Hidden Radiance

The ventilator's air bag rises and falls rhythmically.

Nanzo Yunko opened her eyes. Her gaze gradually shifted from the blurry white ceiling to her side.

Lu Minghui leaned against another hospital bed, holding a report from Chengda Company in his hand.

Nanzo Yunzi moved a finger. The belt buckled on her wrist.

"You're awake." Lu Minghui put down the report.

He removed the IV needle from the back of his hand, pressed the injection site, and got out of bed. He walked to the table next to him, poured a glass of warm water, dipped a cotton swab in the water, and applied it to Nanzo Yunzi's chapped lips.

The movements were very steady. There were no unnecessary pauses.

"Minghui-kun," Nanzo Yunzi said hoarsely, "thank you."

Lu Minghui threw away the cotton swab. "It's not appropriate to say those two words between us."

Nanzo Yunko looked him in the eyes. "How did you know the car would explode?"

"I didn't know the car would explode." Lu Minghui pulled up a chair and sat down. "I looked in the rearview mirror. There was a reflection on the water tower. I suspect there's a sniper."

Nanzo Yunzi did not look away.

"If we stayed in that car, we'd be sitting ducks," Lu Minghui said calmly. "If we jumped out, the worst we'd do was break a bone. But I never expected that the Communists not only had snipers, but also planted a bomb under the car."

He leaned back in his chair, aggravating the wound on his back, and frowned slightly. "If I had known this would happen, I would have preferred to wait until your Stipunk was repaired before setting off."

Nanzo Yunko stared at the blood-soaked bandage on his back.

At the moment of the explosion, he pinned her beneath him. Shrapnel tore open his back.

She pulled her right hand out from under the covers and placed it on her abdomen. She made the habitual motion of reaching for a gun, but stopped halfway through.

"I'm not a Red Party member," Nanzo Yunko said.

Lu Minghui turned his head. "In Mao Sen's report, the intercepted telegrams clearly stated that the Red Party wanted to bomb the military train."

"The Military Intelligence Bureau. The Red Party's telegram was just a smokescreen." Nanzo Yunzi said with certainty, "The one who orchestrated all of this was the Shanghai station chief, Paper Kite."

Lu Minghui looked at her.

"He not only wants to assassinate you and me," Nanzo Yunzi gasped, "he also wants to use the fire from the car explosion to provide ground coordinates for American bombers."

Lu Minghui did not refute.

"How are you so sure?" Lu Minghui asked.

"We intercepted a fragment of a radio signal two days ago." Nanzo Yunzi's lips twitched slightly. "The frequency band was reserved for the Military Intelligence Bureau. The content mentioned the coordinates of Fengjing Station and the words 'ground signal.' I thought Zhiyuan would make his move from the North Station, but after his failure there, he bypassed the Military Commission and directly mobilized the US military."

Lu Minghui stood up. The coded telegram was sent last night.

"Get some rest," Lu Minghui said. "I'll settle this score for you."

He picked up the trench coat from the coat rack and draped it over his shoulders.

The corridor was filled with the smell of disinfectant.

Lu Minghui pushed open the door to Nakajima's office.

Shinichi Nakajima was looking down at a document. Hearing the sound, he looked up.

"You should be in bed." Nakajima put down his pen.

"Chengda, we can't wait half a month." Lu Minghui walked to his desk. "Your subordinate is here to report for duty."

Nakajima looked at him with satisfaction.

"There's no need to rush the work." Nakajima stood up. "Your health is more important."

"It's just a superficial injury. It won't affect my work," Lu Minghui said firmly.

Nakajima walked around the desk and stood in front of Lu Minghui.

"The poisoning incident, and Colonel Masuda's matter," Nakajima said in a low voice, "are top secrets of the Empire. Once you leave that door, keep it to yourself. Never let it be revealed."

"Understood." Lu Minghui nodded. He paused for two seconds. "Section Chief, Colonel Masuda has a deep-seated prejudice against me. I'm worried—"

Nakajima smiled.

He patted Lu Minghui on the shoulder.

"You're very smart." Nakajima turned and walked back to his seat. "Now that you already know only the tip of the iceberg, there's no point in me hiding it from you anymore."

Lu Minghui looked at him.

"Masuda may not be a high-ranking officer, but the things he controls make the Army Headquarters wary." Nakajima sat down in his leather chair. "Unit 1644 is his lifeline. He's too arrogant and needs someone to rein him in."

Nakajima opened a drawer, took out a document, and threw it on the table.

"From today onwards, you will be directly responsible for all supplies and resupply to Unit 1644. You will be in direct contact with them."

