Faces to Remember

The cast of Sleeping Dogs includes people from various walks of life: officers of the law, members of the Triads, and civilians who become involved with either side.

Main Characters

Wei Shen

Biographical data as submitted to SFPD application:

Name: Wei Shen

Rank: Detective, San Francisco PD

Status: Seconded to Hong Kong PD

Age: 28

Moved to San Francisco from Hong Kong at age 10 with mother (Margaret Shen) and sister (Mimi Shen). Attended PS 121 High School, graduated 2002 with honors. Enrolled in San Francisco State University September 2002, majoring in politics. Voluntarily departed SF State 2004 to pursue other career options. Applied to SFPD June 1, 2006. Graduated top of the 2007 police academy class.

No criminal record or known criminal associates. All drug tests negative.

SFPD Psychological Evaluation:

Subject referred for clinical evaluation per departmental procedure prior to extended deep cover assignment.

Officer Shen is a highly intelligent, self-aware, and generally balanced individual. He exhibits a strong moral system and has a clear understanding of the risks involved in long-term undercover work. I am concerned, however, that the underlying social and cultural factors that may make him an effective undercover operative also expose him to psychological, emotional, and procedural risk.

Officer Shen was relocated to the United States as an adolescent and has never had a strong father figure or male role model. Consequently, his sense of identity and self is more malleable than officers who spent their formative years rooted in a single cultural identity.

This makes him highly adaptable and provides him with certain chameleon-like tendencies that will serve him well when infiltrating a tightly knit criminal organization. However, the lack of a strong cultural grounding or sense of “home” may be a problem over the course of a prolonged undercover operation. If the chameleon is left too long in a given environment, he may forget his original color. Controlling officers must be careful to ensure that Shen’s first loyalty is the police department.

Though generally self-aware, Shen does not fully recognize the malleability of his sense of self. This makes the lack of cultural or familial anchors all the more dangerous, as he may not be aware of shifting loyalties or point of view until it is too late.

Jackie Ma

CI Report on Jackie Ma submitted by Det. Raymond Mak

Name: Jackie Ma

Status: Water Street affiliate

Age: Late 20s

Informant reports that target (Jackie Ma, no known nickname or alias) is a low-level gang affiliate. Target knows several Water Street members from childhood, including Winston Chu, but is not considered part of the gang and is not included in confidential planning or operations. Sometimes used as an errand boy. Target frequently attempts to claim gang affiliations higher than he actually has. New recruit Wei Shen is a childhood friend from the Old Prosperity project. Jackie is often seen tagging along with him, as Jackie seems to respect and look up to him.

Use as infiltration asset questionable. Given the target’s vulnerability and background with our asset, access to him should be relatively simple. It’s not clear, however, that the target can affect useful introductions on his own.

Winston Chu

CI Report on Winston Chu submitted by Officer Charles Ho

Name: Winston Chu

Status: Water Street Gang leader

Rank: Sun On Yee Red Pole

My main point of contact is Winston Chu, the Sun On Yee Red Pole who controls (or likes to think he controls) a piece of North Point. A family man, engaged to his longtime girlfriend Peggy, runs the Water Street Gang out of the back room of his mother’s restaurant. Mrs. Chu is a formidable woman, curt and ruthless, and she considers anyone not in her family as a tool, an inconvenience, or the enemy. She guides her son in all aspects of his life, including his criminal career.

Chu is hotheaded, impulsive, and not too smart. He lacks any kind of formal education and at times cannot even master street-level criminal conspiracies. His temper may be affected by anabolic steroids, which I believe he takes on a regular basis. Chu is ideal as a point of access to the Triad. He’s ambitious without the brains to achieve his goals and badly needs a smart second in command.

Chu grew up in the Old Prosperity housing project with numerous Sun On Yee leaders including Dogeyes Lin. He seems to have joined the Triad at an early age and has now hit the glass ceiling in terms of promotion and power. He will require a substantial reworking of his operations in order to reach par with more accomplished Red Poles such as Big Smile Lee, Two Chin Tsao, or Broken Nose Jiang.

Much of the Water Street Gang’s activity is presently directed towards countering territorial and business threats by the Jade Gang, another Sun On Yee faction. The warring Red Poles Winston Chu and Sam “Dogeyes” Lin (leaders of Water Street and Jade Gangs, respectively) were once associates but have since had a falling out. It is important to understand that this conflict is not merely between two minor rival gang leaders, but in fact is reflective of a larger struggle for control of the Sun On Yee. More powerful Red Pole leaders are, in effect, waging a proxy war with control of the overall Triad at stake.

