Cheung Kwok Wing Boldly Thrust Forward to Refute Kai Yee Lin

Source: City Magazine (1985) Zha Hsiaohsin

http://lesliecheung.cc/Magazine/1985/metropolitan/text.htm


Translated by Daydreamer


Immediately upon his return from Thailand after paying homage to a Buddha’s temple, Cheung Kwok Wing accepted this magazine’s interview.

He said, “This is going to be the last time for me to mention this matter again. After this, I will not respond to any other related questions any more. I wanted to handle this matter in a low profile.” But in the over-an-hour long conversation, he still had refuted point-by-point all the accusations made by Kai Yee Lin, “because I trust you”, he said.

In other words, this is an exclusive interview.

Chan Suk Fun (Florence Chan), the manager of the Recording Department of Capital Artists, set up the meeting at the “Ching Wen Pavilion Restaurant” in the Jockey Club as this place was quiet. In advance, Florence asked, “Do you mind if I am present?”

Cheung Kwok Wing arrived even more punctual than normal. Walking with lively footsteps and swaying the car keys in his hand, his skin was more tanned than we saw him at his concerts. He appeared even more healthier. As soon as he sat down, he said naughtily, “Hi, why choosing “Ching Wan Pavillon” Restaurant, is it because everyone longs for a meteoric rise?” I said, “You are the one who has a meteoric rise.” He smiled.

He opened up the subject himself, “Up to now, I or my company has not received any letter from any lawyer.”

Data collection

On the other hand, he has already notified his own lawyer to collect information and look out for the progress of the matter. “Basically, I should not say anything, because anything that I say may be used as evidence in the court.”

Kai Yee Lin has indicated that for four years, she has collected all the news about Cheung Kwok Wing and the speeches he made and they were being kept in her lawyer’s office, just in case one day she was being referred to as a swindler.

“Did the lawyer say anything about the situation, good or bad?” “I will not know until I actually receive a letter from the lawyer and go to court.”

“Actually, what has Kai Yee Lin done to make you think that she was a swindler?” This is the key issue of the matter. Cheung Kwok Wing declared his position and said, “We do not want to associate the word “swindler” with anyone.” This however was the word he used when he broadcast his autobiography at the radio station.

“Did the word slip out of your month just too quickly and without much thought?” Cheung Kwok Wing was getting very nervous and said, “I never acknowledged that I had said the wrong thing. I have a lot of friends and I will classify them accordingly, and one type is called the “swindler”. He kept moving his hands in all directions while speaking trying to express himself. “In that case, what has your friend done or how did she deceive you to deserve being called a “swindler?” As if choosing his words carefully, he blew out the smoke in one long steady billow and said, “In broadcasting my autobiography in the radio station, I got the choice of not mentioning this matter, but I thought since it was an autobiography, I should not make a facade speech in a perfunctory way. That’s why I recounted my past events with many people’s names being mentioned. If I said I had known A some years ago, loved her very much, but today A, who is a married woman, after listening to this autobiography, came out and said that Cheung Kwok Wing was trying to ruin her relationship with her husband and sued me, isn’t it just going to make things endless? I certainly was not trying to hurt anybody. Basically, my attitude and manner towards my autobiography was correct.” With respect to the content of the autobiography, Florence has not expressed any opinion.

We couldn’t get along well with each other

“Really”, Cheung Kwok Wing continued, “have I ever mentioned the name of that woman in my autobiography at all? Right now, I am an entertainer with some substance. Whatever I said must contain, in a certain degree, some substance and authenticity. I thought that since it was an autobiography, I must treat it seriously. That’s why I had said something that I didn’t necessarily have to say. To recollect something good, I will disclose the name of the people concerned; but on the contrary, I will try to bring it out gently, so that I may face the audience without any guilt, and at the same time, I won’t offend my friends. But all of a sudden, someone came out and said that she was the woman I described, this is something out of my control, I could just treat it as a joke.” He smiled lightly.

I told him, “Kai Yee Lin said that she could ask the friends whom both of you know to prove that she was the one you were talking about.” “If she has to send me her lawyer’s letter, let her do so.” Cheung Kwok Wing spread out his two arms while saying this.

I asked, “Did you actually know Kai Yee Lin and cohabit with her for six months?” “I once have had a good LOVE STORY. As far as I may recall, the longest relationship I have ever had did not last for more than three months. Some woman said that she had cohabited with some man for six months, I don’t know who has a poorer memory.”

