Hidden Radiance

Chapter 89 The Mystery of the Theft

Chengda Company, second floor.

Lu Minghui hung up the phone and stood up.

"Walk."

He grabbed the suit jacket draped over the back of the chair.

Gu Yunqiu followed behind.

The two hurried downstairs. The corridor was empty, the dull thud of leather shoes striking the wooden floor echoing one after the other.

"You went out last night?"

Lu Minghui looked straight ahead, his voice very low.

"no."

Gu Yunqiu spoke rapidly. "You said to hold back."

Lu Minghui didn't ask any more questions.

It wasn't her. Song Qingyuan had just gotten the steel mold and was busy.

Both of these parties have been excluded.

That leaves only two possibilities.

Fishing. Or, the thief crying "stop thief!"

Hongkou, Special Higher Police.

Nanzo Yunzi sat behind her desk, staring at Lin Zhijiang's confession.

The image of Lu Minghui leading Lin Zhijiang straight into the interrogation room last night kept replaying in my mind.

Bloodstains. Disheveled. Witness.

She originally thought he would panic, silence her, or use his connections to get her out of trouble.

But he didn't.

Going with the flow, they characterized it as commercial infighting. This gave Lu Xuzhang's act of planting spies an impeccable veneer.

The key issue is that Lu Xuzhang's identity is special, so we cannot act rashly.

A punch landed right in the cotton.

After arresting the person but failing to reach a conclusion through interrogation, Nakajima personally ordered their release.

This morning, she could only watch Ah Bing walk out the door.

Lu Minghui was unharmed.

Stirring up trouble will only make things difficult for both sides.

The dedicated phone on the table rang loudly.

"Section Chief, something's happened at Chengda Company."

The undercover agent's voice was tense. "Major Ishihara just sealed off Warehouse Number Three. Something's gone missing."

Nanzo Yunzi suddenly stood up.

"gather."

She threw down the receiver, grabbed her trench coat, and strode out the door.

Chengda Company, backyard.

Two police lines were set up outside Warehouse No. 3. Twelve military police stood ramrod straight with their guns at the ready.

Major Ishihara stood in front of the iron gate, the scar on his cheek bulging into a blue vein as he clenched his teeth.

Lu Minghui and Gu Yunqiu walked through the courtyard.

"Director Lu!"

Ishihara stepped forward, his voice rough. "Chengda's internal defenses are a sieve!"

Lu Minghui stopped. "Major Ishihara, what do you mean by that?"

"One box of special supplies that was delivered to the warehouse last night is missing this morning!"

Ishihara's hand rested on the hilt of his sword. "You're the person in charge; you can't escape blame!"

Gu Yunqiu stood silently behind and to the side of Lu Minghui.

Lu Minghui took out his cigarette case and bit off an Old Knife brand cigarette.

Click. A flash of fire, and wisps of smoke rose.

"Major."

He exhaled smoke. "Please recall the handover yesterday afternoon."

Ishihara stared intently at him.

"Advisor Nakajima personally ordered that you be in full charge of the supplies storage. Warehouse No. 3 has been designated a military restricted area."

Lu Minghui pointed to the tightly closed iron gate with his cigarette in his hand.

"Two guard posts on the outside, three guard dogs on the inside. The key is with you, even I can't get in."

He took a step closer.

"Now the item is gone from your restricted area. And you're asking me?"

Ishihara was speechless.

"The fact that thieves could enter your restricted area means there's something wrong with your military police."

Lu Minghui flicked away the cigarette ash.

"Or, this box of things never even entered the warehouse."

"You dare doubt the soldiers of the Empire?"

Ishihara pulled out half of his command sword.

Lu Minghui remained unmoved. "I only look at the facts."

His hand holding the cigarette fell to his side.

A screeching sound of brakes came from outside the courtyard gate.

Nanzo Yunzi led her people in quickly.

"Minghui-kun, Major Ishihara."

She crossed the police line. "Top-secret supplies stolen; Special Higher Police take over the scene."

Ishihara felt as if he had been granted a pardon and stepped back to clear the iron gate.

A strong smell of preservatives wafted out.

