Hidden Radiance

French Concession, luxury apartment.

Li Shiqun sat on the sofa, holding a note in his hand. It contained only one address: 14 Broadway Road, Chengda Company.

"A message from Chen Zheng," Li Shiqun pushed the note to the center of the coffee table, "A secret warehouse of the Japanese army's logistics department. Inside is a batch of high-value military supplies. This is the pledge of allegiance that the Military Intelligence Bureau wants."

She Aizhen glanced at the note but didn't take it. "Japanese territory? Director Li, if you're tired of living, don't drag me into this. Haven't you had enough of prison food in Nanjing?"

"Fortune favors the bold." Li Shiqun leaned back in his chair. "Since Chen Zheng pointed out this road, it means that even the Special Higher Police and the Mei Agency might not know the details of this place. It's very likely that some people within the Japanese army are selling off military supplies for personal gain. This kind of double-crossing happens every day in Shanghai."

She Aizhen pulled out a three-barreled cannon and lit it. "What are you planning to do?"

"Let Lin Zhijiang go," Li Shiqun sneered. "He just became the deputy captain of the guard brigade and is looking for a place to establish his authority. Tell him there's a large amount of penicillin and gold inside. Let him lead the men to raid it. If anything goes wrong, he'll take the blame. If that works, we'll take the goods to Zhiyuan."

She Aizhen exhaled a smoke ring. After Lin Zhijiang handed over the brass key, she felt that having this person around was a potential problem.

"Okay." She Aizhen placed the note next to the ashtray. "I'll let him go."

Two hours later.

No. 14 Broadway Road, Hongkou District.

Two trucks covered with black cloth were parked at the street corner. Lin Zhijiang jumped out of one of them and tugged at the collar of the guard's uniform. Behind him followed more than thirty fully armed agents.

Ahead, Chengda Company. There was no sign, only a tightly closed black iron gate. Four Japanese military police stood at the entrance, leading two wolfhounds.

Lin Zhijiang paused for a moment.

Four military police, two wolfhounds, a three-meter-high wall, and barbed wire on top. This setup didn't look like a private warehouse for reselling military supplies.

He ran his hand over the handle of his pistol a couple of times, then turned to look at the thirty-odd brothers behind him.

Sister She said it contained penicillin and gold. After this job, he'd be permanently stationed at No. 76.

Lin Zhijiang drew his pistol and strode over.

"76th Guard Unit on duty!" Lin Zhijiang walked five steps to the iron gate, held up his badge, and said, "We've received a tip that there are contraband items hidden inside. Open the door for inspection!"

The four military police officers had cold eyes and remained silent.

The bolt is pulled back, the gun is chambered. The muzzle is held level. The wolfhound barks wildly.

Lin Zhijiang's back stiffened. Normally, when they raided Japanese-owned peripheral businesses under the guise of the 76th Division, the other side would at least give them some face, or slip them some gold bars to settle things. But today's situation was strange.

"Sir, it's a misunderstanding." Lin Zhijiang took a step forward, forcing a smile. "We are under orders..."

Da da da!

On the second-floor rooftop, a Type 92 heavy machine gun suddenly opened fire. Bullets grazed Lin Zhijiang's toes, creating a row of craters in the asphalt. Gravel splattered onto Lin Zhijiang's calves, stinging painfully.

Lin Zhijiang's legs buckled, and he knelt on the ground. The pistol fell into a puddle.

The agents behind him were thrown into chaos, scrambling to find cover.

Clang.

The heavy iron door was pulled open from the inside. A squad of Japanese soldiers in black combat uniforms rushed out without asking any questions.

The sergeant at the front swung his rifle butt and smashed it squarely into Lin Zhijiang's face.

Lin Zhijiang screamed in agony as his nose broke and blood gushed out. Two Japanese soldiers grabbed his arms and dragged him through the gate like a dead dog.

"Disarm! Crouch down!" The Japanese officer drew his samurai sword and roared in broken Chinese.

The thirty-odd agents looked at each other, threw down their guns, covered their heads with their hands, and squatted down against the wall. No one dared to move.

The iron gate slammed shut.

Hongkou, Meiji.

Shinichi Nakajima sat on the sofa, holding a cup of freshly brewed Da Hong Pao tea.

boom!

The door to the consultant's office was kicked open.

Colonel Sakata strode in, his face ashen. He walked to the coffee table and slammed a bloodstained ID onto it.

"Nakajima! What do you mean?!" Sakata roared, "Men from the 76th Division stormed my Chengda Company with guns! You allowed your men to vandalize Sugimoto's premises!"

Nakajima did not get up. He put down his teacup and his gaze fell on the identification document.

Lin Zhijiang, deputy captain of the guard brigade.

"Sakata-kun, what about your manners?" Nakajima leaned back in his chair, his voice flat. "Don't you know how to knock before entering?"

