Original subtitles

(upbeat music)

(calm music)

- What's bothering you, partner?

That's the second time you've checked that safety tonight.

- I don't like it, Hooker.

Assaults, robberies, going down,

with automatic weapons, makes a guy uptight.

- It was crazy enough in the streets

when the bad guys were packing Saturday night specials.

Now it's a shooting gallery, and we're the targets.

(exciting music)

(fireworks firing)

(people clamoring)

(chickens clucking)

- I really don't like it, here, George.

Why can't we go?

- Soon, baby.

- [Mysterious Man] Now, come in through the back,

and hit them hot and fast.

- Get ready.

(guns cocking)

(dramatic music)

(gun firing) (people screaming)

Nobody move, or this turns you all into Chop Suey.

Give us your money, give me the money, now!

Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.

Move, move!

(radio beeping)

- [Police Radio Operator] All units in the vicinity

of 305 Magnolia, shots fired at the warehouse.

- That's Chinatown.

- Six blocks over, let's grab it.

4Adam30, we've got it.

(upbeat music) (police siren wails)

- 4Adam16, rolling back up to 30.

(police siren wails)

(dramatic music)

- [TJ] Hold, police!

(dramatic music)

Police, everybody out of the way!

Freeze!

(magical music)

- [George] Come on!

(dramatic music)

Hold it!

Freeze!

(gun fires)

(dramatic music)

(police siren wails)

(dramatic music)

(gun fires)

(gun fires)

(gun fires)

(gun fires) (car explodes)

(dramatic music)

- Hold it right there!

(gun fires)

(gun cocks)

The next one shoots off your tail!

(dramatic music)

(police radio chatters)

- [TJ] Lieutenant, this suspect's name

is James Fong, a resident, according to his payroll

stub he worked here in Chinatown.

Circle is closing, Lieutenant.

- That circle leads nowhere, Hooker,

we've got other leads to Chinatown.

We've been all over this area,

everybody's come up empty.

- The marking on this Mag 10 is North

Vietnamese army, they mark their weapons.

Every one of them, the same way,

even the ones they catch from us.

Like this one, here.

- Okay, so the automatics are coming in from Asia.

- Another suspect spilled that he saw Fong

take a delivery on that gun, from another Chinese.

- It's backed up by the suspect Corrigan, Lieutenant.

- Everything points to Chinatown

being the distribution point.

- You didn't listen to me, hooker, Chinatown is a dead end!

- Now, look, any one of us could

have been cut down by their firepower.

We were damn lucky!

That thing spits out 1200 rounds a minute.

I wanna get those guns off the street.

- Nobody wants it more than I do, Hooker,

and I'm gonna make it happen!

It's gonna buy me a set of Captain's bars.

But I am not gonna waste any manpower

down here, not when it's to no avail!

- Lieutenant, I'd rather ask, politely,

to be assigned to this beat, than go over your head.

But if I have to, I will.

- You are one perverse commodity, Hooker.

The department has been trying to get you

back in Chinatown for what, some 18 years,

and you wouldn't have it!

Now, all of a sudden, you want back.

- No, I don't want back, it's painful to come back.

But if I'm gonna get these

guns off the street, and I am,

I'm gonna have to, I have no choice.

- And you're not giving me any.

- Well, look at it this way, if I'm right,

you get your Captain's bars, and I'm out of your hair.

(Lieutenant sighs)

- Hooker, are you all right?

- Yeah.

- Hey, look, I realize the shootings

put us both on edge, but I know you.

Something's eating at you.

- Oh, it's nothing.

(magical music)

For a moment, there, when everything was going down,

I thought I saw someone in the crowd.

- Who?

- That's a good question.

Not who I thought I saw, that's for sure.

(dramatic music)

(calm music)

(knocking at door)

(TJ singing)

- Hi, there's coffee, donuts, I'll be right with you.

(shower water running)

(TJ singing)

What do you think?

(donut clatters to table)

- I think somebody had that one bronzed.

- No, the shirt, you like it?

- Somehow, it's not you.

- I don't think so, either.

