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

Chapter 344: Still Can't Catch Prey

"But the police have now closed the entire dock..."

"It's because it's closed that we have to move." Jin Shao turned and looked at him, "The more chaotic the better, so chaotic that no one can see the direction clearly, we can send out the most valuable things."

The middle-aged man nodded and turned to leave.

The night is already deep.

On the streets of Hong Kong Island, under the lights, the damp bluestone road was hidden. A drunk man reeking of alcohol stumbled through the alley, followed by two men in long trench coats.

One of them whispered, "Is that him?"

"Well, he has been lurking for three years. He is a member of the old party." Another person said coldly, "If you want him to talk this time, you have to bring out some real information."

The drunk man entered a small hotel and just as he closed the door, he heard a "click" and the door lock behind him was easily opened.

"Who?" He turned back suddenly, but it was too late.

The shadow rushed over and covered his mouth with one hand. Another person said coldly: "If you don't tell me, we will hand you over to the police."

The drunk's eyes showed fear: "I...I said, I said...that batch of goods came from Vietnam..."

The night was like a heavy curtain, pressing down on the streets of Hong Kong Island. Su Hanze stood in front of the window of the old western-style building in Puqingfang, holding a new Yuxi between his fingers, the flame flickering in the darkness. He did not light it, but just played with it habitually, his eyes passing through the gap in the curtains and falling on a lonely street lamp in the corner of the street in the distance. Under the lamp, a man in a gray cloth shirt hurried past, with his head down and his steps unsteady, as if he was avoiding something.

"No news from Ah Mao yet?" Su Hanze asked, his voice so low that it seemed as if he was talking to himself.

The young man with glasses standing behind him pushed up the frame of his glasses and whispered, "I just called him. He's at the shipyard. Lao Fang won't give in. He wants to see you."

"To see me?" Su Hanze snorted, a sneer on his face, "Old Fang, this old fox, has an appetite that's getting bigger and bigger."

"He said he knew where the goods came from, but he wanted to talk in person." The young man paused and added, "He also mentioned Young Master Jin."

Su Hanze's eyes narrowed slightly, he put Yuxi back on the table, and slowly turned around: "Mr. Jin? What did he say?"

"He didn't go into detail. He just said that Young Master Jin went to the shipyard the day before yesterday and brought two people to discuss a business deal." The young man lowered his head and flipped through the notebook in his hand. "Old Fang refused to say more, but from his tone, he seemed to know something."

Su Hanze did not respond immediately. He walked to the sofa and sat down. He lit the Yuxi cigarette, and the smoke slowly rose in front of him. He squinted his eyes, as if he was looking at something far away through the smoke: "Young Master Jin is as slippery as a loach, and you can't catch his tail. I'm afraid it won't be that easy for Lao Fang to use him as a bargaining chip."

"Do you want me to go again?" the young man asked.

"No need." Su Hanze exhaled a puff of smoke and waved his hand. "Go and keep an eye on Young Master Jin's line. Don't let his men get close to the shipyard. I'll go to Ah Mao's place by myself."

The young man nodded and walked out the door. Su Hanze was the only one left in the room. The dim light from the chandelier cast a deep shadow on his face. He looked down at the topaz beads on his wrist and fiddled with them twice. The beads collided and made a crisp sound.

"Mr. Jin..." He murmured in a low voice, as if trying to dig something out of these two words.

At the same time, the warehouse area of ​​the shipyard was shrouded in a damp and cold fog. Ah Mao stood next to a pile of rusty containers with a crowbar in his hand, and Lao Fang sat on a worn wooden chair in front of him, holding an unlit cigarette in his mouth and his eyes wandering.

"Don't play tricks on me." Ah Mao slammed the crowbar into the ground, his voice as cold as the winter sea breeze, "How much do you know about the details of that batch of goods?"

Lao Fang grinned, revealing his yellow teeth. "Ah Mao, why are you so anxious? Master Su hasn't even come yet, and you, a little brother, are showing off in front of me?"

"Stop talking nonsense." Ah Mao took a step forward, shaking the crowbar in his hand, "Master Su asked you to speak, you'd better be honest."

Lao Fang glanced at the crowbar and smiled even more: "Open your mouth? Okay, but you have to be sincere. You know, when I do business, I value profit the most."

"What do you want?" Ah Mao frowned.

"The piece of land in Master Su's hands, the one west of Kowloon." Lao Fang said slowly, stretching out two fingers and gesturing, "Give me 20% of the shares, and I'll tell you everything I know."

Ah Mao sneered: "You have a big appetite, Lao Fang. Twenty percent? Do you think Master Su is running a charity?"

"Hey, business has to be discussed." Lao Fang leaned back, his chair creaking. "That batch of goods is not a small amount. The jade from Vietnam is of the best quality and worth half a city. Don't you think this news is worth a price?"

