Hong Kong Film: Short mules have no future, I am in charge of Hong Kong

Chapter 353 Regarding the goods, I've got it figured out!

"Master Su, are we really going to Blackstone Village?" Ahua asked in a low voice, his fan clenched in his hand, soaked with sweat. "I heard that even the thugs at the docks don't dare to go there."

"Don't dare to go?" Su Hanze sneered, exhaling a puff of smoke. "If James's men dare to go, then we have to go. Old Liang is still in their hands. If we don't rescue him, we won't be able to investigate what happened next."

Ahua swallowed hard, his eyes darting around. "But...but that's James's hideout! There are only two of us, with just a dagger. How are we supposed to fight them?"

“Fight?” Su Hanze narrowed his eyes and tapped Huang Yuzhu with his finger. “Ahua, your brain works better than your knife. No matter how evil Black Stone Village is, someone has to show up. James is well hidden, but we have to find a clue to pull him out.”

Old Huang stood behind the counter, wiping his sweat, and interjected, "Mr. Su, are you really going to Black Stone Village? Let me give you a piece of advice, that place is not clean. A few years ago, a businessman from Hong Kong went there to investigate jade mines, and he disappeared the next day, his body never found."

"A corpse?" Su Hanze turned his head and stared at Lao Huang. "Explain clearly, who's gone?"

Old Huang shuddered and lowered his voice: "The man surnamed Wang is called Wang Defa. He's in the jade business in Hong Kong. I heard he had some business dealings with James, but then somehow he went to Black Stone Village and never came back. People at the docks say he messed with the wrong person."

“Wang Defa…” Su Hanze frowned, his mind racing. James, jade, opium, Black Stone Village… these clues were like scattered beads, impossible to string together, yet each one seemed strange. Just as he was about to ask again, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps came from outside the teahouse, like a group of people approaching.

"Master Su, someone's here!" Ahua jumped in fright and rushed to the window to look outside. Su Hanze waved for him to be quiet, then quietly walked to the door and pressed his ear against the crack. The people outside stopped and began to speak in hushed tones, their voices indistinct, but they mentioned "Su Hanze" and "goods."

"Mr. Su?" A rough, hoarse voice rang out, with a hint of Chaozhou accent. "I know you're inside. Come out and let's talk!"

Su Hanze squinted, recognizing that the voice was neither Ah Xiong's nor Smith's. He whispered to Ah Hua, "Hide the sack and don't make a sound." Then he pushed open the door, stood in the doorway, lit a cigarette, and said calmly, "Who is it? State your name."

Five or six men stood at the alley entrance. The leader, wearing a gray short-sleeved shirt, had a scar on his face and a fierce look in his eyes. He grinned, revealing half a set of yellow teeth: "Su Hanze? I've heard so much about you. My name is Scarface Qiang, one of Boss Chen's men."

"Boss Chen?" Su Hanze sneered, exhaling a puff of smoke. "I just chased Ah Xiong away, and now you're coming to die again?"

"Going to your death?" Scarface laughed, a machete gleaming coldly under the streetlight. "Su Hanze, don't be so arrogant. Boss Chen said that if you keep interfering with the goods, you can forget about keeping your territory in Hong Kong."

"Goods?" Su Hanze narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the men behind Scarface Qiang, all of whom were clutching weapons—sticks, machetes, you name it. "Scarface Qiang, your boss's got some nerve, daring to touch opium?"

"Bullshit!" Scarface Qiang's face flushed red as he brandished his machete. "Su Hanze, stop spouting nonsense! The goods at the docks have nothing to do with us. If you want to investigate, go find Smith, don't cause trouble here!"

“Smith?” Su Hanze sneered, tapping his finger on Huang Yuzhu. “Scarface Qiang, you’re pretty well-connected with foreigners, huh? James’s men robbed your boss’s goods last night, don’t you want to get them back?”

Scarface Qiang was taken aback, his eyes flashing: "You... what do you know?"

"What do you know?" Su Hanze exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone calm. "I know. The Vietnamese were behind what happened at the dock last night. There wasn't just jade in the cargo, there was also opium. Boss Chen was furious after suffering a loss, but he didn't dare to confront James, so he sent you to scare me?"

"You!" Scarface was furious, his face turning green. He raised his machete and charged forward. Su Hanze dodged to the side, a dagger sliding into his hand. With a flash of cold light, Scarface's machete fell to the ground. He clutched his wrist, cursing in pain, "Su Hanze, you fucking wait! This isn't over!"

"Get lost," Su Hanze said coldly. "Go back and tell Boss Chen that if he wants to protect his business, he shouldn't try to play dirty tricks on me."

Scarface gritted his teeth and slunk away with his men. Su Hanze sheathed his dagger and turned back to the teahouse. Old Huang, pale with fright, shrank behind the counter: "Mr. Su, how many people... how many have you offended?"