Inside the warehouse, red skull crates were neatly stacked, with a gap in the middle.

Nanzo Yunzi put on gloves.

The door lock is intact.

The louvers at the ventilation openings are completely covered in dust.

There are no tunnels around the walls.

She turned to look at Ishihara. "It was an inside job. Someone used a key to open the door and moved the things out."

Ishihara's face turned ashen.

Lu Minghui stood outside the cordon, silently smoking.

"Section Chief Yunzi is right."

He continued the conversation.

"Since it's an inside job, we need to investigate everyone who has the keys, those on patrol, and those on duty. Major Ishihara, please hand over the list of military police officers on duty last night."

Ishihara gritted his teeth. "My soldiers are absolutely loyal!"

Loyalty is demonstrated through actions, not words.

Lu Minghui threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out.

"All Chinese employees of Chengda are under house arrest today to cooperate with the Special Higher Police's investigation. The military police under the major are treated equally."

Nanzo Yunzi looked at Lu Minghui.

He stood outside the police line, having almost finished a cigarette.

She lowered her gaze and stared at the schedule in her hand.

Mei Agency, second floor. Advisor's office.

Shinichi Nakajima stood by the window, pruning a pine and cypress bonsai with small scissors.

Click.

A dead branch fell onto the mahogany tabletop.

Major Ishihara stood three steps away, his military posture ramrod straight.

"So, Lu Minghui didn't even go to the scene?"

Nakajima didn't turn back.

"Yes," Ishihara's voice was deep. "He was standing outside the police line, he didn't even touch the door."

Nakajima cut off the second branch. "Did Nanzo Yunko go in?"

"The head of the South Section led a team to check the ventilation openings and door locks, and is currently interrogating the military police on duty."

Nakajima put down the scissors and turned around. "What was Lu Minghui's reaction?"

"He had no expression," Ishihara recalled. "He was even a little sarcastic. He insisted that it was an inside job, or that the item had never even entered the warehouse."

Nakajima walked back to his desk and sat down.

Ishihara lowered his head. "Hi!" he said, striding out of the office.

close the door.

Nakajima leaned back in his chair.

There have never been any lost supplies.

He wanted to see just how curious Lu Minghui would be about special materials after taking over Chengda.

Lu Minghui didn't go into the scene. He didn't touch the door.

Nakajima stared at the withered branches on the table.

Chengda Company, General Manager's Office, Third Floor.

Lu Minghui stood by the window.

Down in the courtyard, Nanzo Yunzi was directing agents to put several military policemen onto a truck.

Gu Yunqiu sat on the sofa, holding a list of supplies in her hand.

"You knew all along that something would be lost?"

Gu Yunqiu spoke.

Lu Minghui turned around and walked back to his desk to sit down.

"Ishihara just took over the property yesterday afternoon, and it was gone overnight. There were no signs of external force."

He took out an old knife-shaped pendant.

There is only one possibility.

"Ishihara is just committing theft?"

"Ishihara doesn't have the guts to touch 1644's stuff."

Lu Minghui lit a cigarette.

"It's Nakajima."

Gu Yunqiu put down the list. "A trap he set?"

"Test you and me, test every pair of eyes in Chengdali."

Lu Minghui exhaled smoke.

"Let's see who's interested in those red skull crates."

"What if you had rushed into the scene just now?"

"I'm now sitting in the interrogation room of the Mei Agency."

Lu Minghui flicked away the cigarette ash.

"Perhaps it was never lost, or perhaps the warehouse just contained a bunch of ordinary supplies."

Gu Yunqiu stood up. "Where did the real medicine go?"

"Not at Chengda."

Lu Minghui looked at her.

"Sakata just evacuated, so they won't be moving here so quickly."

He paused for a moment.

"He put the most dangerous things in the yard, just waiting for someone to reach out and grab them."

The sound of military boots came from outside the door.

Lu Minghui pressed the cigarette butt into the ashtray.

Nanzo Yunzi pushed open the door and came in.

She walked to her desk and slammed a work schedule on it. Her face was grim.

"Section Chief Yunzi."

