A Harley-Davidson motorcycle roars down the highway at high speed. The man riding it is dressed entirely in black: a leather jacket, leather pants, and leather boots with silver skull-shaped buckles. His face is hidden behind a black helmet. Suddenly, he brakes sharply and stops in front of a hospital.
INSIDE THE HOSPITAL – EMERGENCY HALLWAY.A doctor, a nurse, and Xiaoyao (XY) run while pushing a gurney carrying a critically injured man. He is wearing an open black shirt, a white undershirt, and black jeans, all soaked in blood. The nurses shout, "Make way! Make way!" as they clear the hallway. They rush into the operating room. The doors close, and a red light turns on above them.
A FEW MINUTES LATER…The red light turns off. The nurse, the doctor, and XY come out, exhausted and stained with blood on their gowns and gloves. From a distance, XY notices a figure approaching with firm, steady steps. It is Xiang Liu (XL), dressed in black and wearing dark sunglasses. With every step he takes, his hair moves slightly. Everyone in the hallway stares at him with awe and fear.
Still trembling from the tension of the surgery, XY watches as XL approaches with an intimidating presence.
XIANG LIU (in a serious voice, piercing eyes)—How is the patient?
XIAOYAO (with a trembling voice)—Unfortunately, he passed away. We couldn't save him.
XL slowly removes his sunglasses and slips them inside his jacket. His eyes fill with fury as he steps toward XY. He grabs her by the neck with his right hand, squeezing slightly.
XIANG LIU (in an icy voice)—How is that possible?
XIAOYAO (terrified, trying to break free)—The bullet went through a vital organ. There was nothing we could do.
XY tries to remove XL's hand with both of hers, shaking with fear. Suddenly, XL releases her and lowers his gaze to the floor.
XIANG LIU (lowering his voice)—Fine.
XL turns around and walks away with the same firmness with which he arrived. XY watches him leave, trembling and filled with fear. She turns to the nurse beside her.
XIAOYAO (whispering)—That man is insane.
Outside the hospital entrance, XL walks toward his motorcycle. Suddenly, two black cars with tinted windows stop in front of him. Two men in black suits, black shirts, and black ties step out of each vehicle.
XL (giving instructions)—Find out how it happened.
All of them get back into the vehicles at the same time and drive away. XL takes a few steps and, just as he is about to get on his motorcycle, he lifts his head and looks toward the hospital entrance doors, recalling XY's face.
Meanwhile, XY is in one of the hospital bathrooms, standing in front of the mirror. She applies cream to her reddened neck and murmurs to herself.
XIAOYAO (clenching her fists and lightly hitting the sink)—If I ever see him again…
She remembers XL's piercing gaze, feeling a mix of fear, anger, and uncertainty.
Late at night, XL is sitting in a red armchair in a dark room. Moonlight filters through large windows with gray curtains, partially illuminating the space. Sitting there, XL falls asleep. In his dream, he sees a woman wearing a light green ancient-style dress, her hair half tied up. She approaches him and smiles while walking on water. When he reaches out to touch her, she begins to move away until she disappears. XL wakes up suddenly, places his right hand on his chest, and feels a sharp pain in his heart… as if he had lost someone very precious.
At the same time, XY is asleep in her bed. She dreams of a man dressed in white, with hair as white as a waterfall, pale skin, and piercing eyes—very similar to the man she saw at the hospital that afternoon. He approaches her and stares at her intensely. Suddenly, his eyes change from black to red, frightening XY, who wakes up in shock. With a puzzled expression, she thinks, "That man…"
At dawn, XY enters the hospital cheerfully. She walks down a long hallway and stops in front of a room with the number 17 above the door.
XY murmurs:—Seventeen… how are you today?
She enters and sees a man lying on the bed, with bandages on his face, torso, and part of his hands. She approaches him, gently strokes his hair, checks the vital signs monitor, and sees that everything is stable. She examines him, smiles, and says:
XY—Keep fighting.
She sits for a while and, as she watches him, remembers how she found him three months earlier.
One Sunday, she wanted to go for a walk and went hiking in the mountains when she suddenly heard groans. At first, she thought it was an animal and moved away in fear. But she heard the groans again, gathered her courage, and approached. Among the bushes lay a bloodied man, with torn and dirty clothes, his face covered in blood and his arms injured. Summoning her strength, she helped him up and took him to the hospital.
DOCTORS (skeptical)—We don't know who he is. Where did you find this homeless man?
He had long, dirty hair, a bit of a beard, and was badly injured. She reminded the doctors of the oath they had sworn to save human lives. The doctors fell silent and took him to a room.
DOCTOR—Who will cover the hospital expenses for this unknown man?
XY—I will.
With the help of a nurse who was her friend, they cleaned him, cut his hair, treated his wounds, and bandaged him. But the man remained unconscious.
In a boxing ring, XL was training, wearing sweatpants and a black T-shirt, punching a heavy bag. Suddenly, one of his men arrives and says:
—Boss… we found him.
XL stops, removes his gloves, and walks slowly.
In an abandoned warehouse with broken walls and construction materials scattered around, a man sits tied to a chair. His hands are bound behind his back, he is bleeding from one eyebrow, and his lip is swollen. XL appears, dressed in his pants, jacket, and leather boots. He approaches slowly, tilts his head, and with his trademark piercing eyes asks:
—Who sent you?
The man, fearful and sweating, replies:—I don't know what you're talking about.
With a cynical smile, XL straightens up and signals with one hand to the men standing nearby. They continue beating him. The man screams as they hit him and shouts:
—I didn't do it! I didn't do it!
—Who did? —XL asks— Who sent you?
Just as the man is about to answer, he faints, and drops of blood begin to fall onto the floor.
XL watches as each drop of blood falls and forms a puddle, and he remembers his childhood…
On dark streets, a dirty, ragged, hungry boy walks with unsteady steps. He reaches a place filled with shouting people. Some hold money in their hands, so focused and agitated by what is happening that they don't notice his presence.
The boy slips through the crowd and approaches the center of the commotion. There, he sees a boxing ring and men brutally beating each other. Every man is covered in blood, and they continue fighting until one of them collapses to the ground.
The boy, eyes wide open, realizes the fallen man is dead, and beside his head a pool of blood forms.
Back in the present, XL stares at the blood on the floor, his expression hardened by memories.
XL—When he wakes up, make him confess by any means necessary.