Hidden Radiance

The fire burned for a full three hours.

The backyard of Chengda Company was covered in mud, water, and black ash. The corrugated iron roof of Warehouse No. 3 had completely collapsed. The high temperature had burned large cracks into the cement on the ground.

Kenzo Yamamoto stood at the edge of the ruins. He bent down, his right hand rummaging through the ashes. He picked up a hard, sintered black lump, brought it to his nose, and smelled it.

The residue from the explosion of magnesium powder was mixed with the pungent smell of engine oil.

"Mr. Yamamoto," Lu Minghui stepped forward and handed him a clean handkerchief, "the fire was too fierce to put out in time."

Kenzo Yamamoto didn't take the handkerchief. He stared at the black lump in his hand, then rubbed it between his fingers, crumbling it into powder.

"The temperature exceeded 800 degrees Celsius." Kenzo Yamamoto straightened up. "The anti-counterfeiting phosphate in the ink spontaneously combusts at high temperatures. Not a single trace will remain."

He turned his head and stared intently at Lu Minghui.

"Director Lu, your security is a complete joke."

"It's hard to guard against an inside man." Lu Minghui met his gaze calmly. "However, the man has been caught. Section Chief Nakajima is waiting for him at the Ume Agency."

Kenzo Yamamoto snorted coldly, picked up the briefcase, and strode away.

Lu Minghui watched his retreating figure, then turned and walked towards the office building.

The finance office is on the second floor. The lights are off.

Gu Yunqiu stood by the window. When she saw Lu Minghui push the door open and come in, she turned around.

"Has the car left the city?" Lu Minghui asked.

"We've passed the Kunshan checkpoint." Gu Yunqiu's voice was low, but the end of her sentence rose slightly. "Lu Xuzhang personally escorted the vehicle. The Special Higher Police's exemption pass was very useful. They didn't even check the checkpoints along the way."

Lu Minghui walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

"Is the route safe?"

"Absolutely safe." Gu Yunqiu walked to the other side of the table. "The handover point has received the message. They're waiting to receive the goods."

Lu Minghui lit a cigarette.

"Have Lu Xuzhang make arrangements along the way. Once we reach the handover point, immediately cut off all contact."

"Understood." Gu Yunqiu looked at him. "How will you handle things with Mao Sen?"

"He's a smart man," Lu Minghui exhaled smoke. "In the interrogation room, he understood my signal. Now that the warehouse has been bombed, he should believe me by now."

Late at night. French Concession, safe house.

The radio indicator light was a soft green. Paper Kite, wearing headphones, rapidly tapped his fingers on the buttons.

Lu Minghui stood aside, watching the contents of the translation paper being sent to Chongqing via radio waves.

Extremely concise telegram:

"The ink has been destroyed. I worked with Mao Sen. Mao Sen feigned a confession to induce Nakajima to arrest the traitor Li Kaifeng. This move killed two birds with one stone: it destroyed the enemy's ink and eliminated the traitor within the Telecommunications Department. Mao Sen plans to use this achievement to infiltrate No. 76 and wait for the right opportunity to act. Please investigate thoroughly, Director."

After typing the last character, Paper Kite took off its headphones.

"It's all done. Li Kaifeng is going to take the blame for this."

"He deserves the blame." Lu Minghui lit the draft telegram on a match. "Eighteen radio stations, hundreds of lives. He should have died long ago."

The paper kite watched as the ashes scattered between its fingers, and its lips moved slightly.

When he typed that line, there was another sentence on the translation paper: "The ink was transported via Lu Xuzhang." Lu Minghui took the translation paper, crossed out that sentence, and then drew a new horizontal line under the words "destroyed."

The kite didn't ask why.

Chongqing. No. 19, Luojiawan.

Dai Li, wearing a military overcoat, stood in front of the desk. Wang Puchen stood beside him, his hands tucked into his sleeves.

Dai Li picked up the newly delivered telegram and glanced at it.

He didn't speak.

He turned the paper over to look at the back, then turned it back to the front, and pressed his thumb on the four characters "一石二鸟" (kill two birds with one stone) for three seconds.

Then he laughed. The laugh was short, squeezed out of his nose.

"Good." Dai Li slammed the telegram onto the table. "What a fine kite."

Wang Puchen leaned forward and glanced at the telegram.

"Mao Sen doesn't know who Zhi Yuan is." Wang Puchen's gaze fell on the word "cooperation." "From now on, the two of them will see each other all the time at No. 76."

He didn't say the second half of his sentence. Needless to say. The kite could be hidden, but Mao Sen, with his temper, might not be able to tolerate it.

"With Li Kaifeng dead, the 76th Telecommunications Division is now vacant." Dai Li pointed to the three words on the table. "Mao Sen can take his place. However, one Li Kaifeng alone isn't enough. Nakajima is suspicious."

He stopped in his tracks.

"Tell Wang Yixin that he will arrange Mao Sen's pledge of allegiance. Zhiyuan will handle the coordination. Make sure this whole thing goes smoothly."

"Yes."

The following morning. Mei Agency, underground interrogation room.

Li Kaifeng's hands were tied behind his back, and he was pressed firmly onto an iron chair. He was wearing silk pajamas, and his hair was disheveled, clearly indicating that he had been dragged directly from his bed.

Shinichi Nakajima sat in a grand chair, holding a teacup in his hand.

Lu Minghui stood on the left side of the central island.

