Grace Under Fire (2011 - 2011)

HUNG stops his students from teaching WAI a good lesson. WAI leaves Po Chi Lam after HUNG has refused to fight with him. LUNG has left his medicine. LAN takes it to his home. A man with leprosy attacks her as she enters the house. The man is LUI KONG, LUNG’s father. Beijing is constructing a railway. Local residents have been forced to leave their homeland because of the construction. HUNG’s second son, HON-YIP, is a journalist. He asks TIN about this on the reception for him when he visits Guangzhou. What is more, he reports later that TIN’s cousin is the contractor of the project. HANG hates HUNG even more. LUNG cannot afford his father’s medicine. LAN stops him from stealing and takes him to Po Chi Lam to ask for the help of HUNG. The police close down the newspaper YIP works for and put its staff in prison. HANG sets YIP free. HUNG pleads HANG to release other people as well.

YIP tells HUNG his colleagues have been released. He blames HUNG for dealing with bigwigs, saying that they can settle the matter without them. HUNG does not say a word about the truth. LAN sees HUNG talking to WAI when she is having late supper with SHUI. LAN and SHUI follow HUNG and WAI to the countryside, where the two kung fu masters have a fight. Their techniques take the two young people’s breath away. LAN is very interested in learning kung fu. The next day, some bullies beat LAN and SHUI. PING settles the matter with all his saving. SHUI leaves angrily, as PING forbids him from learning kung fu. A beautiful woman scolds a couple on the street. Fook Yue Kui is holding a wedding banquet. SHUI is surprised to see that KWAI FA, the bride, is the beautiful woman he saw the day before. LAN and SHUI leave home early to watch the students of Po Chi Lam practice kung fu.

LING WAN-KAI bails YIP out. When they are home, HUNG requests YIP to quit his job. YIP accuses HUNG of dealing with bigwigs. The father and son end up in discord. HANG reports to the mayor that he has closed all the illegal casinos in Guangzhou. The mayor commends on his good work done, saying that he will make a very good potential mayor candidate. LAN is taking medicine to LUNG’s when she hears someone calling other people to deal with a leprosy man. She makes a beeline for LUNG’s place and saves him and his father before too late. LUNG carries KONG on his back to Po Chi Lam. When he wakes up, KONG is surprised to know that HUNG has saved him. Instead of thanking HUNG, he blames him for breaking up his family. When he finishes, he leaves with LUNG. KONG tells LUNG how he was defeated by HUNG in a duel and forced to leave Guangzhou many years ago. KONG is nowhere to be found the next day morning when LUNG wakes up……

The deadline for repaying FA’s debt is approaching but SHUI is still $250 short. A customer is not satisfied with the Sweet and Sour Sparerib of Fook Yue Kui. FA bets FOOK $250 to see who will cook the best Sweet and Sour Sparerib. It turns out she is a superb cook. FOOK employs her as second chef. HANG has been invited to make a speech at a Buddhist Festival event. He is not happy when he learns that the organizer has invited HUNG to host the plaque unveiling ceremony. LUNG throws a hammer at HUNG in order to seek revenge for his father. He is soon suppressed. In addition to interceding for LUNG, HUNG apologizes to him openly for insulting his father many years ago. HANG badmouths HUNG but LUNG is not influenced. FA has prepared some dishes for FOOK but he kicks her out of the treasurer’s office. The illegal casinos in Guangzhou have been very active lately……

FA invites FOOK to have congee in Li Wan by writing him a note. YUET-FUNG, his wife, follows him to Li Wan preparing to catch him red-handed. When she breaks into the room, she is surprised to see SHUI is also there. SHUI lies that he is having a date with FA in order to help FOOK out. LUNG is being bullied by some hooligans. LAN goes up to his help but she alone cannot fight them off. HUNG staves them off. HUNG shows LUNG the renowned LUI’s kung fu system and tells him to come back for revenge when he has picked up all the martial arts techniques. The hooligans have come again. PING defeats them one by one. Not until then do LAN and SHUI know that he is a kung fu expert. FA requests FUNG to introduce her to high officials. She tells her frankly it is her wish is marry a rich man. HUNG would like to take SHUI as student. He calls on PING at the restaurant for this reason.

