Chapter - 6 'Reveal'

Wei took a deep breath, steeling himself for the fight to come. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest as the first thug charged at him with a rusty pipe.

Wei sidestepped the attack, his foot landing hard on the thug's knee. The man cried out of pain, dropping the pipe, and Wei didn't hesitate to knock him out with a swift punch to the jaw.

The other thugs advanced, their knives glinting. Wei kept his eyes on them, his fists clenched, and his body tensed.

He leaped over one thug, using his momentum to strike another in the face. But even as he fought, Wei could feel the adrenaline beginning to ebb.

He had been running for hours, and his body was beginning to tire.

A sharp pain erupted in Wei's side as one of the thugs stabbed him with a knife. Wei gasped, stumbling back as the other thugs swarmed in.

He could feel his strength waning as he fought, his movements growing slower and less precise.

But Wei refused to give up. He summoned all his strength and lashed out with a flurry of kicks and punches, taking out one thug after another.

Sweat dripped down his face as he fought, his muscles aching with exhaustion. But with every blow he landed, Wei felt a fierce sense of determination.

Finally, the last thug fell to the ground, and Wei turned to face Ming. The gangster had been watching the fight from a safe distance, but now he was beginning to edge away.

-

Wei lay on the rooftop, the sharp pain of the knife wound throbbing through his body.

He tried to get up, but his legs gave out, and he collapsed back onto the ground.

Ming approached him slowly, a cruel smile on his face.

"Looks like I finally got you," he said, brandishing his weapon. "You should have stayed out of my business."

Wei gritted his teeth, summoning all the strength he had left. He lunged at Ming, tackling him to the ground and knocking the knife out of his hand.

Ming fought back fiercely, throwing punches and kicks at Wei. But Wei was a seasoned fighter, and he dodged each blow with ease.

He landed a solid punch to Ming's gut, causing him to double over in pain. Wei took advantage of the opening and landed a swift kick to Ming's head, knocking him out cold.

Wei stumbled to his feet, his body screaming with pain. He looked around, and he saw that the remaining thugs had fled the scene.

Wei knew he had to get out of there before the cops arrives, but he couldn't move very well.

He gritted his teeth and began to make his way to the stairs. But as he took his first step, he heard the sound of sirens in the distance.

Wei stumbled out onto the street, his body racked with pain. He took a few steps forward, but his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground.

He lay there, panting heavily, as the sound of sirens grew louder.

Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed him roughly by the arms and pulled him toward a waiting police car. Wei could feel their eyes on him, and he knew he was in trouble.

He tried to protest, to tell them that he had been attacked, but his words were lost in a haze of pain and confusion.

As they loaded him into the police car, Wei caught a glimpse of the rooftop where the fight had taken place.

He saw the discarded weapons and the bloodstains on the ground, and he knew that he was in deep trouble.

The car pulled away from the scene, and Wei leaned his back against the seat, trying to ignore the pain in his side.

He knew that he was headed for jail, and he didn't know how he was going to get out of it.

The car pulled up to the police station, and Wei was led inside. He was booked, fingerprinted, and thrown into a cell. The cell was small and cramped, and Wei could barely move.

He lay there for hours, listening to the sound of footsteps echoing through the halls.

He tried to make sense of what had happened, but his thought was jumbled and confused.

-

After hours of waiting, Wei was finally taken from his cell and led to an interrogation room.

He was still in pain, but the adrenaline from the fight had worn off, leaving him feeling drained and helpless.

As he entered the room, he saw a woman sitting at a table, staring at him with a cold, hard gaze.

She was in her mid-30s, with short, cropped hair and a sharp, angular face. She wore a crisp black suit and carried herself with an air of authority.

"Sit," she said, gesturing toward a chair.

Wei sat down, wincing as his injuries protested the movement. The woman opened a file and began to read out loud.

"Wei Shen, I'm inspector Teng. You have quite a rap sheet here. Multiple arrests in San Francisco, alleged ties to organized crime. And now you're here, enforcing for the Sun On Yee."

