The birth of the Property Protector

Epi 20 ends Ka Yeung's investigation into Hau Yee's death but the truth his unravels forever changed the course of his life and that of his family. Mr. Poon has already designated Ka Yeung as a co-dong ka, and in his exhortation to Ka Seng, Ka Hin now explicitly designated Ka Yeung as his successor to carry on his familial duty to his family and his brotherly obligation to Ka Seng. Ka Hin is going to turn himself over to the authority for the two crimes he did not commit to protect his family. " I've always only made Father worried, give me this opportunity to do my duty for the family." At hearing that, Ka Yeung's eyes glistened with unshed tears -- all his fault, it's all his fault. "There were four of us siblings; if can save one then let's save one. Don't you make Father worry anymore. Learn the trade from him and 3rd brother. Take care of Wing Tai Lun and protect the family."

While the younger bawls uncontrollably his two older brothers have kept their emotion under tight control; the normally indecisive and meek Ka Hin's eyes are now decisive and resolute, while Ka Yeung's filled with sorrow. Ka Hin is never so sure of his decision and resoluteness as he is now taking charge of the situation in protecting his family at all cost even at cost of sacrificing him. It is brotherly love in its purest form. In view of his imminent incarceration, Ka Hin comforts Ka Seng that "Your 3rd brother has promised me that he won't let you be in trouble." Did Ka Yeung truly promise that to Ka Hin in private or did Ka Hin put words into his mouth as an appeal?

Though he did not see the sharp glance on him, Ka Yeung understands Ka Hin's wishes; he inwardly wonders at Heaven's will/whim/irony. After all he has let at least two killers go before because of compassion, and now he must do the same for his younger brother, letting him go scot free from his crime, except this time his act truly pains him because now his beloved older sister would never get justice for the wrong done to her. But how can he refuse his big brother's explicit plea; how can he send his own brother to imminent death per the land's "a life for a life law", not to mention the knowledge of Ka Seng's crime would surely devastate his ailing father and his mother. The choice to him is obvious - he will accept the 'family protector baton' from his old brother - for blood is always thicker than water.

After Ka Hin finishes his speech to Ka Seng, thus bouncing the ball to Ka Yeung's court, Ka Yeung takes center stage. Without saying a word, he gets up and walks decisively towards Ka Seng and hugs him -- silently conveying to him that don't he worry, 3rd brother's here - we'll protect you. We three brothers will stick together thru thick and thin. The screencap above says it all. He has chosen to protect his brother and cover up his crime over BB's Bao Gong's impartial and righteous stance to expose Ka Seng's crime to give justice to the victim, Hau Yee.

After Ka Hin finishes his speech to Ka Seng, thus bouncing the ball to Ka Yeung's court, Ka Yeung takes center stage. Without saying a word, he gets up and walks decisively towards Ka Seng and hugs him -- silently conveying to him that don't he worry, 3rd brother's here - we'll protect you. We three brothers will stick together thru thick and thin. The screencap above says it all. He has chosen to protect his brother and cover up his crime over BB's Bao Gong's impartial and righteous stance to expose Ka Seng's crime to give justice to the victim, Hau Yee.

And when let known his intention to protect Ka Seng to Ka Hin, he is also implicitly accepting the role of the family protector from Ka Hin, and of course with Ka Hin's imminent incarceration, the role of full Dong Ka -- the Property Protector is born. In the last scene of epi 20 while Ka Hin is filled with resoluteness and conviction, Ka Yeung is seen defeated and weary; Ka Hin gives an imperceptible sigh of relief, Ka Yeung an imperceptible sigh of submission. Ka Hin's eyes bright with unshed tears, Ka Yeung's acquiesced with stoicism. Both men display inner strength in different ways.

Ka Yeung did not want to be a dong ka nor did he want to be the property protector, all he wanted was to be home and have his homesickness be assuaged by familial love, but capricious Heaven has other plans for him. How will Ka Yeung fare against the will/whim of Heaven?

Note the similarity and dissimilarity between Ka Yueng's and Ka Seng's reactions when they found out they caused the death of a loved one. They wailed out their pain, and so filled with guilt and remorse they immediately attempted commit suicide, and if not for another person's action they would have killed themselves for the crimes they did another. And the dissimilarity: Ka Seng was so broken up that his mind immediately shut down that part of his memory for self-preservation. Ka Yeung has a stronger mettle but even then his mind is assaulted constantly by recurring nightmares. He has managed to keep those dreams from destroying his life, will Ka Seng be strong enough to so the same?