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

Chapter 338 Chaos at the Pier

Old Li frowned, the cigarette in his hand trembled, and the ash fell on the table: "Xiao Ma, don't fool me. The bigger the incident at the dock, the more anxious Old Chen will be. I think Su Hanze's shadow is becoming clearer and clearer. How much do you know?"

"Su Hanze?" Xiao Ma paused, as if he had been poked at something. "Old Li, you really know how to pick people to ask. Su Hanze is as slippery as a loach. I only heard that he was busy clearing out the stock at the Baishuishan Mine recently. Who knows anything else?"

"Clearing off the goods?" Old Li narrowed his eyes and tapped his fingers on the table twice. "Xiao Ma, don't play dumb with me. Su Hanze is clearing out the goods, and masked men are showing up at the dock again. This matter is not that simple."

Xiao Ma laughed, with a hint of disdain in his voice: "Lao Li, believe it or not. Su Hanze, I tell you, you'd better stay out of Su Hanze's affairs, so as not to get yourself involved." After that, he hung up the phone.

Old Li stared at the black screen of his phone and took a deep puff of cigarette. The smoke made him cough twice. He knew that Xiao Ma was well-informed, but he was tight-lipped. It would be harder than climbing to the sky to get something out of him. He exhaled a puff of cigarette and cursed in a low voice: "Su Hanze, what the hell did you hide?"

In the Yau Ma Tei Police Station, in Mr. Zhou's office, the cigarette butts in the ashtray were already piled high. He stood in front of the window, holding a new intelligence in his hand, his brows knitted like a knot. Ah Hao pushed the door open, holding a stack of photos in his hand, and his tone was a little anxious.

"Mr. Zhou, this was just taken. Ah Hui met with Biao, one of Brother Biao's men, at a bar in Kowloon last night. They were acting very secretive, as if they were discussing some kind of deal." Ah Hao spread the photos on the table and whispered, "Also, the informant said that Ah Hui was taken away from the back alley of the bar this morning in a black van, and the license plate was not clearly visible."

"Van?" Mr. Zhou took the photo, glanced at it, and his eyes were stern. "Damn, this is getting more and more confusing." He lit a cigarette and took a deep puff. "Ah Hao, go check the whereabouts of this van, especially its connection with Su Hanze. Ah Hui is probably scared to death, and his mouth is not tight, so it's easy for him to leak information."

Ah Hao nodded, hesitated for a moment, and asked in a low voice: "Sir Zhou, should we talk to Lao Chen about the dock matter? If Brother Biao really brings people to cause trouble tonight, Lao Chen may not be able to withstand it."

Mr. Zhou sneered and exhaled a puff of smoke. "Information? Old Chen is a fox, he is smarter than anyone else. Brother Biao, that idiot, is courting death if he really wants to break into the dock." He paused, his voice even colder, "Send a few people to keep an eye on the dock, don't let Brother Biao and Old Chen really fight. Dig deep into Su Hanze's matter, I want to see what cards he has hidden in this mess."

Mr. Zhou sat down again, his eyes falling on the photo. Ah Hui's panicked face made him feel a little uneasy. Every move of Su Hanze seemed to be carefully calculated on the chessboard, but no one knew how many pieces were on the board. He whispered to himself: "Su Hanze, you better not let me catch you."

In the VIP room of the East Bay Club, Young Master Jin sat on a leather sofa, shaking the whiskey glass in his hand, and the ice cubes clinked. Zhang Hai stood aside and reported in a low voice: "Young Master Jin, Ah Hui was taken away from the back alley of the bar this morning. The informant said that it seemed to be done by Su Hanze's people."

"Su Hanze?" Young Master Jin's eyes shone, and he tapped his fingers on the glass. "Damn, this loach is really restless." He took a sip of wine, his voice calm but chilling. "Zhang Hai, go check where Ah Hui was taken. Su Hanze probably wants to silence me."

Zhang Hai nodded and asked tentatively: "Mr. Jin, I heard that Brother Biao is going to bring people to the dock tonight to force our way in. Should we…"

"Break in by force?" Young Master Jin sneered, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, "Brother Biao, this idiot, really thinks the dock is a place that he can just step on?" He paused, his voice even colder, "Go tell him to stay in Kowloon, I'll take care of the dock matters. Since Su Hanze has touched Ah Hui, let him jump around for a few days. I want to see what kind of waves he can make."

Jin Shao leaned on the sofa alone, closed his eyes, and tapped the armrest with his fingers. Su Hanze's shadow, like a chess piece that suddenly fell, disrupted his rhythm. He knew that in this mess, everyone was testing, but every step of Su Hanze seemed to be tempting others to make mistakes. He narrowed his eyes and whispered to himself: "Su Hanze, you want to watch the show, but I want you to jump in by yourself."

