16 YEARS AGO, 1904
Hey.
The woman you've been pining after for ten years.
She's here, right?
And yours?
Here too.
Hey, we swore.
Tonight we confess our feelings no matter what. Yes?
Fine.
I need to talk to some people, okay?
You go and show her how you dance.
You--
Ah, shake to the music, you know?
Right, I'll be quick.
Oh, and keep in mind it's the only shot we've got.
-Hey. Wait. -Go on.
You must not have been to war before.
Sorry?
Oh, no. I haven't been.
I don't know you or the circumstances
that led to you being here.
I just hope your sword and gun
will not point towards the weak and our fellow countrymen.
I will bear that in mind.
And your name was?
Lee Yoon, miss.
Try to return with your life, Lee Yoon.
SONG OF THE BANDITS
Miss Nam.
I took a call from your fiancé.
He said he's going to meet his uncle.
Yes, understood.
Oh, yes, hello. This is Hee-shin from the railroad.
Please, could you connect me to the major?
I'm sorry to meet on such short notice.
You know I'm swamped.
Still, that isn't an excuse for me not to see you.
I get it. I get it.
Business can be like that, I know.
I know I should've visited you more often.
You made it possible that Hee-shin and I got engaged, Uncle.
This happiness isn't something I knew that a person could feel.
Thank you, Uncle.
No need.
I've been transferred to a new base. It's in Nanam.
-I'm not sure if you've heard? -Yes, I heard about it.
I wish the best of luck.
Have you fulfilled the last of your responsibilities here?
Yeah.
Just one small issue to resolve.
This man, Jang Seok.
A rebel we caught some days ago. He talked. He told us about his gang…
and who the ringleader is.
Why would you do it?
Why lie to everyone, even your family, all over a worthless cause?
Don't imagine I'm without sympathy.
Repairing and restoring Joseon?
Yes, splendid.
I suppose it feels noble.
But, Uncle,
it's already been a decade under Japan.
This all belongs to His Majesty Emperor Taishō.
So cease these pointless efforts, please.
Just take my hand.
Gwang-il,
there are some things
that I have been meaning to ask you and your father.
What happens after this?
When Joseon was nearing its end, and Ganghwa was taken,
you followed your father to Japan's side.
All the world's matters are similar to flowers.
They can't bloom eternally.
One day, Japan's empire will wilt like a flower too.
Once that day arrives, you'll both say,
"Now Japan is ruined and devastated, so just take my hand."
On that day,
where do you plan to throw your lot?
Which is your new country?
Uncle,
you need to adapt to the times.
Joseon's demise was complete.
Gwang-il,
don't get lost in pursuit of glory and forget about history's judgment.
Times make the wrong choices, but history does not.
Your actions will be judged in course.
Please think about that, will you?
I will now sing "The True Nature of a Soldier."
We need you to come with us, Mr. Lee Sang-guk.
Long live the emperor!
The emperor!
Long live
the emperor.
Talk now!
"My dear Hee-shin…
…my heart aches at the thought of going such a long time
without seeing you."
"Time spent without you is meaningless to me."
Talk, you bastard!
This is good.
A credit to the Tokyo Imperial University.
I don't know what to say.
"The day I fell in love with you
is the most precious memory I hold."
"You are the only reason I care to exist in this world."
It's really good.
However, Hee-shin is a nationalist.
I can't go saying she's the only reason that I breathe. Say the emperor as well.
Rewrite it, beginning here.
"Memory I hold."
Sir.
Start talking!
Sit here and complete the modifications.
Yes, sir.
He hasn't said anything yet?
Yes, sir. Mouth is shut.
So, Uncle.
Who was Jang Seok attempting to join up with, huh?
The man transporting?
I'm always amazed by you, Uncle.
Are those screams you hear bothering you, Uncle?
You hear those shrieks? Those are your men being tortured, see.
Apparently, you told them the operation would go ahead as planned
despite the fact that we'd captured Jang Seok already.
That means the one that you hired to be your courier
will be in Changchun on the day anyway.
Your man is who?
Just explain to me how you're going to collect all those funds.
Just tell me, Uncle.
He's gonna be caught regardless, so why not let your nephew do it?
Helping your only nephew succeed would also benefit you.
Right?
You…
-Bring me the chili powder. -Yes, sir.
Leave it to a Lee to be this stubborn.
Your lungs are weak to begin with.
How long do you think you can endure this?
