Hidden Radiance

Mei Agency, second floor.

The door opened.

Gu Yunqiu stood in front of the desk, a stack of receipts in her hand.

Nakajima sat in the leather chair, his gaze fixed on the stack of papers.

Lu Minghui and Nanzo Yunzi walked in.

"Section Chief."

Lu Minghui's voice interrupted Gu Yunqiu's words.

"Matsui's private accounts have been investigated."

The edges of the document in Gu Yunqiu's hand were crumpled.

She turned to look at Lu Minghui.

Lu Minghui ignored her and walked straight to his desk.

Two million US dollars.

Nakajima's hand froze in mid-air.

"Matsui's cash flow for the past three months is missing two million US dollars. This money did not go through formal remittance; it was all laundered into anonymous accounts by underground banks."

Lu Minghui paused.

"The source of the money points to Chengda Company."

Nanzo Yunko stood to the side, her eyes narrowed.

Lu Minghui's behavior deviated from her expectations, and she glanced at Gu Yunqiu.

"Commissioner Gu."

Lu Minghui turned his head and stared at Gu Yunqiu.

"I checked the black market prices of those ampoules you brought this morning. They're high-purity penicillin."

Gu Yunqiu's fingers turned white as she gripped the receipt.

"Matsui used the South Manchuria Railway's transshipment channels to smuggle penicillin secretly. The missing batch of high-grade cement and steel pipes was just a cover. He traded building materials for medicine, then sold the medicine at a high price to fill the two million dollar hole."

Gu Yunqiu's lips moved slightly.

penicillin?

That's not penicillin at all.

That is--

"Commissioner Gu's auditing is indeed meticulous."

Lu Minghui turned around and looked at Nakajima.

"The South Manchuria Railway lost a few steel pipes, but in doing so, it helped the Empire unearth a giant rat."

He paused for a second.

"Section Chief, Colonel Sakata is in charge of Chengda Company. Matsui, as a middleman, can't handle such a large sum. Two million US dollars—Colonel Sakata's pockets are overflowing."

Nakajima leaned back in his chair, his fingers interlaced and placed on his abdomen.

"Where are the ledgers?"

Nanzo Yunzi suddenly spoke, staring at Lu Minghui.

"Now that you've uncovered two million US dollars, hand over the ledgers. The Special Higher Police will immediately begin their investigation."

"The accounts are complex, and the transaction records of the underground banks are still being verified."

Lu Minghui didn't even look at her.

"Is Section Chief Nanzo in such a hurry for the account books to help Colonel Sakata balance the books, or is he trying to steal the credit?"

Nanzo Yunzi's face darkened.

"You doubt me?"

"I only believe in evidence."

Lu Minghui threw back at her exactly what she had said.

Nakajima raised his hand and pressed it down.

"Alright. Yunzi, Commissioner Gu, you can go out now. Minghui, stay."

Nanzo Yunzi glanced at Lu Minghui, then turned and walked towards the door.

Gu Yunqiu stood still.

The receipt in my hand was crumpled and wrinkled.

Lu Minghui turned his head and looked at her.

There was no warmth in his eyes.

Gu Yunqiu gritted her teeth, put the receipt back into her briefcase, and turned to leave.

The door closed.

Only two people remained in the office.

Nakajima stood up, walked to the coffee table, and picked up scissors to trim the potted plants.

Click.

A leaf fell to the ground.

"Minghui".

Nakajima had his back to him.

"Are the ledgers authentic?"

Lu Minghui stood still.

Whether it's authentic or not is not important.

His voice was calm.

"The important thing is that Colonel Sakata's accounts at Chengda Company are indeed in disarray. His eagerness for the ledgers shows his guilty conscience. Once this fire starts, he won't be able to fill that hole."

Nakajima turned around.

"You prepared a false set of accounts?"

"I simply put the responsibilities that Colonel Sakata should have borne on paper in advance."

Lu Minghui raised his head.

"With Sakata gone, Chengda Company is leaderless. Control of Project Sugi can then be completely returned to the section chief. And the military will be satisfied as well."

Nakajima put down the scissors.

He smiled.

"What about Commissioner Gu? How many leads on the drugs does she have?"

"The people of the South Manchuria Railway are short-sighted."

Lu Minghui's tone carried a hint of contempt.

"She only focused on the steel pipe she had lost and saw a few photos of ampoules, thinking she had caught someone smuggling penicillin. She had no access to the real details."

