The Last Breakthrough (2004)

Cardiologist WONGPO FUN returned to the Ling Shiu Hospital in 1996. He persuaded a tycoon Mr CHING to have laser surgery, which was the latest technology to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels. While FUN was performing the surgery, his girlfriend HA HIU TUNG, a gynaecologist who worked for an international voluntary organization, the “Life Force”, in Kenya, was delivering a baby for a woman who had malaria. Unfortunately, the woman died from the labour, which depressed TUNG. When TUNG came back to Hong Kong, she tried to persuade FUN to go to Kenya with her. FUN proposed to her with a specially made key ring. She dropped the ring and was killed by a car when she tried to find it back on the road. FUN was devastated. He kept his promise to TUNG and set off to Kenya as a volunteer. He took a huge risk by helping to deliver a baby. Eight years later, FUN has become a gynaecologist and sets up his own clinic, the “Lung Shing”.… ...

HONG KIN needs a bone marrow transplant. KIU is sad after hearing the news. She loses her job when her boss mistakenly thinks she is not doing her work properly. FUN suspects that a young girl SIN was born without ovaries. SIN’s mother is shocked by his diagnosis. KIU has a job interview at the Ling Shiu Hospital. An old man feels unwell when the lift suddenly stops. KIU takes good care of him, which impresses one of the directors of the hospital KO KWAN. He recommends hiring KIU to the head of the hospital CHAI KA SHEUNG. KIU is thrilled. SIN wants to jump from a building after learning that she has no ovaries. Luckily, FUN talks her out of it. FUN decides to go to Kenya again. For fear of annoying his father KIN, he asks his sister HING for help. Unexpectedly, she tells him that she is very upset by the fact that she cannot marry her boyfriend SHEUNG even though they have been dating for nine years.… ...

HANG realises that he has accidentally swapped his rucksack with FUN’s. Luckily he meets CHING, a volunteer for Life Force, who brings him to see FUN in the clinic. HANG volunteers to inject vaccines for the villagers. CHING makes fun of him for being very educated in theory, but lacking practical experience. HANG picks up a girl’s necklace and puts it on for her when he is out to take some pictures. However, his kind act brings him trouble. CHING lies to the villagers that she is HANG’s wife to settle the matter. A villager’s leg is blown off by a land mine, requiring immediate operation. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of anaesthetic, so FUN uses an alternative herbal remedy. FUN talks about how he sold his father for two dollars. His funny story reminds HANG how much he hates his father SHEUNG. A villager has a heart attack when he is over excited.… ...

CHING complains that HANG acts like a big mummy’s boy. However, FUN admires him and says that he is like the old him. BRIAN, who is in charge of the administration, tells FUN that a tribe in southern Sudan did not show up for vaccine injections. FUN and SUSAN take the vaccines to the tribe. They encounter some gun fights on the way. In order to persuade the tribal head to let him vaccinate all the children in the tribe, FUN drinks a glass of poisoned wine. The Ling Shing Clinic is shut down because its paediatrician TUNG CHI SUM has measles. SUM complains about the itch, which bothers MD HE ZHENG a lot. KIU uses some hot water to bathe SUM to relieve his itch. HING and SHEUNG meet some old classmates having dinner with their family. She tries to let him know that he should propose to her soon. However, he only buys her two air tickets to East Europe, which annoys her. A pregnant woman KUEN’s foetus is out of place.… ...

SHEUNG does not show up at the WONGPO’s home for dinner. HING is furious and breaks up with him. FUN tells her to stay calm. She says that SHEUNG has never tried to face their problem in the past nine years. He also does not care about her feelings, so she has to make a decision. A teenage girl HUNG cannot accept her pregnancy and tries to jump from a height to get rid of the baby. FUN and ZHENG try hard to persuade her out of it. FUN advises SHEUNG to face reality. He thinks that HANG is warm in heart and will accept him and HEUNG’s marriage. SHEUNG suddenly visits the WONGPOs and proposes to marry HING. KIN rejects him, but HING agrees to marry him after he apologises and proposes to her. HANG shows up at the wedding, which pleases SHEUNG and HING immensely. FUN knows that the head nurse CHEUNG YEE WAH is not impressed with KIU’s work performance.… ...

