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

Chapter 381 Remember, don't try anything funny.

“I want to know more than you think,” Su Hanze replied coldly. “Besides, you agreed to my conditions, and now it’s time to honor them.”

“Yes, I promised.” Tang Qi put down his teacup, his eyes becoming serious. “Yu Xi, she’s not an ordinary woman. She knows a lot about Lao Gui’s secrets, especially his dealings with customs. As for Abiao, he’s in a hurry to find her, probably because he wants to find out what information she has.”

"You just said that 'Yu Xi knows Old Ghost's secret,' what exactly is that secret?" Su Hanze frowned slightly, his voice becoming even colder.

Tang Qi chuckled softly, "If these secrets were to be revealed, even I might not have a peaceful life. However, let me tell you, Lao Gui's transactions at customs are not just about smuggling cigarettes and alcohol. There are some more complex things involved, involving the entangled interests of several forces. And Yu Xi is the link between Lao Gui and these forces."

"So, Yu Xi is being controlled by Lao Gui?" Su Hanze narrowed his eyes, his tone tinged with a hint of probing.

“You could say that,” Tang Qi nodded. “But she’s not completely under control. At least, she’s always looking for an opportunity to turn the tables. You can understand that she’s a person with principles, even in front of Lao Gui.”

"A comeback?" Su Hanze sneered. "You think she can turn the tables?"

Tang Qi smiled slightly, a glint of light in her eyes: "You can give it a try. If you find her, you might learn more things that are unknown to others."

“Okay.” Su Hanze stood up, his eyes resolute. “I will find her.”

Tang Qi looked at him with a meaningful smile on his lips: "Alright, good luck. Remember, Old Ghost's men are watching you, especially near the docks."

"I know." Su Hanze turned and walked out of the room without looking back.

After leaving Tang Qi's villa, Su Hanze didn't return immediately but went straight to the dock. He wanted to personally assess the situation; A Biao's sudden conflict might provide a new breakthrough. Upon arriving at the dock, Su Hanze saw several familiar faces; clearly, they had worked in this area for many years and were very knowledgeable.

He greeted one of the middle-aged men and, after a few brief words, gleaned some useful information from him. “I heard there’s been a search for something at the docks lately,” the man said in a low voice. “I don’t know exactly what it is, but a group of people have been loitering around here, and something seems off.”

Su Hanze nodded, already having made up his mind. He didn't linger, turning and leaving the dock, his mind filled with information about Lao Gui, Yu Xi, Huang Dexing, and Abiao. It was all like a complex web; the closer he got to the core, the more dangerous it felt.

Back at his lodgings, Su Hanze organized the documents under the dim light. Every clue seemed to lead him deeper into darkness. Yet, he knew he had no choice but to keep going, whether it led to a dead end or a fork in the road, he had to see it through.

Suddenly, the pager went off. It was Ah Jiu calling.

“Sangze, the guy I was watching earlier, Abiao, was acting strangely.” Ajiu’s voice sounded anxious. “He didn’t go to the docks today, but went somewhere else, like Old Ghost’s men were meeting with him.”

"The contact?" Su Hanze's heart tightened. "Where is he?"

“Right next to the old warehouse to the north, my men are keeping an eye on him and are preparing to follow him,” Ajiu continued. “But I suspect that A-Biao is planning something big this time. It seems he wants to take this opportunity to talk to Lao Gui’s men about something.”

"Okay, keep an eye on him. I'll go check on him." Su Hanze hung up the phone and immediately went out.

He knew that this operation might be the last chance to unravel the mystery. If he missed it, he might never have another opportunity like it.

Reaching the vicinity of the warehouse, Su Hanze stopped and hid behind a dilapidated house, observing Abiao's movements from a distance. Abiao seemed rather mysterious today, wearing a hat, head down, and quickly entering the warehouse. Su Hanze's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly followed.

He crept closer to the warehouse and peered through the broken window. The warehouse was dimly lit, and a group of people were sitting together. Ah Biao stood among them, looking very nervous. Several fierce-looking men surrounded him, seemingly talking to each other.

"What exactly did you get?" one of the men asked in a cold, threatening tone.

