Hong Kong Storm: The King of Jobs

Chapter 755, Section 346: A Little Nervous for the First Time (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

It's inconvenient to carry cash into a metropolitan bar, so it's highly illogical for an electrician to carry 50,000 yuan. It would easily raise suspicion.

Ah Lai secretly hid all the silver notes in a mini safe under the driver's seat of the van.

The mini safe's wiring is connected to the van's battery, and the mini safe is welded to the vehicle frame, making it very secure.

After settling the silver paper, Alai opened the hidden compartment in the toolbox, put the Black Star pistol inside, and closed the compartment.

"Be careful, wear rubber gloves. There are more than three unsolved cases on this short dog. If your fingerprints are left on it, you can expect to end up in the ancestral hall!"

The panda cub gave Ah Lai a word of advice, telling him to be careful and not to cause any trouble.

This wasn't Alai's first mission, but it was his first time cutting raw pork, so he was a little nervous. He quickly nodded to indicate that he would be careful.

It was exactly three o'clock in the afternoon. Before stepping into the elevator, Ah Lai glanced at the digital watch on his wrist.

"Ding"

One second after the announcement sounded, the elevator doors opened.

A female office worker in an OL suit stepped out of the elevator and rolled her eyes at A Lai's shabby appearance.

The daily rent per square meter at New World Centre is equivalent to a Redfin Tuna, but its property management services are among the worst of all Grade A office buildings in Central.

Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can get in here, and it will ruin your appetite!

Ah Lai naturally noticed the gossipy woman across the street rolling her eyes at him; these clothes were leftovers from last year's mission.

Seeing that the clothes were still in good condition and of good quality, he didn't throw them away. He also found a leather belt from China Power Company at the secondhand market, thus completing the whole set of equipment.

However, this work uniform is not without its flaws. Even with the cuffs rolled up three times, they still cover half of one hand, and they tend to slip down when walking.

He glanced down at the canvas tool bag; the zipper pull was chipped, and the black oil stains on the side were from when he accidentally rubbed it on the subway that morning.

Not only that, this work uniform hasn't been washed in a long time and has a sour smell, no wonder that gossipy old woman rolled her eyes earlier.

Ah Lai stepped into the elevator, pressed the button for the floor where the Metropolitan Bar was located, and adjusted the walkie-talkie in his pocket so it wouldn't dig into his thigh.

He thought about it for a moment and realized that it was a bit strange to have a walkie-talkie in his pocket. So he took the walkie-talkie out of his pocket and hung it directly on the shoulder strap.

Whether it's in your personal life or your work, you should always be open and honest!
"Once inside, don't try anything funny. Remember three things: keep quiet, keep your hands steady, and don't let your eyes wander."

The panda cub's voice came through the walkie-talkie and drifted into Alai's ears.

But this warning came too late; Ah Lai's palms were still sweating.

The elevator arrived at the floor where the Metropolitan Bar was located. The elevator doors opened, revealing the Metropolitan Bar's copper-plated doors.

The copper-plated door embedded in the wall of the bar immediately gave the entire bar an air of grandeur.

The deep brown base has a shimmering gold sheen, not a dazzling brightness, but a warm luster that has been polished over the years.

The edges and corners have faint oxidation patterns, like a thin veil covering the metal, without any cheap roughness.

Two animal-head rings are embedded in the center of the door, the bronze rings polished to a shine by countless hands.

Bathed in the warm glow of the streetlights, it swayed gently in the cold wind, producing a deep, resonant "clang" sound—not noisy, but exuding a weighty, authoritative presence.

The door frame has clean lines and no superfluous carvings, except for a narrow band of fretwork at the top, with the luster of copper plating spreading along the band.

Warm light from inside the bar seeped through the cracks in the door, giving the bronze door a soft edge, as if silently telling you that the world inside deserves the grandeur of this door.

Ah Lai had heard of the Metropolitan Bar, though it couldn't compare to the four top entertainment venues: Chinatown, Du Laozhi, Shanghai City, and Dragon Palace.

But the Sequoia guys really like the Metropolitan Bar. The Metropolitan—there are only two cities in the world that the Sequoia guys can call the Metropolitan.

One is New York, because Wall Street is the center of the stock market, and the other is London, because London has the City of London.

The City of London is only one square mile in size, yet it is home to more than 500 foreign banks and over 180 foreign securities trading centers.

Global giants such as Barclays, HSBC, and Standard Chartered all have their headquarters here.

In addition, 75% of the world's top 500 companies have established branches here, forming a complete industrial chain from banking and securities to law and consulting.

