Hidden Radiance

Outside the cherry blossom izakaya, the night wind swept away fallen leaves across the street.

Lu Minghui opened the door of the Ford sedan and sat in the passenger seat. The smell of alcohol mixed with the aroma of charcoal filled the cramped car.

Gu Yunqiu didn't turn his head, but pressed the clutch and shifted gears. The car smoothly glided onto the main road.

"Where to?" she asked.

"Yuyuan Road, the teahouse at the alley entrance." Lu Minghui lowered the car window halfway, letting in a blast of cold air that dispersed the smell of alcohol. "Nakajima still suspects you."

Gu Yunqiu's hands on the steering wheel did not tremble, and the car did not slow down.

Lu Minghui leaned back in his chair. "He tested me at the dinner table today. I told him, use the suspects as you see fit, kill them when you're done. As long as you can bite someone, you can live."

"Whom should we bite?"

"You need to accomplish something significant soon to prove your worth." Lu Minghui looked out the window at the receding street scene. "I'll create opportunities for you. During this time, you only need to listen, not speak."

Gu Yunqiu didn't reply and stepped on the gas.

Yuyuan Road.

A teahouse deep in the alley. The storefront is inconspicuous, with a wooden sign hanging that reads "Closed."

Lu Minghui pushed open the door and went inside.

On the second floor, in a private room, Ding Mocun, dressed in a dark gray long gown, sat before a tea tray. The water was boiling, making a hissing sound as the kettle lid was lifted.

As the head of No. 76, Ding Mocun had been living a stifled life for the past six months. Li Shiqun held absolute power, and Ding Mocun, as the head of No. 76, had become a figurehead figurehead.

Lu Minghui pulled out a chair and sat down, his left arm in a cast hitting the edge of the table with a dull thud.

"Director Lu's visit so late at night is a rare treat." Ding Mocun picked up the kettle and rinsed the teaware.

"Director Ding, let's get to the point." Lu Minghui didn't take the teacup. "I'm going to get Li Shiqun."

Ding Mocun stopped pouring tea. Boiling water overflowed the rim of the cup and flowed into the strainer of the tea tray.

He put down the kettle and looked up at Lu Minghui.

"Brother Lu has had too much to drink."

"I'm not drunk. Section Chief Nakajima needs reserves to implement the Central Reserve Bank notes. Ono-kun's military police will be arresting people and ransacking homes throughout the city first thing tomorrow morning." Lu Minghui tapped the table with his right hand. "I plan to take this money from Li Shiqun's pocket."

Ding Mocun leaned back in his chair, his expression changing.

"Li Shiqun has made a fortune in Shanghai these past two years. All the captains and action leaders under him are rolling in money." Lu Minghui stared at Ding Mocun. "I need a list. Who are the fattest, and who listens to Li Shiqun the most?"

The tea room fell silent. The water in the kettle was still boiling.

"Take the military police's knife and cut Li Shiqun off at the root." Ding Mocun picked up his teacup, blew on the steam, and said, "If Li Shiqun retaliates, who will take the blame?"

"I'll carry it," Lu Minghui said calmly. "Not only will I carry it, but I'll also give Director Ding a big gift."

Ding Mocun didn't drink the tea, but just looked at him.

"Lu Xuzhang, Wan Molin, and Hu Juewen—I've already cracked those three toughest nuts. The integration of the Shanghai gangs and chambers of commerce is nearing completion." Lu Minghui leaned forward. "Tomorrow morning, I'll propose to Section Chief Nakajima that the remaining integration tasks be handed over to Director Ding."

Ding Mocun's eyes narrowed.

The integration mission is the core of Project Sugi. Whoever controls it controls the allocation of resources in Shanghai. Li Shiqun dreams of getting his hands on it.

"You're giving me this huge credit?" Ding Mocun put down his teacup.

"I just want the money, I just want to finish my job." Lu Minghui stood up. "Director Ding regained real power in No. 76, and I completed Section Chief Nakajima's task. Nobody owes anyone anything."

Ding Mocun remained silent for a moment.

He opened the drawer.

There was a thin notebook in the drawer, its cover frayed and it had been flipped through more than once.

