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

Chapter 368: Landing Point

"It's Ajiu!" Xia Xue exclaimed in a low voice.

Su Hanze's eyes darkened, and he quickly pulled Xia Xue to a corner of the room. He knew that Ajiu's appearance had completely disrupted their plans, but it had also given them an opportunity.

The chaos in the room escalated rapidly. Shen Changqing's men were completely thrown off balance by Ajiu's sudden attack. A shadow flashed, a blade gleamed, and several men fell instantly. Ajiu's movements were ghostly, so fast they were impossible to react to. Su Hanze and Xia Xue quickly hid in a corner, their heartbeats almost mingling with the surrounding commotion.

"Don't make a sound, wait for an opportunity," Su Hanze whispered, his eyes fixed on the center of the room, where Ajiu had already begun a fierce battle with Shen Changqing's men.

Shen Changqing and the bespectacled man stood to one side, clearly not expecting such a drastic change. Their expressions quickly turned grim, and a flicker of panic flashed in Shen Changqing's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Kill him!" Shen Changqing roared, while the bespectacled man quickly directed his remaining men to attack Ajiu.

Ajiu showed no fear. He nimbly dodged the attacks, swinging his blade relentlessly, the edge slicing through the air as he aimed for his opponent. With each strike, someone fell. Even in this chaotic environment, he remained calm and collected, as if he had anticipated it all.

"Shen Changqing, your days are numbered!" Ajiu shouted and suddenly lunged at Shen Changqing.

Shen Changqing's expression changed, and he quickly retreated, simultaneously ordering several of his men to stop Ajiu. However, Ajiu's speed was simply too fast, and the men couldn't stop him at all. A flash of light was heard, and several of his men instantly fell to the ground.

The bespectacled man reacted at this moment, turned around, drew a dagger from his waist, and pounced on A-Jiu. He was clearly no pushover; although his skills were inferior to A-Jiu's, the threat posed by the dagger was not to be underestimated.

"You think one person can change anything?" the bespectacled man sneered, shouting as he fought with A-Jiu, "Kill him!"

At that moment, Shen Changqing also drew his pistol from behind and aimed it at Ajiu.

"Die!" he roared and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot rang out, and the bullet flew rapidly toward Ajiu's chest. But Ajiu seemed to have anticipated this attack, and quickly dodged to the side. The gunshot grazed his shoulder and struck the wall beside him.

"Damn it!" Shen Changqing gritted his teeth, his anger barely contained.

As Ah Jiu dodged the bullets, she swung her knife at the bespectacled man. Caught off guard, the bespectacled man was grazed on the shoulder by the blade and cried out in pain.

"You're really ruthless." The bespectacled man stepped back, touching the bloodstains on his shoulder, his eyes filled with extreme killing intent.

"Bring it on!" Ajiu shouted as he rushed toward Shen Changqing.

At this point, the situation in the room was out of control. Shen Changqing and the bespectacled man's men were completely unable to withstand Ajiu's attacks, while Ajiu seemed completely unaffected and at ease. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Su Hanze and Xia Xue quietly slipped out from a corner.

“Let’s go find Shen Changqing!” Su Hanze said in a low voice.

"Okay." Xia Xue nodded and followed suit.

The two moved silently through the room, dodging the fighting around them, and approached Shen Changqing's position. Ajiu's appearance complicated the situation, but it also gave them a golden opportunity. Shen Changqing was clearly unaware of the two of them, while the bespectacled man was busy fighting Ajiu and had no time to pay attention to anything else.

"Shen Changqing, I'm here to take your life!" Ajiu roared, stabbing at Shen Changqing's subordinate with a knife.

Shen Changqing's expression changed immediately. He suddenly turned around and looked coldly at Su Hanze and Xia Xue: "You've come at the right time."

Su Hanze and Xia Xue felt a pang of anxiety, but their gazes remained unwavering. A hint of hostility flashed in Shen Changqing's eyes, but more so, a calm analysis. He didn't act rashly, but instead whispered, "Capture them!"

Several henchmen immediately pounced, trying to grab Su Hanze and Xia Xue. Su Hanze's expression changed slightly, and he reacted quickly, almost instinctively drawing his gun from behind and pulling the trigger. The two henchmen fell to the ground.

"Don't rush, let them die first," Su Hanze said in a low voice, his eyes still calm.

"Hmph, you want to kill me?" Shen Changqing's lips curled into a sneer. "You've underestimated me too much."

