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

Chapter 361 Your time is up!
"There are too many people," Xia Xue said softly. "How are we going to get on the boat?"

"Wait," Su Hanze said in a low voice, keeping an eye on the cargo ship. "Liu Kun is busy checking the cargo, so he won't be watching too closely. We'll sneak in after they finish loading."

"Sneak in?" Xia Xue frowned. "The ship is full of people, how are you going to sneak in?"

"Watch this." Su Hanze picked up a worn-out worker's jacket from behind the wooden barrel and threw it to Xia Xue. "Put it on and pretend to be a dockworker."

Xia Xue took the jacket, frowned in disapproval, but put it on anyway. She wrapped her scarf tightly around her face, covering half of it, and followed Su Hanze slowly towards the cargo ship. The dock was in chaos, workers shouting as they moved wooden crates, and no one paid them any attention. Su Hanze found a gap, pulled Xia Xue into the moving team, bent down, picked up a wooden crate, and walked towards the cargo ship's gangway.

"Don't look up," he whispered. "Follow me."

Xia Xue didn't speak, following closely behind him. The two boarded the ship smoothly and went into the cargo hold. The hold was filled with wooden crates, and the air was thick with the smell of opium. Su Hanze put down a crate and gestured for Xia Xue to hide behind a crate in the corner.

“The goods are here,” he said in a low voice, prying open a wooden crate. Inside was a familiar oilcloth package. “The same as the one in the cold storage.”

"What do we do now?" Xia Xue asked, her voice tinged with nervousness.

"Take two bags and hide them well." Su Hanze pulled two oilcloth bags from the box and stuffed them inside his jacket. "Then find a chance to get off the ship."

"Get off the ship?" Xia Xue's eyes widened. "Liu Kun's men are guarding outside. How can we get off?"

“Wait until they set sail,” Su Hanze sneered. “Once the ship sets sail, there will be fewer people on the dock. We’ll go down the rope ladder from the stern.”

Xia Xue was about to say something when a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside. Liu Kun's voice rang out, tinged with anger: "Hurry up! James said this shipment can't be delayed!"

Su Hanze pulled Xia Xue behind a crate, holding his breath. Footsteps grew closer, and Liu Kun pushed open the hatch, followed by two men. He glanced around the cargo hold and cursed, "Damn it, this place stinks! Are you done with the inventory?"

"That's about it," one of his men said. "Fifty boxes, all here."

"Check again!" Liu Kun spat. "James said, if even one packet is missing, my head is in trouble!"

Su Hanze's heart tightened, and he remained pressed against the box, not moving. Xia Xue gripped his arm, her fingers trembling slightly. He patted her hand, signaling her to calm down. Liu Kun circled the cabin, found nothing amiss, and then turned and left.

"Let's go," Su Hanze said in a low voice, pulling Xia Xue out from behind the box and heading towards the rope ladder in the aft cabin. The rope ladder hung at the stern, with the dark seawater below. Su Hanze went down first, tested the strength of the rope, and then turned to Xia Xue, saying, "Hurry!"

Xia Xue gritted her teeth and climbed down the rope ladder. Just as they landed, a shout came from the dock: "Who's there?"

Su Hanze was startled, then pulled Xia Xue into the pile of wooden barrels nearby. The shouts grew closer, mixed with footsteps. He cursed under his breath, pulled out his short knife, and prepared to strike. But Xia Xue suddenly grabbed his hand and whispered, "Don't move, it's Lao Liang."

"Old Liang?" Su Hanze frowned and peered through the crack in the wooden barrel. Sure enough, it was Old Liang, wearing that drab gray long gown, carrying a cloth bag, and sneaking towards the cargo ship.

"What's he doing here?" Xia Xue asked in a low voice.

“I don’t know.” Su Hanze squinted. “But he shouldn’t be here.”

Old Liang walked to the cargo ship and called out a few times towards the gangway, but no one responded. He hesitated for a moment, then climbed onto the ship and disappeared through the hatch. Su Hanze frowned, pulled Xia Xue along, and quietly followed. They climbed back up the rope ladder and hid in the shadows of the aft cabin. Old Liang's voice came from the cargo hold, low and urgent.

"Liu Kun, I've checked the goods, there's no problem," Lao Liang said. "James asked me to double-check."

"Confirm my ass!" Liu Kun cursed. "What the hell are you doing here, a mere accountant?"

“James is worried.” Old Liang pushed up his glasses, his voice calm. “He said this batch of goods is related to Nanling’s business, and there can’t be the slightest mistake.”

