Hidden Radiance

midnight.

The exterior of the Shanghai Fine Printing Factory.

The rain kept falling, and the streetlights cast a misty glow.

Song Qingyuan sat in a black sedan on the street corner.

Look at your watch.

2:15.

Inside the high walls of the printing factory, a dark figure crept along the base of the wall.

Song Qingyuan's special agent, codenamed "Little Knife." Dressed in all black, with a short blade clenched in his mouth.

He grabbed the louvers of the second-floor ventilation opening with both hands and used them to climb inside.

In the corridor, two Japanese military policemen walked back and forth with their wolfhounds.

Xiao Dao was huddled inside the maintenance pipe in the ceiling, holding his breath.

The patrol team walked away.

He slid into the control room through the pipe.

The safe is a German product.

Song Qingyuan's intelligence was correct; the pattern of the code rotation was exactly as predicted.

Click.

The cabinet door popped open.

Two steel molds were pressed onto the velvet mat.

Xiao Dao stuffed the steel mold into his waterproof backpack and turned to walk towards the window.

A dog barked loudly in the corridor.

"Who goes there!"

Japanese shout.

Xiao Dao kicked open the window and jumped off the second floor.

As soon as they landed, two sentries emerged from the shadows on either side, their bayonets aimed straight at their faces.

boom!boom!

Two muffled thuds.

Blood gushed from between the eyebrows of the two spies.

The body fell over.

[Remember the fastest online novel website: 20 ...

Xiao Dao looked up and glanced at the water tower in the distance.

Without pausing, they scaled the high wall under the cover of darkness.

Top of the water tower.

Paper Hawk removed the magazine from the Mauser sniper rifle.

Disassemble the gun and put it into a canvas bag.

The searchlights in the printing factory yard came on, their beams sweeping across the area beneath the water tower.

The kite lowered the brim of its hat, turned around, and went downstairs.

Half an hour later.

The back street of the Catholic Church.

Lu Minghui sat in the Ford sedan, with the window rolled down a crack.

Paper Kite opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat.

"Got it."

The kite wiped the water off its face and lit a cigarette.

"Song Qingyuan's men are quick and efficient. I helped him eliminate two of the hidden sentries."

Lu Minghui stared at the windshield in front of him.

The windshield wipers weren't on, and the water blurred the street scene.

"Nakajima wanted to sit back and watch the tigers fight, waiting for Sakata and the people who wanted the steel molds to start biting each other before he stepped in to clean up the mess," Lu Minghui said. "Now, the tigers are fighting, and the meat is gone."

"Song Qingyuan took the goods and must have left the city overnight," Paper Kite exhaled smoke.

"Let him go," Lu Minghui said. "With the steel mold stolen, Nakajima will definitely investigate the source of the leak. Zhou Fohai returned to Nanjing early this morning; Nakajima can't touch him."

Lu Minghui turned to look at the kite.

"Li Shiqun can't escape."

The following morning.

Mei Agency, underground interrogation room.

Li Shiqun was tied to an iron chair.

He hadn't been tortured, and his suit was still relatively neat.

The belt was removed, the cufflinks were taken off, and even the insoles were turned inside out.

The spare button on the shirt collar was sewn together with the other buttons, and no one touched it.

Shinichi Nakajima stood in front of him, holding a riding crop in his hand.

Nanzo Yunzi leaned against the shadows in the corner of the wall.

"Director Li," Nakajima began, "last night, the printing press was robbed. The steel molds for the Central Reserve Bank notes were stolen."

Li Shiqun's face twitched.

"With such tight security, you can't get in without inside information." Nakajima used the tip of his whip to lift Li Shiqun's chin. "Zhou Fohai just left yesterday, and the incident happened last night. You went to Yuyuan Road and saw him."

Li Shiqun's breathing became heavier.

"Section Chief... I'm just going to pay a visit..."

"A visit?" Nakajima retracted his riding crop. "You were desperate and wanted to use the information about the Central Reserve Bank notes to exchange for the Military Intelligence Bureau's protection. Zhou Fohai gave you the information, and you immediately sold it to Paper Kite!"

"I didn't take the steel mold!" Li Shiqun's voice cracked. "I really didn't take it!"

"You provided the intelligence." Nakajima looked at him. "The Empire has lost its strategic core. You must die."

Nakajima turned and walked toward the iron gate.

"Yunzi, I'm leaving you with this. Make him reveal the contact information for the kite."

The door closed.

Nanzo Yunzi walked to the rack of torture instruments and picked up a barbed iron brush.

He turned to look at Li Shiqun.

"Director Li, shall you speak yourself, or shall I?"

Li Shiqun stared at the iron brush.

If they can't bear it and start biting indiscriminately, their family members in Nanjing won't survive.

He forced a dry laugh out loud.

"In this life, I've never been a player, I've been a pawn. Now that I've reached this point, it's time to turn the tables."

He lowered his head.

Neck tense, chin pressed tightly against chest.

He bit down on the spare button inside the collar.

Hard.

Click.

The glass capsule shattered.

Nanzo Yunzi threw down the iron brush and pounced on him, pinching his chin: "Spit it out!"

Li Shiqun made a gurgling sound in his throat, his jaw clenching tightly.