In the underground casino in Kowloon, in Fatty Rong's office, the smell of cigars mixed with alcohol, the air was filled with the smell of decay. Xiao Hei pushed the door open, holding a new piece of intelligence in his hand, his face not looking good.

"Brother Rong, Ah Hui was taken away from the back alley of the bar this morning." Xiao Hei put the information on the table and whispered, "The informant said that it seemed to be done by Su Hanze's people. Ah Biao is probably anxious as well. Brother Biao may bring people to the dock tonight to cause trouble."

Fatty Rong leaned back on the sofa, twirling his cigar between his fingers, with a sneer on his face. "Su Hanze? Humph, this loach really knows how to pick the right time." He exhaled a puff of smoke and his eyes fell on Xiao Hei, "Xiao Hei, go arrange for someone to check where Ah Hui was taken. Since Su Hanze dared to touch him, he must be afraid of leaks."

Xiao Hei nodded, hesitated for a moment, and asked in a low voice: "Brother Rong, if Brother Biao really goes to the dock tonight, should we get involved? Old Chen must be getting anxious."

Fatty Rong sneered and flicked the ash of his cigar: "Get involved? Now is not the time." He stood up, walked to the window, and stared at the street scene outside. "Brother Biao is an idiot. He is eager to die, so let him go. Since Su Hanze has touched Ah Hui, let him show his hand a little more. We can just sit back and watch the show."

At the dock, the night wind blew white waves on the sea surface, and the air was full of salty smell. Lao Chen sat in a dilapidated truck, holding a cigarette in his hand, and the flames danced on his face. He exhaled a puff of smoke and his eyes fell on a cargo ship in the distance. The masked man last night was like a knife stabbing into his heart, making him unable to sleep.

There was a knock on the car door, and a subordinate poked his head in and whispered, "Brother Chen, there's some movement from Brother Biao. I heard he's going to bring some people to the dock tonight to cause trouble."

"Brother Biao?" Old Chen sneered and took a deep puff of his cigarette. "This idiot is really getting himself into trouble." He paused and said in a colder voice, "Go and arrange for the staff. Double the number of people at the dock tonight. If Brother Biao dares to come, he will never come back."

"Yes, Brother Chen." The subordinate responded and turned to leave.

Old Chen leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on the cigarette butt in his hand. Su Hanze's shadow loomed in this chaos, like a slippery loach that was hard to catch and hard to figure out. He knew that the mess at the dock was most likely related to Su Hanze, but it was harder than climbing to the sky to catch him. He exhaled a puff of smoke and whispered to himself: "Su Hanze, you better not let me catch you." It was late at night in the warehouse of the Baishuishan Mine, and the iron roof squeaked in the wind. Su Hanze stood in front of the window, holding a cup of freshly brewed Pu'er tea in his hand, his eyes fixed on the neon sign outside. Ah Liu pushed the door open with a bit of anxiety on his face.

"Boss, we have news from Ah Hui." Ah Liu lowered his voice, "He was taken to an old warehouse in Yau Ma Tei by our people this morning and is temporarily locked up. The informant said that Brother Biao might bring people to the dock tonight to cause trouble."

"Brother Biao?" Su Hanze's eyes were stern, and he tapped the teacup in his hand lightly. "Damn, this idiot really knows how to get himself into trouble." He paused, his voice calm but chilling. "A Liu, go arrange some people to keep an eye on the dock and see how Brother Biao and Lao Chen fight. As for Ah Hui, I'll go ask him in person tomorrow. As for this Ah Mao..."

Su Hanze paused, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Find out his background. I want to see who is behind this."

Su Hanze sat down again, his eyes falling on the list of goods on the table. His fingers tapped the table lightly, thinking about Ah Hui's words in his mind. The name Ah Mao, like a chess piece that suddenly appeared, made him feel a little uneasy.

The old warehouse in Yau Ma Tei was filled with the smell of mold and rust. A few mice squeaked and ran past in the corner, leaving a few shadows. Ah Hui was tied to a chair, his hands tied behind his back. The rope made his wrists hurt. The rag in his mouth had been torn off long ago, but he didn't dare to shout. His eyes were as panicked as a wild dog that was cornered. The iron door of the warehouse creaked open, and Ah Liu walked in, followed by two men, with no expression on his face.

"Sixth brother, please forgive me! I really don't know anything!" As soon as Ah Hui saw Ah Liu, his voice became tearful and he shook his head like a rattle, "I just borrowed a car, I really didn't get involved in anything else!"

Ah Liu glanced at him coldly, squatted down, and spoke calmly as if he was chatting about the weather: "Ah Hui, Boss Su gave you one day to find Ah Mao, and only half a day has passed, and this is all you can say?"