"What's wrong with him?" Su Hanze sat down and lit a cigarette. "Old Huang, it wasn't me who provoked him, it was James. What else do you know about Blackstone Village?"

Old Huang swallowed hard, hesitated for a long time, and then said in a low voice, "Mr. Su, I really dare not say more. James's men often go to Blackstone Village, to transport goods, hide people, and do all sorts of things. I heard there is an old temple in the village that enshrines some kind of evil god."

"Old Temple?" Su Hanze frowned. "Explain clearly."

"It's...it's just north of the village, in terrible condition, but nobody dares to go in." Old Huang lowered his voice. "The people at the docks said that James hid something there, maybe goods, maybe people. In any case, very few people who went there came out alive."

Su Hanze remained silent, his mind replaying Lao Huang's words. Black Stone Village, the old temple, James, the goods… these clues were like a shadow in the fog, elusive yet drawing ever closer. Just as he was about to ask another question, Ahua crawled out from under the table, his face pale: "Master Su, what about the sack? Taking this pile of opium to Black Stone Village is practically suicide!"

"Looking for death?" Su Hanze sneered. "Ahua, opium is James's lifeline. With it, we have leverage. Hide it well, and we'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."

Ahua gritted his teeth, nodded, and stuffed the sack under the counter. Su Hanze stood up and patted Lao Huang on the shoulder: "Lao Huang, close the teahouse for a few days. Don't let anyone know we were here."

Old Huang nodded tremblingly: "Mr. Su, please be careful. James's men are ruthless."

Su Hanze didn't say anything more and led Ahua out of the teahouse. The night wind blew by, carrying the smell of the sea, and the intermittent sound of ship horns from the dock seemed to remind him that the situation in Saigon was becoming increasingly dangerous.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Su Hanze and Ahua had already left Saigon and were heading north along the mountain road. Black Stone Village was thirty li outside Saigon; the road was difficult to traverse, full of mud and gravel. Ahua, carrying a sack, was sweating profusely and muttered, "Uncle Su, is there really a village in this godforsaken place?"

“Yes.” Su Hanze walked ahead, his gaze sweeping over the dense forest on both sides. “James must have his reasons for choosing this place.”

The two walked for more than two hours. The sun was high in the sky, and the mountain path grew narrower and narrower until a dilapidated village appeared ahead. Black Stone Village lived up to its name; several large, dark stones were piled up at the entrance, like ghostly gatekeepers. The village was eerily quiet; no one was around, except for a few stray dogs wandering the alleys.

“Master Su, this place…” Ahua swallowed hard, “Why is it so creepy?”

"Scary?" Su Hanze sneered, touching the dagger at his waist. "Humans are scarier than ghosts. Let's go find the old temple."

The two bypassed the village entrance and walked north along the path. Most of the houses in the village were dilapidated, with rusty locks on the wooden doors and dark windows, as if no one had ever lived there. The old temple stood alone at the far end of the village, on a barren piece of land, its walls peeling and half of its roof missing. A stone statue stood at the entrance, its face blurred, as if it had been blown by the wind for a hundred years.

"Is this it?" Ahua stared at the stone statue, his voice trembling. "Master Su, this thing doesn't look like anything good." "Stop talking nonsense." Su Hanze pushed open the temple door, the wooden door creaking open, dust rushing in. The temple was empty, with only an offering table on it, a few half-burnt incense sticks, and the air was filled with the smell of mildew and a faint tobacco scent.

"Tobacco?" Su Hanze frowned, squatted down, picked up a cigarette butt from the ground, and squeezed it. "Foreign cigarette, the one Smith smokes."

"Smith has been here?" Ahua's eyes widened. "Master Su, is this really James's hideout?"

"Most likely." Su Hanze stood up, his gaze sweeping across the temple. Behind the offering table was a hidden door, half-open, revealing a narrow staircase leading underground. He gestured for Ahua to follow, drew his dagger, and slowly descended.

The stairs were steep and slippery, and it was pitch black below. Faint sounds could be heard coming from below, low and deep, like voices. Su Hanze held his breath and walked down the wall. At the bottom was a cellar, lit by an oil lamp, its light dim and yellow. Several wooden crates were piled up in the cellar, and two men dressed in black stood beside them, talking in hushed tones.

"Did the goods arrive last night?" a man asked, his voice carrying a Vietnamese accent.

“It’s here,” another replied, speaking with a Chaozhou accent. “Smith said that this batch of opium should be stored here for now, and then transported later when things have calmed down.”

“Opium…” the Vietnamese man muttered under his breath, “There’s a huge commotion with Boss Chen. What did James say?”

"James?" the Chaozhou man sneered. "He doesn't care about any of that. Smith said that if that Su guy investigates again, he'll be killed without mercy."

