Hong Kong variety show: Starting from Cold War 1994

Chapter 87 Zhang Shih-hao: The Advantage Lies With Me (Please Subscribe)

Tseung Kwan O, an abandoned shipyard by the sea.

The sea breeze whistled through the broken tin walls of the shed.

Ye Rongheng huddled on a pile of old tires.

This young master Heng's eyes were covered with a black cloth, his ears were stuffed with soundproofing cotton, his mouth was sealed with duct tape, and his limbs were firmly bound.

He had no idea where he was, or even whether it was day or night.

Since he was pulled onto that van, he felt as if he had been moved at least seven or eight times.

Even though the kidnappers were "gentle" towards him, they didn't really punch or kick him except when they first subdued him.

They even "enthusiastically" fed him food and water, and when he needed to go to the toilet, someone "accompanied" him the whole time.

But throughout it all, he was neither able to see nor hear.

Aside from the two previous times when the cotton balls in my ears were briefly removed, allowing me to hear my dad's voice.

Ye Rongheng has lived a life of luxury since childhood; he has never suffered such hardship.

At this moment, all he wanted was for his father to rescue him. He was willing to accept any consequences, even if it meant he had to seriously learn how to do business in the future.

Next door to the shack where Ye Rongheng was imprisoned was a better-decorated reinforced concrete stone house.

In the center of the stone house, on a broken wooden table, lay a map of Hong Kong Island, along with a dozen or so mobile phones and walkie-talkies of different models.

There were also leftover lunch boxes and mineral water bottles, and several ashtrays piled high with cigarette butts.

As for beer bottles?

Sorry, but during the work, Brother Hao strictly forbids everyone from coming into contact with alcohol.

"Yang Jiguang, is Young Master Ye still behaving well?"

"She's very well-behaved and doesn't dare to move around."

"OK, look at him, this is a treasure worth 800 million."

"I don't need you to teach me how to do things!"

Zhang Shih-hao turned off the walkie-talkie, shook his head with a smile, and lit a cigarette.

"Brother Hao," He Jishu hung up the phone at almost the same time.

"Ah Xun reported back from the Queen's Statue Square that the Ye family's truck has arrived and is circling around as we instructed."

"Ah Xun has checked carefully. There is only Ye Xiaoli and a driver in the car. There are no signs of a large-scale police operation around the area."

"So, should we call Ye Xiaoli again and tell him the real location of the transaction?"

Zhang Shih-hao did not answer immediately, but slowly picked up a shotgun from the wooden box next to him and carefully examined it.

After a dozen seconds, he finally spoke: "There's no rush. Let Ye Xiaoli wait a little longer."

He turned to a muscular man lifting dumbbells: "Ah Hao, what about you over there?"

Hao, the one in charge of the fight, immediately replied, "Brother Hao, Dafei is all set. The gas tank is full, and we're ready to go anytime. Two brothers are keeping watch in the shadows at the dock, and they haven't spotted any unfamiliar faces."

Zhang Shih-hao nodded, gently placed the shotgun on the table, walked to the window, and looked outside.

Outside, the night was deep and the distant lights of fishing boats were scattered. The sound of the waves seemed a little louder than before.

"The east wind is rising; it seems even the heavens are on our side."

Zhang Shih-hao moved from mainland China to Hong Kong Island when he was young. He worked as a tailor's apprentice and was once toyed with by a rich girl who was his "white moonlight" (a term of endearment for a woman who is also his love interest).

Then he realized that in Hong Kong Island's distorted society, which devours people without spitting out the bones, only by becoming the richest and most wicked could one avoid being bullied.

He had been involved in gangs and even "started his own business," establishing the so-called Hesheng Gang.

While other triads primarily deal with gambling, prostitution, and drugs, Brother Hao has taken a different approach—robbing gold shops!

Next came the robbery of the gold and silver armored trucks, and finally, the robbery of US dollars.

From a penniless tailor to a billionaire, he feels he has always had a lucky life.

At this moment, he shamelessly compared himself to Grand Commander Zhou, but his wife, Guo Jinfeng, who understood, looked slightly worried.

She walked to Zhang Shih-hao's side, took his arm, and whispered, "Brother Hao, I'm still a little panicked. Eight hundred million! Did Ye Hsiao-li really just admit it? Could it be that he—has already secretly called the police?"

