Hidden Radiance

8 PM.

Across from the Grand Cinema is the Moulin Rouge Cafe.

A gramophone played soothing French chansons. The café was dimly lit and not crowded.

Lu Minghui sat in a booth by the window. His left arm was in a cast, and he held a cup of black coffee in his right hand.

Nanzo Yunzi sat opposite him. She was wearing that dark green cashmere coat, her long hair was tied up behind her head, and she was playing with a thin matchstick in her hand.

The glass door of the café opened. The doorbell rang once.

A man in a dark gray suit walked in. He folded his umbrella, handed it to the waiter, and glanced around the café.

Paper kite.

He walked straight to Lu Minghui's booth and stopped at the table. He didn't sit down immediately.

His gaze lingered on Nanzo Yunzi for two seconds. He didn't pull out the empty seat next to Lu Minghui, but rather the chair by the aisle. After sitting down, he slightly tilted his right shoulder, just enough to catch a glimpse of the doorway out of the corner of his eye.

"Mr. Chen Zheng, please have a seat." Lu Minghui put down his coffee cup.

"This is Miss Nanzo Yunzi," Lu Minghui introduced. "This is Mr. Chen Zheng. He's in the business of medicinal herbs and hardware."

The kite nodded slightly. Nanzo Yunzi twirled the matchstick between her fingers and stopped. She looked at the kite with a professional smile on her lips.

"Did Director Lu invite me here because of Wu Dazhi's goods?" Paper Kite went straight to the point, without any pleasantries.

Lu Minghui took a folded piece of paper out of his trench coat pocket and pushed it in front of the paper kite.

The paper kite unfolds. A photocopy of Wu Dazhi's smuggling ledger shows the flow of penicillin and seamless steel pipes clearly recorded.

"Wu Dazhi is dead." Lu Minghui looked at the kite. "His thread has broken. From now on, No. 76 won't be able to supply you with the goods you need."

Paper Kite folded the photocopy and placed it beside him. "Since Director Lu has brought out the list, he must have a new solution."

"The Black Dragon Society will take over," Lu Minghui revealed his trump card. "Matsui will be in charge of transportation and handover. He'll make the profit, and you'll get the goods. The Mei Agency will handle the approval and release."

Paper Kite's gaze returned to Lu Minghui's face.

"Miss Yunzi will be in charge of the entire process," Lu Minghui added.

Nanzo Yunzi picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. Her gaze swept over the paper kite from above the rim of the cup before returning to Lu Minghui, but she remained silent.

Paper Kite tapped its fingers twice on the table.

"How is the price calculated if the goods are distributed through the Black Dragon Society's channels?"

"Thirty percent less than Wu Dazhi's," Lu Minghui offered. "Matsui wants volume, not exorbitant profits from a single deal. You save money, he makes money."

Paper Hawk glanced at Nanzo Yunzi.

"Miss Yunzi only looks at the order form," Lu Minghui cut off his concerns. "Section Chief Nakajima signs it, and you pick up the goods. He doesn't ask where they came from or where they're going."

Nanzo Yunko put down her coffee cup and tapped the table with the matchstick between her fingers.

"Mr. Chen," she began, her voice low, "how many years have you been dealing in medicinal herbs and hardware?"

The paper kite looked at her.

"Eleven years," the kite answered quickly.

"Eleven years," Nanzo Yunzi repeated, her gaze sweeping over the paper kite's fingers. "People who work with medicinal herbs usually carry a faint medicinal scent. Mr. Chen doesn't seem to have that."

The booths quieted down.

The phonograph changed its tune. The melody of the accordion flowed from the speaker.

Paper Kite turned his right hand over and laid it on the table, palm facing up.

"Miss Nanzao has a good eye." Paper Kite's tone remained unchanged. "Ten years ago, the herbal medicine business relied on hands; now it relies on brains. If I were still behind the counter cutting astragalus, I wouldn't deserve to sit at this table."

He withdrew his hand and placed it on the edge of the table. His thumb lightly rubbed against the underside of the edge.

Lu Minghui picked up his coffee cup and took a sip. He didn't reply.

Nanzo Yunko glanced at the kite for two seconds, and her lips twitched slightly.

She didn't press the matter further. But the matchstick spun again between her fingers, half a beat faster than before. Her gaze shifted from the kite's hand to the button on his cuff, paused for a moment, and then looked away.

The kite leaned back and pressed itself against the chair back.

"Director Lu is offering such generous terms, what do you want?"

Lu Minghui pressed his right hand on the photocopy and slowly withdrew it.

"A pledge of loyalty." Lu Minghui lowered his voice. "Ironclad evidence of your private dealings with Li Shiqun. Letters, telegrams, signed receipts, anything will do."

The paper kite frowned.

"Section Chief Nakajima wants to reorganize No. 76." Lu Minghui did not hide his intentions. "The original director of No. 76 should have been Ding Mocun. Li Shiqun has turned the tables and is very unruly."

The kite didn't reply immediately. It ran its fingers along the creases of the photocopy, then again.

He glanced at Lu Minghui. His gaze was brief, so brief that Nanzo Yunzi might not have even noticed it.

"Deal," Paper Kite agreed. "The evidence needs time to be organized. I'll give it to you within three days."

Lu Minghui nodded. "Tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM. Hongkou East Bank, Abandoned Pier No. 3. Matsui will be waiting for you there to exchange orders."

