This paper aims to argue against the ontological view of covert translator's lack of subjective judgment and creativity. The Chinese translation of Mario Puzo's The Godfather is used as an example to explore Shounan Hsu's discursive practices as a covert translator in relation to the possibility of forming a quintessential subjectivity and cultural identity. Philip Lewis's concept of "abusive fidelity" is applied to discuss the translator's discursive practices in reconstructing the other and the authentic specimens of an alien world. The manipulations behind a given positioning of the coven translator bring the ethnic text/culture being translated accessible to the target culture's readers. The signifying practices employed by the covert translator as a linguistic and cultural mediator can be regarded as constituting a particular subjectivity. Working within the original and the local cultural contexts, Hsu's idiomatic translation strategy and abusive fidelity to the source text help him remain intact a cross-cultural hybrid identity.