Hong Kong Film: Short mules have no future, I am in charge of Hong Kong

Chapter 187: The lost batch of goods?
"Brother Ze, both sides have received the goods, what will they do?" A Bing asked excitedly, standing nearby.

"How?" Su Hanze smiled softly. "Brother Hua will hold his ground first and test the reactions of Kanta and me. Kanta will use the most direct method to tell us that he is never afraid of trouble. I have seen almost all the cards of both sides."

"What's next?" A Bing asked curiously.

"What's next?" Su Hanze put down his teacup, his eyes grim, "It's time to show them what the real rules of the game are."

The night deepened, and the wind blew the plastic sheets in the alley, making a rustling sound. Xi Mihua sat in the dimly lit room, and the half-closed window let the night wind in, blowing the cigarette ashes on the table all over. He dusted off the ashes, tapped the tabletop with his fingers rhythmically, and his eyes seemed to be staring at some prey, hiding a hint of coldness.

"Bingzai," he said, his voice deep and powerful. "In this game, Brother Ze seems to be disrupting the situation, but he is actually pulling strings. He wants us to fight with Kanta until both of us are hurt, and then he will reap the benefits."

Chen Bing stood aside, his face full of tension. Hearing this, he couldn't help but say, "Brother Hua, should we just sit back and do nothing? Brother Ze is pressing us step by step. What if Kanta makes the first move? Won't we be passive?"

"What are you moving?" Xi Mihua looked up and glanced at him. "In the underworld, the most feared thing is to lose control. If Kanta can be patient, we must be even more patient. If he can sit still, we must not be impatient."

"But this stuff--" Chen Bing hesitated and looked at the box on the table.

"The goods are Ze Ge's bait." Xi Mihua interrupted him, "Take it out and destroy it, don't leave any traces. He wants to use this thing to contain me, I will let him know that Xi Mihua's plan is not something he can easily break."

Chen Bing nodded, but he was still nervous. He hurriedly picked up the box and walked out of the room. As soon as he reached the alley, he heard a familiar voice coming from behind.

"Brother Bing, why are you holding it so tight? Is there a treasure inside?" Lu Dongpi was leaning against the wall, a cigarette in his mouth, a nonchalant smile on his face.

"Brother Beer, why are you here?" Chen Bing was startled and almost couldn't hold the box.

"Just taking a walk. I can't sleep." Lu Dongpi walked over with a smile and patted Chen Bing on the shoulder. "Brother Bing, you look so nervous holding this box. Are you afraid that I will snatch it?"

"Brother Pi, stop it!" Chen Bing waved his hands, his tone full of impatience, "Don't mess with what Brother Hua told me to do."

"Making trouble?" Lu Dongpi said innocently, "I'm just asking casually. Besides, when has my brother Pi ever been interested in goods in this world?"

Chen Bing stared at him for a few seconds, and after making sure that he had no other intentions, he whispered, "Brother Pi, I have to deal with this quickly. Don't ask any more questions about tonight."

Lu Dongpi did not ask any more questions. He just watched Chen Bing's hurried back with a meaningful smile on his face.

On the other side, Kanta was standing in front of his office window, with a noisy neon light outside. His assistant stood behind him and asked cautiously, "Sir, the goods have been sent back, but the people over there don't seem to be doing anything."

"It's normal that there's no movement." Kanta sneered, "Su Hanze doesn't expect this little bit of stuff to turn us against each other. What he wants is for the trust between us to completely collapse."

"So how do we deal with this next?" The deputy seemed a little nervous.

"Guard against him." Kanta turned around and said calmly, "Don't make any noise. Wait until he gets anxious and reveals his weakness."

"But what if Xi Mihua——"

"He is more afraid than I am." Kanta's smile revealed a hint of contempt, "Brother Hua is a person who likes to be safe. His trump card is to defend, and mine is to wait. If Brother Ze wants to play, let him play by himself."

Kanta's analysis seemed relaxed, but his heart was as tense as a steel wire. He knew very well that Su Hanze would not end so easily, and the last move of this chess game would inevitably have more variables.

At the same time, Su Hanze was sitting in the monitoring room of the venue, staring at the screen. His eyes were calm, and his fingers were tapping lightly on the table, as if he was waiting for something.

"Brother Ze, the goods have been delivered, and there is no movement on either side." Ah Bing stood aside and couldn't help but say, "Do you think they are pretending, or can they really hold it in?"

"Only those who can pretend are real people of the underworld," Su Hanze said calmly, "But no matter how hard you try, there will be times when you slack off. Ah Bing, pass a message to Dong Beer and ask him to give it another push."

