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

Chapter 274: Other Tricks
After hanging up the phone, he stood in front of the window backstage, looking at the lively crowd in the square, his eyes as deep as the sea. He knew that the contest between East Bay and West Bay had entered the final stage.

The light projection show entered its second round, and the square was bustling with people. Tourists held up their phones to take photos, and stall owners also greeted customers enthusiastically. The atmosphere almost reached a climax.

Su Hanze walked out from the backstage, his eyes sweeping across every corner of the square. His expression remained calm, but his steps were a little hurried.

"Xiaolong, come with me." He walked quickly towards an alley next to him and said in a low voice.

Xiaolong immediately followed and asked as he walked: "Boss, the people we just arrested have been sent to the police station. Dongwan probably won't dare to send anyone over for the time being. Can we focus on the light festival from now on?"

"It's not that simple." Su Hanze stopped at the entrance of the alley and looked around to make sure there were no outsiders before speaking. "Young Master Jin took 20 million from Master Qi. This money is not ordinary operating expenses. He must have another trick up his sleeve. We can't just wait and react passively."

Xiaolong frowned, "What else can he do? Dongwan has already used all his tricks, boxing matches, nightclubs, gambling, celebrities... can he do anything bigger?"

"Yes." Su Hanze's eyes were like knives. "He wants to take a big gamble. Twenty million, either on the stall owners or on the tourists. As long as the money is used wisely, he might be able to pull the game back."

"But we have already secured the stall owner, what else can he do?" Xiaolong was confused.

"He's trying to steal tourists." Su Hanze whispered, "If he uses this money to build a big project that can completely attract tourists, such as free consumer coupons, or even directly buy tourists, he might be able to pull Dongwan back from the brink of death. We must act in advance."

Xiaolong was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted: "Boss, what should we do? Wait for him to make a move and then fight back?"

"No." Su Hanze sneered, his eyes were sharp. "He bet big, so let's bet even bigger. After the light show ends tonight, let the technical team work overtime overnight to upgrade the entire projection show and integrate it into the tourist interaction session. The second round of the light festival must be launched within three days, and it must be more attractive than all his gimmicks."

Xiaolong nodded: "I understand! I'll arrange it now."

Su Hanze patted him on the shoulder and said, "Also, keep an eye on those stall owners, especially those in key locations. Once Dongwan comes up with something new, we must ensure that the stall owners are in the first place to stand firm in the team."

Xiaolong agreed and left quickly.

On the other side, the nightclubs in Dongwan were still bustling, but the atmosphere in Master Jin's office was so depressing that it made people breathless. Zhang Hai stood in front of his desk, holding a report, and said carefully: "Master, the 20 million yuan of funds have all been in place. According to your instructions, it will be divided into two parts. One part will be used to subsidize the stall owners, and the other part has been contacted with gamblers in Macau to prepare for a large-scale gambling."

Young Master Jin sat on the sofa, holding a glass of whiskey with an expressionless face, and said slowly: "Have you arranged the time?"

"It's been arranged. It will be held the night after tomorrow. The location of the gambling has been chosen. It is in our largest box. The list of gamblers has also been confirmed." Zhang Hai replied in a low voice.

"Very good." Young Master Jin gently swirled his wine glass, his eyes revealing a hint of madness. "That old man Su Hanze thought he had won by stabilizing the stall owner? Ha, did he think he could suppress our East Bay's arrogance by putting on a light show? When our high-profile gambling game starts the day after tomorrow night, all the tourists from West Bay will come to watch the show."

"Master, but..." Zhang Hai hesitated for a moment and whispered, "What if the profit from the gambling game does not meet expectations? Then..."

"Nothing will happen." Young Master Jin interrupted him, his tone as cold as ice, "As long as these high rollers come with enough money, even if we lose only half, we can still recover our costs. By then, we can continue to invest with the proceeds. How long can Xiwan last?"

Zhang Hai didn't dare to say anything more, he could only nod and walk out.

Late at night in the back alley of Xiwan Theater, Liu was discussing the details of the lighting upgrade with several technicians.

Holding a new design drawing in his hand, he frowned and said, "We must come up with something new this time. Light projection alone is not attractive enough. Tourists like interaction, so we should combine tourists with lights and make them feel that they are part of the show."

A technician scratched his head and said, "Brother Liu, this kind of interactive design requires a lot of equipment. Do we have enough time?"

