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

Chapter 364 He's no pushover.
"Don't worry." Su Hanze put the paper bag away calmly. "We keep our word."

Chen Qiming was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "There's something else you need to be careful about. Shen Changqing already knows you're causing trouble for Li Wei and me. He sent people to keep an eye on things near the dock tonight, so you'd better leave as soon as possible."

Su Hanze and Xia Xue exchanged a glance, both looking wary. Xia Xue whispered, "It looks like tonight won't be very quiet."

“We can’t stay quiet.” Su Hanze stood up, his gaze sweeping across the entrance of the teahouse. “Let’s go, we need to find somewhere else.”

The three left the teahouse. The dock was unusually deserted under the night sky, with only the distant sound of waves and a few low ship horns. Su Hanze walked in front, followed by Xia Xue and Chen Qiming. Their footsteps were particularly clear in the quiet night.

Just as they rounded a street corner, several dark figures suddenly darted out of the darkness, wielding short knives and their eyes sharp and cold. Su Hanze reacted swiftly, pulling Xia Xue aside and whispering, "Watch out!"

Chen Qiming quickly retreated, pulled out a pistol, and pointed it at the charging shadow. Xia Xue drew her own pistol from her bag and calmly aimed it forward. In the darkness, blades flashed, and a heavy killing intent filled the air.

"Shen Changqing's men?" Xia Xue asked in a low voice, a hint of sneer in her tone.

“They’re not Shen Changqing’s men.” Chen Qiming’s tone was heavy. “These people are… James’s old subordinates.”

Su Hanze's eyes darkened: "James's old men? What are they doing here?"

"Revenge." Chen Qiming gritted his teeth. "After James died, his men have been seeking revenge on Shen Changqing's people. Since you showed up tonight, they probably think you're Shen Changqing's accomplices."

"Damn it," Xia Xue cursed under her breath, pointing her gun at the charging figure. "Then let them find out that we aren't!"

Gunshots rang out in the night, shattering the silence of the dock. Su Hanze, Xia Xue, and Chen Qiming stood back to back, facing the charging shadows. The clash of blades and the roar of gunfire transformed the dock into a chaotic battlefield.

The battle lasted less than ten minutes. The shadowy figures gradually retreated, leaving behind several corpses and bloodstains on the ground. Su Hanze, panting heavily, checked his and Xia Xue's injuries. After confirming they were both alright, he looked at Chen Qiming: "Are you alright?"

Chen Qiming wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded: "It's alright. But you have to understand, James's old subordinates are just the beginning. Shen Changqing's troubles are far greater than you think."

Su Hanze's gaze darkened: "Then let's make things a little more complicated for him."

Xia Xue sneered: "Next, we need to let Shen Changqing know that his time is running out."

A night breeze blew in from the dock, carrying the salty, fishy smell of the sea and a faint stench of blood. Su Hanze, Xia Xue, and Chen Qiming stood in the shadows of the street corner, the air around them still seeming to hold the tension of the battle that had just taken place. Several dark corpses had been dragged aside, and the dock fell silent once more, broken only by the distant, low, monotonous sound of waves crashing against the embankment.

Su Hanze looked down at the brown paper bag in his hand, confirming that the ledgers hadn't been damaged in the chaos. He looked up at Chen Qiming: "Why did James's old subordinates suddenly reappear? How much do you know?"

Chen Qiming leaned against the wall, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and the smoke he exhaled slowly dissipated in the dim light. "How much do you know about James's affair?" he asked rhetorically, his tone tinged with a hint of probing.

Xia Xue frowned, her gun still holstered, the muzzle slightly lowered, but her eyes remained wary: "James, the Englishman, was killed in Kowloon last year. They say Shen Changqing was behind it, but nobody's found any evidence. What are you trying to say?"

Chen Qiming sneered, the cigarette butt glowing red in the darkness: "Evidence? A man like Shen Changqing never leaves evidence for things like this. James was his stumbling block, blocking his path, so that's it. But James's men are not to be trifled with; they're all desperate criminals. When James was alive, they depended on him for their livelihood. Now that he's dead, these guys are holding their breath, searching everywhere for Shen Changqing's men to take revenge."

Su Hanze's gaze darkened: "So they came for us tonight? Because we took the ledger?"

“Perhaps.” Chen Qiming flicked his cigarette ash, his tone calm. “Perhaps they just saw you and me meeting at the dock and assumed we were Shen Changqing’s men. James’s old men never ask questions before they act; they just do what they want.”

