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

Chapter 378: Spent a fortune to bribe connections
A few days later, as expected, Mr. Li visited Su Hanze again. This time, the meeting place was still a teahouse, but the tea on the table had been replaced with two cups of wine. When Mr. Li saw Su Hanze, his smile remained gentle, as if their previous conversation had been nothing more than a passing breeze. "Mr. Su, you've come at the perfect time. The weather's been lovely lately, how about a few drinks?"

“No interest.” Su Hanze cut to the chase. “Mr. Li, let’s get down to business.”

Mr. Li's smile faded slightly, and a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He slowly poured two glasses of wine and pushed them in front of Su Hanze: "Mr. Su, as I said before, opportunities are limited, so you should think it over carefully."

“Opportunity?” Su Hanze sneered. “You mean that if we cooperate, we can both make money and ‘integrate’ into this path, right? Mr. Li, you’ve made it so clear, I understand.”

Mr. Li was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Mr. Su, this is not a threat. I just hope you can seize this opportunity. You and I are different; you value stability in business. However, this path is not as simple as you can imagine. Either seize it now, or lose it forever."

"Lose? Do you think I would take such a risk under such uncertain circumstances?" Su Hanze's eyes sharpened. "Mr. Li, who do you think I am? Someone who would cooperate with you on anything?"

Mr. Li's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and said in a low voice, "You should understand that when it comes to big business, everyone takes some risks."

Su Hanze stared at him for a moment before replying calmly, "Fine, since you put it that way, I won't beat around the bush anymore. I already know a bit about the person behind you. If you want me to consider it, you have to tell me first, Mr. Li, who exactly is that 'old ghost' behind you? I don't want to jump into a fire pit without knowing anything about the other party."

Mr. Li's expression changed slightly, then he smiled: "Mr. Su, you are indeed clever. However, sometimes knowing too much isn't necessarily a good thing. If you decide to cooperate, you can know everything."

"Cooperation?" Su Hanze sneered. "I've said it before, I prefer stability. If you want me to do this business, you'd better give me a proper explanation first."

Mr. Li frowned, seemingly running out of patience. "Mr. Su, to be clear, time waits for no one. If you're really interested, you can come to me anytime. I'll talk to Lao Gui; I can arrange everything."

"Alright, let's wait and see," Su Hanze said coldly. "But I have a suggestion for you, Mr. Li: don't expect me to do anything mindless."

Mr. Li smiled and said, "Mr. Su is right. Doing business requires intelligence, that's for sure."

Su Hanze and Boss Li walked into the backyard. Boss Li led him through a narrow alley to a simple warehouse. Everything seemed normal from the outside, but Su Hanze knew that the more inconspicuous the place, the greater the hidden risks. Boss Li pushed open the iron gate. Inside, under the dim light, a pile of goods was stacked up, and the atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating.

“That’s the problem,” Mr. Li said, pointing to a shelf not far away. “That batch of tobacco seeds was seized by customs.”

"Sealed off?" Su Hanze frowned slightly, a bad feeling rising in his heart. "What do you mean?"

"It means exactly what it says," Mr. Li sighed. "Everything we arranged in advance was suddenly targeted by customs. The seeds were seized, and there may be even more trouble to come."

"Customs?" Su Hanze thought to himself. This was no small matter; there must be something bigger pulling the strings behind it. He calmly looked at Boss Li. "Did you make a mistake, or is there some other reason?"

"How would I know?" Mr. Li's eyes flickered a few times, and his voice became low. "We've always had channels to import these things from abroad, but we didn't expect this to suddenly cause a problem. The customs' reaction was particularly strong, so I guess someone is deliberately causing trouble behind the scenes."

"Who do you think it is?" Su Hanze didn't rush to answer, but carefully examined Boss Li, his eyes sharp as knives.

“I don’t know either.” Mr. Li’s expression grew even more somber. “But I have a feeling that this might be related to Lao Gui.”

Su Hanze's heart skipped a beat. Old Ghost. This name had always weighed on his chest like a heavy stone, something he couldn't ignore. "You mean, this might be his doing?" he asked slowly, his voice low.

Mr. Li nodded. "I can't be sure, but if it really was him, then we're in big trouble."