Su Hanze, hiding in the shadows, heard every word. He whispered to Ahua, "Remember, James won't show his face; Smith is his mouthpiece. The goods are here, and Lao Liang is probably here too."

Ahua nodded, sweat pouring down his face: "Master Su, what do we do? It's just the two of us, are we going to just rob it?"

"Rob?" Su Hanze sneered. "Find someone first." He pointed to a corner of the cellar where there was an iron door, locked tightly. He crouched down and crept over, pressing his ear against the door. He could vaguely hear panting inside, as if someone was there.

"Old Liang?" Su Hanze called softly, knocking on the door.

A muffled groan came from inside, followed by Old Liang's hoarse voice: "Master Su...?"

"Don't make a sound!" Su Hanze whispered, drawing his dagger and picking the lock. The door opened, and Old Liang was huddled in the corner, his face bruised and bloodied. When he saw Su Hanze, his eyes lit up: "Master Su, what brings you here?"

"I'll save you." Su Hanze helped him up and whispered, "Can you walk?"

"I...I can walk." Old Liang gritted his teeth, leaning against the wall to stand up. "Master Su, this place is James's hideout, all the goods are here!"

"I know." Su Hanze's gaze swept over the cellar; the two men were still talking and hadn't noticed them. He whispered to Ahua, "Take Lao Liang out; I'll cover your retreat."

"Master Su!" Ahua exclaimed anxiously, "Are you alone?"

"Hurry up!" Su Hanze glared at him and pushed him and Lao Liang toward the stairs. They had only climbed a few steps when the Vietnamese man in the cellar suddenly turned around and shouted, "Who's there?"

Su Hanze cursed, the dagger sliding into his hand as he turned to face the attacker. The Vietnamese man drew his short knife, while the Chaozhou man pulled out a gun, pointing it directly at Su Hanze. A shot rang out, the bullet grazing Su Hanze's shoulder and hitting the wall, sending sparks flying. He dodged to the side, his dagger flashing, striking the Chaozhou man's wrist, and the gun fell to the ground.

"Damn it!" the Vietnamese man cursed, brandishing his knife and charging forward. Su Hanze ducked, grabbed the man's wrist, twisted it, and the knife fell to the ground, the man also slamming to the ground. Just as he was about to kick him, the sound of a car came from outside, followed by Smith's voice: "Su Hanze, I know you're in there!"

Su Hanze was taken aback and looked up. Smith stood at the cellar entrance, leaning on his cane, followed by four or five men in black, each carrying a gun. He took off his sunglasses, his blue eyes gleaming in the oil lamplight: "Mr. Su, you've got some nerve."

“Mr. Shi,” Su Hanze sneered, twirling the dagger in his hand, “you arrived quite quickly.”

"Quickly?" Smith chuckled and tapped his cane. "Mr. Su, you've gone too far. James said you shouldn't get involved with the goods."

“James,” Su Hanze narrowed his eyes, “Mr. Shi, who exactly is he? Hiding his face and keeping a low profile, what kind of skill is that?”

"Skills?" Smith laughed. "Mr. Su, you're not qualified to know who James is. But I can tell you, you can't take this shipment with you."

"Can't take it with you?" Su Hanze sneered, his gaze sweeping over the wooden crates in the cellar. "Mr. Shi, James has a very wide reach in the opium business. Was the Vietnamese robbery his doing too?"

Smith's face darkened as he stared at Su Hanze: "Mr. Su, you know too much. Leave the goods, you can go."

"A man?" Su Hanze sneered. "Old Liang is my man. You arrested him, and you expect me to leave empty-handed?"

“Old Liang?” Smith smiled and waved his hand. “He’s just a gofer. Mr. Su, if you know what’s good for you, you can still keep your business in Hong Kong.”

"Keep it?" Su Hanze spat. "Mr. Shi, don't try to scare me with James. I've got my eye on the goods."

Smith sneered, swung his cane, and the men behind him raised their guns. Su Hanze narrowed his eyes, gripped his dagger tighter, and was about to make his move when a gunshot suddenly rang out from outside the cellar, followed by Ahua's shout: "Master Su, run!"

Su Hanze was startled and turned to look. Ahua and Lao Liang were standing at the temple gate, followed by a group of people. The leader was none other than Scarface Qiang, who was carrying a machete and cursing, "Su Hanze, you fucking can't get away!"

"Boss Chen's men?" Su Hanze frowned, his mind racing. Smith, Scarface Qiang, James... these people were like beads strung on a thread, yet tangled up in a chaotic mess. He whispered to Lao Liang, "Can they run?"

"We can escape!" Old Liang gritted his teeth, clutching his stomach as he straightened up. Su Hanze grabbed him and rushed towards the cellar exit. Smith sneered and waved for the men in black to block the way. Gunshots rang out again, bullets grazing Su Hanze's scalp. He ducked and rolled, his dagger flashing, striking one of the men in black in the shoulder.

(End of this chapter)