Xia Xue snorted coldly: "Then they've picked the wrong target. Shen Changqing's men haven't even arrived yet, but these scumbags have already jumped out."

“Don’t underestimate them.” Chen Qiming narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the dark dock. “Although James’s old men have scattered, there are still a few who are not easy to deal with. For example, that guy named Ajiu, his knife is so fast it can slice a person’s shadow. You’re lucky you managed to escape unscathed tonight.”

Su Hanze didn't reply. He glanced around to make sure there were no new threats, then said in a low voice, "We need to find another place. It's not safe here. Mr. Chen, will you come with us, or leave on your own?"

Chen Qiming was silent for a moment, then stubbed out his cigarette: "I'll go with you. Shen Changqing's men will find out sooner or later that I gave you the account books. If I go back now, it's like sending myself to my death."

Xia Xue raised an eyebrow, her tone laced with sarcasm: "Mr. Chen, wouldn't you say this is a last-minute defection?"

"Say what you will," Chen Qiming said expressionlessly. "All I know is that I've given you the ledgers, and I have no way out. You'd better have the ability to protect me, or none of us will have a good time."

Su Hanze nodded, gesturing for Xia Xue to put away her gun: "Let's go to Causeway Bay, we have a place there."

The three left along the narrow alleyways of the pier, their footsteps ringing out clearly in the night. Hong Kong nights always carry an eerie atmosphere; the neon lights of the streets and alleys intertwined with the distant strains of Cantonese opera, as if whispering the city's secrets. Su Hanze walked ahead, followed by Xia Xue and Chen Qiming, their figures quickly disappearing into the darkness.

A small hotel in Causeway Bay was tucked away in an inconspicuous alley. The hotel sign was faded, and a dim yellow lantern hung at the entrance, its flickering light barely illuminating the stone steps in front of it. Su Hanze pushed open the door and went in. The old innkeeper behind the counter looked up, recognized him, and silently handed him a key without asking any questions.

The room was on the second floor, the narrow wooden stairs creaking underfoot. Pushing open the door, one found only a bed, a worn wooden table, and two chairs; the curtains in the corner swayed slightly in the breeze. Su Hanze placed the paper bag on the table, gesturing for Chen Qiming to sit down: "Tell me, what in the ledgers do we not know?"

Chen Qiming sat down, took out a cigarette, but didn't light it, just played with it in his hand: "Didn't you already get the ledgers? Why don't you look at them yourselves and see for yourselves?"

Xia Xue sneered, sat on the edge of the bed, and crossed her legs: "Mr. Chen, don't try to play tricks on us. You've been with Shen Changqing for so many years, you can't possibly not know some inside information. Account books are static, but people are dynamic. Tell me what you know."

Chen Qiming looked down at the cigarette in his hand, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke: "Alright, what do you want to know? Shen Changqing's business? His backer? Or his recent moves?"

“I want it all.” Su Hanze pulled up a chair and sat opposite him, his gaze sharp. “Tell me from the beginning, don’t miss any details.” Chen Qiming sighed, as if resigned to his fate: “You probably know a bit about Shen Changqing’s business. Smuggling, casinos, dock business, those are all aboveboard. But what he really made money from were those deals with foreigners. When James was alive, Shen Changqing used him to get in touch with the British, transporting arms, opium, and even some shady goods.”

Xia Xue frowned: "Goods that can't be brought to light? What do you mean?"

Chen Qiming paused, then lowered his voice: "People. Shen Changqing has been involved in human trafficking for years, transporting people from the mainland to Hong Kong and then selling them to Southeast Asia. Most of those people... are women and children."

A moment of silence fell over the room. Xia Xue's face darkened, and her fingers clenched unconsciously. Su Hanze's gaze also turned cold: "Do you have evidence?"

“It’s in the ledger,” Chen Qiming said, pointing to the paper bag on the table. “But the records are very obscure, using only code names. It will take you some effort to find out the truth.”

Su Hanze nodded, opened the paper bag, pulled out a few pages of ledgers, and quickly glanced at them. Sure enough, the ledgers contained some strange codes, like "Goods A" and "Goods B," with the time, location, and amount noted next to them. He frowned: "Can you decipher these codes?"

Chen Qiming smiled wryly: "I can figure out part of it, but not all of it. Shen Changqing is careful; he never tells anyone all his secrets. I only know that 'goods A' usually refers to a woman, and 'goods B' refers to a child. As for the specific transaction location and the buyer, I don't know."

Xia Xue sneered: "What a Shen Changqing, he's truly wicked."

