Hidden Radiance

As night fell, the footsteps in the corridor outside the ward gradually thinned out.

Lu Minghui leaned against the upright pillow, the anesthetic in his left shoulder completely worn off.

The pain from the broken bones surged upwards with each pulse. He didn't ask the doctor for painkillers; his right hand was flipping through the newspaper containing the serialized version of "The Legend of the White Snake."

Click.

The door lock clicked softly.

Sun Yaozu sneaked in like a night owl, locked the door behind him, and quickly walked to the bedside.

"You found it?" Lu Minghui put down his newspaper.

"I found it." Sun Yaozu lowered his voice, his tone revealing excitement. "Sister She canceled all her work with the guard brigade today and booked the entire Peace Hotel. She was accompanied by a big shot from Nanjing named Shao Shijun."

Lu Minghui tapped the bed sheet lightly with his right index finger.

"Shao Shijun?"

"This man is no ordinary person." Sun Yaozu leaned closer. "He's the director of the Tax Bureau of the Ministry of Finance in Nanjing. He's a fellow member of the Green Gang with Sister She and Director Li. Back in the day, he and Wu Sibao were sworn brothers, practically inseparable."

Lu Minghui stopped knocking.

Nanjing. Director of the Tax Bureau of the Ministry of Finance. Fellow member of the Green Gang. Wu Sibao's close confidant.

That long-gown-wearing gentleman who lived in the backyard of the small villa at No. 76 Jessfield Road, and who carried a piece of small-leaf sandalwood in his hand...

Several words went through my mind, but I couldn't come to a conclusion.

"Sir, Shao Shijun and Wu Sibao were so close. Wu Sibao just died and he came to Shanghai. He's also getting so close to Director Li..." Sun Yaozu swallowed hard. "He's not here with good intentions."

"If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up, what are you panicking about?"

Lu Minghui glanced at him, his left hand unable to move, and with his right hand he pulled out the gray-covered draft of the Shan Project from under his pillow and opened the first page.

He pointed to three names marked with a red cross on the list.

"Investigate these three people. Lu Xuzhang, general manager of Guangda Huahang; Hu Juewen, owner of Xinmin Machinery Factory; and Wan Molin of the Green Gang." Lu Minghui's tone was harsh. "I need all their recent movements, financial transactions, and goods transfers. The more detailed the better."

Sun Yaozu peeked at the three names and gasped.

"Sir, these three are all influential figures in Shanghai. Especially Wan Molin, who is Mr. Du's butler left in Shanghai..."

"Just do what I told you to do. Don't alert them," Lu Minghui interrupted him. "I need to see the results by tomorrow morning."

"clear!"

Sun Yaozu didn't dare to ask any more questions and turned to slip out of the ward.

The door closed.

Lu Minghui looked at the three names on the list but didn't move.

Lu Xuzhang. Hu Juewen. Wan Molin.

He closed the draft and put it back under his pillow.

The next morning.

Sun Yaozu, sporting dark circles under his eyes and clutching a stack of documents, pushed open the ward door.

"Sir, we've found them." Sun Yaozu locked the door behind him and placed the file on the bedside table. "I spent most of the night going through the archives of Case 76, and also had several informants keep an eye on them overnight. Three people, not one of them is clean."

Lu Minghui glanced at him and said, "Speak."

"Last month, Lu Xuzhang's Guangda Huahang had two shipments of penicillin and anti-inflammatory drugs, which were listed as being destined for Nanjing. However, they were suddenly 'robbed' while transiting through Suzhou. Our informant checked with Suzhou and found that no report had been filed. The robbery was a ruse; the real purpose was to secretly resend the drugs."

Sun Yaozu turned a page.

"Hu Juewen's Xinmin Machinery Factory, ostensibly repaired cars for the Imperial Army, but secretly dismantled several scrapped German machine tools, mixed their parts with civilian steel, and shipped them out of Shanghai. I had someone trace the waybill, and the final destination was Chongqing."