Ah Biao swallowed hard and replied in a low voice, "I've found out about Yu Xi. I know where she is."

"Where is it?" A hint of urgency flashed in the man's eyes.

Ah Biao chuckled softly, a hint of confidence in his eyes: "You can't find her, only I can. She's hiding very well; no one knows where she is. Unless you give me what I want."

Su Hanze's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. It turned out that Abiao had the clues about Yu Xi in his hands!
Su Hanze stood outside the window of the dilapidated warehouse, quietly listening to the sounds inside. A Biao's words, "Only I can find her," sent a jolt through him. Yu Xi's whereabouts didn't seem as simple as Tang Qi had described; A Biao clearly knew something. He quietly took a few steps back, avoiding the warehouse doorway, and began to ponder how to extract more information from A Biao.

A flash of inspiration struck him. Since A Biao dared to boast so brazenly that he could find Yu Xi, he had to find an opportunity to get close to A Biao and use A Biao's greed and eagerness to force him to reveal more details.

The next day, Su Hanze didn't rush into action but chose to wait. He waited for the right opportunity, for A Biao to back down. That evening, Su Hanze took the initiative to contact Tang Qi and arranged a private meeting.

Tang Qi remained relaxed, sitting expressionlessly in his private club, holding a wine glass. When Su Hanze arrived that day, Tang Qi was chatting and laughing with several subordinates. Seeing Su Hanze approach, Tang Qi smiled and pointed to the seat next to him, "Come and sit down."

"I don't want to drink today, Tang Qi." Su Hanze sat down directly and waved his hand. "There are some things I feel I need to talk to you about."

Tang Qi raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by Su Hanze's directness. "Oh? What is it?"

“That kid, Abiao, has been acting a bit strange lately.” Su Hanze slowly exhaled, his gaze sharply fixed on Tang Qi. “He recently went to see Old Ghost’s people. It seems he’s not just doing small business; he has some bigger plans behind the scenes.”

Tang Qi gave a cold smile. "Are you threatening me, Su Hanze? Or are you reminding me that he's dangerous?"

“I’m reminding you, A-Biao isn’t very valuable,” Su Hanze said calmly, “but he knows where Yu-Xi is, you should know that.”

Tang Qi stared at Su Hanze for a moment before speaking, "You want to find out about Yuxi from Abiao?" His words carried a meaningful smile, "You know, that kid Abiao isn't someone you can easily bully." "I know," Su Hanze nodded, "So I plan to take advantage of his greed. He has something in his hands now, and I need to get more clues from him. You also know that the sooner we resolve Old Ghost's matter, the better."

Tang Qi stopped talking, lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then finally nodded, "Okay, I'll help you. What do you want to do?"

“I want Abiao to confess on his own.” Su Hanze’s eyes were sharp. “He’s in a hurry to control Yu Xi’s information right now. If he thinks I can help him get something he wants, he might have a chance.”

Tang Qi chuckled, "You're quite clever. But you'd better be careful, A-Biao isn't a simple person."

“I know.” Su Hanze slowly stood up. “However, if you want to gain a foothold in this industry, you always have to take a few risky steps.”

Tang Qi nodded, and as he saw Su Hanze out, his tone became serious, "Remember, A Biao is never reliable. If you really manage to get information about Yu Xi from him, you'd better leave immediately and not get entangled with him anymore."

"I will." Su Hanze nodded and left Tang Qi's club.

Back at his residence, Su Hanze dialed Ajiu's number. "Ajiu, keep a close eye on Abiao. I plan to meet with him tomorrow night and use him." He paused, then added, "Report immediately if you notice anything unusual about him."

Ajiu was silent for a few seconds, then said, "I understand, Sangze. I'll be careful."

The next day, Su Hanze began his plan. He arranged to meet Abiao at a secluded bar located in a quiet alley, not crowded, suitable for a private conversation. Abiao arrived a little late, and seemed visibly uneasy as he entered, walking quickly towards Su Hanze with his head down.

"Sit down, don't be so nervous." Su Hanze gestured for Abiao to sit down and poured himself a glass of wine.

