Hidden Radiance

The Ford sedan drove onto Jesfield Road.

No one spoke in the carriage.

Nanzo Yunko sat in the passenger seat, opened her handbag, and took out a silver cigarette case. She pressed the clasp, and it popped open. Inside were nine cigarettes neatly stacked.

Old Knife Brand.

She pulled out a lighter and bit it between her red lips. The lighter's flint rubbed together, and a flame shot up.

The smoke spread through the narrow space.

"Miss Gu, open the window a little." Nanzo Yunzi exhaled a smoke ring without turning around. "It's too stuffy in the car."

Gu Yunqiu gripped the steering wheel with both hands, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. She took her right hand off the steering wheel and rolled down the window halfway.

A cold wind blew in, dispersing the smoke.

Thank you.

Lu Minghui leaned back in his seat, his voice steady, "Yunzi, you still have the same old habits."

Nanzo Yunzi, with a cigarette between her fingers, turned her head, rested her elbow on the back of her seat, and looked at Lu Minghui.

"Habits are the hardest to break." She looked at Lu Minghui's left arm, which was in a cast. "Minghui also smokes Lao Dao brand cigarettes."

Lu Minghui met her gaze. His right hand rested on his knee, and his index finger flicked a crease in his trousers.

There was no reply.

Nanzo Yunzi laughed. Her laughter was soft and slightly hoarse.

She reached towards the back seat with the cigarette in her hand. "Want one?"

Lu Minghui extended his right hand and took the cigarette between her fingers with two fingers. There was a dark red lipstick stain on the filter.

He put the cigarette in his mouth and took a drag.

Lu Minghui exhaled a puff of smoke, his gaze falling on the receding plane trees outside the car window.

Gu Yunqiu pressed the clutch and shifted gears. She pushed the gear lever a little too hard, and it clicked when it engaged.

The car accelerated and turned the corner.

No. 76 compound.

The Ford sedan came to a stop. Lu Minghui got out of the car. Nanzo Yunzi followed him out and stood beside him.

Gu Yunqiu remained seated in the driver's seat.

There were three military trucks and two military police motorcycles parked in the yard.

Thirty-six men dressed in black Zhongshan suits stood in four square formations. There was no whispering, no unnecessary movement. Each man had a bulge at his waist and carried a submachine gun in his hand.

Standing at the very front of the formation was a man dressed in the uniform of a Japanese Army lieutenant. A Type 14 Nambu pistol and a military sword were slung at his waist.

Lieutenant Yamashita.

Ono stood on the steps of the office building, with two large empty leather suitcases beside her. Seeing Lu Minghui approaching, Ono walked down the steps.

"Mr. Minghui. I've brought the person." Ono glanced at Nanzo Yunzi beside Lu Minghui, stood at attention, and bowed his head. "Miss Yunzi."

Nanzo Yunzi nodded slightly without saying a word.

Lu Minghui walked to the front of the formation. Thirty-six pairs of eyes were all fixed on him.

Lieutenant Yamashita turned around and gave Lu Minghui a standard military salute.

"Director Lu, the special operations team is assembled. Please provide instructions."

Lu Minghui looked at these laborers who were a disorganized mess just yesterday. After only one night of training at the foot of the mountain, they already exuded a chilling aura.

"Where is Sun Yaozu?" Lu Minghui asked.

"Captain Sun is collecting his ammunition from the logistics department," Yamashita replied.

"No need to wait for him." Lu Minghui turned to Ono, "Ono-kun, have you looked at the list?"

Ono patted the leather suitcase at his feet.

"I've memorized it all. I'm not going back to Hongkou until these two suitcases are full."

Lu Minghui threw the cigarette butt in his hand into the puddle, stepped on it with his leather shoes, and extinguished it.

"Get in the car."

Thirty-six people quickly boarded the vehicle. Their movements were swift and efficient.

Lu Minghui opened the door of the Ford sedan. Nanzo Yunzi got into the passenger seat first. Lu Minghui got into the back seat.

Ono hopped on the motorcycle.

The convoy roared out of Compound No. 76.

Behind the window on the second floor of the office building, Lin Zhijiang lowered the blinds, strode to his desk, and picked up the phone.

"Chief, Lu Minghui has led the military police out. They're heading towards the French Concession," Lin Zhijiang said urgently.

On the other end of the phone, Li Shiqun was silent for two seconds.

How many men did he bring?

"Thirty-six black-clad guards, fully armed. And a small squad of military police led by Ono."

"Send someone to follow him. See where he goes."

Li Shiqun hung up the phone.

French Concession, Rue de Maissier.

A three-story villa with its own entrance and courtyard. The iron gate was tightly closed.

The convoy stopped in front of the villa. This was the private residence of Wu Dazhi, Wu Sibao's cousin and the captain of the guard brigade.

