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

Chapter 365: Exposing it now is tantamount to asking for trouble.

Old He's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal: "Tang Jingshan? That military officer from the mainland? Tsk tsk, that's a name you shouldn't mention casually. Why are you asking about him?"

"Don't play dumb," Xia Xue interrupted coldly. "Old He, you've been in Hong Kong for so many years, you know exactly who's involved with whom. Tell me, what's the relationship between Tang Jingshan and Shen Changqing?"

Old He chuckled twice and rubbed his hands together. "Miss Xia, you're still as straightforward as ever. Fine, fine, I'll tell you, okay? But there'll be a price to pay for this, you know what I mean."

Su Hanze pulled a small wad of banknotes from his pocket and stuffed it into Lao He's hand: "Is this enough?"

Old He weighed the banknotes in his hand and nodded with satisfaction: "That's enough. Mr. Su is so straightforward. Well, I don't know much either, but Tang Jingshan and Shen Changqing do have dealings. I heard that Tang Jingshan has troops in the mainland, and Shen Changqing supplies him with weapons. It's a win-win situation for both sides."

"That's all?" Xia Xue frowned. "Old He, this information isn't worth that much."

"Don't worry, Miss Xia." Old He lowered his voice and leaned closer. "I've also heard that Tang Jingshan has recently met with quite a few people in Hong Kong—foreigners, people from the mainland, and some gangsters. It seems he's planning some big deal, but I don't know the specifics."

Su Hanze narrowed his eyes: "Big deal? Have you heard that Shen Changqing has been transporting some special goods lately?"

Old He paused for a moment, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes: "Special goods? Mr. Su, there's something more to that. I've only heard that Shen Changqing has been very active at the docks lately, shipping out quite a few boxes, but no one dares to ask what they are."

Xia Xue sneered: "No one dares to ask, but don't you know something? Speak up, or we'll force you."

Old He sighed, as if he had made up his mind: "Alright, I'll say one more thing. I heard that some of Shen Changqing's goods are alive. You know what I mean?"

Su Hanze and Xia Xue exchanged a glance, their eyes both filled with seriousness. Su Hanze nodded: "Thank you, Lao He. Don't tell anyone about this, or you know the consequences."

"Don't worry, don't worry." Old He waved his hand. "I'm the best at keeping secrets."

After leaving the pawnshop, Su Hanze and Xia Xue walked side by side down the street. The morning sun shone on the stone pavement, and the street vendors were still busy, but the two felt a little heavy-hearted.

“A live one…” Xia Xue said in a low voice, her tone tinged with anger, “That beast Shen Changqing is capable of anything.”

"Don't rush," Su Hanze said calmly. "We have the ledgers and clues now. The next step is to find evidence. We need to investigate Tang Jingshan's matter as soon as possible."

"How do you plan to investigate?" Xia Xue asked.

“Let’s go to the dock.” Su Hanze looked into the distance. “Old He said Shen Changqing has been making a lot of moves at the dock lately. Let’s go take a look; maybe we can find something.”

That evening, in a dimly lit warehouse by the dock, the air was thick with the smells of seawater and wooden crates. Su Hanze and Xia Xue sneaked into the warehouse, hiding behind several piles of wooden crates, observing the movements of several workers in the distance. The workers were carefully moving a stack of tarpaulin-covered crates, as if they were carrying something valuable.

“These boxes…” Xia Xue said softly, “What do you think is inside?”

Su Hanze didn't answer, his gaze fixed on the worker. Suddenly, a box was accidentally bumped, and a corner of the canvas slipped down, revealing a pale hand. Xia Xue's breath hitched, and her eyes turned cold.

“It’s a person.” She gritted her teeth and whispered, “That bastard Shen Changqing is really transporting people.”

Su Hanze's gaze also darkened: "Don't act rashly. We need to find out where these boxes are going and who the buyer is first."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the warehouse, accompanied by a deep voice: "Hurry up and get to work, the ship will arrive tonight, we can't delay!"

Su Hanze and Xia Xue exchanged a glance, then quietly moved to a corner of the warehouse, hiding in the shadows. The footsteps grew closer, and a man in a black suit entered, followed by several thugs wielding short knives. The man's face appeared particularly cold and stern under the light, with a long scar on his right cheek.

“Scarface Liu,” Xia Xue said in a low voice, “is one of Shen Changqing’s men, specifically in charge of dock affairs.”

Su Hanze nodded and lowered his voice: "Listen to what they have to say."

Scarface Liu walked over to the workers, frowned, and said, "Hurry up! Master Tang's men will be here tonight to inspect. If anything goes wrong, none of you will survive!"