Ding Mocun pulled out the notebook, opened it, glanced at it, and then closed it again. He took out a fountain pen and a piece of stationery, and began to quickly trace the contents of the notebook across the paper.

Two minutes later, Ding Mocun pushed the paper to the other side of the table.

Lu Minghui picked up the paper. It was covered with a dozen or so names. Wu Sibao's sworn brothers, Lin Zhijiang's deputy, and the captain of the guard brigade were all listed. Next to each name was a private residence address and a rough estimate of their assets.

"Director Ding is indeed thoughtful." Lu Minghui folded the paper and stuffed it into the inner pocket of his trench coat.

"After being a clay idol for half a year, I can't be so ignorant that I don't even recognize the rats in the temple." Ding Mocun stood up. "Brother Lu, once this fire is lit, it can't be put out."

"Disobedient dogs end up on the table." Lu Minghui turned and walked out.

The following morning.

Mei's office, section chief's office.

Shinichi Nakajima flipped through the list that Lu Minghui had handed him. Sunlight streamed through the glass window, illuminating the paper.

Nakajima's brows furrowed slowly.

"Lin Zhijiang's deputy captain, Wu Sibao's cousin, the captain of the third action team..." Nakajima raised his head and slammed the list on the table. "Minghui, this is full of Li Shiqun's confidants. You're trying to kill him."

Lu Minghui stood in front of his desk, his left arm in a cast, his posture ramrod straight.

"Section Chief, they've become disobedient." Lu Minghui's tone was flat. "Killing them will both raise funds for the future and serve as a warning to others."

"You've gone too far." Nakajima stared at him. "Li Shiqun is, after all, the deputy director of the 76th Division. If you expose all his secrets, he'll fight you to the death."

"He wouldn't dare," Lu Minghui said, meeting Nakajima's gaze. "Because it was the military police who ransacked the house, it was Ono-kun. No matter how arrogant Li Shiqun is, he wouldn't dare to draw his guns against the Imperial Army."

Nakajima leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table.

"There's one more thing," Lu Minghui continued. "I've already smoothed things over regarding the integration of the Shanghai gangs and chambers of commerce. I plan to hand over the follow-up work and daily operations to Ding Mocun."

Nakajima's fingers, which were tapping the table, stopped.

"Handing it over?" Nakajima scrutinized Lu Minghui. "You've tackled the three toughest challenges, and now it's time to reap the rewards. Are you choosing to back down? To hand over the credit to someone else?"

"I got this list from Ding Mocun. In exchange, I handed over the integration task to him." Lu Minghui frankly explained the deal. "Ding Mocun needs real power to suppress Li Shiqun, and I need the list."

"Aren't you afraid that Dingmo Village will grow too powerful?"

"If Ding Mo Village grows too powerful, Li Shiqun will be constrained. Only with checks and balances within No. 76 can the section chief better control them." Lu Minghui lowered his head slightly.

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

"Minghui, you've put in so much effort, almost risking your life. Now you're giving away all the credit, what are you after?"

Lu Minghui raised his head and looked into Nakajima's eyes.

"Section Chief, I want to go back to Tokyo." Lu Minghui's voice was a fraction lower. "These clothes are getting heavy from wearing them for so long."

He paused for a moment.

"The sooner the war ends, the sooner I can go back."

Nakajima looked at Lu Minghui.

He pulled his right hand back from the table and placed it at his side, rubbing his thumb against the knuckle of his index finger before stopping.

Looked for a long time.

After a long while, Nakajima patted Lu Minghui on the right shoulder.

"I've seen your loyalty." Nakajima turned and walked back to the table, picking up the list. "I've approved the list. Let Ono handle it. As for the integration mission, hand it over to Ding Mocun, just as you said."

"Thank you, Section Chief." Lu Minghui turned and walked towards the door.

"Minghui," Nakajima called out to him.

Lu Minghui stopped and turned around.

"Gu Yunqiu is no longer suitable to remain in this position," Nakajima said calmly. "From today onwards, she will only be responsible for driving. She will no longer have access to any classified documents."

Lu Minghui did not show any surprise and nodded.

"clear."

The door closed.

After Lu Minghui left, Nakajima pressed the intercom on the table.

"Come in."

The door to the break room on the side of the office was pushed open.