Dogeyes Lin

CI Report on Sam Lin submitted by Officer Charles Ho

Name: Sam “Dogeyes” Lin

Status: Leader of the Jade Gang

Rank: Sun On Yee Red Pole

Dogeyes grew up poor and compensated by always making sure he was the coolest guy around and never being afraid of taking down any rivals. Probably a borderline sociopath, Dogeyes joined a gang at the estate and earned money as a “professional boyfriend”—dating pretty girls from the estate, getting them hooked on drugs, and then pimping them out. This earned him the attention of Big Smile Lee, a boss in the Sun On Yee Triad, and Dogeyes soon became fully initiated into the group.

Growing up, Dogeyes was best friends with Winston Chu. They’d often plan their next moves in the kitchen of Winston’s mother where she fed and encouraged them. In contrast, Dogeyes avoided his own home; his mother was long dead and his father abusive. Unfortunately, Dogeyes always resented his friend. Now, when they’re both Red Pole bosses in the Sun On Yee, the friendly rivalry and posturing has turned into a more serious conflict.

Subject: Background on Sun On Yee internal conflict

Much of the Water Street Gang’s activity is presently directed towards countering territorial and business threats by the Jade Gang, led by Sam “Dogeyes” Lin.

Dogeyes is supported by Big Smile Lee, a prominent Red Pole with ties to drugs, prostitution, and pornography. I can’t tell for sure, but Lee’s agenda seems to be to shake up existing power relationships so that he can take advantage of the ensuing chaos.

Big Smile Lee

Background—Big Smile Lee, submitted by Officer Charles Ho

Codename: Dragon

September 30, 2010

Top Secret

Henry “Big Smile” Lee. Single most powerful Red Pole inside the Sun On Yee. Widely disliked by other Red Poles and many rank-and-file Triad members. Lee’s power stems from two core things: his willingness to use extreme (even by Triad standards) levels of violence, and the overwhelming amounts of liquid cash generated by his drug, prostitution, and entertainment interests.

Lee and his chief enforcer, Liu Shen Tong, have repeatedly demonstrated a complete and total lack of restraint when it comes to physical violence. Opponents are frequently tortured before they’re murdered and even a relatively minor infraction or slight can precipitate an extreme response.

Lee and his chief economic backer, Sonny Wo, run a massive protection racket that covers the entire HK entertainment industry. This, plus robust drug and prostitution operations, provide him with immense cash reserves.

Unlike other Triad leaders, Lee does not tend to reinvest his profits in legitimate business, real estate, or the like. Instead, he keeps his cash on hand for bribes, enforcers, or sheer demonstrations of power. This may not be in his long-term financial interests, but it gives him tremendous clout inside the Sun On Yee. At any given moment, he can throw millions in untraceable cash at a problem or objective if he so chooses.

He is as aggressive with his money as he is with violence. It’s a potent combination that is only offset by a generally unlikable personality and, to some degree, by ill-concealed disdain for tradition and protocol.

Uncle Po

Background Brief: David Wa-Lin “Uncle” Po

Sun On Yee Dragonhead/Chairman

Po likes to project a benign, grandfatherly image. He commits money and time to charities and is well known as a benefactor in the neighborhoods that the Sun On Yee control. Even within the Triad, he has cultivated an image as a negotiator and business-oriented pragmatist. But this reasonable image stands in stark contrast to Po’s criminal history. His rise through the ranks of the Sun On Yee was marked by extreme violence at every stage. He rejuvenated the Triad’s murder-for-hire business and is suspected of being the brains behind the Triad’s alliance with Sonny Wo. He allows Big Smile Lee to handle day-to-day operations in this area, keeping his own hands clean. But much of the profit ends in Po’s pockets.

Unlike other strongmen in the Triad, Po does a lot of his killing in secret. Rivals tend to simply disappear. In the short term, this doesn’t provide the same theatrical display of force as a public murder. But over time the fact that people who opposed him vanished without a trace has sent an incredibly strong message.

Po’s hold on the Triad remains unchallenged. CI reports indicate that the other Red Poles have reconciled themselves to waiting for him to retire or die before seeking chairmanship themselves.

Broken Nose Jiang

A rarity among Sun On Yee Red Poles, Broken Nose Jiang is a successful woman in a world dominated by men who distrust, use, and abuse others of her gender. Undercover investigators have been unable to determine her real name, and she has crafted a reputation based on fear of her alleged ruthlessness towards threats to her power base.

She is less than supportive of the prostitution and pornography production rings within the Sun On Yee, which puts her at odds with Big Smile Lee, whose profits stem primarily from these businesses. She appears to be backing Winston Chu in the current struggle against Dogeyes’ Jade Gang, which in turn is part of a proxy war between Big Smile Lee and those like Jiang who oppose his rise to power.