To the right of the central island sat Mao Sen. Mao Sen had changed into a clean suit; his face was still pale, but his eyes had regained their sharpness. He held a cup of hot milk in his hand, scraped off the skin with the lid, and took a sip.

When Li Kaifeng saw Mao Sen, his pupils contracted sharply.

"Mao Sen! You're slandering me!" Li Kaifeng struggled violently. "Section Chief Nakajima! I'm innocent! I've rendered great service to the Empire!"

"Meritorious service?" Nakajima put down his teacup. "You sold the Empire's top-secret intelligence to the Military Intelligence Bureau and blew up Mr. Yamamoto's ink factory. Is that what you call meritorious service?"

"I didn't! I have no idea about the ink!" Li Kaifeng roared.

Lu Minghui stepped forward and threw a brown paper bag onto the iron table in front of Li Kaifeng.

"Director Li," Lu Minghui said calmly, "at 8 PM last night, Chengda Company's Warehouse No. 3 exploded. At the same time, your car was parked in the back alley of Chengda Company. This was found inside the car."

The paper bag opened, revealing several sections of detonator fuses with gunpowder residue.

Li Kaifeng stared intently at the fuses, his whole body trembling.

"This is a frame-up! This is a frame-up! My driver drove my car out last night! The driver was knocked unconscious!"

"Your driver is in the interrogation room next door right now. He's confessed. You ordered him to drive there." Lu Minghui looked at him. "Director Li, there's no point in trying to deny it."

Li Kaifeng turned to look at Mao Sen.

"It was you! It was you and Lu Minghui who conspired against me!"

Mao Sen put down his milk cup and leaned back in his chair.

"Li Kaifeng, you have to accept your fate." Mao Sen's lips curled into a straight smile. "Boss Dai gave a death order: the ink must be destroyed. You took the money from the Military Intelligence Bureau and did the job. Now that things have come to light, you want to shift the blame onto me?"

"I didn't take any money!" Li Kaifeng completely broke down. He looked at Nakajima, "Section Chief! Mao Sen is putting on an act! He didn't defect at all!"

Nakajima sneered. He stood up and walked over to Li Kaifeng.

"Mr. Mao implicated you, and the ink did indeed explode. The evidence is conclusive."

Nakajima turned to look at Lu Minghui.

"Minghui, it's up to you. Make him write down exactly how much money he received from the Military Intelligence Bureau and how he passed on the intelligence. Once he's done, execute him."

"Yes." Lu Minghui stood at attention.

Nakajima turned and walked out of the interrogation room.

The iron gate closed. Only Lu Minghui, Mao Sen, and Li Kaifeng remained in the interrogation room.

Li Kaifeng slumped in the iron chair. His lips were bluish-purple, his jaw trembled incessantly, and his teeth chattered.

Lu Minghui walked to the table, picked up the statement paper, and slapped it in front of Li Kaifeng.

Write it down.

Mao Sen stood up, walked to Li Kaifeng's side, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Your testimony will determine whether you die alone or many more people die."

Li Kaifeng suddenly looked up and stared at Mao Sen.

He opened his mouth twice, but no sound came out.

Lu Minghui pulled his right hand out from under his trench coat. A Colt pistol was pressed against the back of Li Kaifeng's head.

"Write." Lu Minghui's voice was very low.

One hour later, Li Kaifeng signed and sealed the document.

Bang. The gunshot echoed in the basement.

Lu Minghui put away his gun and picked up the confession.

Mao Sen looked at the corpse on the ground, then turned to look at Lu Minghui.

"Director Lu has some impressive methods. Half a ton of ink, blown up just like that."

"Mr. Mao isn't bad either." Lu Minghui folded the statement and stuffed it into his pocket. "Nakajima won't believe you so easily. Wang Yixin will arrange a pledge of loyalty. You can continue now."

Mao Sen glanced at him, said nothing more, and turned to walk out of the interrogation room.

Afternoon. Number 76, Director's Office.

Ding Mocun stared at the execution report on the table, his face ashen. Li Kaifeng was someone he had personally promoted, yet Lu Minghui and Nakajima had bypassed him and executed him directly.

Lu Minghui stood in front of his desk, expressionless.

"Brother Lu," Ding Mocun adjusted his glasses, "you handled Li Kaifeng's matter too hastily."

"The evidence is conclusive; it was a direct order from the section chief," Lu Minghui replied flawlessly.

Ding Mocun placed his hand on the teacup, rubbing his thumb against the cup several times.

"The Telecommunications Department cannot be without a leader for even a day. Who do you think is suitable to take over?"

"That depends on the director's arrangement."

Just as Ding Mocun was about to speak, the red phone on the table rang. He answered the receiver. After listening for a few moments, his expression changed drastically.

He put down the phone and looked at Lu Minghui.

"Section Chief Nakajima just issued the appointment. Mao Sen will serve as the head of the 76th Telecommunications Division and concurrently as the deputy head of the Special Operations Group."

Lu Minghui's Adam's apple bobbed.

Ding Mocun gritted his teeth.

"Why should he, a newly surrendered Kuomintang agent, be in this position?"

"Just because he holds the rank of Major General in the Military Intelligence Bureau, even if it's a nominal title, he's still a Major General," Lu Minghui said. "Plus, there's the pledge of loyalty."

Ding Mocun stared at him.

"What kind of pledge of allegiance?"

Lu Minghui turned to look out the window. The sky was terribly overcast.

"Wang Yixin has sent a secret telegram." Lu Minghui turned his gaze back. "Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, the deputy station chief of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai station will meet at the Grand Cinema."