Fucking pond.
I know. Isn't it great?
I'm beginning to think this one's a little touched.
You just noticed?
Guys, quit fucking around. This is serious.
Don't worry. The chop looks good.
Just stand there, look pretty.
I'll do the talking.
It looked good in our basement.
But ripping off Happy Jack is a different fucking story.
If this deal goes sideways, I'm fucking blaming you.
If this goes sideways, it won't matter.
I hope you Chinamen didn't come to us for credit.
Because you put me in a very difficult position
the last time you asked me to hold onto your shit.
We had a minor cash flow issue.
And we very much appreciate
you holding on to our product for us--
He ain't interested in your appreciation.
You got our money?
Give him the chop.
This covers our last order and our next one,
plus a little extra for your trouble.
What are you doing here, Chao?
Hmm?
You're running with the Hop Wei now?
I make investment.
Investments?
Things must be worse than I thought.
Like I said, a minor cash flow issue.
The cops are squeezing us.
We have it all worked out now.
They're straight.
I guess you do.
Give these men their product.
Douglas.
You're back.
The work is never done, it seems.
Was there a problem with your wine?
I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon.
No, not at all.
It might be your best vintage yet.
I just came by to see if you'd reconsidered my offer.
I thought I made my position clear.
You did, you did, but...
I wouldn't be where I am today without believing
there's always a deal to be made.
I couldn't help noticing you have a lot
of Chinese girls working here.
What of it?
Well, it's just that some folks--
not me, mind you-- but some folks around here
might surmise that this place was some kind of brothel.
But not you.
Of course, you're quite familiar
with the genuine article.
I blame the politicians.
They've got everyone all riled up
with this Page Act business.
Well, you know me.
I never much cared what other people think,
least of all politicians.
On that, we can agree.
But nevertheless, if the government
caught wind of what's happening here--
Oh, I have a dozen San Francisco police
who will testify on my behalf.
They helped me liberate these girls.
Of course.
I read all about it in the "Register."
Nellie Davenport, savior of Chinatown's whores.
I just wonder what they'd make of you now,
sharing your bed with one.
It's a reasonable offer.
Get the hell off my land.
So this cop knows you're wanted for murder.
And instead of arresting you, he wants to deputize you.
That's the gist of it.
Must be nice to be white.
You're not considering it, are you?
You're considering it.
If I help him, we can finally stop
looking over our shoulders.
Have you looked in a mirror lately?
As long as we're together, honey,
we're always gonna be looking over our shoulders.
You said that you wanted to stay in San Francisco.
This is how we do it. No more bounty hunters.
And a cop living in my bar?
How do you think that's gonna play?
That badge isn't just bad for business.
It's bad for you.
The last thing I want to do is go back to Chinatown.
But if there's even half a chance
I can buy us a future, I have to try.
The attack on Li Yong was a desperate act of cowardice
by Muchen.
But thanks to Kong Pak, his plot failed.
The surviving members of the Three Brothers tong
will be sworn in soon.
These men betrayed us.
How can we ensure their loyalty?
Kong Pak, you know these men.
What do you think?
Muchen ruled by fear.
Now that he's gone, his hatchets will fall in line.
Then we'll proceed as planned.
But I'd like you to keep an eye on them.
Not the sort of dress you usually wear.
It was a gift from Eliza.
She invited me to an art gallery.
You're starting to spend a lot of time in the pond.
Just enough time to look after our interests.
It's a risk.
But a calculated one.
I should come with you.
You're not safe out there alone.
It's not a meeting with a rival tong.
I'll be fine.
Besides, your presence will only make it harder
to gain their trust.
Agent Moseley.
I take it you know Mr. Lee?
Only by reputation, which does you no favors.
Coming from this outfit, I take that
as a compliment, sir.
If you're done fawning over each other,
maybe you could do us a favor and round up
the Chinatown squad...
Chief?
Yes, sir.
Agent Moseley has tracked the counterfeiting operation
to San Francisco.
We have reason to believe the men running it
are headquartered in Chinatown.
