Wheel Man

Paul was on his way to Seattle. He drove a white unmarked rental minivan under a fake name. The Chinatown mob in Seattle used “wheel men” all the time: unconnected strangers they hired as getaway drivers. Who’d lend himself for such a job anyway you’d think? Paul was in desperate need for money, and he so happened to know a guy at the textile factory who knew a guy who in turn knew a guy.

Paul picked up four guys from a safehouse in western Seattle and he drove to around Klondike. There was an ordinary looking building with three stories the Chinese fellows in his minivan wanted to observe for a while. Paul had no clue what was going to happen. They just told him that it was going to be “quick hit and run”. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to get involved in this. Most of the time it was just drug deals, shoplifting, driving around escorts. But Paul’s friend promised it was going to be a big score.

Paul wasn’t sure the pricetag was worth it. He drove up just ten meters away from the main entrance of what looked like a shopfront with apartments overhead. The four guys had already exited the car. He saw one of the guys throw something from through the windshield of a white van that was parked near the neighbouring buildings. Suddenly, a loud bang.

A grenade had detonated. Counting down a few seconds, Asian looking fellas started pouring from the building. That is when a popping sound was heard. Like three guys must have died that evening. Paul was considering to hit the gas, but he knew that if he did that, sure these guys didn’t know him. But the guy that was going to be held accountable did.

Super Wok Explosion is a unique animated web-series about Chinese organized crime. The project is funded entirely by its audience. On this website, animator Tony Cheuk likes to share information about Asian organized crime—and world-building of the universe of the series, Chinese tongs and triads. If you're interested in learning more about the project, you can click here.