Exit, Stage Left - Shadowrun: Hong Kong

This guide will help you complete the Exit, Stage Left mission in Shadowrun: Hong Kong.

Exit, Stage Left Map

Matrix Access Point
Chef Victor Kang
Waiter
Security Guard
Penelope Wong
Neville Ma
Neville Ma’s Apartment
Locked Security Door
Locked Office Door
Cyberterminal

Exit, Stage Left Walkthrough

Background

You arrive at the eponymously named Repulse Bay — a gleaming hotel and apartment building on the shores of Repulse Bay, Hong Kong Island. Rolling storm clouds choke the sky, lending the structure a sinister appearance. As you push through the doors and into the building, a sudden break in the clouds reveals a sun that’s gone red as blood.

You make your way into a ground floor elevator. The attendant pays you no mind. As the car begins to climb, you hear the sounds of merriment drawing closer.

As the doors slide open, you find Neville Ma’s party in full swing.

— Mission Complete (Killed Ku Feng) —

The clink of glasses and sound of Neville Ma’s party fade into the distance as you leave the Repulse Bay. As the MTR carries you toward Heoi, the mountains of Hong Kong Island roll by as looming masses, obscured by rain and storm clouds.

While Penelope Wong is still attached to Promises in Moonlight, the circumstances surrounding Neville Ma’s recovery should provide plenty of fodder for Dr. Shenyang’s blackmail plans. With Ku Feng dead, Ma will find himself without his most powerful ally — and unable to protect himself from Shenyang.

— Mission Complete (Recruited Ku Feng) —

The clink of glasses and sound of Neville Ma’s party fade into the distance as you leave the Repulse Bay. As the MTR carries you toward Heoi, the mountains of Hong Kong Island roll by as looming masses, obscured by rain and storm clouds.

Penelope Wong has been fired from Promises in Moonlight, and Ma will be at a serious disadvantage without her. The whims of trid viewers shift as readily as the tide, and without the starlet’s presence, Promises in Moonlight will undoubtedly lose ratings.

What’s more, you’ve managed to turn a powerful foe into a potential ally. Only time will tell how Ku Feng will repay you, however….

Karma Points

[1] Gain access to the party (#4).
[1] Recruit Ku Feng.
[4] Return to Heoi.

Walkthrough

After completing your first shadowrunner mission, you’ll receive a message on the mission computer entitled “Attending a Party.” In it, Kindly Cheng will invite you to her mahjong parlor, where you’ll meet Dr. Shenyang, the owner of Southern Crown Films. Shenyang will tell you that he’s having trouble with a competitor named Neville Ma, who runs Yellow Springs Studios, and he’ll ask you to investigate the man, to see how he recovered from a recent car accident so quickly. He’ll also ask you to steal away Neville’s star actress, a woman named Penelope Wong. Finally, Shenyang will tell you that Neville’s planning to throw a party at the Repulse Bay Hotel, which would be a good time for you to take a look at him, but he’ll warn you not to kill anybody while you’re there or else he won’t pay you for the job.

To start the mission, you’ll just need to take the MTR to the Repulse Bay Hotel. It’s a good idea to take a decker with you, since the Matrix will give you an easy way to complete a pair of tasks, and you’ll also find some paydata there. Bringing Gaichu is also useful and amusing. And while you’re not supposed to fight anybody, you’ll have one battle that you can’t avoid, so be prepared.

You’ll begin the mission at the entrance to the Mezzanine Level (Exit A). One of your companions will suggest that you prioritize Neville Ma’s apartment, while another will recommend going to Ma’s party. Either way is fine, but really, if you have a decker with you, then your first stop should be the Matrix (#1). While you’re there, you’ll find Neville Ma’s Door Code (1635), a Private Party Invitation, and Paydata: Repulse Bay Hotel Expansion Plans (which is worth 350 nuyen).

To enter the party, you’ll need to talk to the security guard at the entrance (#4). He’ll let you through if you have Gaichu with you, if you have a Private Party Invitation (from the Matrix, #1), or if you have Charisma 5. Surprisingly, the party is completely optional, but gaining access to it will earn you a point of karma. At the party, you’ll meet Penelope Wong (#5) and Neville Ma (#6), and you’ll learn that Ma has a new woman in his life, a “fashionista” named Ku Feng. There isn’t any way to lure Wong away from Ma, or even bring it up.

