Original subtitles

[gentle music]

[gentle suspenseful music]

[glass smashing]

[Ajun] It is another boy who killed the African.

It is not me.

-You were adopted, yes? -Yes.

[Pan] I have a message from your mother here in Guangzhou.

Your brother is in trouble.

[Mei] What brother?

You want to go and meet her?

Yes, I do.

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

-She's not my mother. -She is your mother.

Three weeks, no-one speak for me, I will die.

I'll do everything I can for you.

Thank you, sister.

[suspenseful music]

[fan whirring]

[lawyer speaks in foreign language]

He's telling you that is this is a case we cannot win.

[Mei] But he's his lawyer! Why?

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

[lawyer speaks in foreign language]

[Pan] Guan Peng's connections are too powerful.

So why did he put in an appeal in the first place?

Because there is always an appeal.

And that's it?

The only reason?

[Pan] He's paid by the government whatever happens,

so if he's not going to win,

he doesn't see the point in doing anything.

So, he's completely useless?

[Pan] Yes.

What about the British Consulate?

Ask him if I should go there.

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

[lawyer speaks in foreign language]

[Pan] He says it is a good idea.

That we should do that.

-[tense music] -[fan whirring]

-[door slamming] -[lock clunking]

[Mr. Anderson] I appreciate your situation,

but there really is nothing the consulate can do for you.

But as he's my brother-

And not a British subject,

so we have no call to interfere

with the local judicial process.

But he was just plucked out of the air

to take the place of the killer!

He is completely innocent.

Unfortunately, we do hear of this sort of thing

happening from time to time, but as I say,

it's purely an internal matter for the Chinese authorities,

so you'll have to take it up with them.

But Qianyi says there is no-one in authority

who will take it up!

Well, yes, and that is sometimes the reality, I'm afraid.

So?

I'm sorry.

So?

I'm really sorry, but I can't be of any help to you.

You must be able to do something?

Can't you help unofficially?

Whatever I do here, I'm still a representative

of the British government, and so-

You must have some connections! Someone-

The use of connections is always compromising

and it would be unethical me to place myself,

as a British government official, in that kind of position.

I really am sorry, it's terribly upsetting, I know.

[people chattering]

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

She wants to know how Ajun is.

He asked me to send his love to you.

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

She's thanking you for seeing him.

Tell her that I know he's innocent.

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

And that when I saw him, I saw him as my brother.

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

And that I'll fight for him as my brother.

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

She'll come back in a minute. She just didn't want to...

You know, in front of us.

Are you okay?

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

She wants to show you something.

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

She's saying that she came here from Henan province

to work in the factory.

And she met your father, Li Nansheng.

When they were married they were given a birth permit.

If you had a permit you were allowed one child.

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

Your father's family decided that this child must be a boy,

so when you were born

she knew she would have to give you away.

She remembers the tears

because she knew, even the first time she was feeding you,

she was having to say goodbye to you.

After two weeks she says she fed you for the last time.

She wrapped you up so you were warm

and took you to the orphanage.

She left you at the entrance and she waited

until someone picked you up and took you inside.

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

She asks if you understand.

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

She says that to leave you at the orphanage

was the saddest moment in her life.

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

She says she made a mark on your body with a candle

before she left you,

hoping one day it would bring you back to her.

She would never ask this,

but it would make her happy to see the mark.

[Ying sobbing]

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

She says that she has spent every day of your life

thinking about you.

I'm just gonna out there for a moment.

No! Stay here.

Two minutes.

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

[Ying chuckles]

[Mei speaks in foreign language]

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

[Mei speaks in foreign language]

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

[people chattering]

We've got to get him released.

There are some people I want you to meet.

-[men chattering] -[blocks clattering]

We're safe out here in the open,

but we have to be careful.

We are always being monitored. So just act normal.

My name is Dongping. I am a journalist.

Hua and Dazhen are lawyers.

Chen is a businessman and Yuan is a scientist.

We are members of the Citizens' Justice Movement.

It was formed by a man named Jiang Zhen.

Have you heard of him?

No.