One of the workers asked in a low voice, "Master Liu, are these... really alive?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Scarface Liu slapped him across the face. "Do your job, why are you asking so many questions?"

The worker covered his face, not daring to utter another sound. Scarface Liu turned to the thugs behind him and said, "Keep an eye on things, don't let any outsiders get close. This deal of Master Tang's absolutely cannot go wrong."

Su Hanze and Xia Xue exchanged a glance, their eyes both filled with seriousness. Su Hanze said in a low voice, "It seems Tang Jingshan is indeed the key. We need to follow the ship tonight."

Xia Xue nodded, gripping the gun tightly in her hand: "Okay. But be careful, Scarface Liu is ruthless."

Under the cover of night, the ship horns echoed in the distance at the dock. Su Hanze and Xia Xue quietly left the warehouse and crept along the shadows of the dock towards the moored ships. The night wind blew, carrying the salty smell of the sea and a hint of foreboding.

Night fell over the Hong Kong docks, the sea breeze carrying a salty, fishy smell, making the sails rustle slightly. Su Hanze and Xia Xue squatted behind a pile of abandoned wooden crates by the dock, their eyes fixed on the cargo ship moored in the distance. The ship was old, its paint peeling, and several sailors were busy unloading cargo on deck. Scarface Liu stood to the side, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his eyes occasionally scanning the surroundings. In the distance, several wooden crates covered with canvas were carefully lifted onto the ship, the occasional whispers and the clanging of the crates sounding particularly jarring in the night.

Su Hanze lowered his voice and whispered in Xia Xue's ear, "That ship is the cargo ship for tonight. Scarface Liu mentioned Tang Jingshan, so this shipment is definitely related to him."

Xia Xue narrowed her eyes, her fingers lightly tapping the gun handle: "Those boxes... how many people do you think are inside?"

“It’s hard to say.” Su Hanze’s gaze was cold. “But judging from the way they’re moving it, there’s a lot of it. We need to follow the ship and find out where this shipment is going.” “Follow the ship?” Xia Xue frowned and lowered her voice. “That’s Scarface Liu’s territory. He has at least a dozen thugs under his command. There are only two of us. It’s too risky.”

Su Hanze turned to look at her, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Scared?"

"Afraid?" Xia Xue scoffed. "I just don't want to die a pathetic death. You have a plan?"

“Yes.” Su Hanze took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Xia Xue. “This is the dock’s shipping record. I got it from Lao He last night. The ship’s destination tonight is Macau, and it will depart early tomorrow morning. We can infiltrate the crew and find out what’s in the boxes and who the buyer is.”

Xia Xue took the paper and glanced at it in the dim light of the distance. It listed the ship's name, "Fuxing," and a simple cargo list, which indeed mentioned "special cargo." She frowned: "Old He gave this to me? Can that old fox be trusted?"

“Unreliable.” Su Hanze chuckled. “But his information is never wrong. Don’t worry, I have a backup plan.”

Xia Xue nodded and stuffed the paper back into Su Hanze's hand: "Okay, let's do it. But we need to figure out the crew members' identities first, otherwise we won't even be able to board the ship."

Su Hanze's gaze swept across the dock, landing on a sailor smoking in the distance. The man was thin, wearing a worn-out vest, his hat pulled low, as if he were slacking off. Su Hanze said in a low voice, "See that guy? Let's start with him."

Xia Xue followed his gaze and nodded: "Okay, you go and take care of him, I'll keep an eye on Scarface Liu."

Su Hanze silently circled the wooden crate, and under the cover of darkness, slowly approached the sailor. The sailor had his back to him, humming a tune, his cigarette butt flashing in the darkness. Su Hanze drew a short stick from his waist with lightning speed, striking the sailor on the back of the head. The sailor groaned and collapsed to the ground. Su Hanze quickly dragged him behind the crate, took off his vest and hat, and put them on himself.

Xia Xue watched from afar and gestured to him, indicating that there was still no movement from Scarface Liu's side. Su Hanze looked down and rummaged through the sailors' pockets, finding a crumpled crew ID card that read "Zhang San, sailor of the Fuxing." He stuffed the card into his pocket and nodded to Xia Xue.

A few minutes later, Su Hanze, dressed in a sailor's uniform with his hat pulled low, blended into the group carrying cargo. Xia Xue remained hidden in the shadows, her gun ready to fire at any moment. The atmosphere on the dock was tense and busy; the workers were focused on their tasks, and no one noticed the unfamiliar face. Su Hanze followed the group, carrying a wooden crate, slowly approaching the cargo ship's gangway.

