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

Chapter 192: Can't even get a cigarette butt
"This is the arena." Chen Hanwen raised his head and looked at the sea under the starlight in the distance. "Never underestimate those who seem to be staying out of it. They are the most dangerous players."

Xiaolong smiled and asked, "Brother Hanwen, what should we do next?"

"What's next?" Chen Hanwen turned and left. "Let's wait and see what happens. The water in Haojiang is getting muddier, but the muddier the water, the better it is for fishing."

The sirens at the South Pier gradually faded away, and Kanta's place was in complete chaos. His people fled in panic, and Lao Gao's face was no longer arrogant, but sweaty. He huddled in a corner, glaring at Kanta with gritted teeth: "Brother Kan, your people messed up. There's something wrong with the goods this time. It's hard for both you and me to explain!"

“Shut up!” Kanta punched the wall with a sinister look, “Do you think you’re the only one who’s unlucky? This batch of goods is mine, but all the wires you brought have been cut off! Lao Gao, if I’m done, you won’t have an easy life either!”

Lao Gao's heart was shaken, and his face turned ugly: "Brother Kan, now is not the time to blame each other, we have to find a way to protect ourselves. If that batch of goods falls into the hands of the police, the northern side will definitely not let it go."

Kanta took a deep breath, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. He suddenly turned to his deputy and said, "Have someone keep an eye on Chen Hanwen's place. It's very likely that he was behind what happened tonight."

The deputy nodded, but whispered, "Sir, but we are like this now... should we take it slow? The police are still watching, and the situation is tense."

Kanta glared at him and said, "Wait? Wait until I'm cornered before you take action? Attack him! Cut off all of Chen Hanwen's routes to goods. I want to see how long he can remain so arrogant!"

On the other side, Chen Hanwen was sitting leisurely in a teahouse, with a cup of steaming Pu'er tea on the table. He lowered his head to read the newspaper, with a faint smile on his lips. Xiaolong sat opposite him, pretending to be calm, but from the way he kept rubbing his hands, it was clear that his heart was not as calm as it seemed.

"Brother Hanwen, Kanta is in big trouble this time." Xiaolong couldn't help but speak up, "But shouldn't we be on our guard? Kanta has a temper, he definitely won't let it go like this."

"He doesn't count, that's interesting." Chen Hanwen looked up at him and said calmly, "Kanta is a man with lofty ambitions, but his methods are too straightforward. Even if he wants to retaliate, he can only follow his own routine."

"But I heard that Kanta is watching our cargo routes..." Xiaolong lowered his voice, "If he really attacks us, what if something goes wrong with the cargo?"

"Is it about the goods?" Chen Hanwen smiled. "Do you think it would be so easy for Kanta to figure out our goods routes?"

Xiaolong blinked: "Brother Hanwen, what do you mean?"

"Let him watch." Chen Hanwen put down his teacup, his tone more confident, "The longer he watches, the more he will be exposed. I will have all his trump cards in my hand."

Xiaolong was a little confused, but still nodded: "So what should we do next?"

"Next?" Chen Hanwen's eyes flashed with a hint of amusement, "Next, let's give him a gift."

A few days later, Kanta really started to attack Chen Hanwen's cargo routes. He sent people to ambush at several key nodes, trying to intercept the cargo, but each time he came up empty-handed. Either the trucks took a detour in advance, or they were empty, leaving Kanta's people with no excuses.

"Asshole!" Kanta kicked the table over in anger and yelled, "Chen Hanwen is playing tricks on me!"

The deputy whispered, "Sir, maybe there's something wrong with the intelligence... or maybe Chen Hanwen's people are more cunning than we thought."

Kanta sneered: "Cunning? No matter how cunning he is, I have a way to make him pay the price."

"But sir, the police are still keeping an eye on us recently. Should we wait until the storm is over before--"

"The storm is over?" Kanta's voice suddenly rose. "Once the storm is over, I won't even have a chance to turn things around! Check it out for me! Find out all of Chen Hanwen's places, goods routes, and connections. I don't believe that he doesn't have any flaws!"

At the same time, in another casino, Chen Hanwen was sitting in the VIP room, chatting and laughing with several businessmen in suits. The chips on the table were piled up like a small mountain, and the air was filled with the smell of cigars.

"Mr. Chen, the situation in Haojiang has been turbulent recently, but you are becoming more and more stable." A businessman said with a smile, "I heard that Kanta has been making big moves recently. Aren't you afraid that he will turn the fire on you?"