Which is why we'd like your squad
to test the local currency as you make your rounds.
A single drop is all it takes to ferret out a fake.
If the bill is legal tender, the iodine won't leave a mark.
We're trying to keep the chinks
from slaughtering one another.
There's no time for fucking chemistry.
Those payoffs you're taking could be counterfeit too.
So you'd be doing yourself a favor.
Would you mind repeating that?
Which word didn't you understand?
You shit-sucking son of a bitch.
- Come on. - Thank you, gentlemen.
We'll keep your concerns in mind.
Now, if there's nothing more,
my men have work to do.
You told me you were done with police work.
I was.
I will be again, as soon as this is over.
So... what's the plan?
Besides insulting my men.
Moseley says the original crew was buying
weapons from a Chinaman.
I figured I'd start by paying a visit to Mr. Wang Chao.
Well, Chao is not much of a fan of yours.
Oh, maybe I should come along
and help smooth things over.
I appreciate that, but...
that might muddy the waters.
I need to do this my way, Bill.
Well...
well, in that case...
Stay safe, Agent Lee.
Afraid I can't promise that.
Well, then just for fuck's sake, stay alive, huh?
That's--that's all of it.
"Thank you." You're welcome.
For what?
Forcing me to work for you?
Hey, do I need to remind you
that you came to us?
Yeah, to get you up and running,
not to join your gang.
Look,
I get it, but you don't need to worry.
We protect our own.
You know, one of you said
the exact same thing to my father.
We missed one payment, and you beat him.
That wasn't me.
You wear the same suit.
That--
yeah, that never should have happened.
I know it might not mean much, but I'm sorry.
Come find me when you're done.
Can you imagine living in a log cabin
with nothing but dirt for a floor?
Nothing to relieve yourself into but a wooden bucket?
Actually, I can.
Sorry. God, I must sound so entitled.
Not at all.
Just American.
Is the artist here?
Who knows?
Nobody comes here for the art.
They come here to see and be seen.
And to drink.
Thank you.
Gosh, it feels like I'm the one hanging on the wall.
Don't mind them.
They're just jealous.
You wear that dress better than they ever could.
Well, dear,
if you wanted to cause a stir, you've certainly done it.
Not my intention.
But a nice fringe benefit.
Mai Ling, this is my husband, Bernard.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
Pleasure is mine.
Eliza hasn't stopped talking about you all week.
She says you're quite the business woman.
I've made some good investments.
But hardly the sort that would impress
a banker of your stature.
Your firm finances some of the largest
construction projects in the city.
You've done your research.
May I say your English is flawless?
Well, yours isn't too bad either.
You did not tell me she was funny.
She's funny.
Cheers.
It looks like Eliza Pendleton has a new project.
Gentlemen.
You know her?
The Chinese girl? No.
But Eliza's always been determined to seem
just this side of the avant-garde.
Miss Archer, wasn't it?
I'm flattered you remembered.
Since I imagine you misplaced my card,
or is there some other reason you haven't called on me?
I thought you were simply being polite.
When you get to know me, you'll realize
I'm rarely, if ever, polite.
I can't wait to watch you knock that smug bastard on his ass.
That makes two of us.
I mean, the whole "man of the people" routine
is getting stale, don't you think?
Well, I think I've had about all the culture
I can stand for one day.
I recommend you call on me soon, Mr. Buckley,
or else I might decide you don't like me,
and then I'll become intolerable.
And you can prove this?
Given the amount of money in that envelope,
it shouldn't matter.
But yes.
We've got two witnesses who can put
Thayer's brother-in-law in a Chinese opium den
as recently as last week.
A real scandal, if it were to come out.
The story will play better if I can bring them in,
ask a few questions.
For obvious reasons,
these men wish to remain anonymous.
However, in the interest of due diligence,
everything is there.
Quotes, dates, and times.
I was thinking for the headline,
"Thayer Campaign, Up In Smoke."
You're the professional.
Evening, Mr. Strickland.
I'm sorry, do I know you?
Name's Dylan Leary.