It came back with my wash, so I thought,

you know, maybe I'd ...

- Hooker, how can you live like this?

- I'm just passing through, I'm looking for an apartment.

- You said that two months ago!

- You mean because I'm not at the marina,

by the pool, surrounded by a bevy of bikini-ed beauties?

I'll let you handle that action, trigger.

Let me get my gun, I'll be right with you.

- You know, the talk around the locker room

says Lieutenant Drummer had a right.

You cut a wide path from Chinatown a few years back.

- [TJ] Don't believe everything you hear.

- They say the youth gangs are running wild,

and the Tongs are on the verge of taking sides.

- The Tongs have always been family affairs.

It was only natural for them to protect their sons.

But that was 18 years ago, things have

cooled down since then, unity's come together.

- Yeah?

I hear you had a lot to do with that.

A lot of people in Chinatown owe you.

You know that Mai Ling Trading Company

you were talking about?

We could check there after we get in uniform,

anybody there owe you?

- No, junior, that's one place nobody owes me anything.

- Kay, so where's that coffee you were talking about, huh?

- Sorry, I'm fresh out.

- How do you know, you haven't even looked!

Not that it would help.

- Well, I keep the coffee in the bathroom.

It's part of my new system.

See, I get up every morning, creep into the bathroom.

I look in the mirror, I say, "Would coffee help that face?"

I open the cabinet door, there's my coffee!

I have a cup of coffee, doesn't help the face.

You want that?

- No, no, no, no, save it.

It'd make a great paperweight. (donut clatters to table)

(martial artists shouting) (swords clanging)

- Ancient art of combat.

Impressive, huh?

- Maybe, but when you're knocking

off a bank, you need more than sticks and chains.

- How many pieces are we talking about?

- Six Uzis, I need them by tomorrow.

Can you handle that?

- If you can handle the payout, $6000.

- Don't try to rip me off, Po.

The going price for an Uzi is $500.

- Then maybe you should buy them from somebody else.

- Can I make a connection by tomorrow?

- Six Uzis for $6000, take it or leave it.

- When can I have them?

- In the morning.

Stay by your phone, when I call, get ready to roll.

(martial artists shouting) (swords clanging)

Stuck it to him good, Mr. Khan.

- Black market guns, and black market prices.

- I told you I could get you buyers.

- I knew you could, that's why I chose you.

(dramatic music)

(calm music)

(mysterious flute music)

- I'm Sergeant Hooker, this is Officer Romano.

You must be Mai Ling's daughter.

- Yes, I am.

My mother died almost a year ago.

- Yes, I know, I'm sorry.

I didn't know Mai Ling had a daughter

until I talked to some friends in Chinatown.

- This is Chow Dok Khan, he is the widower of my mother.

- [Vince] How you doing?

Was it something I said?

- No, nothing, that's just his way.

- I saw you at the cockfight last night.

- I didn't want to be there to begin with,

and didn't know about the cockfighting 'til it started.

Robbery and the shooting only made it worse.

- The suspect who was wounded, James Fong.

Had a payroll stub, he worked here.

- He quit without notice, last week.

He was our shipping clerk.

- What can you tell me about him?

- Very little, shipping and receiving

is supervised by Chow Dok Khan, and James worked for him.

- Can you ask Chow Dok Khan to step in here, please?

- I'm afraid he's gone.

- How do you know if you don't look?

- I just know.

- Tell Chow Dok Khan that we'll be back to talk to him.

It was a pleasure meeting you ...

- Nancy.

- Nancy.

Let's keep moving, junior.

(door bells ring)

- You have some very beautiful things here.

I could use something for my apartment.

Like maybe that vase.

- This is Ming Dynasty.

- Ming Dynasty?

- $1200.

- It's worth every penny, I'm sure.

- Come on partner, we got work to do!

- Maybe you could show me some others, another time.

I'll be back. (mysterious flute music)

Hooker, she is beautiful, anything like her mother?

- Carbon copy.