KIU returns the key ring to FUN at the Ling Shing Clinic. She swears to prove her ability and work ethic to him. HANG is pleased when his grandmother CHOW KUK comes back to Hong Kong from Canada. KWAN tells SHEUNG that a patient Mrs FOK has a heart disorder and he wants to transfer her to the Ling Shiu Hospital. He also wants HANG to be in charge of her case. HANG is delighted to see CHING, who is raising some money on the street. He brings a cheque to the Lung Shing Clinic the next day, which makes FUN realise that HANG likes CHING. Mrs CHIN’s foetus is placed too far forward, which might endanger her and her baby’s lives. FUN agrees to deliver her even though it is highly risky. KIU is thankful for FUN asking her to help in the surgery. Mrs FOK interrogates HANG about whether he is confident about the operation. She even brings up about his mother CHI’s death. HANG returns home feeling very depressed.… ...

HANG goes back home with some breakfast and apologises to SHEUNG and HING. The father and son forgive each other. KWAN’s daughter SIU YAU was born with a heart disorder. She is admitted to the Ling Shiu hospital with carditis. YAU thinks that KIU is KWAN’s new girlfriend, so she lies that KIU has stolen her bracelet. Luckily, HANG saw YAU plant the bracelet in KIU’s bag. He scolds her for being selfish and abusing KWAN’s love. He tells her how he hated SHEUNG before and advises her to bless KWAN if he finds a new girlfriend. She changes her impression about him. He brings some desserts that CHING loves to the Lung Shing Clinic. SUM knows that he wants to pursue her, so he has a bet with him. On the other hand, SUM tells CHING to use this chance to blackmail and torture HANG. The school camping is cancelled. KIU cannot find HONG KIN at home and starts to worry. FUN helps her to find him and takes good care of him when he is feverish.… ...

HANG and SHEUNG argue over what technique they should use on KUK. Eventually, she opts for HANG’s suggestion. Something goes wrong during the operation, but HANG and SHEUNG work together to make it a success. Their marvellous performance is praised by the new Director BO MING HUEN. KWAN announces that he is going to marry HUEN. HANG buys CHING dinner, but she asks him to donate the money to the Life Force. He asks her to be his partner at KWAN’s engagement ceremony. She agrees on condition that she is allowed to raise money at the ceremony. During the ceremony, CHING’s auction raises quite a lot of money. YAU asks to buy CHING’s necklace. CHING takes it off for her, but HANG is angry because he specially ordered that necklace for her from France. CHING retorts that she does not believe he truly loves her. The necklace is just one of his many tricks to get a girl. He leaves angrily.… ...

A woman SUKI has a pre-marital checkup at the Ling Shing Clinic. FUN discovers that she has ovarian cancer. He tries to find a song, of which he doesn’t know the title, for her. KIU helps him to look for it until midnight. She finds it and takes it to the Clinic. KIU learns from ZHENG that FUN still misses TUNG. ZHENG praises his devoted love for her. KIU meets FUN outside the Clinic. She feels sad when FUN is cool to her and does not cherish the jacket that she gives him. SUKI avoids her fiance TONY. KIU tells her that not spending the last part of her life with her lover will bring her regret. FUN reveals to KIU how much TUNG cherishes life, which makes her admire TUNG. HANG asks YAU to give up the necklace, but she demands that he buy her another one to replace it. HANG’s good friend ALEX has a blood vessel tumour. A week after surgery, he has still not regain consciousness.… ...

HANG explains to YAU that he is upset because of ALEX’s condition. They forgive each other again. HANG disapproves of SHEUNG for letting ALEX’s parent believe that a miracle could happen for money. He is surprised that FUN takes care of FUNG’s baby and plays chess with some elderly people even though he is a busy doctor. FUN tells him that everyone has a weighing scale in their heart. He uses conscience to set his moral standard. HANG has a mental breakthrough after talking with him. SHEUNG scolds HANG for letting ALEX’s father disconnect ALEX’s air supply. HANG resigns. The Life Force plans a trip to Kenya again to teach the villagers more about AIDS. FUN is delighted to see HANG apply to be a volunteer. CHING thinks that he is using the chance to pursue her. KIU’s mother YUEN CHOI MAN cannot bear the pressure. She leaves HONG KIN for FUN and ZHENG. KIU loses her mental stability as a result.… ...

