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

Chapter 392 Sold Out of Everything
"What do we do?" A-Biao asked.

"Let's take it one step at a time," Su Hanze said with a cold smile. "If they want to play, I'll play along."

Su Hanze stood by the harbor, holding a tightly wrapped packet of seeds in his hand. Although it was just a few unremarkable tobacco seeds, he knew that this would be his most important asset for the next few months, or even years.

"Are you sure this will work?" A-Biao stood beside him, looking somewhat doubtful, his eyes glancing around every now and then, as if worried about unexpected trouble.

"There's no such thing as 'can't' or 'can't'," Su Hanze replied calmly, his eyes still cold. "As long as it makes money, it's something I can do." He spoke simply, as if it were nothing that required much thought, but the enormous risks and unknowns hidden behind it were enough to frighten anyone.

"This thing... doesn't seem like a typical trade item." Ah Biao's tone was low, clearly hesitant to draw a conclusion.

“Nobody said it was an ordinary commodity.” Su Hanze turned his gaze to the distance, where a few faint ship lights occasionally flashed on the dark sea, seemingly the lights of distant fishing boats. A sea breeze blew, and his hair fluttered gently, as if foreshadowing some impending storm.

A-Biao didn't say anything more. He knew Su Hanze sometimes understood the situation better than others, but he still felt uneasy. Planting and smuggling were both high-risk operations. Even though Su Hanze sounded relaxed, A-Biao knew the trouble hidden behind it was definitely not insignificant.

"Do you think Tang Zhenhai will agree to this?" A Biao finally couldn't help but ask, his eyes filled with worry.

“Tang Zhenhai had no choice,” Su Hanze said softly. “He understands that to stabilize the situation in Hong Kong, he cannot rely solely on the existing chain of interests. Only by continuously expanding can he possibly maintain the current situation.”

A-Biao didn't respond. He followed Su Hanze to the side of the ship, looking at the cargo ship already moored at the dock. The deep hum of machinery came from the cabin, indicating that the crew was preparing to set sail. The ship's headlights flickered on the dark sea, like a giant eye gazing at the endless night ocean in the distance.

"Go back and get everything ready." Su Hanze patted Abiao on the shoulder and instructed him to disembark. "Arrange it as soon as possible; this matter cannot be delayed."

A-Biao nodded, quickly turned and left the cabin, while Su Hanze stood there, gazing into the distance. He knew in his heart that this voyage might mean many changes, or it might be the death knell for some. In any case, the seed was already in his hands, and his control over it had only just begun.

Things on the ship progressed quickly, and a few days later, Su Hanze returned to Hong Kong with the packet of tobacco seeds. To avoid trouble, he didn't go directly into the city but chose to take a detour, using a more concealed route back to his hideout.

In the past few days, he has had virtually no contact with the outside world, only secretly making contacts with some key figures, preparing for the next move. He hasn't told anyone about the packet of seeds; only he knows that once this scheme begins, it will inevitably affect the entire landscape of Hong Kong.

Back in the hidden warehouse, Su Hanze gave Abiao brief instructions, telling him and some trusted men to prepare the necessary equipment. Although he appeared calm on the surface, Su Hanze was unusually clear-headed—the tobacco planting plan, if successful, would bring about an unprecedented chain of profits, but the risks were equally enormous.

"What do you plan to do?" A-Biao looked at Su Hanze, his eyes full of questions.

“First, we need to figure out the attitudes of the various forces in Hong Kong,” Su Hanze said in a low voice. “The smuggling routes have been disrupted. Next, we must find a new breakthrough. This tobacco leaf project cannot just benefit a few people; it must be something that no one can refuse.”

"What do you mean?" A-Biao frowned slightly, seemingly not fully understanding Su Hanze's meaning.

“Hong Kong is not just a triad territory.” Su Hanze stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dim streetlights outside. “This is the crossroads of the world. Businesses, politicians, triads, and even forces from other countries are all vying for every inch of land. The power of triads alone is definitely not enough.”

Ah Biao was silent for a moment, then seemed to finally understand Su Hanze's meaning. "You want more partners?"

“It’s more than just cooperation.” Su Hanze turned around, his eyes sharp. “I want to build a new system, a system in which all parties participate, with closely linked chains of interests, interdependent and impossible for anyone to easily tear apart. This bag of tobacco seeds is not just a commodity; it represents a new business model.”

“But doing so will create even more enemies,” A-Biao warned.