Lu Minghui got out of the car. Ono walked over carrying a leather suitcase.

"Break down the door." Lu Minghui raised his chin.

Lieutenant Yamashita waved his hand. Two men in black stepped forward, carrying submachine guns, and slammed the butts of their rifles against the iron gate.

A bodyguard in shorts rushed out of the gatehouse, shouting through the iron gate, "Are you all blind?! This is Captain Wu's house! How dare you..."

boom!

Lieutenant Yamashita drew his pistol and fired. The bullet pierced the lock of the iron gate and grazed the bodyguard's scalp.

The bodyguard was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

Two team members kicked open the iron gate. Thirty-six men rushed into the courtyard and quickly took control of all the exits.

Lu Minghui stepped inside, his footsteps treading on the scattered iron filings. Nanzo Yunzi walked to his right, her steps steady.

The gate of the villa was pushed open.

Wu Dazhi, wearing a silk bathrobe and carrying a Mauser pistol, stormed out with a furious expression. He was followed by four armed bodyguards.

"Lu Minghui! You're asking for death!" Wu Dazhi raised his gun, pointing it at Lu Minghui. "You brought Japanese soldiers to ransack my house? Did you even ask Director Li?!"

Lu Minghui didn't stop and continued walking forward.

Lieutenant Yamashita stepped forward, blocking Lu Minghui's side. He raised his hand and pulled the trigger.

boom!

Wu Dazhi's pistol was knocked away, his hand was lacerated and blood flowed freely.

Just as the four bodyguards were about to raise their guns, more than thirty submachine guns simultaneously pulled back their bolts, the dark muzzles pressed against their foreheads.

The bodyguards froze, then slowly released their grip, the guns falling to the ground.

Ono walked forward carrying a suitcase, raised her hand, and slapped Wu Dazhi across the face. The sound was crisp and loud.

Wu Dazhi was so badly hit that he spun halfway around on the spot and fell onto the steps. Half of his face quickly swelled up.

"Does the Imperial Army need to ask Li Shiqun when handling matters?" Ono looked down at him.

Wu Dazhi covered his face, looked at the rank insignia on Ono's collar, and his arrogance vanished instantly.

Lu Minghui walked up to Wu Dazhi and looked down at him.

"Captain Wu. Section Chief Nakajima is implementing the Central Reserve Bank notes, which requires reserves. Your cousin Wu Sibao made a fortune on Jessfield Road, and you've gotten your fill of the scraps too." Lu Minghui reached into his trench coat pocket with his right hand. "Today, it's time to pay it back."

He turned to look down the mountain.

"Search. Walls, floors, ceilings. Don't miss a single brick."

The team members rushed into the villa.

The sounds of smashing walls and rummaging through drawers came from inside the building. A piece of glass on the second floor shattered, and a porcelain vase fell out of the window, crashing onto the lawn and breaking into shards.

Lu Minghui stood in the courtyard without even turning his head.

Nanzo Yunzi closed his folding fan, ran his thumb down along the bamboo joint for a section, and then stopped.

"Minghui-kun, if you do this, Li Shiqun will fight you to the death," Nanzo Yunzi said softly.

"This is the military police on official duty." Lu Minghui turned to look at her. "Yunzi, we're in Shanghai on behalf of the Empire. Without money, nothing can be accomplished. Li Shiqun's dogs are too fat; they need to be bled dry."

Nanzo Yunzi did not respond.

More than ten minutes later.

Two team members carried a heavy wooden box out and placed it on the lawn in the yard.

The lid of the box was opened. Neatly stacked, gleaming gold bars were so bright they were almost blinding.

Ono's eyes lit up. He walked over, squatted down, picked up a gold bar, weighed it in his hand, turned it over to look at the stamp on the bottom, and then put it back.

"It's of very high quality." Ono stood up.

Lu Minghui walked over. He didn't even glance at Wu Dazhi; his eyes were fixed on the gold bars. He reached into the wooden box with his right hand, grabbed two gold bars, weighed them in his hand, and then turned to look at Ono.

"Ono-kun, the rules remain the same." Lu Minghui stuffed two gold bars directly into the pocket of Ono's trench coat.

Ono pressed his hand against his pocket and nodded in satisfaction.

Lu Minghui picked up two more and handed them to Lieutenant Yamashita.

"Yamashita-kun, the brothers have worked hard. Here, have some tea."

He stood at attention, bowed his head, and accepted the gold bar with both hands.

Lu Minghui turned around and looked at the remaining half box of gold bars.

"Put it in the military police's briefcase and register it. That's what they call the missing reserve funds."

Nanzo Yunzi stood three steps away. She looked at Ono and Yamashita's bulging pockets, then at the remaining gold bars in the wooden box. Her gaze returned to Lu Minghui, lingering for two seconds.

