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

Chapter 389 Did that old guy betray us?
The sound of the hidden door closing echoed in the basement, leaving a heavy silence. Su Hanze looked down at the bread in his hand, his eyes deep and unfathomable. Yu Xi's identity had been exposed, and the shadow of the Gray Wolf was closing in step by step; their situation was more complicated than he had imagined.

"What do we do now?" Yu Xi asked in a low voice, her eyes filled with unease.

"Eat something first." Su Hanze handed her a piece of bread, his tone calm. "Then we need to find a way to figure out what the Grey Wolf really wants."

Ah Biao frowned, took a bite of bread, and asked, "Do you think Old Chen's words are credible?"

“Half true, half false,” Su Hanze said coldly. “He definitely knows more than he says.”

"So we're still staying here?" Yu Xi frowned. "If he's unreliable..."

“He won’t sell to us for now,” Su Hanze interrupted her. “But we have to be prepared to leave at any time.”

Yu Xi nodded, took a bite of her bread, and looked at him with a complicated expression. She knew that her identity had already made Su Hanze and Abiao wary of her, but she had no other choice. She could only trust them and had to rely on them.

After finishing their meal, the three began discussing their next plan. Su Hanze suggested first finding out more about the Grey Wolf, but A Biao thought it would be safer to leave the city directly. Yu Xi insisted on finding out more about her father, otherwise she wouldn't be able to feel at ease.

"Can you two stop arguing?" Yu Xi finally couldn't help but frown and say, "We're all in the same boat now, what's the point of arguing?"

"A ship?" Ah Biao sneered. "You make it sound so easy. You're the daughter of the Customs Director, and what are we? Fools to take a bullet for you?"

"Enough," Su Hanze interrupted him coldly. "Now is not the time for infighting."

Ah Biao snorted, leaned back against the bed, and said nothing more. Yu-Hsi lowered her head, a hint of guilt in her eyes. She knew that although Ah Biao's words were harsh, they weren't entirely without merit.

Su Hanze stood up, walked to the wall, and checked the hidden door: "We'll take turns keeping watch tonight. Yuxi, you should rest first."

“I’m not tired.” Yu Xi shook her head. “I can keep watch.”

“You can’t hold it.” Su Hanze’s tone was calm but unquestionable. “Listen to me.”

Yu Xi bit her lip, but finally nodded.

The air in the basement grew increasingly stifling. The dim yellow light cast long shadows on the walls, flickering as if they might go out at any moment. Su Hanze leaned against the hidden door, his grip on the gun tight, his eyes fixed coldly on the entrance. A Biao lay on the bed, his breathing more even, but still somewhat weak. Yu Xi sat in the corner, her arms wrapped around her knees, her eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought.

"Su Hanze, how much do you think we can trust Lao Chen?" Yu Xi suddenly spoke, her voice so low it was almost as if she were talking to herself.

Su Hanze glanced at her and said in a flat tone, "He won't sell us out, but he also won't reveal all the details."

"So, he's hiding something?" A-Biao sat up, frowning. "This old guy doesn't look like a good person."

“He’s not a good person, but he’s not an enemy either,” Su Hanze said coldly. “At least not now.”

Yu Xi bit her lip and looked up at Su Hanze: "So what do we do next? Just keep hiding here?"

“We can’t hide for long.” Su Hanze’s gaze returned to the hidden door. “The Gray Wolf men will find us sooner or later. We have to take the initiative.”

"Take the initiative?" Ah Biao scoffed. "Are you crazy? We don't even know who the other side is, and you want to take the initiative?"

“If we wait for them to come knocking on our door, we'll be in an even more passive position.” Su Hanze’s tone was completely flat. “Yuxi, did your father leave you any contact information?”

Yu Xi paused for a moment, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes: "Contact information? You mean..."

"Can you find him directly, or someone he trusts?" Su Hanze stared at her, his eyes as cold as knives. "Since you're Tang Zhenhai's daughter, you should have some way, right?"

Yu Xi lowered her head and remained silent for a few seconds, her fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes: "He...he gave me a number, saying I could call it in an emergency. But I've never used it."

"Where is the number?" Su Hanze's tone left no room for argument.

Yu Xi took a neatly folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Su Hanze. A string of numbers was written on the paper, the handwriting neat and orderly, clearly prepared beforehand. Su Hanze took the paper, glanced at it, and frowned: "Is this an encrypted line?"

“It should be.” Yu Xi nodded. “My father said that only he and his adjutant know this number.”