"Nanling?" Liu Kun sneered. "You know about Nanling?"

“I don’t know much,” Old Liang said in a low voice, “but James said that the guy surnamed Shen is getting impatient.”

Su Hanze's heart skipped a beat. The surname Shen and the name Nanling had resurfaced. He glanced at Xia Xue and said in a low voice, "Old Liang knows more than he does."

"So what do we do now?" Xia Xue asked.

“Wait for him to come out,” Su Hanze said coldly. “I need to ask him what he’s hiding.”

Old Liang didn't stay in the cargo hold for long before disembarking. Su Hanze and Xia Xue quietly followed behind, watching him walk into a small hut by the dock. Su Hanze gestured for Xia Xue to stay where she was, then crept over along the wall. The hut's door wasn't locked; he gently pushed it open a crack, and Old Liang's voice came from inside, as he was on the phone.

"...The goods are loaded and the ship will set sail first thing tomorrow morning," Lao Liang said in a low voice. "There are no problems with James, but Miss Wen's people are checking the cold storage, which might cause trouble."

Su Hanze frowned. Miss Wen? How did Lao Liang know about Miss Wen? The voice on the other end of the phone was inaudible, but Lao Liang's tone became increasingly urgent.

“I know we can’t delay with Mr. Shen,” Lao Liang said. “But James said we need to stabilize things in Hong Kong first. If Ms. Wen really gets the evidence, things will get complicated.”

Su Hanze's heart sank; Old Liang was indeed up to something. He pushed open the door and went inside. Old Liang was startled, turned around, and saw it was him; his face instantly turned pale.

"Master Su...?" Old Liang stammered, "What are you doing here?"

"I'll ask you the same question." Su Hanze sneered, closed the door, and took out a short knife, weighing it in his hand. "Old Liang, are you telling me you're just a bookkeeper?"

Old Liang pushed up his glasses and forced a smile, "Master Su, you've misunderstood. I... I was just running an errand for James."

"Running errands?" Su Hanze took a step closer, the tip of his knife pressed against Lao Liang's chest. "Running to Nanling? Or to that Shen family's place?"

Old Liang's face turned even paler, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. "Master Su, listen to me, I didn't..."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Su Hanze interrupted him. "Who were you talking to on the phone? Who exactly is this guy surnamed Shen?"

Old Liang swallowed hard, his eyes darting around. "I...I don't know what you're talking about."

Su Hanze sneered, pushing the knife forward half an inch. "Old Liang, you owe me a life, now it's time to pay it back."

Old Liang stared at the knife tip, remained silent for a few seconds, and finally whispered, "The man surnamed Shen is Shen Changqing, a warlord from Nanling. James sells all his goods to him." "A warlord?" Su Hanze frowned. "James does business with warlords?"

“It’s not James,” Old Liang said with a wry smile. “It’s Ando. A Japanese man. James is just a middleman. The goods come from Tokyo, pass through his hands, and are then transferred to Nanling.”

Su Hanze's heart skipped a beat. Ando, ​​Nanling, Shen Changqing—this web had finally revealed a corner. He sheathed his knife and patted Lao Liang on the shoulder. "Lao Liang, you've done a good job. Keep running errands for James, but don't forget who can save your life."

Old Liang nodded and wiped the sweat from his brow. Su Hanze turned and walked out of the small house. Xia Xue stood outside, her face still pale.

"Did you hear that?" Su Hanze asked.

Xia Xue nodded, gritting her teeth, and said, "Shen Changqing... James has never mentioned this name."

“Of course he won’t mention it,” Su Hanze sneered. “This network is bigger than we thought.”

As dawn broke and the fog over the harbor gradually dissipated, the hustle and bustle of the city began to seep into this waterway stained with blood and money. Su Hanze and Xia Xue stepped out of the small house, took a deep breath, and the name on their minds remained—Shen Changqing.

“The warlord of Nanling, Shen Changqing…” Su Hanze murmured, his brows furrowed. “James was just a bridge, Ando and Shen Changqing are the real masterminds behind the scenes.”

“But Ando is Japanese…” Xia Xue’s voice was somewhat low, “Could it be that James also made a deal with the Japanese?”

“Yes.” Su Hanze nodded. “Ando can provide the weapons that Shen Changqing needs, and James happens to be the middleman. That batch of weapons from five years ago is probably the root of these transactions.”

Xia Xue lowered her head and remained silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Su Hanze. “So what do we do now? Shen Changqing has such a powerful background, we can’t rely on just the two of us…”

“We can’t go it alone.” Su Hanze’s eyes sharpened. “We need to find Miss Wen. The evidence she has can give us the upper hand.”