Howard “Two Chin” Tsao

Submitted by: Det. Raymond Mak

Sun On Yee Red Pole since 1981, Two Chin Tsao controls a large gambling racket as well as various illegal import-export businesses. In recent years, he has gravitated away from strong-arm tactics and criminal enterprises in favor of white-collar schemes.

He is rumored to have a high-quality counterfeiting press somewhere in the Central District, as well as facilities to fabricate fake credit cards. Numbers are obtained from North America and Mainland China, then reproduced in Hong Kong for quick exploitation.

Two Chin attempted to expand into bootlegged DVDs and computer software in 2005 but stopped abruptly. One CI reports that this was moving too close to the territory of Sonny Wo and Big Smile Lee. The latter is said to have made threats that caused Two Chin to cease operating despite massive potential profits.

The implications of this for overall Sun On Yee power structures is not clear.

Ricky Wong

Filed by Raymond Mak

SCOUNDREL reports that Sonny Wo has elevated Ricky Wong to his right-hand man. He claims that this was a lateral move for Wong, who was hoping to be promoted to Red Pole. He is disaffected but not sufficiently unhappy to affect his loyalty to the Triad. Wong reportedly acts as a liaison between Wo and Henry “Big Smile” Lee. He also provides muscle and, when necessary, drugs.

SCOUNDREL asserts that he has no knowledge of felony crimes perpetrated by Wong that could be used to convict him and/or recruit him as a CI. In this officer’s opinion, SCOUNDREL is lying, but without direct evidence we cannot take action. When pressured about Wong’s criminal activity SCOUNDREL attempted to steer the conversation towards his (Wong’s) relationship with actress and singer Vivienne Lu, which he indicated was outside the boundaries of standard operating procedure and therefore useful leverage.

CI WHITEFISH reports that Lu has slept with half the members of the Sun On Yee and did not believe that a relationship between her and Wong constituted useful intelligence. Given WHITEFISH’s long history I am inclined to believe his information over SCOUNDREL’s. Thus no further investigation into Wong’s relationship with Lu is warranted at this time.

Sonny Wo

Excerpt from “A Dirty Business”

Hong Kong Daily

By Sophie Chu

October 11, 2009

To an outsider, Sonny Wo looks like a modern Hong Kong success story. His Three Circle Entertainment is a major force in film, television, and music. His real estate and other business holdings are extensive, and his private life is awash in starlets and celebrities.

But behind the facade of legitimacy and glitz lies a darker, dirtier truth. It’s an open secret in our city that most, if not all, of the entertainment industry is controlled by the Triads. According to sources, Sonny Wo is the latest in a long line of entrepreneurs who owes his power and success to his gangland connections.

It’s a relationship that suits both parties. Wo built an empire and enjoys financial success and the fame that comes with it. His backers in the Sun On Yee get an ideal vehicle for laundering money, a large piece of the profits, and a front man to take the fall should anything go wrong.

Jane Teng

An Inspector for the HKPD, Jane Teng is a model officer stuck trying to make Hong Kong a safer place while working under increasing political pressure, coupled with reduced budgets and resources dedicated to the police. Her first encounter with Wei Shen does not go well, as she is not in the loop to his circumstances. Wei eventually offers the beleaguered inspector any assistance he can manage to provide, so long as it does not threaten his cover.

Raymond Mak

The handler for Wei Shen, Raymond Mak presents himself as a model officer of the law—so much a model in fact that he is almost completely inflexible to a fault. He initially opposed Wei Shen being assigned undercover to the Sun On Yee, citing his past connections to members of the Triad and their involvement in the death of his sister, and fears that at any time, Wei could “flip” and become another regular member of the Triad. He is not entirely antagonistic towards Wei. His concern for the younger officer’s wellbeing is genuine: the previous undercover operative was found tortured to death.

Thomas Pendrew

The Superintendent of the HKPD, Pendrew is a driven and ambitious man whose rise in the HKPD is marked by a history of aggressive anti-Triad work that has resulted in many arrests that have weakened or temporarily broken Triad power in Hong Kong. He has adopted a “whatever it takes” approach to dealing with the Triads, which made his selection of Wei Shen a simple matter. He wants evidence to shatter the Sun On Yee, and he knows that Wei is willing to go much farther than any other man they could find in the HKPD. Pendrew’s willingness to bend and break the rules of conduct often chafe Shen’s handler, Raymond Mak, but the results Pendrew has managed to achieve over the years cannot be denied.

Side Characters

Water Street Gang

The Water Street Gang is a low-level group within the Sun On Yee, based in the North Point district of Hong Kong. Unsophisticated, it’s clear that without strong and intelligent leadership, most if not all of the gang will never rise higher within the Sun On Yee. Their violent and disorganized tendencies work against their being taken seriously by the upper echelons of the Triad. Unwittingly, they have been turned into a pawn in a much larger power struggle within the whole Triad, their brash nature making them easy to exploit.

