Modern “Female Heroine” Hong Kong Mystery Writer Yung Ching-ching

Renowned Hong Kong novelist and dubbed “female hero” Weng Jingjing, known for her intriguing cases, is a multifaceted figure in the entertainment industry. She is a film star, legal heroine, expert in mysterious cases, crusader against religious scams, and has deep ties with the “gambling king” family. However, her story is not just about glory and honor but is also filled with challenges and controversies. Recently, she has once again grabbed the spotlight by attending the book launch event for her latest work, “Dangerous Individual Case Files,” where she revealed the mysterious death of her mother and a series of strange occurrences at home, sparking widespread discussion in society.

Since entering the legal profession, Weng Jingjing has used her sharp words and daring actions to expose scandals in the religious community, advocate for forgotten criminals, and gained attention for her in-depth analysis of intriguing cases on her program “Dangerous Individual.” Reflecting on Weng Jingjing’s transition from the entertainment industry to the legal field and later becoming a vocal commentator and activist, her life story can be described as a modern “female hero” legend.

From 2001 to 2003, she hosted a radio program called “Dangerous Individuals,” discussing intriguing cases in Hong Kong and internationally, creating a sensation. She later published a book of the same name. In 2022, she founded the YouTube channel “Dangerous Individuals 2.0,” continuing her analysis of mysterious cases. By 2024, the channel had accumulated over 310,000 subscribers and was awarded the top creator in the YouTube Hong Kong region.

Weng Jingjing was born in 1964 in Vietnam. Her grandfather, Weng Diannan, was a wealthy businessman in the area, and the father of Macau’s gambling king, Ho Hung-sun, received financial support from the Weng family in his early years. At eleven months old, her parents divorced, and her mother, Zhao Xiaoyu, brought her to Hong Kong and later remarried a timber merchant from Macau, Liu Yanquan. Weng Jingjing grew up in comfort, free from worries about food and clothing.

During her childhood, Weng Jingjing had a tense relationship with her mother. At the age of 14, during a dispute, her mother threatened her with a kitchen knife. After a narrow escape from the situation, she chose to leave home and become independent. That same year, a turning point arrived in her life—after sending self-portraits to a magazine, she caught the eye of director Liu Fanggang and embarked on a career in entertainment.

At the age of 16, she starred alongside Leslie Cheung and Danny Chan in the movie “Applause,” becoming a popular young star. However, at the age of 20, she chose to retire from the entertainment industry and married stunt performer Lau Jialiang, who was 29 years her senior, shocking the entertainment world. In 1994, Lau Jialiang was diagnosed with lymphoma and battled cancer for nearly a decade before passing away in 2013.

After leaving showbiz, Weng Jingjing transitioned to the insurance industry and later pursued a legal education, eventually becoming a successful lawyer. Her sense of justice and social concern sparked significant waves in the legal field.

She spoke up for marginalized individuals, including Ouyang Bingqiang from the 1974 “Happy Valley Body in a Box” case, where she believed there were significant doubts and wrongful convictions that plagued the case for many years.

When Ouyang Bingqiang appeared in court for his appeal, new evidence emerged. A witness claimed to have seen a vehicle parked near the dumping site with several individuals unloading a paper box, but the witness refused to testify in court. Weng Jingjing mentioned that in those years, a conservative atmosphere prevailed, and many people held the belief of not involving themselves in legal matters.

Describing Ouyang Bingqiang as “a good, scholarly person,” who spent over 20 years wrongfully imprisoned, with his wife remarrying. After his release, Ouyang Bingqiang changed his name and remarried a woman from mainland China, with Weng Jingjing officiating their marriage until his passing in 2022.

In another well-known case, the arrest of “Thief King” Yip Kai-fun in 1996 saw Weng Jingjing trying to find evidence to prove the controversy surrounding the police shooting.

After Yip Kai-fun’s arrest at Sai Wan Ho Pier, an officer mentioned firing back in self-defense during the arrest. Weng Jingjing stated that during the firefight, an elderly woman pushing a garbage cart passed by, proving that Yip did not handle any firearms. She even placed advertisements in newspapers seeking the same elderly woman, as proving Yip did not retaliate could significantly reduce his charges, but unfortunately, the woman could not be found in the end.

During Yip Kai-fun’s 1991 escape to mainland China, he fathered a daughter with a woman from mainland China. In 2003, while incarcerated, Yip Kai-fun registered a marriage with the same woman, officiated by Weng Jingjing. She also revealed that she had been taking care of Yip Kai-fun’s daughter, assisting her in studying abroad.