"Enough with the nonsense!" Sakata slammed his hands on the coffee table. "Chengda Company is the core hub of Project Sugi! If 76 dares to kick down my door today, will the Chongqing agents drop a bomb into my office tomorrow?"

Nakajima looked at Sakata's face, contorted with anger, and laughed.

"Sakata-kun, the military has handed over control of Project Sugi to you." Nakajima's tone turned cold. "To cooperate with you, I established a special operations team for Project Sugi. Lu Minghui worked tirelessly, personally leading the safe transfer of the printing equipment to Xinmin Machinery Factory, and also sourcing special inks for you through the Black Dragon Society's channels. He even appeased various forces in the concession to ensure the smooth flow of supplies and the unimpeded counterfeit currency channels."

Nakajima stood up and approached Sakata.

"My Mei Agency has devoted itself to Project Sugi, and now you come here to question me?"

Sakata pointed to the documents on the table: "Then what's this all about? Number 76 is your dog!"

"What kind of person is Lin Zhijiang?" Nakajima asked with disdain. "A stray dog ​​who just sided with She Aizhen. How would I know what's wrong with him?"

Nakajima walked around the coffee table and went to the side of Sakata.

"Even Nanzo Yunko of the Special Higher Police doesn't know the details of Chengda Company," Nakajima said in a low voice. "How did Lin Zhijiang, a mere deputy captain, know that 14 Broadway Road was problematic? Why didn't he investigate other companies, but instead went straight to your door?"

Sakata froze. His anger was caught in his throat by those words.

"Is there a problem within your Sugihara Agency?" Nakajima stared into Sakata's eyes. "Did you leak information to 76 and try to use them as a tool to kill someone? Or is it that someone under your command is reselling military supplies, and a dispute over the spoils attracted the attention of local bullies?"

"Nonsense!" Sakata took a half step back. "The Imperial Japanese Army is absolutely loyal!"

"Loyalty?" Nakajima walked back behind his desk. "Alright, since you've brought up loyalty, let me ask you this: Lu Xuzhang's Guangda Huahang sent a batch of medicine to Chengda Company last week. Why is 70% missing from the books?"

Sakata's expression changed.

"Lu Xuzhang was a channel that Lu Minghui went to great lengths to secure for the Sugi Project, raising funds for it." Nakajima opened a drawer, took out a list, and threw it on the table. "When the goods came out of the French Concession, the quantity matched. But after entering your Chengda Company, 70% was missing. Sakata-kun, where did this batch of medicine go?"

Sakata stared at the list. His lips moved slightly, and the veins on his neck bulged. Only 30% of the goods were on his receipt list.

"You're framing me?" Sakata gritted his teeth. "I only received 30%."

"Framed? Do you want to bring Lu Xuzhang here for a face-to-face confrontation? I personally had these medicines inspected." Nakajima sat down, picked up his teacup, and said, "Lu Xuzhang is innocent, Lu Minghui is innocent. If the goods were lost on your turf, it means your people embezzled them. Sakata-kun, keep an eye on your dogs and don't let them bite everyone they see."

Sakata clenched his fist, grabbed the documents on the table, turned around, and strode out of the office.

The door frame shook.

Nakajima took a sip of tea and put down the teacup.

76 Jessfield Road.

The Confidential Affairs Office. Lu Minghui sat behind his desk, the bandage on his left arm removed and replaced with a thin layer of gauze.

Gu Yunqiu pushed the door open and slammed it shut behind her.

"Lin Zhijiang has fallen." Gu Yunqiu walked to the table and spoke very quickly. "He didn't even get through the door. The military police from Chengda Company broke his nose and dragged him inside. All thirty men he brought with him were disarmed and detained in the backyard."

Lu Minghui toyed with a coin in his hand, flipping it between his fingers. "Where's Li Shiqun?"

"He's panicked," Gu Yunqiu said. "He thought Chen Zheng had asked him to investigate an ordinary illegal warehouse, but he didn't expect to run into a brick wall. Now he's asking around to find out about Chengda Company's background."

Lu Minghui slammed the coin onto the table.

"He won't find out." Lu Minghui leaned back in his chair. "Nanzo Yunzi won't tell him, because she doesn't know either. Nakajima might know, but he won't care. This time, Li Shiqun has really put his hand into the meat grinder."

"Sakata went to see Nakajima," Gu Yunqiu continued, "and the two had a huge argument in the office. Nakajima produced a list, saying that Lu Xuzhang had sent 70% less medicine to Chengda Company. Sakata said he only received 30%, while Nakajima said he had personally checked the number shipped. Sakata smashed the doorframe and left."

Lu Minghui's smile faded.

The quantity of medicine that Lu Xuzhang brought out of the French Concession was correct.

By the time it reached Chengda Company, it had decreased by 70%.

He picked the coin up from the table and flipped it between his thumb and forefinger.

Seventy percent. That's no small amount. How many hands passed between the time the goods left the French Concession and the time they entered Chengda Company?

The coin remained on my fingertip, not falling.