I need a quick word.
Leary.
Champion of the workingman.
I hear you've been causing quite a stir
down at City Council.
I'm here on behalf of Leonard Pierce.
So now the City Council has got you
breaking legs for them, is that it?
I don't doubt you're a dangerous man, Mr. Leary.
But if Pierce went to all the trouble
to pay you to threaten me, I would at least think
he told you I never travel alone.
It must have slipped his mind.
That's too bad.
Either way, I hope it's becoming clear to you,
I'm not the man you threaten, Mr. Leary.
I'm the man with whom you make a deal.
Come on.
Let's have a chat.
So this is what gangsters do for fun?
You know, when they're not beating up old men.
Well, actually, I have many interests.
Sometimes I beat up young men.
Oh, how sweet.
I'm done printing.
The bills will be dry in the morning.
Great. I'll walk you home.
Uh, thank you.
Actually, I think I'll just take my payment and go.
Well, I need to pat you down first.
Young Jun's orders.
They have trust issues.
Arms up.
Just, um--
Mm-hmm.
Okay, all good.
Yeah.
- There you go. - Thanks.
Have a good night.
You have fun playing with your wood.
You were in the cavalry?
Served under Sheridan in the Army of the Potomac.
Fightin' Phil Sheridan?
The man's a fucking legend.
He certainly thought so.
We used to call him Little Phil behind his back.
He was so short,
he could scratch his own ankles without stooping over.
Did you serve?
88th Infantry, Irish brigade.
The Fearless Sons of Erin.
You gave those Rebels hell.
They sent a few of us there too.
My boy, Louis, fell at the Battle of Sailors' Creek.
I lost his mother in childbirth, and...
at the time, I remember thinking
I'd suffered the worst pain life has to offer.
Turns out I was wrong.
Every day of the war,
I prayed to make it home to my boys.
And I did...
So the pox could take 'em.
If there is a God, he has a sick sense of humor.
He's a fucking prick is what he is.
You and I know the price this country demands.
We've paid it tenfold for the freedom
to build something of our own.
Men like Pierce and his cronies will never understand that.
They were born into wealth.
They've sacrificed nothing.
I earned every dime I ever made.
From where I'm sitting, you don't look so different.
On the surface, maybe.
But I don't think the way they do.
They see you as a thug, someone to do their dirty work.
I see something else.
And what's that?
A political powerhouse.
The voice of the Irish.
But what good is that voice if nobody listens?
You twist some arms, you get
five Irish hired here, ten there.
- And their families eat. - Yes, but nothing has changed.
You're thinking too small.
The problem you face is systemic.
It's built into the economics of the country.
If you want to change that,
you need the kind of political capital
that comes with real power.
Otherwise, you'll end up a washed-up gangster
with nothing but your noble intentions
to show for your troubles.
These are fucked-up times.
The bulls are in our bowl.
The Long Zii are puffing up their chests.
Fuck the Long Zii!
It's been tough.
I won't deny it.
But we're the motherfucking Hop Wei!
And there aren't enough cops in San Francisco
to stop us from running our business.
We're back in the molasses game stronger than ever.
So get drunk.
Get sticky.
Yeah!
Because tomorrow, we get back to being
the baddest fucking tong in Chinatown!
Your boss seems happy.
Yeah.
But you're not.
Printing was supposed to be a solution,
not the solution.
We should be using the chop to buy more soldiers, not--
not booze and whores.
Then you better hurry.
Why?
Cash won't matter if there aren't
any soldiers left to buy.
Mai Ling just absorbed another tong.
How is she making moves
when we're out here fighting for scraps?
How doesn't matter.
What matters is that Mai Ling is building an army.
She won't come directly at us again.
Not with this much heat in the streets.
Doesn't seem like she's all that bothered by the heat.
Does it?
You know, if it weren't for the tailored suits,
I'd almost believe this whole poultry setup.
Former Officer Lee.
I thought you were Barbary Coast problem now.
Not a lot of room in here for contraband, Chao.
Chinatown squad make business bad for Chao.
