CONTINUED FROM PART 2
NO GLAMOUR IN TRIADS
The triads are not as glamorous as movies portray; movies only glorify them. There is a saying “out of ten bad boys, nine are truly wicked.” The triads exploit you. When you’re young, a big group of people follows a boss to eat and drink. A single look or bump can spark a fight; they boss people around, thinking it’s cool, but in reality, it’s just the many bullying the few.
There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. These bosses exploit the ignorance and mindset of young people, taking advantage of human weakness. They will never provide free food, drink, entertainment, or drugs long term. At first, they lure you into drug use so you get addicted. When you can no longer escape, you have to pay the price. You don’t think carefully about the consequences for the money to buy drugs, accepting them happily. They will tell you to do drugs or commit robberies — anything to make money. Some get lucky and don’t get caught by the police despite committing many crimes, but many get arrested the first time. For a reward of tens of thousands or only a few thousand, you suffer more than a decade in prison. Not everyone is that lucky.
I want to share a true story here.
There was a 30-year-old young gangster who fell deep into drug addiction. His triad boss asked him to go to Europe to smuggle a batch of ivory powder into Hong Kong. The payment was HK$30,000. The young gangster thought he could go to France and the Netherlands with his girlfriend for free, since his boss covered the airfare and hotel stay, plus a daily allowance of 150 euros. Having worked for the boss for nearly 10 years, he believed he wouldn’t be cheated, so he accepted the job.
During their days in France and the Netherlands, he and his girlfriend visited many famous landmarks and posted many photos on Facebook, looking happy. Until he picked up a suitcase that had been prepared in advance while in the Netherlands. At first, he noticed there seemed to be a problem, so he called his boss before boarding the plane. His boss told him not to worry; it was only ivory powder, and if customs found it, he would face at most six months in jail. If he refused to bring the suitcase back to Hong Kong, he would be responsible for the loss of HK$1 million.
Even then, the young gangster chose to trust his boss, thinking he wouldn’t harm him and that he couldn’t afford the HK$1 million loss himself. So he checked the luggage and boarded the plane back to Hong Kong. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, when retrieving the luggage, customs arrested him on suspicion of drug trafficking. When authorities opened the suitcase, they found a batch of powder which, after testing, turned out to be 15 kilograms of methamphetamine. After analysis, it was confirmed to contain 13 kilograms of methamphetamine.
During his remand, his boss never came to visit him, and his so-called brothers only visited a few times at the beginning and then stopped. Only his family visited him, and his boss seemingly vanished without a trace. Since he truly didn’t know it was drugs and had WhatsApp messages proving that the batch was merely ivory powder, he chose to plead not guilty. But ultimately, the judge and jury found him guilty and sentenced him to 27 years in prison, with a one-third remission for good behavior in prison, resulting in an 18-year sentence.
This is a true story. People in the triads can exploit those around them for profit and money. Because of drug addiction and the pursuit of money, one can embark on a path of no return, risking 18 years of imprisonment for a few dollars. How many 18-year periods are there in a lifetime? By the time of release, one would already be 48 years old.
This story illustrates two things: first, the fearlessness of triads — for money and profit, they can betray and use even those they’ve known for ten years. Second, the horror of drugs — drug addiction drives people to seek quick cash, sacrificing 18 years of freedom for money. The loss is not only personal freedom but also harm to the family.
Therefore, cherish your family, your friends, and yourself. Life is precious; don’t make wrong choices that lead to lifelong regrets. No matter what happens, your family’s door will always be open to you. Don’t blame others or fate; many things and paths are chosen by ourselves. No matter what setbacks happen, face them positively; don’t avoid them, and don’t use setbacks as an excuse.
Many people turn to drugs because of setbacks, and some even end their lives due to emotional distress caused by drugs. Life can be wonderful and meaningful. Some cherish life but still encounter tragedy, giving up their precious lives. Like my daughter, who, to save her friend, unarmed, rushed to pull her away from harm. Though my daughter ultimately lost her precious life to that attacker, how many people could be so brave, selflessly saving a friend?
My daughter was only 22 years old and hadn’t experienced or done many things yet. She was just an ordinary girl growing up in a single-parent family, yet she was so brave because she deeply understood the preciousness of life. Although raised in a single-parent family, she was very proactive about her future, working hard and learning skills. She never complained or felt inferior and was the joy of our family and friends. She cherished herself and the people around her, treasured her relationships and their lives. Therefore, I hope everyone in the world cherishes their own life. Life is priceless and precious. Many people who want to live find themselves unable to survive, but many others end their lives because of setbacks. Suicide not only wastes one’s life but also hurts those around them. When facing setbacks, we should bravely confront them and find ways to solve problems. Suicide or turning to drugs is just avoiding problems and shirking responsibility.
Using my own experience and the story of my daughter, I don’t know how many people I can help to change themselves and pull back from the wrong path, but I sincerely hope to help even one. In the future, I hope to speak out to some young people who have lost their way or gone astray. I have experienced what they are going through. I am a living example — without walking back to the right path, life remains full of darkness like mine.
Drugs are a terrible and frightening weapon, not only harming oneself but also hurting those around. Drugs can alienate you from everyone, breaking up families as mine was shattered, leaving futures destroyed, unchecked emotions, and leading to choices of quick money through drug dealing or robbery, resulting in frequent imprisonments, sometimes for long stretches.
wasted life
From being imprisoned in my teens and twenties until my release at 40, important years of life are spent behind bars. What meaning is there in a life spent 30-plus years in jail? After release, I hope to find a legitimate job and restart a normal life, as well as help lost young people by joining volunteer groups and doing meaningful things.
Having done too many bad things in the past, I really want to do good now. I have wasted so much time, going around in circles, and am now back to square one. If I had chosen to be a normal person initially, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time. But we can’t turn back time or live in regrets. I firmly believe the saying, “It’s never too late if you have the heart.”
Even the smartest, richest person, once touched by drugs, will be destroyed. Some young people may think my words mean you lack willpower or you failed to control the drugs. They may believe I am smarter or better than them, able to use drugs without falling into addiction, choosing when to use and when not to. But anyone thinking like that will end up ruined by drugs. Falling into drug addiction is falling into a devil’s trap that harms humanity.
Note: This letter has been translated from its original in Chinese. Switch language to read the original letter.