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

Chapter 335 The Masked Man Appears Suddenly
Lao Li hung up the phone, his eyes darkened, and the ice cubes in his iced lemon tea clinked in the cup. He lit a cigarette, and the smoke slowly dispersed above the booth. The chaos at the dock last night was like a net that was getting denser and denser, covering everyone in it. Su Hanze, Jin Shao, Fatty Rong, Brother Biao, and Zhou SIR, everyone was calculating, but Lao Li always felt that the director of this play had not yet appeared.

"Boss, the bill!" The lady boss of the tea restaurant came over with a plate of pineapple buns and smiled a bit flatteringly, "Mr. Li, why are you here so early today? Are you discussing business with someone again?"

Old Li waved his hand, not wanting to answer: "Don't ask nonsense questions, just leave after eating." He took a bite of pineapple bun, but his mind was full of what happened at the dock last night. Masked men with guns, this is not a small fight. When did such a group of people appear in the underworld of Kowloon? He narrowed his eyes and whispered to himself: "Damn, the water is getting muddy."

In the Yau Ma Tei Police Station, in Mr. Zhou's office, the ashtray was already filled with cigarette butts. He stood in front of the window, holding a new intelligence in his hand, his brows furrowed as if they could kill a mosquito. Ah Hao pushed the door open and whispered, "Mr. Zhou, we have found some clues about what happened at the dock last night. The car used by those masked men was registered by a small-time gangster named Ah Hui from Kowloon. He usually works alone and has no big background."

Mr. Zhou turned around, took the intelligence and glanced at it. "Ah Hui? Humph, how can a lone wolf have the guts to bring a gun to the dock to cause trouble?" He lit a cigarette and took a deep puff. "Ah Hao, go check who Ah Hui has been close to recently, especially Su Hanze and Fatty Rong. Is there any movement?"

Ah Hao nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Sir Zhou, Young Master Jin's people were hanging around the East Bay Club again this morning. I think they want to investigate what happened last night. Brother Biao is also anxious. He sent people to the dock and said he wants to settle accounts with Lao Chen."

Mr. Zhou sneered and exhaled a puff of smoke. "Settle the score? Brother Biao, you idiot, do you really think you can turn the tables?" He paused, his voice even colder, "Go, send a few people to the dock to keep an eye on it, don't let Brother Biao and Lao Chen really fight. Get to the bottom of the masked man, I want to see who else in Kowloon dares to play tricks under my nose."

Ah Hao responded and turned to leave. Mr. Zhou sat down again, his eyes fixed on the intelligence. The name Ah Hui made him feel a little uneasy. There is no shortage of hooligans in the underworld of Kowloon, but those who dare to bring guns to the dock to cause trouble must have someone backing them up. He narrowed his eyes and whispered to himself, "Fatty Rong, Young Master Jin, Su Hanze... who of you is stabbing me in the back?"

Night fell again in the warehouse area of ​​the dock, and the lights were dim as if covered with a layer of dust. Brother Biao stood next to a truck, holding a cigarette in his hand, his face gloomy as if he wanted to eat someone. His subordinate A Biao stood next to him and reported in a low voice: "Brother Biao, I asked about what happened last night. Those masked men came too suddenly, and the brothers didn't see their faces clearly. However, Lao Chen's people added more people to the dock this morning, probably to guard against us."

Brother Biao took a deep puff of his cigarette and exhaled a cloud of white smoke. "Old Chen? Humph, that old guy really thinks he is the emperor of the dock." He paused and said in a lower voice, "A Biao, what does Young Master Jin mean? Did he explain what happened last night?"

Ah Biao shook his head and lowered his voice: "Master Jin only told us to keep watching the dock and not to rush into action. He said that those masked men might be related to Fatty Rong, so we should investigate it first before taking action."

"Fatty Rong?" Brother Biao narrowed his eyes, the cigarette butt in his hand was deformed by his pinching, "Damn it, that fat guy spread rumors everywhere, and now a masked man shows up. Does he want to make the water in Kowloon even more muddy?" He paused, and his voice became colder, "A Biao, take people to the dock tonight and test Lao Chen's background. If he dares to make a move, don't blame me for being rude."

"Yes, Brother Biao." A Biao responded and turned around to make arrangements.

Brother Biao stood alone beside the truck, lit a new cigarette, and looked gloomily at the sea in the distance. The chaos at the dock made him increasingly unsure. Young Master Jin had completely denied the responsibility, and the rumors about Fatty Rong were too loud. He always felt that the rhythm of this scene was no longer under his control.