Ah Hui swallowed his saliva, and the sweat on his forehead dripped onto the ground. His voice was trembling and out of tune: "Sixth Brother, I... I'm really looking for him! Ah Mao, that kid, usually drives an illegal taxi in Kowloon. I called him several times, but his phone was turned off! I... I will find him tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow?" Ah Liu sneered, stood up, took out a small knife from his pocket, turned it in his hand, and the blade flashed coldly under the dim light. "Ah Hui, you know Boss Su's rules. People who don't keep their mouths shut usually don't have the chance to see tomorrow."

Ah Hui was so frightened that he shivered, his pants were soaked again, and his voice broke: "Sixth Brother! Sixth Brother! I swear, I will definitely find Ah Mao! I will give you whatever you want, money or anything else, I will get it all!"

Ah Liu didn't say anything. The tip of the knife lightly scratched Ah Hui's face. It didn't break the skin, but the chill made Ah Hui almost lose his mind. He stared at Ah Hui for a few seconds, put away the knife, and said calmly: "Behave yourself tonight and don't play tricks. Tomorrow morning, Boss Su will come to question you in person. Remember, your life is in his hands now."

Ah Liu waved his hand, and two of his men came forward to stuff the rag in Ah Hui's mouth again and pushed him to the corner of the warehouse. The iron door closed, and the dull thumping sound echoed in the night. Ah Hui huddled in his chair, trembling all over, with Su Hanze's sneer in his mind. He knew that he, as a chess piece, had been pushed to the edge of the cliff, and if he was not careful, he would be crushed to pieces.

In the office of Baishuishan Mine, the night was as dark as ink that could not be dissolved. Su Hanze sat on a leather chair, holding a cup of freshly brewed Pu'er tea in his hand. The fragrance of tea spread in the air, but it could not hide the coldness in his eyes. On the table was a new cargo list, and next to it were a few blurry photos that had just been sent by an informant, showing the chaotic scene at the dock last night. He squinted his eyes and tapped the table lightly with his fingers, as if tapping someone's heart.

The door was gently pushed open, and Ah Liu walked in, looking a little tired. "Boss, there's news from the dock. Brother Biao really took some people there last night, but it didn't make a big fuss. Old Chen's people were on guard, so the two sides only had a small fight, and Brother Biao suffered a little loss and left in disgrace."

"Suffered a loss?" Su Hanze sneered and took a sip from the teacup. "Brother Biao is an idiot. His brain is as hard as his fist. What about Lao Chen?"

Ah Liu whispered, "Old Chen got mad at the dock last night, saying that anyone who dared to cause trouble again would be chopped up and fed to the fish. The informant said that he spoke to Mr. Zhou on the phone this morning, and he probably wanted to use the police to suppress Brother Biao and Young Master Jin."

"Mr. Zhou shows up again?" Su Hanze's eyes were stern, and his fingers stopped on the table, as if he had grasped something key. "This old fox has a sharper nose than a dog." He paused, and his voice became colder. "A Liu, go check Mr. Zhou's recent movements, especially his dealings with Lao Chen. I want the water at the dock to be a little muddier."

"Yes, boss." Ah Liu nodded, hesitated for a moment, and asked in a low voice, "Are you really going to go to Ah Hui's place in person tomorrow?"

Su Hanze glanced at him, his tone calm but chilling, "Ah Hui is a loose-lipped kid, but he's timid, and he'll tell everything if you scare him. As for Ah Mao... I want to see who's behind this." He waved his hand, "Go ahead, keep an eye on the dock, don't let Brother Biao ruin my rhythm."

Ah Liu responded and left quickly. Su Hanze was the only one left in the office. He picked up the teacup. The tea was already cold, and the bitter taste spread on the tip of his tongue. He stared at the photos on the table, and his mind was full of the shadows of the dock last night. Brother Biao's impulsiveness, Lao Chen's toughness, Young Master Jin's cold-eyed observation, Fatty Rong's sitting on the mountain and watching the tigers fight... This group of people, everyone is pulling their own strings, but he, Su Hanze, will never let himself become a pawn in the hands of others.

In a tea restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui, Lao Li sat in a booth by the window. The iced lemon tea cup in his hand squeaked, and the cigarette butt burned in the ashtray until only a little red light remained. He didn't sleep well last night. The news that Ah Biao was humiliated at the dock made him angry, but he had nowhere to vent. He took out his cell phone and dialed a number. The phone rang twice, and the lazy voice of Xiao Ma was connected.

"Hey, Lao Li? What's going on?" Xiao Ma's voice was a little impatient. "You've heard about what happened at the dock, right? Brother Biao, that idiot, almost got himself into trouble last night."

(End of this chapter)