Turn over new leaf.
Good.
Then you won't mind if I ask you a few questions.
Too bad.
I almost like you for a second.
I'm looking into a counterfeiting operation.
Somebody printing American greenbacks,
possibly here in Chinatown.
What I know about printing money?
I have a witness,
part of the original counterfeiting crew,
says a Chinese man sold weapons to his partners
down at the docks
shortly before they were robbed.
And you think this Chao?
Given what I know about you, I'd be foolish not to ask.
You're foolish either way.
Look, I'm not a cop anymore.
I work for the government. I can do things differently.
Different how?
You give me something useful, you get paid.
And I make sure you stay out of jail.
New badge, new rules.
Sound like old rule for snitch.
I'm just asking you to point me
in the right direction.
Exit that way.
Took you guys long enough.
I've been wandering around your territory
for, like, 20 minutes.
Yeah, we knew.
We just didn't care.
Ah.
Right, so you're the funny one.
Which one of you's the smart one?
None of you. Got it.
Enough.
Hey, sis.
I think my men are still itchy about the other day.
Oh, you mean when you almost started a war
by setting up shop in our backyard?
It was an honest mistake.
Hop Wei territory is shrinking by the day.
Hard to know who owns what anymore.
Yeah, tough times all around for everyone but you.
Your point?
Well, there are no bulls here.
No shutdowns or raids, and you're parading around
like the queen of Chinatown
while everyone else suffers.
It's a big world, Ah Sahm.
Opportunities everywhere.
Oh, my God.
Do you have any idea--
do you have any idea how arrogant you sound?
And you sound like a sore loser.
Listen, I don't know who you made a deal with,
but it's only a matter of time
before it blows up in your face,
and when it does,
Hop Wei will be the least of your worries.
The Hop Wei are the least of my worries.
Ever since Young Jun took over, he's been doing my work for me.
All I have to do is wait.
- Hmm. - Hmm.
Ah Sahm.
You don't have to go down with him.
I mean that.
Don't worry.
I won't.
This man, he was friends with your husband?
I don't think Douglas Strickland has friends.
But he convinced Fred to invest in his construction business
just as the city was taking off.
And they made a fortune together.
And now he want your land.
You know, he used to want me too.
I don't think he ever got over the rejection.
At least he have good taste.
He can do this?
Don't worry.
Douglas likes to puff out his chest,
but he knows my lawyers can tie him up for years.
He'll find another route for his railroad.
Hey, I won't let anything happen to our girls.
And what if he still want you?
I didn't take you for the jealous type.
Not jealous.
You two make very handsome couple.
Oh, shut up.
He look like he make good baby.
Take this back to your family, okay?
Here you go. Take it back to your family.
Here you go.
Don't spend it all at once.
All right, take this back to your mommy, okay?
Hey.
What's going on?
Just helping out a few places that got hit by the ordinances.
Thank you.
I figure the sooner they're back up and running,
the better.
Check out what he gave me, guys.
It's a pipe!
Huh.
Since when do you smoke a pipe, Hong?
Since right fucking now, I guess.
- What's up? - Nothing.
I just thought we were being careful.
We are.
Muscle and molasses. That's what we agreed on.
Not flooding the street with fake chop.
Okay, so you don't want me roughing up old men,
and you don't want me giving them money either.
I guess I don't know what the fuck I'm doing,
- do I? - That's not what I'm saying.
Oh, really?
'Cause it sounded like you were calling me out.
Hey, guys, come on. Take it easy.
I'm not out here swinging my dick
for no reason, man.
I'm washing the money.
Businesses buy inventory with the chop that I give them.
Customers buy their shit,
and real money flows back into our pockets.
And if a few fucking onions think I'm God's gift,
even better.
Get me?
Fuck, man.
I know you're trying to help,
but let me handle the big picture shit, all right?
You just make sure that girl keeps printing.
Because right now, that's all that matters.
How'd we do today?
Same as yesterday.
I can only go so fast with six plates.
I thought you might be hungry.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Those--those are gonna be some good ones.