"Wan Molin is even more bizarre." Sun Yaozu closed the file, his voice lowering slightly. "Du Yuesheng ran away, but he's in charge of everything. This old man keeps a low profile and makes a fortune, but secretly he's keeping a group of people of unknown origin—they eat his food, live in his house, and spend his money. My informant followed them for two days, and those people are like ghosts, never leaving their homes during the day, but always moving around at night."

Sun Yaozu rubbed his hands together, glanced at Lu Minghui's face out of the corner of his eye, and then squeezed out the second half of his sentence.

"Sir, all three leads point to collusion with bandits and the enemy. If this is reported... we'll have a great job in front of Section Chief Nakajima."

Lu Minghui leaned against the pillow and didn't reply.

The ward was quiet for a few seconds.

Sun Yaozu's smile gradually faded, and his spine slumped down.

"Arrest them?" Lu Minghui asked, enunciating each word clearly, "How many heads do you have to chop off?"

Sun Yaozu opened his mouth: "Sir, the evidence is conclusive..."

"Lu Xuzhang controls 30% of Shanghai's Western medicine quota."

Lu Minghui stared at him.

"Hu Juewen's machine factory employs thousands of skilled workers. Wan Molin is backed by the entire Green Gang's followers and descendants."

Sun Yaozu's lips moved, but he didn't dare to say anything more.

"If you arrest them today, tomorrow the price of medicine in Shanghai will increase tenfold, the day after tomorrow there will be a major strike at the machinery factory, and the day after that the Green Gang's thugs will paralyze the entire French Concession. What Section Chief Nakajima wants is a steady stream of supplies and military funds, not a bunch of bloodstained empty shells."

Sun Yaozu's legs went weak, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Keep a close eye on these three men. No one is allowed to lay a finger on them without my orders."

Lu Minghui pointed to a piece of paper that had fallen to the ground. "Pick it up. Keep it safe. Get out."

Sun Yaozu bent down to pick up the documents, held them in his arms, and left the ward.

The door closed.

Lu Minghui picked up the phone on the bedside table and dialed Mei Jiguan.

"Section Chief, this is Lu Minghui."

"How are you feeling?" Nakajima's voice came through the receiver, tinged with concern.

"He won't die. It's just that his left hand will definitely be unable to be lifted for at least ten days to two weeks." Lu Minghui's voice was weak, then he changed the subject, "Section Chief, I've checked those three people on the list."

"Oh?" Nakajima's tone rose. "Quickly. When do you plan to make your move?"

"I won't do anything," Lu Minghui replied decisively.

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

"Give me a reason." Nakajima's voice turned cold.

"Killing them is easy, just a bullet. But once they're dead, their channels and connections will immediately be cut off. All we'll get is an empty shell."

Lu Minghui paused for a moment.

"Lu Xuzhang has four inter-provincial channels for the distribution of medicinal herbs and Western medicines. These channels connect the entire East China region with private trade routes. With evidence of collusion with bandits in hand, I will go and lobby them. With a knife to their throats, I'm not afraid of their stubbornness. As long as they are willing to bow down, the resources in our hands can be directly used by the empire."

He paused for a moment.

"Those who don't know what's good for them can be killed later."

The only sound coming through the receiver was Nakajima's even breathing.

"How confident are you?" Nakajima finally asked.

"Sixty percent."

"Sixty percent?" Nakajima repeated, his tone unreadable. "Akira, the Sugi Project is just around the corner, sixty percent is a bit low."

"The losses are manageable, but we only have one chance."

silence.

"Okay." Nakajima agreed. "These three people are temporarily in your hands. You need to understand that time is limited."

"Thank you for your trust, Section Chief." Lu Minghui then made a request, "However, given my current health condition, it's impossible for me to drive myself. The subsequent lobbying and integration will require me to travel around. Please assign me a driver."

"A driver?" Nakajima chuckled. "Isn't Sun Yaozu completely obedient to you? He's a suitable candidate."

"Deputy Captain Sun won't do," Lu Minghui refused without hesitation.

Why?

"He's too greedy. Besides, I've had him keep a close watch on the Green Gang's docks and those three men's houses. He's my eyes and ears; I can't let my eyes be tied to the steering wheel."