A woman from the Tolu tribe is confirmed as carrying HIV. Therefore, HANG and the other volunteers are keen to teach the locals about AIDS. SHEUNG interrogates HING about her relationship with BRIAN, which amuses her. SHEUNG and HING are shocked to see YAU showing up in Kenya. HING knows that she has come for HANG. HANG is not used to African food. However, he does not admit it in front of CHING. He says that it is a chance to train himself up. FUN picks up HONG KIN from school. He and ZHENG also make a meal for him, which KIU is thankful for. SHEUNG, HING and YAU go to the medical centre to look for HANG. YAU faints off after seeing HANG removing a parasite from a patient. A woman’s daughter has carditis, and needs antibiotic injections. Unfortunately, her tribe does not allow the outsiders to help.… ...

A group of Tolu comes to the medical centre to thank HANG for saving the girl. HANG and CHING are thrilled by the unexpected outcome. YAU finds that her necklace is gone when she is about to have a serious talk with CHING. CHING helps her to look for it and they forgive each other. YAU tells her that she is in love with HANG. HANG is annoyed that YAU shows up at the medical centre again. CHING tries to persuade him to give YAU a chance. He takes the opportunity to ask CHING to give him a chance. A boy has acute nephritis. He also shows signs of kidney failure. HANG fails to save him and blames himself. SHEUNG and HING go to see the Crane. They meet HANG. SHEUNG tries to comfort him. SHEUNG and HING take YAU from the medical centre to the hotel. BRIAN presents HING with a lucky bracelet. Meanwhile, YAU asks CHING to pass a hand-plaited bracelet to HANG. He thinks that the bracelet is from CHING and is excited.… ...

The blood test results show that many women and children are HIV positive in Kenya. HANG distributes condoms to some local men, but they discard them. CHING is shocked to learn that HANG thinks the bracelet was from her and tries to explain. He makes it clear that he will not give her up. KIU meets a woman with senile dementia and takes care of her. She then finds out that ZHENG is taking care of his late friend’s mother. ZHENG gives KIN a blood test, which shows that he is mildly diabetic. KIN visits BIU in the hospital. He worries that he might lose his legs from diabetes just like BIU. ZHENG tries to comfort him and teaches him how to control his diet. HANG wants to practise medicine at the Lung Shing Clinic. SHEUNG thinks that he is doing it to pursue CHING and asks FUN not to hire him. HANG tells FUN that he wants to work at the Clinic because of him, which shocks him. Everyone in the Clinic welcomes HANG.… ...

HANG asks FUN why he did not try to persuade Mrs SHUM to have an abortion. FUN explains that he does not want her to regret it for the rest of her life. KIN wants to eat in a restaurant with his colleagues, and discards the lunchbox that his wife CHEUNG SAU YUE prepared for him. YUE is surprised that KIN’s blood sugar level is still too high, so she goes to his office to check on him. KIN throws a tantrum when he gets home. YUE is furious and runs away. FUN and HANG give Mrs SHUM a routine check-up at her home. They volunteer to clean up her flat for her. HANG says that FUN is a doctor as well as a social worker and asks him whether he feels it worthwhile to do that. A man CHUNG TSAN TIN claims that his arm hurts, and asks FUN to prescribe him some painkillers. A few days later, he comes back for more. FUN tells him that he is fine and the pain is completely psychological. He asks him how he hurt his arm.… ...

KIN and YUE are glad in thinking that KIU and FUN are dating after seeing her staying by him in the hospital. CHING advises FUN to cherish KIU and give up looking for TUNG’s killer for his own good. FUN knows that ZHENG loves KIU, so he encourages him to pursue her because he thinks that he can give her a better life. HONG KIN refuses to have more injections and blood transfusions. Dr TSUN tells him that he has found a suitable bone marrow donor for him. However, the success rate for the transplantation is only 30-40%. He is willing to try, but KIU feels unsettled about it. TIN is sent to the hospital for a gastric lavage after overdosing on painkillers. FUN sends him home and asks how he hurt his arm. TIN tells him that he accidentally ran over a girl with his car eight years ago, and his hand has hurt ever since. FUN realises that it was TIN who killed TUNG and beats him up.… ...