I can tell.
These are terrible.
What? No.
Those are the best dumplings in Chinatown.
Yeah, maybe if you grew up on a farm.
I did grow up on a farm.
That explains a lot.
You have something against farms?
No, I have something against these dumplings.
I gotta get something else.
Well, then I need to come with you, so...
if there's some top secret dumpling spot, I need to know.
Okay, suit yourself.
Hmm.
My father used to tell us this one at bedtime.
Do you know it?
I didn't really have bedtime stories growing up, you know?
That's Lei Gong, God of Thunder.
Jade Emperor knew that he was an angry god.
So he gave him an axe
and taught him how to conjure thunder.
But the problem was, when he made his thunder,
the skies got dark and he couldn't always see
what he was doing.
One day, there was a young girl named Dianmu
throwing rice into the river.
In his blind rage,
Lei Gong accidentally struck her down.
He'd killed an innocent girl.
And Jade Emperor was furious.
So he resurrected Dianmu,
making her this powerful goddess.
And as punishment, Lei Gong had to marry her
so she could help him.
And she held mirrors in the sky,
making lightning so he could see.
And that is why lightning always comes before thunder.
So it has a happy ending.
- How is that happy? - Well, think about it.
I mean, a love story. Mm.
She made the thunder monster better.
Better at killing.
And it's not like she had a choice in the matter either.
Nobody gets a choice.
Or maybe you just don't like the choice you made.
I saw you at the riot.
You came in like some avenging angel.
Here to save us.
But then you come to my shop with Young Jun to collect,
and...
I realized you're not an angel or a warrior.
You're just...
Some hatchet man.
Sorry to let you down.
Well, maybe it's not too late.
For what?
For you to choose differently.
You sing, you dance
You love to romance
You seem to know just what it's all about
Ooh, baby, you knock me out
When you roll your eyes, I seem hypnotized
Everything you do thrills me through and through
So if that's the way, then I have to say
I'll always be loving you
You kiss
You smile, and yes
I'll always love you, but I'm still in doubt
Ooh, baby, you knock me out
- Is this your room? - Mm-hmm.
Oh.
Oh, fuck.
Okay, is the pipe authentic or an affectation?
What's an affectation?
Well, you seem pretty fresh. How long ago did you cross?
A few months ago.
To be a hatchet man?
No.
I've been in a tong ever since my father kicked me out.
I was 14.
Where's your family?
My mom was indentured
to a commodore in the Royal Navy.
He traveled a lot, so we did too.
After she died,
he didn't have any use for me.
Been on my own ever since.
It must be hard to be alone in all those places.
It's different for artists, I think.
We're more accepting than most.
Besides, you can't be an immigrant
if you never stay in one place.
- Oh, hang on! - Oh!
Ow.
Leary, I've been waiting to hear from you.
Did you speak with Mr. Strickland?
- We spoke. - And?
Didn't go your way.
What the hell's that supposed to mean?
Hey! I asked you a question.
Ah, God!
God!
This isn't your house, you pasty fuck.
It's mine.
And when you're in my house,
you show me some fucking respect.
Oh, son of a bitch!
I'll have you arrested.
I suppose you need a cop, then.
Owen, get over here.
What's the problem?
This man attacked me.
Hmm?
Any witnesses?
What do you mean? Of course there are witnesses.
Mm-mm-mm.
I won't forget this.
That was the intention.
Here you go.
Well, thanks for walking me home.
You really didn't have to.
No, I--no, I did.
I'm supposed to keep an eye on you, remember?
Right.
So I guess you gotta frisk me too, then.
Uh, oh--uh, yeah.
Just--
You're good.
Well, good night, then.
Good night.
Girls are going to bed.
Dinner is all cleaned up.
Just you and me now.
You must be tired.
I am.
But the good kind, you know?
I'm gonna draw a bath, I think.
Mm.
Good idea.
Hey, go to that field.
Get gun.
Go, go!
Huh?
The fields. Go.
Put her down.
Get up, bitch!
Shaw, let's go! We've been here too long!