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

Chapter 359 Who Dares to Touch Me!

"Where's Lao Liang?" Su Hanze asked.

"Wait at the shipyard." Ahua said without turning his head. "With all this commotion, James is definitely going to be furious."

"It's best if he gets all puffed up." Su Hanze sneered, patting the two oilcloth bags inside his coat. "This stuff should be enough to keep him in for a while."

Xia Xue sat in the back seat, panting heavily, her face still pale. "You guys are crazy... James won't let you get away with this."

“He needs to find us first.” Su Hanze glanced back at her. “What about you? Do you still dare to go back?”

Xia Xue was silent for a few seconds, then gritted her teeth and said, "I said, it's either turn things around or die. I have no way out."

Ahua glanced at her in the rearview mirror and snorted. "You woman, you're bolder than a man."

"Stop talking nonsense." Su Hanze interrupted him. "Go to the shipyard. Old Liang has a copy of the ledger. We need to hide the things first before we go find Miss Wen."

"Miss Wen?" Xia Xue was taken aback. "You really believe her?"

“I don’t believe it,” Su Hanze said calmly. “But she wants to take down James, even more so than we do. She’ll pay for it.”

The car sped through the night, the headlights tearing a gap in the fog. Su Hanze leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, but his mind was filled with the events of the night. James's goods, the buyer in Nanling, Ando's name, and the "higher-ups" Xia Xue had mentioned. The web was spreading wider and wider, yet he felt he was still far from the truth.

The night fog was as thick as ink, and the air in the shipyard was filled with the salty smell of the sea and the pungent odor of engine oil. Ahua's car stopped on a muddy path, the headlights went out, and all around was deathly silent. Su Hanze pushed open the car door, jumped out, and the muddy ground beneath his feet was soft and wet, his shoes sinking half an inch. He glanced back at Xia Xue; she was wrapped tightly in her shawl, her face appearing even paler in the darkness.

"Where's Lao Liang?" Su Hanze asked in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the shipyard not far away. Several dilapidated fishing boats were moored on the shore, their hulls swaying slightly in the waves, the shadows of their masts flickering like ghosts in the mist.

“Over at the warehouse.” Ahua locked the car door and pointed to a low tin shack in the distance. “He said he’d wait inside and brought a copy of the ledger.”

"You brought the ledger?" Xia Xue frowned, her voice tinged with doubt. "Do you really believe Lao Liang?"

"I don't believe it." Su Hanze sneered, "But he owes me a life, so he won't dare to play any tricks for now."

Xia Xue didn't say anything more and followed the two towards the warehouse. The shipyard floor was uneven and piled with rusty iron barrels and discarded fishing nets. A few barks came from afar, piercing the night. Su Hanze walked ahead, his flashlight beam swaying on the ground, avoiding the debris that could easily cause him to trip.

The warehouse door was ajar, a faint light shining through the crack. Su Hanze pushed it open, revealing a large, empty space. Wooden crates were piled in the corner, and a damp, musty smell filled the air. Old Liang sat at a worn-out table, a kerosene lamp on it, and a thick ledger spread out beside him. He wore a drab gray long gown, was as thin as a bamboo pole, and wore round-framed glasses. Seeing Su Hanze enter, he adjusted his glasses and gave a dry, forced smile.

"You came pretty quickly." Old Liang closed the ledger, stood up, and said, "I brought everything, and the copies are all here."

Su Hanze walked over and glanced at the ledger. Densely packed with numbers and dates, it recorded James's freight transactions over the past few years. Each entry had a note detailing the type, quantity, and destination of the goods. He turned to the last page and saw the name "Hongfeng Fruit Industry," next to which was a string of numbers and the words "Nanling."

"Nanling." Su Hanze pushed the ledger in front of Lao Liang. "Who is the buyer of this place?"

Old Liang adjusted his glasses, his voice so low it was almost a whisper: "I only keep the books. James never mentions the buyers' names. He only said that there are big shots backing him up in Nanling, and even foreigners have to give him some face."

"A big shot?" Ahua frowned, leaned against the door and lit a cigarette. "In the mainland, people are so poor they can't even afford to eat. Who has the money to buy James's stuff?"

“It’s not about money.” Old Liang shook his head. “James said that the business in Nanling is not about making money, but about ‘making friends’.”

"Making friends?" Su Hanze sneered. "He sells opium to make friends?"

Old Liang shrugged, offering no reply. Xia Xue stood to the side, biting her lip, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. Su Hanze glanced at her and asked, "You know about Nanling?"

Xia Xue hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "James mentioned it once, saying that the connection to Nanling cannot be severed, otherwise the people 'above' will be unhappy. He didn't say who it was, only that it was someone surnamed Shen."