He set it up to campaign against corruption in the courts

and in the offices of government,

to create an accountable and democratic society.

What we failed to achieve at Tiananmen Square,

we can achieve through campaigning

on cases like your brother's.

If we expose the truth in society in the courts,

case by case, we may see the beginning

of a profound change in civic society.

And in freeing your brother,

we can bring down the two most corrupt men in our city.

These are the two men who framed your brother.

Guan Peng and his brother Guan Xin, the chief of police.

If anyone of us as individuals tries to take them on,

they will imprison us, remove us from our jobs,

and have our licence to practise law revoked.

They can destroy our livelihoods just like that,

but acting together in the Citizens' Justice Movement,

we can bring them down.

[Hua] If we can persuade one witness to tell the truth.

Get one witness to change his evidence.

Then we have something to work on.

What we are asking you to do,

and our best chance is to use you, as the sister of Ajun.

Go with Qianyi, find that one witness for us.

And if you succeed, we will use all our influence

to get your brother freed.

[keyboard tapping]

[cellphone ringing]

[Katherine] Hi, Mei!

[Jim] Hello, Mei, Dad here.

Hi, Mum. Hi, Dad.

[Katherine] What is happening?

Nothing at the moment.

What you mean, nothing?

[Mei] I'm just in my hotel room.

[Jim] When are you coming home?

Have you changed your flight yet?

-No. -Why not?

I've been doing other things.

[Katherine] Anything you wanna tell us about?

Well, it's difficult.

I met my birth mother again.

[Katherine] How was that?

It was okay.

[Katherine] What you mean, okay?

Why was it difficult?

I said it was okay, not difficult.

Other things are difficult.

What things?

[Mei] Nothing!

I've just got back into my hotel and I need time to think.

Okay, and we appreciate that, Mei.

But you have to give us more information than this.

I can't really talk about it on the phone.

[Katherine] Why don't you try?

Because I don't feel I can at the moment!

I don't know what to think,

and as I've said, I've only just come back into my hotel.

Who else have you been meeting?

No-one. Why?

Because we're both extremely anxious here.

[Mei] You don't have to be!

So what else have you been doing

that you haven't had time to plan when you're coming back?

-Nothing else! -You must be doing something!

[Mei] Mum, I'm not!

What about the situation with your brother?

What's happening with that?

I don't know.

Mei, any foreigner trying to interfere

with domestic affairs

will just bring trouble upon themselves.

Serious trouble.

We have looked up cases on the internet, Mei,

and if your friend out there thinks that you

can make any difference

-to your brother's- -I don't need this advice!

I know what is happening here

and I know how to look after myself!

-But if you don't.- -Good God, please!

[phone dialling tone beeps]

Huh!

We need to do something here.

Did you find the name at the consulate?

I'll do that right now!

[Katherine sighs]

[tense music]

[keyboard tapping]

-[gentle suspenseful music] -[baby crying]

[Mr. Anderson] May I join you?

Oh, hello.

I received a call last night from your mother and father,

concerned about you.

[Waiter] [speaks in foreign language] Tea or coffee, sir?

No, thank you.

I've now looked at your brother's case

and I am, of course, aware

of the Citizens' Justice Movement.

They are a group of dissidents

very much at odds with Beijing

and the authorities here in this city.

I have to advise you most strongly

not to get involved with these people.

You may think their aims are admirable

and, indeed, I might, too.

But as your father has already warned you,

the Chinese authorities are sensitive to criticism

and they don't look kindly on foreigners

interfering in domestic matters.

But my brother is going to be executed in two weeks

for a crime he didn't commit.

If the authorities find out you are with these people,

and they will,

because these dissidents are known to them and are watched,

they will be very severe with you.

So I have suggested to your parents, and they have agreed,

that I will assist you in rearranging your ticket home.

I'm not ready to go home.

Well, that is something for you to discuss

with your parents.

I have provisionally booked you

on the evening flight to London

and I'll be holding that seat for you

unless you tell me otherwise.

In the meantime,

don't meet anyone who you think might be a member

of the Citizens' Justice Movement.

