, I want to see my son..." and as Bak Chuen held her she knew she was dying soon. She said to Bak Chuen tearfully "I know you married me because of father's request, you never really loved me. After I am dead, you have my blessing to marry the woman you love" and she looked weakly at Ko Wa who was I think in tears and she said "Marry the woman you love, find you happiness". I think at this point Jun truly fell in love with Bak Chuen.Anyway Bak Chuen like a log of wood said "How can you ask this of me? After being married to me for so many years, you still doubt my sincerity towards you? I Chai Bak Chuen shall have only one wife and that is you. I will never marry another, never" and Jun tearfully and weakly asked "Is this true?" and Bak Chuen said "Yes it is true" and Jun drew her last breath and died. In the rain he carried her lifeless body whilst someone carried the baby and they all walked home.
Cixi handed over Sir Cheung to the courts for prosecution and Sung Man escaped punishment because he disregarded family and arrested his own father. Bak Chuen now added another title for Jun since Cixi gave her a title.
Bak Chuen worked hard for Ding Fung Sing and was alseep when Ko Wa passed by and looked at him with much love in her eyes. She realised the time has come for a change.
Ko Wa decided to leave the Kiu family and return to Mongolia. Bak Chuen said "Even if you run away you will need to face your feelings some day" and Ko Wa said "I know but it would be better if I am not here. Time will heal all wounds and time will blunt my feelings for you" and she advised Fu Yi Chek to take good care of himself and also Yun Tin to help Bak Chuen who is now the boss and Yun Tin the 1st taukeh. Ching reminded Ko Wa to come home anytime she wants and she said "Don't worry, I will miss you all and I will return since I miss Fu Yi Chek" and so she rode her horse into the sunset.
Voiceover said that was the last they saw of her and her love story with Bak Chuen ended when she rode into the sunset.
Meanwhile Sung Man met with Bak Chuen and I think Bak Chuen offered his prayers for either Sung Man's mom or father. Anyway Sung Man met Bak Chuen's gaze and asked for Bak Chuen's forgiveness for what his father did to his family but Bak Chuen refused Sung Man's request and told Sung Man there is nothing to forgive and they were friends. Bak Chuen asked Sung Man "I heard you have resigned. I always thought it was your ambition to serve the empire" and Sung Man cynically said "What is there to serve when the leader I serve is rotten to the core and is only served by her own vanity and has no concern for her people? She is not worth my time. I realised when a leader is rotten, how can I expect her subordinate be truthful and dignified?" and Bak Chuen asked "So what are your plans now?" and Sung Man said "I shall leave for Japan. I heard there are some underground resistance there. Maybe I will meet patriotic folks such as I and learn something of use there".
So Sung Man left on a ship (which was surprisingly too modern for that time) and he was dressed smartly in western clothings when he saw Anna. He was surprised to see Anna and he told Anna "I am leaving for Japan" and then he asked "What about you?" and Anna said coyly "I am going to wherever you are going" and Sung Man smiled shyly and they looked at the sea together.
Pause here. My sis said at that time Sun Yat Sen was in Japan so most likely Sung Man will return to China with the resistance and may I venture further, he I think will die young. No resistance die of old age.
Ding Fung Sing successfully became International Ding Fung Sing Bank and in 1914, a much older Bak Chuen clad in western clothes stepped out of a expensive looking car (probably rolls royce, bentley or such) with a young man in western clothings as well and Bak Chuen adjusted the young man's tie and advised the young man "Remember to work hard my son" and that was the end as the end credits showed us the earlier scenes and some characters.
THE END.
Ok, let me venture further to speculate Ding Fung Sing will later move to Hong Kong or somewhere else and become OCBC bank? Don't know lar but speculate. Anyway one really BIG BOO-BOO apart from that too modern looking ship Sung Man was on and that Anna seems to have very limited wardrobe and that was the last scene.
I know Bak Chuen was adjusting his son's tie so that was his son, looking way older than 18. Anyway please remember he was born after 1900 since a voiceover said Cixi ran from her palace in 1900. Zoom to the future it was written 1914. I reconfirmed this with my sis and she said written there 1914. The son should be about 13 or at most 14 at that time of the last scene. So can't they find a younger actor or perhaps now show he goes to the bank for work because that is a bit too young? The timeline is all off since how can Bak Chuen look like a really old man?
And what about Ko Wa? What happened to her? What about Fu Yi Chek and gang? What about Sung Man? The entire story isn't just about Bak Chuen and Ding Fung Sing!!
And the ending, final scene I think had old Mr Kiu on a horse and the cast screaming Wui Tung Ting Ha!!! which is the title by the way and means quite literally Connected Worldwide or something like that. What a lame ending. What a stupid lame boring lazy bad anti climax bad utterly disappointing ending to what could have been a good series.