You’ll find Neville Ma’s apartment on the Penthouse Level (#7), which you can reach via an elevator (Exit B). To enter the apartment, you’ll need to learn the door code (1635). You can get this in the Matrix (#1), by bribing a waiter (#3) — paying him 500 nuyen by default or 250 nuyen with Charisma 3 — by using Astral Projection (which requires Spellcasting 1 or Conjuring 1) on the keypad next to the door, or by having Gaichu or Gobbet assess the keypad. The latter two options will only tell you the four digits in the code, which will require you to figure out the order yourself.

Inside Ma’s apartment, you’ll notice that it’s cold, and you’ll discover some “brilliantly bright red wine” that you might not want to drink (but if you do, and if you eat the meat in Outsider, then you’ll earn the achievement Tastes like Chicken). You’ll also run into a heavy security door (#8). When you examine it, you’ll note its ID number, and you’ll see that it requires a key fob. If you go back to the Matrix (#1) and check the Hotel Datacore again, then looking up the ID number in the maintenance logs will reveal that three people have the necessary key fob:

Neville Ma (#6). You’ll need the Security etiquette to get his key fob from him, and you’ll only be able to ask for it during your first conversation with him.
Penelope Wong (#5). She’ll believe anything you tell her, and she’ll hand over her key fob.
Victor Kang (#2). If you ask the waiter (#3) about the security door, then he’ll direct you to Chef Kang. Kang won’t want to give you his key fob, but if you heard the story about Neville Ma dissing Kang’s dumpling from the waiter earlier, then you’ll be able to use that information to get his key fob from him.

The key fob (aka RFID Key) will get you through the security door (#8). Past it, you’ll notice that the apartment is now “frigid,” and you’ll find yet another locked door (#9) plus a computer (#10). When you browse through the files on the computer, you’ll see that while Neville Ma has been spending lots of money on Ku Feng, he barely spent anything while he was in the hospital after his traffic accident. You’ll also be able to open the locked door, which will grant you access to Ma’s office.

Note: RFID stands for Radio-Frequency Identification.

When you enter the office (#9), you’ll be confronted by Ku Feng, a vampire. She’ll want to keep the HKPF out of her — and your — affairs, and so she’ll suggest that you duke it out on the roof. You’ll automatically agree to this.

On the roof, you’ll have to fight Ku Feng plus six of her minions, all relatively weak “civilians.” About half the civilians will use melee attacks, and the other half will use ranged attacks. Feng will use melee attacks. So don’t rush the enemies with a melee character, or else that character will probably get swarmed and killed quickly. Instead, retreat to the best cover you can find, and focus your attacks on Feng, the strongest enemy. She’ll regenerate 10 HP per round, but if all of your characters gang up on her, you should be able to knock her down in a couple of rounds.

When Feng falls under 25% health, she’ll surrender, and the fight will stop. Feng will then reveal that she’s new to being a vampire, and that she doesn’t really know what she’s doing. You’ll have three basic ways to respond:

You can force Feng to go into hiding, or force her to convince Neville Ma to fire Penelope Wong (and then either let her stay with Ma or not). Feng and her civilians will then leave.
You can offer to train Feng (with the help of Duncan or Gaichu if they’re with you). This will earn you a point of karma, and Feng will help you at the end of the campaign. This is by far the best option.
You can kill Feng despite her surrender. This will cause the fight to resume, and you’ll have to finish off Feng and all of her civilians.

With the fight concluded, you’ll just need to exit the hotel and return to Heoi. You’ll earn 4 karma points when you arrive, and when you talk to Dr. Shenyang in the mahjong parlor, he’ll be happy with your work — until Neville Ma calls him and demonstrates that he knows more about show business than Shenyang does. Still, when you visit the mission computer, you’ll earn 1100 nuyen for your work. You can also earn 200 nuyen (or a level 1 program worth at most that amount) by selling the mission’s metadata to Maximum Law.