Hidden Radiance

The rain started again, and the windshield wipers made a screeching sound as they scraped against the windshield.

Gu Yunqiu gripped the steering wheel with both hands and glanced at the rearview mirror.

"Thirty-six special passes for the Mei Agency, you really dared to give them out." She broke the silence. "If Nakajima checks them even once, you'll be in the interrogation room."

Lu Minghui looked out the window: "Once you step through the door of No. 76, you're no longer Wan Molin's person."

Gu Yunqiu didn't press the matter further. She tapped her fingertips lightly on the steering wheel twice, then looked away, focusing on the road ahead.

The Ford sedan turned onto Jesfield Road.

In the distance, the No. 76 compound was brightly lit. In the direction of the small villa in the backyard, two black trucks belonging to the action team were parked.

Gu Yunqiu slammed on the brakes, and the car stopped in the shadows on the side of the office building.

Lu Minghui pushed open the door and got out of the car. His left arm was slung across his chest, and his right hand hung at his side. He twitched his fingers a couple of times, clenched them, and then relaxed them.

Raindrops pattered on the trench coat.

At the back gate stood a dozen or so agents from the action team. In the middle stood a middle-aged man in a suit—Lu Xuzhang, the general manager of Guangda Huahang.

His hair was slightly disheveled, half his face was swollen, and a broken lens from his gold-rimmed glasses hung on the bridge of his nose. Two agents twisted his arms behind his back.

Leading the group was Zhao Si, the captain of the third squad of the action team, nicknamed "Mad Dog".

"Hurry up! Director Shao is waiting inside!" Zhao Si kicked Lu Xuzhang in the back of the knee.

Lu Xuzhang stumbled and fell into the mud.

"This is kidnapping! I need to see Director Li!"

Zhao Si ignored him. He raised his foot and stomped on Lu Xuzhang's hand again.

As his joints crushed into the gravel, Lu Xuzhang let out a muffled groan.

Zhao Si drew a pistol from his waist and pressed the barrel against the back of Lu Xuzhang's head.

"Try saying it again?" The gun barrel ground against his scalp twice. "Chief Shao said that those who don't know what's good for them won't be sent in alive."

Lu Minghui waded through the puddles.

The leather shoes made a clattering sound as they stepped on the ground.

Hearing the noise, Zhao Si turned around. He saw who it was; the gun was still pointed at Lu Xuzhang's head.

"Hey, Director Lu." Zhao Si's eyes swept over Lu Minghui's sling-like left arm, and he grinned. "Out in the rain in the middle of the night, your injury not even fully healed yet?"

He tapped Lu Xuzhang's head with the barrel of his gun.

"This person was arrested on Director Li's personal orders. If Director Lu has nothing else to do, please proceed."

Release them.

Zhao Si was stunned for a moment.

He then picked at his ear, as if he had heard a joke.

"Director Li's orders, Director Shao specifically requested to see him." He took half a step forward. "Director Lu just said he'd let him go with a single word? Brother, this is putting me in a difficult position."

"Difficult to do?"

Lu Minghui looked at him.

"Then don't do it."

Zhao Si's smile vanished abruptly. He tapped his thumb on the trigger guard, and the muzzle moved away from Lu Xuzhang's head, veering towards Lu Minghui.

Lu Minghui took half a step back, his right hand hanging down naturally, his gaze shifting towards Lu Xuzhang.

Zhao Si's attention followed his gaze for a moment.

Just this one breath.

Lu Minghui took out a Browning from his trench coat pocket with his right hand.

boom.

Gunshots ripped through the rainy night.

A bloody hole appeared between Zhao Si's eyebrows. His head exploded, spraying red and white filth onto the iron gate behind him.

He stared wide-eyed, then fell straight backward, crashing into the mud.

A splash of water rose up.

Dead silence.

A dozen or so agents stood frozen in place, looking at the corpses on the ground, then at Lu Minghui.

wow-

A dozen or so agents simultaneously drew their guns, pointing them all at him.