PING refuses to let SHUI learn kung fu from HUNG. SHUI leaves home in anger. LUNG works as a coolie at the pier. LAN visits him and then watches him practice kung fu. Although YIP manages to sneak into the accountant’s house, he fails to take away his ledgers. The accountant and his wife are attacked at train station when they are fleeing Guangzhou. PING finally agrees to let SHUI learn kung fu with HUNG. He also decides to teach LAN the Mok’s Fist. A few men break into the newspaper YIP works for and turns it upside down. YIP’s colleague is injured in saving YIP. Thanks to HUNG and YIP, the accountant’s life is spared. With the information provided by the accountant, HUNG and YIP risk their life to get the ledgers. They find out that the local government is collaborating with Guangzhou’s illegal casinos.

HUNG pays a visit to the Chun Wah Daily, which has just resumed business. CHENG-CHI, the Chief of the Daily, tells him the paper is able to re-open with the support of Guangzhou East Governor TUNG MING. Meanwhile, HANG and the media have arrived. HANG congratulates YIP, though he has never hated HUNG so much. A woman is selling her daughter on the street. FA stops her, for the girl reminds her of her own miserable childhood. She therefore sympathizes with LUNG. SHUI and LAN visit Po Chi Lam. LUNG has come to challenge HUNG to a contest. HUNG turns him down. HANG visits a leprosy hospital with a western doctor. He is surprised to see KONG, who he thinks has died. FA bets that SHUI will not be able to invite any high officials or influential figures to his apprenticeship inauguration ceremony. The mayor shows up at the ceremony under SHUI’s crafty scheme……

HUNG is having tea with YIP. FOOK shows up with PING. PING wishes that HUNG would take SHUI as his student. HUNG will not change his mind though. HUNG and YIP leave the restaurant for the train station, where they are picking up HON-BONG, HUNG’s eldest son. They brush past KONG, who under the arrangement of HANG has returned to Guangzhou. SHUI is on his knees when HUNG and his sons get back to Po Chi Lam, pleading for HUNG’s forgiveness. HUNG pays no attention to him though. YIP intercedes for SHUI and HUNG finally agrees to forgive SHUI. FA has helped LUNG. She demands him to treat her to dinner for her help. She also volunteers to teach him to read and write. SHUI’s friends throw a celebration for him at a restaurant the evening before the apprenticeship inauguration ceremony. He is so drunk that he picks up a fight with someone. YIP goes up to check out what is going on. He dies in HUNG’s lab as HUNG arrives.

FA hears people blaming SHUI for YIP’s death when she is having dinner with LUNG. She goes up to SHUI’s help at once. HUNG is utterly devastated. LUNG is impressed by his love for YIP. LEE FAN, younger brother of PIU-HUNG, second wife of HANG, has been involved in YIP’s death. He asks PI-HUNG to help him flee. PIU-HUNG threatens TSUI HING-TO to give her a hand. Unwilling to see SHUI arrested, FA helps him escape. She discusses with LAN and PING to see how they can help SHUI flee Guangzhou. Meanwhile, they hear their neighbors quarreling. It turns out that LEE MING, a good friend of SHUI’s, is leaving Guangzhou hurriedly too. According to him, SHUI has nothing to do with YIP’s death. BON spots SHUI on YIP’s funeral and gives him a severe beating up.

The inquest is held today and SHUI is convicted of murder. His execution will be carried out three days later. KWONG, FAN’s follower, prays for blessings for his unborn son at a temple with his wife. LAN and FA see them. Believing KWONG is in the know of SHUI’s frame-up, LAN calls on KWONG’s house with FA. They tell KWONG’s wife god will not bless her son if KWONG does not tell the truth. Meanwhile, they hear about SHUI’s execution. LUNG informs HUNG about SHUI’s execution. HUNG remains silent. LAN is pleading KWONG to do SHUI a favor when his wife goes into labor suddenly. MING appears at the execution ground, claiming he has fresh evidence that can prove SHUI’s innocence.

