*WARNING*: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. If you DO NOT want to be spoiled, please DO NOT read. You have been warned.
Ah Chuen (Sonija Kwok), Zoe (Yoyo Mung), and Rainy (Halina Tam) were three best friends since high school–who were also known to be sworn sisters. Their lives had taken on different paths as in career and leisure but they still remained close after all these years.
Ah Chuen was happily married to a Taxi driver, Zeng Wing Hong (Derek Kwok), and was pregnant with their first child. They had quite a few good news having worked so hard all these years for it. They had nothing more to ask since they were satisfied with their current status. Bad luck struck when Wing Hong was involved in an accident and being the party at fault for not reacting fast enough thus causing the consequences. In compensation, they had to pay one million for the damage.
Zoe, on the other hand, was still dating her boyfriend of seven years, Lee Chi Lun (Raymond Cho), who was a hard working man. Although Zoe was proud of Lun and was supportive of his efforts, her family thought otherwise. Zoe silently wished to get married too but did not dare to open her mouth, fearing that Lun would misunderstand it for persistence. Facing the pressures from both Zoe’s family and his boss, Lun wanted to prove to them both that he could succeed.
Rainy chose a different path from her friends, wishing to become a successful businesswoman. Though single, she was proud of her work and hoped that her efforts will pay off one day. Perhaps, her urge to bring in several more major customers and/or projects was her downfall because it led to her succumbing to other alternatives of seeking financial benefits.
A possible solution presented itself to solve everyone’s problems when Lun’s boss presented a new land redevelopment project involving several areas, including a rundown apartment building. Lun, who was lured in by Rainy several times of a possible collaboration, finally consulted with Rainy of the new project thus leaking out the secret. It was supposed to be a way out for them all, especially Ah Chuen and Wing Hong’s urgent financial needs. Not to mention Lun finally having a large sum of money to impress Zoe’s family and in getting married.
The gig was actually to move into the apartment building and wait for the compensation fees to arrive thus reaping in at the end. Ah Chuen and Wing Hong would pose as two strangers moving into two of the apartments in that particular building. They would pretend not to know each other so that they would be compensated twice the amount. Rainy would arrange all the details since she was a realtor agent. With Lun’s information, all plans should work out in the end. All they had to do was be patient and wait for the result.
When Zoe learned of their conspiracy, she protested and objected against the whole matter, knowing that it was illegal since they had traded inside information and used it for their own benefit. However, Lun convinced her of the possibility of saving Ah Chuen and Wing Hong’s financial crisis and at the same time help them earn enough for an elegant wedding.
Ah Chuen and Wing Hong were more than grateful with their friends offering a solution to help them ease off the financial pressure. However, they did not know the consequences of it nor the actual laws covering that section. Ah Chuen even asked Rainy about the matter at first and Rainy covered it up by convincing Ah Chuen that they were just helping themselves and weren’t harming anyone.
Zoe watched silently as all plans proceeded. It was just one more month before they could collect their money and start anew. They had no idea that the ICAC was investigating the matter in the background, following their every move.
Lun and Zoe finally moved forward with preparing for their wedding. Ah Chuen, Zoe, and Rainy also returned to their high school to help in the yearly event, practicing their hit song “Yesterday Once More” with Ah Chuen holding onto the microphone and performing while Zoe and Rainy accompanied her by playing the music on their guitars.
Coincidentally, one of the ICAC investigators, Sam Sam (Fiona Sit), was actually the junior of the three women. It was a bit ironic to see Sam Sam having to arrest her seniors if they could find evidence that proved the three to be guilty. While she was being torn between admitting the cold facts in regard to what her seniors had done, she also had to reconsider what she had been trained to do all along–with the guidance by Henry (Raymond Wong).
As they were leaving the wedding parlor one time, Zoe spotted Rainy taking money from someone–possibly after having sold her new learned information to that person. Zoe was once again thrown into the obstacle of knowing and not telling. Perhaps it was a relief for everything to finally end as the ICAC team finally pushed forth to arrest Lun and Rainy because they had more than enough evidence.
Thoughts? It was actually a very touching story and the most in consideration for a lot of matters. It was good to put in how Sam Sam was torn in between her job and her seniors. The group of five were not bad in actuality but it was the circumstances they were facing that they chose to seek another alternative. Ah Chuen and Wing Hong did not know the consequences of it but Zoe knew yet she did not tell. Perhaps it might have been better to stomp on the urge to move forth with such a plan but it was not easy since the obstacle they were all in. When pressured, people choose other alternatives and possibly any to just find a way out. I think the one most guilty had to be Rainy since she had always wanted personal gain whether it was from Lun or someone totally different. She said that they were just helping themselves yet she ended up selling the information to others as well, bringing in even more money for herself. I could understand that Lun would go crazy with so much pressure and the need to prove himself. But he was not any better that he pressured Zoe into it with the whole “we’re just trying to help Ah Chuen and Hong” thing.
Cast? Was surprised that they put Sonija, Yoyo, Halina, Derek, and Raymond Cho into one but it was really cool to see their collaboration. I especially loved both pairings of Derek/Sonija and Raymond/Yoyo–once again. It was nice to see their pairing though it did seem repetitive yet just for a short span of about 40 minutes.
It was interesting to see Raymond Wong getting to supervise over someone this time around and guide her through the process. However, I rather have Jessica for this one as well and how she would continue to work with Raymond as a team. It would be interesting to know just a bit more about her character.
With all that said though, this was actually my favorite story since the friendship between Ah Chuen, Zoe, and Rainy was admirable though Rainy was more for her self-gained than the other two. The song “Yesterday Once More” was a nice companion to their friendship and past.
*Special thanks to *.marshmalloww for helping with some of the character names above.
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