Paradox 2018

As Hong Kong police inspector Lee Chung-chi’s world is turned upside down by the sudden disappearance of his 16-year-old daughter Lee Wing-chi during her trip to Pattaya, he embarks on a desperate quest to uncover her whereabouts. Upon arriving in Thailand, Lee finds himself aided by local Chinese detective Chui Kit and Thai colleague Tak, as well as encountering American gangster Sacha. The investigation unfolds like a puzzle, with clues pointing to the connection between his daughter’s disappearance and the mayoral candidate of Pattaya’s urgent need for a heart transplant. As Lee delves deeper into the case, he becomes increasingly convinced that the mayoral candidate’s assistant, Cheng Hon-sau, is colluding with Sacha to abduct his daughter.

The weight of his beloved daughter’s disappearance crushing him, Lee takes matters into his own hands by kidnapping corrupt officer Ban in an attempt to gather evidence and exact revenge. However, this move earns him the status of a nationwide wanted criminal. In a last-ditch effort to locate his daughter, Lee implores Chui to join forces with him.

In their pursuit of the truth, Chui and Tak arrive at an apartment owned by a taxi driver who possesses crucial dashcam footage of Lee’s daughter, only to be thwarted by Sacha and his gang. A violent confrontation ensues as Chui subdues Sacha’s men while Tak takes on the notorious gangster. Despite emerging victorious from the fight, Tak meets a tragic end when Sacha feigns defeat and then pushes a bystander child off a rooftop, forcing Tak to make a split-second decision that results in his own demise.

Under intense interrogation, Ban finally reveals the location where Lee’s daughter is being held captive. As Lee makes his way to the site, he unwittingly collides with Cheng’s car, which is transporting his daughter. The police are hot on Lee’s heels after spotting the injured Ban, prompting him to abandon his companion and make a narrow escape. Meanwhile, his daughter is whisked away to Sacha’s headquarters by Cheng.

Just as Lee is left reeling from this sequence of events, he receives word that Ban has met a fatal end in the hospital. As if things couldn’t get any more dire, police commissioner Chai warns Chui to drop the case, revealing that a cover-up is already underway and their own lives are at risk due to their pursuit of the truth.

As the heart transplant operation reaches its successful conclusion, Cheng issues a chilling directive to Chai: orchestrate a police massacre that wipes out Sacha and his loyal henchmen. Before the officers can enter, Lee makes a daring move, charging into Sacha’s stronghold and dispatching numerous thugs, but his valiant effort is rewarded with a brutal beating at the hands of Sacha’s overmatched minions. Chai remains unfazed, insisting that the police operation proceed, with Lee as its next target. The news sparks a fierce outrage in Chui, who unleashes a powerful punch on Chai before rushing into Sacha’s lair to save his comrade. A merciless battle ensues, with Chui single-handedly dismantling Sacha’s remaining goons and engaging in a grueling, bone-crunching showdown with the ruthless Sacha himself.

As the police SWAT team storms the stronghold, Lee, Chui, and Sacha are forced to retreat and hide amidst the chaos. It is then that Chui reveals the devastating truth to Lee, who is driven to despair upon discovering his daughter’s lifeless body. Consumed by grief, Lee becomes a force of nature, nearly defeating Sacha before the latter resorts to a fire extinguisher to knock out Chui. As Sacha attempts to carve up Chui with a bonesaw, Lee intervenes with a fierce ferocity, biting off a chunk of Sacha’s ear and then using the saw to fatally slash his throat.

Chai arrives on the scene, hell-bent on executing Lee, but is restrained by Chui’s pleas and the reminder that they are, after all, law enforcement. Instead, Chai reveals to Chui that his wife has been kidnapped at Cheng’s behest, sending their comrade reeling. Lee volunteers to rescue Chui’s wife, and the two men converge on the mayoral candidate’s residence, where a birthday celebration for the candidate’s granddaughter is in full swing.

Lee handcuffs himself to the steering wheel of Chui’s vehicle, intent on minimizing interference as he infiltrates the sleeping candidate’s quarters and eavesdrops on his daughter’s heart. Cheng suddenly materializes, revealing that he - not the mayoral candidate - has been the mastermind behind the crimes. Lee demands to know if Chui and his wife will be left in peace after his own demise, and Cheng reluctantly concedes. With a heavy heart, Lee kills Cheng and spares the mayoral candidate.

As the weight of his sacrifices becomes too much to bear, Lee’s sanity begins to unravel, culminating in a devastating act of self-destruction that sends Chui reeling. In the aftermath, Chui is overjoyed by the birth of his child, but the memory of Lee’s ultimate sacrifice hangs heavy in his heart, forever tainting his joy.