A Soft Heart Won't Do You No Favors

**A Soft Heart Won't Do You No Favors** is the sixth episode of the third season of Max's original martial arts crime drama *Warrior* and the twenty-sixth episode overall. It premiered on July 20, 2023.

## Synopsis

Chao and Lee band together after an unexpected tossup threatens their lives. Meanwhile, the Hop Wei navigate a tense deal with German traders.

## Plot

Ah Sahm and Young Jun meet with my Mai Ling and Li Yong at an ice factory, their new location for printing money. While Young Jun is reluctant to work with the Long Zii, he ultimately relents. They soon join Yan Mi, who is setting up shop. Young Jun takes this opportunity to speak with Mai Ling separately. He hasn't forgotten that she tried to kill Ah Sahm and Father Jun. Mai Ling claims that she no longer wants to be at war with her people, but Young Jun accuses her of wanting to rule Chinatown, which he respects. She scrapped to get where she is, but he warns Mai Ling not to think that he's soft just because he was born in. Mai Ling admits this is true that she and her brother have a complicated relationship, but she would never let that get in the way of business, which is why she thinks they should keep an eye on him and Yan Mi, their only printer, who's seen enough to sink their entire operation, and if Ah Sahm becomes too attached, that could be a problem.

Lee wakes up, chained on a train headed to Georgia, though he's not alone, as Chao has been restrained as well.

Father Jun questions how much does Ah Sahm trust Mai Ling to hold up her end of the deal. As long as they are offering something other than war, he believes they are good, but it doesn't mean he trusts her. Father Jun fears that there's just a matter of time before their agreement goes sideways, and so they must prepare. Father Jun knows a couple of Krauts who are sitting on a silver claim a couple of hours east. Old school gangster they can work with. Trade fake chop for silver, trading them three times the going rate. Father Jun leaves Ah Sahm and Young Jun to talk it over. Ah Sahm fears that adding another partner will lead to more risk and exposure, but Young Jun argues that they have no other choice. And so, he and Ah Sahm will leave tomorrow morning, whilst Hong stays behind to look after the tong.

Lee attempts to break free of his chains, as Chao questions the men Lee killed and what his relation to them was. Men kill for money or love, and Chao knows that Lee doesn't care for money, so he asks what was the girl's name. But Lee is too upset with Chao to tell him anything.

Ah Sahm lays in bed with Yan Mi and tells her that he'll be gone for a few days. However, there's a thousand ways things can go bad, and she's stuck in the middle. Yan Mi fears that the tongs may end up trying to kill each other.

Chao gives Lee a pale of water to drink from and asks how long has he gone without any opium, but Lee claims he's fine. He then asks if anyone will notice that Chao's missing, to which he admits that no one will. As for Lee, Abigail will notice his disappearance, but she won't know how to find him, that's assuming she cares, Chao remarks, suspecting she could've been complicit in Lee's apprehension, but Lee insists that not everyone is like Chao, who would do anything to anyone for the right price. Chao replies that money is important but the deal is what matters. If they shake hands, they are partners, regardless or race of feelings towards one another. The right deal can turn slave into man, and man into American. Enough money can make any deal become anyone. But Lee isn't convinced, claiming that Chao is someone with no loyalties or anyone who cares about him. As far as Lee is concerned, that makes Chao a coward.

Abigail tells Happy Jack that Lee has been missing for two days, to which Happy Jack replies that sometimes a man gets his fill of home, and his eyes beginning to wander. It was only a matter of time, but Abigail insist he isn't that kind of man and says that he's 10 times the man Happy jack is. Insulted, Happy Jack tells Abigail to walk out the door before she finds out the type of man he really is.

Lee and Chao arrive in Georgia, where Lee's aunt and cousins Bo and Carter await. Shackled at the hands, Lee and Chao are led out of the train, where Lee's Aunt Violet has waited a long time for this day. He's going to suffer plenty for what he's doing, but not until they reach Savannah. They are going to string him up from the old oak tree that he used to climb, where she buried her boys that he killed. Lee's mother lost two sons in the war, but Violet reckons that Lee broke her heart. Worst of all, by killing his own kin. It's not until she refers to Nora as a "doe-eyed c\*\*n" that Lee becomes upset. He attempts to rush Aunt Violet, but Bo hits him with the butt of the gun. She then orders for both Lee and Chao to be loaded in the wagon. While she intends to kill Lee, she wants to keep Chao around as a slave.