(mysterious flute music)

(upbeat rock music)

♪ Heartbreaker

♪ You're taking my life on the pawn

♪ I thought I was special to you

♪ I thought everything would work out fine

♪ Guess I was just a fool

- Come on, come on, we're waiting!

- Romano said you couldn't keep your eyes

off that girl in the shop today, that you knew her mother.

- It was a long time ago, it was a lifetime.

That was easy, Chinatown was my first beat.

She was perfection.

Like rare jade.

Her father was Chinese, her mother was American.

- You wanted to marry her?

- We never got that far.

- She turned you down?

- Well, it wasn't that easy.

Her husband showed up. (laughs)

(Jim laughs) - Hooker, you devil, you.

- Well, when I first met Mai Ling, she thought he was dead.

Actually, she hardly knew him, it was an arranged marriage.

The day after the ceremony, he took off, on a business trip.

And his ship went down somewhere off the China coast.

A report came back, saying that there was no survivors.

- [Vince] But no such luck?

- Well, when he turned up, out of the blue,

almost a year later, we had quite a problem.

- Oh, yeah, I'll bet.

- You did the right thing, you made it easier for her.

- You walked away, and never came back to Chinatown.

- 'Til now.

- My dear old friend. - Lee Chan.

(TJ speaking Chinese) - Ho ho!

- I see you're still alive and kicking!

- Well, my kickers lost their steam,

but, ah, yes, I'm still living!

(TJ laughs)

- This is Lee Chan, my friends.

Stacy Sheridan, Jim Corrigan. - Hello, hello.

Vince Romano. - Hello, welcome, welcome.

Your restaurant has become a mica.

- One must change with times, but,

as always, I serve the best Chinese food.

I never thought you would return here.

- I had to come, I'm here to track

down the source of the illegal automatic weapons.

- It's more than rumor, that they emanate from Chinatown.

- I figured, if there was something to know, you'd know it.

- People have been seen who don't belong here.

Strangers, and yet, not tourists.

They could be the buyers of the illegal weapons.

But as for the sellers ...

(mysterious flute music)

(dramatic music)

- The Uzis are moving faster than we thought.

It's our last six!

- The next shipment is due at the end of this week.

The bill of lading will say it's teakwood.

- Oh, how many pieces? - 200, COD.

We're gonna need a pretty good sized

sale to make the payment.

- Don't worry, I'll come up with a buyer.

(calm music)

(drill sergeant shouting)

- I picked this up at the desk, Hooker.

The rundown on Chow Dok Khan.

- I could figure that he came back to the States

about the time the automatic weapons started to show up.

- Bunch of misdemeanors, three felony arrests,

but nothing proven. - And nothing recent.

- Everything here dates back to before he

left the country the last time.

- Well, you got your way, Hooker.

So, what have you turned up so far down in Chinatown?

- Well, nothing concrete, but I

think we may be onto something.

- I think, and maybe, don't get

guns off the street, Sergeant.

- Neither does standing around here

talking about it, Lieutenant.

(dramatic music)

- Let's go.

(dramatic music)

(mysterious music)

- That's it, six Uzis.

- It's all there, Po.

- So it is, nice doing business with you.

Let's go.

- We're not leaving all that money behind.

We let Po get rid of his muscle,

then we take it all back.

I know where he hangs out. (chuckles)

- I don't know, Hooker, all you've got

is the time correlation, and the fact

that Chow Dok Khan has a possible importing cover,

in the trading company, it's really not hard evidence.

- You're right, junior.

Maybe I'm pressing, maybe it's for personal reasons.

Maybe it's not.

I want to do this alone.

- What is it today, Sergeant Hooker?

Police business, or did you come by to talk?

- I came to talk to you about your father, Chow Dok Khan.

- He isn't here.

- But maybe you can help me.

I understand he was out of the

country, for more than a year, up to four months ago.

- Yes, he was in Taiwan, Laos, and Thailand.

- What was he doing there besides buying for the shop?

- It's not my business to know.

Chow Dok Khan's privacy is respected.

He is the head of the family.

- I think he may be involved in something illegal.

- You want to know about Chow Dok Khan, ask Chow Dok Khan.

