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

Chapter 370 Fighting like this is incredibly troublesome.

"Let's go," Su Hanze said softly.

They followed silently, walked out of the corridor, and returned to the small building outside the door. Tang Jingshan had already left, his steps hurried, clearly having urgent business.

"Where will he go tonight?" Xia Xue asked in a low voice.

“They might be going to ‘Shunfa Trading Company’,” Ajiu replied calmly.

Su Hanze nodded, gently pulling them along as they followed Tang Jingshan. Night deepened, and the streets of Macau remained quiet, devoid of pedestrians, save for the occasional car horn. Tang Jingshan walked hurriedly, glancing back every now and then, as if on guard against something.

“He was very careful,” Xia Xue said in a low voice. “He kept looking back, as if he was trying to avoid being tracked.”

"So we have to be more careful." Su Hanze's voice was deep, carrying a calmness that could not be ignored.

Ah Jiu quickened her pace, closing in ahead and scanning her surroundings warily. They passed through several alleys and finally arrived near "Shunfa Trading Company." The trading company looked deserted, with hardly anyone around. An old wooden sign hung in front of the door, the words on it barely legible.

"Is this Tang Jingshan's hiding place?" Xia Xue frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

“Yes,” Ajiu said coldly. “Judging from his methods, this place is clearly a cover point.”

The three approached the shop in unison, noticing that the main gate was closed and a guard was on duty at the entrance. Su Hanze gestured for them to hide to the side, and they waited quietly until the guard left before tiptoeing towards the back door of the shop.

Ajiu skillfully opened the back door, gesturing for them to follow. The three of them entered the building with a light step. The interior of the shop was still dimly lit, filled with a musty and stale tobacco smell. Following the worn wooden floorboards, they walked through a dimly lit corridor and finally stopped in front of a tightly closed door.

"Come in." A-Jiu's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible as he pushed open the door. Several people were sitting around a table, discussing something in hushed tones. On the table in the center of the room was a leather suitcase filled with documents, which appeared to have been brought back by Tang Jingshan.

“How should we handle these documents?” a deep voice asked.

"Deal with?" Tang Jingshan sneered. "These are all our own businesses, who dares to interfere?" He paused, then added, "Tonight, all the documents must be destroyed, and we'll make arrangements again tomorrow morning."

Su Hanze, Xia Xue, and Ajiu stood at the door, exchanging whispered glances. They all knew that Tang Jingshan's actions were becoming increasingly dangerous. The underlying chain of interests had begun to crumble, and things were no longer as simple as they had initially perceived.

"What do we do?" Xia Xue asked in a low voice.

"Observe first." Su Hanze's gaze swept over the surroundings, and he had already made up his mind. "I must make a move first thing tomorrow morning."

Ah Jiu nodded coldly; he was ready to act at any moment.

The air in the alley was damp and stifling, carrying the salty smell of the sea breeze and the faint sound of ship horns from the distant dock. Su Hanze, Xia Xue, and Ajiu followed silently behind the group of people carrying black leather suitcases, hugging the wall. The moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, and the alley was so dark that the path was almost invisible, with only a sliver of light shining from the back door of a distant shop, casting blurry shadows on the ground. The group walked quickly, their steps hurried, occasionally glancing back as if on guard.

"They seem to have noticed something," Xia Xue whispered, close to Su Hanze's ear. Her breathing was a little rapid, and there was a hint of tension in her eyes.

"Don't panic, they're just being cautious out of habit," Su Hanze replied in a low voice, his eyes never leaving the thin man carrying the suitcase ahead. "Ajiu has already gone around to the front, let's stay close and not get left behind."

Xia Xue nodded, gently adjusting her pace to avoid making a sound as her shoes sank into the pebbles. Ajiu's figure had already disappeared into the darkness at the end of the alley; his movements were as swift as the wind, even Su Hanze was somewhat impressed by the guy's agility.

The group ahead turned into a narrower alley, its sides piled high with old wooden crates and miscellaneous items, a faint stench of decay filling the air. The thin man clutched his suitcase tightly and whispered to his companion, "Is Old Li ready? The boat can't be any later."

"Don't worry, Lao Li said everything's been arranged at the dock." Another voice was hoarse, as if his throat had been ruined by smoke. "But he also said that there have been a few unfamiliar faces at the dock recently, like they're from out of town."