The two walked together towards Jin Cui Lou in tacit agreement. Along the way, Su Hanze mentally planned their future actions. Shen Changqing, Ando, ​​James… these people formed a vast network, Hong Kong merely a transit point. The true center of darkness was far more extensive than what they could see at the moment.

Jin Cui Lou was as bustling and brightly lit as ever. Miss Wen sat in a corner, wearing her signature dark green cheongsam, her eyes cold. She and Old Gui sat at a table, talking in hushed tones.

"You've arrived?" Miss Wen looked up and saw the two of them walk in. A cold smile appeared on her lips. "I guess you already know Shen Changqing's name."

Su Hanze didn't answer, but sat down and said in a deep voice, "Do you know about his deal with James and Ando?"

Miss Wen nodded slightly, a hint of disdain in her eyes. "You people can only ever walk on the surface; the real darkness always hides behind the scenes. Shen Changqing, Ando, ​​James—they are not people you can easily deal with."

“We don’t intend to fight one-on-one,” Su Hanze sneered. “We just want to know more, before they fully notice us.”

"I've told you everything you want to know and everything I know." Miss Wen picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and said, "The rest is up to you to decide."

“Shen Changqing’s power won’t tolerate our continued interference,” Xia Xue said in a low voice. “Do you know if we can win?”

Miss Wen's eyes flickered, but she quickly regained her composure: "Although Shen Changqing has great power, he cannot completely control everything. You must understand that there is another force behind the scenes, which is at least more dangerous than Shen Changqing."

"The power behind it all?" Su Hanze raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Do you think Shen Changqing's deal with Ando was just about making a quick buck?" Miss Wen sneered. "The real target is another line of business—drugs. Ando isn't just involved in the arms trade; he also controls the distribution of drugs. And what Shen Changqing wants isn't just arms; he wants to control Hong Kong's drug market."

"Drugs?" Xia Xue exclaimed in surprise. "Then there's much more involved behind this."

“Yes.” Ms. Wen nodded. “Behind Hong Kong’s drug market is a huge international chain. Shen Changqing’s dealings with the Japanese yakuza Ando are no longer just local transactions, but a transnational dark network.”

"Then what do we do?" Su Hanze asked in a deep voice. "Now that you know so much, Miss Wen, what can you do to help us?"

"Help you?" Miss Wen gave them a half-smile. "You already know too much; it's hard for you not to die. If you don't make some preparations soon, Shen Changqing and Ando's power will devour you before you even realize it."

"Prepare?" Su Hanze raised an eyebrow. "Prepare what?"

“Murder, cut the line.” Miss Wen’s voice suddenly turned cold and sharp. “No matter what you want to achieve, there is only one outcome: the winner takes all, and the loser is condemned. Shen Changqing and Ando are the kings in this game, and the rest of you are just pawns.”

"You mean... if we don't strike first, we're doomed?" Xia Xue asked.

“If you think you can win with evidence, then you are sorely mistaken.” Miss Wen sighed. “Shen Changqing will not let you off just because of the evidence you have. He will make you disappear in the shadows. The only way to defeat him is to make him pay the price before he can even react.”

"What do you mean?" Su Hanze stared intently at her. "You want us to make the first move?"

"Take action?" Miss Wen sneered. "Do you even have the ability?"

“I do,” Su Hanze said firmly. “Give me a chance, and I can defeat Shen Changqing.”

Miss Wen looked him straight in the eye, her gaze complex. "You can do it, not because of evidence, but because of the power you can bring. If you have that power, then Shen Changqing and Ando will become insignificant."

“Power…” Su Hanze suddenly laughed, “You mean finding help?”

"A helper? What can your helper do?" Miss Wen said dismissively. "You have no idea who can truly help you."

"Then can you give me an answer?" Su Hanze leaned back from behind the table, staring intently at her. "What exactly do you want?"

Miss Wen gently set down her teacup, her eyes slightly narrowed. "What you want, I can give you. But you must understand that sometimes an exchange isn't just about exchanging benefits; sometimes it's about exchanging lives."

"Life?" A cold glint flashed in Su Hanze's eyes. "What do you want me to give up?"

“I’ve given you enough clues. Now, all you need is time,” Miss Wen said calmly. “Time will tell.”

Just as he finished speaking, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door. Su Hanze raised an eyebrow, quickly stood up, and gestured for Xia Xue to get ready. Miss Wen smiled slightly and stood up. "It seems your time has come."

(End of this chapter)