What will happen if you don't make it?
If you don't…
I'll shed tears, Uncle.
What's your plan?
Give up your treacherous scheme!
You won't? Keeping quiet?
You just wanna croak here?
Speak already.
Spit it out, jackass. Tell me!
I'm done with the letter, sir!
"The day I fell in love with you
is the day I hold most dear of all."
"Today, the next, and all the tomorrows ahead of us,
you shall remain the one in my heart."
Good work.
Hear, hear, Tokyo graduate.
Ga…
Gando.
Back up. What was that?
Ga…
The Gando Line……Railway funds.
Gando Line Railway funds?
Hey, Get him down!
The Gando Line, what about it?
Are you gonna steal that money to fund your rebellion?
More water.
Water, please.
Water? Water, you said?
That's good. Tae-ju, get some water.
Now tell me who your person is.
You brought your gun with you in here?
Sir, I didn't expect a situation--
You call yourself a soldier? You, a soldier?
You brought a gun? A gun in here? You bastard!
-How dare you do that? -Sir, stop!
Let go! Let go!
Let go of me, you asshole!
Hey, you good?
Gando Line Railroad construction funds.
The 5th in Changchun.
We know no more than that?
Yes, sir.
A nameless, unknown person
is going to rob the railway's assets
and then haul it
to Changchun on September 5th.
And we know no more than that.
If it's Gando Line money getting robbed, then
what's at risk are the Joseon Bank funds being sent to Myeongjeong.
Myeongjeong means…
that my Hee-shin is near to the epicenter.
There's no choice.
We need to go.
We should go?
Sir, we aren't officially transferred.
Should I sit here and wait until then to protect the country and girl I love?
Get everyone ready.
We'll go there ourselves…
to catch and dispatch those shits.
As soon as we depart, we're no more than strangers.
We'll go our separate ways, then meet here once the job is done with.
The plan--
We will stop by Changchun and return to Gyeongseong.
-Am I right? -Yes, right.
I trust that you'll remember your role if they catch you?
You don't say a word,
and you die alone.
Understood?
Yep, completely.
Got it.
Let me pick your brain real quick.
You can, as long as it's brief.
Sure, brief.
I can do that.
You always such a great stuck-up little bitch, princess?
I did what I could to keep it short, huh?
I'd hate to keep you too long, milady.
I'll take this horse.
Spare change is yours.
What the hell's this?
Hey, she shorted us! Come back! Get back here!
Hey, come back here, you bitch!
Come back!
The railway sent you, yes?
You wouldn't be Ms. Nam Hee-Shin, would you?
That's right.
Oh, excellent. Superintendent Ōoka is my name.
My job is escorting you to Myeongjeong.
This way.
Ah.
You're here.
I would have happily gone to meet you at the train station.
Apologies.
That's why I didn't reach out beforehand. Why go to that length?
It's not like I'm worth greeting.
The steps you were to take, I'm assuming they're already taken?
On my oath. I brought on a few men that are reliable.
I made your commands clear to all of them.
Great. Well done, then.
The greater number in the loop on this,
the better our situation.
Enjoy the food.
Rumor traveled
regarding the leader of Group 1, Kim Tae-seon.
Unfortunate. I was sorry--
You're sorry, why?
He didn't follow through for his client and let the target disappear.
A person like that deserves to die. Do the job you're paid to do, you know?
He was a scumbag.
That's not something you'd permit to happen?
Letting a target escape like Tae-seon did.
Hey, seriously,
you better not imply that.
I kill all my targets.
Seriously, if I allow my target to live, I die instead.
It won't happen. Don't be troubled.
Don't be troubled when there's no basis to be, you know?
Merely see to the things I asked.
Hwang Sam-deok, worry that he gets here to me.
I was actually just making ready to head to Hoeryŏng shortly.
Hwang Sam-deok and I shall talk and return with good news, miss.
On my word.
I will get going, then. Goodbye.
So long.
Your first time in Myeongjeong, ma'am?
Yes, it's all brand-new.
More energetic than I thought.
It's idyllic.
Is that right?
Glad to hear you say it.
In Gyeongseong, a lot of citizens
believe Gando is the light at the end of the tunnel.
Now I'm here,
I think the Joseon who said so were right.
Sir, if I may, has your station here been long?
Roughly ten years now, miss.
Ten years.
That's a really long stay.
It sure is.
I can't wait until the day I am sent home.