“Don’t rush to scold him.” Chen Qiming looked up at her. “Do you think Shen Changqing could do this much on his own? He has people behind him, foreigners in Hong Kong, big shots in the mainland, and even some people you can’t even imagine, all of whom are connected to him.”

Su Hanze narrowed his eyes: "Like who?"

Chen Qiming hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I only know one name, surnamed Tang, named Tang Jingshan. He's from the mainland, and has a very powerful background. Shen Changqing is always very careful when mentioning him."

“Tang Jingshan…” Su Hanze repeated the name, as if he remembered something, “This name sounds familiar.”

Xia Xue frowned: "I think I've heard of that too. A warlord from the mainland, with troops under his command, has been active in Hong Kong in recent years."

Chen Qiming nodded: "It's him. Shen Changqing's arms business is most likely connected with Tang Jingshan. If you want to touch Shen Changqing, you have to figure out Tang Jingshan's attitude first, otherwise you won't even know how you died."

Silence fell in the room again. Su Hanze looked down at the ledger, while Xia Xue's gaze was fixed on Chen Qiming, as if judging the truthfulness of his words. Chen Qiming felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and coughed lightly, "I've finished speaking. What else do you want to know?"

“That’s enough for now.” Su Hanze closed the ledger, looked up at him, and said, “You’ll stay here tonight, and we’ll arrange for you to leave Hong Kong tomorrow.”

"Leave?" Chen Qiming was taken aback, frowning. "Where to?"

"Nanyang," Su Hanze said calmly. "We have a ship, and we'll set off tomorrow night. You can't stay in Hong Kong any longer; Shen Changqing will come after you sooner or later."

Chen Qiming was silent for a moment, then smiled wryly: "You guys really made thorough arrangements. Fine, Southeast Asia it is, it's better than waiting to die here."

Xia Xue stood up, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains to look at the street outside. In the darkness, the alley was deserted, with only a few streetlights flickering. She turned to Su Hanze: "Shen Changqing should already know about tonight's events. What do we do next?"

“Investigate Tang Jingshan first.” Su Hanze stood up and stuffed the ledger into a suitcase. “If Mr. Chen is right, Tang Jingshan is the key. We need to find out his relationship with Shen Changqing.”

Chen Qiming interjected, "You'd better be careful when you investigate Tang Jingshan. That guy is no pushover; he has a gang of ruthless thugs under his command, even more vicious than James's old men."

"Thanks for the reminder." Su Hanze smiled faintly, "But we're not exactly pushovers either."

Night had fallen, and only the sound of the wind filled the alleyway outside the hotel. Su Hanze and Xia Xue left the room, leaving Chen Qiming alone under the dim light. After going downstairs, the two stood at the alley entrance and spoke in hushed tones.

"Do you think Chen Qiming is trustworthy?" Xia Xue asked, her tone tinged with doubt.

“Seven parts true, three parts false.” Su Hanze’s gaze swept across the end of the alley. “He gave us the ledger, which means he really wanted to jump ship. But he’s definitely hiding something else, and he hasn’t told us everything.”

Xia Xue nodded: "So, how do you plan to investigate Tang Jingshan's matter?"

"Find Lao He," Su Hanze said in a low voice. "He's been in Hong Kong for so many years, he knows a lot of people and has a wide network. He must know something about Tang Jingshan's matter."

Xia Xue frowned: "Old He? The one who runs the pawnshop? He's no pushover. You have to be careful when dealing with him."

"Don't worry," Su Hanze smiled, "I know what I'm doing."

The next morning, the streets of Causeway Bay were already bustling. The cries of vendors and the noise of carriages mingled together, and the air was filled with the aroma of cooking oil from breakfast stalls. Su Hanze and Xia Xue entered a pawnshop. The storefront was small, and the signboard read "He's Pawnshop," though the characters were somewhat faded.

The pawnshop was dimly lit, with a few jade and gold ornaments displayed on the counter and some miscellaneous items piled in the corner. Old He, in his fifties and as thin as a bamboo pole, sat behind the counter, his eyes surprisingly bright. Upon seeing Su Hanze, he immediately beamed, "Oh, Mr. Su, Miss Xia, long time no see! Are you here to pawn or redeem something?"

"Neither." Su Hanze smiled and walked to the counter. "Old He, I want to ask you something."

Old He's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes narrowed: "Inquiring about something? Mr. Su, your words are making me a little uneasy. So, what is it?"

"Tang Jingshan," Su Hanze lowered his voice, "how much do you know?"

(End of this chapter)