- All right, where can I find him?

- At this hour, probably at the House of Shanghai.

Hooker?

I know you knew my mother, Hooker.

- Yes, I did know her.

I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure what,

I wasn't sure if she told you about us.

- She told me, almost everything.

Maybe you can fill in the missing pieces.

- We'll get together and talk.

- After you've found what you've come

to search for in Chinatown?

- Nancy, that shooting the other night at the cockfight.

That's happening all over town.

Somebody is bringing in automatic weapons.

Innocent people are being hurt and killed.

I think those weapons are being

funneled through here, Chinatown.

Any help you can give me,

I need.

- You thinking what I'm thinking?

- What's that, junior?

- Nancy, if you count the years back,

you could be her father.

- Life isn't always that tidy, junior.

- Yeah, well, maybe not, but I'd sure

rather have you as a father-in-law

than that Chow Dok character.

I think. - Thanks.

- I think.

- This is a private club.

- We'd like to ask you some questions, Chow Dok Khan.

- Too bad, I would rather you came for a lesson.

- I don't think we need any lessons from you.

- Oh, you're versed in martial arts?

- Yeah, versed enough.

- Perhaps Sergeant Hooker will show his skill.

I'd be happy to act as a subject for his demonstration.

- We could ask you some questions here,

or we could take you in.

- Have us miss a display of your expertise in martial arts?

- Don't push it.

I ask, you answer, I go, it's very simple.

- I hear the words, Hooker, the tone indicates some fear.

As I recall, fear was not enough

to keep you away from my home!

And my wife!

- You're really begging for it, aren't you?

- It was astute of you to notice.

- Hey, nobody panic!

We just want Po!

- Cops! - Hold, police!

(dramatic music)

- There they are!

(upbeat music)

- Everybody in the square,

take your mark!

(gun firing)

Freeze!

Drop the gun, drop it!

- Put your hands behind your back.

- Hands on your head!

Guess it wasn't your day, pal.

Walking in on two cops.

- Yeah, that's the way the fortune cookie crumbles.

(triumphant music)

(calm music)

The two guys that came after you,

we found six Uzis in the trunk of their car.

They said they bought them from you.

- (laughs) And you believe that?

- Why should we believe you?

- Because I'm a tax-paying citizen with no police record.

- Po, you're not smart enough to run this operation alone,

but maybe you're smart enough not to take the fall for it.

- Fall, for what?

I don't know what you're talking about.

- Yes you do, and you're gonna tell us.

- Hey, this is the 20th century, man.

And I think my rights have been violated here.

Now, I want to see a lawyer, and maybe

talk about police harassment!

- (sighs) You're not worth harassment.

- You stay away from Nancy Khan, she's mine.

- We'll see about that.

Let's put a tail on him, see where it takes us.

- Not a chance, Hooker, we've got nothing.

I can't justify that!

- I thought you wanted to get the guns off the streets.

- If you think I'm gonna ask for

24 hour surveillance, based on the statement

of a couple of armed punks, you've got another guess coming.

- That's right, Drummer, play it safe,

don't take any chances.

- You watch your mouth, Hooker.

I'll have you up for insubordination.

- No you won't, you need me.

How else are you gonna get your Captain's bars?

- What did you get from Po?

- Lies, and a warning, stay away from Nancy Khan.

- So what do you do now?

- When I go in to watch, I go see Nancy Khan.

(dramatic music)

(mysterious flute music)

- What's wrong?

- I was thinking about your mother.

We used to come here a lot.

- Her life wasn't happy.

Chow Dok Khan wasn't exactly a loving husband.

- I wish things could have been different.

- My mother told me what happened.

She talked about you a lot.

I don't go in much for Chinese proverbs,

but it is said, laming oneself for fate

is like laming oneself for rain, things happen.

- That teahouse, your mother and I

used to meet there on my lunch breaks.

- I remember her mentioning that.

And telling me some of the things you said to her.

I used to daydream that my mother's

prince in blue was my real father.

- That's a bit fanciful, isn't it?