The empire can rot in hell for all I care.
Co-Prosperity Sphere too.
What are you on about?
-Why would the rumor have spread? -Beats the shit outta me.
200,000 won cash being moved by the railway.
Every gunslinger in the area knows about it.
Who the hell is running their mouth?
Bandits spring out anywhere a score can get had.
Fuck's sake.
Ms. Nam, it's market day, so the car can't go any further.
It's fine. I can walk.
That's the hotel where you'll be staying.
I'll carry this.
No need. It's okay.
I will go alone from here. I'll take a look about town.
Are you sure?
Well then, should you need anything,
please don't hesitate to reach out at any hour.
Till then.
Transport schedule hasn't changed?
I thought because of the rumors…
Those rumors are spreading among bandit bastards,
so don't worry about that right now.
Okay? Worry over us instead, huh? There's Jang Ki-Ryong.
And every bandit and their mother will come after that money.
How do we shake them and keep it for ourselves? Goddamn it!
I'm going to beat the hell out of the person who spread that rumor, I swear.
Or just kill them.
It wasn't Choraeng-yi, right? Right?
No matter how hard I consider it, it's what my gut's saying!
Oh, give it a break. Choraeng-yi is a good kid, you know.
Why are you continually suspecting him? He's very loyal.
I'm not really. Okay? I know Choraeng-yi pretty well, but--
Yoon.
Yoon!
What was that?
Yoon, wait!
Oh!
Oh, you little punks didn't get to eat again?
Strangely, I always seem to think of her here…
because she was my first in a few respects.
The first noble to ask my name, not who I served.
The first noble to smile and hold my hand in hers.
And the first person who
brought me sincere joy
just by looking me in the eyes the first time I felt like that, yeah.
Though she must've forgotten me now.
So,
you miss her a lot, don't you, Yoon?
I do regret it a bit with how much longing I've ended up with.
I should've gone to see her more.
But if you ever happen to run into me again in the future…
…then I really will have to kill you.
You're actually here. My goodness.
-What was that? -Was that a gunshot?
What now?
Trouble again? Seriously?
Not again.
What are you doing here?
I could ask you also.
You said you would die five years ago, so why are you alive?
Shit.
Shit balls.
Move aside!
Come out. Come out!
Come out while I'm being generous.
Shit!
My next one won't be a warning shot. Drop your gun already.
Then everything becomes simple. We don't have to make this complicated.
Huh?
This is no sweat for you, huh?
Just go down quietly, jackass.
Yoon, she get ya?
Bitch, who is she?
That's my little brother you're shooting at, bitch! How dare you?
You're one crazy, reckless bitch, aren't you?
You goddamn rotten harpy!
Got yourself a big sister since before, huh?
For a man who wanted to die, you've been pretty busy.
Seon-bok, it's nothing too major. Please don't put yourself in the middle.
I can't just go and back out. You know she's shooting at you, right?
So I have a thought that I'll put enough holes in her to make a beehive.
-Got a death wish, bitch? -God!
That ancient lady just won't stop the swearing, will she?
Hey, old lady!
-Old lady? -We know each other?
I know your kind, brat!
You're stupidly fearless and attack without knowing who you're up against.
Now you're about to pay for it by dying at these hands.
Unreal.
That old woman really made me wanna kill her in a short amount of time.
So I'll make you regret it!
Shit.
Fall in!
Hold position.
You are disturbing the peace of our town and are causing
serious physical and psychological damage to others right now.
Drop your weapons immediately and surrender.
I take it that you are unwilling.
Then I must order summary judgment.
Men, open fire if they have not come out by the count of ten. Understood?
Yes, sir!
One.
-Two. -Yoon, what now? Yoon!
Three.
What will you do now?
You wanted me dead. Now you're dying also.
-Four. -This is all your fault, bitch.
Five.
Lock and load, gentlemen.
So what now?
Six.
You plan to walk out?
Or do you prefer to be killed here?
You decide.
Seven.
You and I aren't done yet.
I intend to kill you, however long it takes.
Sure.
I'll wait for you,
however long it takes.
I won't die until then.
Eight.
Nine.
Ten.
-Everyone! Hold fire! -Wait, hold up!
So it was you, Lee Yoon.
Cuffs. Right. Take them.
Start walking.
Is this all?
Not quite!
Hi! There is one more! Hello! Seon-bok is here!
Ah! You must not have seen me.
Hello, sir!
