Hidden Radiance

The convoy continued its journey and soon arrived at 144 Avenue Joffre.

Ono immediately ordered a blockade and search...

"It's all in the basement."

Lu Minghui followed Xiao Ye down the steps.

Several high-wattage searchlights shone in the basement, so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes.

In the very center of the open space, twenty wooden crates were neatly stacked.

The lid of the box had been pried open. Gold bars, silver dollars, and US dollars were piled up there, an eyesore.

Lu Minghui's gaze swept over the boxes.

One, two, three... twenty.

Not a single box was missing.

His fingers tightened in his trench coat pocket, his nails digging into his palms.

Nothing was moved at home.

Lu Minghui glanced at the ventilation opening in the basement and then at the positions of several military police officers.

There were two by the door, one at the corner of the stairs, and another squatting under the vent.

That location offers no view of the basement interior; its only purpose is to monitor the external access routes.

Hidden sentry.

Did Nakajima send someone to keep watch again beforehand?

When the family arrived, they saw the hidden sentry and withdrew.

But what if it's not completely cleaned?

Lu Minghui's back stiffened for a moment, then relaxed.

"Have you counted them all?"

He turned to Ono and asked, his tone completely flat.

"A full twenty boxes, the exact number that matches the amount stolen from Kunshan."

Ono was beaming with excitement.

"Mr. Minghui, you've done an incredible job this time!"

"Seal the box. Transport it directly back to the Ume Agency and hand it over to Section Chief Nakajima."

Lu Minghui spoke coldly and turned to walk upstairs.

"Ono-kun, I'm going back to 76 to finish up the work. I'll report back to him later."

"Minghui-kun, I'll see you off." Ono was in a great mood after making a new contribution, especially since the credit was given to him by Lu Minghui.

Lu Minghui laughed and said, "No need, gold is more important." After saying that, he left alone.

On the way back to No. 76, he turned the car into the alley where Old Zhao usually parked.

The rickshaw was stopped at the alley entrance, and the brim of the hat was pulled low.

The person is still alive.

Lu Minghui looked away and didn't let the car stop.

An hour later, Mei's agency.

Shinichi Nakajima looked at the gold scattered all over the ground and smiled so hard his eyes narrowed.

He personally poured two glasses of red wine and handed one to Lu Minghui, who had just entered the room.

"Minghui, not a single piece missing, returned to its rightful owner intact."

Nakajima raises his glass.

"The head of the agency called personally to praise your efficiency."

Lu Minghui took the wine glass, clinked it against his glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

"He was just lucky. Sun Yaozu is a spineless coward; he confessed as soon as he was scared."

No, this isn't luck.

Nakajima stared into Lu Minghui's eyes.

"Gold is the ultimate test of human nature. Twenty chests were placed in front of you, and you didn't even glance at the lids."

Nakajima put down his glass, his voice softening slightly.

"I didn't misjudge him."

Lu Minghui's hand holding the glass was very steady.

The wine was finished, the glass empty, but he didn't put it down. The glass trembled slightly; he gripped it tightly, then placed it back on the table. The fact that Ono's car had broken down hadn't escaped Nakajima's notice. The fact that the gold had been successfully transported back dispelled Nakajima's doubts.

"Serving the Great Japanese Empire is my duty."

"very good."

Nakajima walked back to his desk and picked up a document.

"I've already made arrangements with the Confidential Affairs Department. Since you only want to be a deputy director, I won't make things difficult for you. Your contributions to the Empire will not be in vain."

"I've found you a secretary; her name is Gu Yunqiu."

Nakajima smiled.

"She comes from the South Manchuria Railway Bureau's Research Bureau and is an expert in codebreaking and internal auditing. With her around, you'll have a much easier time."

Gu Yunqiu, South Manchuria Railway Bureau of Investigation?

The gold just now was the first test; this Gu Yunqiu is the real killer move.

"Thank you, Section Chief."

Lu Minghui remained unfazed.

"Go and take care of things on your end. You'll officially take office tomorrow."

It was midnight in the underground interrogation room of No. 76.

Sun Yaozu was hung on the rack, his skin torn and bleeding.

The interrogation team was extremely ruthless. It was the rule at No. 76 that before the person was even completely dead, the line for whipping them had already begun.

The iron gate slammed open.

Lu Minghui walked in and pulled up a chair to sit down.

With a wave of his hand, the interrogation team members immediately withdrew, closing the door behind them.