"Adjutant?" Ah Biao interjected, frowning. "Who is that?"

"His surname is Lin, and his name is Lin Zhiyuan," Yu Xi said softly. "He is the person my father trusts most."

Su Hanze didn't say anything more. He stood up and walked to an old wooden box in the corner of the basement. He opened the box; inside was an old-fashioned satellite phone. The screen was covered in scratches, but it still worked fairly well. He entered the number on the piece of paper, hesitated for a second, and then pressed the dial button.

The phone rang a few times before being answered. A deep male voice came from the other end, tinged with wariness: "Who is it?"

“I’m looking for Tang Zhenhai,” Su Hanze said calmly. “I want to tell him it’s about his daughter.”

The other person was silent for a few seconds, then their voice turned cold: "Who are you?"

“A man who doesn’t want trouble,” Su Hanze said coldly. “But I have news about his daughter, and you’d better let him come and hear it for himself.”

There was another silence on the other end of the phone. After a moment, another voice spoke, steady but with a hint of weariness: "This is Tang Zhenhai. What is it?"

Su Hanze glanced at Yu Xi and said in a low voice, "Your daughter, Tang Yu Xi, is with me now. She's being chased by people from the Gray Wolf gang."

There was a visibly pause on the other end of the phone, and Tang Zhenhai's voice deepened: "Where are you?"

“A safe place.” Su Hanze didn’t answer directly, “but we can’t hold out for long. Your daughter said you have a document that the Grey Wolf wants.”

Tang Zhenhai was silent for a moment, then asked with a complicated tone, "What do you want?"

“I don’t want to die,” Su Hanze replied curtly. “You have to give us a way out.”

"A way out?" Tang Zhenhai sneered. "Do you know who you're going against?"

“I know,” Su Hanze said without backing down, “but you also know that the Grey Wolves won’t let your daughter go. If you want her to live, you have to cooperate with us.”

There was another silence on the other end of the phone. After a long while, Tang Zhenhai finally spoke: "Okay. I'll send someone to pick you up. But you have to prove first that she's really with you."

Su Hanze handed the phone to Yu Xi, gesturing for her to speak. Yu Xi took the phone, her hand trembling slightly: "Dad, it's me."

"Yuxi?" Tang Zhenhai's voice was noticeably shaken. "Are you alright?"

“I…I’m fine.” Yu Xi bit her lip, her voice choked with sobs. “But they saved me, you have to help them.”

Tang Zhenhai took a deep breath, his tone regaining its calm: "Okay, I understand. Give him the phone." Yu Xi handed the phone back to Su Hanze, who took it and whispered, "Tell me, what do we do?"

"Ten o'clock tonight, at the abandoned dock south of the city." Tang Zhenhai's tone was cold and hard. "My men will pick you up there. But I warn you, if this is a scam, you will regret it."

“I’m not interested in playing games with you,” Su Hanze said coldly. “Ten o’clock, at the dock, we’ll be there.”

After hanging up the phone, Su Hanze turned to look at Yu Xi and Abiao: "Pack your things, we'll leave in an hour."

"An hour?" Ah Biao frowned. "You really believe him? What if it's a trap?"

“We have no choice.” Su Hanze said calmly, “If we stay here, the Gray Wolves will find us sooner or later.”

Yu Xi whispered, "My father wouldn't lie to me. He... he may be strict, but he wouldn't joke about my life."

"That's not necessarily true," Ah Biao scoffed. "Who knows what officials are thinking?"

"Enough," Su Hanze interrupted him. "This is not the time to argue. Abiao, check the weapons. Yuxi, you take charge of the food and water."

Yu Xi nodded and got up to tidy up the supplies in the corner. A Biao reluctantly got up, checked his gun, and muttered, "This is getting more and more outrageous..."

An hour later, the three of them quietly left the basement. Old Chen stood at the door, frowning as he looked at them: "Are you really leaving?"

“No choice,” Su Hanze said briefly. “Thanks, Lao Chen.”

Old Chen snorted and waved his hand: "Don't thank me, I don't want to be dragged into this by you guys."

The night was deep, and the streets on the outskirts of the city were eerily quiet. Su Hanze walked at the front, his gun concealed under his trench coat, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. Yu Xi and Abiao followed behind, Abiao's hand on his gun at his waist, while Yu Xi carried a backpack full of supplies, her steps somewhat heavy.

"How far is the dock?" Yu Xi asked in a low voice, her voice tinged with nervousness.