- Maybe.

But it's possible, you know?

- I'd be proud to have you as my daughter.

- Hooker, my mother left me a letter.

Told me to open it after she died.

She said the letter would tell me

who my real father was.

- And?

- Never opened it, afraid to find out the truth.

What do you think, Hooker?

- Mai Ling gave you the letter.

It's your decision, not mine.

(dramatic music)

George Po, how well do you know him?

- We've dated.

- What does he do, how does he earn a living?

- He works for Chow Dok Khan, but not at the shop.

(mysterious music)

- I think he's involved with those

illegal weapons I told you about.

- This is Chinatown, Hooker, a lot of things go on here.

- And now you tell me he works for Chow Dok Khan?

- Are you suggesting they're using

my mother's business to import guns?

- Nancy, I know Chinatown, and what happens

here as well as you do.

Be careful.

(mysterious flute music)

(calm music)

- You find out anything from Nancy yesterday?

- Just that George Po works for Chow Dok Khan,

in some capacity, but she couldn't

tie either one of them to the illegal weapons operation.

- Looks like Chow Dok Khan has himself pretty well covered.

- There may be a way through his smokescreen.

Sid Ennis.

- The guy Corrigan and Stacy took down

at the cockfight robbery? - Yeah.

I don't know, Hooker, detectives have

been working on him, and he hasn't cracked.

- That's why I asked the DA, this morning,

to give me a shot at Ennis.

The DA gave me an okay to offer him a deal.

(dramatic music)

- I talked with the DA, he's willing

to extend himself, if you'll play along with us.

- You mean, I walk?

- Screw your head back on, will you, Ennis?

You're part of an armed robbery

involving illegal automatic weapons.

- You're looking at 10 years hard time

in a state prison, man.

- The DA is willing to reduce that

to five to eight, county time,

if you'll do this into George Po.

- Hey, wait a minute, I don't know if I can do that.

I mean, I don't even know if it'll work!

- Okay, Ennis, it's your decision.

Farm or the joint. - Come on.

- Wait a minute, what's going on here?

What are you doing with my prisoner?

- Trying to get you what you want, your Captain's bars.

I'd handle the other guy myself,

but George Po knows me, I can't afford

to let Chow Dok Khan know we're onto him.

- I haven't been under cover in a while,

the change could be interesting.

The cover name I'm using belongs to a scuzz

I busted a couple of years back in Frisco, Floyd Nella.

- Sounds righteous, Floyd.

(mysterious music)

- No, I don't know, I don't know if I can pull this off!

- Hey, man, you wanna spend the rest

of your life rotting in some stinking cell, huh?

- No, no! - Then get it together!

(knocking on door)

- Yeah.

- Yeah, I wanna talk to George Po, it's business.

- See if he's in, what's your name?

- Sid Ennis, tell him I'm a friend of Jimmy Fong's.

Tell him that, just tell him that.

- All right, wait here.

(door buzzes)

- You wanted to see me?

- Yeah, you're the guy, I saw Jimmy

Fong make the gun buy from you.

- (scoffs) He must be mistaken.

- Hey, you don't have to play cute with me.

I was there when Jimmy got shot.

- I heard you were in custody.

- Yeah, well, my buddy, here, Floyd Nella

got me a high priced lawyer, sprung me out on bail.

But I ain't going back, so if I make this

little deal here, lets me in for a little share.

I'm going to Acapulco.

- What kind of deal are we talking about?

- Ennis tells me you have enough

automatic weapons to outfit my crew.

- Exactly what is it that you're looking for?

- 20 pieces, with a lot of ammo.

I prefer AK-47s, but I know the ammo is hard to come by.

- AK-47s are hard to come by.

Now, if they were available, I'm sure

you'd have to pay a premium for it.

- They're worth about $600 a piece, I'll give you a grand.

- Sorry, pal, the premium I was talking about

is $1000 above the going price.

- $1600, 20 guns, that's $32000, forget it.

And you can forget about Acapulco.

- Wait a minute, there's got to

be a way we can work this out.

25 grand.