Sun Yaozu barely managed to lift his head; one of his eyes was so swollen he couldn't open it.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, his voice hoarse.

"Lu Minghui... if you're going to kill me, then kill me. Just give me a quick death."

"Kill you?"

Lu Minghui lit a cigarette, took a puff, and stuffed the remaining half into Sun Yaozu's mouth.

"A living person is always more useful than a dead person."

Sun Yaozu was stunned. He took two greedy puffs of his cigarette and stared at him warily.

"The gold has been transported back to the Mei Agency, and Section Chief Nakajima is very pleased."

Lu Minghui crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair.

"I reported to the section chief that it was you, Deputy Battalion Commander Sun, who were of great integrity and sense of justice. You noticed Wu Sibao's treacherous behavior, put aside your own family for the greater good, and took the initiative to reveal the whereabouts of the gold, thus helping the Imperial Army to recover its losses."

Sun Yaozu dropped the cigarette from his mouth.

He stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

"What...what did you say?"

"I'm saying, you've done a great job."

Lu Minghui looked at him.

"Tomorrow morning, the commendation order from the Mei Agency will be issued to No. 76. Not only will you not die, but you will also be a great hero."

Sun Yaozu's mind was in complete chaos.

At No. 76, backstabbing and stabbing each other in the back happened every day in an attempt to steal credit. Lu Minghui could have easily taken all the credit for himself and then killed him.

Why should we share in his profits?

What do you want?

Sun Yaozu isn't stupid; there's no such thing as a free lunch.

"Wu Sibao is dead, and the position of chief of security is now vacant."

Lu Minghui stood up and walked to Sun Yaozu.

"Li Shiqun wanted to arrange for his people to take over, and Section Chief Nakajima originally wanted me to take over, but I declined. I recommended someone else instead."

"Who?"

"She Aizhen".

Upon hearing this name, Sun Yaozu was startled.

She Aizhen, Wu Sibao's first wife, was a well-known "big sister" in the Green Gang. Wu Sibao's success was largely due to the Green Gang's influence behind her.

"Are you crazy?"

Sun Yaozu blurted it out.

"Wu Sibao just died, and you're letting She Aizhen take over his job? What if she finds out it was me..."

"Everyone in the 76th Division knows that Wu Sibao was killed by the Military Intelligence Bureau. Are you from the Military Intelligence Bureau?"

Lu Minghui interrupted him.

"It was you, Sun Yaozu, who handed over the gold in order to preserve Wu Sibao's last bit of reputation."

Lu Minghui leaned down and stared into Sun Yaozu's eyes.

"Listen. I've gone to the confidential office. The guard battalion needs someone to keep an eye on things here. She Aizhen has connections to the Green Gang, so Li Shiqun won't dare to touch her easily."

"She'll be the captain, and you'll continue as the vice-captain. You'll shield them from Li Shiqun's open and covert attacks, while I'll protect your wealth and status from behind."

Sun Yaozu swallowed hard. Lu Minghui was using She Aizhen to keep Li Shiqun in check and to make him keep an eye on She Aizhen.

"What if I don't agree?"

Sun Yaozu gritted his teeth.

"You won't agree?"

Lu Minghui smiled.

"After Li Shiqun returns, he will receive that black ledger. Will Director Li hand you over to the Japanese to skin you alive, or will he simply throw you into the Huangpu River?"

Sun Yaozu broke out in a cold sweat.

He had no choice. She Aizhen was not someone to be trifled with, and this Commander Lu was even more so.

"I...I'll listen to you. Commander Lu, from now on, my life, Sun Yaozu's life, belongs to you."

"Don't make it sound so nice."

Lu Minghui straightened up and patted Sun Yaozu's face.

"Just remember, I can pull you out of hell, and I can kick you back in."

Lu Minghui turned and walked out.

"etc!"

Sun Yaozu shouted from behind.

"As for She Aizhen... she's a difficult woman, how do you persuade her?"

Lu Minghui stopped walking without turning around.

"You don't need to worry about that. Tomorrow, wash your face thoroughly and get a new suit. Don't embarrass the guards."

The iron gate closed again.

The next morning, on the third floor of No. 76, the Confidential Office.

No one spoke in the corridor. The clerks who passed by walked quickly with their heads down, their footsteps very light, as if afraid of crushing something.

The Confidential Office was the heart of No. 76. All secret telegrams sent to Nanjing and Tokyo were sent from here.

Lu Minghui pushed open the door to the deputy director's office.