"It has to be enough!" Ah Liu patted the blueprint and said, "The boss said we have to get it done within three days. The life of Xiwan depends on this!"

"Okay, then we'll work overtime to finish the job." The technician responded and turned around to get busy.

At the same time, Su Hanze returned to the office. He sat by the window, looking at the gradually extinguished lights in the distance, but his mind was calculating rapidly. The bigger Jin Shao's move, the higher the risk for Dongwan. But he knew that this gambler mentality was the easiest to get out of control. With a little guidance, Dongwan would probably lose his composure.

"Boss." The skinny monkey suddenly pushed the door open, holding a cell phone in his hand, looking anxious. "I just received news that Young Master Jin's high-profile gambling game has begun to spread rumors. It is said that several big gamblers from Macau have been invited the day after tomorrow. There will be at least tens of millions of funds flowing in the venue."

"Tens of millions?" Su Hanze smiled slightly. "He wants to put all his chips on it."

"Then should we..." The skinny monkey looked worried, "Should we take action in advance and disrupt his plan?"

"No." Su Hanze shook his head. "Let him keep trying. The more money there is, the higher the risk and the more likely it is that something will go wrong. What we need to do is stabilize Xiwan and ensure that tourists and stall owners are not affected. As long as there is any mistake in Dongwan, we will follow up immediately."

The skinny monkey nodded: "I understand, I'll arrange it right away."

Su Hanze stood outside the theater and lit a cigarette. He had only taken two puffs when the skinny guy beside him pulled his sleeve and said, "Boss, all the stall owners who hesitated that night are here. Old Zhang is the leader. He said that he just heard about Young Master Jin's big bet and is a little unsure. He wants to hear about our plan."

"Can't make up your mind?" Su Hanze sneered, stamped out his cigarette, and glanced coldly at the stall owners huddled together at the entrance of the theater. "Let them in, I'll talk to them."

Ah Liu has brought people to the small conference room of the theater. Lao Zhang stood at the front with his head down, with a flattering smile on his face: "Boss Su, the policy you have given us these two days is indeed good, but you also know that in this world, the flow of tourists is the lifeblood. I heard that there will be a big gambling game in Dongwan the day after tomorrow. Tourists can enter the lottery as long as they buy something casually. Here..."

"Are you worried that we can't keep customers in Xiwan?" Su Hanze interrupted him, his tone calm. Lao Zhang nodded: "Boss, I don't doubt your decision, but Young Master Jin dares to do anything, and this time the momentum is really strong. We stall owners all make a living by eating, we can't joke about business."

Su Hanze glanced at him, then glanced at the faces of the other stall owners, and said calmly: "Customer flow is indeed the lifeblood, but have you forgotten that customer flow is just the surface? What can really make you money is a place where tourists can stay and are willing to spend money."

He slowly stood up, walked to the window, pointed to the square outside and said, "Look outside. On the first day of the Light Festival, the average spending of our tourists doubled. The income of the stall owners is at least 30% higher than the same period last month. What does it have to do with you stall owners that Dongwan is holding high-profile gambling games to attract high-rollers? Tourists come to watch the fun, but the real money is spent by those wealthy gamblers. How much can you earn from it?"

Lao Zhang lowered his head and stopped talking. The other stall owners also looked thoughtful.

Su Hanze turned around and looked at everyone with a firm gaze: "If you really think that Dongwan can make your life better, go ahead and I won't stop you. But you have to understand that places like Dongwan that rely on gambling to support their business will not last for a few days. We in Xiwan rely on the word of mouth of tourists and the real income of the stall owners. Only by retaining our customers can we retain your business."

"Boss Su, you're right." A middle-aged man selling pancakes stepped forward and said sincerely, "My business these past two days is indeed much better than before. I was tempted by the rumors about East Bay before, but now I think West Bay is more reliable."

"Yes, Dongwan only knows how to brag, and it's really hard to make money!" another stall owner agreed.

Seeing the wind change, Lao Zhang quickly forced a smile and said, "Boss Su, don't be angry. I just asked a few questions. I didn't mean anything else. It's really good in Xiwan these past two days. We will definitely stay!"

Su Hanze nodded, and said in a slightly slower tone: "If you want to stay, do your job well and stop looking around. Xiwan doesn't need people who are disloyal, do you understand?"