“Do you still remember the year and month that you and she were together?” He raised his eyebrows, thought for a while, and said, “I don’t remember, really, I don’t remember.” (According to Kai Yee Lin, it was January to July of 1980). After a little pause, he said, “Furthermore, a certain woman said a certain man had given her a Chopard watch as a gift, and that certain man’s income at that time was merely $3,000, how could he afford to give her a Chopard watch?” Everyone knows fairly well who that “certain man” was.

Florence then said, “He loves to send gifts to people. The gifts he gave to other singers at Capital Artists were all brand name stuff. He always sends gifts to people.” “Right, some times I will give the cloths from Swan to Michael [Michael Lai, songwriter and producer]. Just recently, I have given a LV to Florence, it does not matter to me.” “Do you just send out presents on special occasions only?” Florence shook her head and said, “He will do so any time. Whenever he comes across something that he thinks is suitable to that person, he will buy it for him.”

“Have you ever given her a pair of Cartier earrings?” He raised his head a bit and said after a pause, “Don’t remember. I have bought too many stuff, I don’t remember anymore.” Kai Yee Lin expressed that Cheung Kwok Wing wanted her to buy a house and a car in order to get married, to this, Cheung Kwok Wing said, “Everything must have evidence, has a house been purchased? With respect to the Benz 380SLC sport car, you may go to the dealer and ask. Right now that car costs some $40,000. Even four years ago, it cost more than $30,000. Anyone who has ever placed an order with the Benz dealer knows that a 10% deposit is required, and not merely $10,000 (Kai Yee Lin said her $10,000 deposit has gone astray). Besides, Mercedes-Benz is a big company. Every single transaction has its documentary proof. You better go and look it up.” Due to the deadline for this article, I have not been had a chance to contact the car dealership.

Declares his position

“What I found most interesting is that some woman said that she and some man shared the same bed for six months, but then they never had any sexual intercourse. After they separated, she had attempted to commit suicide twice ….”. “She said she attempted to commit suicide once”, I told him what I knew.

“Oh! I am not so clear about that. I only listened to what people said. Fine, let it be only once. Why did she love that man that much?” Cheung once again refuted Kai Yee Lin’s word. Kai Yee Lin said that Cheung Kwok Wing proposed to her at that time.

“Have you ever thought of getting married in the past?” He thought for a little while and then nodded, “Yes, I have thought about it at the time when I was happy.” Before answering each question, Cheung Kwok Wing would think carefully showing a lot of caution.

“Have you ever proposed to her?” “Have I?” he asked.

“In all these years, how many girl friends have you ever had?” “Several,” he did not want to count, “more than three.” “Less than ten?” I asked. He nodded and said, “Teresa Mo and Ngai See Pui were once my girlfriends.”

“According to your reckoning, why did she come out to accuse you only after having separated for four years?” This time he shook his head, “I don’t know,” and as if having thought of something, he said, “It’s all because of you, since you said my singing contract worth five stories in the mid-level, that’s why it attracted so many criticism.” He said with a smile, making a joke on me.

“At that time, why did you two separate?” “We separated because our disposition did not compromise.”

“Can you explain it in a more concrete way?” “It was due to the accumulation of many small details, and then we discovered that our disposition was in two extremes.” Cheung Kwok Wing mentioned that after separation, they met once on the street and they nodded to each other and said, “Hi.” Kai Yee Lin said, however, that even after they separated, they had supper together on Valentine’s Day. After having learnt a lesson from a previous mistake, every time before Cheung Kwok Wing spoke, he would think carefully.

Kai Yee Lin is the divorced wife of Lily Ho’s [Lily Ho was a famous movie star in the 60’s] elder brother Ho Hing Wah. I called Lily Ho to enquire about the matter relating to Kai Yee Lin. After indicating my purpose, Lily Ho paused for a while and then said, “I don’t want to talk about her. That’s my elder brother’s family matter. I do not want to cause any unnecessary impact. Sorry, I cannot help you, in any case, that is their own business.” The phone was hung up. Cheung said, “My sister Cheung Lok Ping treated this matter the same way. She has not expressed any opinion. My friends do not raise this issue. Actually this is not a big deal. This incident has more or less affected my image, but I am not worried about it. Hong Kong people forget things easily. The death of Barbara Yung (a famous TV artist who had killed herself in the early 80s) has caused some sensation for a while, but hasn’t everything been quieted down now?”. However, there is someone out there who will not forget easily.