| “ | Good boy, so trusting. | „ |
| ~ Chase Linh revealing her true nature. |
Chase Linh is the main antagonist in the 2008 video game Need for Speed: Undercover. She works as an inspector for the Tri-City Bay police department tasked with investigating international smuggling rings which may have connections to local street races, hiring the player as a wheelman under her management. In reality she is actually a corrupt police inspector working for crime lord Chau Wu, her boss who has a hand in the aforementioned international smuggling.
History
Little is known about Chase Linh's past, but it is implied she worked her way through the Tri-City Bay police department to be in position handling big cases.
Biography
When the player meets her, she is arguing with police lieutenant Jack Keller for her recent actions, but introduces the player, who prior to the meeting showed exceptional performance posing as a wheelman, and briefs on her case. International smuggling activities have recently been discovered and showed that local car thieves linked to street racing gangs have involvement, something which would take law enforcement agencies too much time to complete, which she reveals she only has two weeks for the operation. She intends to use the player's capability to infiltrate the street racing gangs as undercover, and she will be the player's handler. They immediately begin, with Lt. Keller being unimpressed.
Beginning at Palm Harbour, the player enters street races and builds a reputation for himself before Chase reminds him to bother with local police to mask the player's undercover status. Chase is then informed of a local street race organised by Hector Maio and the player enters, emerging victorious while being introduced to Hector and his brash brother Zack Maio, both part of a gang of car thieves native to Palm Harbour. Soon Zack challenges the player, which Chase reminds the player to accept as Zack is the only way in to their gang potentially leading into the smuggling ring. Emerging victorious, the player wins Zack's trust and does jobs for him, eventually earning Hector's respect and interest from their childhood friend Carmen Mendez. Chase indicates the player is gaining reputation but presses him to arrest the Maios and shut down their gang after acquiring enough evidence to convict them. Once they have been caught, she claims the Maios have no connection to the smuggling and moves the operation to Sunset Hills.
An unknown caller, later revealed to be Rose Largo, tasks the player with a job which the player completes, showing a new lead in the case. In time, Chase discovers Rose's boss, former police officer Gregory 'GMAC' MacDonald has a gang doing even more illegal activities but manage to keep law enforcement away, and sets the player out to investigate them starting with a race GMAC hosts. Winning, the player is briefed by Chase of GMAC, Rose and her hotheaded boyfriend Freddy 'Nickel' Rogers who share an interest on the player, especially after the Maios' disappearance with only the player associated with them still present.
Carmen challenges the player to rematch from an earlier race he won her from before, but they ran into black sedans appearing to attempt in killing them both. Carmen reveals she had seen those black sedans before at Port Crescent and suspects they may have involvement with the Maios' disappearance, and is deeply frightened ever since. Chase indicates she will investigate the attack, unbeknownst to the player she is contacted by Chau Wu himself, showing they have a connection of sorts.
GMAC soon receives a lucrative deal of car theft, and again Chase orders the player to follow through. With the deal complete, Chase uses it to prove GMAC's gang is involved with the smuggling. Later challenged by Rose to a duel, the player comes out triumphant but his car brakes fail resulting in a crash. Meeting Chase and Lt. Keller back in the police headquarters, Lt. Keller suggests Chase should stop before more harm occurs, to which she rebukes. He subsequently counters back her claims on GMAC being involved with the smuggling and running scared thus sabotaging the player's car resulting in the crash, instead stating the player crashed only because a jealous Nickel cut the player's brake lines during the race with Rose. He also reveals he did his own investigation and showed the smuggling was done from abroad by crime lord Chau Wu and not GMAC, chiding Chase for not being proactive on her case.
Refusing to let her case get settled by others, Chase demands the player find out evidence to convict GMAC. GMAC plans on getting back at Chau Wu who began interfering with his business, calling his gang and the player to frame Chau Wu with the police. This only results in Chau Wu personally contacting the player, accusing him of stealing a car of significance belonging to him, but offers a chance to redeem himself instead of being killed for messing with the wrong people. Chase now tells the player to apprehend GMAC and his gang and they all are soon caught. Despite GMAC and his gang's arrest, Chase states GMAC indeed has no connection to the smuggling, also claiming she doesn't know what happened to the disappeared Maios who did not wind up in police custody.
Carmen hysterically calls the player to find her, showing that she was told to hide a car that Zack stole from someone he shouldn't have and enraging Hector in the process. She deduces anyone in connection to the car all suspiciously vanished, from the Maios to GMAC and his gang. Fearing she will be next, she tells the player to take it away from her. The car was indeed Chau Wu's stolen car and Chau Wu knows the player took it off Carmen's hands, calling to demand the player return it to him or he will kill his captive; Chase Linh.
Upon meeting Chau Wu, Chase is discovered to be working with him, and that the arrests of all whom the player met was a ruse to rid them for good by Chau Wu. Chase acquires a silenced pistol from Chau Wu who tells the player he likewise will be deposed, but is suddenly stopped when Chase shoots the gun at Chau Wu, killing him. She mocks the player, informing he will be framed for murder and that Chau Wu's car wasn't significant but its contents, shown as a briefcase, was. She escapes, and the player does so as well from the police labelling him a murder suspect.
Lt. Keller knows the player is innocent and tells the player he will do what he can to prove it, eventually calling off the police force allowing the player to handle Chase. She taunts the player as he fights her, before managing to crash her car. Finally caught, Chase angrily warns the player she isn't finished before being led into custody. What she tried to escape with was a PDA in the briefcase, containing all evidence of the international smuggling that Chau Wu would kill for and Chase desperate to acquire.
Personality
Being a double agent, Chase knows how to keep her disguise when dealing with others. She is able to maintain an image with the law while also playing Chau Wu's side. The player is unaware she in fact works for Chau Wu until he delivers Chau Wu's car. When all the contacts the player arrests go missing due to being disposed off by Chau Wu, she knows how to keep the truth away from the player as well.
Chase is shown to be very level headed, rarely showing emotions in her conversations with the player and even her call with Chau Wu, apart from a brief glimpse of surprise. She is also seen to be very straightforward, with her intentions clear especially when giving orders to the player. Her seriousness on completion of the task at hand is evident when its lack of completion jeopardises her chances of success, often stressing to the player to get matters done, especially when they continue to delay jobs given to them.
Ensuring her case remains the way she wants it to be, Chase is very calculative and meticulously plans out all which she desires. She knows where to send the player and directs him on her work with extreme precision and scheming. Chase additionally knows when to strike, betraying not just the player but also Chau Wu who she works for when she shockingly kills him.
Trivia
- Chase Linh's car is a BMW M6 in the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC versions of the game.
- She is portrayed by actress Maggie Q.