Nakajima stared at Lu Minghui for a full five seconds.

"Sakata dared to tamper with the Sugi Project; we must not tolerate it."

He walked back to his desk.

"Minghui, you will be in charge of this case. Nanzo Yunzi and Gu Yunqiu will assist you."

"it is good."

Lu Minghui lowered his head.

"Go ahead. Make this case airtight."

Lu Minghui left the office.

The corridor was deserted.

Gu Yunqiu and Nanzao Yunzi have both left.

Lu Minghui walked down the stairs and got into the Ford sedan.

"Go to the French Concession."

The car drove out of Meiji Station.

Lu Minghui leaned back in his chair, looking at the gloomy sky outside the window.

Nakajima didn't care what was being smuggled.

He just needed a plausible excuse to get rid of Sakata and seize control of the Sugi plan. Perhaps this wasn't just his idea.

A fake account book alone is not enough to bring down Sakata.

We also need the cooperation of people within Chengda Company.

Song Qingyuan.

Song Qingyuan requested a template for China Reserve Bank bonds.

Lu Minghui closed his eyes.

Li Shiqun, it's your turn to step up. But not to give him credit.

night.

A secluded alleyway in the French Concession.

Li Shiqun sat in the back seat of the car, which was parked at the entrance of the alley.

He was smoking, the cigarette butt glowing intermittently.

Ten days.

The deadline Nakajima gave was like a death warrant.

We monitored Tongji Pharmacy for two days and found nothing unusual.

The lead to the newspaper office has completely dried up.

There was no way out.

The car window was knocked on.

Li Shiqun suddenly turned his head.

A man in a long robe and wearing gold-rimmed glasses stood outside the car door.

Chen Zheng.

Military Intelligence Bureau liaison, Paper Kite.

Li Shiqun stubbed out his cigarette, opened the car door, and got out.

"Mr. Chen."

Li Shiqun lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of urgency.

"I can't get into Chengda Company; Bantian is too strict with security. I can't offer this pledge of loyalty."

Paper Kite stood in the shadows of the alleyway and adjusted his glasses.

"The station chief is aware of Director Li's difficulties."

His voice was very soft.

"Lin Zhijiang led his men to kick down the door of Chengda Company. Although they didn't get in, the station chief has already seen your sincerity."

Li Shiqun was stunned for a moment.

The kite actually approved of that failed operation?

"The station manager said that you have tested Chengda Company's strength and capabilities, and you have done a good job."

The paper kite took a step forward.

"The Military Intelligence Bureau can formally accept you."

He paused.

"But you need to achieve something new."

"What?"

"China Reserve Bank Certificate Template"

Li Shiqun's breath hitched.

Template for China Reserve Bank bonds.

This was the lifeline for the Wang Jingwei regime and the Japanese control over the economy of the occupied areas.

"This thing is in Zhou Fohai's hands."

Li Shiqun's voice was strained.

"Security is extremely high. How can I take it?"

That's your problem.

The kite stared at him.

"Ten days. The station manager is only giving you ten days."

His voice left no room for negotiation.

"If you get the template, you'll be a hero of the Party and the State, starting as a major general after the victory in the War of Resistance. If you don't, you'll continue to be a dog under the Japanese, ready to be slaughtered at any time."

Ten days.

Nakajima also gave them a ten-day deadline.

Li Shiqun gritted his teeth.

Nakajima wanted him to catch kites, and the kites wanted him to get templates.

Trying to catch a kite is a dead end.

But using a template...

Although Zhou Fohai held a high position and wielded great power, Li Shiqun had been operating No. 76 for many years.

Zhou Fohai was not without his own people.

With proper planning, success is not impossible.

more importantly--

This is the only lifeline he can grasp at right now.

Li Shiqun took a deep breath.

"it is good."

He made up his mind.

"Tell the site administrator that I will deliver the template to him within ten days."

The paper kite nodded and turned to disappear into the darkness of the alleyway.

Li Shiqun got back into the car.

"Back to the mansion."

Li Shiqun gave the driver an order.

Since the Japanese won't give us a way out, let's make this a real show.

He completely surrendered to the Military Intelligence Bureau.

But whether this path leads to a precipice or to a new beginning, he couldn't see clearly.

The following morning.

Southeast Trading Company.

Finance office on the second floor.

