Hidden Radiance

Hongkou. Meiji.

Consultant's Office.

Shinichi Nakajima sat on the sofa. A set of Jian kiln black-glazed tea utensils sat on the coffee table. He picked up the kettle, held it high, and poured boiling water over the tea leaves, sending steam rising.

Lu Minghui pushed open the door and walked in. The sling on his left arm was removed and replaced with a thin bandage, hidden inside his suit jacket.

"Sit down." Shinichi Nakajima put down the kettle.

Lu Minghui walked over and sat down opposite him.

"Li Shiqun was detained by Zhou Fohai in Nanjing." Nakajima Shinichi picked up the fairness cup and poured a cup of tea for Lu Minghui. "He smelled the ink from the second basement level of the Litai Bank. That old fox Zhou Fohai must have guessed the core of the Sugi Project."

Lu Minghui watched the steam rising from the teacup.

"The printing plant has been exposed." Lu Minghui said calmly. "Zhou Fohai knows, which means many others know as well. Litai Bank is no longer safe. It must be relocated immediately."

Shinichi Nakajima picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"I've already chosen a new location." Shinichi Nakajima put down his teacup, his gaze falling on Lu Minghui's face. "The edge of the French Concession. Hu Juewen's Xinmin Machinery Factory."

Lu Minghui's right hand rested on his knee. His index finger paused for a moment on the seam of his trousers.

His brows furrowed.

"Section Chief," Lu Minghui said, looking directly into Nakajima Shinichi's eyes, "Hu Juewen is unreliable."

Shinichi Nakajima remained silent. He waited for what would follow.

"During the Battle of Wuhan, Hu Juewen secretly donated 20,000 silver dollars to the National Salvation Association in Chongqing. Several of the Military Intelligence Bureau's outposts in Shanghai also used shops under his name as cover." Lu Minghui spoke very quickly. "Although he now outwardly submits to the new government, his background is not clean. The printing plant is crucial to the success or failure of the Shan Plan; placing it in his hands is tantamount to placing it under the Military Intelligence Bureau's nose. It's too risky."

Shinichi Nakajima stared at Lu Minghui for a full half minute.

He laughed. His voice wasn't loud, but it was genuine.

"Minghui, you're very cautious. That's good." Nakajima Shinichi picked up a folding fan from the coffee table and tapped his palm. "But it's precisely because his background isn't clean that he needs a testament to his loyalty. Xinmin Machinery Factory has readily available heavy-duty generators and fully enclosed, soundproof workshops, which are perfect for housing those machines. Letting him take over is the best way to assess him."

The folding fan pointed towards Lu Minghui.

"If he doesn't answer, kill him. If he does, he's one of us."

Lu Minghui did not back down.

"What if he accepts it, then secretly informs Chongqing?" Lu Minghui retorted. "The lesson from Taihu Lake is right before our eyes."

"Therefore, you are fully responsible for the transfer." Shinichi Nakajima closed his folding fan, took out an authorization letter from a drawer, and pushed it to the center of the coffee table. "You will personally oversee it. The machines, personnel, and printing plates cannot have the slightest mishap. As long as the transfer is successful, Project Sugi can resume operation. This is also the best opportunity to prove himself, and at the same time, your abilities."

Lu Minghui looked at the authorization letter.

Shinichi Nakajima kept his right hand gripping the folding fan, never letting go.

Lu Minghui reached out and picked up the authorization letter.

"Understood. All the machines will be moved into Xinmin Machinery Factory within three days."

Lu Minghui stood up, turned around and left.

The French Concession. The backyard of an unassuming tailor shop.

The rain stopped, and water droplets from the eaves pattered onto the bluestone slabs.

Lu Minghui pushed open the wooden door to the backyard. Paper Hawk sat in front of the tailor table, holding a piece of cotton cloth, wiping the parts of a Browning pistol.

"Well done with that Taihu deal." Paper Hawk put the barrel back on the gun and cocked it with a click.

"So beautiful that Nanzo Yunzi slapped a Colt warhead into my leg." Lu Minghui pulled out a bench and sat down. "The code name 'Paper Kite' is already on her desk."

The hand that was cleaning the kite gun stopped. He looked up.

"Station Chief, I—" Paper Kite frowned. "I took the action team to her tonight."

Lu Minghui looked at him.

"Do you think the Special Higher Police is a vegetable market?" Lu Minghui tapped the tailor table. "If you kill Nanzo Yunko, Nakajima will immediately replace her with Kitazo Yunko. If Nanzo Yunko finds out, it's the same as Nakajima finding out. By killing her now, you're blatantly telling Nakajima that I have a guilty conscience."

Paper Kite slammed the gun on the table.

"What should we do then? Just let her keep clinging to this?"

"Let her bite." Lu Minghui's tone was cold. "Wang Puchen's investigation into the mole is too slow. Send a telegram to urge him on. Also, what sank in Taihu Lake was only counterfeit money. The printing press is still there; we'll start moving it tonight. The new address is Xinmin Machinery Factory."

"We sabotaged it during the transfer." Paper Kite stood up. "I arranged for someone to infiltrate the convoy and switch the printing plates."

"And then?" Lu Minghui leaned back in his chair. "When the first batch of prints came out, something went wrong. Who was the first person he suspected? The person in charge of the transfer."

The paper kite sat back down.

