Hidden Radiance

"Take him back to the Mei Agency and hand him over to Section Chief Nakajima for further action," Lu Minghui said, turning to Ono.

Just then, Ono's adjutant rushed over, his face pale.

"Captain! Urgent dispatch from Mei Agency! The vault has been attacked, and all the gold... all the gold has been stolen!"

Ono grabbed the adjutant by the collar.

"What did you say?!"

Lu Minghui stood under the umbrella.

Rain dripped down the umbrella ribs and onto his leather shoes. He didn't move, nor did he show any other expression.

The umbrella handle spun half a circle in my palm and then stopped.

The rain is still falling, so we can't relax yet.

"Minghui-kun, come back to the Mei Agency with me immediately!" Ono shook off his adjutant and strode toward the jeep.

Three o'clock in the morning. Mei Agency.

Shinichi Nakajima's office.

Gu Yunqiu stood in front of the desk with a bandage wrapped around her head. Her face was ashen, and blood was still seeping from the wound on the back of her neck, but she stood ramrod straight.

Ono lowered his head, not daring to breathe.

Lu Minghui stood to one side, his gaze fixed on the pattern of the carpet.

"Twenty chests of gold. In my vault. They were taken away by dozens of men in military police uniforms."

Nakajima's voice was flat. Next to the teacup on the table sat a paper cutter, its blade reflecting the light.

Gu Yunqiu spoke up: "Section Chief, the Military Intelligence Bureau's suicide squad drew our main force. Those fake military police infiltrated during the chaos. They obtained the troop rotation password."

She paused for a moment.

"I noticed at the scene that the military uniforms were all new, and I was knocked unconscious before I could give a warning."

Nakajima looked at her. "Why didn't your thirty men stop them?"

"My men were in civilian clothes, and the vault guards' firepower wasn't directional. When my men tried to flank them from the side, they were suppressed by the Japanese's own crossfire." Gu Yunqiu gritted his teeth. "After the remnants of the Military Intelligence Bureau retreated, fake military police, under the pretext of pursuit, used a password to lure my men to the alley on the east side. By the time they realized what was happening and turned back, the vault was already empty."

Nakajima didn't respond, but turned to Lu Minghui.

"Minghui, what do you think?"

"Tonight's operation in the French Concession resulted in the capture of Fu Yewen." Lu Minghui looked up. "He led a heavily armed force to storm the secret chamber. Fu Yewen is the head of the confidential department; he has access to a great deal of intelligence."

"Fu Yewen is greedy, and everyone in the 76th Division knows that. He used the convenience of the Confidential Office to sell defense maps to the Military Intelligence Bureau on one hand, and lead his men to the French Concession to make money in the secret service on the other. He was hedging his bets."

"You mean, Fu Yewen sold intelligence to the Military Intelligence Bureau?" Gu Yunqiu turned her head sharply: "Commander Lu. You set up the trap in the French Concession. You transferred Captain Ono to the French Concession, and the Treasury lost a key force."

"Captain Ono's trip to the French Concession was approved by Section Chief Nakajima." Lu Minghui faced Nakajima, not looking at Gu Yunqiu. "Captain Ono came to assist the Special Higher Police in defense. Even without Ono-kun, the Special Higher Police should be impregnable."

"But you released the information intentionally!" Gu Yunqiu took a step forward. "You lured Fu Yewen to the French Concession, and at the same time, the vault was raided. The time difference—"

"Secretary Gu." Lu Minghui turned his head, his voice turning deep.

"The treasury was heavily guarded. A fake military policeman appeared right in front of you, and you didn't even have time to issue a warning." He paused for a moment. "Now you're questioning the validity of my arrangements! Secretary Gu, tell me, where exactly is the problem?"

Lu Minghui stared intently at Gu Yunqiu. Her fists clenched, she opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Nakajima slammed his fist on the table.

That's enough.

He stood up and walked to the window. The rain outside had lessened a bit, and the glow of the streetlights clung damply to the glass.

"Take Fu Yewen to the interrogation room. I want him to utter every single word. Where did the coded telegram come from? Who did he sell the intelligence to? Who provided the fake military police uniform?"

Nakajima turned around, his gaze sweeping over Ono, Lu Minghui, and Gu Yunqiu.

"You will all investigate this case together. If you fail to recover the gold, you'll be beheaded."

"Yes." The three bowed their heads simultaneously.

Lu Minghui left the office.

There were no lights in the corridor, only the indicator light at the emergency exit at the end emitting a dim green glow.

He walked a dozen steps and stopped at the corner of the stairs.

The rain was getting lighter, but it didn't stop.

The underground interrogation room of the Mei Agency.

Blood flowed down the drain.