"Brother Rong, I found something." Xiao Hei pointed at the screen and whispered, "The black van at the dock last night, owned by Ah Hui, has met with Ah Long, one of Su Hanze's men, several times recently. The location was a bar in Kowloon, but I don't know what they talked about."

Fatty Rong narrowed his eyes and twirled the cigar between his fingers. "Su Hanze? Damn, this loach is really restless." He paused and lowered his voice, "Xiao Hei, go arrange for someone to keep an eye on this Ah Hui and see what he and Su Hanze are up to. I've spread enough rumors about the account book, now let's see who loses patience first."

"Yes, Brother Rong." Xiao Hei responded and continued typing on the keyboard, switching the surveillance screen frame by frame.

Feizai Rong leaned back in his chair, staring at the screen with a gloomy look. He knew that the masked man at the dock might be a chess piece deliberately thrown by Su Hanze, in order to make everyone suspicious of each other. But he was not in a hurry. The more rumors spread, the easier it would be for these people to reveal their flaws. He exhaled a puff of smoke and whispered to himself: "Su Hanze, you want to watch the show, but I want you to jump in by yourself."

On the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui, Lao Li wrapped his coat tightly and walked in a wet alley. The air was a little chilly after the rain, and the street lights in the alley were dim, making his shadow very long. He took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Lao Chen? What's going on with you regarding what happened at the dock last night?" Lao Li lowered his voice, the wind in the alley making his hair messy. "The masked man was carrying a gun. This is not a simple matter. Brother Biao is as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. I guess he will have to go to the dock tonight to cause trouble again."

Lao Chen on the other end of the phone said in a low, slightly angry voice, "Lao Li, you're really quick with news. Masked man? Damn, I'm still checking who it is. That idiot Brother Biao almost ruined my business last night. If he dares to come again tonight, I'll make sure none of him can go back."

Old Li frowned, stopped walking, and leaned against the wall of the alley. "Old Chen, don't just go head-to-head with Brother Biao. Those masked men are probably related to Su Hanze. I heard that he has been getting close to Ah Hui, a small thug in Kowloon."

"Ah Hui?" Lao Chen paused, a little puzzled, "Why does this name sound familiar? Lao Li, where did you hear it from?"

"Don't ask. Rumors in the underworld are never true or false." Lao Li lit a cigarette and took a deep puff. "I'll just remind you that Feizai Rong has spread too much rumors about the dock. The bigger the account book incident is, the more complicated the person behind it is. You should decide for yourself."

Lao Chen was silent for a few seconds, then lowered his voice: "Lao Li, what do you mean by that? Do you think there is a traitor among my people?"

Old Li sneered and didn't answer directly: "Old Chen, you have been in the business for so many years, you know what's going on. Su Hanze, Jin Shao, Fatty Rong, Zhou SIR, none of these people are easy to deal with. The dock is your lifeblood, don't let anyone take it away in the chaos." After hanging up the phone, Old Li exhaled a puff of smoke and his eyes fell on the neon sign at the end of the alley. His fingers tapped the phone lightly, and his mind was full of the chaos at the dock last night. The appearance of the masked man was like an invisible knife, turning the underworld of Kowloon upside down. He whispered to himself: "Damn, what secrets are hidden in this account book?"

At the Yau Ma Tei Wharf, the night was as dark as ink. The lights in the warehouse area were dim, and several trucks were parked in the corner. The air was filled with the smell of seawater and engine oil. Biao's subordinate A Biao led a dozen people to hide in the shadows behind the container. Each of them held a weapon in his hand and had a fierce look in his eyes.

"Brother Biao, Lao Chen's men have added extra guards tonight, and the warehouse is guarded very tightly." One of his men whispered, "Should we just charge in?"

Ah Biao spat and clenched the machete in his hand. "Charge? Old Chen, that old guy, guards the dock like he's guarding his life." He paused and lowered his voice, "Brother Biao said that we should explore the way tonight and find out the location of Old Chen's cargo list. Young Master Jin will send someone to meet us, so let's not rush into action."

The men nodded and were about to disperse when they suddenly heard footsteps in the distance. Ah Biao raised his hand suddenly and signaled everyone to be quiet. He narrowed his eyes, stared at the shadow in the darkness, and cursed in a low voice: "Damn, who is it again?"

Before he finished speaking, several figures flashed out from behind the container, holding iron rods and short knives in their hands. They were Lao Chen's men. The leader, Ah Ming, sneered and walked out slowly. "A Biao, you really don't give up. Didn't you suffer enough last night? Are you here to die again tonight?"

Ah Biao clenched his machete tightly, a hint of cruelty flashing in his eyes. "Ah Ming, stop talking nonsense. The dock doesn't belong to you, Old Chen, alone. Why can't we come?"