That's pretty good.

- 30.

- 28.

- Okay. - That's better.

That's really fair!

- Tomorrow, call me here, I'll tell you where and when.

Hey, make sure you have the money.

- I've got the money.

(dramatic music)

(mysterious music)

(door bells ring)

- Hike it up. (George grunting)

(mysterious music)

(calm music)

- Yes, I will, hey, Nancy.

You've done enough, I'll handle it from here.

You just settle down, attagirl.

Nancy saw Chow Dok Khan and Po

go down into a secret room in the basement of the shop.

She followed them down, and she got an eyeful,

the room was filled with guns.

- Confirms we're on track.

- Well, what are we waiting for?

Let's get over there and clean out that room.

- Hold on.

We want those guns, but we also want Chow Dok Khan.

- That's right, we stick with our plan.

- You know what I can't figure out?

How can there be a secret room

when Lieutenant Drummer said Chinatown

has been combed, top to bottom?

- While we were at the Moon Pagoda,

Lee Chan told me about the hidden city

that's sitting underneath Chinatown.

- Sounds mysterious.

- When laborers were bought from China

to build the railroad, they didn't

have any rights, they were treated like slaves.

The underground city is where they hid

from Wai Lao, the people they called

the devil persons who robbed and preyed on them.

- That still doesn't answer my question.

- Drummer and his men didn't find

the underground chambers and passages,

because they were that well-hid,

and Chinatown has been rebuilt several times since then.

The hidden chambers were covered over long ago.

- But Chow Dok Khan found one that wasn't?

- Check.

And we're gonna close it up as soon

as we nail Chow Dok Khan with his hands dirty.

- So we proceed as planned, and get Po out of the way.

- That's where we're going, junior.

(dramatic music)

(calm music)

- Po, up against the car!

Hand on your head.

- Wait a minute, what's the beef?

- We're taking you in for questioning.

- You already did that.

- Just let us, we need practice.

(sinister music)

(swords clanging)

- The cops just picked up Po.

- Why, why did they pull him for?

- He's talking about new questions.

What about the delivery today?

You think you can get Po out in time?

- I've got to get a lawyer down here.

- Should we call it off?

- No, I'll make the delivery myself.

Go out, I'll meet you at the truck.

- Tiger Two to Tiger Leader.

- Go, Tiger Two.

- I'm ready to move in to make the buy.

- [TJ] You're looking good from here, go for it.

- Tiger Two, roger and out. (dramatic music)

Where's Po? - He couldn't make it.

- I'm handling the transaction.

- I don't know you, I'm not dealing with any flunky.

- I'm Chow Dok Khan, Po works for me.

It is my guns you're buying.

You were to bring $20000.

- I wanna see what I'm buying before I give you the money.

- Looks like Corrigan has the hook in.

Reel them in, Jim, reel them in.

- Where's the money, Mr. Nella?

- It's going down, I'll cover the back.

- Let's go. (dramatic music)

- Cops, it's a setup!

He's blown his cover!

(dramatic music)

- Freeze!

(Chow shouts)

(guns firing)

(guns firing)

(men grunting)

- Freeze!

(dramatic music)

- I've waited 18 years for this!

You can take nothing more from me, Hooker!

- [TJ] I never took anything from you,

not that I didn't want to, but I made

a mistake, I respected Mai Ling's wishes.

(Chow shouts)

(men shouting)

(dramatic music)

(men shouting)

(Chow grunting)

(flute music)

(triumphant music)

(calm music)

- [TJ] The letter your mother left,

telling you who your real father is.

No matter what it says, I want you to know

that I won't stay away, the way I did.

After all, you are Mai Ling's daughter,

and I care about you very much.

Are you sure you want to know the truth?

Whether I really am your real father?

- I want to know the truth that I want.

- We don't always get what we want.

(magical music)

- Now we will never know, neither of us.

- Maybe it's better, we can keep our dreams.

Both of us.

(flute music)

- Well?

- It's Chinatown, junior, there's some questions here

to which we will never know the answers.

(calm music)

(upbeat music)