Born to Defence

Jet Li returns to Qingdao after fighting the Japanese, only to find the city feels different in peace. He sees that Americans are taking the glory he and his comrades earned, leaving local soldiers overlooked. He reunites with his old friend Zhang, who saved his life, and decides to stay at Zhang's house for a while.

Jet asks Zhang about his daughter and learns she died years earlier, a painful reminder of the costs of war. The revelation deepens tensions between locals and foreign troops in the port city. Jet settles in at Zhang's home as he figures out his next steps.

Hans drives recklessly through Qingdao, sparking a mob and a tense street riot. Jet confronts him briefly, and Hans is impressed by Jet's skill. The crowd later burns Hans's car, forcing Jet and his friends to retreat toward a bar.

Inside a bar catering to foreigners, Jet is drawn into a formal boxing match when Bailey challenges him. He struggles to adapt to American boxing rules, blending kung fu with boxing. He wins the fight and the prize money, earning the crowd's pride.

Bailey and Rui confront Zhang for a ride; Zhang is kicked and humiliated when Bailey pushes his pace. Zhang retaliates by tipping over the rickshaw, sending Rui away in tears, and Bailey assaults Zhang, leaving him badly injured. Jet steps in and takes over Zhang's rickshaw to continue supporting his friend.

After the assault, American soldiers destroy Zhang's rickshaw, forcing Jet into a new role as Bailey's sparring partner at the bar. The setup requires Jet to take blows without retaliation, a scheme orchestrated by the bar owner with backing from the troops. Rui hints at the arrangement and warns of the danger it poses.

Rui reveals to Jet that the bar owner was in on the scheme to trap him as a sparring partner. The plan shifts toward arranging a real fight against Captain Hans. Jet returns to the bar with resolve, preparing to challenge Hans rather than being exploited.

The lengthy fight between Jet and Captain Hans erupts into chaos as crowds spill into the bar and streets. The bout ends in a hard-fought draw, leaving Jet exhausted but vindicated. Rui helps Jet recover afterward, providing care and support.

Rui visits Zhang in the hospital to report what happened to Jet, and Zhang explodes when he realizes Rui is his daughter and that she works as a prostitute. He reveals his shame, and Jet pleads for understanding while Zhang orders him to find somewhere else to stay.

Jet confesses he has fallen in love with a girl after Zhang kicked him out and seeks advice on giving her a chance. He learns the girlfriend is Rui herself, prompting initial anger from Zhang before the couple's reconciliation begins.

Rui is kidnapped by American soldiers, triggering a desperate search by Jet and Zhang. The soldiers throw Rui and Zhang off a rooftop, killing them both, and Captain Hans looks on in shock and anger at the atrocity.

Jet is jailed for causing trouble, and local police beat him as the American soldiers go free. He escapes by tying a wet shirt around two loose bars to create a makeshift lever and slips out, brimming with vengeance as he hunts down his enemies.

Jet locates the American soldiers at a warehouse and traps Bailey on a conveyor leading to a furnace, burning him to death. He fights Captain Hans in a brutal duel; though Hans gains the upper hand, Jet spares him and walks away as the warehouse machinery rumbles around them.