Paying no attention to his doctor’s advice, KONG visits Po Chi Lam. SUET-KIU is cycling in the countryside. She takes KONG to Po Chi Lam, believing he is a friend of HUNG. By the time HANG learns that KONG is visiting HUNG, KONG has already returned to the villa. KONG has decided to let go of his grudge against HUNG. He tells HANG to look for LUNG. HANG is disappointed. His life spared, SHUI is sentenced to prison for three months for creating trouble in public area. He gets severely bitten up in jail. A kid kidnaper nicknamed MONKEY has taken away FA and LAN’s neighbor TAI-DI. FA and LAN find her, but MONKEY has escaped. FA tells LUNG her background so as to console DI. PONG has been arrested for stealing lychees. The police escort him to Po Chi Lam. Distressed, HUNG tells UNCLE KAU to send BONG back to Foshan.

BONG has gone missing. KAI has failed to find him. As he is reporting this to HUNG, LAN appears with BONG. FA runs into LUNG when she is taking DI to an orphanage and so he goes with them. KONG looks for LUNG in their old house but LUNG is not there. He goes into a church afterwards. KONG does not agree with what the pastor says about everyone can let go of his hatred, but KIU’s explanation changed his mind. HUNG sees BONG stealing lychees, but he finds out later he has wrongly accused his son all along. KONG volunteers to renovate the church. He shares with KIU his joy. What is more, he tells HANG he has let go of his hatred. HANG sees KIU’s name on his bible. According to HANG, LUNG has gone to Hong Kong. KONG is visiting him under HANG’s arrangement. However, he learns from HUNG later that LUNG is still in Guangzhou.

HUNG and KONG go looking for LUNG. The pier is on fire. KONG is very worried. LUNG and his colleagues are being buried under goods. HUNG goes to their rescue. HUNG apologizes to KONG for humiliating him twenty years go. Surprisingly, KONG accepts his apology readily. The mayor is visiting Japan soon. Before he goes, he calls for a meeting, during which he announces that MING will act for him while he is away. HANG is displeased. BONG visits LAN at the restaurant and helps her out whenever he is free. HUNG can see the positive influence of LAN on BONG. SHUI has been released. PING did not know about the cuts and bruises on his body until then. SHUI resumes his job at the restaurant. He plucks up enough courage to apologize to HUNG. Quoting people in the know, MING announces at a meeting that a rat plague has spread through the city. A doctor tells HANG plague cases have been recorded in Guangzhou.

Fook Yue Kui has very few customers today. A customer tells FOOK the newspaper report of the outbreak of rat plague. LUNG has contracted plague and fainted. His colleague informs KONG. FA takes herbal medicine to LUNG. Blood serum can treat plague disease but it costs a hundred dollars. After much effort, FA has finally managed to collect a hundred dollars. Unfortunately, the money is stolen at the hospital. LUNG has been treated with blood serum. FA visits him. LAN can see that FA is in love with him. The treasurer accuses SHUI of stealing money. It is found out later SHUI is innocent. SHUI hands in his resignation to FOOK. MA YUE-TSAN and other friends visit LUNG. They hope LUNG can put them up at Po Chi Lam for the time being. SHUI now works as a rickshaw puller. PIU-HUNG tells him to go back and forth so as to revenge for her brother, who has been executed……

SHUI, who smells stink, goes to the movie with FA. He proposes to her suddenly, catching her totally unprepared. KONG works as a docker. Someone appears from nowhere and takes away his goods. He does not know until later then that they are blood serum. PING says over breakfast that he regards FA as SHUI’s future wife. FA does not know whether to laugh or cry. LUNG falls when he is practicing kung fu with HUNG’s apprentices. Finding this humiliating, KONG fends them off then leaves Po Chi Lam with LUNG. No sooner has the next batch of blood serum arrived then someone throws a grenade on it. MING has no choice but puts the infected patients in isolation. KONG and LUNG are leaving Guangzhou. FA tells SHUI to give her a ride to the train station. When she gets there, she has a plague attack and faints.

SHUI takes FA away on the quiet so that she will not be isolated. HUNG confirms that FA has been infected with plague. He insists on sending her to the hospital. He also takes care of the patients in the hospital. LAN, impressed, follows suit. KIU faints as she is looking after patients. She is diagnosed with plague. KONG would like to go to Shaoguan, where there is no plague, but LUNG is opposed to the idea. TO takes KIU away and gives her blood serum in a car. LUNG and SHUI happen to see them. They deduce from this that someone is holding up blood serum. With the help of the people from Po Chi Lam, they manage to locate where the blood serum is. FA and other patients receive blood serum at last. When she comes round, FA reveals it is LUNG she loves.