Lu Minghui's gaze fell on the document.

"If he wants the goods, he has to be mindful of your feelings," Nakajima said. "He won't dare to make things difficult for you anymore."

Nakajima tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table, his gaze fixed on Lu Minghui.

"But this must be done in secret; no one can know. Minghui, I took you back from Masuda because of your loyalty to the Empire. In case one day—"

He didn't finish speaking. He didn't need to finish.

Lu Minghui picked up the document.

"Thank you for your trust, Section Chief." Lu Minghui stood at attention.

He walked out of the office, clutching the document in his hand.

The supply line of Unit 1644. Masuda's lifeline.

Lu Minghui folded the document in half and stuffed it into the inner pocket of his trench coat, his fingertips casually brushing against the Colt holster under his ribs.

Night falls. Rue Joffre, French Concession.

Lu Minghui walked through the pawnshop's front hall and into the safe house in the backyard.

The paper kite sat in front of the telegraph machine.

"Send a secret telegram." Lu Minghui took off his trench coat and hung it on the back of his chair.

Paper Kite puts on its headphones and presses the power button with its finger.

"It has been confirmed that there are Japanese spies operating within the Military Commission." Lu Minghui looked out at the night sky. "The level is extremely high. They are in single-line contact with Nanzo Yunzi. Please investigate thoroughly, Director."

The kite's fingers tapped rapidly. The ticking sound echoed in the room.

After sending the message, Paper Kite took off its headphones.

"The order is from Chongqing." Lu Minghui turned around. "The Director wants all the core data on the biological and chemical weapons of Unit 1644. The condition is that the US military will send bombers."

The kite stood up.

"Data obtained through testing with Chinese blood, and then given to Americans?" Paper Kite's voice tightened.

"This is an order. You didn't just find out now."

The paper kite grabbed a pencil from the table and snapped it in two. Clutching the broken end, its knuckles turned white.

Lu Minghui walked to the table and picked up the half-pencil.

"Nanzo Yunko didn't die." He changed the subject. "She found ink residue on the outer packaging of the explosives."

The paper kite loosened its grip. The broken pencil fell onto the table and rolled halfway around.

"Following this lead, she'll find Chengda Company." Lu Minghui drew a line on the paper. "Next, she'll dig up Song Qingyuan."

"Song Qingyuan is a member of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS)," Paper Kite said.

"But first and foremost, he was a Chinese who fought against the Japanese." Lu Minghui put down his pencil. "He helped us a lot, and he was also an expert in currency printing. He can't die in the Special Higher Police's interrogation room."

Paper Kite looked at Lu Minghui.

"Stationmaster, are you going to kill Nanzo Yunko?"

"She must die," Lu Minghui said.

At the same time. Mei's office, underground isolation ward.

Nanzo Yunko leaned against the pillow. Her face was pale.

She pulled the IV needle out of the back of her hand. Blood gushed out, but she didn't even look at it.

She picked up the dedicated phone line next to her and dialed the Special Higher Police.

"Section Chief," came the adjutant's voice from the other end of the phone.

"Take men to Chengda Company immediately." Nanzo Yunzi's voice was weak but filled with murderous intent. "Arrest Song Qingyuan, the printing workshop consultant. Dead or alive, it doesn't matter."

hang up the phone.

Nanzo Yunzi leaned back against her pillow.

Lu Minghui is not a kite. But the evidence of ink residue is conclusive. Song Qingyuan is the executor. Catching Song Qingyuan will allow us to follow the trail and uncover all the spies within Chengda Company.

Safe house.

Lu Minghui put on his trench coat.

Suddenly, the internal monitoring radio on the table emitted a hissing sound. Paper Kite immediately put on the headphones.

A few seconds later, Paper Kite suddenly took off its headphones and stood up.

"Station Chief!" Paper Kite's hand was still clutching the earphone cord. "The Special Higher Police have been mobilized. The target is Chengda Company. Nanzo Yunko has ordered the arrest of Song Qingyuan."

Lu Minghui stopped moving.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. Eight o'clock in the evening. It only takes twenty minutes for the Special Higher Police to get to Chengda Company.

"Immediately notify Song Qingyuan via secret line, then evacuate the safe house." Lu Minghui opened the door.

The kite has already returned to the radio station.

Lu Minghui stepped out of the threshold, his footsteps landing heavily on the bluestone slab.

"I'm going to Chengda."

The Ford roared through the night. Lu Minghui floored the accelerator. He had to confirm Song Qingyuan's safe evacuation before the Special Higher Police could arrive.