The wooden clogs stepped on the carpet without making a sound. First, the ribs of a folding fan peeked out from the door frame, then a hand with short, clean nails.

Nanzo Yunzi walked out.

She wore a dark kimono that hugged her narrow waist, her long hair was tied up, revealing the back of her fair neck. She walked to the desk, pulled out a chair, sat down, and placed a folding fan on the table.

"Did you hear everything?" Nakajima asked.

"I heard you." Nanzo Yunzi's voice was not loud, the end of her tone falling, carrying an unyielding languor. "He yields without taking credit, using the opponent's strength against them. His methods are more sophisticated than when he was in Tokyo."

"Do you think there's something wrong with him?" Nakajima asked, getting straight to the point.

Nanzo Yunzi picked up the cigarette box on the table; it was also an old-brand cigarette box.

He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The smoke drifted out in front of her.

"According to the Special Higher Police's investigations over the past few years, Lu Minghui's resume is spotless." Nanzo Yunzi exhaled a smoke ring. "If there are any problems, it can only mean one thing—he is a dormant spy who has only recently been awakened."

Nakajima frowned.

"There's no evidence." Nanzo Yun flicked his cigarette ash. "His confession just now almost convinced me. His feelings for the Empire can't be faked."

"But there's something wrong with Gu Yunqiu, who's with him." Nakajima picked up Gu Yunqiu's file from the table. "A South Manchuria Railway agent, his heart was positioned to the right, which allowed him to escape assassination. What a coincidence."

"Since Gu Yunqiu is untrustworthy, then kick her out of the inner circle." Nanzo Yunzi stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray.

"I need someone to replace Gu Yunqiu." Nakajima looked at Nanzo Yunzi, "Someone who can stay close to Lu Minghui and see through his every move."

Nanzo Yunko's gaze fell on the folding fan on the table, paused for two seconds, and then looked away. She picked up the folding fan and tapped it lightly in her palm.

"You two used to be lovers. No one knows him better than you," Nakajima said seriously. "You'll step out from behind the scenes and become his confidential secretary. Keep a close eye on him. At the same time, keep an eye on that Gu Yunqiu."

Nanzo Yunzi stood up.

"If I could, I wouldn't want to do this." She bowed slightly.

He closed the folding fan in his hand, and ran his thumb down along the bamboo joints of the fan ribs, section by section, until he reached the end and stopped.

"Minghui is my classmate and good friend, and you are someone I mentored." Nakajima gazed at Nanzo Yunzi, paused for a moment, and then continued, "But first and foremost, you are a soldier."

Outside the Meiji Government Building.

Lu Minghui opened the rear door of the Ford sedan and got in.

Gu Yunqiu sat in the driver's seat, looking at Lu Minghui in the rearview mirror.

"From today onwards, you're just my personal driver." Lu Minghui looked out the window. "You don't need to come into the office building with me anymore, and you don't need to organize documents anymore."

Gu Yunqiu gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"Who will replace me?"

Lu Minghui withdrew his gaze and looked at the back of the front seat.

"have no idea."

Gu Yunqiu didn't speak again. In the rearview mirror, her gaze shifted from Lu Minghui's face to the windshield, to a place where there was nothing.

A woman walked down the steps of the Meiji Government Building.

She changed out of her kimono and into a well-tailored women's suit. Wearing high heels, she walked straight to the Ford sedan.

Gu Yunqiu's eyes turned cold as she watched the woman approach.

Nanzo Yunzi opened the passenger door and got in. After getting in, she casually flipped down the sun visor, tidied her sideburns in the small mirror on it, and then flipped it back up.

After doing all that, she turned her head and looked at Lu Minghui in the back seat.

"Minghui-kun." Nanzo Yunzi smiled. "It's been a long time. Please take care of me from now on."

Lu Minghui leaned back in his chair, the cast on his left arm feeling heavy. He looked at Nanzo Yunzi's face.

"Yunzi," Lu Minghui said calmly, "it rains a lot in Shanghai, remember to bring an umbrella when you go out."

Three people, three seats. No one spoke.

Gu Yunqiu pressed the clutch and shifted gears. When shifting gears, his fingers lingered on the gear lever for a moment before releasing it.

The Ford sedan drove out of the gates of the Meiji government building.