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The Tricky Master (1999) movie poster

Plot Summary

The Tricky Master (1999) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
1999 · 93 mins · Cantonese
Starring
Stephen Chow, Sandra Ng Kwan Yue, Wong Jing, Tats Lau Yee-Tat, Kingdom Yuen King-Tan, Tenky Tin Kai-Man

Undercover cop Leung Foon struggles to dismantle the illegal trading ring run by the crime boss Ferrari. To boost his chances, he turns to the celebrated Master Wong, a renowned gambling‑trick expert, hoping Wong’s cunning skills will tip the balance in their favor.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 What happens: full plot
  2. 2 Plot questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like The Tricky Master
  5. 5 Every angle

Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in The Tricky Master: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of The Tricky Master (1999) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Leung Foon, Nick Cheung Ka-Fai, is a happy-go-lucky police detective at the Happy Valley Police Station. He works under a formidable superior nicknamed "Thousand Faced Man" and is handed a mission that promises a long-awaited promotion. After an undercover operation to protect a millionaire’s daughter nearly falls apart, Leung grows weary of this kind of work and presses for a real, big-time case—one that could change his career.

Eventually the assignment lands on his desk: bring the big-time swindler Ferrari, Wong Jing, to justice. It’s a test he hopes will prove he’s ready for the kind of role he believes he deserves, even though he’s just failed a supposed "preparedness test." Leung’s first move is to go undercover as an invited guest along Ferrari’s coast, a setup designed to let him observe from within the bubble of high-stakes deception.

On the sunny shore, he crosses paths with First Love, a con-woman masquerading as a sweet, cool girl; Kelly Lin Hsi-Lei plays the part to lure him in, even asking for his number and leaving a vulgar message on his phone. The encounter is interrupted when Fat Pig, one of Ferrari’s formidable henchmen, splashes him at the beach, and Leung is whisked away to Ferrari’s mansion to become one of the swindler’s security guards.

Soon Leung discovers he’s been tricked: Ferrari has encrypted all his servers with a computer virus, wiping out crucial data and turning the investigation on its head. In a bid to salvage something for evidence, Leung attempts to burn a CD from one of the compromised machines, a desperate move that underscores how deep his plans have to go. With trust shattered and his career on the line, he reaches out to Master Wong, Stephen Chow, a famed conman who is also Pizza’s brother-in-law. Leung and Pizza, Suki Kwan Sau-Mei, had crossed paths before in Macau and didn’t part on good terms, but now their tangled history will push him toward a sharper, more cunning path.

To learn from Master Wong and to craft a new kind of skill set, Leung steps into a world where deception becomes a tool, and vengeance begins to harden his resolve. The journey becomes not just a chase for justice, but a transformation as he moves from a traditional detective toward a man who could navigate the gray areas of identity, loyalty, and ambition in a story that tests how far he’ll go to reclaim his career—and redefine who he is.

Last updated: February 17, 2026 at 19:57

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Plot questions answered

The Tricky Master Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about The Tricky Master (1999): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why did Leung Foon push for the Ferrari case?

Leung Foon was tired of small-time undercover operations and wanted a big case that could earn him a long-awaited promotion. His superior, the Thousand Faced Man, had been promising him this opportunity, and Leung believed bringing down a notorious swindler like Ferrari would prove he was ready for a higher-ranking role in the police force.

  • Leung Foon
  • Ferrari
  • promotion
  • undercover
  • police
Q2

How did Ferrari trick Leung at the mansion?

Ferrari anticipated Leung's undercover operation and encrypted all his server data with a computer virus, completely wiping out the crucial evidence needed for the case. When Leung tried to burn a CD from one of the compromised machines to salvage something, the plan had already failed, leaving him with nothing to prosecute Ferrari.

Foreshadowing: First Love's deceptive encounter on the beach, where she asked for Leung's number and left a vulgar message, hinted that Ferrari's operation was already aware of Leung's presence.

  • Ferrari
  • virus
  • encryption
  • evidence
  • servers
Q3

Who is First Love and what is her role?