ZHENG brings some breakfast to KIU’s home and finds MAN wandering outside the flat. He encourages her to go in. MAN and KIU promise each other to face any problems, and make up. FUN becomes very quiet, which worries everyone. Mrs SHUM’s condition deteriorates. FUN suggests a caesarean, but HANG fears that her heart might fail. During the operation, her blood pressure suddenly drops…When FUN is holding her baby, he feels the magic of life. He feels that TUNG would not want her death to bring him feelings of hatred, so he decides to forget his hate for TIN in exchange for HONG KIN’s new life. Mrs SHUM blacks out shortly after seeing her baby. HANG fails to save her and scolds her for leaving her baby with no mother. She suddenly has a pulse again. HONG KIN’s surgery succeeds. MAN’s new boyfriend KWONG comes to visit him. KIU blesses MAN and KWONG. A crowd of reporters come to interview Mrs SHUM on her discharge from the hospital.… ...

An old man FOOK complains to CHING about HANG being unfriendly. CHING lies that HANG is occasionally deaf, much to HANG’s amusement. KIU encourages ZHENG to contact his sister LIN. He eventually writes her a letter. MAN and KWONG want to marry and emigrate to Singapore. They plan to take HONG KIN with them, but KIU objects. ZHENG advises her to let HONG KIN live a normal family life. He also urges her to release herself. After MAN and HONG KIN leave, KIU sees CHING working for the Life Force and finds it very meaningful. She asks if she can join. ZHENG receives a letter from LIN saying that she is going to get married. He asks KIU to accompany him to Guangxi, and she agrees. The Life Force is establishing a medical centre in Guangxi for preventing pulmonary tuberculosis. FUN notifies KIU that she has to leave for Guangxi. ZHENG suggests that they go together. BRIAN’s mother has a duodenal ulcer. HING promises to operate on her.… ...

The Life Force reaches the Dong Ting Village Medical Centre. Dr SHI, nurse HE LIN and a local doctor JIANG lead the team to visit the prevention centre and explain to them their progress in preventing pulmonary tuberculosis. A boy BO comes to see Dr JIANG. FUN suspects that BO is infected with the TB virus, and it has already got into his bones, after seeing his swollen legs. Dr JIANG disagrees. ZHENG returns to his home. His elder brother FEI beats him up and kicks him out. His father YI ignores him. SHI and LIN show FUN and KIU around. They see LIN’s artificial limbs and realise that LIN is ZHENG’s sister. LIN and ZHENG meet at the waterfall. They laugh and cry. He is comforted to know that LIN is facing her past positively. Many people with vomiting and diarrhoea rush to the Lung Shing Clinic. HANG suspects that their symptoms are caused by the contaminated food from the Oi Kam Restaurant.… ...

YI suffers from a stomach twinge. ZHENG carries him to the hospital. On the way, he apologises for his absence to YI. When YI wakes up, he tells ZHENG that he likes KIU and wishes him to pursue her. ZHENG is relieved to get his forgiveness. At the Lung Shing Clinic, nurse LAI SUM KIT and her husband Mr YIU find out that their embryo implantation has failed. They give two cinema tickets to HANG. HANG asks CHING to go with him. YAU tricks HANG into coming abroad a yacht. When he sees a photo album full of pictures of him that she took secretly, he tells her honestly that he does not love her. YAU’s feeling is hurt. Many patients do not return for check-ups. KIU and LIN go out to do home visits. KIU does not return to the Centre later, so ZHENG and FUN go out to look for her. FUN sees KIU struggling with a poisonous snake. He helps her to chase it away. They feel something happen between them.… ...

BO’s condition has not improved. JIANG thinks that he has pneumonia. FUN suggests sending him to the hospital for a thorough check-up, but JIANG objects. CHING worries that YAU will give herself up. HANG refuses to give her false hope. After seeing YAU’s photo album, CHING avoids HANG. She also asks SUM to pretend to be her girlfriend. BO is diagnosed with TB in his bones. Luckily, he is sent to the hospital in time. JIANG blames himself. FUN notices that many villagers take medicine without a prescription and do not return to the clinic. He suggests using awards to attract them back, but JIANG thinks it is more important to teach them the importance of health. ZHENG tells KIU that he will stay to serve the villagers. KIU tells him that she has tried to accept him, but she just cannot deny her inner feelings. FUN is shocked to see his name inside the purse. ZHENG urges FUN to cherish KIU and pursue her.… ...