Ah Mao narrowed his eyes, stared at Lao Fang for a long time, and suddenly smiled: "Okay, I'll convey my message. But you'd better pray that what you said is worth the price, otherwise..." He shook the crowbar in his hand and didn't finish his words.

Lao Fang shrugged and acted nonchalant: "Whatever. If Master Su doesn't come, I'll keep my mouth shut."

Ah Mao said nothing more and turned to leave the warehouse. The fog outside was getting thicker, and the sea breeze blew in with a fishy smell. He took out the telegram, dialed a number, and whispered, "Master Su, this old man, Old Fang, is asking for 20% of the land in Kowloon."

On the other end of the phone, Su Hanze's voice was as calm as a pool of stagnant water: "What did he say?"

"They brought jade from Vietnam, saying it's worth half a city." Ah Mao paused, "They also said Young Master Jin came the day before yesterday to discuss business."

"Mr. Jin..." Su Hanze's voice was filled with a subtle hesitation. "You come back first. I'll go to Old Fang's place myself."

After hanging up the phone, Ah Mao lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. The lights in the warehouse area blurred in the fog. He exhaled the smoke and cursed, "What a mess this is."

At the same time, in a private pub in Tsim Sha Tsui, Young Master Jin was sitting on the purple velvet chair, still playing with the jade ear spoon in his hand. The air in the secret room was a bit stuffy, and the map on the wall was blurred by the dim light. The middle-aged man in front of him had left, and a young man in a black jacket stood at the door, reporting with his head down.

"Ma Ji's fleet is ready and will leave at 10 o'clock tonight." The young man said in a low voice, "The goods are at Kowloon Dockyard. The warehouse has been temporarily changed and no one knows about it."

Young Master Jin nodded and turned the ear spoon in a circle between his fingers: "What about the police?"

"They are still busy at the dock. The blockade has not been withdrawn, but there are not enough people, and the perimeter is very loose." The young man paused, "However, Mr. Zhou brought a few plainclothes officers and are hanging around the dock."

"Sir Zhou..." Young Master Jin smiled, but his eyes turned cold. "His nose is sharper than a dog's. Unfortunately, he sniffed the wrong direction."

"Do you want me to send someone to keep an eye on him?" the young man asked. "No need." Young Master Jin waved his hand. "If you keep an eye on him too closely, he'll get suspicious. Let him do whatever he wants. Once the goods are moved, he won't have time to care about anything else."

The young man nodded and walked out. Jin Shao stood up, walked to the map, and paused his finger on the red dot for a moment. He whispered to himself: "Su Hanze, did you guess right this time?"

The night of Hong Kong Island continued, and the lights on the streets and alleys were like a net, trapping countless secrets. Su Hanze's car slowly stopped in an alley near the shipyard. He didn't rush to get out of the car, but sat in the back seat, holding the string of topaz beads in his hand, his eyes fixed on the mist outside the car window.

"Mr. Su, Lao Fang is waiting inside." The driver turned his head and whispered.

"Let him wait." Su Hanze said calmly, his eyes turning to the police lights on the dock in the distance, "Where are Mr. Zhou's men?"

"There are two plainclothes officers wandering around the east side of the dock," the driver replied. "They are not near the warehouse."

Su Hanze nodded and pushed open the car door, his windbreaker swaying slightly in the night breeze. He walked into the warehouse area, his footsteps as light as a cat. Lao Fang was still sitting on the broken chair, cigarette in his mouth. When he saw him come in, he grinned: "Master Su, what a rare guest."

"Don't try that." Su Hanze stood in front of him, his tone cold, "Tell me, where did that batch of goods come from?"

Old Fang narrowed his eyes and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke: "Why are you in such a hurry? Master Su, we have to talk about business slowly. Your piece of land in Kowloon..."

"Let's not talk about the land." Su Hanze interrupted him with a hint of impatience in his voice, "You know me, I don't have the patience to listen to nonsense."

Lao Fang's smile froze and he coughed twice. "Okay, okay, Master Su is straightforward. Then I won't beat around the bush. The goods are jade from Vietnam, jadeite rough stones, the quality is top-notch, and the quantity is not small. It was originally planned to be smuggled to Hong Kong Island and then transferred to Southeast Asia, but something went wrong in the middle."

"What's wrong?" Su Hanze asked.

"Someone intercepted it." Lao Fang lowered his voice, "The goods were replaced at sea before they arrived at the port. Half of the boxes delivered were fake."

Su Hanze's eyes darkened: "Fake?"

"Yes, the stone is covered with a layer of green skin, and an expert can tell it at a glance." Lao Fang paused, "Young Master Jin came to me the day before yesterday and mentioned this matter, asking me to help find out who did it."

"Master Jin asked you to investigate?" Su Hanze sneered, "Isn't he a suspect himself?"