“The enemy will always exist.” Su Hanze’s tone remained calm. “But as long as we have enough resources and the power to influence the narrative, the enemy will not be able to shake us.”

Su Hanze stood by the warehouse window, the dim streetlights casting a faint glow on his cold, stern face. A cigarette burned in his hand, wisps of smoke drifting through the air, carrying a faint, acrid smell. The warehouse was filled with old wooden crates and iron barrels, a few rudimentary machines tucked away in a corner, the air thick with the dampness and smell of paint. A-Biao sat at a worn wooden table, toying with a dagger, his eyes frequently glancing at Su Hanze.

"Are you really planning to grow tobacco here?" Ah Biao finally couldn't help but ask, his tone tinged with doubt. "This place never sees any sunlight. Will anything grown here be any good?"

“We’re not planting here.” Su Hanze exhaled a puff of smoke, his gaze still fixed on the view outside the window. “The warehouse is just a transit point. I’ve already found a place, a deserted piece of land on the outskirts of the city, secluded and unnoticed.”

“Wasteland?” A-Biao frowned and put down his dagger. “Are you sure that place is safe? The Gray Wolf men are still watching us. We could get caught if we’re not careful.”

“It’s safe.” Su Hanze turned around, his eyes calm but with an undeniable firmness. “That piece of land belongs to Old Chen. He owes me a favor, so he won’t say a word.”

Ah Biao snorted and leaned against the table: "That old fox Chen, he talks a good game, but who knows if he'll stab us in the back?"

“He wouldn’t dare.” Su Hanze stubbed out his cigarette and threw it into the metal bucket next to him. “He knows the consequences of betraying me.”

Yu Xi walked over from the other end of the warehouse, carrying a stack of documents, looking somewhat tired. She glanced at Su Hanze and said in a low voice, "I contacted Lin Zhiyuan, and he said he can arrange for me to meet with my father tonight."

"Meet?" Su Hanze raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on her. "Are you sure your father will agree to our plan?"

“He…” Yu Xi hesitated for a moment, biting her lip, “He won’t completely agree, but he has no other choice. You’re right, the situation in Hong Kong is too complicated, and he needs new allies.”

"Allies?" Ah Biao sneered. "Your father is the Director of Customs and Excise, he can make half of Hong Kong tremble with a stomp of his foot. Would he even look at us?"

Yu Xi glanced at A Biao and said calmly, "It's not that he looks down on you, it's that he can't trust anyone. Now the Gray Wolf people have their eyes on him, and he needs a breakthrough that will give him a chance to breathe." "And that breakthrough is the tobacco seeds you have?" A Biao looked at Su Hanze, his eyes filled with inquiry.

Su Hanze didn't answer, but instead took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, opened it to reveal a handful of dark brown seeds that emitted a faint grassy smell.

As night deepened, the streets outside the warehouse were eerily quiet. Su Hanze stood at the window, his gaze sweeping across the distant streetlights, his ears straining for any unusual sounds. A Biao had already left with several men to prepare the equipment needed for planting, while Yu Xi had gone alone to the meeting place with Lin Zhiyuan. Only Su Hanze remained in the warehouse, a heavy silence hanging in the air.

He lit another cigarette, took a deep drag, and his mind raced. The tobacco plan was the result of his repeated deliberations over the past few days, but the risks were far greater than he outwardly appeared. Hong Kong's underworld was never a monopoly; gangs, businesses, and even foreign forces were all vying for power in secret. And this packet of seeds in his hand could become the lever that shifted the entire landscape, or it could push them all into the abyss.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the warehouse door, a rhythm of three long knocks followed by two short ones. Su Hanze frowned, his grip on the gun tightening, and silently walked to the door. He peeked through the crack and saw a tall, thin figure standing outside, wearing a worn-out jacket and a baseball cap.

"Who?" Su Hanze asked in a low voice, pointing the gun at the crack in the door.

"It's me, Xiaodao." The voice outside the door was deep, with a familiar hoarseness.

Su Hanze narrowed his eyes and slowly opened the door. Xiao Dao walked in, took off his hat, revealing a face covered in scars. He was an old acquaintance of Su Hanze's, someone who used to work at the docks, but later disappeared for a while after offending someone.

"Why are you here?" Su Hanze put away his gun, his tone indifferent.

Xiao Dao grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "I heard you've gotten into a lot of trouble lately, so I came to see if I could help."