Lu Minghui didn't move. He gripped the gun in his right hand, the muzzle pointing downwards, the barrel still emitting wisps of white smoke.

"Lu Minghui! You dare kill people from No. 76!" a secret agent roared, his eyes red.

Lu Minghui moved the muzzle of his gun horizontally and aimed it at the person's forehead.

The same position as Zhao Si.

The spy's Adam's apple bobbed suddenly, and the sound got stuck in his throat and disappeared.

"Apply for his death benefits. I approve."

The door of the small villa was pushed open with a bang.

Shao Shijun, dressed in a long gown, stood on the steps, holding a string of small-leaf sandalwood beads in his hand.

Lin Zhijiang led a group of people rushing over from the direction of the office building and surrounded Lu Minghui.

"Openly committing murder at No. 76." Lin Zhijiang looked at Zhao Si on the ground, his face ashen. "Director Lu, do you even respect Director Li?"

"You should ask Director Li if he even acknowledges Section Chief Nakajima?"

Lu Minghui raised his head, his gaze passing over the forest of guns and landing on Shao Shijun on the steps.

He pointed the gun barrel at Lu Xuzhang on the ground with his right hand.

"Lu Xuzhang was specifically requested by Section Chief Nakajima, and I have full authority to handle him." The voice wasn't loud, but it pierced through the rain. "Your action team overstepped its authority by arresting someone; are you trying to rebel?"

His gaze was fixed on Lin Zhijiang.

"Or is it that Captain Lin also wants to keep Zhao Si company?"

Lin Zhijiang was speechless. Looking at Lu Minghui's left arm hanging in front of his chest, he felt even shorter.

Shao Shijun stopped fiddling with the prayer beads. He walked down the steps and looked at Lu Minghui through the rain.

"Director Lu, you've got quite the airs of an official." The voice was sinister. "One man, one gun. Do you think you can take him away today?"

"That depends on how hard your chest is."

Lu Minghui raised his right hand.

Browning's gun was pointed at Shao Shijun's chest.

My right arm was stiff, the muzzle of the gun remained motionless. The bone fragments rubbed against the gauze, and the pain shot from my shoulder blade all the way to the back of my head.

Dozens of guns around them simultaneously pulled their bolts.

The clicking sounds continued in unison.

Behind the second-floor window, Li Shiqun parted the blinds a crack, the pull cord of the blinds wrapped around his knuckles, tightened, and did not loosen.

Lu Minghui didn't move.

Rainwater dripped down the gun barrel, drop by drop.

Dozens of guns were pointed at Lu Minghui. Shao Shijun stood on the steps, his chest heaving. He clutched the string of small-leaf sandalwood beads in his palm, which made a dull creaking sound.

He stared at the dark muzzle of the gun and shifted his heel back half an inch.

Lu Minghui watched this unfold, his thumb pressing firmly on the hammer without loosening.

In the shadows beside the office building, the engine of a Ford sedan roared to life.

Two blinding high beams instantly shone, tearing through the rain and shining directly into the faces of Shao Shijun and Lin Zhijiang.

The chrysanthemum-patterned sign on the front of the vehicle was illuminated brightly by the lights.

Shao Shijun instinctively raised his arm to shield his eyes from the bright light. Lin Zhijiang's agents were blinded and their formation was disrupted.

drop--

Gu Yunqiu slammed the horn down. The shrill sound drowned out the rain.

The Ford sedan did not slow down, its tires crunching through the mud and water as it hurtled straight toward the backyard gate.

"Stop that car!" Lin Zhijiang shouted.

Recently, a spy raised the muzzle of his gun half an inch, then lowered it again.

No one moved. The chrysanthemum-patterned sign on the front of the car shone brightly under the high beams.

crunch--

The tires came to a screeching halt less than half a meter from Lin Zhijiang. Mud and water splashed all over Lin Zhijiang.

