RUSE

In a polluted future, Zhou and Lingyi must overcome guilt over their friend’s death and stop a corrupt CEO from taking more lives.

In this sequel to Want (2017), Taiwanese Jason Zhou and Lingyi and their international group of street-wise, technology-savvy friends have destroyed Jin Corp’s headquarters in Taipei; Jin, the company’s multibillionaire leader, has returned to China. Their victory came at a high price: One of their group was killed while following Lingyi’s orders and Zhou was captured and unable to save him. Zhou finds solace in his secret relationship with Daiyu, Jin’s daughter, while Lingyi copes with recurring nightmares that even her girlfriend cannot defend against. Nevertheless, when Jany, Lingyi’s old friend in Shanghai, asks for her help, Lingyi responds at once. But when Jin has Jany murdered in order to steal her designs and prototype for a highly advanced air filter, Lingyi and her girlfriend turn to Zhou for help. Reunited, they return to their (occasionally unbelievable) skills in hacking and brawling to attempt to reclaim the air filter and strike another blow against Jin. But the group finds they cannot succeed without the help of Daiyu, someone even Zhou, possibly blinded by love and lust, has to agree is hiding things. While the central villain remains constant, Pon delves into relationships both romantic and platonic to balance the otherwise fast pace.

An action-packed thriller, grounded in a futuristic Taiwan, with a strong dose of romance.