Hong Kong film: Rise of Prison Break

If Zhang Wenjie hadn't pried the inside story out of Zhen Da Mi, he probably would have believed the honest face in front of him that was full of "loyalty and righteousness".

"Big Boss B"—this nickname, like his sincere expression at that moment, was full of irony.

"Big B, you're really something else."

Zhang Wenjie flicked the cigarette butt from between his fingers; the sparks traced a brief arc in the air before extinguishing on the greasy ground.

He raised his hand and lightly patted Boss B's left cheek with the back of his hand, the gesture carrying an insulting intimacy.

"Eated too much garlic? Such a big mouth. Calling him 'Mr. Jiang' this way and 'Mr. Jiang' that, are you the Jiang family's watchdog?"

Boss B's facial muscles tensed instantly, and anger flashed in his eyes, but he stubbornly suppressed it and didn't move.

The henchmen around him were itching to make a move, but were stopped by a subtle look from Boss B.

"Back then, his father was Jiang Zhen," Zhang Wenjie (with a large face) suddenly raised his voice, carrying years of pent-up resentment, which was particularly jarring in the quiet night market.

"He patted his chest and told me I'd only be in there for a few years, and he'd guarantee me a fortune when I came out! And what happened? The moment I stepped into Stanley, that old devil Chiang Chen got riddled with bullets!"

He gradually increased the force with which he slapped Boss B's cheek, the soft "slap, slap" sounds resonating in everyone's hearts.

"How many decades does one have in a lifetime? Huh? Jiang Zhen is living a carefree and womanizing life, why should I, his father, have to pay the price for him in Stanley!"

He suddenly leaned in, almost touching Boss B's ear, but his voice was loud enough for everyone around to hear.

"The Chiang family owes me, and they must repay it. The elders are dead, so the younger ones must pay! It's only right that the sons pay for the debts of their fathers!"

Boss B's face was ashen, and the veins on his forehead throbbed slightly, but he still managed to hold back his outburst.

He could feel the gazes directed at him by his subordinates and onlookers.

"You don't even have a mobile phone, what kind of gang leader are you?" Zhang Wenjie took a half step back, reverting to his usual arrogant tone, as if his earlier excitement was just an act.

"Let's catch up today. When we get back, tell the current leader of Hung Hing that his father owes me a total of five million, including the money I wasted my youth in Stanley. Not a penny less!"

"Five million?" Boss B seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. His suppressed anger and tension were somewhat diluted by the sense of absurdity.

"Big Mimi, have you lost your mind from squatting in Stanley? Five million? Do you think it's like buying cabbage at the market?"

He took out his wallet, pulled out two stacks of HK$1,000 notes, and weighed them in his hand.

"I only have 20,000 dollars on me. If you need money urgently for your escape, take it. Consider it my sentimental gesture."

His tone carried a hint of charity and a subtle, almost imperceptible probing.

If Da Mi is truly desperate and bluffing, she will most likely accept this "charity," and then things will be much easier.

Zhang Wenjie stared at the two stacks of banknotes, then glanced at Boss B's feigned magnanimity, and suddenly grinned, but there was no warmth in his smile.

"The Hung Hing family is so powerful, how could they not come up with five million? I'm waiting for the money to run away, my patience is limited."

He grabbed the 20,000 yuan and stuffed it into his pocket, the movement as natural as if he were taking back his own belongings.

"Out of consideration for our fellow disciples, let me offer this polite reminder: if the money isn't right, or if someone dares to call the police on 'explosive skewers'... don't blame me for not showing any mercy."

He paused, took a step closer, lowered his voice, and said in a volume only the two of them could hear, "Consider this 20,000 as interest. That thing you did to me back then... we're even for now."

After saying that, he patted Boss B on the shoulder, turned around, swaggered out of the crowd, and walked towards the exit of the seafood street, his figure quickly disappearing into the darkness where the neon lights couldn't reach.

Standing there, the boss on Bilibili stared at the direction where "Big Mimi" had disappeared. The feigned anger on his face slowly faded, replaced by an expression that mixed with mockery and contemplation. He touched the cheek that had just been slapped.

"Boss, are we just going to let him go like this?" Chicken asked, helping Chan Ho-nam, who was struggling to his feet, his voice filled with resentment. The other henchmen also gathered around, their eyes filled with doubt.

Boss B turned around, his face now bearing his usual smile, tinged with a touch of江湖豪气 (a kind of chivalrous,江湖-like spirit).

"One should be more magnanimous. After all, we were once brothers in the same sect. There's no reason to cause internal strife and make ourselves a laughingstock for other sects."

He waved his hand, speaking in a relaxed tone, then seemed to suddenly remember something and casually gave an order to the pheasant.

"By the way, I think I just heard someone mention 'prison break'? As law-abiding citizens, we have a duty to assist the police in maintaining public order. Make a call to the police station and tell them there seems to be a suspected escaped convict loitering around Temple Street, and ask the officers to keep an eye out."

Chicken was taken aback for a moment, then immediately understood and nodded emphatically: "Understood, boss!" He turned around and went to make a phone call.

Boss B then walked up to Chan Ho-nam, looking at the pale-faced but still upright young man, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. "Ho-nam, can you hold on?"

Chan Ho-nam gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead, but he forced a smile: "It's nothing, Brother B. It's a piece of cake."

"Good! I didn't misjudge you!" Boss B patted his uninjured shoulder. "Go back and rest for a couple of days. The medical expenses will all be covered by the company."

He was adept at using the organization's public funds to do favors for his own people.

More importantly, what "Da Mi" had just said about the Jiang family father and son had stuck in his heart like a thorn, and he needed to think about it carefully.

Leaving the noisy lights of the seafood street, Zhang Wenjie quickened his pace and darted into a dark alley filled with debris and overflowing with sewage.

There was almost no light deep in the alley, only a faint reflection from the streetlights in the distance.

He leaned against the cold brick wall, hidden in the heavy shadows, like melting ink.

My breathing was steady, but my ears picked up every subtle sound coming from the alleyway—the lingering echoes of a food stall in the distance, the occasional footsteps, and the passing vehicles.

After waiting for about ten minutes and confirming that no one was following him and no sirens were approaching, it seemed that either Boss B hadn't called the police or the police weren't responding quickly enough. He then slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

With a slight thought, a strange, subtle twitching sensation came from the facial muscles, as if the bones beneath the skin were adjusting themselves.

The fleshy muscles rolled and contracted, and the hideous scar disappeared as if erased by an eraser, and the rough texture of the skin became smooth.

In a few breaths, "Big Mimi's" fierce face melted away like a faded mask, revealing Zhang Wenjie's original handsome yet cold and hard features.

He took off his cheap coat and turned it inside out.

The original gray exterior was replaced by an inconspicuous dark blue lining.

He then pulled a folded gray baseball cap from his pocket, unfolded it, and put it on, pulling the brim down to cover the upper half of his face.

In an instant, he went from an arrogant, washed-up gangster to a hurried, inconspicuous night owl.

The figure disappeared into the deeper network of alleyways, like a drop of water merging into the sea of ​​night.