Chao Tei Triad

The Chao Tei, or 'Eight Thunders' Triad, is the dominant force behind organised crime in Asia.  It began as one of the Five Families that control all triad activity in Hong Kong, but when the seemingly ageless mobster Kao Chun assumed control in the 1920s he cultivated its growth from minor crime family to ruling power and multi-billion dollar business (See The Syndicate).

The Chao Tei have their fingers in everything, from racketeering and narcotics to construction and gambling.  Their ruthlessness is legendary, though police have noticed that in recent years they are more reluctant to use violence to achieve their ends.  However, their reputation is such that few other criminal organisations dare to contest their control of Asia and the Pacific Rim.

Laos has tangled with the Chao Tei on numerous occasions, for his relatives are powerful figures in the Triad and they do not appreciate his chosen path.  As with all modern criminal organisations the Chao Tei's illicit enterprises are hidden behind legitimate businesses.  Their main 'front' company is the HTG Corporation of Hong Kong, a trading and manufacturing conglomerate that many analysts put on a par with Japan's famous Sumitomo Group.

Kao Chun himself is an ancient-looking Chinese with long white hair and a drooping moustache.  In short, he could play Fu Manchu without any need of makeup.  Allies and foes alike speak in whispers of his agelessness and the palpable aura of power that surrounds him like a howling wind.  The latter may well have something to do with the red dragon tattoos on his forearms, images that writhe and twist whenever Kao Chun is enraged.