Lao Fang shrugged. "Who knows? Young Master Jin is a man with a narrow mind. I only know that this batch of goods is now in Kowloon Dockyard. The police are keeping a close eye on it, but they haven't found the real thing yet."

Su Hanze didn't say anything, his eyes stayed on Lao Fang's face for a moment, as if he wanted to dig something out of that wrinkled face. He turned around, walked to the door of the warehouse, and stopped: "Lao Fang, you better not lie."

"Hey, Master Su, how dare I lie to you at my age?" Lao Fang smiled a little flatteringly.

Su Hanze ignored him and walked out of the warehouse. The fog immediately enveloped his figure. He lit a Yuxi cigarette, and the flame flashed in the fog. In the distance, the police lights were still flashing, and the chaos at the dock had not subsided. He whispered to himself: "Fake... Mr. Jin, you are acting really well."

At the same time, in the back room of the pub in Tsim Sha Tsui, Jin Shao was taking a glass of whiskey and shaking it gently. The young man at the door came back again, with a hint of uneasiness on his face.

"What's wrong?" Jin Shao asked in a calm tone.

"Ma Ji's convoy...something happened." The young man whispered, "One of the vehicles was intercepted on the way, the driver ran away, and the cargo box was empty."

Jin Shao paused, and the whiskey in the glass made tiny ripples. He raised his head slowly, his eyes as cold as ice: "Empty?"

"Yes, there's nothing in the box." The young man swallowed his saliva, "It looks like someone tampered with it in advance."

Jin Shao said nothing, put the cup on the table, stood up and walked to the map. He pressed his finger hard on the red dot and whispered, "Su Hanze...you are faster than I thought."

The night deepened. In the streets of Hong Kong Island, a drunk was dragged into a small hotel room, and the door lock clicked shut. A dark shadow pressed on him, and the voice was as cold as a knife: "Tell me, where is the goods?"

The drunk was sweating all over his face, his voice trembling: "I... I don't know... I only know it's from Vietnam, jade... Really, I swear!"

"Vietnam?" The shadow sneered, "Who told you to fire the first shot?"

"I didn't!" the drunk man almost shouted, "I was just a spy, I didn't shoot! The one who shot was... was..." He suddenly stopped talking, as if he realized something, his eyes full of horror.

"Who is it?" The black shadow's hand pinched his neck, and his voice became colder.

"It's... it's the British..." The drunk's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible, "They... they asked me to keep an eye on Su Hanze..."

The shadow let go of his hand, and the drunk man collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. Another shadow stood at the door and whispered, "Should we deal with him?"

"Keep it." The first man said coldly, "He's still useful."

The night was as dark as insoluble ink. In the streets of Hong Kong Island, the humidity mixed with the sea breeze penetrated into people's bones. Su Hanze stood in the alley outside the warehouse, and Yuxi's cigarette butt flickered in the mist. He was not in a hurry to leave. His eyes passed through the alley and fell on the flashing police lights at the dock in the distance. The air was filled with the smell of diesel and sea water, mixed with whispers and footsteps from afar. Zhou SIR's plainclothes officers were still wandering around the dock, like a group of wolves that smelled blood, but could never catch their prey.

He put out his cigarette, and the hem of his windbreaker swayed slightly in the wind. The door of Lao Fang's warehouse creaked open, and a thin figure flashed out, with his head down, as if he was afraid of being seen. Su Hanze didn't move, leaning against the wall, his eyes locked on the man coldly. That was Lao Fang's little brother, named Ah Si, who was usually responsible for running errands and delivering letters, and was as talkative as a sparrow.

"Master Su." Ah Si approached and called out in a low voice, with a hint of panic in his voice, "Brother Fang asked me to tell you something. He didn't tell you everything about the goods."

Su Hanze raised his eyebrows and said calmly: "What else is he hiding?"

Ah Si swallowed his saliva, looked around, and made sure that no one was there, then he lowered his voice and said, "Brother Fang said that it was not Young Master Jin who intercepted the cargo. He suspected that someone from the British side had a hand in it. There have been a few new faces at the dock recently, speaking with a London accent, and they seem to be from the Military Intelligence Department."

"Ying Fang?" Su Hanze's fingers stroked the yellow jade beads in the pocket of his windbreaker, his eyes darkened, "How did Lao Fang know?"

"He... he has an informant at the dock who keeps an eye on the ships." Ah Si's voice lowered. "He said that the night before yesterday, a ship without a flag came to the shore and unloaded several wooden boxes. There were no marks on the boxes, and they were directly pulled to a small warehouse east of the dock. The next day, the boxes disappeared."

Su Hanze said nothing, and turned his gaze to the dock outside the alley. The police lights were still flashing, and he could vaguely hear what Mr. Zhou's men were shouting. He asked in a low voice, "Where's the informant?"

(End of this chapter)