Fu Yewen was suspended on an iron frame, his expensive gray suit turned into tattered rags stuck to his skin and flesh.

Gu Yunqiu sat behind the interrogation table. A little blood seeped through the gauze on her head. She held a riding crop in her hand, pointing it at Fu Yewen.

"Where did those fake military police come from?"

"I don't know!" Fu Yewen's voice was hoarse. "I didn't go to the vault! I went to the French Concession!"

"The French Concession?" Lu Minghui glanced at Fu Yewen indifferently. "What are you, the head of the confidential department, doing in the French Concession? And leading so many armed men there?"

"It was you! It was you!" Fu Yewen cried hysterically. "You're the one who told me Wu Sibao left behind a mess, with 20,000 silver dollars in the French Concession!"

"Yes," Lu Minghui nodded. "I told you, but I didn't ask you to go. This is the guard team's job. Even if the action team is included, it's not your place in the confidential department to interfere, is it?"

Fu Yewen was unable to refute.

"How did you know there was gold in the French Concession? Commander Lu only told you there were silver dollars, not gold." Gu Yunqiu stood up and walked up to him. "How did you get that information?"

"Secret telegram! It's a secret telegram!" Fu Yewen shook his head desperately.

"The secret telegram said that the Mei Agency was conducting a raid on the Dark Hall this morning, and that you weren't told to lead men to rob it in the middle of the night!" Gu Yunqiu lashed him in the chest with a whip.

Fu Yewen screamed in agony.

Lu Minghui leaned against the iron door of the interrogation room, a cigarette between his fingers. The light flickered.

Gu Yunqiu lashed out with great force, each lash carrying real fire.

Lu Minghui took a drag of his cigarette and watched her busy herself.

"The fake military policeman is wearing a new uniform. It's impossible for every soldier in the military police force to have a new uniform." Gu Yunqiu stared into Fu Yewen's eyes. "There aren't many tailors in Shanghai that dare to imitate Japanese military uniforms. I just need to investigate and I can find out who placed the order."

She flicked the riding crop onto the table.

"Fu Yewen, if you tell me now, you'll suffer less."

Fu Yewen trembled in pain: "I didn't do it! I don't know anything!"

Lu Minghui exhaled a smoke ring, threw the cigarette butt on the ground, and stomped it out.

He walked over.

"Secretary Gu's observation is remarkable." Lu Minghui pulled out a chair and sat down. "Dozens of sets of military police uniforms, including collar insignia, armbands, and boots, is no small project. You can try those shops in the middle section of Avenue Joffre that dare to take on this job on the black market."

Gu Yunqiu turned to look at him. Her eyes were wary, with a hint of inquiry. "Commander Lu is very familiar with the black market?"

"I spent two years in the intelligence department, so I naturally know the ins and outs of the black market." Lu Minghui turned back to his desk and took out a statement. "This is the statement of Ah Bing, one of Director Fu's men, whom we arrested last night in the French Concession. Ono-kun gave it to me."

Gu Yunqiu picked up the statement, glanced at it again, and handed it to Gu Yunqiu.

"Ah Bing led his men to the front last night and was shot twice, but he didn't die completely. While he was being treated at the hospital, Ono's men asked him a few questions." Lu Minghui looked at Fu Yewen. "Ah Bing said that the day before yesterday afternoon, you asked him to go to the French Concession to take care of some private business."

Fu Yewen was stunned.

Ah Bing was indeed his confidant. The day before yesterday afternoon, he sent Ah Bing to the French Concession to collect rent.

"I'll send him to collect rent!"

"Do I need to bring two gold bars to collect rent?" Lu Minghui asked rhetorically.

Fu Yewen's mind went blank. Those two gold bars were from antiques he'd asked A Bing to buy on the black market, intended for bribing officials in Nanjing. But to say it aloud would be tantamount to admitting corruption. To remain silent would be to tacitly acknowledge the gold bars' connection to military uniforms.

He opened his mouth, but remained silent.

Gu Yunqiu didn't say anything, took the statement and turned to walk out.

"Where did Secretary Gu go?" Lu Minghui asked.

"Go to the French Concession and check the tailor shops." Gu Yunqiu didn't even turn his head. "Since Commander Lu has provided a clue, I naturally have to verify it."

The iron gate closed.

Only Lu Minghui and Fu Yewen remained in the interrogation room.

Lu Minghui gestured with his chin toward the thugs in the corner.

"Get out, everyone, and close the door."

The thugs filed out. The iron gate closed, the latch locking into the door frame.

Lu Minghui stood up and walked to Fu Yewen.

"Lu Minghui...you framed me..." Fu Yewen gasped for breath, staring intently at him.