The Dragons Oath

Into the Shadows of China's Underworld In the neon-lit streets of Hong Kong, whispers of the underworld travel faster than the city's famed Star Ferry. Behind the dazzling skyline and the relentless buzz of commerce, a darker current surges—one woven into the very history of modern China. The Triads, those enigmatic and often romanticised criminal brotherhoods, have shaped destinies, toppled empires, and redefined the boundaries between crime and power. Yet, beyond their cinematic portrayals, the truth is far more complex, and far more disturbing. This book is a journey into the heart of China's criminal underworld, an exploration conducted not from the comfort of an armchair, but from the streets, courtrooms, and clandestine meeting places where history is being written—often in blood. As an investigative journalist, I have spent years unraveling the tangled networks of the Triads, following their money, their violence, and their influence across continents. What emerges is a picture of organisations in flux—rooted in ancient codes, but ruthlessly adaptive to the demands of the globalised 21st century. We begin with the 14K, perhaps the most notorious and far-reaching of all Triad societies. Born in the chaos of post-war China and the upheaval of Hong Kong's colonial years, the 14K built an empire that stretches from the casinos of Macau to the streets of Vancouver, from the jungles of Southeast Asia to the nightclubs of London. Their story is one of ambition and brutality, defined by daring heists, bloody power struggles, and a constant game of cat and mouse with international law enforcement. As we peel back the layers of their operations, we will meet the men and women who risk everything—on both sides of the law—to control or contain the 14K shadow. From there, our attention shifts to Sun Yee On, the 'business Triad' whose operations blur the line between legitimate enterprise and organised crime. With roots in the commercial heart of Hong Kong, Sun Yee On's influence is subtle but vast, seeping into real estate, finance, entertainment, and even government. Theirs is a story of white-collar crime on a grand scale—extortion, money laundering, political manipulation—conducted behind the facade of respectability. Here, power is wielded not just with guns or knives, but with contracts, bribes, and whispered threats in boardrooms and legislative chambers.