HING is pregnant. She fears that SHEUNG will be unhappy about it, so she does not tell him. SHEUNG is promoted to the hospital board and wants to celebrate with HING. However, he sees her having dinner with BRIAN and suspects that they are having an affair. She slaps him on the face and leaves. SHEUNG realises his mistake and buys her flowers to apologise. He sees BRIAN taking her coat to the hospital, so he warns him to stay out of his marriage. HING is furious. FUN tells SHEUNG that HING is pregnant and staying at CHING’s place. SHEUNG is shocked by the news. A nurse SHIRLEY at the Lung Shing Clinic is hit by a car. SUM recognises the driver, WING. KIU is moving in with CHING. FUN is glad that he can get closer to KIU. WING comes to the Clinic for a consultation. HANG thinks that they should report him to the police because he is a danger to the public. FUN ignores him.… ...

HANG is sent to assist at the scene of the accident. He blames FUN for ignoring his suggestion, thereby causing more casualties. FUN regrets it deeply. He tries to look for WING to turn him over to the police. FUN disappears. HANG thinks that FUN is upset because WING squandered the second chance that he gave him. KIU finds FUN on Lantau Island. FUN is depressed and his faith in curing people’s diseases as well as the heart is shaken. FUN meets his mentor LUNG, who has Alzheimer’s disease. FUN recalls how depressed he was after TUNG died. It was LUNG who picked him up. Unfortunately he cannot recognise him now. The next day, FUN and KIU see LUNG get hit by a car. Before he dies, LUNG recognises FUN and asks him to cure people with his heart, despite the patients’ nature. FUN is revitalised by LUNG’s words. KIU promises him that she will be with him no matter what the future holds. They kiss and start a relationship.… ...

In the rain, YAU searches for a phone neck-string that HANG gave her. She is exhausted and blacks out. SHEUNG suggests urgent heart surgery for her. YAU demands that HANG become her boyfriend in exchange for undergoing the surgery, but he refuses. FUN is bothered by KIU’s unpredictable behaviour and asks HING for help. HING tells him that women will not have a relationship with a man whom they don’t love. Their biggest fear is that the man stays with them out of a sense of responsibility. FUN partly understands. CHING tries to persuade HANG to visit YAU and urge her to have the operation. HANG insists that lying will bring her more harm than good. HANG is diagnosed with liver cancer. He asks CHING if she has ever loved him. She tells him that she has not because of YAU, which breaks his heart. He visits YAU in hospital and promises to stay with her after her surgery, which surprises her.… ...

After operating on YAU, SHEUNG is shocked to hear that HING has had a miscarriage. HING suppresses her own grief and tries to comfort him. She discovers that HANG has liver cancer. He asks her not to let SHEUNG know. YAU slowly recovers. CHING feels sour seeing HANG taking care of YAU. HING suggests HANG should have chemotherapy to reduce the tumour before removal. Dr LEUNG also suggests RFA treatment to kill any remaining cancer cells. HANG hesitates. KWAN plans to develop a plastic surgery unit in the hospital to increase income and asks SHEUNG to redistribute some funds. KIU is accepted as a full time staff for the Life Force. She prepares to work in Africa. FUN plans to have a candle-lit dinner with KIU, but cannot bear seeing SHIRLEY alone on her birthday, so he takes her out for dinner and lies to KIU that he is running late because he has to see some patients. KIU discovers the deceit and leaves in a rage, which puzzles him.… ...

Before KIU sets off for Kenya, neither FUN nor KIU apologise to the other to save face. HING is shocked that the hospital has postponed buying an RFA machine in order to buy equipment for plastic surgery procedures. HING negotiates with SHEUNG. He finds out that his own son has cancer and changes his mind about the equipment. FUN realises that KIU is mad at him for lying, so he decides to go to Kenya to apologise to her. Everyone sees that FUN is truly sincere and tries to persuade her to forgive him. A child is still feverish even after injection of antibiotics. FUN insists on using a stronger medicine, which is usually reserved for frontline staff, on him. KIU supports him, bringing them closer again. HANG’s condition does not improve greatly after the therapy. He insists on working at the Lung Shing Clinic everyday, which worries SHEUNG. HANG becomes weak under the influence of the medication. SHUM finally realises that he is ill.… ...