"Director Lu!" A team member ran down from the second floor of the villa, carrying a black tin box. "It was found in a hidden compartment under the bed in the bedroom. It had a combination lock."

Lu Minghui glanced at the tin box. The tin box was very old, with wear and tear on the edges.

When Wu Dazhi saw the iron box, his face turned deathly pale. He struggled to his feet and tried to lunge at it.

Two teammates kicked him in the back of the knee. Wu Dazhi fell to his knees.

"Password." Lu Minghui walked up to Wu Dazhi.

Wu Dazhi gritted his teeth, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

"I don't know. Someone left it with me."

Lu Minghui looked at him for two seconds, then turned to look down the mountain.

"Left hand. Little finger."

Lieutenant Yamashita stepped forward and drew his saber from his waist. The spine of the blade did not reflect light, but the edge was blindingly white.

The blade was positioned at the base of Wu Dazhi's left little finger.

Wu Dazhi's fingers twitched and pulled back. Another hand from down the mountain pressed his wrist down firmly on the steps.

Wu Dazhi struggled desperately, the veins on his neck bulging, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The blade pressed down slightly. A gash appeared in the skin, and beads of blood seeped out between the fingers.

"ah--!"

The saber slashed down.

Wu Dazhi let out a piercing scream. His left little finger was severed at the base and fell onto the lawn. Blood gushed out.

Lieutenant Yamashita wiped his blood-stained military knife on Wu Dazhi's bathrobe. The tip of the knife was pressed against Wu Dazhi's neck.

"Password," Yamashita repeated in broken Chinese.

"Seven... seven four two nine!" Wu Dazhi cried out, his body convulsing in pain.

Lu Minghui took the metal box and turned the combination lock.

Click.

The latch popped open.

A gust of wind blew outside the courtyard gate, and the hinges of the iron gate clanged. Nanzo Yunzi turned her head and glanced in the direction of the courtyard gate.

Lu Minghui opened the box.

There were no gold bars or US dollars inside. Only a thick stack of letters and a blue ledger.

Lu Minghui picked up the top letter. The envelope had no postmark, and the seal was made with sealing wax. A plum blossom pattern was printed on the sealing wax.

Secret marks of the Chongqing Military Intelligence Bureau.

He opened the blue ledger. It was filled with detailed records of the flow of supplies: penicillin, seamless steel pipes, cotton yarn. The recipients were all code names from the rear areas.

Li Shiqun's confidant is playing both sides.

Lu Minghui closed the ledger. He put the letters and ledger back into the tin box and closed the lid.

Nanzo Yunzi reached out her hand.

"Minghui-kun, what is this?" Her fingers pressed on the lid of the tin box, without applying any force, but without moving it away either.

Lu Minghui looked at her.

"Li Shiqun's things." Lu Minghui pressed his right hand on the iron box and pulled it towards himself. "It's worth more than gold bars."

Nanzo Yunzi withdrew her fingers from the box lid. She withdrew them very slowly, her fingertips leaving a trail on the metal.

The screeching sound of brakes echoed outside the mansion.

Three black sedans and two trucks full of spies screeched to a halt outside the iron gate. The car doors were slammed open.

Lin Zhijiang led more than fifty special agents from the action team out of the car, carrying long and short guns, and blocked the gate of the villa.

Li Shiqun, wearing a black woolen overcoat and leather shoes, walked into the courtyard with a somber expression.

Thirty-six men in black quickly turned their guns and aimed them at the door. Military police soldiers also cocked their rifles.

Li Shiqun stopped ten steps away from Lu Minghui.

His gaze swept over the wooden crate on the lawn, Wu Dazhi kneeling on the ground, and finally landed on the iron box in Lu Minghui's hand.

"Director Lu," Li Shiqun said, enunciating each word clearly, "you led men to ransack the homes of my subordinates. Is this some kind of rebellion?"

Lu Minghui did not back down. He stood on the steps, holding the black iron box in his right hand.

He didn't draw his gun. He didn't raise his hand.

They simply moved the tin box forward half an inch.

"Director Li, you've come at the right time." Lu Minghui raised the iron box in his hand. "I was just worried about not being able to find someone to explain to me whose property these secret military intelligence letters and smuggling ledgers contained in this box actually belong to."

Li Shiqun's pupils suddenly contracted.

His gaze was fixed on the metal box. He didn't take another step forward.

Behind him, more than fifty secret agents had their guns pointed into the courtyard, while inside the courtyard, more than thirty submachine guns were pointed outwards.

Nanzo Yunzi stood beside Lu Minghui. She took her hand out of her pocket and placed it in front of her, fingers interlaced. She didn't touch her gun. She didn't retreat. She stood in a perfectly balanced position.

The wind blew through the yard, swirling up a fallen leaf.

Lu Minghui looked at Li Shiqun, his lips pursed downwards.

"Director Li, what's your opinion?"