With Qantas recruiting flat out and many of the Cathay S/Os and F/Os looking to get out why would you want to go up there? Better opportunities to be had in Australia or NZ and you will thank yourself in the long run.
With Cathay recruiting DEFO expect to spend a long time as an S/O. Keep in mind your hours are useless as an S/O, the majority of airlines worldwide don't acknowledge 'P2X' time. HKPA hasn't been improved since inception (2011) meanwhile cost of living continues to rise, the company seems no real desire to improve the package as they don't see it as 'housing' assistance. Expect to pay 18-24,000 HKD or thereabouts for a small 2bdrm place in Tung chung or Discovery bay (HKPA for an S/O is $10,000). If you want to live closer to the city, well good luck with that, the only real option is sharing a place with another S/O as rents are up there in the 30-40K bracket.
some things are cheap in hong kong - tax is 15%, water and electricity is cheap, phones and broadband are cheap. Eating out is cheaper than Aus but prices in supermarket are higher. Things like meat and milk especially. Owning a car is expensive, finding a carpark in your apartment block can be difficult and you will pay a premium for it howver the public transportation system is good and not too expensive.
owning a house in HKG is out of the question as a icadet as you won't have permanent residency for 7 years and stamp duty is a killer. You may not have kids now, but schooling in HKG is also extremely expensive and there a large waiting lists to get into the decent schools, you will also have to pay a debenture to secure a spot.
HKG will become just another chinese city by 2047 which is a nother important thing to consider. Also the pollution is terrible especially in the winter months.
Don't join expecting you will be able to get an Australin basing either, bases are virtually non-existent or extremely hard to come by these days and you will need to be very senior to secure a slot should it become available, and CX will make you return to HK again for command upgrade regardless. So unless you can commit to HK for your career don't bother.
As far as treatment by other pilots, you will always be seen as a spiky haired icadet who has come in and tried to undermine their conditions by accepting the sub-par c-scale contract. Your main duties include making the beds for the other crew, carrying the flight documents bag and filling in the flight log.
If you go up there you will waste 10 years of your life, realise life in HK is not sustainable and then have to come back and join the bottom of the Qantas seniority wishing you never went in the first place or you will just stay put and be miserable for the rest of your life like the rest of the pilots who post on Fragrant Harbour.