The kite stood up.

"Director Lu, Miss Yunzi. Excuse me." He picked up his coat from the back of the chair, turned and walked towards the door.

After taking two steps to the door, Paper Kite paused. He turned and glanced back at Nanzo Yunzi.

Nanzo Yunko didn't look at him. She broke the matchstick in two and placed it on the plate.

The paper kite pushed open the glass door and disappeared into the rainy night.

"Mr. Minghui," Nanzo Yunzi said, looking at Lu Minghui, "you didn't even haggle over the price before handing over all your cards."

"I'm a soldier, not a businessman." Lu Minghui picked up his coffee cup. "Leave the haggling to Matsui-kun."

Nanzo Yunzi did not refute. She stood up and buttoned up her coat.

"Let's go. The section chief is still waiting for our report."

Lu Minghui stood up as well. As they reached the door, Nanzo Yunzi was putting her right hand into her coat pocket.

In that instant, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of her fingertips—her thumb and forefinger were pinching something, very small.

It's the half of a matchstick that I just broke off.

She didn't throw it away.

Lu Minghui pushed open the glass door. The cold wind from the street, carrying the stench of rain, rushed into his collar. He didn't turn around.

Three o'clock in the morning.

Lu Minghui's apartment on Avenue Joffre in the French Concession.

Lu Minghui sat alone on the sofa. Only a blurry outline could be seen in the darkness.

A soft knock sounded on the door.

One sound, two sounds, three sounds.

A familiar rhythm.

Lu Minghui didn't turn on the light, walked to the door, and opened it.

Lu Xuzhang slipped in sideways. He carried the damp, musty smell of the alleyway—he had come up the fire escape from the backyard.

Seeing that Lu Minghui hadn't turned on the lights, he lowered his voice and asked, "Why did we arrange to meet at your house?"

"Nanzo Yunzi is keeping a close eye on her." Lu Minghui's voice was choked with sarcasm as he looked up and gestured to the neighbor next door, "She's moved in next door to me."

He gestured for Lu Xuzhang to sit down, walked to the wine cabinet, opened the door, took out a kettle, and poured two glasses of water.

Lu Xuzhang took a sip of water.

"Why are you in such a hurry to see me? What important matter do you have that you can't have Ah Bing deliver it to?"

Lu Minghui put down his water glass. "Gu Yunqiu is in trouble."

Lu Xuzhang's cup stopped in mid-air.

"Nakajima suspects her identity. The secret telegrams from the South Manchuria Railway are vague. She's now completely marginalized, only responsible for driving for me, and has no access to any classified information."

"Is she safe?" Lu Xuzhang asked.

"She's not in immediate danger," Lu Minghui said, looking at Lu Xuzhang. "I'm worried that she came to Shanghai on a special mission, and in her current situation, it will be difficult for her to complete it."

The apartment fell silent. The sound of rain outside the window became clearer.

There was a soft rustling sound next door—it might be the wind, or it might not.

They both turned their heads to the side at the same time, then looked back at the same time.

Lu Minghui placed his palm flat on the coffee table, his five fingers spread open.

Neither of them spoke. They sat motionless in the darkness. The sound of rain outside filled the room once more.

There is no second tone.

Lu Minghui withdrew his hand, leaned forward half an inch, and lowered his voice even further. But this time, he didn't mention names again.

"She needs to get back to where she belongs."

"We need to figure out a way to deal with the people over there," Lu Xuzhang said in a low voice. "Arrange an accident, get her injured, and clear her of suspicion."

Lu Minghui shook his head.

"Too deliberate. Taking action now would only make it seem like an attempt to cover something up." He rejected the suggestion, "It would only deepen their suspicions."

Lu Xuzhang placed the water glass on the coffee table. The bottom of the glass tapped against the wooden surface, but he pressed it down to prevent it from making a sound.

"Give her a real, tangible achievement," Lu Minghui proposed, "a achievement that will allow them to reuse her."

Lu Xuzhang did not rush to express his opinion.

He clasped his hands together and placed them on his knees. He remained silent for a long time.

"What's wrong?" Lu Minghui asked.

"This matter cannot be handled hastily." Lu Xuzhang looked up. "I need to consult Mr. Zhou."

Lu Minghui pressed his right hand on his knee, released it, and then pressed it again.

"We're not sure if that telegram is real or fake. She's not one of us, and I don't know if she's been given any specific tasks." Lu Xuzhang lowered his voice even further. "If she was, what level was her task? How much merit would be required? What kind of merit wouldn't expose other comrades? I can't make that decision."

Lu Minghui pressed his right hand on his knee and didn't let go.

"Within three days, regardless of the conclusions reached above, I will prepare a plan." Lu Minghui stared at Lu Xuzhang. "If the investigation is clear, we'll proceed through the proper channels. If it's unclear, I'll handle it myself."

Lu Xuzhang glanced at him, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words.

"Three days." Lu Xuzhang stood up and walked towards the door. "During this time, do not have any contact beyond the scope of your work."

He opened the door, paused for a second, and turned to the side.

"Protect yourself. That's of utmost importance."

The door closed. There was no sound.

Lu Minghui walked to the window. There was no sound from next door.

Rain pelted the glass, leaving crisscrossing streaks. He rested his right hand on the window frame and stood there for a long time.

Three days.