"From out of town?" The thin man paused, a hint of unease in his voice. "Does Master Tang know about this?"

"Master Tang said not to worry about it." The hoarse voice replied impatiently, "Those people are just small fry, they can't cause any trouble. We'll take this box to the dock, burn those ledgers, and once the ship leaves tomorrow morning, no one will be able to find any fault with us."

Hearing this, Su Hanze's eyes darkened slightly. He whispered to Xia Xue, "They're going to burn the account books. We need to snatch the box before they do it."

“But there are four of them.” Xia Xue frowned, lowering her voice even further. “There are only three of us. It’s too risky to just rob them.”

“No need to force it.” Su Hanze’s tone was as calm as if he were talking about something insignificant. “Ajiu will create opportunities; we just need to cooperate.”

Xia Xue wanted to say something, but Su Hanze gently waved his hand, signaling her to be quiet. A slight noise came from the end of the alley, as if something had been bumped. The group immediately stopped. The thin man tightened his grip on the suitcase and hissed, "Who's there?"

No one answered; only the wind whistled through the alley. The group exchanged glances. The man with the gruff voice pulled a short knife from his waist and slowly walked towards the direction of the sound. "Stop playing dumb, come out!" he growled in a low voice, his tone menacing.

Su Hanze and Xia Xue crouched behind a wooden crate on the side of the alley, holding their breath. Su Hanze gently placed his hand on Xia Xue's shoulder, signaling her not to make any sudden movements. Just then, a crisp sound of shattering glass suddenly came from the end of the alley, as if someone had deliberately broken something. The group of people immediately became alert; the man with the hoarse voice cursed and quickly walked towards the direction from which the sound came.

“The opportunity has come,” Su Hanze said softly, gently tugging at Xia Xue’s sleeve. The two slipped silently out from behind the wooden crate, hugging the wall as they approached the group. The thin man and his two companions remained standing, warily looking around, the thin man clutching the crate tightly to his chest.

"Third brother, go check it out," the thin man whispered to his companion beside him. "Don't let anyone ruin our plans." The man called Third Brother nodded, gripped a wooden stick, and walked towards the end of the alley. Now, only three people remained. Su Hanze stared at their retreating figures, a cold glint in his eyes. He whispered to Xia Xue, "Go a little further ahead, A-Jiu will make her move."

"Can he manage on his own?" Xia Xue asked in a low voice, her tone tinged with worry.

“He’s never missed a shot.” ​​Su Hanze’s tone was calm, but there was a complex look in his eyes. “However, we need to be prepared to provide backup.”

A muffled groan suddenly came from the alley, followed by the sound of a wooden stick hitting the ground. The gaunt man and his companion turned sharply in the direction of the sound. Just then, A-Jiu's figure flashed out of the darkness like a ghost, the small knife in her hand gleaming coldly in the moonlight, heading straight for the gaunt man's arm.

"Ah!" The thin man cried out in pain, dropping his suitcase to the ground with a thud. His other companion reacted, throwing a punch at A-Jiu, but A-Jiu was as agile as a fish, dodging to the side and then kicking the man in the knee, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Quick!" Su Hanze shouted, pulling Xia Xue along as they rushed out. Xia Xue darted forward, picking up the suitcase from the ground, while Su Hanze stood in front of her, staring at the still struggling, thin man.

"Who are you?" The thin man clutched his injured arm, glaring at them fiercely. "Do you know whose stuff this is? Master Tang won't let you get away with this!"

“Master Tang?” Su Hanze sneered, squatted down and stared at him. “Tell Tang Jingshan that Shen Changqing’s score is not settled yet.”

The gaunt man's expression changed. Just as he was about to say something, Ajiu had already walked up behind him and lightly tapped the back of his neck with the back of her knife. The man immediately collapsed to the ground. Ajiu gave him a cold look, then turned to Su Hanze and said, "Let's go, someone's coming to the alley entrance."

The three quickly retreated deeper into the alley, carrying the suitcase and disappearing into an even narrower alley. The sound of hurried footsteps followed them, clearly indicating that the commotion had alerted others. Su Hanze said in a low voice, "We need to find a place to see what's in this suitcase."

They wandered through several alleys until they arrived at an abandoned hut. A-Jiu skillfully picked the lock, and the three of them slipped inside. The hut was dusty, and the air was thick with the smell of old wood. Xia Xue placed the suitcase on a broken table, frowning, and said, "This thing is incredibly heavy. What's inside?"