Conroy Wu

Winston Chu’s longtime second in command, Conroy Wu provides muscle, loyalty, and not much else to the Water Street Gang. Like Winston, he is unsophisticated and is likely to not rise very far in the Triad without the backing of someone more intelligent and capable to take advantage of his positive qualities. Intensely suspicious of outsiders, Wei draws Conroy’s ire almost immediately. His suspicions are not entirely unwarranted; not long before Wei Shen made his appearance, another undercover officer had penetrated the gang, but was eventually discovered and murdered. The incident has everyone on edge, most of all Conroy, who finds his position as Winston’s right-hand man once again threatened by a new face.

Dirty Ming

A drug dealer who works for the Water Street Gang, Dirty Ming has earned his nickname through a rather unsavory reputation of a preference for girls of the significantly younger-than-he-is persuasion. His connections to the ketamine racket in North Point make Ming a valuable, if only just tolerable, asset to the gang. Like Conroy, he too is suspicious of outsiders. Unlike Conroy, Ming’s loyalties are subject to whomever provides him the better deal.

Mrs. Chu

Owner of the Golden Koi restaurant, Mrs. Chu is Winston’s aging mother. Despite her years, she strikes an intimidating figure and, despite her son being a Red Pole in the Sun On Yee, is able to push around her employees and her son’s gang equally. She has played no small part in her son’s rise within the Sun On Yee, influencing and encouraging his actions. Her restaurant acts as the headquarters for the Water Street Gang, and is where many of their schemes are hatched.

Pockmark Cheuk

Another Sun On Yee Red Pole, Pockmark Cheuk acts as the close confidant to Uncle Po. When he speaks for the Chairman, it is typically with absolute authority. Embodying Po’s preferred characteristics of loyalty and discretion, Pockmark only seeks to serve his Chairman to the best of his ability. A staunch believer in the traditions of the Sun On Yee, Pockmark is a major moderating force in the Triad’s leadership.

Naz

Sakinder Sajan Naz is Wei Shen’s first contact in Hong Kong, and during a deal that goes very poorly, the two are separated from one another and arrested. However, Naz’s role in the events that follow goes much deeper than him being a simple drug smuggler.

Old Salty Crab

The swarthy and aging enforcer working under Broken Nose Jiang, Old Salty Crab was once a feared man on the street for the Sun On Yee. Over the years, his declining physical condition have sidelined him from much of the work he once did himself, but Old Salty Crab still serves his Red Pole as one set of eyes and ears.

Vivienne Lu

Pretty and talented at singing and acting, Vivienne Lu is backed by Sonny Wo’s media empire. Her good looks have found other uses for Sonny, however, and like many girls who have been taken in by him, she has been pressed into service as one of his playthings. Her body is well known by many Sun On Yee members, all a part of Sonny’s “service” to the Triad. Her relationship with Ricky Wong is the source of some tension between him and Wo.

Peggy

The fiance to Winston Chu, Peggy is a bright light in the dark world her Winston inhabits. She knows her place in that world, but does not seem phased by it. She quickly befriends Wei Shen, wanting to help him find a woman he can confide in.

Amanda

Amanda is a U.S. college graduate on a trip to see the world. She encounters Wei in front of his North Point safehouse, having gotten lost looking for a martial arts school. She is one of a group of women whom Wei can romance.

Sifu

Sifu knew Wei as a child when the Shen family lived in Hong Kong. He recognizes his former student almost immediately, and is concerned by the apparent direction his life has headed. Also concerning Sifu is that many of his current students all wish to be Sun On Yee, and one of them betrayed him by stealing eleven of his twelve Jade Statues from their display case at the martial arts school.

Tiffany

Tiffany is a hostess at Club Bam Bam. She hides connections to other Triad members. She is quick to confide in Wei after a series of events leaves her with a key piece of evidence.

“Not-Ping”

A tech geek who draws satisfaction from working on electronic devices, “Not-Ping” provides Wei with the surveillance bugs he needs to use for intelligence-gathering missions. She’s attracted to Wei at first sight, and is willing to help him figure out how to use his gear.

Sandra

Sandra is rich, and she knows it. She has particular tastes in men, and enjoys dangerous street races. A friend of Vivienne, Sandra meets Wei when he is asked to pick up both girls from a shopping spree, and takes an immediately liking to him, saying that he is allowed to take her on a date.

Ilyana

A Russian immigrant, Ilyana works at the K-Bar in Central. She meets Wei while he is acting as an escort for a VIP from the United States and gives Wei her phone number for a date. Athletic, Ilyana enjoys freerunning in her spare time.