Hong Kong film: Rise of Prison Break

Using the super-climbing ability granted by "moral points," much like Spider-Man, Zhang Wenjie stealthily infiltrated the villa like a gecko, cleverly embedding another, more sophisticated miniature surveillance device behind the decorative picture frame in Liu Yaozu's study, where he most often spent time.

After completing all this, he swooped up to the top floor like a night owl and, hidden in the bracket of the huge television signal receiving dish, connected a small electronic device with signal forwarding and special receiving functions.

Then, just as they had come, they vanished silently into the deepest darkness before dawn, returning to the suffocating Regent Hotel room 125.

On his way back, he bumped into the hotel owner, a burly woman with a thick beard and a face that resembled "Ru Hua," at the narrow stairwell.

The other person was still sleepy-eyed and seemed about to open their mouth to ask something.

Before she could speak, Zhang Wenjie slightly lifted the hem of his jacket, revealing the cold grip of the Black Star pistol tucked into his waistband, and handed her several thousand-yuan bills.

The proprietress immediately shut her mouth, took the money, forced a chillingly "kind" smile, and stepped aside to let him pass, and the world returned to "peace".

The next morning, the sky was overcast.

Zhang Wenjie got up and splashed his face with cold water in the cramped bathroom to dispel the last bit of weariness.

He opened the device he had brought from the hideout: a heavy, old-looking laptop with a military green finish.

This was some kind of obsolete military equipment, which is why he was able to become acquainted with "Tam Kin-man," who specialized in dealing in electronic waste and spy equipment in Apliu Street.

When I turned on the machine, the old hard drive made a buzzing noise and the screen flickered. It took a full ten minutes before I finally entered the rudimentary DOS interface.

He launched an inconspicuous program on his desktop and entered a complex password that was thirty-two characters long.

A moment later, two small windows popped up on the screen.

The left window shows Liu Yaozu's luxuriously decorated study, which is now empty. The morning light shines through the gaps in the heavy curtains, casting a thin beam of light on the carpet.

The window to the right opens to the living room of Qian Wendi's safe house in the tenement building. The low cabinet stands quietly in the corner, showing no signs of anything amiss.

Zhang Wenjie put a cigarette in his mouth, but didn't light it, and got up to walk to the corner of the room.

He reached out and turned on the old television. After a burst of static and flickering images, he fiddled with the two rusty telescopic antennas on top of the television, and the blurry picture gradually became clear.

Turning the greasy tuning knob on the side of the TV, click, click... after switching seven or eight channels, it finally stopped at TVB's morning news.

A poised female anchor appears on the screen, with a news studio as the background.

"...The following is a special news item. Last night, a premeditated prison break occurred at Stanley Prison. Several inmates attempted to break through security using homemade tools during their exercise time, but were caught in the act by the head of the Stanley Prison Security Department."

"During the conflict, apart from the two ringleaders who escaped, the other prisoners who participated in the escape were subdued by correctional officers who arrived in time."

"The incident resulted in the head of the security department sustaining serious injuries. He passed away early this morning after receiving emergency treatment..."

The female anchor's voice was steady and clear, carrying an official and somber tone.

"The following is information about the fugitive. Police urge members of the public to contact them immediately if they have any information and not to approach the fugitive on their own. Contact information..."

As the anchor spoke, two wanted poster photos appeared on the screen.

One of them is of Qian Wendi, with a hooked nose, sharp eyes, and a touch of the slickness typical of a con artist.

The other picture shows a bald, burly man with a fierce look in his eyes, who is none other than "Big Mimi," a notorious ruthless character in Stanley.

Zhang Wenjie watched quietly, his eyes deep, a faint, cold smile playing on his lips.

"Beep beep... Beep beep..."

He picked up the handset of the portable telephone located below the television set; the handset cord was stained with some unknown dirt.

With his other hand, he quickly pressed several numbers on the keypad.

The call was answered quickly, and the other party did not speak, only made a soft breathing sound.

Zhang Wenjie spoke into the microphone, his voice calm and even, uttering only four simple words: "Proceed according to plan."

After saying that, he hung up the phone without waiting for a response from the other party.

He walked back to the old military laptop, tapped a few times on the keyboard, and started a pre-set program.

At almost the same time, in Villa No. 4, Xiafei Road, Liu Yaozu, wearing a silk bathrobe, was holding half a cup of hot milk and standing in front of the huge rear-projection TV in the living room, staring intently at the morning news.

When he heard that "the head of the security department was seriously injured and in critical condition" and that the perpetrator was identified as the escaped convict Qian Wendi, his brow twitched slightly, then relaxed, and a hint of satisfaction and ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

Just then—

"Ring ring ring... Ring ring ring..."

The gold landline on the antique coffee table beside him suddenly rang, the ringing sound particularly jarring in the empty villa in the early morning.

Liu Yaozu glanced at Qian Wendi's wanted poster on the TV screen, calmly put down his milk glass, picked up the microphone, and said in his usual deliberately gentle tone, "This is Liu Yaozu. May I ask who this is?"

"Brother Zu! It's me, Jin Tianqi!"

On the other end of the phone came Jin Tianqi's obviously flustered and even slightly breathless voice, and there seemed to be a woman's complaints in the background.

"Did you see the news?! That bastard Qian Wendi! He escaped from prison! He must know something, he'll definitely come after me for revenge!"

Jin Tianqi pushed away Lili, who was grumbling about being woken up, and didn't even bother to get dressed properly. His palms were sweaty as he held the phone.

"Hmm," Liu Yaozu said in a flat tone, as if he were listening to something trivial, "I understand."

He paused, took a puff of his cigar, and slowly exhaled the smoke. His voice, coming through the microphone, carried an undeniable coldness and pressure.

"I don't need to tell you what to do, do I? Clean things up. Robinson's copy is very likely in his hands now, or he knows where it is. I want results."

"Understood! Brother Zu, I will definitely..." Jin Tianqi wanted to express his loyalty.

But Liu Yaozu had already hung up the phone with a "click," leaving only a busy tone.

He walked back to the sofa, picked up the expensive cigar again, and slowly took a puff. In the swirling smoke, his face appeared blurry and sinister.

Robinson Crusoe was "killed" by Wendy Qian? Great! Now only Wendy Qian knows where that old devil hid his things.

What a cunning old fox, even in his dying moments he still managed to pull this trick.

What a pity, Wendi Qian, what good is it that you escaped?

It was just a different place to die, and it conveniently helped me solve my last bit of trouble.

A smug, confident smile crept across Liu Yaozu's lips.