"The printing plate was hand-carved." Lu Minghui leaned forward, placing his hands crossed on the table. "There aren't many people who can draw the legal tender so realistically that they can even replicate the watermark and subtle patterns. Finding this artist is the only way to sever Project Shan at its root. Telegraph Wang Puchen and have Chongqing investigate the information of the legal tender engraver."

The kite nodded.

"How do you plan to handle the relocation?" Paper Kite asked. "Do you need me to send someone to meet you along the way?"

"You don't need to do anything." Lu Minghui stood up. "Have everyone at the Shanghai station lie low. For the next three days, not even a bird should approach the Xinmin Machinery Factory."

The next three days.

Lu Minghui lived and worked at Xinmin Machinery Factory.

Hu Juewen followed behind Lu Minghui, his face covered in sweat, even his handkerchief was soaked through. The military police had completely surrounded the factory area, and barbed wire had been erected around the perimeter.

The dismantling, loading, and transportation of the machinery all took place late at night. The convoy traveled on the widest road in the International Settlement, with two armored vehicles leading the way at the front and two at the back.

At 3:00 AM the next day, the last batch of equipment was unloaded.

Lu Minghui stood at the factory gate, personally counting each large wooden crate that had been unloaded. Wu Tian stood not far away, leaning on a cane. His right leg was in a cast, and his eyes were fixed intently on Lu Minghui.

The two were about ten steps apart. Lu Minghui made a mark on the handover form, looked up, and met Takeda's gaze.

Takeda didn't move. Nor did Lu Minghui.

Three seconds later, Lu Minghui lowered his head and continued counting.

On the morning of the fourth day.

The machine is now fully installed.

The motor roared.

The first batch of counterfeit banknotes was ejected from the conveyor belt. The smell of ink permeated the fully enclosed, soundproof workshop.

Lu Minghui picked up a newly printed counterfeit banknote and examined it under the light. The red and blue fibers were clear, and the watermark was realistic.

He put the counterfeit money back on the conveyor belt and turned to walk towards Hu Juewen.

Hand over the handover form.

"Boss Hu," Lu Minghui said, looking at him, "Congratulations. You're truly one of us now."

Hu Juewen accepted the handover form with both hands. His ten fingers gripped the edge of the paper, forming wrinkles. He bent over, his back collapsing section by section, as if crushed by that thin piece of paper.

Mei Agency. Advisor's Office.

Nanzo Yunko stood in front of the desk. She wore a crisp major's uniform, with the top button of her collar fastened tightly.

On the table sat the transparent glass evidence bag. Inside was the deformed Colt warhead.

"Section Chief Nakajima," Nanzo Yunko's voice was cold and hard, "Lu Minghui appeared on Xiafei Branch Road, and Colt was also involved in the Taihu ambush. The new head of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai station, Zhiyuan, has a style of doing things that highly overlaps with his. I request that he undergo a full investigation. Even if it involves torture."

Shinichi Nakajima looked at the warhead. He didn't reach out to take it.

He opened the drawer, took out a document, and threw it on the table.

"Yunzi." Shinichi Nakajima looked up. "The relocation of Xinmin Machinery Factory was completed by eight o'clock this morning."

Nanzo Yunzi was stunned.

"Throughout the entire process, Lu Minghui lived and ate at the factory. He personally escorted the shipments and personally counted the goods." Shinichi Nakajima leaned back in his chair. "The Military Intelligence Bureau didn't make any moves."

Nanzo Yunzi clenched her fists at her sides.

"If he were a kite, this would be the best chance to destroy the printing press," Shinichi Nakajima said, staring into her eyes. "But he didn't move."

"Maybe he—"

"This warhead is a divisive tactic." Shinichi Nakajima tapped his fingers twice on the table. "I'll use you to cripple the Empire's best weapon."

Nanzo Yunzi gritted her teeth.

"Section Chief. This is too much of a coincidence. I don't believe in coincidences."

"Your current task is to investigate the mole on Taihu Lake. Find out who leaked the flight path." Shinichi Nakajima's tone turned cold. "Not to keep an eye on a confidential section chief who just made a great contribution. Get out."

Nanzo Yunzi stands at attention. Head bowed.

He turned and walked towards the door.

As her hand rested on the doorknob, she glanced back at the bullet on the table. Her gaze remained unwavering.

She doesn't believe it.

76 Jessfield Road.

Confidential Office.

Lu Minghui took off his suit jacket and hung it on the hanger. The wound on his left arm had scabbed over with dark red blood, and new flesh was growing at the edges. When he touched it, it itched under the skin and hurt deep inside the bone.

Gu Yunqiu pushed the door open and came in. He then closed it tightly and locked it.

"An urgent telegram delivered by a paper kite." Gu Yunqiu walked to the desk and handed over a folded piece of thin paper.

Lu Minghui took it. He unfolded it.

A call came back from Chongqing.

"Song Qingyuan, a former senior technician at the Central Banknote Printing and Minting Plant and engraver of the legal tender, disappeared in Hong Kong three months ago. It has been discovered that his family members are currently being secretly detained somewhere in the HK district of Shanghai. Finding his family will lead to Song Qingyuan."

Lu Minghui looked at the words on the telegram.

Song Qingyuan. Hongkou.

He struck a match and lit the telegram. The flame consumed the paper, the edges curled, and it turned to ashes.

Lu Minghui threw the burnt paper scraps into the ashtray, watching the last spark die out.

"Get the car ready." Lu Minghui picked up his coat from the hanger and put it on.

"Where to?" Gu Yunqiu asked.

Lu Minghui opened the office door.

"Go to Hongkou."