The mayor calls for a meeting as soon as he has returned to Guangzhou. Having failed to keep the plague situation under control, MING claims that he will stand down. The situation of plague is finally under control. The City Hall is throwing a celebration party. Officials from the City Hall call on Po Chi Lam to invite HUNG and his apprentices to the party. SHUI is leaving Guangzhou by train. He is accused of using a fake ticket. Meanwhile, officials from the City Hall show up and invite him and LUNG to the celebration party, where they will be presented the good citizen awards. SHUI and PIU-HUNG give tit for tat to each other at the party. SHUI is taken away by her men right before the award presentation is about to begin. He misses the presentation as a result. HUNG shows up at the group photo session, accusing the government of failing to help the people of Guangzhou during the plague outbreak. HANG is hugely embarrassed……

HANG gives KONG his old house as present and encourages him to open a martial art club to counter HUNG. SHUI works as a bodyguard at a brothel. PING is very upset about this. LUNG has been waiting for KONG at Shaoguan train station for a whole day but KONG is nowhere to be seen. Dinner is ready when he returns to the inn. To FA’s huge disappointment, instead of starting to eat, he sits down to write a letter to LAN. She is upset to find out he loves LAN. LAN goes to the restaurant as told by PING. It turns out HUNG is introducing a guy to him. LUNG is excited to see LAN in Shaoguan. FA asks LAN why she has come. She tells LAN she in love with HUNG, though she herself may not know it. LUNG is surprised to know that LAN has already left. FA makes up a lie and tells him LAN has gone to Yunnan to look for SHUI.

As soon as LAN has returned to Guangzhou she heads straight to Po Chi Lam to express her feelings for HUNG. PING thinks it is unwise for her to have agreed to marry HUNG, who is old enough to be her father. HANG has invited the mayor to the opening of the Lui’s Martial Arts School. KONG is very excited. Members of the Guangzhou Martial Arts Association have come to create trouble. KONG beats them one by one. Meanwhile, SHUI offers his congratulations to KONG with a signboard that reads “Guangzhou Number One”. He also praises KONG in front of the crowd. KONG sees SHUI being beaten by the hooligans. KONG sympathizes with his fate and decides to employ him. A matchmaker has brought gifts to LAN’s house. It turns out PING is marrying LAN to the son of a grocery owner. The masters of different martial arts schools get together. SHUI appears uninvited to invite them to meet up with KONG.

A boxing ring has been set up when the kung fu masters arrive at the Five Storey Restaurant. Standing in the middle of the ring, KONG challenges them to a kung fu contest. He also announces that the winner will become the president of the Guangzhou Martial Arts Association. LUNG blames KONG for stirring up troubles at Po Chi Lam. He is confident HUNG has not done anything to harm KONG. The father and son have a fierce argument. SHUI tries hard to fan the flames. Furies, KONG claims he will take SHUI as his disciple and teach him the Lui’s Fist. PING forces LAN onto a bridal sedan chair on her wedding day. LUNG hurries to tell her HUNG has a train accident. Still in her bridal wear, she makes a dash to the accident scene. He is deeply touched to see her. Later, he goes to PING’s house with LAN to talk about their wedding. LAN hopes PING will let her marry HUNG. To everybody’s surprise, he demands to break off with her……

HUNG throws a wedding banquet at Po Chi Lam. PING shows up unexpectedly. It turns out he has already forgiven LAN. KONG and his disciples have come, too. SHUI presents HUNG with a tortoise with its head withdrawn, satirizing him for being a coward. A fight between the two sides is about to begin when PING suddenly requests the bride and groom to serve him a cup of “tea for thankfulness”. PING hits HUNG’s left hand as he is serving him tea. Now that HUNG has been injured, PING says he will fight on HUNG’s behalf. KONG demands PING to sign a waiver of liability and indemnification agreement, which himself will do them same. PING, who insists on taking up the challenge for HUNG in spite of his injury, is beaten to death. FOOK has been absent-minded since PING’s death. He reveals to FUNG the reason KONG lose his battle with HUNG twenty years ago.

