TVB drama The City of Splendor premieres with Macau succession battle
TVB anniversary drama The City of Splendor premiered on Jade on October 12, launching a 20-episode run centered on a Macau billionaire family and a high-stakes corporate succession battle. Produced by Chan Wai-kuan, the series stars Julian Cheung, Julian Ng, and a large ensemble cast in a story exploring corporate conflict and personal betrayal.
Macau Family Succession Battle Sets the Stage
The series is set against the backdrop of the powerful Sun Lee Fung Group in Macau. Group chairman Kwok Chi-sum, played by David Chiang, implements a Darwinian management philosophy that pits his two sons against one another. The two brothers are appointed as joint chief executive officers, a move designed by their father to provoke open rivalry for control of the conglomerate.
To undermine his brother and his ambitious wife, Wang Xueying, played by Zhang Xiwen, the elder brother Hau-yin arranges a political marriage. He weds Hong Hoi-wan, a former Hong Kong prosecutor portrayed by Gao Haining. The marriage serves as a strategic alliance aimed at striking at his younger brother while avenging past grievances, as Hoi-wan and Xueying share a history as estranged childhood friends in Macau’s Ten-First-Five Street.
According to stheadline.com, the opening episodes introduce rapid conflict as Kwok Chi-sum faces a sudden kidnapping, and the brothers vie for crucial board votes. Hau-yin uses compromising materials supplied by his secret lover, journalist Kwok Tsz-wun, played by Chan Hiu-wa, to secure a boardroom advantage before his marriage reshapes the family dynamics.
Hoi-Wan and Xueying Compete for Neighborhood Authorization Signatures
As the succession race intensifies, the narrative moves to the revitalisation project of the Ten-First-Five Street, designated by the chairman as the final test for the brothers. Stheadline.com reported that Hoi-wan and Xueying face off directly to gather neighborhood authorization signatures, altering the balance of power within the board.
Further twists unfold as characters deal with corporate scandals and outside pressures. In coverage from Sing Tao Daily 星島日報加拿大, the third episode features a dramatic sequence involving Chan Hiu-wa’s character, whose storyline reaches a tragic turning point during the wedding events. Her performance garnered significant audience attention and online discussion regarding the emotional intensity of the early episodes.
The ensemble cast also features seasoned performers including Kung Tsz-yan, Chen Wei, Jiang Meiyi, and Zheng Zicheng, who populate the corporate boardrooms and family estates as key allies and antagonists. The production utilizes location filming in Macau, supported by local sponsorships, to anchor its portrayal of elite wealth and bitter family feuds.