The first part of the movie takes place in Bangkok, Thailand. Ko Fei's (Chow Yun-fat) friend Sam Sei (Anthony Wong (Hong Kong actor)) borrows money from a loan shark to give Ko Fei's departed mother a proper burial. The loan shark kidnaps Sam, and Ko Fei rescues him by confronting the loan shark and persuading him to give more time for Sam to re-pay the loan. The loan shark does not comply and orders his cohorts to kill Sam, but Ko Fei punches two of them before he engages a knife fight with the remaining gang members. After doing so, the loan shark attempts to shoot Ko Fei, but he wrestles the gun out of the shark's grasp, frees a trapped Sam Sei and escapes. Not wanting to lose face, the loan shark promises to kill them, so Ko Fei and Sam Sei flee the city.