And one more word of advice,

if you're thinking of going to the media when you get home,

for your brother's sake, don't.

For anyone here trying to save his life,

it'll make their task that much more difficult.

Call me if you need anything.

[phone tapping]

Where do I meet you?

[siren blares]

-[upbeat music] -[singing in foreign language]

[people chattering]

We'll find Ajun's friend Sam Abulu here.

The local people call it Chocolate City.

All the Africans traders live here, many of them illegally.

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

[speaks in foreign language] Baiyun Trading?

[men yelling]

-[batons thudding] -[man grunting]

Excuse me. Do you know a Samuel Abulu?

Who?

Samuel Abulu?

[Man] No, no, no.

[Mei] Mr. Abulu?

Yes?

I'm the sister of Li Jun.

Ajun.

He works at the Space nightclub with Eddie, the DJ.

[Samuel] I don't know him.

You made a statement against him.

You told the police that he killed Mr. Alozie.

It wasn't my brother who killed him.

Go away.

You didn't see my brother kill Mr. Alozie.

You saw another man kill him, didn't you?

I said what I saw. Go away from here.

You saw a man called Guan Xiaopeng kill your friend,

didn't you?

You identified the wrong man.

Do not cause your trouble here.

Save my brother's life and tell the truth, please.

No-one is wanting to talk about this killing.

You asking your questions here is not welcome.

We are hard-working, innocent people.

Now go.

Get out.

[tense music]

[Man] See this man.

-[people chattering] -[containers clattering]

[door creaks]

Who are you?

My name is Mei Ashley.

I've come here from London.

Are you Mr. Ojo?

The president is in his office.

What do you want?

[Mei] I have a very important personal message for him.

Okay.

He is the president. Mr. President.

It is how he must be addressed.

[TV chattering]

[Joseph] What do you want? I'm a very busy man here.

Thank you for agreeing to meet me, Mr. President.

My brother, Li Jun,

has been convicted of killing Mr. Alozie.

What is her name?

[Solomon] What is your name?

Mei Ashley.

What?

I'm adopted English.

My brother is Li Jun and I've come here to China

to get him released from prison.

Why come to me?

I've been to the trading centre

to look for the Nigerian witnesses,

to ask them to tell the truth.

Are you harassing my community?

Four Nigerians have signed statements

saying that my brother killed Mr. Alozie and it is not true.

My people are not liars

I've only been asking-

I know what you are asking

and I am telling you now to stop it.

But they've signed statements that my brother has-

If an African lies to the Chinese police,

we are all in big trouble.

Do you think we are going to lie to them

and get into trouble on purpose?

But four people from your country have signed statements-

If you come into my community again,

harassing my people, asking them questions,

I will report you to the Chinese authorities

and they will stop you.

Okay?

-Please, Mr. President- -Mr. Solomon Obihorra

will escort you from my office.

[tense music]

[brush scrubbing]

[guard speaks in foreign language]

-[door scraping] -[door thudding]

[Ajun] Speak to Tao. He will tell you what happened.

He's my best friend.

I know him all my life.

I was standing next to him when the African was killed.

He will tell the truth.

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

[Shen speaks in foreign language]

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

[Shen speaks in foreign language]

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

[Shen speaks in foreign language]

[woman speaks in foreign language]

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

[Shen speaks in foreign language]

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

[Tao speaks in foreign language]

[woman speaks in foreign language]

[Shen speaks in foreign language]

[pensive music]

Eddie?

My name's Mei.

Okay.

[Mei] I'm Ajun's sister.

His sister?

I was adopted to the UK and I've come here to help him.

Can we talk for a moment?

I have to do this.

I wanted to meet you

because Ajun never stops talking about you.

He's very grateful, the way you help him,

letting him DJ with you,

teaching him English, and hanging out with him.

He just thinks you're great.

So will you tell the truth for him?

There's nothing I can do.

He's going to be executed in two weeks.

Lady, I can't even talk about it.

Please, we can free him if just one person

changes a statement, to tell the truth.

One person.

The African, he doesn't have a choice how he lives here.