"You know, you don't have to throw your life away like this," Inspector Teng said, her voice calm and steady. "You have a chance to make things right. We can help you."

Wei nodded slowly, trying to appear receptive to Inspector Teng's words while also keeping his guard up.

He knew that he had to tread carefully. He was undercover, working as a low-level grunt for the Sun On Yee, and he could not afford to reveal his true identity to the police.

"Your concern's really moving. You know, I appreciate that." Wei said, keeping his voice steady. "I'm suddenly realizing I should have never dropped out of art school."

"I could have made it. I could have been a real somebody," Wei said, keeping his act up. "Thank you for showing me the light, officer."

Inspector Teng leaned forward, her eyes fixed on him. "I want to give you a chance, Shen. But you have to work with me. Then maybe I can cut you a deal."

In the middle of their conversation, Superintendent Thomas Pendrew walked in, "Oh, Superintendent. I'm in the middle of an interrogation."

"Inspector, there's been a misunderstanding," Pendrew said.

"Misunderstanding, sir?"

"As your superior officer. I'm instructing you to release this man," Pendrew ordered.

"But sir. I have it on record that he's Sun On Yee."

"I understand that."

"I can't simply just cut him loose."

"I mean, you're asking me to release a criminal with known connections to the Triad. Not only is it against protocol. It's…"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Teng! He's one of us!" Teng was visibly dazed and confused, her mind working overtime.

"What??"

Wei sat frozen, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Jesus, Pendrew! Let me get the door. There are few badges outside who didn't hear you."

Superintendent Pendrew had just revealed that he was working for the police inspector, just like that. "It's all right. We can trust her."

"Trust her? I just met her!" Wei exclaimed, feeling both shocked and relieved. Finally, he could stop pretending and reveal his true identity.

"Congratulations, Teng. So now you know," Pendrew said. "Maybe now we can make sure that we're helping Wei, not making his job harder than it already is. Hmm?

"Yeah, it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice." Inspector Teng said, looking from Pendrew to Wei and back again.

But before she could say anything else, Pendrew stepped closer to Wei, his tone serious. "You need to be more careful, Wei. Much more careful. I can't bail you out like this again."

Wei swallowed hard, feeling a cold sweat break out on his forehead. He had thought that he had been doing a good job of keeping his cover, but apparently, he had been too careless.

"Sir, I…"

"I don't want to hear it. Just be careful." Pendrew said, giving him a hard look. "The Sun On Yee are dangerous, and they won't hesitate to kill you if they find out who you really are. We need you to stay alive if we're going to bring them down."

Wei nodded, and without saying a word he left. Grabbing his belonging from the police officer outside.

As he stepped out of the building, Wei felt a sense of relief wash over him. It was good finally to out of that tense situation.

He called a taxi, and entered, still in his thought.

The taxi driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror, "Where to, sir?" he asked.

Wei hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to go. He had been so consumed with his undercover work that he had forgotten what it was like to have free time. "Just drive," he finally said.

The taxi pulled out onto the busy Hong Kong streets, and Wei watched as the city passed by.

The neon lights and bustling crowds were a stark contrast to the quiet, secretive world of the Sun On Yee.

As he rode, Wei thought about what Pendrew had said. He knew the risks of his work, but he also knew the importance of taking down the Triad.

He couldn't afford to make any mistakes, but he also couldn't let his guard down.

The taxi driver cleared his throat, interrupting Wei's thoughts. "Is everything all right, sir?" he asked, concerned.

Wei realized that he had been staring blankly out the window. "Yes, I'm fine," he said, although he wasn't sure if he believed it himself.

He needed to clear his head and figure out his next move. But for now, he was content to just ride and let the city wash over him.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the tension slowly leave his body.

As the taxi drove on, Wei allowed himself to relax for the first time in what felt like ages. He knew that there was still a long road ahead of him, but for now, he was just glad to be free of the interrogation room and the weight of his double life.