"Ten minutes." Su Hanze glanced at his watch. "Don't talk, save your energy."

The three turned into a side street, flanked by abandoned factories and empty spaces piled with debris. Moonlight cast dappled shadows on the ground, and a faint smell of the sea filled the air. The pier was not far away, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore could be faintly heard.

Suddenly, Su Hanze stopped and gestured for the two to crouch down. He whispered, "Someone's here."

Yu Xi and Abiao immediately crouched behind the wrecked car next to them, holding their breath. Through the crack in the car window, Su Hanze could vaguely see several dark figures moving near the dock, seemingly carrying weapons.

"Tang Zhenhai's men?" A Biao asked in a low voice, his tone tinged with suspicion.

“It doesn’t seem like it.” Su Hanze frowned. “Their movements are too cautious, like they’re lying in ambush.”

Yu Xi's face paled, and she lowered her voice, "Then... what do we do?"

“Observe first.” Su Hanze’s eyes turned cold. “If there are problems, we’ll have to find another way.”

A few minutes later, a deep engine sound came from the direction of the dock. A black sedan slowly drove up and stopped at the dock. The door opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit stepped out, followed by two armed bodyguards. The man stood at the dock, lit a cigarette, and scanned his surroundings.

“It’s Lin Zhiyuan,” Yu Xi said softly, her voice tinged with excitement. “My father’s adjutant.”

Su Hanze narrowed his eyes, carefully observing Lin Zhiyuan's movements. The other party seemed very calm, but the surrounding shadows did not disperse; instead, they moved even closer.

“There’s a problem,” Su Hanze said in a low voice. “Those people weren’t brought by him.”

"Who is that?" A-Biao frowned and gripped his gun tighter.

“The Gray Wolf men,” Su Hanze’s tone was as cold as ice. “They knew we were coming.”

Yu Xi's expression changed, and her voice trembled slightly: "How could this be? My father wouldn't..."

“It’s not your father,” Su Hanze interrupted her. “It could be Old Chen, or the phone might have been tapped.”

"Old Chen?" A-Biao's eyes widened. "That old guy betrayed us?"

“There’s no time to investigate now.” Su Hanze took a deep breath. “We need to go around and get closer to Lin Zhiyuan.”

"Go around him?" Yu Xi frowned. "Those people are clearly watching him. How do we get close?"

"Follow me." Su Hanze didn't explain further, gesturing for the two to follow him, quietly circling around to the other side of the dock along the piles of abandoned cars and debris.

The three moved cautiously, trying not to make a sound. Su Hanze's footsteps were as light as a cat's, each step treading in the shadows. Yu Xi and Abiao followed behind, their breathing unusually clear in the quiet night.

As he approached the dock, Su Hanze stopped and hid behind a pile of abandoned containers. Through the gaps, he saw Lin Zhiyuan still smoking, with two bodyguards standing behind him, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily. The shadowy figures on the other side of the dock had already dispersed, clearly searching for something.

“There are six of them,” Su Hanze said in a low voice. “Three on the left, two on the right, and one in the back of the car.”

"Six people?" Ah Biao frowned. "What are we going to do?"

“Let’s split up.” Su Hanze looked at Yu Xi. “You’re in charge of drawing their attention, and Abiao and I will take care of them.”

"Me?" Yu Xi was taken aback, a hint of unease in her eyes. "I... I can't fight."

“You don’t need to fire.” Su Hanze handed her a signal flare. “Go to that open space over there, light this, and then run back.”

Yu Xi took the signal flare, her hand trembling slightly: "What if they chase after us?"

“They will chase us, but not too far,” Su Hanze said calmly. “We will handle it.”

Yu Xi gritted her teeth and nodded: "Okay, I'll give it a try."

"Ah Biao, come with me." Su Hanze patted Ah Biao on the shoulder, signaling him to follow.

Yu Xi took a deep breath and quietly circled around to an open area on the other side of the dock. She lit a signal flare, and the red light exploded in the night sky, the piercing sound breaking the silence. The shadowy figures by the dock were immediately attracted, and several figures quickly ran towards the open area.

"There!" a dark figure shouted, raising his gun and firing a shot towards the open space.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Hanze and Abiao quickly approached the car by the dock. Su Hanze rolled over and hid behind the car, aiming his gun at the dark figure behind it. Before the man could react, Su Hanze shot him in the shoulder, and he fell to the ground screaming.

(End of this chapter)