First Love is a con-woman working with Ferrari's operation. She masquerades as a sweet, innocent girl to lure targets, as seen when she approached Leung at the beach and asked for his phone number, leaving a vulgar message to manipulate him. She is part of Ferrari's network of deceivers.

  • First Love
  • con-woman
  • Ferrari
  • deception
Q4

Why did Leung lose his job?

Leung lost his job because Ferrari's virus wiped out all the evidence on the servers, making it impossible to build a case against the crime boss. With no evidence and a failed operation, the police department fired Leung, leaving his career in ruins.

  • Leung Foon
  • fired
  • job loss
  • evidence
Q5

Why does Leung go to Master Wong for help?

After losing his job and facing professional ruin, Leung decides to seek Master Wong, a famed conman, to learn deception techniques. Leung hopes that by understanding how con artists work, he can develop new skills to outsmart Ferrari and salvage his career through a smarter undercover approach.

  • Master Wong
  • Stephen Chow
  • conman
  • training
  • revenge
Q6

What is the relationship between Leung and Pizza?

Leung and Pizza had met before in Macau and didn't part on good terms due to their tangled history. However, when Leung decides to seek Master Wong's help, Pizza becomes essential to the plan because she is Master Wong's sister-in-law, making her the bridge to access his con artistry training.

  • Pizza
  • Suki Kwan
  • Master Wong
  • Macau
Q7

What happens when Fat Pig takes Leung to Ferrari's mansion?

Fat Pig, one of Ferrari's formidable henchmen, splashes Leung at the beach and then takes him to Ferrari's mansion, but not as an undercover operative - instead, Ferrari tricks him into becoming one of his security guards. This trap catches Leung off guard and marks a turning point where he realizes he has been outmaneuvered.

  • Fat Pig
  • Ferrari
  • mansion
  • security guard
  • trap
Q8

What does Leung learn from Master Wong in Macau?

In Macau, Master Wong trains Leung in the art of deception, disguise, and manipulation. This training montage shows Leung developing conman skills that will allow him to operate in the gray areas of identity and loyalty, giving him the tools needed to take on Ferrari with a smarter approach.

  • Master Wong
  • training
  • deception
  • Macau
  • skills

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Tricky Master, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Tricky Master tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Unlikely Mentor Duo Movies like The Tricky Master

An unlikely hero must learn the tricks of a cunning master to overcome a powerful foe. If you liked the dynamic of an undercover cop learning from a master swindler in The Tricky Master, you'll enjoy these other movies featuring a novice and a cunning mentor. Find films with similar comedic energy and playful deception.

  • mentor-student
  • cunning
  • playful
  • underdog
  • training
  • comedic duo
  • Tone: light, mischievous, comedic
  • Pacing: fast, energetic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives follow the 'student-mentor' arc, where an underdog protagonist's success hinges on mastering the unorthodox methods of an expert trickster. The plot is driven by training sequences, escalating challenges, and the comedic friction between the duo's contrasting personalities.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here because they share a specific character dynamic: the growth of a naive hero under the tutelage of a whimsical, cunning master. The shared tone is lighthearted and playful, focusing on cleverness overcoming obstacles.

Playful Con Artist Capers like The Tricky Master

Lighthearted stories of clever cons, playful deceptions, and mischievous schemes. Looking for more movies like The Tricky Master? This list features comedies about con artists and clever tricks, capturing the same lighthearted and mischievous vibe of playful deception and cunning schemes.

  • con artist
  • mischievous
  • clever
  • swindler
  • playful
  • tricks
  • Tone: light, playful, cunning
  • Pacing: fast, energetic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a series of escalating cons or a single major scheme, where the fun is in watching the clever plan unfold. The plot is straightforward, driven by the 'how-to' of the deception, with twists that delight rather than shock.

Why they belong together: These movies are united by their focus on cunning and trickery presented as a form of playful entertainment. The mood is consistently comedic and energetic, prioritizing the joy of a well-executed swindle over heavy drama.

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Every angle

The Tricky Master (1999) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Tricky Master in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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