Ajiu used a knife to pry open the lock of the box, opened the lid, and revealed stacks of thick ledgers and several documents inside. Su Hanze picked up a ledger, flipped through a few pages, and his brows furrowed more and more. "These are Tang Jingshan's transaction records," he said in a low voice. "These ledgers record his businesses over the years: opium, arms, and even human trafficking."

Xia Xue gasped, took the ledger, and flipped through it, her face gradually turning pale. "There's Shen Changqing's name on this... he seems to be a middleman in one of Tang Jingshan's businesses."

“No wonder he died.” Ajiu said coldly, picking up a document and glancing at it. “Here’s another list, all of Tang Jingshan’s men, with Shen Changqing’s name crossed out.”

Su Hanze's gaze fell on the documents, his eyes growing even more somber. "Tang Jingshan's methods for cleaning house are truly ruthless," he said in a low voice. "But if these account books leak out, he'll be in big trouble."

"What should we do?" Xia Xue asked. "Should we hand these things over to the cops?"

"The cops?" Su Hanze sneered. "Tang Jingshan's influence in Macau is deeply entrenched, and he has already bribed the cops. We need to think of another way."

"Just burn it?" Ah Jiu suggested, her tone as calm as if she were talking about a trivial matter.

“No.” Su Hanze shook his head. “These things are evidence, we have to keep them. But we have to hide them well first, so that Tang Jingshan’s people can’t find them.”

Xia Xue frowned: "But we can't go very far with this box. Tang Jingshan must already know that the things are missing, and he will soon send people to search the whole city."

“So we have to hurry.” Su Hanze looked around, his gaze landing on a loose floorboard. “Ajiu, pry open the floorboard and hide the box underneath.”

Ah Jiu nodded, squatted down, and used a knife to pry open the floorboards, revealing a small space just big enough to fit the suitcase. Xia Xue helped him stuff the suitcase in, and after closing the floorboards, the three of them carefully checked again to make sure no traces were left.

"Where to now?" Xia Xue asked, patting the dust off her hands.

“The dock,” Su Hanze said in a low voice, “They’re transferring goods tonight, we need to go see what kind of goods they are.”

“But we don’t know the ship’s exact location.” Xia Xue frowned. “The dock is so big, how are we going to find it?”

“Old Li,” Ajiu coldly uttered two words, “They just mentioned that Old Li is keeping watch at the dock. He’s Tang Jingshan’s confidant. If we find him, we’ll find the ship.”

Su Hanze, Ajiu, and Xia Xue emerged from the abandoned shack. It was already dark; the night market in Macau was brightly lit, the air thick with the smoky aroma of roast meat stalls and the salty smell of the sea breeze. The alleyway was bustling with noise; the vendors' cries and the footsteps of pedestrians mingled, drowning out their departure. Su Hanze walked in front, his steps steady, but his eyes scanned the surroundings like an eagle's. Ajiu followed behind, her hands in her pockets, gripping a thin, almost invisible knife, ready to respond to any unexpected situation. Xia Xue crossed her arms, her brow furrowed, and muttered under her breath, "If word gets out about this box, Tang Jingshan will go crazy. We have to be careful."

"Be careful?" Su Hanze glanced back at her, a cold smile creeping onto his lips. "Xia Xue, you've been following me for so long, are you afraid of this little thing? If Tang Jingshan were really capable, he would have cornered the three of us in the alley last night."

Xia Xue rolled her eyes: "Stop bragging. Don't you also need Ajiu to pick locks and hide boxes? Besides, Old Li at the dock is not someone to be trifled with. I heard he has a bunch of desperados under his command, all of them are bloodthirsty bastards."

“Old Li?” Ah Jiu suddenly interjected, his voice so low it sounded like it was being squeezed out of his throat. “He used to work for my second uncle in Kowloon Walled City, but later he joined Tang Jingshan and did all the dirty work. Last year in Yau Ma Tei, he took down seven or eight Fujian gang henchmen all by himself, wielding that watermelon knife like a windmill.”

Su Hanze stopped and turned to stare at Ajiu: "You know him?"

“I know him.” Ajiu nodded, her eyes completely calm. “He owed my second uncle a life. After my second uncle died, he went to work for Tang Jingshan. He’s not very bright, but he’s reckless when he fights. He’s a real pain.”

(End of this chapter)