On the shore of the Hong Kong seaside stands a single, two-story home. Luxurious by the standards of the layman, average by the standards of the elite. On the balcony of this home stood Wong Yun Fat, smirking as he casually sipped at a glass of wine. The campaigning was in full swing, and he had no less than four candidates to defeat, including Chow Ling Tseng, whose anti-taxes stance and conservative approach made him popular with the general public. Though Wong had his experience as Prime Minister behind him, that might not be enough. Chow Ling Tseng had served as mayor of Neo Hong Kong for the past couple of months, and even Wong had to admit he had done moderately well. As Wong contemplated over the gentle motions of the water below him, the imposing shadow of Urube Ishikawa fell over him.
Wong didn't even turn around, he simply said. "You know what to do." Urube nodded and slipped back into the shadows, no doubt off to complete the night's activities. Wong sighed and returned to his room, smiling to himself as he wondered what tomorrow's headlines would have to say about tonight's affairs.
While I sleep, quite a bit will occur. It's almost a shame that I won't be awake to watch.
When Wong picked up the paper the next morning and began to read, he was not disappointed. "Senator Xu murdered in Nightclub!" screamed the headline. Wong began to read more, phrases in particular jumping out at him, such as "second mayoral candidate killed", "killer identified as one from before", and "Mayor Tseng suspected; assassin left note for other candidates." Wong threw the paper aside as he finished his breakfast, looking out the window at the rising sun. Qiu Chu Xu and Tsui Sau Hen both dead; that left only him and Mao Yang Cheng competing against the mayor. Either one could be a target, but Wong knew that by the end of today's events there would be no doubt in anyone's mind who the next victim would most likely be.
By the time the afternoon had arisen, Wong stood in full regalia, facing a crowd of roughly five thousand people. To his left was the Mayor Chow Ling Tseng himself, who seemed exceptionally annoyed.
"In short, "Mayor".." pronounced Wong with relish, "What I am saying is that you are a blatant hypocrite!" The mayor's face was as red as his tie, and he favored the younger Wong with a baleful glare.
"You have no idea what you are talking about, son. I have lived up to every promise made to the people!" Mayor Tseng then raised his arm, and the crowd gave an enthusiastic cheer. Wong waited until the echoes subsided before speaking again.
"What about your political opponents? Two dead; one killed in his sleep, and the other brutally gunned down in a nightclub. How many more will die? Will I be next?" The crowd's cheers and smiles now turned to frowns and murmurs, recalling the events of the past week.
"Are you insinuating that I had anything to do with these murders, Mr. Wong?!" the mayor very nearly screamed, his anger turning to what could be considered hysteria.
"I do not insinuate anything, Mayor Tseng! I accuse!" Wong then pointed one finger at the mayor, in a classic dramatic gesture. "That's right, Mayor Tseng, I accuse! Who else would be going after the mayoral candidates, hnnn?" It was all Mayor Tseng could do to not attack Wong right then; though it was obvious to all present what he wanted to do at that moment.
"You... you don't have anything to back that up with.. you are just using this to further yourself!" declared Mayor Tseng.
Wong lowered his glasses, revealing his maroon eyes to the mayor and the crowd. "That is, if you don't get me first. Hnn, mayor? When will you send your thugs after me? Will I be had in my sleep, or do you have a more prestigious fate in store?" The mayor didn't respond... it was likely that he couldn't respond, if for no other reason than his response would include words not suitable for young children to hear.
"I...I don't have to take this blatant slander." he muttered. Without another word, he climbed from the stage to a waiting limo, his bodyguards keeping the press and spectators at a distance. Wong did likewise, minus the guards. Not only could he scarcely afford guards, their mere appearance would ruin the image he was attempting to cultivate among the public.
As he climbed into the limo, the driver looked back at him. "You're enjoying all of this, aren't you?" asked the man. Wong lowered his sunglasses slightly, smirking broadly.
"You know me only too well, Urube... is everything in place?" Urube had now turned back to the road, but he nodded for Wong's benefit.
"Yes.. although I advise you to follow my instructions to the letter." Wong abruptly stopped smirking, annoyed at Urube's almost condescending tone.
"I know the stakes here, Urube." retorted Wong. Urube grunted slightly, as if to say "If you say so." as the limo drove through the city streets gracefully.
Three days later
As Wong approached the podium, he couldn't help but feel the slightest twinge of fear. Everything was in place, true, but dwelling on what would take place this day still troubled him. Today he would engage in debate with the third mayoral candidate, Mao Yang Cheng. Mao, a short, balding man in his late forties, approached his own podium, giving the crowd his typical bored expression. It was extremely unlikely that Mao would even come close to becoming mayor (being a Neo Communist), but his talk of equality among workers and better wages drew the attention of many.
Mao spoke first, as he did in most things. "Friends, workers, and countrymen, lend me your ears! We come here on this wondrous day to discuss an extremely vital topic.. the common man!" Wong sighed inwardly, knowing where this was going. Mao Yang Cheng had a reputation for going on and on, hardly ever even letting anyone else get a word in edgewise.
"Yes, that's all well and good, Mr. Cheng." Wong finally interrupted. "..but what does class consciousness have to do with the sudden decrease in successful entrepreneurs?"
Mao looked at Wong as though he was insane. "It has everything to do with business venture, Mr. Wong! Now, if I may continue, I shall proceed to.." His statement was cut off by an enormous explosion just behind the both of them, sending shrapnel and flaming equipment everywhere. The crowd gasped in fear and surprise, Mao Yang Cheng screamed and stared in dumb shock as one of the pillars fell onto him. He continued screaming even after he had been crushed, the wailing, monotonous cacophony synomous with the damned.
As for Wong, he had a bit more sense and foresight. Though one of the pillars fell at him as well, he dived out of the way. As he ran for the podium's edge, shrapnel and debris pelted him, and the keening cries of people trying to flee didn't help. A chunk of debris struck him squarely in the head, and he fell limp to the floor, as the flames raged around him.