In the rarefied world of the Cheng family, one of the wealthiest clans in Hong Kong, staff spoke of the unwritten rule: Never say no to the boss.
So lieutenants were hesitant to disagree when the eldest of the patriarch’s children, Adrian, came up with a grandiose plan for the business, people close to the family said. His pitch: A mall to end all malls, next door to the sleek Hong Kong International Airport.