HANG suffers from the treatment and wants to kill himself. YAU and SHUM ask CHING, who is in Kenya, for help. CHING is grieving for a child who died from liver failure. When she receives the news about HANG’s condition, she rushes back to Hong Kong to see him. CHING reveals her feelings to him and encourages him to have therapy. He thinks that she is taking pity on him, so he angrily runs out onto the road and nearly gets hit by a car. He loses consciousness and is rushed to the hospital. SHEUNG worries and HING tries to comfort him. YAU blames CHING for not understanding the patient’s psychology, and CHING feels guilty. HUEN pressurizes KWAN to set up the plastic surgery team quickly. SHEUNG tells him that it is more urgent to use the money to buy an RFA machine. HING is glad to hear this. HANG is delighted to see CHING sitting by his sickbed when he wakes up. He shares with her the lesson he learned after he blacked out.

A voluntary nurse SUSAN of the Life Force disapproves of how her husband’s family ignores women’s social position. Her husband’s sister-in-law suffered complications during labour. The villagers ignored her because they were busy chasing a runaway cow. Luckily, she was sent to the hospital in time for a caesarean. SUSAN and her husband make up again. FUN takes KIU up a mountain to propose to her and she agrees. They make a wish there and are glad to see signs that their wish will come true. HING succeeds in removing HANG’s liver tumour. CHING SHAU FU, son of the landlord of the Lung Shing, is mad at FUN because his father died from an accident on a snowy mountain. He threatens to raise the rent and sue FUN for violating his professional protocols. FUN is sad that everyone worries about how to save the Clinic, but no one cares about Mr CHING’s death. KIU tries to comfort him.… ...

FUN is excited to hear that KIU is pregnant and wants to marry her. The Lung Shing Clinic is closed down. Everybody goes their own way. FUN and KIU are glad to see ZHENG come back to Hong Kong to attend their wedding ceremony. They also receive blessings from the neighbours. YAU’s wish to own a cafe comes true. She invites CHING to help her. SHUM encourages CHING to see HANG. However, they miss each other. FUN sets up a course to teach pregnant woman some antenatal exercises. KIU demonstrates for him, which makes all the students jealous. FUN worries a lot about KIU and their baby. She feels pressure, so she does not tell him about her ovarian tumour. HANG has a biopsy shortly after his surgery to find out if there are any remaining cancer cells. YAU and CHING wait anxiously for his call. After receiving the biopsy report, HANG does not talk to YAU and CHING. Instead, he discusses it with SHUM.… ...

KIU is admitted to hospital with abdominal pain. She is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. FUN tries to comfort her by saying if she has regular checkups, she can stay pregnant. CHING and HANG start dating. They do not let YAU know in fear that she cannot accept the fact. Although FUN worries about KIU, he does not ignore FU’s condition. He tries to persuade him to have a checkup. FU suddenly loses consciousness. Luckily, FUN resuscitates him and sends him to the hospital. FU finally experiences the special ‘Lung Shing Spirit’ from FUN and HANG. YAU finds out by chance that HANG’s cancer might have regenerated, and is sad for him. When he tries to comfort her, he finds out that she has already heard about him dating CHING. Therefore, he asks her to keep the secret from CHING. KIU’s cancer is spreading. FUN makes a difficult decision and tries to persuade her to terminate the pregnancy and have chemotherapy. She refuses.

CHING finds out about HANG’s condition when she sees YAU looking worried. She prays with the others for HANG and KIU. ZHENG comes back to Hong Kong. He learns from KIU that FUN drinks to forget his worries every night. He tries to persuade him to support KIU’s decision. FU donates the property, which used to be the Lung Shing Clinic, to FUN to let the Lung Shing spirit live on. Everyone attends a barbeque to celebrate. HANG decides to make good use of his remaining time to travel. CHING is shocked to hear his decision. KIU’s condition suddenly deteriorates. FUN decides to perform a caesarean. The operation is successful, but KIU falls into a coma. One year later, FUN brings up his daughter alone and takes care of the patients at the Ling Shing Clinic while he waits for KIU to wake up. CHING works in Kenya as a volunteer. She is glad to learn that SUSAN is going to be a mother.… ...