Now that LAN has become a family, HUNG decides to teach her the Tiger and Crane Fist. FUNG has a stomachache. LUNG takes her to hospital. When FOOK arrives at the hospital, FUNG tells him to tell KONG the truth. FOOK, KONG and LUNG have a conversation in the room. SHUI eavesdrops on them outside. Rather calmly, HANG admits to KONG that it was him but not HUNG who drugged him. The truth comes as a big blow to KONG. He goes disappeared. In spite of his disappearance, SHUI takes KONG’s disciples to the boxing ring. FA, elegantly dressed, is among the audience with Japanese businessman TOKUGAWA KAZUO. Just when the judge is about to declare HUNG an uncontested champion, KONG turns up. HUNG is defeated. FA does not feel well. SHUI helps TOKUGAWA KAZUO take her to the hospital before it is too late. The mayor is assassinated when he is having tea with MING.

MING breaks into HANG’s office, accusing him of assassinating the mayor. Ironically, he ends up being forced to support HANG to be the next mayor. LUNG sees LAN leave Po Chi Lam in anger. The Police Department has forbidden Po Chi Lam from practicing medicine. So she goes to the City Hall to complain to HANG. SHUI tells LAN and LUNG to leave. In spite of his illness, HUNG has a meeting with his disciples. Unwilling to embroil them and their families in any trouble, he tells them to leave Po Chi Lam. HUNG shows up at the mayor inauguration. He asks why MING surrendered to HANG. MING has finally come to his senses and unmasks HANG on the spot. HUNG takes LUNG as his disciple after they have returned to Po Chi Lam. HUNG makes a cup of tea for LAN, who performs the Wulang’s Eight Trigrams Stick he taught her. When she finishes, she is utterly devastated to find that HUNG has died.

TOKUGAWA KAZUO is interested in buying UNCLE CHUNG’s shipyard. He asks HANG to mediate for him. SHUI volunteers to do the job. UNCLE CHUNG calls on HANG. He gets severely beaten up by TO and his men. KIU supports UNCLE CHUNG with her hand when they leave. SHUI goes up to help UNCLE CHUNG, his intention of course is to win his trust. KIU asks SHUI about him and FA. He tells him frankly it did not work out in the end. Not wanting to be manipulated by HANG any more, FOOK decides to sell Fook Yue Kui. HANG shows up with TOKUGAWA KAZUO and FA. FOOK did not know until then that it is TOKUGAWA KAZUO who has bought his restaurant, and that he has bought it for FA. FOOK regrets his decision to sell the restaurant. UNCLE CHUNG gets beaten up by hooligans. SHUI goes up to his help. SHUI has bought UNCLE CHUNG’s shipyard as TOKUGAWA KAZUO wishes. TOKUGAWA KAZUO thinks very highly of SHUI. FA sees MONKEY and LUNG busking on the street……

LAN teaches kung fu in Shun Fung Lane. MONKEY is her first student. TOKUGAWA KAZUO has arranged a position for SHUI in the City Hall. TO makes things difficult for him the day he reports duty. KIU is handing out rice to victims of the rat plague. She invites SHUI to join her. On the day of the rice handout, KIU helps the victim who was earlier beaten by HANG. She is raped. HANG blames her for ruining her own integrity as well as his reputation. She is very upset. TO goes on a secret date with YEE-MUI. She hopes he can help her leave Guangzhou. LUNG takes very good care of LAN. Her students gossip about them. MONKEY reminds LUNG LAN is their teacher’s wife, and so he should never have any improper thought about her. The papers report on KIU’s rape. SHUI proposes to marry KIU to HANG immediately.

LAN has been arrested. MONKEY gathers together his neighbors to demand the release of LAN and her students at the police station. FA turns up unexpectedly. Only LAN is set free in the end. SHUI and KIU’s wedding ceremony is held in a church, followed by a banquet at the TONG’s. TO and MUI leave the house in the middle of the banquet. HANG’s people discover them. TO goes straight to HANG’s office to search for his confidential documents as soon as he has got rid of HANG’s men. LAN has hired a well-known lawyer with the help of FA. YUEN-CHUEN has died of asthma in prison. LAN hopes his is the last person who dies for her. LAN calls on KONG, telling him she will leave Guangzhou as requested. SHUI hears that HANG is having a secret talk with TO in the cinema. TO puts HANG under duress and then tries to take MUI away. SHUI turns up in his way. SHUI and TO have a fight, during which the latter is shot dead.