Wall Street's history pales in comparison to that of the City of London, which is managed by the City of London Corporation and has a history that predates the British Parliament.

In addition, the City of London has the most comprehensive team of commercial crime investigators, with over a thousand patrol officers per square mile to ensure security.

Few Hong Kong companies go to Wall Street, but many go to the City of London for listing.

So Sequoia Capitalists and Shanghainese not only set up operations in Hong Kong, but also established companies and private equity funds in the City of London.

Hong Kong people value good omens. Companies choose the Metropolitan Bar for their IPOs, hoping for a steady rise in stock prices! That's why Sequoia Capital members come to the Metropolitan Bar to share in the good fortune.

Of course, this is only one of the reasons. The Sequoia guys are traders, not stock manipulators. When you count the stock manipulators in Hong Kong, there are only the big shots from Shanghai.

Shanghai Boy promotes Shanghai Boy; this is common knowledge among the lunatics at Castle Peak Hospital. The four top-tier entertainment venues are all owned by Shanghai Boy.

The dealer went, and the trader went too; it was quite awkward when the two sides met.

When the Red Coats go out to have fun, they want to show off and have a good time. If they run into the dealer, they have to offer him a drink and act like a grandson, so that his underlings can easily see their embarrassing moments.

The Metropolitan Bar is a members-only establishment with spacious private rooms, lower prices than the four major entertainment venues, and good privacy.

New World Center is famous for its abundant parking spaces; you don't need to pay for parking, you only need to pay a parking fee.

If you drink too much, you can take a taxi. There are five-star hotels all around, and they're comfortable to stay in.

I'd heard of it before, but this was my first time here.

Seeing that there was no one at the reception desk and music was still playing inside the bar, Ah Lai reached out and pushed open the bronze door.

The copper door is of very good quality; it doesn't creak when opened, which means it must have used the best hinges.

The air in the Metropolitan Bar smelled of disinfectant mixed with whiskey, and also carried a hint of burnt cigar smoke.

Alai took a deep breath, pulled his tool bag closer to his body, and deliberately made a "rustling" sound as his waterproof steel-toed, rubber-soled leather boots rubbed against the expensive Persian carpet, pretending to be in a hurry.

"stop."

"stop!"

Who are you?

The sound came from behind the door; it was sharp and shrill, like a clap of thunder.

Ah Lai stopped and caught a glimpse of two men emerging from the shadows.

The person on the left is wearing a black hoodie with the hood pulled down to his brow bone. He has a shallow scar on his chin and is twirling a disposable lighter that is almost out of oil.

The one on the right is wearing a faded denim jacket and has a half-dragon tattoo on his arm, with the dragon's eyes painted over with red paint, making him look a bit comical.

But his hands remained in his pockets, his knuckles pressed against the fabric, as if he were gripping something hard.

The two men who came out were Scarface and Ah Hai, Ninth Sister's henchmen. They were her two most troublesome thugs and also top performers at the Metropolitan Bar.

Ah Lai quickly put on a smile, deliberately making his voice rough, and imitated an electrician's tone, saying, "Good afternoon, gentlemen. I'm from China Power Company, here to fix the circuit."

"Our team leader asked me to find someone named Brother Baihe!"

As he spoke, he took out his work order. Because he was nervous, he lost his grip and the work order fell to the ground. He quickly bent down to pick it up.

"A maintenance electrician from China Power?"

"Find a white crane?"

Scarface coughed, took out a cigarette case, picked out two Red Wan cigarettes, and tossed them to Ah Hai next to him, without taking the work order from Ah Lai's hand.

Ah Hai took the red cigarette, lit it, and blew a smoke ring at Ah Lai.

"Put what you're carrying on the table!"

Scarface understood Ah Hai's attitude and told Ah Lai to put his backpack and toolbox on the table next to him so he could check them.

There have been many unfamiliar faces lately, and Aunt Jiu has already said that anyone who is not a guest must be carefully checked before entering the house.

Ah Lai obediently placed his backpack and toolbox on the table, a sheepish, fawning smile on his face.

Scarface still had a cold expression. He yanked the zipper open with a "rip" and stretched it as wide as possible, then reached inside and started rummaging around.

He first pulled out an electrician's knife, pushed his finger forward, and with a "click," a half-inch of cold light was deflected. He squinted at the blade and then slammed it shut.

He then pulled out a wire stripper, gave it a cursory inspection, and tossed it back into his bag.

He turned around, opened the toolbox, and Scarface opened the metal clasp, causing the toolbox to pop open with a "bang".

He reached out and picked up the heaviest wrench, the iron handle slamming against the box wall with a clang. He glanced at the rust on the wrench's jaws and then threw it back.

