Leung, who also uses the name Sixtus Leung, left Hong Kong on Nov. 29 without fanfare, buying his ticket on the day of his departure, and telling nobody about his plans beforehand -- not even his family. "I saw a lot of strange-looking people at the airport ... there was a guy who was clearly not dressed for travel; he looked like a Hongkonger, middle-aged, wearing headphones," Leung said.
Leung was able to leave after a particularly nail-biting moment going through immigration. "I went to the automatic passport gate and tried to scan my passport but it wouldn't let me through," he said. "I had to go to the manned counter, where the customs officer stared at me for two or three minutes [before letting me pass]."
