Hidden Radiance

Early morning. Hongkou District, Southeast Trading Company.

A three-story gray brick building with a black sign with white lettering hanging at the entrance.

Gu Yunqiu, dressed in a well-tailored beige dress, carrying a briefcase, and wearing high heels, walked through the door.

The hall was filled with the clatter of abacuses. Shop assistants went in and out, carrying various invoices.

Matsui's top confidant, a gaunt man named Yamada, came forward to greet him.

"Miss Gu." Yamada smiled, but his eyes swept over Gu Yunqiu's briefcase. "President Matsui instructed that since you were sent by Director Lu, everyone in the company must treat you with the utmost respect. Your office is on the second floor, the one at the very back."

Gu Yunqiu nodded and followed Yamada upstairs.

The second-floor corridor is narrow, with office doors on both sides, some closed, some ajar, and some open. Everywhere you look, you see busy figures.

At the very back is an office with a glass window, and the blinds are half-drawn.

There was a pile of account books half a foot high on the desk.

"These are the company's inflows and outflows for last month." Yamada patted the ledger. "They're all transparent. Miss Gu's daily job is to check these figures, and sign them after confirming they're correct. If you have any questions, just call me anytime. Of course, Miss Gu is Director Lu's secretary, so she only needs to come in for half a day each day."

"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Yamada." Gu Yunqiu pulled out a chair, sat down, and opened the top ledger.

Yamada left the office and closed the door behind him.

There was no one guarding the door. However, glances kept drifting towards Gu Yunqiu's office from different directions.

Gu Yunqiu did not look up.

She picked up her pen, dipped it in ink, and began to check the accounts line by line.

The abacus beads flew across her fingers.

She didn't leave her seat for the entire morning. She didn't look through the drawers, go near the window, or even go to the restroom.

At noon, Yamada pushed open the door and brought in lunch.

"Miss Gu, the accounts are complicated, there's no need to work so hard." Yamada glanced at the three account books on the table that had already been checked, and raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Commander Lu instructed that if you're taking Matsui-kun's salary, you have to do your job well." Gu Yunqiu didn't even look up as she took the lunchbox. "How many more books are there this afternoon?"

Five books.

"Put it here."

For three consecutive days.

On the evening of the third day, as the last account book was closed, Gu Yunqiu put down her pen. A red mark had appeared on the inside of her right index finger. She glanced at it and then tucked her hand into her sleeve.

When Matsui heard Yamada's report at the Sakura Izakaya, he sneered.

"This woman is really going all out." Matsui toyed with the sake cup in his hand.

"That's true." Yamada lowered his head. "However, she hasn't handled any logistics dispatch orders, nor has she inquired about the business processes."

Matsui drank the sake. The bottom of the cup tapped on the table with a moderate sound.

"Keep an eye on it." Matsui put down his glass. "Have someone transfer that batch of industrial dyes that arrived last week from the transport company to the trading company's warehouse. Go through the main entrance, during the day."

He paused for a moment.

"Avoid Gu Yunqiu's office; just make sure she can barely see you."

"Hi!"

76 Jessfield Road.

Confidential Office.

Lu Minghui sat behind his desk, holding a report in his hand.

The second page of the newspaper still featured "The Legend of the White Snake," with Bai Suzhen's miraculous healing skills.

Lu Minghui's gaze lingered on that line of text for a couple more seconds. He folded the newspaper and placed it on the corner of the table.

On the table was the list that She Aizhen had handed over.

Chengda Company, Bantian.

He picked up the phone and dialed Lu Xuzhang's number.

"Boss Lu, it's me."

"Director Lu." Lu Xuzhang's voice came through the receiver, carrying a businessman's polite tone.

"Have you heard of a company called Chengda?" Lu Minghui's speech quickened. "I think your company could try cooperating with them. Although I don't know much about business, it's always good to have more connections."

"clear."

He hung up the phone. Lu Minghui stood up and picked up his coat from the hanger.

His left arm injury hadn't healed yet, so he was only wearing one sleeve, with the other draped over his shoulder.

"Get the car ready," Lu Minghui shouted outside. "To Hongkou Wharf."

Gu Yunqiu went to Southeast Trading Company. Sun Yaozu temporarily took over as driver.

