In Hong Kong's gangster films, Zhang Ziqiang's name is probably well-known, and his story is comparable to a movie script — kidnapping the son of a billionaire, extorting sky-high ransoms, and even trying to blow up a prison with explosives. How did this bandit, who once terrified the entire Hong Kong society, step by step ascend to the pinnacle of crime? How did his audacity lead him to the abyss of self-destruction? Today, we will uncover the true story of Zhang Ziqiang, a legendary gangster, and see what secrets he hides in his life. Is his behavior really as legendary, so that the gambling king Stanley Ho can't avoid it?
Speaking of Zhang Ziqiang, I have to mention his courage and ruthlessness. After moving to Hong Kong with his family at the age of four, this native of Yulin, Guangxi, was destined to carve out a piece of the dark world behind this prosperity. From a street thug to a famous gangster, Zhang Ziqiang's name has gradually become well-known in Hong Kong's underworld.
His "famous" work was the robbery of an armored cash truck at Kai Tak Airport in 1991, and he took 160 million Hong Kong dollars in one fell swoop. Although he was arrested, he was released due to lack of evidence, and even asked the British government of Hong Kong to compensate him with 7 million Hong Kong dollars. This lawsuit not only did not make Zhang Ziqiang relent, but made him more rampant.
Zhang Ziqiang's courage was outrageous, and he hit it off with his friend Ye Jihuan and planned a bigger action. Their target is Li Zeju, the son of Hong Kong's richest man, Li Ka-shing. Although Ye Jihuan was arrested before the crime, Zhang Ziqiang and other accomplices continued to complete the kidnapping case that shocked Hong Kong. Asking Li Ka-shing for a ransom of HK$2 billion can be described as a lion's mouth. In the end, Zhang Ziqiang set the ransom at 1.038 billion Hong Kong dollars with his scheming negotiation skills, and he personally shared 438 million.
Soon after, Zhang Ziqiang successfully kidnapped Kwok Bingxiang, the second richest man in Hong Kong, and demanded a ransom of 600 million Hong Kong dollars. These actions made him a legend in the history of Hong Kong gangsters, and also made him mistakenly believe that he was an invincible existence.
Zhang Ziqiang's self-confidence gradually evolved into arrogance. He considers himself an "ATM" in Hong Kong, and the rich are just his wallet. Zhang Ziqiang, who has easy access to money, is also addicted to gambling, especially the casinos in Macau have become places where he spends his money. He gambled countless times at the gambling table in Macau, and once gambled against the famous gambling king Broken Tooth Ju, and won more than 40 million Hong Kong dollars from the other party in one night.
However, it was this extreme self-confidence and arrogant behavior that made Zhang Ziqiang gradually come to a dead end. In his opinion, the whole of Hong Kong is his playground, and even in 1997, he planned a crazy prison escape operation, intending to blow up Stanley Prison with 800 kilograms of explosives and rescue his trapped accomplices. Although this plan was not implemented, it was enough to show his hubris.
Zhang Ziqiang's actions eventually aroused a high degree of vigilance among the mainland police. His series of gambling and money laundering activities in the mainland led the mainland police to decide to take action. During a trip to the mainland, Zhang Ziqiang was decisively arrested by the mainland police and eventually sentenced to death. It is rumored that even the gambling king Stanley Ho did not dare to do anything in Hong Kong because of Zhang Ziqiang's crazy behavior, so he could only choose to "send" him back to the mainland.
Cheung's story also reflects the social atmosphere of Hong Kong at that time. It was an era when money was paramount, and the rule of law was not yet fully established. For many, Zhang Ziqiang was a bandit and a cancer of society, but for others he was a symbol of anti-heroism, a product of the unbridled nature of his time.
Zhang Ziqiang's life is a typical negative textbook. Although his criminal behavior brought him to the pinnacle of life for a time, it also led him to ruin. His story teaches us that neither individuals nor societies can go to extremes. The boundaries of the law cannot be crossed, and once that line is crossed, all that awaits is self-destruction.
In Zhang Ziqiang's legendary life, we have not only seen the rise and fall of a person, but also the epitome of an era. Although his actions are terrifying, his story also deeply reflects the dark side of society. It's a story of power, greed, and betrayal, and a cautionary tale about how to do justice in the face of storms.
Zhang Ziqiang's life is like a moving movie, full of ups and downs and dramatic conflicts. From a gangster to a gangster legend to his eventual destruction, his story is full of emotion. Although his actions are despicable, his story also reminds us that no matter how high we fly, we must not forget to keep our feet on the ground. In this complex and ever-changing world, each of us should learn from Zhang Ziqiang's story, be vigilant not to be lost by short-term temptations, and stick to the right path in order to go further.