He couldn't start it.
No one else could either!
In the few seconds he operated it, he suddenly heard Nick Horton cry out in pain beside him.
Bai Shi instinctively looked over.
Nick Horton's thigh was suddenly stained red with blood.
"It's nothing, keep running!"
Through gritted teeth, Nick Horton gave Bai Shi a determined look and, after hastily binding his wound with a bandage, took the lead and sprinted off.
The smoke bomb's effect wouldn't last long; they needed to find another place to hide immediately.
While fleeing, Bai Shi and Nick heard shouts and gunshots behind them.
Clearly, the armed personnel had reacted, donned gas masks to mitigate the effects of the chemical fog, and were now attempting to pursue them.
But, thanks to their familiarity with the terrain, prior preparations, and the brief delay provided by the smoke bomb—even with Nick Horton's injured thigh—they managed to shake off their pursuers.
And eventually, they found a relatively safe location.