Vin Jin sat in the living room as Sujin bandaged his wounds. He released a deep breath. "You mean it's all part of Eli's plan to destroy the Workers?"
Sujin nodded. "Yeah. I didn't know about it either. Sally only told me at the last moment."
Veins popped on Vin Jin's forehead. "Fuck that bastard! I got beat up because of some plan I didn't even know about. What am I, a side character?!"
Sujin giggled. "Hehe~ Being a side character isn't too bad. The second male leads are always the more charming ones."
Vin Jin scratched his head. "What does that even mean?"
Sujin flicked his forehead. "Silly~"
Just then, Yenna started to cry. Sujin quickly ran to her. Vin Jin touched his forehead. "I still don't understand what she means..."
---
Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Baki had finally landed in China. He walked out of the airport and got into a taxi. The driver was polite and asked for a decent fare—not that Baki cared about money at this point.
As the taxi started moving, the driver struck up a conversation.
"Sir, is this your first time in China?"
Baki took out his phone. "No. I've visited once before."
The driver smiled. "Oh, that's great. I guess your experience was good if you decided to visit again."
Baki thought of what he'd done in China before, then nodded. "Yeah. It was very good. I quite enjoyed my time here."
The driver smiled. "Sir, if you don't mind, may I ask a question?"
Baki answered without looking up. "Yeah. Ask away."
The driver shifted slightly. "Are you perhaps Japanese? Are there particular things you like?"
Baki looked up. "Yeah. As for things I like...? I don't want to answer that." Then he quickly moved, wrapping his arm around the driver's neck and choking him. "But I can answer what I don't like. Taxi drivers. Not the profession itself—I've just never had a good experience with them."
The driver squirmed. A gun fell from his left hand. After a moment, the driver went limp. The car was about to crash, but Baki shoved the driver aside and took control of the vehicle. He drove with one hand while searching the driver's body. He found a phone in his pocket. He didn't know the passcode, but there was a message on the lock screen.
"Kill him. The boys will be there soon."
Just as Baki finished reading, several gunshots rang out. Bullets pierced through the windshield. Baki glanced at the mirror—several cars were following him, guns drawn.
The car shot forward as Baki pressed the gas pedal all the way down. Behind him, three black cars and two motorcycles gave chase. Men leaned out of the windows with guns.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
More bullets broke through the back window. Glass flew everywhere. Baki didn't even blink. His eyes stayed on the road. He grabbed the knocked-out driver and pulled him into the passenger seat.
"They're not even trying to hide," Baki muttered.
He turned the wheel hard to the right, cutting across the road. Other cars honked and swerved out of the way. The black cars followed, but the motorcycles were faster—they split up, one coming to each side.
The biker on the left pulled up next to Baki's window and raised his gun. Baki looked at him once, then jerked the wheel left. The taxi smashed into the motorcycle. Metal crunched. The bike wobbled and crashed. The rider tumbled across the road and disappeared under a truck.
"One down."
The second biker stayed back, being more careful now. Smart. But not smart enough.
Baki saw an exit up ahead—narrow, with a sharp turn. He took it at full speed. The tires screamed as the car nearly flipped. Baki kept it steady.
Two of the black cars tried to follow. The first one made it. The second went too fast, lost control, and flipped onto its side. It slid across the ground in a shower of sparks, then crashed into a concrete pillar.
"Two down."
Now he was in an area full of warehouses and empty buildings. Fewer people. More space.
The last black car pulled up beside him on the right. A man leaned out with a machine gun and started shooting. Bullets ripped through the door. Baki ducked as one bullet passed right by his ear.
Suddenly, Baki pulled the emergency brake and spun the wheel. The taxi spun around completely. Now he was facing his pursuers.
Baki hit the gas again, driving straight at them.
"What the—?!" the driver yelled, turning hard to avoid a collision.
Baki knew they would turn left. So he went left too—then at the last second, swerved right. The driver panicked and lost control. The car crashed through a fence and smashed into a pile of metal pipes.
"Three."
Only the motorcycle remained. The rider had kept his distance, waiting. He was a professional.
The rider sped up and pulled alongside Baki on the left, moving slightly ahead to push him toward the concrete barriers on the right.
Baki saw the trap. But instead of avoiding it, he accelerated, letting the biker push him toward the barriers.
The biker smiled, thinking he'd won.
At the last moment, Baki hit the brakes hard. The taxi stopped suddenly. The motorcycle shot past him and crashed straight into the barriers at high speed. The bike flipped through the air. The rider's body flew and landed hard on the ground.
Baki started driving again.
"Four."
He looked around. Empty docks. Old warehouses with rusty metal walls. A huge abandoned factory building sat in the distance, its windows broken.
Perfect.
Baki drove toward it. The taxi bounced over broken pavement and potholes. He pulled up to the factory entrance—a large sliding door that was half-open—and drove right inside.
The interior was vast and empty. Tall concrete pillars reached up to the ceiling. Broken skylights let in shafts of light. Dust floated in the air. All the machines were gone, leaving only rust marks on the floor.
Baki turned off the engine and got out. He rolled his shoulders. The driver's gun lay on the floor—he ignored it. Guns were for people who couldn't fight with their hands.
He heard more engines approaching from outside. More of them. Backup.
Baki cracked his knuckles and smiled.
"Finally. Things were getting boring."
He walked deeper into the warehouse.
Outside, the engine sounds grew louder. Car doors slammed. Footsteps. Voices speaking Chinese.
Baki's smile widened.
"The way China welcomes visitors," he said quietly, "is quite unique. Just the way I like it."