The car door remained closed. The high beams were still blaring. The car was positioned horizontally behind and to the side of Lu Minghui, blocking most of the area.

Lu Minghui didn't turn around. His gun remained firmly pointed at Shao Shijun.

"Director Shao," Lu Minghui said, his voice piercing through the rain, "You came from Nanjing, wanting to make a fortune in Shanghai, I won't stop you. But you've messed with Section Chief Nakajima's people, which is going against me."

Lu Minghui took a step forward.

"Shoot. Or hand him over to me."

Shao Shijun's face was ashen. He glanced at Zhao Si on the ground, then at the Ford with its high beams on.

On the second floor, a hurried footstep swept past the window, the blinds swayed and then closed.

Footsteps came from the office building corridor.

A black umbrella was opened, blocking the cold rain from falling.

Li Shiqun, dressed in a dark Zhongshan suit and wearing leather shoes, walked slowly into the backyard.

"Put your guns down."

Li Shiqun's voice wasn't loud. The dozen or so agents exchanged glances and quickly put away their guns. Lin Zhijiang glared fiercely at Lu Minghui and stepped aside.

Li Shiqun walked between Lu Minghui and Shao Shijun. He glanced at the corpse on the ground, frowned slightly, and then relaxed.

"Director Lu, you're getting too worked up." Li Shiqun turned around and looked at Lu Minghui. "Zhao Si doesn't know the rules, you can teach him a lesson. Why resort to violence in front of Director Shao?"

"Zhao Si doesn't listen to the director's rules. I thought he was really stubborn, what a pity..." Lu Minghui lowered his right hand, folded the gun, and said, "Lu Xuzhang, I'm taking him away."

Li Shiqun smiled and turned to look at Shao Shijun.

"Director Shao, Boss Lu holds a very important position in Shanghai. Section Chief Nakajima has assigned this matter to Director Lu. As for our 76th Division, we have to cooperate with the Imperial Army."

Shao Shijun understood that Li Shiqun was offering him a way out. He snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and walked into the small villa. The door slammed shut behind him.

Li Shiqun turned around and looked at Lu Minghui.

"Brother Lu, you can take the man with you. But Zhao Si was the squad leader of the action team, and he died in the courtyard of No. 76. This matter needs to be settled."

"Explanation?" Lu Minghui looked into Li Shiqun's eyes. "Dare to point a gun at me, that's insubordination. The best explanation is that he's been killed in action and is receiving a death benefit."

"Brother Lu is still a member of the 76th Division. If morale is low, the team will be difficult to lead." Li Shiqun lowered his voice. "Shao Shijun has Nanjing behind him. If you embarrass him today, you'll have a hard time getting by in Shanghai in the future."

"If the road is difficult, just wade through it."

Lu Minghui turned around and walked up to Lu Xuzhang.

Lu Xuzhang knelt in the mud, trembling all over, his half-broken glasses hanging from the bridge of his nose.

Lu Minghui put away his gun, gritted his teeth, and pulled Lu Xuzhang out of the mud with one hand.

"Get in the car."

Lu Xuzhang stumbled open the back door and climbed inside.

Lu Minghui opened the passenger door and got into the car. The moment his right hand pulled on the door, his left shoulder slumped down, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, which was not visible in the rain on his face.

The car door closed.

Li Shiqun stood under the umbrella, watching the Ford sedan reverse, turn around, and drive out of the No. 76 compound.

"Director, are we just going to let him take the person away like that?" Lin Zhijiang leaned closer, gritting his teeth.

Li Shiqun looked at the corpse on the ground. The rainwater diluted the bloodstains, seeped into the cracks between the bricks, and meandered towards the drainage ditch.

"He holds the reins of power in his hands, what can you use to keep him here?" Li Shiqun twirled his umbrella halfway, splashing water droplets onto Lin Zhijiang's trouser leg. "Go see Shao Shijun. Tell him what I said—Lu Minghui wants him to handle things himself."