"Fire?" Chen Hanwen flicked the ash of his cigar gently, with a faint smile on his face. "No matter how strong the fire is, it still needs firewood. Kanta's biggest trouble now is not me, but himself."

"Myself?" The businessman seemed a little confused.

"He thought that he could turn the situation around with a few moves, but he forgot that the struggle in the underworld does not rely on strength, but on patience." Chen Hanwen narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone indifferent but cold, "Wait until he has exhausted all his strength, that's when I will take action."

After hearing this, the businessmen all showed expressions of admiration.

"Mr. Chen, you really have a unique vision. People like you are destined to be the winners in the world."

"Winner?" Chen Hanwen smiled, a hint of deep meaning flashed in his eyes, "In the martial arts world, there are no eternal winners, only eternal players in the game."

Late at night, the surface of the Haojiang River sparkled. Chen Hanwen stood on the rooftop of the casino, overlooking the brightly lit city. His eyes were deep, as if he had penetrated the prosperous appearance and saw the deeper darkness and surging undercurrents.

Xiaolong walked up and whispered, "Brother Hanwen, the people from Kanta have been making more and more noises recently. But our people are keeping an eye on them, and they never find an opportunity."

"Then let them find an opportunity." Chen Hanwen turned to look at him, with a faint smile on his face. "Give them a little sweetness, but remember, the sugar must be poisonous."

Xiaolong was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "I understand, Brother Hanwen."

The night is dark, and the lights of the Haojiang River illuminate the sparkling waves on the sea. The air is filled with a mixed smell, the salty sea breeze, the smell of fireworks mixed with a tense undercurrent.

Chen Hanwen sat in his office, holding a playing card in his hand, leisurely turning it between his fingers. His eyes were calm, but every time the card turned, it seemed that he was laying out an unspeakable move.

Xiaolong pushed the door open in a hurry, with a hint of suppressed excitement on his face: "Brother Hanwen, Kanta finally couldn't hold back anymore and sent people to break into our old warehouse this afternoon!"

Chen Hanwen smiled lightly, slammed the playing cards on the table, turned around and looked at Xiaolong: "What's the result?" "Nothing was found! Brother, the plan you set up was really great. They searched for an entire afternoon and didn't even find a cigarette butt." Xiaolong couldn't hide the pride in his tone, "The people in Kanta are now green in the face."

"Your face is green?" Chen Hanwen shook his head, stood up and walked to the window, lit a cigarette, "Xiaolong, in the struggle of the martial arts world, the most fearful thing is not a strong opponent, but your own disorder. Kanta is in disorder now. He thinks that every step he takes can threaten me, but in fact, every step he takes is giving me opportunities."

"Brother Hanwen, can we fight back now?" Xiaolong lowered his voice, "Kanta is already in a mess, give him a few more slaps and he will be killed!"

Chen Hanwen blew out a puff of smoke and smiled meaningfully: "Fight back? Now is not the time. The real victory is not when we step on him and make him fall, but when he kneels down and admits defeat. What we have to do now is to push him again and make him fall into the hole he dug completely."

"How to push?" Xiaolong seemed a little confused.

"It's very simple." Chen Hanwen turned to look at Xiaolong, "What Kanta lacks most right now is confidence. Let's give him some hope, whet his appetite, and let him think that he still has a chance to turn the tables. Remember, once people see false hope, they are often crazier than despair."

Xiaolong was stunned when he heard this, but he still nodded: "Brother, whatever you say, I'll do it!"

Chen Hanwen walked back to the table, took out a folded map from the drawer, and handed it to Xiaolong: "Have someone deliver this map to Kanta's men, and don't let him know that it is our news. Tell him that the goods I recently mobilized are hidden here."

Xiaolong unfolded the map and frowned, "Brother Hanwen, this place is an abandoned warehouse. Are we really going to let him rob it?"

"Just bury some stuff in the abandoned warehouse." Chen Hanwen sat back in his chair, picked up his teacup and said slowly, "Put some old fakes in there, and add a few boxes full of bricks. If Kanta really went there, it would not only be a waste of manpower and effort, but he would also be embarrassed."

Xiaolong's eyes lit up and he patted his head: "Great! Brother, your trick of 'luring someone into a trap' is really cruel!"

"Ruthless?" Chen Hanwen smiled. "If he's not ruthless enough, how can he make Kanta understand that the game in the underworld is not something he can handle with his little tricks?"

