Episode Summary
The episode introduces a scandal-plagued Hong Kong police force and an elite O's Kee team targeting a massive money-laundering ring. Undercover officer Ho Ho-fai infiltrates the Lung Hing Triad to set up a deal, while a whistleblower named Gordon is on the run with a hard drive full of secrets. The deal, set on a private yacht, goes south, resulting in a violent shootout. Ho's partner, Fok Kai-chuen, sacrifices himself to save the mission. In the end, a disgraced Ho receives a cryptic message from Gordon, pointing him toward a new conspiracy centered at Hong Kong's International Finance Centre.
Spoiler Alert
Homeland Guardian E1: A Botched Deal, a Fallen Hero, and a New Conspiracy
The premiere of "Homeland Guardian" throws viewers directly into the turbulent undercurrents of Hong Kong. While the city thrives as a global financial center years after its 1997 return to China, a viral video of a police officer kneeling to a gangster has the public in an uproar and the police force promising a full investigation.
Beneath the surface, the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau (O's Kee) is launching a major operation.Chief Inspector Shao Feng authorizes a strike against a money-laundering den in the Kowloon Walled City, with a staggering HK$1.7 billion at stake. Three of his best officers—Fok Kai-chuen, Ho Ho-fai, and Chan Yiu-yeung—lead the charge.
The focus quickly shifts to Ho Ho-fai, who is deep undercover within the Lung Hing Triad. He secures a meeting with a triad elder, Chung Chi-wah, using his cover and a Swiss bank gold card to arrange a high-stakes deal. Meanwhile, a mysterious man named Gordon is on the run. Clutching an encrypted hard drive, he hides out in a Tsim Sha Tsui hotel room after receiving a final, cryptic text from his girlfriend, his face illuminated by a laptop screen showing a map of Hong Kong with seven coordinates circled in red.
Tensions rise within the Lung Hing Triad as an elder, Chung Chi-wah, suddenly falls ill, coughing up blood and causing chaos among the ranks. At the same time, another operative, Anna, successfully plants a listening device in the cigar box of a powerful figure named Chiang Kwun, who grows dangerously suspicious when he learns of Gordon's true identity.
The episode's climax unfolds on the private yacht of a tycoon, Chow Hung. Ho's cover is nearly blown when a simple question about his alma mater makes Chow suspicious. Just as Ho notices a sticker for the "EGM Fund" on the yacht's console, an alert for an abnormal bank transfer flashes. On cue from Anna, Chow Hung's brother, Chow Kit, pulls a gun, and a chaotic firefight erupts. During the battle, Ho recognizes a snake tattoo on Chow Kit's neck, linking him to a cold case from a Bangkok bombing three years prior.
The situation turns desperate when Ho's partner, Fok Kai-chuen, is taken hostage. In a stunning act of sacrifice, Fok tears open his shirt to reveal a bulletproof vest and leaps into the sea, creating a diversion.
In the aftermath, a maliciously edited video of the incident goes viral, further damaging the police force's reputation. Ho Ho-fai is grounded, with his superior, Shao Feng, handing him transfer papers. The personal cost of the job is also glimpsed through a scene with Choi Cheuk-yan, who is seen with her sleeping son and packed luggage.
The episode ends on a new lead. The forensics report on Fok Kai-chuen's body reveals seven gunshot wounds. While studying the report, Ho Ho-fai discovers a hidden burner phone. On it, an encrypted email from the fugitive Gordon contains a single coordinate: Two International Finance Centre, setting the stage for the next chapter of the conspiracy.
