THE YOUNG HEIRESS
—The Story —
Among Hongkong's teeming millions, Yu Yin-ching had lived a very lonely life. She was the illegitimate daughter of Millionaire Yu Tung, who was very fond of her, yet dared not acknowledge her publicly.
On the day Ying-ching became of age, Yu Tung, remorseful of the wrong he had done her, made a new will intending a quarter of his fortune for her provision. Later, very much drunk, he drove his car amidst a raging thunderstorm along the sea embankment at high speed. Suddenly his car slipped over the bank and fell into the sea. Yu Tung drowned.
The envelope enclosing his letter to his lawyer about the new will got adrift and was later carried by current into the hands of Be-wa, a fisherman's boy. Be-wa took it to a luxurious yacht to show his friend, Ah-cheng, a sailer. However, the latter was out, and his shipmate, Chang Hung-fat took the letter but brought it to Wang Chun-tong, a water-front Boss, who recognized its value.
Learning of the death of her father and now without support, Yin-ching called on Yu Tung's family to plead her right. However, she was driven away by Mrs. Yu and Keh-chia as an imposter. Keh-chia was Yu Tung's legitimate son with a mean and avaricious nature. His sister, Dellie, was sympathetic but overruled. Yin-chirg was thus forced to drop school and took a job as nightclub singer.
One of the dancers in the nightclub had been familiar with Yu Tung, she told Yin- ching that Yu Tung had been with her before the crash. When he left her that night, she saw the letter lying beside Yu Tung's seat in the car. Yin-ching went to inquire from the water front people one by one. At about the same time, Wang Chun-tong was trying to blackmail Mrs. Yu and Keh-chia. But his price for suppressing this letter was too high to them, who refused.
Yin-ching finally found Be-wa, who led her to Hung-fat asking for the letter back. Hung-fat tried to frighten her off, but was stopped by Ah-cheng, who compelled Hung-fat to confess.
They went to recover the letter from Wang Chun-tong's house. Wang's wife, Mei- kuh, was a very kindly woman. Learning of the injustice, she stole the letter from Wang's pocket and sent it by a shoe-shine boy to the waiting Ah-cheng in a teashop. Later, the theft was discovered; and Wang killed Mei-kuh in his rage.
The shoeshine boy misdelivered the letter to another man, and the letter disappeared again. After some days, an advertisement appeared on the newspaper for Yu Yin-ching to apply for the letter. Both Wang and Ah-cheng went, but aided by Hung-fat, Wang was able to overcome Ah-cheng and escape with the letter.
But he did not go far. Keh-chia was waiting outside with a car. He drove forward and hit Wang, who was killed on the spot. Keh-chia took the letter and tried to escape in his car. But he was so panic-stricken that he drove against a roadside boulder and crashed.
The letter was now recovered by Yin-ching. Yet her feeling toward it is one of strong repugnance, since her inheritance had already killed two men and also the innocent and kind Mei-kuh.