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

Chapter 393 There's no time to wait any longer, let's make our move today.
The warehouse door creaked open, and A-Biao pushed it open and walked in. He wore a worn-out jacket, his face showing signs of fatigue, and carried a bag of roast meat rice, the aroma filling the warehouse. A-Biao was Su Hanze's only trusted brother over the years; he wasn't a man of many words, but he was reliable and never let him down when it mattered. He placed the rice on the table and glanced at the cigarette in Su Hanze's hand: "Smoking so much again? Don't you care about your lungs?"

Su Hanze snorted and stubbed out his cigarette: "As long as there's food, why worry about so much?"

Ah Biao didn't say anything more. He opened the bag, pushed a box of char siu rice in front of Su Hanze, and took another box for himself, sitting down. While eating, he asked, "What's Xiao Dao doing here? Didn't that guy run away a long time ago?"

“He said he had a way to ship goods to Southeast Asia.” Su Hanze picked up a piece of char siu and stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and said in a cold tone, “He also gave me a piece of paper with several of the Grey Wolves’ strongholds on it.”

Ah Biao put down his chopsticks and frowned: "Grey Wolf's stronghold? Where did he get this information?"

“He said not to ask about the process,” Su Hanze sneered. “I think he just wants to get some benefits and, incidentally, probe my capabilities.”

Ah Biao lowered his head, took a bite of rice, and remained silent for a while before speaking: "You believe him?"

"I don't believe it," Su Hanze replied decisively. "But I need to check the information he gave me. If it's true, it could save us a lot of trouble."

Ah Biao nodded, asking no further questions. After finishing their meal and tidying up the boxes, the warehouse returned to silence. Su Hanze leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes, but his mind was racing. He was calculating his next move. Grey Wolf's influence was like a net, covering every corner of Hong Kong. His goods, though valuable, were also a liability. He and Ah Biao alone couldn't possibly confront Grey Wolf head-on. Xiao Dao's appearance, though suspicious, gave him a glimmer of hope—if he could use Xiao Dao's connections, perhaps he could sell the goods and gain some breathing room.

"Let's go check out the old shipyard tomorrow." Su Hanze opened his eyes, breaking the silence. "Go contact Lao Bao and have him bring a few people over."

Ah Biao was taken aback: "Old Bao? Didn't that old guy retire a long time ago?"

"Wash your hands?" Su Hanze sneered. "A man like him has never been clean to the core. Let him come; I have something to say to him."

Ah Biao nodded, got up, went to the corner, grabbed an old cell phone, and started dialing. Su Hanze stood up, walked to an iron box in the corner of the warehouse, unlocked it, and inside were a pistol, several boxes of bullets, and a bundle of banknotes wrapped in oilcloth. He picked up the gun, inspected it, then unwrapped the oilcloth and counted the banknotes. This money was what he and Ah Biao had saved over the years, originally intended to use to leave Hong Kong and find a place to live a few peaceful days. But now, with the goods in hand and the wolf in sheep's clothing being so persistent, this money would likely have to be used where it was most needed.

The next morning, Su Hanze and A Biao drove a dilapidated truck, swaying and rattling towards the old shipyard. Hong Kong mornings are damp, a thin mist hangs in the air, and street vendors have already set up their stalls. The aroma of roast meats mingles with the steam from congee shops, painting a picture of the city's morning scene. Su Hanze sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window, his mind preoccupied with the old shipyard. He'd been there a few times in his youth; it was a ghost town, surrounded by abandoned ship hulls and rusty iron frames—perfect for hiding something. If Grey Wolf really did have a base there, it probably wouldn't be a small operation.

The truck stopped in a narrow alley, just ahead of the entrance to the old shipyard. Su Hanze got out, lit a cigarette, and glanced around. At the end of the alley was a wasteland overgrown with weeds, and in the distance, the dilapidated outline of the factory buildings could be seen. A Biao locked the truck, walked over, and whispered, "Old Bao said he'll arrive this afternoon with three people."

"Three people?" Su Hanze frowned. "That's a bit too few."

“He said it’s hard to find people these days, and it’s already good that he can get three.” Ah Biao shrugged. “You know, this industry is in a tight spot right now, and nobody wants to get involved.”

Su Hanze didn't speak, only nodded, and walked towards the factory. The two walked around several piles of discarded iron drums and entered the factory. It was even more dilapidated than he had imagined; the air was thick with the smell of rust and mildew, and broken glass and rags were scattered on the floor. Su Hanze took out a flashlight and shone it around. The factory was empty, with only a few rusty shipping containers piled in a corner. He walked over and knocked on one of the containers; the sound was dull, as if it were empty.

