"I've already racked up twelve dollars in debt at the Opium den this month..."
Listening to the group chatting idly under the tree, having already accompanied Yan Hung to several Opium dens, A Wai, yawning from exhaustion in the passenger seat, turned to Yan Hung and said, "Brother Hung, shall I go down and ask them again if they know the person you're looking for?"
"It wasn't them," Yan Hung said bluntly. "It was some kind of grotesque, beggar-like guy. These guys seem to have a smoking habit too, but they're not that destitute. A Wai, same as always, you go check out the back alley."
A Wai replied, "I know," and got out of the car, walking towards the back alley of the Opium den.
"The back alley?" After Ah A Wai got out of the car, A Yue, who was in charge of driving, asked in confusion, "Why do you insist on taking us to the back alley after visiting seven or eight Opium dens, Master Hung?"
Yan Hung snapped his cigarette open, staring out the car window, and muttered, "No money, and the craving's kicking in again. It's not surprising he's waiting in the back alley to drink the water the guys are going to throw away after cleaning his pipes and accessories to quench his craving."
"Since I was transferred to Mong Kok and started working for you, Master Hung, I've seen plenty of poor bastards addicted to opium, but I've never seen anything like this to help with addiction," A Yue said, gripping the steering wheel with both hands.
Not long after, A Wai returned from the back alley, handcuffing a middle-aged man who was covered in a foul stench, disheveled, and filthy. He didn't dare take the man into the car, but instead handcuffed him to the rear door handle. He said to Yan Hung, "Brother Hung, you were right. There really are a few smokers in the back alley waiting to drink their cigarette dregs. This guy is Cai Wenhong, the one you're looking for."
Yan Hung covered his nose with his hand to block out the stench, and sized up Cai Wenhong, who was cowering with his head down and constantly sniffling. "Take him into the Opium den, let him smoke his fill, then have the Opium den clean him up, find a guy of similar build to take off his clothes and put them on him, so he looks like a human being, then take him out and put him in my car, keep an eye on him, he's useful."
A Wai led the chain-smoking beggar toward the Opium den. A Yue, unable to bear the smell either, lit a cigarette to get rid of it. "Master Hung, what's the use of finding a beggar like this? Hong Kong is full of people like him."
"You'll find out later," Yan Hung said irritably, exhaling a puff of cigarette smoke.
Seeing that Yan Hung wasn't in a good mood, A Yue stopped talking.
In fact, Yan Hung didn't know why Lai Man-yau wanted him to help find such a person. He only gave him the name of this smoker and asked him to search for him near the Opium dens in Kowloon Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon City, Mong Kok.
Actually, it would have been easy for Liu Fu to help Lai Man-yau take down Lee Jusheng. Everyone in the Police Force knows who has done bad things that are kept secret from their Foreign Devil but not from their subordinates, especially from the foreigners. Not to mention Liu Fu, even Yan Hung knows what Lee Jusheng has done, such as keeping prostitutes and gambling dens, and buying scapegoats to take the death penalty. But if Liu Fu doesn't speak up, Lai Man-yau can't touch Lee Jusheng at all, so he has other ideas.
It seems that Cai Wenhong is the key, but I wonder what use this chain smoker is.
A Wai was very efficient. Half an hour later, the opium addict named Cai Wenhong had finished smoking his fill of opium. He had changed into a clean set of old clothes, washed himself thoroughly, and combed his hair neatly. When he came back, he no longer had the unpleasant stench on him, but instead smelled of Kwong Sang Hong floral water. He was fairly good-looking, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, but perhaps due to years of hardship, he had a bitter look on his face, high cheekbones, downturned mouth, and timid eyes.
"Sir... I've committed a crime..."
Before he could finish asking, A Wai had already shoved him into the car, which then started and headed towards Yau Ma Tei.
I didn't dare park at the entrance of the Yau Ma Tei Police Station. Instead, I carefully drove to a vault disguised as a residence on the street next to the Police Station. Vaults are secret places specifically for storing gambling funds for Gambling dens and mahjong parlors. They are usually separated from Gambling dens and mahjong parlors to prevent robbery or police raids that could steal cash.
In this Gambling den, Lai Man-yau's mistress, Chen Mengjun, is the major shareholder. She partners with underworld figures in the business, and the vault is very secure.
Two trusted confidants, who had been waiting for Lai Man-yau outside the vault, accompanied him into the vault. In the living room, several clerks were spreading out account books and calculating accounts with an abacus. After passing through the living room, they entered the back room. Lai Man-yau was not present; he was still on duty at the Yau Ma Tei Police Station, putting on a show for Liu Fu to give Liu Fu the illusion that he, Lai Man-yau, was too busy to escape.
It was Chen Mengjun, Lai Man-yau's concubine. In her thirties, she was at the peak of her womanly life. She had a cigarette between her fingers and, seeing Yan Hung enter, calmly said, "A-Hung, thank you for your hard work."
"Sister-in-law, this is the person Mr. Lai wants." Yan Hung pushed Cai Wenhong, who was cowering and hanging his head behind him, into the room.
Chen Mengjun walked up to the other person. "Ah Hong, raise your head and see who I am?"
Cai Wenhong carefully raised his head and saw Chen Mengjun. He was confused for a moment, then his eyes showed surprise, and finally he lowered his head again.
"A Mei has been looking for you all these years, but she hasn't heard from you. After she got together with Lee Jusheng, she was very unhappy and kept waiting for you to take her away, but she never saw you again. Look, this is a letter she wrote to you." Chen Mengjun turned around and took out a stack of letters from the table behind her, stuffing them into Cai Wenhong's hand.
Cai Wenhong's hands trembled slightly as he took the letters, but he didn't look at them. He just held them tightly and asked in a hoarse voice, "A Mei... has she been unhappy all these years? Does she still remember me?"
"Lee Jusheng notoriously lecherous, you know that, otherwise why would he have taken A Mei away from you? Actually, I've known your whereabouts for a long time, but I heard you were addicted to opium and living a miserable life, so I couldn't help A Mei and that's why I didn't see you. Every week someone gives you ten dollars, right? That's what my man asked me to find for you. He still remembers you were his colleague when you wore Uniformed Branch together." Chen Mengjun sighed, seemingly quite pitying the man in front of her. "A Mei has been scolded and beaten by Lee Jusheng all these years, but she has secretly saved up a sum of money, about sixty or seventy thousand. She asked me, her good sister, to find you, so we can escape Hong Kong together and start a new life in Malaysia. Are you going?"