"Help?" Su Hanze sneered. "You never do anything that doesn't make you money. So, tell me, what do you want from me?"

Xiao Dao rubbed his hands together and lowered his voice: "I heard you have a batch of goods on hand, worth quite a bit of money."

Su Hanze's eyes darkened, and he tapped his fingers lightly on the gun: "The news travels fast enough."

"Hey, this industry is only so big, everyone knows about any little thing that happens," Xiao Dao said with a somewhat ingratiating smile. "I'm not going to beat around the bush, I want to get involved."

"Get involved?" Su Hanze stared at him, his tone as cold as ice. "What gives you the right?"

“I have connections.” Xiao Dao leaned closer, lowering his voice even further. “I know a route that can transport goods to Southeast Asia. It’s very reliable, and no one can find out about it.”

Su Hanze didn't speak, just stared at him quietly. Xiao Dao felt a little uneasy under his gaze and chuckled dryly, "Don't look at me like that. I genuinely want to cooperate. The Gray Wolf people are looking for you everywhere; you need to make more friends, right?"

“Friends?” Su Hanze sneered. “People like you only care about money, not people.”

"Don't say that," Xiao Dao shrugged. "I may be a bit greedy, but I still have my integrity. If you don't trust me, I can show you some sincerity first."

"What sincerity?" Su Hanze raised an eyebrow.

Xiao Dao took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Su Hanze: "These are several of Grey Wolf's strongholds in Hong Kong. It took me a lot of effort to get my hands on them."

Su Hanze took the paper, opened it, and saw several addresses and some simple annotations written on it. He glanced at it and frowned: "How did you get this?"

"Don't ask about the details." Little Knife grinned. "Anyway, it's all true. If you want to mess with the Gray Wolves, these places are a good place to start."

Su Hanze folded the paper, put it in his pocket, and said in a still indifferent tone, "Why should I believe you?"

“You don’t need to trust me,” Little Knife shrugged. “But you have to trust your own judgment. Gray Wolf is your biggest problem right now, and I’m just clearing the way for you.”

Su Hanze didn't say anything more, but just nodded: "Okay, I'll consider it."

Xiao Dao smiled, turned and walked towards the door: "Then I'll wait for your message. Remember, my line is always open for you."

The sound of the door closing echoed in the warehouse. Su Hanze stood there, his gaze darkening. Xiao Dao's appearance surprised him somewhat, but not entirely unexpectedly. Hong Kong's underworld was never short of opportunists, and for someone like Xiao Dao, changing sides was instinctive. But the information he provided did indeed tempt Su Hanze.

He walked to the table, unfolded the paper Xiao Dao had given him, and carefully studied the addresses on it. Most of these places were in remote areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island; some were abandoned factories, and some were warehouses near the docks. Grey Wolf's influence was far greater than he had imagined; he and Ah Biao alone could not possibly confront them head-on.

"We need to find more people," Su Hanze muttered to himself, tapping his fingers lightly on the paper.

Su Hanze stood by the warehouse window, his gaze piercing through the broken glass and landing on the dim lights of the distant dock. The night was heavy, the air thick with the smells of seawater and diesel fuel, mingled with a damp, musty odor. He lit a cigarette, the smoke rising slowly in the dim light, blurring his vision. The warehouse was quiet except for the low rumble of the distant dock cranes and the soft rustling of the paper Xiao Dao had left on the table in the wind.

He walked back to the table, picked up the paper, and scanned the addresses again. The Grey Wolves' hideouts were more scattered than he'd anticipated, spanning half of Hong Kong from Sham Shui Po in Kowloon to Chai Wan on Hong Kong Island. These places seemed insignificant, but behind each one might lie Grey Wolves' warehouses, trading points, or even their headquarters. Su Hanze narrowed his eyes, his finger tracing the paper, stopping at an address labeled "Old Shipyard." He'd heard of this place—a long-abandoned factory by the docks, surrounded by unfinished buildings and wasteland, so remote that even the police didn't bother patrolling it. If they really wanted to take action, that might be a breakthrough.

He folded the paper and stuffed it back into his pocket, his mind replaying Xiao Dao's words. That guy might have sweet talk, but Su Hanze knew him too well. Xiao Dao never did anything without a profit; this paper might be real, but there was definitely a hidden agenda behind it. Su Hanze exhaled a puff of smoke, his gaze turning cold. In Hong Kong, trust was a luxury; a moment's carelessness and you could be sold out without a trace.

(End of this chapter)