"Surname Shen?" Su Hanze narrowed his eyes. "There aren't many important people with the surname Shen in the mainland."

"Don't ask me anymore." Xia Xue waved her hand impatiently. "That's all I know. James never lets me get involved in these things."

Su Hanze didn't press further. He closed the ledger and tucked it inside his coat. He took out the two oilcloth bags he'd retrieved from the cold storage from his pocket and tossed them onto the table. "Take a look at these. See if they match the ledger."

Old Liang opened a bag, brought it close to his nose, and frowned. “Opium, top-quality stuff. James’s batch came from Tokyo; it’s recorded in the ledger.” He opened the ledger and pointed to a line of numbers. “Here, July 15th, fifty boxes, labeled ‘lychee,’ but it’s actually this stuff.”

"Fifty boxes?" Ahua whistled. "How much is that worth?"

“It’s not important how much it’s worth,” Su Hanze said coldly. “What’s important is who will take it over once it’s in Nanling.”

Old Liang pushed up his glasses and said in a low voice, "The account book doesn't list the recipient's name. It only says that someone will come to the dock to pick up the goods after they arrive in Nanling. James never goes to the mainland himself; it's always Liu Kun who brings people to deliver them."

"Liu Kun." Su Hanze snorted, recalling the scarred face in the cold storage, "He almost shot me tonight."

"You went to the cold storage?" Old Liang was taken aback, his hand holding the glasses paused. "Are you crazy? James was watching so closely, and you still dared to go?"

"We'll only know where the goods are when we get there." Su Hanze didn't explain further, then turned to Xia Xue, "You said you could go back to James's side, is he in Happy Valley now?"

Xia Xue nodded. "He's having dinner with some foreigners tonight to discuss business. They'll probably be drinking until dawn."

"A foreigner?" Su Hanze raised an eyebrow. "Ando again?"

“I don’t know.” Xia Xue shook her head. “He didn’t say his name, only that there were a few British men and a Japanese man. When I was eavesdropping, he mentioned ‘shipping schedule’ and said that he wanted to clear out the goods by the beginning of next month.”

"The beginning of next month?" Old Liang interjected. "The ledger says the next batch of goods will arrive at the port on August 5th."

Su Hanze frowned, his mind racing. James's goods were shipped from Tokyo, stored in Hongfeng Cold Storage, and then transferred to Nanling, with a powerful figure surnamed Shen behind them. The more he pieced together the story, the more complicated it became, yet he felt he was still far from the truth. "Old Liang, you stay here and hide the ledgers." Su Hanze stood up. "Ahua, go contact Miss Wen and tell her about the cold storage, but don't mention Xia Xue."

"You don't believe Miss Wen?" Ahua exhaled a smoke ring, his smile somewhat amused.

"She wants to bring down James, but she has her own agenda," Su Hanze said calmly. "This woman is even more cunning than James; you'd be better off trusting yourself than her."

"And what about you?" Ahua asked.

“I’ll take Xia Xue back.” Su Hanze glanced at Xia Xue. “She needs to go back and keep James calm, otherwise if word gets out about tonight’s events, we’re all doomed.”

Xia Xue's face stiffened, but she didn't object. She just said in a low voice, "I told you, I have no way out."

Ahua snorted and stubbed out his cigarette. "You two are playing too big a game. I don't want to die with you."

“Nobody’s sending you to your death.” Su Hanze patted his shoulder. “Go wait outside the shipyard and deliver the ledgers to Miss Wen first thing tomorrow morning.”

Ahua didn't waste any more words, nodded, and pushed open the door to leave. Only Su Hanze, Xia Xue, and Lao Liang remained in the warehouse. The light from the kerosene lamp flickered on the table, casting the three men's shadows swaying on the wall.

"Xia Xue," Su Hanze suddenly spoke, his voice low, "You said James has a secret, what is it?"

Xia Xue was taken aback, her eyes flickered, and she avoided his gaze. "This is not the time to talk about this."

"If you don't tell me now, when will you?" Su Hanze took a step closer, staring into her eyes. "You've asked me to gamble with my life, so I have to know what your cards are."

Xia Xue bit her lip, remained silent for a few seconds, and then whispered, "James has an illegitimate child in Shanghai. Nobody knows about it, not even his wife."

"An illegitimate child?" Old Liang pushed up his glasses and looked up in surprise. "If this gets out, James will lose face big time."

“That’s why he doesn’t dare to touch me.” Xia Xue sneered. “I have the letters he wrote to that woman in Shanghai, and every word is a handle against me.”