The night in Kowloon is like a thick curtain, covering the hustle and bustle of the day, but it cannot hide the bloody storm undercurrent. Su Hanze sat on a leather chair in the office of Baishuishan Mine, holding a cup of cold Pu'er tea in his hand, his eyes fixed on a spread-out manifest on the table. His fingers tapped the table lightly, the rhythm was slow, as if he was struggling with the night. The neon lights outside the window shone through the blinds, casting mottled shadows on his face, making his fox-like smile look a little more gloomy.

Ah Liu pushed the door open, holding an old-fashioned cell phone in his hand, with a look of uneasiness on his face. "Boss, there was another incident at the dock last night. Brother Biao's people and Lao Chen's people almost got into a fight, and a group of masked men with guns showed up in the middle. Mr. Zhou's people were there too, and they're probably still hanging around tonight."

Su Hanze heard this, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a meaningful smile. He put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and said slowly: "Masked men? Interesting. Ah Liu, who do you think sent these people? Young Master Jin? Fatty Rong? Or... is it Old Chen's own play?"

Ah Liu swallowed his saliva and whispered, "Boss, I checked. The car used by those masked men was registered by a small-time hoodlum named Ah Hui from Kowloon. He usually works alone and has no background. However, I heard that he has met with our man Ah Long several times recently."

"Along?" Su Hanze's eyes shone, his fingers stopped on the table, and the air seemed to freeze for a few seconds. He sneered and lowered his voice, "Aliu, are you sure it's Along?"

Ah Liu nodded and lowered his voice, "Yes, the informant said that half a month ago, Ah Hui had a drink with Ah Long in a bar in Kowloon and talked about something, but I don't know the details."

Su Hanze narrowed his eyes, his gaze slashing across Ah Liu's face like a knife. "Ah Long looks honest, but he's actually quite good at doing tricks behind the scenes." He paused, took a sip from the teacup, and said in a calm but chilling voice, "Go, call Ah Long over. I want to hear what he's up to with Ah Hui."

"Yes, boss." Liu responded and turned to leave.

Su Hanze was leaning back in his chair, tapping his teacup with his fingers, his eyes fixed on the night outside the window. The chaos at the dock was like a fire that was burning more and more vigorously. Brother Biao, Lao Chen, Young Master Jin, Fatty Rong, and Mr. Zhou were all throwing wood into it, but the fire was burning too fiercely and would burn him sooner or later. He knew that the appearance of the masked man was no accident. The contact between Ah Long and Ah Hui was more like a thin fuse that ignited a corner of the chess game in Kowloon. Su Hanze narrowed his eyes and whispered to himself, "Damn, the water is getting deeper and deeper."

At the same time, in the warehouse area of ​​Yau Ma Tei Wharf, the night wind made the iron sheets on the containers squeak. Lao Chen sat on a worn-out chair, holding a new bottle of beer in his hand, with a few peanut shells scattered on the table in front of him. His subordinate Ah Ming stood not far away, whispering something to a few brothers. The workers at the dock had already dispersed, leaving only a few dim lights, which made the warehouse area look like it was covered with a layer of dust.

"Brother Chen, Brother Biao's people are hanging around again tonight. They probably want to check our cargo list." Ah Ming walked over and lowered his voice, "Sir Zhou's people are also hanging around the dock. The informant said that they seem to be checking the background of those masked men last night."

Old Chen peeled a peanut, put it in his mouth and chewed it, his face without a trace of emotion. "Mr. Zhou? Humph, that old dog has a sharp nose." He took a sip of beer and glanced at the shadows of the dock. "A Ming, those masked men last night, did you find out anything?"

Ah Ming shook his head and lowered his voice, "I didn't find anything. They left so quickly that I couldn't even see the license plate clearly. But I heard that the owner of the car is a small-time hoodlum named Ah Hui from Kowloon, who usually works on his own."

"Ah Hui?" Lao Chen paused and tapped the beer bottle on the table. "Why does this name sound familiar?" He narrowed his eyes, and Su Hanze's face, smiling like a fox, flashed through his mind. "Ah Ming, go check who Ah Hui has been close to recently, especially whether there is any movement from Su Hanze."

"Su Hanze?" Ah Ming was stunned for a moment and whispered, "Brother Chen, do you think what happened last night has something to do with Boss Su?"

Old Chen sneered and put down the beer bottle. "Su Hanze is a slippery fish. He completely denied anything about the dock, but I always feel that his shadow is indispensable in this mess." He paused, and his voice became colder. "Go, don't let Su Hanze laugh at you. The dock is my lifeblood. Whoever dares to touch it will be unable to get back."

(End of this chapter)