Looking at his wife's worried expression, Zhang Shih-hao suddenly grinned.

"Ah Feng, have you forgotten how I got out of that US dollar robbery?"

Zhang Shih-hao exhaled a smoke ring and said leisurely, "That time, the evidence was irrefutable, and the court sentenced me to eighteen years."

"And the result? My dear wife, you actually hired the most expensive lawyer in Hong Kong for me, found loopholes in their evidence-gathering procedures, appealed, and overturned the verdict!"

"I served three years in prison, and then I just swaggered out of the courtroom, arms outstretched, letting reporters take pictures."

"Ah Feng, do you remember the faces of those cops outside the courtroom back then? Hahaha, they looked even worse than when Old Dou died."

Zhang Shih-hao couldn't help but burst into laughter when he recalled happy memories.

Guo Jinfeng recalled that memory and chuckled softly, "That lawyer was indeed formidable, but Brother Hao, this time—"

Zhang Shih-hao waved his hand and said arrogantly, "No, not at all! Hong Kong is a place where the law prevails. What is the law? It's a game for the rich and smart. That old fox Yeh Hau-lai understands this better than anyone else."

"Call the police to arrest me? Do you think they'll succeed? Even if we assume, hypothetically, that bastard Zhou Junming who betrayed his friend really did have a brain fart and sold me out, so what?"

He walked back to the table and stubbed out his cigarette: "What does that loser know? Our identities, our voices, or our hideout?"

"He knows nothing. This loser's only use was providing Ye Rongheng's exact whereabouts that day. Once that's done, he's useless. Even if Ye Xiaoli knows he betrayed Ye Rongheng and calls the police, hoping to find me through him? Dream on!"

He Jishu, Ahao, and the others laughed upon hearing this.

Without a doubt, Zhang Shih-hao was full of confidence at this moment.

He believed his plan was flawless and that he had a deep understanding of human nature.

They also believe that even if there is a "what if," he will find a way to escape legal punishment, just like last time.

After all, there's no death penalty in Hong Kong. He can just pay to appeal; he has plenty of money to play along with the police.

"Ah Hao, aren't you curious why I've been insisting that you make Ye Rongheng blind and deaf?"

"Yeah, Brother Hao, I don't understand."

Ah Hao scratched his head and put down the dumbbells.

"I'll tell you now."

Zhang Shih-hao's eyes gleamed as he continued, "This time, I don't just want money; I want to build a brand. I want all the rich guys in Hong Kong to remember that as long as I, Zhang Shih-hao, am in charge..."

Seeing that Ahao still didn't understand, Guo Jinfeng added, "We can only let Roucan go with peace of mind because he knows nothing about us."

"Oh! I see, Brother Hao is brilliant!"

Ah Hao suddenly realized.

Zhang Shih-hao swung his arm sharply, delivering a final summary: "As long as Ye Rongheng's deal goes smoothly, it'll be much easier for us to do business in the future. Those wealthy guys will be scrambling to pay us to save their lives—that's what long-term business is all about!"

His fallacious and heretical arguments won him a standing ovation.

He Jishu patted Ah Hao's broad shoulder and added, "Brother Hao is a master strategist. Even if Old Ye really calls the police, the cops will be misled by our first phone call from the bread truck. They'll think our hiding place is in Kwun Tong. Hahaha, let them take their time to find us."

Upon hearing He Jishu's words, Zhang Shihao revealed a sinister smile.

He lit another cigarette and took a deep drag: "Ah Shu is right."

Zhang Shih-hao pointed to the Kwun Tong area on the map: "I had Yang Ji-guang and a few others wander around Kwun Tong aimlessly, inquiring about the warehouses—"

"Then, during the first phone call, I had Ah-you drive that precious young master Heng around here, just to mislead any potential police officers."

"If Lao Ye had really called the police, they would probably still be wandering around like headless flies right now."

He paused, then pointed to the central area of ​​Central on the map, and continued, "Making them circle around Statue Square is just the first step. We'll wear them down, exhaust their energy, and see just how obedient Ye Xiaoli really is, and whether there are any police officers following him."

"Brother Hao, what's our next step?" Hao asked.