Su Hanze narrowed his eyes, quickly piecing together the information in his mind. James's illegitimate child—it was indeed a huge secret, enough to save Xia Xue's life, but also enough to hasten her demise. He didn't press further, simply nodding. "Let's go, I'll take you home."

The two left the warehouse; the fog outside was thicker, and the air was as cold as a knife. Su Hanze led Xia Xue around the shipyard to a secluded roadside. He took a car key out of his pocket and tossed it to her. "This is Ahua's car. Drive it back and park it near James's villa. Don't arouse suspicion."

Xia Xue took the keys, her hands trembling slightly. "You really want me to go back?"

"You said it yourself, there's no turning back," Su Hanze said calmly. "I'll be waiting for you at the back door of the cold storage at midnight tonight. If you don't show up, I'll take that as a change of heart."

Xia Xue didn't speak, gripped the keys tightly, turned, and got into the car. The headlights came on and quickly disappeared into the fog. Su Hanze stood there, lit a cigarette, the flame flashing briefly in the darkness. He exhaled a puff of smoke, his gaze fixed on the distant sea.

Back at the shipyard, Lao Liang was still in the warehouse, the ledgers already packed away and hidden in a worn-out wooden crate. Su Hanze walked in and slammed his hand on the table. "Lao Liang, tell me honestly, how many people were involved in James's shipment?"

Old Liang pushed up his glasses and said with a wry smile, "Master Su, please don't make things difficult for me. I'm just an accountant. I write whatever James tells me to write. I've never even heard of the person behind him."

"Never even heard of his name?" Su Hanze sneered. "You've followed James for ten years, and you haven't even heard a whisper of him?"

Old Liang sighed and said in a low voice, "All I know is that every time James goes to Happy Valley, he brings a guy named Zhou Sheng with him. That guy isn't a local from Hong Kong; he has a northern accent, dresses smartly, but has a sinister look in his eyes."

“Zhou Sheng?” Su Hanze frowned. “I’ve never heard of this person.”

“James forbids mentioning him.” Old Liang lowered his voice. “Once I overheard them arguing. Zhou Sheng said, ‘The matter of Nanling can’t be delayed any longer.’ James told him to shut up and even cursed him as ‘a lackey of the Shen family.’”

Su Hanze's heart skipped a beat. The names Shen, Nanling, and Zhou Sheng pieced together in his mind like jigsaw puzzle pieces. He didn't ask any more questions and patted Lao Liang on the shoulder. "You go back first. Leave the ledger here. Ahua will come to pick it up first thing tomorrow morning."

Old Liang nodded, packed his things, and hurried away. Su Hanze sat alone in the warehouse, the light of the kerosene lamp flickering on his face. He took out the two oilcloth packets, placed them on the table, and stared at them for a long time. The pungent smell of opium made him frown.

As dawn approached, the fog gradually dissipated. Su Hanze stood up and pushed open the warehouse door. In the distance, the first rays of morning light shone through the sea, illuminating the dilapidated fishing boats in the shipyard. He took a deep breath, stubbed out his cigarette, and walked towards the dock.

Meanwhile, in James's villa in Happy Valley, the lights were on. Xia Xue pushed open the door, took off her shawl, and walked into the living room. James was sitting on the sofa, a bottle of whiskey in front of him, with two foreigners in suits standing beside him. Seeing Xia Xue enter, James looked up, his eyes as cold as ice.

"Where did you go?" he asked, his voice tinged with drunkenness.

"I met an old friend." Xia Xue smiled, walked over and sat down. "Didn't you say I could make my own arrangements tonight?"

James stared at her for a few seconds, then snorted. "An old friend? What friends do you have left in Hong Kong?"

“There are always a few.” Xia Xue picked up the wine bottle and poured herself a glass. “You go ahead with your business, I’ll take care of myself.”

James remained silent, his gaze sweeping across her face as if searching for a flaw. The foreigner beside him spoke up, speaking broken Chinese: "Mr. James, we don't have much time. You need to give us a definite answer regarding the shipping schedule."

"What's the rush?" James waved his hand, picked up his wine glass and took a sip. "The goods have arrived at the port and will leave tomorrow. Your people are waiting in Nanling. Once the money is in place, the goods will arrive."

“There’s no problem in Nanling,” another foreigner said in a low voice, “but Mr. Ando said that the commotion in Hong Kong is too great, so we have to be careful.”

"Be careful?" James sneered. "Hong Kong is my territory. Who dares to mess with me?"

Xia Xue lowered her head and took a sip of her drink, concealing the cold smile on her lips. She knew James was bluffing; he didn't know about the cold storage yet, but Liu Kun would definitely report it soon. She had to keep him calm until then.

“James,” she suddenly spoke, her voice soft, “I heard some news tonight, would you like to hear it?”

(End of this chapter)