“You’re wrong,” Su Hanze said coldly. “You’ve underestimated us.”

Before he finished speaking, he pulled the trigger again, and the bullet flew out, accurately hitting one of Shen Changqing's henchmen. As the man fell to the ground, Ajiu seized the opportunity to rush towards Shen Changqing.

"Die!" Shen Changqing roared, his eyes burning with rage and murderous intent. He no longer cared about anything else; his only thought was to take revenge on Ajiu and capture the two of them.

"You think you can stop me?" Ajiu sneered, brandishing her sword to meet him. Shen Changqing's anger grew stronger and stronger. He lunged at Ajiu with all his might, attempting to kill her with a single blow.

However, Ajiu was clearly more skilled than Shen Changqing. With a simple sidestep, he dodged Shen Changqing's attack, and simultaneously thrust his sword straight at Shen Changqing's chest.

Shen Changqing's expression changed drastically, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes. Before he could even react, he felt a sharp pain as a blade pierced his chest.

"You..." Shen Changqing opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he could no longer speak.

A spurt of blood gushed out, and Shen Changqing's body jolted violently before collapsing to the ground.

"Shen Changqing is dead," Ajiu said in a low voice, her eyes filled with a cold sense of satisfaction.

Su Hanze and Xia Xue's expressions remained unchanged. Despite the sudden turn of events, they remained calm. Ajiu's sudden appearance and the fierce battle had greatly altered their plans, but in the end, Shen Changqing still died at their hands.

"What do we do next?" Xia Xue asked, her eyes still scanning her surroundings warily.

"Take care of things here first," Su Hanze said calmly. "Go find Tang Jingshan."

The air in the room seemed to freeze, the stench of blood filling the dim light. Shen Changqing lay on the ground, blood staining his expensive black robe, his eyes wide open, as if he died with unresolved grievances. Ajiu stood beside him, blood still dripping from his dagger, its tip gleaming coldly in the lamplight. His face was expressionless; he merely glanced coldly at the corpse on the ground, then wiped the dagger on Shen Changqing's clothes before sheathing it.

Su Hanze and Xia Xue stood a short distance away, their eyes scanning the room warily. Shen Changqing's men had scattered and fled, the remaining few, terrified by A Jiu's knife, had long lost their will to fight. The bespectacled man had vanished in the chaos, leaving only the three of them in the room, amidst the mess. "You were pretty quick," Su Hanze broke the silence, his tone calm, as if unconcerned about the bloodshed that had just occurred.

Ajiu turned around and gave him a cold look: "Stop talking nonsense. Shen Changqing is dead, but this isn't over yet. Tang Jingshan is the real big fish."

Xia Xue frowned, her fingers still gripping the dagger, and said in a low voice, "Tang Jingshan has run away. Where are we going to find him now?"

Ajiu snorted, seemingly disdainful of her impatience: "He can't escape. I know where his hideout is."

Su Hanze narrowed his eyes, staring at Ajiu: "You seem to know quite a lot. Tell me, where is Tang Jingshan?"

Ajiu didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it slowly, and took a deep drag. The smoke swirled in front of him, making his eyes appear even more profound: "You two follow me and don't ask too many questions. Tang Jingshan isn't a fool like Shen Changqing; he's much more cunning than you think."

Xia Xue couldn't help but sneer: "You're quite confident. Why should we believe you?"

Ajiu exhaled a puff of smoke and glanced at her sideways: "Don't believe me? Then you can stay here and wait for Tang Jingshan's men to come and deal with you."

Su Hanze gently patted Xia Xue's shoulder, signaling her to calm down. He whispered to Ajiu, "Lead the way, we'll go with you."

Ajiu didn't say anything more, turned around and walked towards another door at the back of the room. Su Hanze and Xia Xue exchanged a glance and silently followed. They walked through the narrow corridor and arrived at the back door of the building. The night outside was deeper, and the air carried the salty smell of the sea breeze. The lights of the distant dock were still flickering, but the previous hustle and bustle was gone.

Ah Jiu led them through several quiet alleys to a dilapidated residential area. This was Macau's old town, with narrow streets, low houses, peeling paint, and a damp, musty smell. The streetlights were sparse, their dim yellow glow barely illuminating the cobblestone path. Occasionally, a few barks drifted from afar, making the area seem even more desolate.

"Is Tang Jingshan here?" Xia Xue asked in a low voice, her tone tinged with doubt. "This kind of place doesn't seem like the kind of place he would come to."