He shook the screwdriver set again, the Phillips head bits clanging together. He rubbed the bits with his fingernails to make sure they weren't worn down before letting go.

Finally, he grabbed a roll of electrical tape, pulled out half of it, and then ripped it off violently, the tape fluttering on the ground.

"never mind!"

"I'll take you to see Brother Baihe!" "You can't bring the walkie-talkie in. Leave it on the table and take it with you when you leave."

Scarface searched high and low, but couldn't find the switch to open the hidden compartment, so he prepared to take Alai to see Baihe.

Although it was a close call, it still left him drenched in a cold sweat. Ah Lai tried his best to calm himself down, but his face was already stiff.

Fortunately, the lighting inside the Metropolitan Bar was dim, and the two thugs around him didn't notice anything amiss.

Ah Lai quickly walked to the table, put his backpack back on, picked up his toolbox, and prepared to follow Scarface to see White Crane.

"Wait a moment!"

Ah Hai, who was leaning against the wall, suddenly spoke up and called out to Ah Lai, who was about to leave.

"What's up, boss!"

Alai was startled, but he still turned his head around with a relaxed expression and looked at Ahai with a puzzled look.

"The light in VIP room number 10 is also broken, it's flickering, it must be a bad connection."

"The electrician I arranged to work with didn't show up, but we're opening in five hours. If the boss finds out, he'll definitely be furious."

"Which star to choose! The property management company's electrician said the work order is scheduled until tomorrow afternoon."

“I’m still having a headache about how to explain this to the big boss! Now I have the perfect candidate. Let him do me a favor, and after that, I’ll have him go see Bai He.”

Seeing the puzzled look on Scarface's face, Ah Hai explained the situation, then put his arm around Ah Lai's shoulder and they went to room number ten together.

The door to VIP room number ten opened, and Alai saw the constantly flashing crystal chandelier. He glanced at the door and spotted the electrical distribution box inside the room.

He first turned off the switch of the distribution box, then took out a test pen from his backpack, poked it at the lamp holder terminal, and was relieved to find that the neon tube did not light up.

"Excuse me, could you find me a ladder?"

The ceiling of the private room must be at least eight meters high, so even if you stand on the bar, you can't reach the crystal chandelier hanging in the air.

Ah Lai had no choice but to ask Ah Hai to help him get a ladder.

Ah Hai walked out of the private room and called over a waiter, asking him to go to the storeroom to get a ladder.

The ladder was brought over quickly. Ah Lai asked the waiter to hold it steady, then climbed up the ladder and bent down to remove the old light bulb.

The crystal chandelier was suspended from the ceiling by expansion bolts. He unscrewed the lamp holder screws.

Use wire strippers to strip the insulation of the live wire (red), neutral wire (blue), and ground wire (yellow-green) to expose half a centimeter of copper core.

After confirming that there are no broken wires in the copper core, connect the live wire to the L terminal, the neutral wire to the N terminal, and the ground wire to the PE terminal, and then tighten the screws.

I carefully wrapped the joint with insulating tape three times, making sure it was secure and not loose.

Next, I took out the multimeter from the belt, set it to the resistance range, and touched the L and N terminals with the probes respectively. It showed infinite readings (no short circuit). Then I touched the ground wire and the metal shell of the lamp holder, and the continuity was normal.

"Boss, the light bulb is broken. Just replace it with a new one."

Alai sat on the ladder and shouted loudly to Ahai below.

The new light bulb was already prepared; it was a high-end Siemens bulb. Ah Hai picked it up and tossed it to Ah Lai, who was sitting on the ladder.

Ah Lai took the new light bulb and skillfully installed it, then had Ah Hai, who was standing by the door, turn on the main switch.

Ah Hai pushed the main switch, and Room 10 immediately became brightly lit.

This wasn't the end of it. Sitting on the ladder, Ah Lai saw the light come on and then lightly touched the outside of the lamp holder with a test pen. The neon tube didn't light up, and he only climbed down after confirming there was no leakage.

Now, Ah Hai and Scarface have no doubt about Ah Lai's identity.

"Excellent craftsmanship, absolutely amazing!"

Ah Hai, having escaped unscathed, gave Ah Lai a thumbs-up and sincerely praised him.

Seeing that the lights in VIP room number ten had been restored, Scarface didn't linger any longer. He led Alai to Baihe's private lounge.

"Dang Dang Dang"

"Brother Baihe, the electrician you called has arrived."

After waiting for a minute, Bai He pushed open the door and came out of his rest room. Pretending not to recognize A Lai, he asked, "Are you the maintenance worker from China Power?"