"I understand!" Lao Zhang nodded repeatedly.

Ah Liu stood at the door, watching all this with cold eyes. After the stall owners had dispersed, he whispered to Su Hanze, "Boss, these people may talk nicely, but what if Dongwan really makes a big fuss the day after tomorrow and they do it again?"

"People are like this." Su Hanze said calmly, "Most people follow the wind. What we need to do is not to shut everyone up, but to let them know which path is the long-term one when they have a way out."

He patted Ah Liu's shoulder and said, "But we must be on guard against others. Keep a close eye on their movements in the next two days, especially those who are quick-witted. If you find someone tipping off the matter, deal with them immediately."

Ah Liu nodded and immediately turned around to make arrangements.

Meanwhile, in a private room in Dongwan, Jin Shao was sitting at a table with documents and account books in front of him, drinking whiskey while listening to Zhang Hai's report on the latest progress.

"Master, I just received news that the light festival in Xiwan is really good. The number of tourists has increased significantly tonight. The income of the stall owners has also increased. It seems that their stability is stronger than we expected."

Young Master Jin frowned and put the wine glass heavily on the table: "So, they have secured the stall owner?"

"That's the case for now." Zhang Hai nodded. "However, the publicity for our high-profile gambling has also spread, and many tourists and stall owners are waiting and watching. If we can make a big splash the day after tomorrow, we may still have a chance to win them back."

Jin Shao pondered for a moment and sneered: "Pull them back? We are not trying to attract tourists, but to attract stall owners. As long as the stall owners in Xiwan start to waver, their light festival will be an empty shell."

Zhang Hai asked cautiously: "What are your specific plans for the future?"

Young Master Jin narrowed his eyes and said slowly, "Tomorrow, we will continue to lower the stall rent and lower the profit share a little bit more. We want to let the stall owners in West Bay see that the conditions in East Bay are better. As long as they begin to doubt Su Hanze's promise, the day after tomorrow will be our chance to turn the tables."

"But what if the stall owner comes and finds that he can't make any money?" Zhang Hai was a little worried.

"To make money?" Young Master Jin sneered, "They came here to achieve their goal. Without the stall owners, Xiwan will lose its foundation. Even if tourists come to see the lights, they won't go hungry. The stall owners are just pawns. Our real target is Su Hanze's Xiwan!"

Zhang Hai nodded, but his face was not looking good. He knew that although Jin Shao's move was ruthless, it was also very risky. If it failed, the situation in Dongwan might not be able to hold up anymore.

In the late night, the backstage lights of Xiwan Theater were still on, and the technical team was still working overtime to set up new projection equipment. Su Hanze stood at the window, looking at the busy team with a calm and deep look in his eyes.

"Xiaolong," he whispered, "Tomorrow, announce the second phase of the light festival plan in advance, especially the part about tourist interaction. We need to make it more attractive than they imagine."

"Okay, boss." Xiaolong nodded, "Then what about the high-stakes gambling in East Bay? Shouldn't we touch them?"

"No hurry." Su Hanze smiled faintly, "The risk of gambling is greater than you think. The harder they gamble, the faster they lose."

Ah Liu ran to the backstage of the theater early in the morning with a paper bag in his hand, his face full of fatigue but unable to hide his excitement: "Boss, the feedback from last night's light show is in, the rate of tourists taking photos and interacting is twice as high as expected, and the income of the stall owners has doubled.

Lao Zhang and his friends were busy at the stall early this morning, and they also took the initiative to help us get some other stall owners to ask about the follow-up arrangements for the Light Festival. "

Su Hanze was sitting at the table, looking at a data sheet of the stall's revenue. He looked up and said calmly, "The stall owner's confidence is important, but we can't take it lightly. Young Master Jin won't let it go. His high-stakes gambling game the day after tomorrow must have other tricks up his sleeve."

Ah Liu nodded and put the paper bag on the table. "Boss, this is the information sent by the brother who was watching Dongwan last night. He said that the number of participants in the high-profile gambling game has exceeded expectations, especially the cash flow brought by several big gamblers is quite considerable. I think Young Master Jin is planning to use this gambling game to attract some traffic."

Su Hanze took the paper bag and took out several photos and a handwritten report. The photos showed the exterior of the East Bay Nightclub and several luxury cars, while the report detailed the identities of several big gamblers suspected to be from Macau.

(End of this chapter)