“There’s nothing here.” Ah Biao squatted down and examined the marks on the ground. “No one has been here for a long time.”

Su Hanze remained silent, his flashlight beam sweeping across the factory before finally settling on an iron gate in a corner. A new lock hung on the gate, starkly contrasting with the surrounding dilapidated state. He walked over and tried to push it, but the gate wouldn't budge. A Biao also came over, frowning, and said, "This lock is new; someone's been here."

Su Hanze crouched down and examined the marks on the lock closely. There were several shallow scratches on the lock, as if someone had tried to pry it open with a tool, but hadn't succeeded. He stood up, his gaze turning cold: "It seems Xiao Dao's information wasn't entirely false."

"What should we do?" Ah Biao asked. "Should we pry it open now?"

"Let's wait a bit," Su Hanze shook his head. "Let's wait until Lao Bao's men arrive. We're outnumbered; we'll only suffer if we force our way in."

The two men left the factory and found a secluded corner to lie in wait. Su Hanze leaned against a pile of scrap metal, lit a cigarette, and kept his eyes fixed on the direction of the factory. Time passed slowly, the sound of cranes at the dock came intermittently, and the air gradually picked up the salty smell of the sea. At noon, Lao Bao finally appeared with three men.

Old Bao was a skinny old man in his sixties, with gray hair and deep, knife-cut wrinkles on his face. In his youth, he was a notorious thug at the docks, but as he aged, he gradually retired from the limelight, though his reputation remained. The three men following behind him all looked to be in their twenties: one had dyed blond hair, another had a scar on his face, and the third was as thin as a stick, carrying a canvas bag and with a sly look in his eyes.

"Su Zai, long time no see." Old Bao grinned, revealing a mouth missing a front tooth. "I heard you messed with Gray Wolf. You've got some nerve."

"Enough nonsense." Su Hanze threw away his cigarette butt and stood up. "I told you to bring men, and you only brought these three?"

Old Bao chuckled and pointed to the three men behind him: "Don't let their youth fool you, they're very capable. The blond guy is called A-Long, the scarred guy is A-Jie, and that skinny guy is called Haozi. He's quick-witted and fast-handed."

Su Hanze glanced at the three of them, said nothing, and simply nodded: "Okay, let's get to work. There's an iron gate over there with a new lock, help me open it."

Upon hearing this, Haozi immediately pulled out a set of lock-picking tools from his canvas bag and squatted down in front of the iron gate to start fiddling with them. A Long and A Jie stood by as lookouts, while Lao Bao leaned close to Su Hanze and whispered, "Are you really planning to go head-to-head with Gray Wolf?"

"What else can we do but confront them head-on?" Su Hanze sneered. "They're relentlessly pursuing me; I can't just sit here and wait to die."

Old Bao stroked his chin, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "The Gray Wolf gang is not easy to deal with. Just how valuable is the goods you have that they're chasing after you like this?"

Su Hanze glanced at him, didn't answer, and just said, "Do your job well and ask fewer questions."

Old Bao shrugged and didn't ask any further questions. A short while later, a soft sound came from Haozi's direction, and the lock on the iron gate was opened. He pushed the door open, revealing a narrow passage leading underground. Su Hanze, flashlight in hand, walked in front, with Abiao and Old Bao following behind. The three of them carefully descended into the passage.

At the end of the passage was a small basement filled with several wooden crates covered with tarpaulins. Su Hanze lifted a tarpaulin, revealing crates underneath, marked with English letters and numbers painted on them, seemingly some kind of cargo serial numbers. He pried open one crate, revealing bundles of white powder wrapped in plastic film. A-Biao gasped, whispering, "This stuff... it must be worth a lot of money, right?" Su Hanze didn't speak, just stared at the crates, his eyes as still as water. He hadn't expected Gray Wolves to have hidden so much cargo here; no wonder they were so persistent in pursuing him. If this stuff got out, it would be enough to cause a bloodbath in the market.

"What should we do?" Ah Biao asked. "Take them away?"

“We can’t take it with us.” Su Hanze shook his head. “There’s so much stuff, we have nowhere to hide it. We’ll have to burn it.”

"Burned it?" Old Bao's eyes widened like saucers. "Are you crazy? These things are worth tens of millions!"

“It’s worthless even if it’s valuable,” Su Hanze said coldly. “Keeping it is just a source of trouble. If Gray Wolf finds out the goods are gone, they’ll have to shift their attention elsewhere, and then we can finally catch our breath.”

