Hong Kong variety show: From being bitten by a cockroach to becoming a legend

Chapter 177 Chen Yongren's Self-Importance

"Ah Ren, I'll pay you back," Ah Hui said in a muffled voice.

"No rush." ​​Chen Yongren looked at the peeling paint on the wall in front of him. "Speaking of which, Brother Hui, you've been with Boss Song for a long time and have a lot of experience. Unlike me, I'm new here and don't know how to do many things. I'm always on edge. Luckily, you've been taking care of me during this time."

Ahui snorted: "What's the trick? Drive well, shut your mouth, don't look at what you shouldn't see, and don't ask what you shouldn't ask."

"That's true." Chen Yongren nodded. "It's just that sometimes, I feel uncertain. Like the other day, Boss Song and Mr. Xiao from Zhengxing were talking in the car, and I didn't dare breathe. When I heard things like 'North America' and 'five hundred million US dollars,' I was so scared I almost slipped off the steering wheel. Brother Hui, are you saying what we're transporting—is really canned beef balls?"

Ahui's fingers, holding the cigarette, paused almost imperceptibly. He turned his head, his eyes appearing wary and cloudy in the dim light: "How much did you hear?"

"Not much, just a few words." Chen Yongren quickly waved his hand, looking terrified. "I didn't dare listen carefully. I was just curious, what kind of beef balls can sell for five hundred million US dollars?"

Ahui stared at him for a good five or six seconds, seemingly trying to determine whether the new driver was genuinely stupid or just pretending. Perhaps the few banknotes had an effect, or perhaps he desperately needed to vent after losing money for days, his tense shoulders slumped slightly, he turned back, and took a deep drag on his cigarette.

"Beef balls? Ha." He scoffed. "Ah Ren, the less you know, the more secure your head will be. Boss Song's business—it's a deep well. Wenji's trucks sometimes carry more than just food."

"Not food?" Chen Yongren feigned perfectly measured surprise and confusion. "Then what could it be? It can't be..."

"Yes—" He leaned closer and asked in a whisper, "Flour, right? But I've heard that according to Taoist rules, Zhengxing doesn't touch that stuff."

"Flour is nothing!" Ah Hui blurted out, then realized his mistake and stopped abruptly, glancing around warily again. He swallowed hard, threw the cigarette butt on the ground, and crushed it out forcefully, his voice lower and more subdued, carrying a mixture of fear and inexplicable excitement.

"It's a hard commodity that's ten thousand times more expensive and ten thousand times hotter than flour and gold." He gestured with his hand to indicate a huge, irregular shape.

Ah Hui abruptly stopped mid-sentence, shaking his head with a hint of regret. "Don't ask, Ah Ren. Really, listen to me, just drive your car and collect your salary; knowing too much won't do you any good. Whether it's Boss Song, Mr. Xiao, or Ah Hua who's always dealing with 'international friends,' their affairs are none of our business." He paused, then added, "Things might be a bit tight lately; the bosses will be more careful. We just drive and deliver goods; we know nothing else, understand?"

After he finished speaking, he patted Chen Yongren on the shoulder: "Come on! It stinks here, I'll treat you to a late-night snack."

Chen Yongren's mind raced as he processed the fragments of information Ah Hui had revealed: the information came from the north, the whole thing, the big guy, the hot potato, the death knell, and the international friend Ah Hua. These fragments, like pieces of a puzzle, perfectly matched the "fossils" and "Tyrannosaurus Rex" he had heard before.

It's not a guess, it's almost certain.

But that's not enough. Where to store it? What are the specific times and locations of the transaction? These are the key questions.

At 1 a.m., a noisy and bustling food stall near Kwai Chung Pier.

Ah Hui's face was flushed red. Seven or eight empty beer bottles and half a bottle of cheap whiskey were scattered haphazardly on the table in front of him. His eyes were already somewhat unfocused, and his tongue was slurred, but he was still patting Chen Yongren's shoulder forcefully.

"—Ah Ren, you're a true friend! Really, Brother Hui, I—I consider you my brother!" Ah Hui hiccuped as he grabbed his glass and took another swig, the liquor dripping down his chin and soaking his sweaty collar.

Chen Yongren poured Ah Hui another glass: "Brother Hui, don't be so formal. We're all just trying to make a living from Boss Song, so it's only right that we look out for each other."

"Right! We'll look out for each other!" Ah Hui slammed his glass down, leaned closer, and his strong smell of alcohol hit Chen Yongren's face. "Yongren, let me tell you—don't let my current appearance fool you, I used to—work on boats with Brother Hua! You know Brother Hua, right? Ah Hua! The most trusted guy by Boss Wen's side!"

They're here. Chen Yongren's heart skipped a beat, but his face showed a mixture of envy and curiosity: "Brother Hua? Of course I know him, he's the head of Zhengxing Entertainment Development; Brother Hui, you used to work with Brother Hua? How come—"

"So, you're driving here now?" Ah Hui chuckled self-deprecatingly, took another swig of his drink, his eyes slightly glazed. "Some things—you can't get involved in them. Once you do, you can't get rid of them. Back in those years, Brother Hua specialized in shady dealings—you know what 'smuggling' is, right? Not those cheap stuff on the No. 4, but 'big stuff'!"

He lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously: "We transported huge things from the north—enough to feed us for a lifetime! But—" He shuddered, his voice dropping even lower, and he glanced around instinctively: "It was scalding hot! Absolutely fucking scalding hot! Do you know what we were transporting back then? Damn, it'll scare you to death if I told you—"

"What is it?" Chen Yongren held his breath, leaned forward slightly, and made a listening gesture.

Ah Hui opened his mouth, as if the effects of the alcohol and his remaining rationality were locked in a fierce battle. His eyes struggled for a moment, but in the end, he didn't say anything. He just waved his hand forcefully: "I can't say—I really can't say. Anyway—it's not something we can touch. Later, there was a time when something almost happened, so I told Brother Hua that I quit and it would be safer to come back and drive."

He grabbed the bottle and took another big gulp, as if trying to suppress some terrible memories with the alcohol: "This time—it seems like it's happening again, and an even bigger one! Five hundred million dollars—my God—"

Chen Yongren's heart pounded: "It's—one of those big ones? The stuff—has it arrived?"

Ah Hui, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, looked at him, chuckled twice, and pointed a finger at Chen Yongren in a vague manner: "You—you little rascal, you're smart. You've arrived—you must have arrived. Otherwise, why would those big-nosed people from North America be so eager to come here? Ten days later—hehe, there'll be a good show in ten days."

"Ten days later?" Chen Yongren pressed. "The transaction will take place in Hong Kong? That would require a huge operation; wouldn't the police be watching?"

"Police?" Ah Hui scoffed, his face full of disdain: "What do cops know! You picked a brilliant location—guess where?"

'

Chen Yongren shook his head, looking completely bewildered: "How could I possibly guess?"

"Cops—the cops would never dream of this!" He let out a loud hiccup, chuckling foolishly, "—right under our noses, the safest place is the most dangerous place, and vice versa—the most bustling place is where no one would expect it!"

Chen Yongren's heart pounded like a drum, but he maintained a perfectly measured look of confusion: "The liveliest place? Could it be..."

Is it...the downtown area? How is that possible? That thing is huge—

"Who said the big ones are only being transported now?" Ahui waved his hand drunkenly, mysteriously holding up a finger: "Break it down into smaller parts—understand? Take it apart, split it up, use other names—it's already in there! When the time comes, we'll find a place to put it all together, and that'll be it!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he were the mastermind behind everything: "Ten days from now, at 8 PM sharp, Hong Kong International Expo Centre, you know? That one that was just built not long ago, and is touted as the largest exhibition center in Asia!"

Chen Yongren's pupils contracted slightly. Hong Kong International Expo Centre? It was indeed the most eye-catching new landmark recently, frequently hosting large-scale international exhibitions, conferences and events. It was crowded with people and had a high level of security. However, at the same time, because of the numerous events and the complex flow of people and vehicles, it was easy for unscrupulous people to get mixed up with it.

"An exhibition hall? You can trade there?" Chen Yongren feigned disbelief, "There are cameras everywhere, and security guards too—"

"Fool!" Ah Fai laughed smugly, "It's precisely because there are so many people around that it's safe! Next Saturday night, in the largest central exhibition hall of the Expo, there will be a charity preview of rare artworks from around the world, inviting celebrities and tycoons from all over Hong Kong and even Asia, as well as many foreign diplomats and media! The scene is incredibly grand! Boss Song and Mr. Xiao, along with those buyers from North America, will all receive formal invitations and can enter openly and legitimately!"

"The preview will continue until 10 p.m. But around 9:30 p.m., there will be a small, private expert appreciation session in the 'Ancient East Asian Civilizations' section of the central exhibition hall." This session is ostensibly for a few top cultural relics experts and a small number of VIPs.

"Appreciate a few special exhibits." Actually—hehe, that's where the transaction takes place. The goods are mixed in with those special exhibits! They're packed in several specially made large boxes disguised as ordinary artifact transport boxes, already stored in the museum's underground special storage area under the guise of "preview materials." Once the appreciation event begins, the money and goods will be settled, and then, after the preview ends...

The chaos could lead to the goods being moved away unnoticed, or—the handover could be completed right there, leaving the buyer to handle the aftermath.

After Ahui finished speaking, Si Ping, having exhausted all his strength and courage, slumped into the greasy plastic chair, his eyes unfocused, muttering unconsciously, "Wonderful—fuck wonderful—who would have thought—right here at the International Expo Center—the charity preview—right under our noses—"

Chen Yongren felt his blood was about to freeze, and then it suddenly boiled again.

How audacious and outrageous! They actually thought of using large-scale public events as cover to hide illegal transactions in the most formal setting in broad daylight.

No wonder Richard called Song Zhaowen a madman. He's more than just a madman; he's downright audacious.

"Brother Hui, come on, have another drink."

Ah Hui, in a daze, raised his glass, clinked it with his, and then drank it all in one gulp, collapsing completely onto the table, unconscious.

"Brother Hui? Brother Hui!"

Chen Yongren nudged Ah Hui a few times, but Ah Hui was fast asleep. Chen Yongren took out a few banknotes and put them on the table. He looked around for a moment, then went into a nearby phone booth.

Unbeknownst to him, Ah Hui, who appeared to be completely drunk, slightly raised his head, a smile playing on his lips, and watched as Chen Yongren finished his phone call before burying his head back down, feigning drunkenness.