"That makes sense." Nakajima seemed quite satisfied. "Since you don't trust the people from 76, I'll transfer someone from the Mei Agency for you. They'll be there in ten minutes."

The phone hangs up.

Lu Minghui put down the microphone.

The patient's uniform on my back was stuck to my skin and felt chilly.

Ten minutes later.

The ward door was pushed open.

The high heels clicked crisply on the terrazzo floor.

Gu Yunqiu was dressed in a sharp black leather jacket, a bunch of car keys dangling from her wrist. She walked to the bedside, twirled the keys between her fingers, and caught them steadily.

"Commander Lu." Her gaze lingered on the gauze on his shoulder for less than a second before returning to his face. "Section Chief Nakajima ordered me to report for duty. From today onwards, I will be your personal driver."

Lu Minghui leaned against the headboard, looking at her.

The outline of the gun holster at her waist was pressed down by her black leather jacket.

He looked back.

"Secretary Gu, it's a bit of an underutilization of your talents to be my driver," Lu Minghui said calmly.

"It's an honor for me to drive for the section chief's favorite."

Gu Yunqiu reached out and pulled over a chair from the bedside, sat down, crossed one leg over the other, leaned forward, and rested her elbows on her knees. The two were less than an arm's length apart.

Her lips moved slightly, her voice choked back: "After all, we're on the same path. Right?"

Lu Minghui met her gaze without backing down.

"Then I'll trouble you, Driver Gu."

Lu Minghui lifted the blanket with his right hand. "Go and complete the discharge procedures."

"Running around like this with injuries? Commander Lu is really courting death." Gu Yunqiu straightened up.

"Death won't wait for me to heal before knocking on my door."

Lu Minghui got off the bed, his left arm still in a sling across his chest.

Half an hour later, a black Ford sedan drove out of the hospital gate.

Gu Yunqiu gripped the steering wheel, her gaze fixed straight ahead. Lu Minghui sat in the passenger seat, resting with his eyes closed.

The carriage was quiet. Only the low hum of the engine could be heard.

"Where to?" Gu Yunqiu asked.

"76 Jessfield Road." Lu Minghui didn't open his eyes. "Let's go meet that important person from Nanjing."

Gu Yunqiu paused slightly as he turned the steering wheel.

"Shao Shijun?"

"It seems that Secretary Gu is not only well-informed, but also very well-prepared." Lu Minghui opened his eyes and looked at the street scene receding outside the window.

"Section Chief Nakajima asked me to cooperate with you, so I need to know who we're dealing with." Gu Yunqiu stepped on the gas. "Shao Shijun is the director of the tax bureau. He came to Shanghai, and Li Shiqun hid him in the backyard. If you go to see him now, it's like directly overturning Li Shiqun's table."

"The table was going to be overturned sooner or later. I'm just bringing the food out early."

Lu Minghui took out a cigarette case from his pocket with his right hand, flicked out a cigarette with one hand, and put it in his mouth.

Gu Yunqiu took out a lighter from his trench coat pocket, lit it with one hand, and handed it over.

Lu Minghui leaned closer, lit a cigarette, and smoke billowed from his nostrils.

"Secretary Gu," Lu Minghui turned to look at her, "Since you claim to be one of ours, I'll give you your first task."

"explain."

"When we get to No. 76, I'll go in to see Shao Shijun. You stay in the car." Lu Minghui pointed to the rearview mirror with a cigarette between his fingers. "Keep an eye on Li Shiqun's men. If I don't come out within half an hour, or if you hear gunshots from inside, drive straight into the gate of No. 76 and run towards the French Concession."

Gu Yunqiu glanced at him.

"You want me to abandon you and run away?"

"I'm not telling you to run away." Lu Minghui looked at his reflection in the car window. "I'm telling you to stir things up. If you drive Mei Jiji's car recklessly around No. 76, Li Shiqun will have to think twice about whether he really dares to mess with Nakajima's people."

Gu Yunqiu didn't say anything more.

The car sped down the street, heading straight for Jessfield Road.