Su Hanze was silent for a moment, then turned to leave. "Wait here, I'll go check the customs information and see if there are any loopholes."

Mr. Li hurriedly stepped forward, "Mr. Su, this matter cannot be rushed. You must be careful; Old Ghost is not someone you can easily get close to."

"Don't worry." Su Hanze smiled coldly, "I know what to do."

Stepping out of the warehouse, it was completely dark. Su Hanze didn't immediately return to the courtyard, but went straight to the town's bar, intending to inquire about the situation at customs through some channels. The bar was bustling with activity, several tables occupied by customers chatting animatedly. Su Hanze found a corner to sit down, ordered a drink, and began to formulate his next move.

Soon after, Ajiu quietly came in and whispered to him, "Sangze, I've found out some information. There's definitely something fishy about the customs matter."

"Speak," Su Hanze said calmly.

"Customs has been mobilized. Besides the regular inspectors, it seems there are external forces involved. I heard that the inspector in charge of this seizure had previously been in contact with some of Lao Gui's people." Ajiu's voice was a little tense. "If it really is his people pulling the strings behind the scenes, then we're in big trouble."

After listening, Su Hanze pondered for a moment, then asked, "What do you mean?"

"It means that someone may have deliberately had customs seize our goods in order to force us to cooperate with Lao Gui," Ajiu said in a low voice.

Su Hanze's eyes narrowed, a chill running through him. "That's ruthless."

“But it’s not entirely a bad thing,” Ajiu suddenly said. “If they’re doing this on purpose, it means Old Ghost’s plan hasn’t fully unfolded yet, and we can take this opportunity to counterattack.”

Su Hanze took a sip of his drink, his gaze gradually turning cold. "Counterattack? Do you think we can counterattack him?"

“I’m planning to find some people to see if we can find any clues about Old Ghost,” Ajiu said in a low voice. “These people might be able to help us investigate more of the inside story.”

"Go and do it," Su Hanze said calmly. "But remember, don't be too conspicuous. You need to quietly find out who Old Ghost is." Ajiu nodded. "Understood, Sangze."

That evening, Su Hanze stayed at the bar, occasionally exchanging information with several familiar businessmen. The customs matter was clearly not so simple; many people were secretly manipulating the situation. He needed more clues to determine who was behind it all.

As the night wore on and the bar emptied, Su Hanze got up to leave. Just as he reached the door, someone called out to him, "Mr. Su."

He turned around and saw a middle-aged man, around forty years old, with a serious expression and dressed in casual clothes; he was clearly not a regular at the bar. "Who are you?"

"My name is Cao Ping." The middle-aged man smiled slightly. "We had some business dealings before, I wonder if you remember?"

Su Hanze frowned slightly, then nodded after a moment. "I remember. Is there anything you need, Mr. Cao?"

Cao Ping looked around and said in a low voice, "Actually, I've heard some news about customs and I'd like to talk to you about it."

Su Hanze's heart skipped a beat, and he gestured for the other man to follow him. The two walked into an alley outside the bar, where no one was around, and the atmosphere suddenly became serious.

"Mr. Cao, just say what you have to say," Su Hanze said calmly.

“There is indeed a problem with customs.” Cao Ping lowered his voice. “I just learned from a friend that some people deliberately leaked information to exploit loopholes in customs and seize your goods. It seems that there are secret deals among the higher-ups in customs, and Lao Gui’s men are involved.”

Su Hanze's eyes narrowed, a ripple of emotion stirring within him. "You mean, there's a larger power pulling the strings behind this?"

Cao Ping nodded. "I suspect that the customs issue is just the tip of the iceberg. Someone deliberately forced you into this trap, making you have no choice but to cooperate with Lao Gui."

“I understand.” Su Hanze smiled slightly. “Boss Cao, thank you for the information. Since you care so much about our business, I can’t leave you unrewarded.”

Cao Ping hurriedly waved his hand, "No, no, I just wanted to help. You can't easily mess with someone like Lao Gui. I just hope you can stay vigilant."

Su Hanze nodded. "Don't worry, I will."

"That's good." Cao Ping breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm leaving now. Be careful."

Watching Cao Ping leave, Su Hanze's mood grew increasingly heavy. The customs issue seemed far more complex than he had imagined, and the "old ghost" that Boss Li had mentioned was no simple character either. At this moment, he could no longer rely solely on Boss Li's information; he had to expedite the investigation and uncover the truth.