"Dongpi?" A Bing was stunned. "Hasn't he always been neutral? Is that okay?"

"His neutrality is the best push." ​​Su Hanze smiled slightly. "Lu Dongpi may seem idle, but he actually knows the situation in Macao very well. It will be more convincing if he does not take action."

A Bing nodded and turned to leave. Su Hanze watched him walk out the door, his eyes becoming darker. He knew that the key to this game was not the goods, but the human heart.

The night is quiet and the lights of the Haojiang River are swaying, as if gasping in the night wind.

Lu Dongpi was leaning against his night market stall, gnawing on a chicken claw, with a beer bottle steaming on the table next to him. His eyes drifted into the depths of the alley from time to time, with a look of ease and depth that was difficult to fathom.

"Brother Pi, what exactly are you planning?" Ah Quan asked quietly, squatting beside the stall. His expression was full of confusion, as if he was completely at a loss.

"Ideas?" Lu Dongpi smiled, took a bite of the chicken claw, and pointed to the sky. "My brother Pi never has any ideas when doing things. In the underworld, isn't it just about the weather?"

"Brother Ke Ze asks you to give him a push..." A Quan hesitated to speak.

"What are you pushing?" Lu Dongpi glanced at him and said, "I only know how to push chicken feet and beer. I don't care about other things."

Ah Quan opened his mouth but said nothing. He knew that Lu Dongpi's words were always a little roundabout, but every time he came back, he always hit the point.

In the alley not far away, Chen Bing was carrying the box of goods, walking cautiously, as if he was afraid of being seen. As soon as he turned into an abandoned courtyard, he saw a figure squatting in the corner. The other person was wrapped in a gray coat, looking down and fiddling with something, and only raised his head when he heard footsteps.

"Brother Beer?!" Chen Bing almost dropped the box.

"Bingzai, what a coincidence." Lu Dongpi stood up, dusted off the dust on his body, and put on his signature smile. "What treasure are you moving? You're so mysterious."

"Brother Beer, are you staring at me?" Chen Bing frowned, with a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.

"Staring at you?" Lu Dongpi laughed even louder. "Who are you? Do you need me to stare at you? I just passed by here and was planning to find a place to smoke a cigarette, but I didn't expect to run into you."

"Brother Pi, this is what Brother Hua told me to do, please don't interfere." Chen Bing pursed his lips and hugged the box tightly with caution.

"Meddle?" Lu Dongpi spread his hands. "Bingzi, you underestimate me too much. I dare not meddle in Brother Hua's affairs. I just took a look and asked casually - there won't be real goods in this box, right?"

Chen Bing's face suddenly lengthened: "Brother Pi, I warn you, don't ask about this matter. It's not good to know too much." "Alright, alright, I won't ask." Lu Dongpi waved his hand and slowly turned away. "But Bingzi, the most taboo thing in the underworld is to force people into a dead end. If you really feel you can't stand it, remember to come find me."

Chen Bing was stunned in place, his heart tensed. He stared at Lu Dongpi's back and couldn't help muttering in his heart: "Who is this guy helping?"

At the same time, Xi Mihua was sitting in his office, with a cup of still-warm tea on the table in front of him. His fingers tapped lightly on the table, as if he was calculating something.

"Brother Hua, the goods have been processed and no one saw it." Chen Bing pushed the door open and came in, speaking in a hurried tone.

"It's fine once it's dealt with." Xi Mihua nodded and looked up at Chen Bing, "Did anyone stop you on the road?"

Chen Bing hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke: "Lu Dongpi ran into me, but he said he was just passing by and didn't ask much."

"Lu Dongpi?" Xi Mihua was slightly startled, then sneered, "He is a man who only listens to three-tenths of what he says, and the other seven-tenths are all calculations. It could be a coincidence that he passed by you, or it could be Su Hanze's arrangement."

"Can Brother Pi get involved?" Chen Bing scratched his head. "Doesn't he always keep his distance from everyone?"

"Distance?" Xi Mihua narrowed his eyes, his tone revealing a bit of sarcasm, "Bingzi, remember, there is no absolute neutrality in the world. The farther you stand, the longer your hand can reach. Lu Dongpi seems to be watching the show, but in fact, he wants to be the director of the show more than anyone else."

Chen Bing nodded his head, but he was still a little confused. He asked in a low voice: "Brother Hua, should we be on guard against him?"

“Him?” Xi Mihua waved his hand. “Just keep an eye on him. Don’t touch him. Lu Dongpi is a person who cannot be touched.”