Scarface Liu stood by the gangway, cursing under his breath: "Hurry up! Don't dawdle! Master Tang's men don't have the patience to wait for you!"

Su Hanze lowered his head, pretending to concentrate on moving the crates, but his ears caught every word Scarface Liu said. The crates were ridiculously heavy, and there were occasional slight noises coming from inside, like something was clattering. Su Hanze's heart sank, confirming that the crates contained no ordinary cargo. He remained calm and, together with another sailor, carried the crates onto the deck and placed them in a corner of the cargo hold.

The cargo hold was dimly lit, filled with the smells of mildew and the salty tang of the sea. While the other sailors were busy, Su Hanze quietly crouched down and lifted a corner of the canvas covering a crate. In the dim light, he saw a small, thin figure huddled inside, her hands bound with rope, a cloth gag over her mouth, and her eyes fixed on him with terror. It was a girl, no more than fourteen or fifteen years old.

Su Hanze's eyes turned cold. He quickly covered the tarpaulin, stood up, and pretended to organize the cargo. His heartbeat quickened slightly, but his face remained calm. There were a dozen or so similar crates in the cargo hold, probably filled with people. He suppressed his anger and walked towards the gangway, preparing to find an opportunity to disembark.

Just then, Scarface Liu's voice came from the cargo hold entrance: "Hey, you newbie, come here!"

Su Hanze's heart tightened. He slowly turned around and lowered the brim of his hat: "Master Liu, did you call me?"

"Yes, it's you." Scarface Liu frowned, took a few steps closer, and looked him up and down. "Why does your face look a little unfamiliar? Are you new here?"

Su Hanze nodded, his voice low: "Yes, Zhang San, he just boarded the ship yesterday."

Scarface Liu squinted, staring at him for a few seconds, as if trying to find a flaw. Su Hanze's heart raced, but he still wore a timid smile, deliberately feigning a novice's demeanor: "Master Liu, what are your orders?"

Scarface Liu snorted and waved his hand: "It's nothing. Keep an eye on the goods and make sure those boxes aren't damaged. If even one of Master Tang's goods is damaged, you'll all have to pay with your lives."

"Understood." Su Hanze nodded, stepped aside, and pretended to inspect the boxes. Scarface Liu didn't ask any more questions and turned to walk towards the deck. Su Hanze breathed a sigh of relief, and taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he slipped to a corner of the cargo hold, found a small door leading to the lower hold, and crawled inside.

The lower deck was even darker, and the damp air was uncomfortably so. Su Hanze lit a match and used the dim light to survey his surroundings. The lower deck was piled with miscellaneous items and several tattered nautical charts. He flipped through them and found a chart marked with a route, which read "Macau—Nanyang—Siam." He frowned, folded the chart neatly, and stuffed it into his pocket.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside, accompanied by Scarface Liu's curses: "Damn it, where's Zhang San? Something feels off!"

Su Hanze quickly extinguished the match and hid in the shadows against the wall. The footsteps grew closer, and the cargo hold door was pushed open. Scarface Liu entered with two thugs, carrying a lantern whose light swayed against the hold wall.

"Where is he?" Scarface Liu growled. "That kid was just on deck a moment ago, and he's gone in the blink of an eye!"

One of the thugs whispered, "Master Liu, could it be that they've run away?"

"Run?" Scarface Liu sneered. "He wouldn't dare! Search him! Find him alive or dead!"

Su Hanze held his breath and slowly moved behind a pile of wooden crates, trying not to make a sound. Scarface Liu and his thugs searched the cargo hold, found no one, and left cursing. Su Hanze waited a while, and only after confirming they were far away did he slip back to the deck from the lower deck, blend into the crew, and disembark in the chaos.

Xia Xue was still waiting behind the wooden box. When she saw him return, she asked in a low voice, "How did it go?"

Su Hanze handed her the nautical chart and whispered, "There are people in the box, a woman and a child. The ship's destination is Macau, then it will go to Southeast Asia, possibly Siam. The buyer is unclear, but it's definitely related to Tang Jingshan."

Xia Xue's eyes turned cold: "That beast Shen Changqing... we have to stop this ship."

"Stop the boat?" Su Hanze frowned. "It's not that simple. Scarface Liu is already suspicious. If we expose ourselves now, we'll be asking for trouble."

"Then what can we do?" Xia Xue lowered her voice. "We can't just watch these people be sold to Southeast Asia!"

Su Hanze was silent for a moment, then glanced at the dock: "Let's go back and find Chen Qiming. Since he gave us the ledger, he must know something else. We need to get more out of him."

(End of this chapter)