This is the newly established office.

The office was large, and a person was sitting on the sofa.

She wore a black cheongsam and gold-rimmed glasses. Holding a cup of coffee, she was looking at the map of Shanghai on the wall with great interest.

Hearing the door open, the woman turned around and adjusted her glasses.

"Commander Lu, I've long admired your name."

The woman stood up and extended her right hand.

"Gu Yunqiu. Section Chief Nakajima asked me to be your deputy."

Lu Minghui walked over and took that hand.

Gu Yunqiu's hands were soft, and her strength was just right, neither too heavy nor too light, striking a perfect balance.

"Secretary Gu, you're too kind."

Lu Minghui withdrew his hand.

"Commander Lu was quite skillful last night. Twenty boxes of gold were transported back to the Mei Agency without a single penny missing."

Gu Yunqiu sat down again and looked at Lu Minghui.

"However, there's something I've always been curious about."

Lu Minghui walked behind his desk, sat down, and opened the handover documents on the desk.

"What is Secretary Gu curious about?"

"Last night, when we were setting up a stakeout on Avenue Joffre, my men caught two suspicious-looking guys on the outskirts."

Gu Yunqiu picked up her coffee and took a sip.

"After being severely tortured all night, they confessed that they had received orders from their superiors to scout out Avenue Joffre. And..."

Gu Yunqiu paused for a moment, her eyes behind her glasses fixed on Lu Minghui.

"They are members of the Red Party."

Lu Minghui paused as he flipped through the documents.

The paper made a slight rubbing sound.

"Are the Red Party members scouting the area?"

Lu Minghui raised his head and met Gu Yunqiu's gaze.

"Secretary Gu means that the Red Party wants to seize gold right under the noses of the Imperial Army?"

"Whether they'll rob us or not, I don't know."

Gu Yunqiu put down her coffee cup and leaned forward.

"But coincidentally, their car broke down just as they were scouting the location."

She pulled a file out of her briefcase and pushed it in front of Lu Minghui.

I pressed my fingertips on the file cover, lingered for a second longer, and then released them.

"Commander Lu, tell me, how could such a coincidence happen in this world?"

Lu Minghui looked at the file on the table.

The document was on a kraft paper cover, without a stamp. It wasn't taken through the official route of No. 76; it was Gu Yunqiu's private file.

He neither touched it nor responded.

He opened the drawer, took out a box of matches, pulled one out, and struck it. The flame leaped up, lit the cigarette in his mouth, flicked out the match, and threw it into the ashtray.

"How long has Secretary Gu been in Shanghai?"

Gu Yunqiu frowned slightly, clearly not expecting him to change the subject. "Three days. Is that related to the case?"

"No wonder." Lu Minghui leaned back in his chair, pointing at the file with the cigarette between his fingers. "In just three days, you haven't even figured out where the threshold of No. 76 is, yet you dare to test your superior with a few pieces of scrap paper."

Gu Yunqiu's face darkened.

"Commander Lu, these two people confessed that they are Communists. The time and place match up. You're avoiding the question."

"I only care about logic." Lu Minghui flicked his cigarette ash. "Xiao Ye's car broke down, and you're questioning me?"

He leaned forward, staring into Gu Yunqiu's eyes across the desk.

"The Red Party can intercept top-secret intelligence, issue orders, and send scouts to the scene within an hour? Secretary Gu, in the South Manchuria Railway Bureau's research materials, the Red Party members are portrayed as all-knowing, all-powerful omniscient beings?"

Gu Yunqiu adjusted his glasses. "Perhaps you transmitted intelligence in some way on your way out of 76."

"For example?" Lu Minghui laughed, "Should I throw notes into the street? Or put up posters on utility poles?"

He stood up, walked up to Gu Yunqiu, and looked down at her.

"Gu Yunqiu. Section Chief Nakajima put you in the Confidential Affairs Department to guard against Li Shiqun, not to come and bite me. You want to climb over me to get ahead, but you've picked the wrong target."

He picked up the file, didn't even look at it, and threw it directly into the wastebasket at his feet.

"According to the rules of the Confidential Affairs Office, unsubstantiated speculations will not be filed. Also, from now on, knock before entering my office."

Gu Yunqiu stood up, her chest heaving. She had always had a smooth life at the South Manchuria Railway and had never been reprimanded like this before.

"Commander Lu, you have quite the airs. Since you think these two are imposters, let's go check out the basement. The interrogation team is still waiting for your instructions."