Editorial: Steven's sense of indebtedness and gratitude to tvb

Sometimes, Steven is too honorable for his own good, especially in the corrupted and superficial world of entertainment. There is such thing as 'blind loyalty". (愚忠)

Imo, Steven has paid back his gratitude debt and more to TVB and Catherine during his 5 years and more with them as tvb managed artist.

But knowing Steven's background I do understand his keen sense of gratitude and indebtedness to TVB and Catherine Tsang for all their help in the earlier years of his career, thereby enabling him to improve his and his family’s standard of living.

Steven grew up in the poor Sham Shui Po neighborhood where gangsters and drifters were part of its daily street scenes. From young, he was used to seeing discarded used syringes littering the back staircase in their building, while in the back alleys, hooligans and prostitutes galore loitered. “As a teen walking through Pak Ho Street I was already accosted by prostitutes.”

“She (Catherine Tsang) appeared at the time (1997) when I had decided to give up on an entertainment career for good.” And in 1999 when he was inconsolable with grief over his mother's death and was stuck in a deep depression for months on end, she motivated him with ample TVB work opportunities to get through that rough patch.

He vowed to give his mother a better life. In July 1999, at age 27 he moved his whole family from Sham Sui Po to a "1000 over square ft luxury home at Ho Man Tin (何文田)." However, in the same month on the 21st, his mother passed away.

"He (Steven) likes to observe and take note of his peers’ strengths. Some friends sing better than him, or look better than him- only that they did not have the opportunity to fully develop or display their talents. Steven, being a recipient of such an opportunity through someone’s generosity, is especially grateful." 2004

That was TVB’s big benefaction (恩) to him– enabling him with the financial capability and the swiftness to honor his filial vow to his mother while she was still alive. Incidentally, his mother was only 48 years old when she passed away.

Disclaimer: Just speculation on my part.

Aside: When asked if it was pity that he became famous only after his mom’s death, Steven said maybe it is so fated because two years ago he was not famous, so he had had plenty of time to spend with his mom before she passed away, so that now he has no lingering regrets at her passing. 2001 news