Maybe you need glasses.
Shall I get you a fetching set?
I'm very sorry.
Oh fuck, my back hurts. Shit.
Hey.
So why aren't you dead?
It's a bit complicated.
I don't care if it's complicated. I'm gonna be executed, thanks to you.
In the guild I'm part of,
their procedure is to kill anyone who lets a mark go. You--
I guess it's complicated for me also.
Anyway,
you had better keep a low profile for now.
Don't wander, and don't let my boss see you.
-Who is it? -Hello.
So sorry to interrupt.
If it's all right, could we have some privacy?
What is this about?
-Sir! -Sir!
Who the hell is that?
If you would. Thank you, gentlemen.
Yes, sir! Please excuse us.
What do we think?
Does he look like he's guilty,
or is he innocent?
The general is asking you a question.
He thinks that you could be responsible for a rumor about 200,000 won
coming from Hoeryŏng.
Is he correct?
So who have you told?
Did you tell the consulate officers all about it?
You still could though.
Then do you intend to change that?
I want guarantees.
Do you warrant our trust?
You know, I'm willing
to believe
you're telling the truth.
The general wants to say your heart is trustworthy.
Thank you so much, please.
This is the right thing, trusting in me.
Hmm.
I'm afraid there is one thing.
The general cannot trust your tongue.
General.
Were you listening?
You will forget
all you overheard.
Only then do you survive.
Stop running your damn mouth, all right? Huh?
Or do you wanna come in here?
Time to go.
Frustrating, isn't it? You wanted to take the money and run.
Huh. But they all want a piece now.
Hey.
So I'm thinking,
you really should go ahead with your strategy…
so I can shoot you that day.
Two birds with one stone.
Or, to put it more plainly for you, I'll be taking the money.
Perfect, huh?
Simply release them?
We cannot do that.
Maybe you'd prefer me to order our guests be executed publicly?
Yes, preferably.
It would go a ways in maintaining the public order, sir.
But you need to consider this.
If we kill a Joseon in Gando,
all that'll do is create ten, nah--
Another 100 insurgents.
For goodness sake,
why would you want to bring back trouble like that,
Superintendent Ōoka.
Uh, come on. Let's go down the path of least resistance.
Then, sir, what are we doing here?
How am I supposed to do my job?
Stay in Gando and impose the rule of law over Myeongjeong?
Since Gando is the location of the Japanese Consulate General,
that is your mission, sir.
"If you perform well in your duty,
then you'll return to your home within two years."
Weren't those your exact words, sir?
You said them ten years ago.
Regardless of how we handle Joseon prisoners in the future,
this is our situation.
They must be released.
No. I won't do it.
Why do you disobey me, the Consul General? Just listen!
My orders benefit the nation, and you're complaining! Why?
Uh, just get it done, will you?
This is for the benefit of the nation?
The Co-Prosperity Sphere and whatever else?
That's what you mean, right?
And all for that, I came here,
out to this deserted wasteland,
to perform my duty across almost ten years.
And now I'm done with it.
You and the empire can rot in hell.
I'll take my leave, sir.
You said rot… rot… rot in… rot in hell?
You dirty traitor! Say that again!
Hey.
You're really here for that money?
You traveled all this way
just to rob 200,000 from a train?
Can you think of any other reason?
There's nothing special in this town.
Don't go changing your plans because of me, huh?
We have to meet that day. We have unfinished business.
Let's not waste time.
Go back to Gyeongseong while you have the chance.
You'll be putting your own life on the line.
Hey.
Who do you think you are, huh?
You're really starting to get annoying.
You're one to talk, huh?
All you do is disrespect those older than you.
Think that bitch is a slave child or what? Sheesh.
Hey, grandma.
Quit calling me "that bitch," would you?
I have a name, you know. Eon-nyeoni.
Eon-nyeoni. This bitch. That bitch. It's all the same, you bitch.
Seriously, your mouth better get washed out with…
If you're committed,
you'll also be against that crew you just saw.
You'll be in real jeopardy.
Are you concerned or intimidating me, then?
Or intimidating under the guise of concern?
You said you're going to murder me.
Then you need to stay alive to do it.
You're really in a bad situation, you know?
Worry about yourself, okay?
My life's not your business.
You're not planning on giving up, then?
No, I'm not like that.
I guess there's no choice.
We'll do the thing we're best at.
All right.
Well, you're on, then.
It's just I don't know what you're best at.