That night, the news reached Kanta's ears. His deputy hurriedly placed the map in front of him, and said excitedly, "Sir, this map was obtained by our people from Chen Hanwen's outer circle. The place marked on it is likely to be the warehouse where he has recently hidden the goods."

Kanta stared at the map for a long while, a cold light flashed in his eyes: "Chen Hanwen finally revealed a flaw."

"Sir, do you want to do it tonight?" asked the deputy.

"Get started." Kanta gnashed his teeth and said, "Bring enough people and seize all the goods in this place! Remember, we must not let him have another chance to counterattack this time!"

In the early hours of the morning, Kanta's men arrived at the waste warehouse marked on the map. This place was remote and desolate, with only a few shaky street lights around it, making it look particularly bleak. His men rushed into the warehouse and turned it upside down, only to find that the boxes were full of bricks and expired waste.

"What the hell is this?!" Kanta kicked over a box in anger, causing dust to rise and make him cough repeatedly. He turned his head and glared at his deputy, "You mean these junk by 'important cargo'?"

"Sir, I don't know either!" The deputy was so scared that his forehead was covered in cold sweat. "The information should not be false. Could it be that Chen Hanwen set up a trap?"

"Nonsense!" Kanta punched the wall and said through gritted teeth, "He is just playing tricks on us! Damn it, Chen Hanwen is forcing me to fight him to the death!"

At this moment, Chen Hanwen was sitting next to a stall in the night market, eating hot beef offal while listening to Ah Quan's vivid description of the scene of Kanta's outburst in the abandoned warehouse.

"Brother, they are so angry that their faces have turned blue!" Ah Quan laughed while wiping the tears from his eyes, "Those men are covered in dirt and dust, they don't even have the energy to hit people with bricks!"

"If you want to watch a show, you have to watch the whole show." Chen Hanwen calmly picked up a piece of tripe and chewed it slowly. "Kanta is now a tiger with its teeth pulled out. The more anxious he is, the easier it is to reveal his flaws. Next, our show is not over yet."

Ah Quan couldn't help but ask, "Brother, should we set a trap for him?"

"Set a trap?" Chen Hanwen smiled and shook his head. "Traps are for wild animals, but for a man like Kanta, all you need is a long enough rope and he will strangle himself to death."

Ah Quan was stunned for a moment, but he still nodded obediently: "Brother, you are really a smart one!"

The wind at the South Pier was blowing a bit strong, carrying a slightly salty dampness and a hint of tension. Chen Hanwen stood at the pier, holding a cup of milk tea in his hand, leisurely watching the cargo ship in the distance slowly sail away. Behind him stood Xiaolong, with an irrepressible smile on his face.

"Brother Hanwen, news just came from Kanta that he was so angry that he smashed a table again." Xiaolong said excitedly, "I heard that his deputy was almost yelled at and cried."

Chen Hanwen took a sip of milk tea slowly, his eyes still fixed on the boat in the distance, his mouth slightly raised: "It's good that he cried, crying means that he has some awareness. People like Kanta need to learn a lesson before they can understand that the rules of the underworld cannot be shouted out."

Xiaolong grinned: "Brother, your series of moves have made him confused. I think he really doesn't know what to do now."

"If he doesn't know what to do, let him remain ignorant." Chen Hanwen turned around and patted Xiaolong on the shoulder, "But we can't just sit there and rest. You go and arrange people to keep a close eye on Kanta's every move. We'll block any route he wants to take in advance. Make him feel like he's been seen through every step he takes."

Xiaolong nodded vigorously: "I understand! Brother, I promise to make him completely collapse this time!"

"Break down?" Chen Hanwen shook his head and said with a smile, "I don't want him to break down. I want him to come to me and ask for peace. This scene can't end so quickly."

Xiaolong was stunned for a moment, then reacted: "Brother, you want to..."

"Let him reveal all his cards with his own hands." Chen Hanwen's voice was calm, but there was a hint of sharpness. "Kanta's chess game has always been passive. He will fight desperately only when he feels that he still has hope. We have to wait until he is exhausted and then close the net."

Xiaolong showed admiration: "Brother, this trick of yours is really amazing! I will arrange it right away."

Chen Hanwen nodded, and looked at Xiaolong's departing back, with a deep look in his eyes. He raised his hand to check the time, then turned and walked towards the tea restaurant on the other side of the pier.

(End of this chapter)