“Don’t underestimate this place.” Ajiu’s tone was indifferent. “Tang Jingshan is a master of hiding. He has several hideouts in Macau, and this is just one of them.”

Su Hanze didn't speak, his gaze sweeping around, noticing the faint lights shining from the windows of several houses. He asked in a low voice, "Are you sure he'll be here tonight?"

Ajiu stopped and turned to look at him, a meaningful smile playing on her lips: "I never fight a battle I'm not sure I can win. Tang Jingshan will be here tonight, meeting someone."

"Who?" Xia Xue frowned, lowering her voice even further.

“Someone you would never expect.” Ajiu’s tone was tinged with sarcasm. “Don’t ask, you’ll find out when we get there.”

The three continued on their way and came to an inconspicuous two-story building. The door was ajar, and a worn wooden sign hung on the doorframe with the words "Yong'an Inn" written on it, the characters so faded they were almost illegible. A-Jiu stopped, gestured for them to step back, and then gently pushed open the door, peeking inside.

"Nobody's here," he said softly. "Go inside."

Su Hanze and Xia Xue followed him into the inn. It was dimly lit, with only an oil lamp burning on the counter, its faint light illuminating a small area. The air was thick with the smell of stale wood mixed with a faint odor of tobacco. Behind the counter sat a thin old man, wearing a tattered felt hat, dozing and snoring softly.

Ajiu ignored the old man and headed straight for the stairs. Su Hanze and Xia Xue followed closely behind, their footsteps so light they were almost inaudible. The stairs were narrow, and each step made a slight creaking sound, causing Xia Xue to frown. She whispered to Su Hanze, "This place is too quiet; something feels off."

"Quiet is best," Su Hanze replied in a low voice. "If Tang Jingshan were hiding here, he certainly wouldn't make a big fuss."

They went up to the second floor and came to a tightly closed door. Ah Jiu stopped, pressed her ear to the door for a moment, and after confirming there was no movement inside, gently pushed the door open. The room was pitch black, with only a sliver of moonlight filtering in from the window, barely outlining the room's shape. The room was small, containing a wooden bed and a worn-out cabinet, with several burlap sacks piled in the corner, emitting a musty smell.

"Nobody here?" Xia Xue asked in a low voice, her tone tinged with disappointment.

Ajiu didn't answer, but walked to the window, lifted a crack in the curtain, and glanced outside. His movements were very light, but his eyes were unusually sharp, as if searching for something.

"He's at the teahouse across the street," Ajiu said softly, pointing out the window.

Su Hanze and Xia Xue leaned closer to the window, following his finger. Across the street was an inconspicuous teahouse, with two red lanterns hanging at the entrance, their dim light casting a faint glow on the stone path in front. The teahouse door was ajar, and they could vaguely see several figures sitting inside, one of whom was wearing a dark robe and had his back to them, so they couldn't see his face.

"Is it Tang Jingshan?" Su Hanze asked in a low voice.

Ajiu nodded: "It's him. He's waiting for someone."

"Waiting for whom?" Xia Xue frowned, her tone tinged with impatience.

Ajiu glanced at her, a slight smile playing on her lips: "A woman."

"A woman?" Xia Xue paused, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes. "What woman?"

"Don't rush, you'll find out soon enough." Ajiu's tone remained indifferent. "Going over now will only alert them. We'll wait here."

Su Hanze nodded, signaling Xia Xue to stop asking. He leaned against the window, his gaze fixed on the teahouse across the street. Figures moved about inside, and occasional whispers drifted over, but their contents were indistinct. Tang Jingshan sat by the window, his back to them, seemingly completely unaware that someone was watching him.

Time ticked by, and Xia Xue's patience wore thin. She whispered to Su Hanze, "Are we just going to wait like this? What if Tang Jingshan runs away?"

“He can’t escape.” Su Hanze said calmly, “Since Ajiu said he’s waiting for someone, there must be a reason for it.”

Ah Jiu snorted, seemingly disdainful of Xia Xue's impatience: "If you can't hold your temper, go find him yourself, don't drag us into this."

Xia Xue glared at him, about to retort, when a slight noise suddenly came from the teahouse outside the window. A woman in a cheongsam walked in, her figure slender and her steps light. Her face was covered by a thin veil, obscuring her features, but judging from her figure and demeanor, she was definitely not an ordinary person.

“It’s her,” Ajiu said in a low voice, her eyes becoming even sharper.

"You know her?" Su Hanze frowned, his gaze shifting from the woman to Ajiu's face.

(End of this chapter)