Zhang Shih-hao took a drag of his cigarette: "Ye Hsiao-li must be anxious and scared right now. That driver is probably not an ordinary person either; he might be a bodyguard, or even a policeman in disguise. We need to get them moving, running, running until they're dizzy and disoriented, until they have no time or energy to set up any traps."

He picked up a pen and drew several circles and arrows on the map: "Ayou, call him a second time around 7:30."

"How so?"

"Tell him that Statue Square is too crowded and unsafe. Have him drive to the open-air parking lot at the Star Ferry Pier in Tsim Sha Tsui immediately. Once there, park in the row closest to the water, turn off the engine, and wait for a call. Remember, you only have thirty minutes. If you're even one minute late, you'll be collecting his body."

Ho Kei-shu's eyes lit up: "Brother Hao, are we going to have them running all over Hong Kong?"

"Yes, run from Central on Hong Kong Island to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon and let them cross the harbor. When they're almost at Tsim Sha Tsui—"

He pointed heavily at a spot on Laundry Street in Mong Kok with the tip of his pen: "The other phone, the third call, tell him to immediately drive to the intersection of Laundry Street and Argyle Street in Mong Kok, to the small road next to the gas station. When he gets there, he should open the car window, wave his hand three times, and someone will meet him. Again, give him a tight schedule, twenty minutes—"

Ah Hao licked his lips, a smug smile spreading across his face. "Wow, Brother Hao, that road is really congested. You're making them drive around in circles in Kowloon like idiots!"

"Let them worry anxiously. When they are most tense, that's when they will relax the most."

The pen in Zhang Shih-hao's hand finally landed in the northwest corner of Tsing Yi Island.

"This is the former site of Cargo Terminal No. 9 on Tsing Yi Island."

"It's been abandoned for almost ten years. The surrounding area is full of abandoned warehouses and storage yards. At night, there's not a soul in sight except for rats. Most importantly, it's close to the sea. Just two turns and you can reach the small bay where our Zang Dafei lives."

He looked up and glanced at his trusted brothers in the room: "After we've completely fooled Yip Hiu-lai, making him travel all over Hong Kong and Kowloon, and then he gets one last call telling him to go to this godforsaken place for the actual handover, how will he feel?"

"I must be exhausted and scared, and just want it to end quickly!" Ah Hao answered eagerly, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement.

"That's right!" Zhang Shih-hao slammed his hand on the table. "He'll only be thinking about seeing his son as soon as possible, so his vigilance will be at its lowest. Besides, in that place, even if the police wanted to set up surveillance in advance, it would be difficult not to give themselves away, because even the slightest movement would be impossible to hide."

"Brother Hao, how do we get the money?"

"Rob!"

Zhang Shih-hao, a cigarette dangling from his lips, raised his shotgun with both hands: "We don't play those cash-on-delivery tricks. Wait until Ye Hsiao-li drives the truck to the dock as I instruct—"

"Then we ordered him by phone that he and the driver must get out of the car and move at least fifty meters away, Ah Hao!"

"Brother Hao, I'm here!" Ah Hao immediately straightened his back.

"Take Yang Jiguang and Ayou with you, drive over there immediately, steal the truck! Drive that truck away! Oh, and don't leave the car you drove over there behind either, drive it away too."

"Understood! Steal the car and run!"

Ah Hao had just nodded when he quickly asked, "Brother Hao, Ye Xiaoli is practically offering himself up, shouldn't we just turn a blind eye?"

Zhang Shih-hao smacked him on the head hard: "Remember what I just said? It's about the brand! If we just kidnap the people who came to pay the ransom, who will trust us anymore?"

"Oh, I understand, Brother Hao, you can continue."

"Remember, our goal is money, not killing. Don't use guns unless absolutely necessary! The less noise we make, the safer we can escape."

Zhang Shih-hao reiterated, then looked at his wife, Guo Jin-feng, and team strategist, He Ji-shu: "Ah-feng, Ah-shu, and I will board the large ship in advance and wait in the nearby waters. After you succeed, drive the truck directly to the temporary berth next to Pier 3, transfer the money onto the ship, then we'll sink the truck and immediately set sail. Ah-you has already planned the route: first, we'll go out to sea, circle around, and then go to Macau."

"Then—when will that brat Ye Rongheng be released?"