We go to church, we pray, "God protect us."

But in this place, this city?

Our destiny is not in God's power.

You understand me?

But unless someone tells the truth,

my brother will be executed

-for something he didn't do. -You are not hearing me.

We also have brothers and sisters who will die

if we do not send money home to them,

pay for their medicines, and everything,

so we don't mess with the police here.

When they tell you to do something, just do it.

[sombre ambient music]

What we do now?

There's one man who might be able to help us.

But he's a private detective,

which in China is a very dangerous way to go.

-[birds chirping] -[tense music]

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

[Dongping speaks in foreign language]

[Qianyi speaks in foreign language]

And if we could speak English now, for Mei's benefit.

Chang Hua is the lawyer

who will be representing Ajun in court.

How many witnesses?

15.

Four of those are Xiaopeng and his friends.

Ah.

So, 11 witnesses.

[Hua] Yes.

How many Africans?

Four.

So you are asking for seven Chinese and four Africans

to sign new statements?

How many not signed?

We don't know.

We know there is at least one member of staff,

Li Jun's friend Tao,

who has not been asked to make a statement.

You will need to change the evidence of all the witnesses.

Eventually, we will have to, yes, we realise that.

But we thought that, if we could get just one witness

to change his statement first, I will then write the story-

No. No time.

The court will need all the witnesses.

But to change all the witnesses at once-

It is your only option.

The only chance of success is to be more ruthless

than Guan Peng.

He and his brother, the chief of police,

are the most powerful men in the province.

Five million yuan.

We do not have anything like that money.

500,000 pounds?

The agency sets the charges.

But that is to commercial companies.

We're just private citizens.

To change the evidence of witnesses

when you're up against powerful men, difficult.

I understand that, but you-

Require considerable investigation and pressure.

Mr. Lin.

I have just met my brother for the first time in my life

and I've been told that you're the only person

who can now save him.

I can get some money from England,

as much as I can, everything I can.

I can borrow 5,000 pounds.

Can I pay you 5,000 pounds?

I know it's not much, but I beg you.

Can you do something for that?

The company will not negotiate.

What if you work outside your company,

in your spare time?

I'd pay you directly.

How much will you take?

10,000?

I'll pay you 10,000 to do just whatever you can.

Please.

50,000.

I don't have that money.

Please.

50,000

[gentle suspenseful music]

[video call ringing]

It's Mei!

It's Mei.

Mei!

[Mei] Hi, Mum.

[Katherine] How are you?

[Jim] Hello, Mei!

Hi, Dad. There's a new plan.

Oh, dear.

You've been ignoring the advice

from the man at the consulate.

Because I've met a private investigator

who can get my brother off the charge and freed from jail.

This man will save his life.

This is all happening

-really fast for us, Mei. -Just hold on a minute, Mei.

Just take us back to the beginning, will you?

I've only just met him

and I've only just come back to my hotel.

But to get Ajun free, it is going to cost me 50,000 pounds.

To get him free. What?

What did you say?

It is going to cost me 50,000 pounds.

50,000 pounds.

Well, who's gonna pay for that?

Are you sure this detective

isn't buying himself a Lamborghini?

It's not a scam, Dad.

Why do you keep thinking everything's a scam when it's not?

50,000 pounds, that's not a scam?

[Mei] No, it's not.

And I'm going to pay for this. I am.

[Katherine] With what, your student loan?

Can I borrow it from you?

50,000 pounds?

That's our entire life savings, Mei, sad as it seems.

I will pay it all back when I'm working,

every penny of it.

50,000 pounds, Mei,

is all that's left out of 50 years of work.

Times two.

-Not 50 years. -No, not 50 for Mum, but

-50. -It's all we have.

[Jim] Have you spoken to Mr. Anderson about this?

No, because he's a useless git

who's perfectly content to see my brother

go to his execution for a crime he did not commit!

I will pay every penny of it,

but I need you to lend me the money.

This private detective will save his life.

50,000 pounds to save his life!

Please don't say you're not going to help me.

Please don't tell me that.