Su Hanze stood at the alley entrance, the night breeze carrying a faint smell of alcohol and the smoky aroma of street barbecue. He lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. Cao Ping's words echoed repeatedly in his mind: the customs affair was indeed not simple. Someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes, possibly even involving a larger force. He narrowed his eyes, smoke slowly escaping from the corner of his mouth, his gaze sweeping towards the dim streetlights in the distance. The night deepened, the town's hustle and bustle gradually subsided, but his heart grew increasingly uneasy.

He didn't return to his residence immediately, but instead walked slowly along the street, pondering his next move. Ah Jiu had already gone to investigate Lao Gui's background, but relying on Ah Jiu alone was too inefficient. Su Hanze knew that this matter couldn't be rushed; it had to be done step by step, but time was of the essence. If the customs seizure was indeed Lao Gui's scheme, then the other side had clearly laid a trap, just waiting for them to fall into it.

The barbecue stall on the street corner was still lit up. The owner, a thin middle-aged man, was bent over, flipping chicken wings, the grease dripping onto the charcoal and sizzling. Su Hanze walked over, found a plastic stool, sat down, and casually tossed a cigarette to the stall owner. "Old Liu, how's business?"

Old Liu looked up, grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth. "Brother Su, out so late? Business's so-so, just getting by. What about you? What have you been up to lately?"

"Busy with worries." Su Hanze smiled casually. "There's been a lot of commotion at customs. Have you heard anything?"

Old Liu paused, glanced at Su Hanze, and whispered, "Brother Su, are you trying to trick me? Who dares to talk about customs matters so casually? But..." He lowered his voice and leaned closer, "I heard someone mention that some of the goods seized this time are not ordinary goods. It's possible that someone deliberately leaked information to customs to use them as a tool to kill."

Su Hanze raised an eyebrow, his fingers tightening slightly as he held the cigarette between his fingers. "Using someone else to do your dirty work? That's an interesting idea. Who told you that?"

"Hey, it's just gossip on the street, who knows if it's true or not." Old Liu waved his hand and flipped the chicken wing. "A couple of days ago, some guy from out of town came here for barbecue. He drank a bit too much and started bragging that he knew people in customs and that this seizure was because someone paid a lot of money to bribe them. I figured I should just listen to that and not take it seriously."

"Out-of-towner?" Su Hanze narrowed his eyes. "What does he look like? What's his name?"

Old Liu scratched his head and recalled for a moment. "He was in his thirties, tall and thin, with a small mustache, and spoke with a northern accent. He didn't say his name, but I heard him mention 'Old Ghost' when he was bragging. I thought, isn't this something that happens in your circle? I didn't dare to ask any more questions."

Su Hanze nodded, tossed a banknote onto the table, and grabbed a few skewers of grilled meat. "Thanks, Lao Liu. Don't mention this to anyone else."

"Don't worry, Brother Su, I'll keep my mouth shut." Old Liu chuckled as he took the money and continued working.

Su Hanze munched on a skewer of grilled meat as he walked towards the edge of town. Old Liu's words, though fragmented, matched Cao Ping's information. The customs seizure was indeed linked to Old Gui, and this person seemed to be connected to a much larger network. Su Hanze thought that if someone had indeed bribed customs officials, their goal was definitely not just to seize a batch of goods. Were they forcing him to cooperate with Old Gui? Or were they trying to drive him to a dead end?

It was past 1 a.m. when he returned to his lodgings. The courtyard was quiet, with only the faint light from the light bulb by the door. Pushing open the door, he found Ajiu sitting on the sofa, a pile of notes and a tattered map spread out in front of him. He looked up and saw Su Hanze, then quickly stood up. "Sangze, you're back. I just came back from the old town and found some clues."

"Speak." Su Hanze took off his coat, threw it on the chair, sat down, and lit a cigarette.

Ah Jiu handed over a slip of paper with several names and addresses written on it. "I contacted some old connections and found out about Lao Gui. He's been very active at the port in recent years. He has a few people working for him who specialize in dealing with customs. This seizure is most likely related to them."

Su Hanze took the note and glanced at it. "Who are these people?"

(End of this chapter)