Meanwhile, in Kanta's yard, a small disturbance was brewing. His men were counting a batch of newly arrived goods, but found that some of them were similar to the previously missing goods.

"Sir, this batch of goods..." The deputy stood beside Kanta, with some hesitation in his tone.

"It's the same batch that was lost, right?" Kanta raised his eyes and said in a neutral tone.

"Yes." The deputy nodded. "Do you think it was Brother Hua's people who sent it here on purpose?"

"No." Kanta shook his head, a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, "Brother Hua doesn't have the guts. This is Brother Ze's method. He is forcing us to make a move."

The deputy was stunned: "Then we..."

"Don't move." Kanta's tone was firm. "The more he pushes, the more we have to hold on. In this game, he thought he could see through everyone, but he forgot that the water in the rivers and lakes is sometimes deeper than he thought."

As the night deepened, the lights of Haojiang were still bright, and every corner was hiding unknown secrets. Lu Dongpi returned to his night market stall, lit a cigarette, and watched the people coming and going on the street leisurely.

"Brother Pi, where did you go tonight?" A Quan came over and asked.

"Strolling." Lu Dongpi blew out a smoke ring, with a playful smile on his face, "You will understand the things in the underworld if you stroll around."

"What should we do next?" A Quan asked worriedly.

"What should we do?" Lu Dongpi patted his shoulder, "Keep selling beer and continue watching the show. Remember, our stall is right at the forefront of the storm, just don't fall down."

The wind continues to blow, and the undercurrents of the Haojiang River become more complicated. Everyone is waiting for the next step, and the next step may have already quietly unfolded in some unexpected corner.

The street lights flickered slightly, and the crowds at the night market gradually thinned out. Lu Dongpi was still leaning against the stall, tapping the cap of his beer bottle, casually or as if he was keeping time. Ah Quan sat on a small stool, holding a bamboo stick in his hand, absentmindedly poking at a half-eaten fish ball.

"Brother Pi, the rumors on the street have been getting more intense recently." Ah Quan couldn't help but speak up, "Whether it's Brother Hua or Kanta, they seem to have set their sights on Brother Ze's chess game. Is it really okay for us to wander around here?"

Lu Dongpi looked up at him with a nonchalant smile on his face: "What are you worried about? No matter how deep the water is, it can't flood my stall."

"But..." Ah Quan was about to say something else when he was interrupted by Lu Dongpi waving his hand.

"Okay, stop saying but." Lu Dongpi grabbed a piece of braised tofu from the table and stuffed it into his mouth, saying vaguely, "As long as there's a show to watch, our business is stable."

As soon as he finished speaking, a tall and thin figure came from the depths of the alley. The man was wearing a slightly worn jacket and holding a black plastic bag. He walked quickly and his eyes were erratic. Lu Dongpi narrowed his eyes and whispered, "A Quan, watch out, who is coming?"

Ah Quan immediately stood up, took a closer look, and answered in a low voice, "It looks like Ah Kuan, the guy who delivered goods to Kanta last time."

"Oh?" Lu Dongpi raised his eyebrows, his eyes becoming interested. "What is this kid doing here so late at night? Does the bag in his hand look like the one we heard about last time?"

Ah Quan's face changed slightly: "Brother Pi, you mean - the lost goods?"

"It's almost certain." Lu Dongpi stood up straight, walked forward slowly, and blocked A Kuan's way.

"Hey, isn't this A Kuan? Carrying a bag of things and rushing to work late at night?" Lu Dongpi's tone was relaxed, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes.

Ah Kuan was obviously startled, and his steps paused. His lips moved as if he wanted to explain something, but nothing came out. He subconsciously clenched the bag in his hand, and sweat broke out on his forehead.

"It's quite heavy." Lu Dongpi glanced at the bag and said with a half-smile, "Do you want me to help you share the burden?"

"Beer, Brother Beer, this is... nothing, just some groceries." Ah Kuan forced a smile, "You know, I'm a small business, earning some hard-earned money."

"Groceries?" Lu Dongpi smiled, and suddenly reached out to grab the bag, opened it and took a look. After he saw what was inside, his smile deepened: "Groceries? These groceries are quite valuable."

Inside the bag is a bag of powder wrapped tightly with a waterproof film. You can tell it’s not simple just by looking at the packaging.

Ah Kuan's face turned pale: "Brother Pi, this, this is none of my business! I was just helping someone deliver——"

"Alright." Lu Dongpi waved his hand, his tone still relaxed, but his eyes were sharper. "Tell me, where did this groceries come from?"

(End of this chapter)