Strickland invites Leary to the engagement party for Franklin Thayer's daughter in an attempt to get him acquainted with the upper class.

As planned, Ah Sahm, Young Jun, and Father Jun travel to meet with the Krauts.

Strickland warns Leary not to bite the hands that feed when discussing his ideas with the wealthy. They won't take him seriously until he's equipped to either give them something they want, or take away something they can't bear to lose.

Ah Sahm explains to Lukas and Christoph that while the money is counterfeit, it is also perfect, and they won't have any problem passing it off. They can't do it in Chinatown because things have gotten too hot. Lukas recalls how his father used to have a shipping business and had a lot of dealings with Father Jun back in the day. And when he was a boy, Father Jun used to scare him and even killed his dog Cecil. He then tells Ah Sahm to ask Father Jun about it. Father Jun stands from his seat and lifts his sleeve, revealing the bite mark and saying that the dog had it coming. The brothers laugh and offer them 25 cents on the dollar, to which Young Jun agrees.

Leary and Strickland approach Thayer at his daughter's engagement party. They express their concerns for the future where it relates to Chinese labor. When Thayer tells them that he has no intentions to talk politics, Strickland threatens to expose that Franklin's daughter Anna is damaged goods; she had a fling with one of the servants and found herself pregnant. So Franklin raised the boy as his own and spared his daughter and family the public humiliation, thus protecting her value as a bride. Strickland simply wants Thayer to think about what's best for his family. Leary wonders why Strickland wouldn't use this dirt against Thayer after he wins the election. Strickland explains that Thayer is a good man, and he has no use for an honest mayor.

Ah Sahm takes notice of the brothers' operation, which primarily uses Chinese labor, and He questions why their base of operations is at a church. Lukas explains that no one will see them. The Spaniards came to convert the savages but the savages didn't want their God. So they took their scalps instead, and then the Mexicans killed the savages, and the Mormons killed the Mexicans. So much blood spilled in the name of God. And then they discovered silver. And once, where there was god, and now there's commerce. Lukas then asks if they enjoy the company of women and encourages them to stay the night.

Ah Sahm, Young Jun, and Father Jun grab drinks at a bar, at which point, Young Jun, after confronting Ah Sahm about his relationship with the printer, heads upstairs with a hooker.

Back downstairs, Ah Sahm and Father Jun discuss Young Jun and the future of the tong. It's no secret that Father Jun didn't like Ah Sahm, but that's because he didn't understand him. Now he understands that Ah Sahm has been torn between blood and duty. He thinks that Ah Sahm truly cares about Young Jun, but he's unsettled, and a man in chaos is chaos first. Father Jun was once the same way until he realized he needed to grow up.

Ah Sahm and Young Jun head outside, where Young Jun apologizes to Ah Sahm for his recent behavior. It's outside that they notice Christoph and his men beating up a kid. They accuse him of stealing, but Ah Sahm and Young Jun refuses to allow the beating to go any further. Christoph questions if they have a problem, but Lukas intervenes, ordering his men to let the boy go, and apologizes on behalf of his brother, who is a stickler for the rules. Christoph proposes they go back to their rooms now. Young Jun agrees, advising Ah Sahm not to screw up their deal.

On their way back to Savannah, the wagon gets stuck, at which point, they force Chao to dig the wheel out, but he refuses to be their slave, and so Bo knocks him to the ground and tears his shirt, revealing the scars on his back. Violet grabs the whip to teach him a lesson, but Lee rushes his cousin, coming to Chao's aid. She accuses him of having a bleeding heart for everyone but his own kind, to which Lee replies that they've never been his kind. Angered, Violet slaps him. This distraction allows for Chao to escape. As he runs through the woods with Bo and Violet giving chase, Carter stays behind to tie Lee up. Bo takes aim at Chao, firing several times, but he misses and Chao manages to get away.