Lu Minghui leaned back in his chair. "Did you find the mole?"

"Between 2 and 3 a.m. last night, there was a five-minute gap during the shift change at the back gate of warehouse number three. Someone opened the gate with a spare key."

She stared at Lu Minghui.

Who has the spare key?

Lu Minghui picked up the duty roster and glanced at it. "Ishihara."

Nanzo Yunzi spoke faster.

"But Ishihara was drinking in his office all night. Nobody came near him. There were no pry marks on the door lock. The thief used the original key."

Lu Minghui put down the paper.

"That means someone made a copy of the key."

He looked up at her.

"Or someone with higher authority directly gave the order to shut the military police up and open the door."

Nanzo Yunzi's fingers clenched tightly at the edge of the schedule.

She knew who that lead was.

"Mr. Minghui, how do you think this case should be resolved?"

She changed her tune.

Lu Minghui did not respond to that.

"How does the Special Higher Police plan to conclude this?"

He asked rhetorically.

Nanzo Yunzi put away the work schedule.

"I will report the internal affairs of the military police to Section Chief Nakajima truthfully."

She turned and walked towards the door.

"Yunzi".

Lu Minghui called out to her.

Nanzo Yunzi stopped.

"When you report, mention Ishihara's dereliction of duty more often."

Lu Minghui spoke in a flat tone.

"It's not uncommon for drinking to lead to trouble."

Nanzo Yunko glanced at him.

They both knew what was under the lid.

Not lifting the lid is a tacit understanding among intelligent people.

She pushed open the door and left.

Mei Agency, Advisor's Office.

Nanzo Yunzi stood at attention in front of the desk.

"Section Chief, the on-site investigation is complete," she reported. "There was no external sabotage. It was an inside job. Major Ishihara's negligence in defense is undeniable."

Nakajima looked at her. "Where did the supplies go?"

"The investigation is still ongoing. The thief's methods were very clean."

Nanzo Yunzi bowed her head.

Nakajima stood up and walked to the window.

"Chengda Company is not clean internally." He turned around. "The supplies went missing in the yard. Besides the military police, the Chinese employees are also suspects."

Nanzo Yunzi did not respond.

"Notify Lu Minghui," Nakajima ordered. "Have him immediately screen all Chinese employees at Chengda. Focus on key technical personnel and accountants. If the thief isn't found, Chengda should cease operations."

"Hi."

Chengda Company, printing workshop.

The machines roared.

Song Qingyuan, dressed in a long gown and holding a notebook, stood next to a paper cutter.

Lu Minghui walked in.

The workers were busy at work.

Lu Minghui walked to Song Qingyuan's side.

"Advisor Song." His voice drowned out the machine noise.

Song Qingyuan looked up and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.

"What are your instructions, Director Lu?"

Lu Minghui glanced at the workers around him. "Follow me."

The two walked out of the workshop and went to the smoking area in the backyard.

Lu Minghui handed one to Song Qingyuan.

I took it, but didn't order it.

"Nakajima just gave the order." Lu Minghui lit it himself.

"Let me screen all Chinese employees. If I can't find the thief, Chengda will have to stop operations."

Song Qingyuan smiled.

"We both know who the thief is." He tucked the cigarette behind his ear. "Nakajima is forcing you to kill someone to establish your authority."

"He's forcing me to investigate you," Lu Minghui said, exhaling smoke. "You're a key technical member at Chengda, you understand cryptography and mechanics. You have the ability to duplicate keys, and you also have the motive to sabotage."

"More importantly—you are Sakata's confidant."

Song Qingyuan's smile faded.

"Is Director Lu planning to use me to get away with this?"

"Why would I tell you all this when I'm just using you to get by?"

Lu Minghui looked at him.

Song Qingyuan lowered his eyes, staring at the unlit cigarette between his fingers.

"I've sent out the template and intelligence," he said, his voice extremely low. "You can hand me over if necessary."

Lu Minghui threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out.

"You trust me that much?"

Song Qingyuan stared at him.

Lu Minghui remained silent for a few seconds.

My gaze swept across the still-roaring printing workshop in the distance.