Another notable case was the “Dinghui Temple” incident in 2015. Weng Jingjing noticed irregularities in the construction at Dinghui Temple, leading to debts amounting to millions. She initiated a crowdfunding campaign online, raising 1.3 million Hong Kong dollars and was invited to join the board of directors. Subsequently, she discovered financial mismanagement at Dinghui Temple, with the board acting against regulations, including a history of ousting dissenting directors.

Weng Jingjing and her team conducted a thorough investigation, revealing that the abbess was involved in improper assets, including properties, land, and vehicles, along with records of sham-marriages with mainland Chinese individuals. Utilizing audio and video recordings, they gathered evidence to expose corrupt activities. Eventually, she applied for the liquidation of Dinghui Temple to protect donations from being misappropriated, successfully leading to the temple’s liquidation.

During the uncovering process, she received multiple threats, such as threatening letters, cat poisoning, and an attempted firecracker explosion under her car. Despite the intimidations, she persisted. She even sold off her stocks, exhausting 2.33 million Hong Kong dollars to settle Dinghui Temple’s debts, postponing her daughter’s wedding.

In 2016, she established the Facebook group “Buddhist Warning Signals,” encouraging the public to report fake monks and nuns, with over 22,000 members to date.

Weng Jingjing’s familiarity with intriguing cases may be attributed to her legal background. She not only comments on mysterious cases but also personally assists many defendants, with the Hong Kong film “The Poison Tongue Barrister” drawing inspiration from her experiences.

In 1999, she became involved in the “Model Pang Chu-ying Bones Case,” assisting the family in pressing the police to investigate and revealing loopholes in the investigation. She was considered one of the prototypes for the leading barrister Lin Liangshui in the movie “The Poison Tongue Barrister.”

The remains of model Pang Chu-ying were found in a unit at Waldorf House in Yau Ma Tei, dismembered and reduced to bones, estimated to have been deceased for over four years. The unit belonged to Fang Mansang, the brother of former Secretary for Home Affairs Daniel Lan Sai Ong. However, the police did not launch a thorough investigation at the time, and despite Mansang’s frequent visits to the unit, he was not suspected, turning the case into a cold case.

When Weng Jingjing hosted the radio program “Dangerous Individuals,” she received numerous appeals related to intriguing cases, including one from Pang Chu-ying’s sister. Taking over the case voluntarily, she corresponded with the coroner’s court and the police, demanding a comprehensive investigation. However, the responses received were classified as “highly confidential,” which she found unacceptable.

She believed that the case had numerous suspicions. For instance, while the police originally promised to return the deceased’s belongings to the family, they failed to follow through. Additionally, the victim’s skull contained a condom, a crucial piece of evidence, which went missing and could not be presented as courtroom evidence.

It was not until 2005 when Weng Jingjing and Legislative Councilor Leung Yiu-chung held a press conference, disclosing the details to the media and hinting at possible obstruction by influential individuals, prompting the police to announce a reopened investigation into the case.

In 2006, a coroner’s inquest about Pang Chu-ying’s case concluded with five jurors unanimously determining that her cause of death was “accidental.”

Weng Jingjing’s “heroic” spirit was evident even in her teenage years. At 15, when her younger brother was attacked in a pool hall on Boulder Lane, she accompanied him with two larger companions only to be apprehended by two off-duty police officers and taken to the police station.

The police requested fingerprints, but Weng Jingjing forcefully swept the objects off the table, stating, “I’m a minor! What can you do to me? I will call the rights group!” She then added, “I’m not leaving. I’ll wait for my mother to come and sue you with a lawyer!” Eventually, the police released Weng Jingjing.

After remarrying into the Ho family, specifically marrying Ho Youpikiu in 2019, Weng Jingjing announced that all wedding gifts would be donated and planned to contribute their joint assets entirely to charity in the future.

In December last year, the “Dangerous Individuals 2.0” channel surpassed 300,000 subscribers, with Weng Jingjing revealing that she had prerecorded some episodes to be released posthumously, with content related to Hong Kong’s richest man Li Ka-shing. The anticipation and curiosity regarding the unfolding revelations are palpable, leaving many wondering what future turbulence she may ignite. She disclosed that the latest book, “Dangerous Individual Case Files,” would be released as a series. An English version of the YouTube channel “Dangerous Individuals 2.0” is in the works, with a Mandarin version currently being planned. What more “intriguing cases” will Weng Jingjing share with everyone next? We eagerly await.

For the full contents of this edition of “Legendary Drift,” please stay tuned online.

——Production Team of “Legendary Drift”