Chiao Mei is safe (as she came running along with the police division), he surrenders to the police when they arrive at the mansion, and is detained and taken to the police vehicle to leave the mansion. Cast Bruce Lee as Cheng Chao-an (), a young man who, along with his uncle, travels from Guangdong, China to Pak Chong, Thailand to stay with his cousins. Before departing, he swore an oath to his mother to not get into any fights. This is made legitimate by Cheng wearing his mother's jade amulet necklace to serve as a reminder to that oath he swore. Maria Yi as Chow Mei (), a typical damsel in distress; Cheng's only female cousin James Tien (a.k.a. Paul Tien) as Hsu Chien (), a martial artist who commonly fights with the local gangs Nora Miao as a local cold drinks vendor (guest star) Lee Quinn as Ah Kun () Rhoma Irama as Xin Chang () Han Ying-chieh as Hsiao Mi (; "The Big Boss") owner of an ice factory which is really a front for his drug trafficking operation Lau Wing as Hsiao Chiun (), Hsiao Mi's son Kam San as Cousin Ah Shan Ricky Chik as Cousin Ah Chen (also assistant director) Li Hua Sze as Cousin Ah Wong Marilyn Bautista (a.k.a. Malarin Boonak) as Miss Sun Wu Man, a prostitute Chan Chue as the ice factory manager (also assistant director) Chom as the ice factory foreman Billy Chan Wui-ngai as Cousin Ah Pei Lam Ching-ying as Cousin Ah Yen Tu Chia-Cheng as Uncle Liu, Cheng's uncle (also unit manager) Peter Chan Lung as Hsiao Mi's henchman and gatekeeper Background and conception The four years following the cancellation of The Green Hornet was a difficult and frustrating time for Bruce Lee. In 1970, he was incapacitated for several months after damaging a sacral nerve in his lower back while weightlifting. Money became tight as roles in Hollywood proved hard to come by, and wife Linda had to work evenings at an answering service to help pay the bills. Bruce was still keen to develop film and TV projects in Hollywood, but Warner Bros. was reluctant to accept a TV script project he had developed (the plotline of which was similar to, but not the same as, Kung Fu), and production on The Silent Flute had to be suspended indefinitely after a three-week trip to India with