After the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, Hong Kong entered the transition period leading up to its return to China in 1997, and undercurrents stirred throughout society. The colonial government's grip was loosening. Although the Independent Commission Against Corruption was already established, corruption still cast a shadow over the police force. Triad groups were at their peak, even as the unknown future after the handover filled people with dread. Some tried to transform their businesses or expand their reach.
The neon lights and crime of Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, and Tsim Sha Tsui mingled together, while docks, nightclubs, mahjong parlors, and financial markets formed a complex stage. Hong Kong dollars, pounds sterling, and renminbi circulated side by side as smuggling, money laundering, and financial crimes ran rampant.