Tell me anything else, but don't tell me that.

Mum, Dad, please.

Mei, that's not realistic.

But it is real.

I didn't ask to be put in this situation here,

but I'm in it now.

And if I don't do everything I can to try and save him,

then how can I live with myself after that?

Wouldn't you do the same if it was me, or each other?

Please, just do this for me.

-Darling. -If you won't help me,

then how can I ever come back home to you?

[computer beeps]

[Katherine sobbing]

This is a very intense and exciting time for her.

And the more she spends with her mother and her brother,

the more she's going to feel this is

her great moment in life.

So if we're not going to support her now.

But to give her all we have.

[Katherine sighs]

I think we should go over there,

whatever we decide about the money.

[birds chirping]

[exhaling] There it is, our savings.

Look, that's all it is, a figure in a bank book.

So, really what else do we have but Mei?

[gentle music]

[suspenseful music]

-[birds chirping] -[siren blaring]

[doorbell ringing]

[tea trickling]

Always the solution is to find the weakness.

These are the names of the Chinese witnesses

and these are the Africans.

Chocolate City.

Mr. Tunde Adeola. He trades T-shirts into Nigeria.

He also trades cocaine into Guangzhou.

He brings it through Hong Kong

in the stomachs and vaginas of Asian girls.

This man is half the solution.

All the Africans on this list will make statements

in favour of your brother

once we have convinced him to change his statement.

The other half of the solution, Chen Jin.

Manager of the Space club.

All the Chinese on that list will also make statements

in favour of your brother once he has changed his statement.

Mr. Chen and Mr. Adeola together.

Why?

Because Mr. Chen buys Mr. Adeola's cocaine.

The penalty for smuggling drugs is death,

so we have the weakness.

Every month, in this apartment,

an exclusive party is given to businessmen

who like to take drugs,

drugs which are provided by Mr. Adeola.

Mr. Chen owns this apartment.

A connection of mine provides the hostesses.

In that apartment, we have our evidence

and this is how we get it,

with a hidden camera.

I can provide one hostess for the party.

One of you will be the hostess.

One of us?

Can you not provide a girl to do that?

Yes, but can I trust her

with your only opportunity to save your brother's life?

There is no girl I would trust for this.

They are not smart enough.

They will not take the risk.

They are only interested in themselves.

What does it mean to be a hostess, exactly?

These men pay 1,000 each for one night

and for that they get whatever they want.

Whatever drug, whatever drink, whatever girl.

That is not answering my question, Mr. Lin.

Are you saying Mei should be a prostitute?

Mr. Chen employs migrant girls for sex

and smart girls to charm.

Miss Ashley should go as hostess to charm.

You are asking Mei to do this?

She is from England. They will like her.

I do not have anyone else I can trust.

Even so, the consequences for her

-if the party is raided. -Raided?

Impossible.

There are too many men with good connections

for this place to be raided.

Once you have the evidence,

you can make your excuse and then leave.

This is not acceptable.

You are paying me to be successful, not acceptable.

Get this evidence and I will make everything else possible.

We will have your brother free.

No, Mr. Lin. There has to be another way.

[relaxed sombre music]

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

This is the first time she has been to the orphanage

since the day she left you here.

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

She's saying that she wrapped you warm in a basket.

She ran to the gates and then she hid,

and she waited outside until someone had picked you up

and taken you in.

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

Her heart was pounding,

but it was only about five minutes waiting.

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

A nurse came out and she picked you up very carefully.

[birds chirping]

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

But now you are here again.

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

To live this day today with you here, to live this day,

never did I dare to dream this.

-[people chattering] -[gentle music]

[Ying speaks in foreign language]

I'll do it.

I'll do it.

[dramatic music]

She's discovering something huge in her life.

Something that will sweep her away from us.

I'm not blaming her for it,

but the moment she came home and mentioned her birth mother

just saw this whole scenario opening.

[Mei] And now if I can get Ajun out of prison

and free for her,

it would be the best thing I could ever do in my life.

The best thing ever.

I will be free.

Is it really true?

[dramatic music]

Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0