Old Bao wanted to say something, but seeing Su Hanze's gaze, he swallowed his words. He knew Su Hanze's temper; once this guy made up his mind, no one could persuade him otherwise.

Su Hanze took out a lighter from his pocket, lit a rag, and threw it into the wooden box. Flames quickly rose, filling the basement with a pungent smell of smoke. A-Biao frowned and pulled Su Hanze outside, saying, "Let's go, this smell is awful."

The men retreated from the basement, the flames growing brighter behind them. Su Hanze stood outside the factory, lit a cigarette, and stared coldly at the fire. Burning the goods didn't ease his mind, but he had no other choice. The Gray Wolf's net was too large; he could only cut one thread first and then slowly look for an opportunity.

"What's next?" Abiao asked.

"Find Xiaodao." Su Hanze exhaled a puff of smoke. "Since he dared to get involved, he has to give me something real."

Night fell over Hong Kong once more, the lights of the pier shimmering on the sea like floating stars. Su Hanze stood at the alley entrance and dialed Xiao Dao's number. Xiao Dao's hoarse voice came from the other end: "Su-zai, have you thought it through?"

"I burned the goods at the old shipyard," Su Hanze said calmly. "Arrange the way you suggested."

The night was still and quiet, the neon lights of Hong Kong still shrouded in that suffocating atmosphere. No one dared to speak out, yet everyone understood the undercurrents surging beneath the surface. Su Hanze leaned against the worn wooden table, head down, staring at the tobacco leaves before him, his fingertips tracing the slightly withered leaf, his expression silent. The tobacco's aroma carried a hint of bitterness, as if pressing all his worries down his heart. He had grown accustomed to this daily routine: planting tobacco, drying it, cutting it—but tonight, everything seemed destined to be turbulent.

"Su-zai, can it really be burned?" Ah Biao stood at the door, his voice hesitant. "Those things, if we burn them, what about Gray Wolf's side..."

“Even if Gray Wolves are dissatisfied, they can’t do anything about it.” Su Hanze didn’t look up, but answered coldly. “They know I have some things on my hands, so even if they can’t find the goods, no matter how hard they chase after me, it’s useless.”

Ah Biao, a cigarette dangling from his lips, frowned slightly. Clearly, he didn't know the Grey Wolf gang well enough to fully comprehend Su Hanze's determination. The Grey Wolf were no pushovers; they had once swept through Hong Kong's underworld. Su Hanze's escape from their clutches was truly remarkable.

"So what do we do next? Didn't you want to find Xiaodao?" A-Biao asked hesitantly.

"Let's focus on getting the tobacco planting done first," Su Hanze said, his voice calm as if everything was under control. "Don't rush, time will always give us a chance."

A-Biao nodded, but his unease remained. He knew that although Su Hanze was calm, he always made decisions with an iron will, and this time, the Gray Wolf matter was destined not to pass so easily.

A few days later, Su Hanze finally received a call from Xiaodao. That night, the phone's ringing sounded unusually jarring in the quiet, empty room. Su Hanze picked up the phone, his eyes calm, his tone resolute.

"Su Zai, everything's ready." Xiao Dao's voice was hoarse and tired on the other end of the phone. "I've already arranged that route. You can get all the goods you need."

"Are you sure?" Su Hanze asked coldly.

"Don't worry, I know what you need." Xiao Dao paused slightly, then continued, "However, Su Zai, this is a serious matter, so don't act impulsively."

“I won’t.” Su Hanze’s voice remained unchanged. “This time, not only the Grey Wolves, but also those who cooperate with them must be wiped out.”

The air seemed to freeze for a moment on the other end of the phone; Xiao Dao clearly hadn't expected Su Hanze to be so direct. However, he then chuckled coldly, seemingly unconcerned, "You've got the guts? Fine, let's do it."

"Let's meet somewhere, don't waste any more time." Su Hanze hung up the phone coldly.

The following evening, Su Hanze appeared at the hidden dock as usual. The harbor was quiet, the sea breeze blowing, as if the whole world was waiting for something. Su Hanze slowly walked to the agreed-upon spot, and a few seconds later, a small figure emerged.

Xiao Dao glanced at him with disdain, a smile playing on his lips. "Su Zai, your business has grown so big that even I can't see through it."

"Is the path you mentioned safe enough?" Su Hanze ignored Xiao Dao's joke and asked coldly.

"Whether it's safe or not depends on how you handle it." Xiao Dao's smile faded. "But don't worry, the goods have arrived, and the people you asked for are all preparing."

“Very good.” Su Hanze nodded, his gaze growing even colder. “I don’t have time to wait any longer; I’ll make my move today.”

(End of this chapter)