HANG assigns TO’s duties to SHUI. KIU is pleased that her husband has won the trust of her father. LAN takes BONG and MONKEY back to Foshan, where she finds HUNG’s kung fu notes. A Japanese man named MATSUMOTO has opened up a karate school called Dansuiryu School in Guangzhou. KONG and other kung fu masters visit him. None of them can excel the others when it comes to martial arts. A burglar breaks into Fook Yue Kui. FA is beaten to faint. LUNG discovers by chance that FA has been kidnapped but he is knocked out as well. The next thing they know, they are at the bottom of a well. Both take the opportunity to express their love for each other. The City Hall is organizing a kung fu contest for the post of Chief Kung Fu Trainer. SHUI tells KONG the City Hall has approved MATSUMOTO’s participation. On the other hand, he tells TOKUGAWA KAZUO he understands the Japanese’s plan in Guangzhou, and more importantly, he can help.

LAN studies HUNG’s notes. With the hint of FOK KOON-WA, a kung fu master from the north, she manages to grasp more about martial arts. KIU has been taking good care of HANG since he fell ill. He apologizes to her. He also regrets how bad he had been to her in the past. Out of SHUI’s expectation, HANG puts forward a series of measures to deal with the Japanese so as to ease the public’s worry. KIU is pregnant. If it were not for her sake HANG would have SHUI killed. LUNG looks for old photos of FA and him at a second-hand stall. FA drags him to an alley. He admits loving her. FA turns down TOKUGAWA KAZUO’s love and then quits her at Fook Yue Kui. SHUI has cooked up a scheme to cause HANG to have a stroke. HANG’s mobility has been affected. SHUI takes over HANG office. SHUI forces the kung fu masters to withdraw from the contest so that MATSUMOTO can become the Chief Kung Fu Trainer. Everybody does as requested except for KONG……

SHUI tries to prevent LAN from taking part in the contest. In his capacity of president of the Guangzhou Martial Arts Association, KONG declares the ban on Po Chi Lam be lifted. LAN is therefore eligible to participate. LUNG practices kung fu with LAN. KONG shows up out of the blue. In addition to sharing with them his experience of fighting with MATSUMOTO, he practices with LUNG. The father and son have patched up with each other. TOKUGAWA KAZUO demands that SHUI make sure MATSUMOTO will win. SHUI suggests approaching the person LUNG cherishes most. On the day of the contest, LAN defeats her opponent, who is famous for his Iron Sand Palm, in the first round. LUNG’s opponent is MATSUMOTO. SHUI shows LUNG FA’s earring in the middle of their fight. He is distracted and knocked out. LAN teaches kung fu on the eve of her competition. She knows very well that there is no way she can beat MATSUMOTO……

MATSUMOTO has made a mistake. KONG points it out to LAN. Although she has been at a disadvantage position, she is not a bit discouraged. She pulls herself together, wages a vigorous attack on MATSUMOTO and defeats him. She has become the Chief Kung Fu Trainer. FA and KONG run into the absent-minded KIU. KIU pleads KONG to help her father. FA discovers that HANG has kept a diary which he records his transactions with the Japanese. This will serve a concrete evidence of SHUI’s link with the Japanese and their illegal business. KONG and FA have been out the whole day. LUNG and LAN look for them everywhere. They follow FA’s scream and arrive at a church, only to find that KONG is dead. SHUI announces in a press conference that HANG has appointed him to be the acting mayor during his recuperation. LAN investigates the recent riot in the streets. Someone is creating troubles in the name of members of her kung fu class……

Po Chi Lam is on fire. FA, MONKEY and BONG have failed to run away. Unable to find HANG’s diary, the firemen decide to withdraw. LAN and LUNG risk their lives to go back inside, where they find MONKEY and BONG. LAN reunites with FOOK and FUNG at last. FOOK analyzes the present circumstance. He tells the others he will send them to Hong Kong by boat. To his surprise, FA requests to meet SHUI. FA asks LUNG to marry her. He nods his head yes. FOOK and FUNG go aboard a ship with PONG. They see HANG’s diary in his bag. The government has sent Commissioner LAM WAH to Guangzhou. LAN and LUNG plan to shoot SHUI at LAM WAH’ reception. FA, taking with her HANG’s diary, shows up suddenly to try to bring SHUI’s evil doing to light. SHUI fires at her before she manages to do so.