Lee hates to see Carter swept up in all this, recalling how he was such a good boy, who always smiled, though Carter isn't a boy anymore. Still, Lee recalls teaching him how to swim at Crawford's ranch and how Carter was holding onto his shoulders like his life depended on it. But after a few minutes, he realized he wasn't going to drown and that he was strong enough to swim on his own. Lee doesn't recall ever seeing him happier. Carter was never like his brothers; he was smarter and kinder, and Lee always figured he'd leave home and get away from all this. Unfortunately, after Lee killed his brothers, Carter had no choice but to stay and help his mom and Bo. For that, Lee is sorry, but he wishes that Carter gets away from all this, before they turn him into someone unrecognizable. Violet and Carter return empty-handed. Whilst Bo fixes the wagon, Violet orders Carter to beat Lee with the whip.

Ah Sahm, Young Jun, and Father Jun make their exchange, silver for counterfeit cash, and in four weeks time, they will meet again. After sharing a drink with Lukas and Christoph, the three of them make their way back to Chinatown, but on their way out of the church, they discover that the kid from the night before was murdered, labeled a thief, and strung up for the entire town to see. Ah Sahm and Young Jun watch as the boy's mother, Wen, cries over his body. Ah Sahm joins her and offers his condolences, as the mother expresses that her son didn't steal anything. Enraged, Ah Sahm races back into the town, with Young Jun and Father Jun reluctantly following his lead.

Armed with a shotgun, Father Jun is the first to open fire, with Ah Sahm and Young Jun taking the fight directly to the Krauts. An all out brawl then erupts. Despite being vastly outnumbered, Ah Sahm, Young Jun, and Father Jun manage to hold their own.

Ah Sahm makes his way inside the cathedral, where Lukas hides behind the protection of his men. He explains that the boy died like his Cecil, whimpering and alone, wondering why God had abandoned him, but finally he realized what they all must eventually, which is that there is no God.

Back outside, Young Jun and Father Jun find themselves trapped by the Krauts, as gunfire continues from all sides. To their surprise, Wen has come to avenge her son's death, killing the Krauts, including Christoph.

Back inside the cathedral, Ah Sahm kills multiple guards before killing Lukas, stabbing him multiple times and finally driving his body through a cross.

Ah Sahm returns just in time to find Father Jun drop to the ground after being shot. Rather than seeking out a healer, he wants to return to Chinatown before reinforcements arrive.

As instructed, Carter tortures Lee with a whip, whilst Violet shares the pain she suffered from Lee killing two of her sons. When Lee says that she's the fault for her family's demise, Violet decides to kill Lee then and there. She picks up a shotgun and takes aim, but Chao returns, first knocking Carter unconscious with a shovel and then killing Violet. After freeing Lee, he grabs the shotgun and kills Bo. Unfortunately, Carter regains consciousness and grabs the gun. He holds the two of them a gunpoint as Lee pleads with him to just walk away, but after he turns his sights on Chao, Lee is forced to shoot and kill him. Afterward, he and Chao bury the bodies.

## Cast

* Olivia Cheng as Ah Toy
* Jason Tobin as Young Jun
* Dianne Doan as Mai Ling
* Kieran Bew as Bill O'Hara
* Dean Jagger as Dylan Leary
* Tom Weston-Jones as Richard Lee
* Hoon Lee as Wang Chao
* Langley Kirkwood as Walter Buckley
* Perry Yung as Father Jun
* Chen Tang as Hong
* Chelsea Muirhead as Yan Mi
* Adam Rayner as Douglas Strickland III
* Joe Taslim as Li Yong
* Charlie Bouguenon as Lukas
* Francois Coetzee as Christoph
* Shane Kruger as Grady
* Larissa Jordaan as Valentina
* Wojtek Lipinski as Mission Bartender
* Sven Ruygrok as Carter
* Julian Place as Bo
* Patricia Boyer as Aunt Violet
* Nat Ramabulana as Happy Jack
* Gaosi Raditholo as Abigail
* Colin Moss as Thayer
* Arnold Horn as Garden Bartender
* Michael Broomberg as William
* Xin Sarith Wuku as Xin
* Elena Lazarus as Thayer's Wife
* Monique Lombard as Thayer's Daughter

## Trivia

* The episode title was spoken by Violet to Carter.
* Executive producer and Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee makes a cameo appearance as the dead boy's mother.

## Gallery

### Videos

The Official Warrior Podcast - Episode 6 - MaxThe Official Warrior Podcast - Episode 6 Part 2 - Max