Lu Minghui pushed open the door.

Gu Yunqiu sat behind her desk, flipping through the account books.

She didn't look up when she heard footsteps.

Lu Minghui walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

"The fake ledger is done."

Lu Minghui pushed an account book to the middle of the table.

"Lu Xuzhang rushed to finish it overnight. The paper, ink, and binding all used the standard of the South Manchuria Railway Company. The accounts for Sakata's smuggling of two million US dollars worth of rare medicines are all in there."

Gu Yunqiu put down her pen.

She looked up at him.

"Why did you stop me at the Mei Agency yesterday?"

The voice was cold.

"I have confirmed that Nakajima is the mastermind. You shouldn't have shown Nakajima the photos of the ampoules directly."

Lu Minghui spoke in a flat tone.

"Nakajima saw it, but instead of arresting you, he let you continue your investigation."

He stared at Gu Yunqiu.

Do you know what this means?

Gu Yunqiu remained silent.

"He's fishing."

Lu Minghui leaned forward and placed his hands crossed on the table.

"He mixed the medicine from Unit 1644 into the supplies. He asked you to investigate so he could see who would jump out along that line."

He kept his voice very low.

"If you take one more step forward, you will die."

"And me, even Lu Xuzhang, or many more."

Gu Yunqiu placed her pen on the account book.

The fingers were not loosened.

"I characterized the incident as penicillin smuggling in order to protect you and to push Sakata out as a scapegoat."

Lu Minghui tapped his finger twice on the fake ledger.

"Once this account book falls into Nanzo Yunko's hands, Sakata is doomed. Only when Chengda Company is in chaos will we have a chance to find out the truth."

Gu Yunqiu looked at the fake account book.

"What if Sakata doesn't admit it?"

Whether he admits it or not is not important.

Lu Minghui stood up.

"Nakajima needs him dead."

The sound of high heels came from outside the door.

Nanzo Yunzi pushed open the door and walked in.

"Mr. Minghui, Commissioner Gu."

Nanzo Yunzi's gaze swept across the two faces.

Finally, it landed on the ledger on the table.

"It seems you've finished checking?"

Lu Minghui picked up the account book and handed it over.

"Section Chief Yunzi."

He smiled.

"Two million US dollars in irrefutable evidence. It's all here."

Nanzo Yunzi took the account book.

Turn it over.

Her gaze lingered on the densely packed numbers and the forged seals.

I turned three pages.

She closed the ledger.

"it is good."

Nanzo Yunzi's voice carried a hint of excitement.

"With this, Colonel Sakata will have no chance of escaping."

She turned and walked out.

"Yunzi".

Lu Minghui called out to her.

"Sakata is a colonel, after all. Are the Special Higher Police enough to arrest people?"

Nanzo Yunzi stopped and turned to look at him.

"The Special Higher Police don't need to worry about what the Special Higher Police do."

His tone was cold and hard.

"Minghui-kun, wait for my good news."

The door closed.

Lu Minghui stood still.

The phone on the table suddenly rang.

Lu Minghui answered the call.

"Director Lu."

Song Qingyuan's voice came through the receiver, very low.

"Sakata is going to the Shiliupu Wharf tonight. A batch of goods needs to be secretly stored there."

Lu Minghui gripped the receiver tightly.

"What goods?"

"have no idea."

Song Qingyuan speaks very quickly.

"The security level was higher than that of printing banknotes. He brought military police with him and personally escorted the shipment."

Lu Minghui hung up the phone.

Shiliupu Wharf.

A level of security even higher than that of banknote printing paper.

He turned to look at Gu Yunqiu.

Gu Yunqiu had already stood up.

Her hand rested on the pistol at her waist.

"tonight."

Gu Yunqiu looked at him.

"This is the last chance."

She paused.

"I want to see for myself what that shipment actually is."

No, you can't go.

Lu Minghui stood up, his tone resolute.

"Nakajima's fishing hook is hanging there. Sakata is escorting it, and the military police are with him. If we make a move, we'll expose ourselves."

"But if I don't go—"

"We're not going," Lu Minghui interrupted her, walked to the window, and looked down at the street. "But someone will go." He then hurriedly left.

Gu Yunqiu watched Lu Minghui's figure disappear outside the door before sitting back down in her chair.

I picked up the glass of tea, which had gone cold, and took a sip.

The tea was very bitter.