Lu Minghui was jolted twice. He grabbed the door handle but didn't say anything.

Hongkou Wharf.

The river breeze carried the smells of engine oil and fish.

Three cargo ships were docked at their berths, cranes roared, and huge wooden crates were lifted by nets and placed steadily onto trucks on the shore.

Lu Minghui's Ford sedan was parked outside parking space number three.

He pushed open the car door and walked over through the muddy ground.

Seven or eight trucks covered with black tarpaulins were parked in a row. Yamada was holding the shipping manifest and directing the workers to load the trucks.

Upon seeing Lu Minghui, Yamada paused for a moment before approaching him.

"Director Lu, why did you come in person?" Yamada bowed, his smile perfectly appropriate.

"Project Sugi's material security patrol." Lu Minghui held an old-fashioned knife between his right fingers, unlit. "After the incident at Taihu Lake, Section Chief Nakajima instructed me to keep a close eye on all bulk goods entering and leaving Shanghai. Matsui-kun's goods are no exception."

Yamada's Adam's apple bobbed.

"These are goods from our Southeast Trading Company. President Matsui personally gave us his approval," Yamada said with a forced smile.

"We need to check Matsui-kun's goods too." Lu Minghui walked to the first truck, patted the cargo bed railing, and asked, "What's inside?"

"Coated paper for printing." Yamada quickly handed over the order slip. "Supply for several printing plants in the International Settlement."

Lu Minghui took the delivery note and glanced at it.

Weight: Five tons.

He returned the order to Yamada and turned to walk towards the back of the truck.

Workers are lifting a wooden crate, about half a person's height, onto the truck bed. The crate is well-packaged, treated for moisture and fire resistance, and has no markings.

Which printing factory can afford five tons of coated paper?

Lu Minghui raised his right hand and tapped the box twice.

Thump. Thump.

The sound was muffled. Solid.

His hand remained on the box, not retracted.

Yamada stood two steps away, his hands clasped together behind his back.

Four or five seconds.

Lu Minghui withdrew his hand and turned to look at Yamada.

"Glossy paper?"

"Yes. It was transported from the Empire." Yamada's voice was steady, but his posture was three degrees straighter than before.

Lu Minghui did not respond.

He put the unlit cigarette back into the cigarette case.

"Since the permit is in order, let's load the truck." Lu Minghui turned and walked back. "Give my regards to Matsui-kun."

"Definitely, definitely."

Lu Minghui walked toward the Ford sedan.

Before opening the car door, he glanced at the perimeter of the dock out of the corner of his eye.

An inconspicuous black sedan was parked two hundred meters away. The window was rolled down a crack.

Although he couldn't see the face clearly, Lu Minghui recognized the license plate.

The Special Higher Police's vehicle.

Nanzo Yunko was still staring at him.

He got into the car. "Drive."

The Ford sedan drove away from the dock.

Lu Minghui leaned back in his chair.

Five tons. Moisture-proof and fire-resistant. Unmarked. Shipped from Japan. For a printing plant.

He put the old knife back in his mouth, but still didn't light it.

Nine o'clock at night. French Concession, safe house.

Lu Xuzhang sat at the table, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand.

Lu Minghui walked in, took off his coat and hung it behind the door.

"We've found out." Lu Xuzhang put down his teacup. "Chengda Company is a shell company. Behind it is Colonel Sakata from the military logistics department. They're specifically in charge of reselling military supplies."

Lu Minghui pulled out a chair and sat down. "An empty shell? Logistics?"

He picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Don't investigate further. Sakata works for the military; if you investigate him, he won't come to you first. He'll ask Matsui first: 'Who's asking about me?'"

Lu Xuzhang paused for a moment in his teacup.

"The first person Matsui thought of was Gu Yunqiu, whom I sent."

Lu Minghui put the teacup back on the table.

He was silent for a few seconds. He glanced at the coat hanging behind the door, then at the tea stains on the table.

"Have you completely evacuated your men?"

Lu Xuzhang nodded. "They were removed this afternoon. The traces have been covered up; they can't be traced back to them."

Lu Minghui stood up and walked to the door. He placed his hand on the doorknob but did not push it open immediately.

My left arm feels slightly swollen.