A few seconds later, his head slammed heavily against his chest.

There was no further movement.

Nanzo Yunzi loosened his grip.

He took out a handkerchief and wiped the water off his fingertips.

Two hours later.

Mei Agency, Advisor's Office.

Colonel Sakata stood in front of his desk, staring at the surface.

Shinichi Nakajima sat in his leather chair and tossed two documents onto the table.

"Sakata-kun, take a look."

Sakata picked up the first document.

Report of theft at the fine printing plant.

"The steel mold is missing," Nakajima said. "The security you're in charge of has been breached. The military leadership wants an explanation."

"This was done by Chinese agents!" Sakata roared. "Give me three days, and I'll get the stuff back!"

"Chase after them?" Nakajima pushed the second document towards him. "What are you going to use to chase them?"

Sakata opened the second document.

Two million US dollars.

High-purity penicillin smuggling flow.

Yokohama Specie Bank forged receipts.

The veins on the back of Sakata's hand, which was gripping the sword, bulged out.

"This is smear!" Sakata pressed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I didn't touch penicillin! That was Matsui's private account!"

"Matsui was your man," Nakajima retorted defiantly. "The supplies went through your warehouses, and the money was laundered into anonymous accounts. Now that Matsui is dead, do you think the military court will trust you or this ledger?"

Sakata's hand holding the knife was trembling.

The steel mold is lost, and the account book is stuck on his forehead.

With two things weighing on him, going to a military court meant committing seppuku as an act of atonement.

"Nakajima," Sakata stared at him, "what do you want?"

"Resign to take responsibility." Nakajima leaned back in his chair. "Hand over Chengda Company and the Sugi Project. I'll plead with the higher-ups to spare your life. Just say you failed in your oversight and are being forced to retire early."

Sakata gripped the hilt of the knife tightly.

My knuckles turned white, and it lasted for three seconds.

The sword remained unmoved in its sheath.

He released his grip. His hand fell to his sides.

He took off his military cap and slammed it onto the table.

"Nakajima, you're better at killing than I am at it."

He turned and strode out of the office.

Outside.

Lu Minghui stood in the corridor.

Sakata paused for a moment as he passed by him.

She glanced at him, then turned and left.

Lu Minghui pushed open the door and walked into the office.

"Section Chief." Lu Minghui bowed his head.

Nakajima stood up, walked up to Lu Minghui, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Minghui, well done," Nakajima said. "The accounts are very solid. Sakata has retired."

"Serve the Empire."

"From today onwards, Chengda Company will be under your management." Nakajima issued the appointment. "You will be responsible for the material allocation and counterfeit currency issuance of Project Sugi. Report directly to me."

"Hi."

Lu Minghui, stand at attention.

Step out of the office.

Lu Minghui walked down the stairs.

Central Reserve Bank notes, counterfeit currency channels, strategic materials.

I've got the whole line.

On the second floor, at the corner, Nanzo Yunzi leaned against the wall.

He was holding a Lao Dao brand cigarette in his hand.

Upon seeing Lu Minghui, she straightened up.

"Mr. Minghui, congratulations." Nanzo Yunzi exhaled a smoke ring. "The new head of Chengda Company."

Lu Minghui stopped in his tracks.

"Section Chief Yunzi is also happy," Lu Minghui said. "Li Shiqun is dead. After No. 76, it's Ding Mocun's world. The Special Higher Police can finally have some peace and quiet."

Nanzo Yunko looked at him.

"Li Shiqun is dead, and Sakata has fallen." Nanzo Yunko took a step forward. "Minghui-kun, you've played a grand game."

Lu Minghui did not deny it.

"That cigarette butt on the top floor of Notre Dame was left by you." Nanzo Yunzi stared at him. "You brought up the screening theory just to divert my attention to the Military Intelligence Bureau."

Lu Minghui looked at her.

"You falsified the accounts and pinned the two million dollars on Sakata," Nanzo Yunko continued. "You helped Section Chief Nakajima remove Sakata as a thorn in his side, clearing the way for him to seize the Sugi Project."

Nanzo Yunzi looked at the cigarette butt between her fingers.

"Mr. Minghui, you really do your best for the section chief."

Lu Minghui smiled.

He reached out and took the cigarette from between her fingers.

I didn't rush to turn it off.

He held the cigarette between his fingertips, turning it over in front of her as if examining a piece of evidence.

Then press the button on the edge of the trash can to extinguish it.

"The section chief is still waiting for your case closure report," Lu Minghui said, looking at her. "Don't keep him waiting."

Lu Minghui turned and walked down the stairs.

Nanzo Yunzi stood there, watching his back.

Lu Minghui walked out of the gate of the Mei Agency.

The rain stopped.

The Ford sedan was parked at the bottom of the steps.

Sun Yaozu opened the car door.

Lu Minghui got into the back seat.

"Chief, back to Unit 76?"

"Go to Southeast Trading Company." Lu Minghui leaned back in his chair.

Sakata fell from power, and he took over Chengda Company, gaining control over the movement of all materials in Shanghai.

The 1644th Unit's lines can no longer be hidden.

The car started.

Lu Minghui's left hand rested on his knee, his ring and little fingers still stiff.