harleyscars Chapter 1: Good people in chaotic times are being held at gunpoint.
Chapter 1: Good people in chaotic times are being held at gunpoint.
"Mr. Huo, don't worry, the brothers I've found are all well-known and skilled in the underworld. What do you think?"
Snakehead, accompanied by a dark-skinned, lean, and wiry man, approached the crowd.
Standing before me were all strong, muscular men.
Boss Huo glanced at the crowd and nodded.
"My life is at stake. The brave ones come with me, the cowardly ones stay behind."
Boss Huo only said this one sentence, in Mandarin, but with a strong Cantonese accent.
The people in front of him came from all over the country, and if he wanted to communicate, he had to use Mandarin.
Among the crowd, a handsome man with skin a shade lighter than everyone else walked along with his head down.
The others did the same, one after another, boarding Boss Huo's barge.
The smuggler stood on the dock, grinning from ear to ear. He collected money from each person who boarded the boat. In these chaotic times, it was truly a good thing; he was making so much money that his hands were sore from collecting it.
Those who boarded the ship were given weapons; some received wooden sticks, others machetes, and some were even given a red-tasseled spear, which no one knew which opera troupe had pulled out.
"sail!"
Once everyone had boarded the ship, Boss Huo waved his hand and set sail, without even bothering to check how many people had gotten on board.
With the fighting raging on the peninsula, the mainland needs a lot of supplies. Whether Boss Huo's motives are personal or public, his shipment of supplies to the mainland has indeed been a great help to the mainland.
This also proves that Hong Kong Island, as a deliberately preserved window, has indeed played a significant role.
The handsome young man who boarded the boat with everyone else held a wooden stick in one hand and used the corner of his clothes to wipe the splinters off the stick with the other.
Meanwhile, his eyes were darting around, as if searching for something.
"Hey handsome, what are you looking for?"
Boss Huo wanted to smoke a cigarette, but he refrained from doing so. Smoking in the dark would be tantamount to telling the marine police and those who wanted to cause him trouble that he had been deployed.
Turning around, Boss Huo saw the person who stood out from the crowd like a crane among chickens, so he came over and asked.
"Boss, do you have any nails?" The handsome young man looked up at Boss Huo and said with a slight smile.
"What do you need nails for?" Boss Huo was a little surprised. These people couldn't even get food. He thought they would ask him for food first after boarding the ship. He didn't expect this kid to ask him for nails.
"Let's make a simple spiked club." The handsome young man smiled slightly, revealing a mouthful of small white teeth, which was quite rare in this era.
"Uh... there's no need to be so ruthless." Boss Huo was taken aback. This young man was unexpected.
"I heard that Boss Huo has been hiring a lot of people lately, only taking in and not giving out. I think he's been cracking down hard, just in case," the handsome guy insisted.
"Get him some nails," Boss Huo nodded and ordered his men.
"What's your name?" Boss Huo then turned around and asked the handsome young man.
"Zhang Guohao," the handsome young man said, revealing his name.
"Judging from your accent, you're from Shandong province?"
"A native of Shandong province."
"After this, work for me."
Boss Huo extended an invitation to Zhang Guohao, but with a condition: the mission had to succeed and the man had to survive.
Recently, while delivering supplies to the mainland, they were discovered by some island militia, and the two sides fought several fierce battles.
These island militia are even more troublesome than the marine police, who often turn a blind eye, while the island militia come with the intention of killing.
Several of Boss Huo's old men died, and many more were injured. With no other option, they had to recruit people through human traffickers. They gave each person ten dollars to board the ship, and another ten dollars to bring them back alive.
Now you can eat a bowl of wonton noodles for three cents. Many people only earn one or twenty yuan a day, and they have to work themselves to the bone!
What's more, these people are all down on their luck and can only do shady jobs through human traffickers. If they're lucky, they can earn ten dollars by taking a boat trip. This business is worth doing!
This money, half of it still has to go to the smuggler when it comes back, what a damn bad luck! The smuggler sucks the bait from both ends, isn't he afraid of getting ripped off?
As for what happens to the final payment since the person is lost at sea? Just pretend it never happened! In these days when human life is worth less than a dog's, who cares about rules anymore?
If the crackdown hadn't been so fierce and brutal lately, Boss Huo wouldn't have paid upfront. What if he'd run into a scoundrel who jumped ship and swam away halfway through the journey? There would be no way to catch him.
Boss Huo did not continue talking to Zhang Guohao. He began to check the situation around the barge. There were two other barges following in the dark, without their lights on.
I don't know if it's lucky or unlucky, but the moonlight is so bright tonight that I can see the waves on the sea clearly. Similarly, if those island guerrillas come to cause trouble, I can see them clearly too.
"Kid, you're pretty good at currying favor with Boss Huo, aren't you?"
After watching Boss Huo leave, someone nearby said something sarcastic to Zhang Guohao.
Everyone was desperate to make a living, so they boarded the ship and risked their lives. But deep down, everyone was thinking that it would be best not to fight and still get paid.
As it turned out, this scoundrel who looked just like the Rabbit God came up and immediately went for a fight.
That's going to make us look bad. Everyone's just trying to make a living, and you're risking your life like that! You even got the boss's praise, which makes everyone else look incompetent.
"I think this kid's going to sell his ass. Kid, watch out, you'll be in deep trouble when you're old!"
"Hahaha, kid, want me to teach you how to serve people?"
"I bet this kid has done this before, otherwise how could he be so skilled? Hahahaha!"
How could any of these people be good? Even good people in chaotic times are threatened with guns pointed at them; they wouldn't so easily risk their lives.
"You seem very experienced?"
Zhang Guohao still had that harmless smile.
"That's right, I was a veteran of many battles back then."
He was the one who initially said he would teach Zhang Guohao how to serve others, looking quite smug.
"Then come here."
Zhang Guohao waved to the other person.
"Oh ho, you've figured it out? Want to familiarize yourself with the business? Your big brother's here to help!"
Seeing this, the man became even more arrogant and walked over with a lewd grin.
The scoundrels around them also joined in the commotion.
Zhang Guohao's expression remained unchanged. Seeing that the other party was close enough, he kicked out with a groin kick.
The person with bad breath turned into a giant prawn, bent into a C shape, and then Zhang Guohao chopped him on the back of the head with a knife, and with a little trip, the person flipped over and jumped into the sea!
Silence fell... The once lively scene on the barge suddenly became completely silent, with no one daring to speak. Everyone was stunned by Zhang Guohao's ruthless move.
It's rare to see someone risk their life like this, but to resort to violence over a mere verbal argument, aiming for vital organs with every move.
These scoundrels, at best they can take a weapon and go to fight. When they get carried away with their passion and become a little reckless, they might tremble with fear afterwards.
They're usually all talk and no action, but even when they fight, they've never been this fierce!
"It seems like Lao Liu... has sunk to the bottom."
Suddenly, someone in the crowd whispered something.