Election (2007) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Kun announces his candidacy shortly after being released from prison, challenging his former godfather Lok for the leadership position. His bold move reflects his ambition to rise within the triad hierarchy, and he is unwilling to wait for Lok's promised turn in the next election. This creates immediate tension as Kun's candidacy threatens Lok's plans for a second term.

Foreshadowing: Kun's early announcement sets the stage for the brutal power struggle that follows throughout the film.

• kun
• chairman election
• prison
• Triad Wo Lin Shing
• power struggle

Lok decides to back Jet's candidacy instead of Kun's, despite Jet's reckless reputation that concerns the triad elders. Lok believes supporting Jet will strengthen his own position and maintain his influence over the organization. Jet's contentious nature makes him a controllable asset, whereas Kun's ambition poses a direct threat to Lok's continued leadership.

Foreshadowing: Lok's strategic choice to elevate Jet reveals his willingness to manipulate those he sees as malleable.

• Lok
• Jet
• candidate
• Triad elders
• support

Jimmy hesitates because he wants to transition his business operations in Mainland China from illegal activities to legitimate enterprise. He fears that becoming involved in triad leadership will jeopardize his progress and attract police attention. The elders view him as a strong candidate, but his desire to go straight conflicts with the criminal obligations of the chairman role.

Foreshadowing: Jimmy's internal conflict between legality and criminal loyalty drives much of his decision-making throughout the film.

• Jimmy
• legitimate business
• Mainland China
• hesitation
• Triad elders

After Jimmy and Lik are arrested during a bribery trip to Mainland China, high-ranking policeman Xi secures their release. Xi makes clear that Jimmy's business prospects in China depend on him becoming the next chairman of Wo Lin Shing. Xi demands Jimmy cooperate with Mainland police and demonstrate patriotic loyalty to the government in exchange for his freedom and future business success.

Foreshadowing: Xi's intervention establishes the dangerous entanglement between triad leadership and Mainland authorities.

• Xi
• Mainland police
• arrest
• Jimmy
• cooperation
• patriotic

Jimmy hires hitman Bo to murder Lik after suspecting him of being a police informant. Lik had been promoted to work closely with Jimmy, making the betrayal particularly damaging. Following a warning from the triad elders about Jimmy's actions, Jimmy decides Lik must be eliminated to protect his position and prevent further infiltration by law enforcement.

Foreshadowing: Jimmy's paranoia about informants reveals the pervasive mistrust that defines triad politics.

• Jimmy
• Lik
• murder
• informant
• Bo
• hired killer

The Dragonhead Baton is the emblem of leadership authority within the Wo Lin Shing triad. Lok conceals the baton in Mainland China as a strategic move to maintain power and control over the organization. By hiding this symbol of authority, Lok attempts to prevent any challenger from easily taking over, using it as leverage in his political maneuvering.

Foreshadowing: The baton's隐藏 foreshadows the lengths Lok will go to cling to power.

• Dragonhead Baton
• leadership symbol
• Lok
• authority
• hidden

Under pressure from triad elder Uncle Teng, who predicts Jimmy's imminent ascendance, Lok makes the desperate decision to murder his rivals. Fearing losing control of the organization, Lok sends Jet to kill Jimmy as a final attempt to retain his grip on power. This act of extreme violence demonstrates the brutal realities of triad leadership where survival often requires eliminating threats.

Foreshadowing: Uncle Teng's prediction about Jimmy's rise directly triggers Lok's fatal decision.

• Lok
• murder
• Uncle Teng
• Jet
• Jimmy
• desperation

Lok is betrayed and killed at the hands of those he once trusted, marking the tragic culmination of his ruthless pursuit of power. His extreme measures and manipulation of others ultimately backfire, as the bitter rivalry he fostered leads to his downfall. The cycle of betrayal that defined his leadership claims his life.

Foreshadowing: Throughout the film, Lok's manipulation of Jet and other subordinates plants the seeds for his ultimate betrayal.

• Lok
• death
• betrayal
• killed
• chairman
• downfall

Jimmy learns of his wife's unexpected pregnancy as he assumes the chairmanship, forcing him to confront the legacy he is creating. This revelation intensifies his desire to leave the violent triad world behind and build a different future for his family. The pregnancy represents hope for change, though his continued involvement in the triad threatens those aspirations.

Foreshadowing: Jimmy's struggle between family and criminal enterprise mirrors his earlier hesitation about the chairman position.

• Jimmy
• wife
• pregnancy
• family
• legacy
• future

After Jimmy ascends to chairmanship, Xi hands him the Dragonhead Baton seized from Lok's ally, symbolizing Jimmy's new obligation to Mainland authorities. Jimmy finds himself entangled in a web of control and obligation to Xi, who expects cooperation. The precarious relationship sets the stage for future conflict as Jimmy struggles between his duties to the triad and his desire for autonomy.

Foreshadowing: Xi's control over Jimmy was established the moment Xi freed him in China.

• Jimmy
• Xi
• Dragonhead Baton
• conflict
• Mainland
• obligation

Jet's unsettling confrontation with Jimmy and his wife reveals that Jet has been manipulated by Lok throughout the election process. Lok uses Jet as a disposable pawn, sending him to carry out violent tasks while controlling him through promises of power. This manipulation becomes clear as Jet executes Lok's orders without understanding the full picture of the political maneuvering.

Foreshadowing: Jet's reckless reputation makes him an easy target for Lok's manipulation.

• Jet
• Lok
• manipulation
• pawn
• controlled

Kun executes a daring operation kidnapping Mr. Kwok, Jimmy's financial backer, and locks him in a coffin alongside Big-Head. This ruthless tactic aims to pressure Jimmy into withdrawing from the chairmanship race by threatening his financial support. Kun's bold move demonstrates the extreme measures candidates will take to eliminate competition.

Foreshadowing: The kidnapping escalates the conflict between Kun and Jimmy, setting up retaliatory actions.

• Kun
• Mr. Kwok
• kidnap
• coffin
• Big-Head
• financial backer

Jimmy hires the hitman Bo to eliminate his rivals and maintain his grip on power during the election battle. Bo becomes Jimmy's primary weapon in the violent struggle, carrying out the murder of Lik and later assisting in Jimmy's broader strategy against Lok's men. Jimmy's willingness to employ external force reflects the desperation and brutality of the triad power struggle.

Foreshadowing: Bo's skills as a killer make him a valuable but dangerous asset for Jimmy.

• Jimmy
• Bo
• hitman
• hired killer
• assassination