Ah Biao looked around before finally sitting down, but his eyes kept darting around. "Sang Ze, what do you think about him lately?" His words seemed to carry a hint of probing.

"What are you looking at?" Su Hanze chuckled. "Stop pretending. What did you want to talk about by inviting me here today?"

A-Biao's eyes darted around, as if he had made up his mind, and he said in a low voice, "Sang Ze, I know you're helping Tang Qi, but that's not what I want most. I want to know more about where Yu Xi is."

Su Hanze raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You've finally decided to speak. Do you think I can help you find Yu Xi's location?"

“I have some information…” Ah Biao stammered, “but I want some assurances from you. If you help me find her, I can guarantee you more.”

"What more?" Su Hanze didn't answer, but looked directly into A Biao's eyes, his tone low.

Ah Biao smiled. "I know, Sang Ze, that you're looking for Lao Gui. I know a little about it too. If you help me find Yu Xi, I can give you more information about Lao Gui. That should be useful to you."

Su Hanze didn't answer immediately. Instead, he picked up his wine glass and swirled it gently, his eyes still cold. "A-Biao, I don't necessarily want to know what you know. Besides, you should understand that dealing with Lao Gui's people is quite risky."

Upon hearing this, A-Biao seemed a little anxious, and his tone became even lower: "Sang Ze, you can trust me. I know better than you what Lao Gui and his gang have been doing."

Su Hanze was silent for a moment, then raised his head, his sharp gaze sweeping over A Biao. "If you really know something important, why are you only telling me now? Do you think I'd fall for that so easily?"

Upon seeing this, A-Biao's expression changed. He immediately lowered his head and said cautiously, "You know, things are complicated, and I can't tell you everything at once. I... I just want to know, where exactly is Yu-Xi now?"

Su Hanze stared at him, lost in thought. A Biao's anxious eyes seemed to reveal his inner turmoil. This wasn't just about Yu Xi; there was something deeper behind it, which A Biao hadn't fully revealed.

“Okay.” Su Hanze finally spoke. “I’ll help you find Yu Xi, but you have to give me more information. The more you know about Lao Gui, the more you can help me. Remember, trust is built on exchange.”

A Biao breathed a sigh of relief, a glint of greed and smugness flashing in his eyes: "Alright, I promise you, I will give you more information, Sang Ze, you won't regret it."

"We'll see," Su Hanze said in a low voice. "But remember, don't try anything funny."

Su Hanze received a call from A Biao. The message was brief: "She's shown up." A Biao's voice on the other end of the line carried a hint of anxiety and anticipation; clearly, he didn't want to miss any possible opportunity. Su Hanze stood by the office window, gazing at the street outside, already somewhat prepared. Yu Xi's appearance meant that everything was beginning to reach its climax.

"Where?" he asked in a low voice, almost impatiently.

“The old warehouse near the dock. Ten o’clock tonight, don’t be late.” Ah Biao’s voice was wary. “Sang Ze, things are a bit complicated, you have to be careful.”

Su Hanze didn't respond, he simply hung up the phone. He turned and walked to the table inside, picked up the pipe he often fiddled with, lit it casually, and exhaled a puff of smoke. A-Biao's words weren't just a warning, but more like a trap. He knew A-Biao didn't completely trust him; whether he could successfully approach Yu Xi, or even leave safely, was now uncertain.

He began to organize his weapons, checking his guns and communication equipment to make sure nothing was missing. Although he knew this operation was not simple, in this dark sea, even his own shadow could not be trusted.

After everything was ready, Su Hanze drove to the dock. Night fell, and the empty streets were occasionally punctuated by a few old trucks passing by, creating a particularly somber atmosphere. The dock area remained familiar: dilapidated warehouses, rusty equipment, and a greasy smell permeating the air. Just as he was nearing his destination, his pager vibrated.

He picked up his pager and saw a new message from Abiao: "She's being watched very closely, don't make any rash moves."

Su Hanze frowned, a sense of unease creeping into his heart. Ah Biao himself clearly understood the gravity of the situation, so why had he chosen this moment to meet with him? He took a deep breath, suppressing his doubts, and continued walking towards the warehouse.

(End of this chapter)