"Is the light bulb ready?"

"We're ready! But it might not be the light bulb; the wiring could also be the problem. We need to analyze it on-site."

Ah Lai quickly nodded, indicating that it might not be the light bulb's fault.

"Go ahead and get busy! The boss is at the Jockey Club, and I need to get back at four o'clock. Could you do me a favor and ask the kitchen to make me a bowl of vegetable and meat wontons?"

Scarface was a junior, having joined the ranks of Red Pole three years later than him. When he himself became a Red Pole, this scoundrel was still a junior, not even old enough to be called an elder.

Bai He didn't stand on ceremony and didn't give Scarface any face, directly ordering Scarface to prepare wontons for him.

The leader is like a prince. Although the white crane can't take on the boss's business, he has to obey the leader's orders as a red stick.

Scarface's face was gloomy, but he still nodded and told his henchmen to bring wontons to Baihe, that good-for-nothing.

"Come this way!"

Bai He sneered and led A Lai into the large office next door.

Upon entering the office, Baihe turned on the lights. The chandelier was very bright and didn't seem to have any problems.

"I don't have much time. Fix the lamp and get back to work!"

Baihe first locked the door from the inside, then plopped down on the single sofa, letting Alai make himself at home.

Seeing that no one was bothering him, A-Lai quickly opened the toolbox, pressed the button, opened the clasp, and took out the listening device inside.

There are many places where listening devices can be installed, such as in table lamps, telephones, and even wall sockets.

Alai stood in front of the desk, carefully examining its layout, searching for the most suitable area. After much deliberation, he focused his gaze on the landline phone.

The landline phone has an independent power supply and can ignore shielding, making it perfect for eavesdropping.

After locking onto the target, Alai took the screwdriver from his belt and first removed the screws from the back cover of the phone.

With the four screws no longer in place, the red back cover was quickly removed, and he took a thin wire from the toolbox.

First, use an electrician's knife to make a circumferential cut on the outer sheath two millimeters from the end. After peeling it off, the shielding layer will be exposed. Then, fold the shielding layer back.

Exposing the insulation layer, finally use wire strippers to gently clamp at the end of the insulation layer to strip it off, revealing the shiny copper core.

The copper wire in the wire was barely thicker than a human hair. He carefully placed it aside and took out a listening device from the hidden compartment.

Now, thanks to the Red Russians, these devices for spying on people's secrets are becoming increasingly smaller.

The eavesdropping device in Ah Lai's hand is only the size of a little finger. Despite its small size, it can collect all conversations within a range of at least 35 square meters with remarkable clarity.

He carefully attached the bugging device to a wire as thin as a hair, wrapped it twice with insulating tape, and then located the telephone's power supply line and connected the two.

The skillful Alai completed the installation of the bugging device in just two minutes.

He quickly took out the testing device and started testing. Only when he heard his own breathing sound in the headphones did he nod in satisfaction.

Nowadays, landline calls are all made through a switchboard. By locking the switchboard in this office, one can monitor everything that happens inside.

Of course, there are even better devices inside the building. As long as it is connected to power, it can wirelessly transmit signals on its own. Once the frequency is adjusted, you can start listening.

However, the activation of this equipment requires approval from the Department of Justice, and Guan Lou currently does not want to make the investigation public.

Ah Lai secured the bugging head with tape, reinstalled the back cover of the landline phone, and then began disassembling the desk lamp, testing it with a voltage tester.

It was discovered that a short circuit in the wiring had burned out the light bulb.

Ah Lai had all the necessary equipment—wires, light bulbs—but since he was already there, installing just a listening device seemed like a half-hearted solution, so he pried open the base of the lamp.

The lamp's internal structure is very simple, consisting of just a single power cord. Without the slightest hesitation, A-Lai broke the cord and reconnected the one he had brought.

Then I attached the microphone, wrapped it with insulating tape, and placed it in the lamp base.

A standing desk lamp should be at least half a meter away from the desk to avoid creating opposing interference currents.

Alai screwed the light bulb on, plugged it in, and tested it. He could clearly hear his own breathing.

“These foreigners are all losers. A Tizio desk lamp costs more than three thousand Hong Kong dollars, but it uses SWG No. 22 wire. The bulb has a high wattage and is too short to support the light.”

"Thanks to me, the wire I have is SWG 18, with a cross-sectional area of ​​about 1.0mm! It's the highest grade wire."

Where is the detector?

Ah Lai muttered a curse, cursing the foreigners for their dishonesty in business, and then asked where the white crane detector was.

(End of this chapter)