Chapter Eight: The Glass Tube

Chapter Eight: The Glass Tube

Seven o'clock in the evening.

Night had already fallen, but for the elite of Shanning City, it was precisely the time when their nocturnal revels began.

Among their favored haunts, the Rose Dance Hall stood out as the first choice for many. Here, one could savor the most expensive wines, enjoy the most beautiful dances, and just as easily conduct all manner of shadowy transactions. Even many high-ranking officials of the Nationalist Party would appear here after dark, and this den of mingled virtue and vice became the perfect cover for those seeking to deal discreetly.

When Bai Zeshao entered the Rose Dance Hall, gazing upon the bright lights and the lively, extravagant scene, he could not help but sigh. These so-called elites indulged in pleasure and luxury, while in many parts of the country, the people suffered under the brutal invasion and oppression of the Japanese.

“Xiaobai, over here!” At that moment, Liu Xiaobing’s voice rang out from a private box on the second floor.

“Coming,” Bai Zeshao replied with a gentle laugh, ascending the stairs.

Upon entering, he found Liu Xiaobing and Sun Yanjie already waiting. “Sorry I’m late,” he apologized.

“Haha, Xiaobai, we just arrived early. Come on, order whatever you like! Tonight it’s on me, so don’t hold back,” Sun Yanjie declared with hearty enthusiasm. “Tonight we’re celebrating you two—after all, not everyone gets to join the core of the Secret Service; most are just peripheral members. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be relying on you!”

“Then I won’t be shy,” Bai Zeshao replied. Sun Yanjie obviously wanted to cultivate a connection with them—or rather, with Liu Peiru—and Bai Zeshao himself had no reason not to befriend Sun Yanjie, so he began ordering without restraint.

“Captain Sun, your guest has arrived,” a waiter entered as the three were drinking and waiting for their meal, addressing Sun Yanjie.

“Sun, you invited someone else?” Liu Xiaobing asked, a mix of curiosity and surprise. After all, tonight’s gathering was meant for them; bringing in someone else surely had a purpose.

“Haha, you’ll see soon—it’s a good thing,” Sun Yanjie replied mysteriously, then instructed the waiter to bring the guest in.

The guest was a lean man in his thirties, with an unremarkable face, but his eyes were striking—sharp and full of a cunning light. When he saw Bai Zeshao and Liu Xiaobing in the box, a trace of wariness flickered in his gaze, and he even took a few steps back, quietly.

“Wu Jian, Boss Wu, we’re not doing business for the first time, so relax. I might have conflicts with people, but never with money,” Sun Yanjie said with a broad smile, seemingly oblivious to Wu Jian’s caution. “Besides, I’m not a big shot, but my reputation holds up. Let me introduce my two brothers—they’re insiders.”

Wu Jian’s eyes swept over Bai Zeshao and Liu Xiaobing. After a brief silence, he decided to proceed. “Captain Sun, I brought the money. Where’s what I need?”

“Of course, right here.” Sun Yanjie reached beneath his seat, retrieved a black briefcase, and placed it on the table, gesturing for Wu Jian to check it.

As Wu Jian opened the case, Bai Zeshao glanced over. Inside was a small box cushioned on all sides, cradling a glass tube.

Bai Zeshao’s eyes narrowed. He had received training in this area at military school—this glass tube was a vacuum tube, the key component for radio transmitters. It was a military item, not for sale, strictly controlled by the armed forces, and nearly impossible to find on the market or even the black market.

He hadn’t expected Sun Yanjie to conduct an illicit transaction at tonight’s gathering. Did he not fear being reported, or did he trust that Liu Xiaobing and Bai Zeshao wouldn’t betray him?

Bai Zeshao did not believe that Sun Yanjie, who had transformed from a small-time hoodlum into a favored figure in the police bureau, would act so recklessly. He watched the exchange without betraying any emotion.

“Not bad, Captain Sun. Here’s your payment,” Wu Jian said after inspecting the goods, handing Sun Yanjie a cloth bag from his pocket.

Sun Yanjie didn’t open it, just weighed it lightly in his hand and laughed. “Boss Wu, you’re straightforward. I like dealing with people like you. The transaction is done—how about a drink to celebrate?”

“Captain Sun, I’ll pass on the drink, but if you have more deals like this, let me know. Money is no issue,” Wu Jian replied, now more relaxed after the deal.

“No problem.”

“Good—I’ll take my leave and let you enjoy your evening,” Wu Jian said, then turned and walked out.

“Sun, that was a vacuum tube you traded, wasn’t it? You’re bold. Aren’t you afraid Xiaobing and I might report you?” Liu Xiaobing joked, half-serious, after Wu Jian had left.

“Haha, would you?” Sun Yanjie glanced calmly at the two.

“What do you think?”

The atmosphere in the box suddenly grew heavy. The three fell silent for a minute or two, then, almost in unison, they chuckled, raised their glasses, and drank deeply.

“Sun, looks like you have some wild connections. If I ever need help, you can’t refuse, right?” Bai Zeshao teased.

“Xiaobai, Sun will definitely help. Isn’t that right?” Liu Xiaobing chimed in.

“That’s right. As long as it’s something I can handle, I won’t turn you down. I’ve made it this far by keeping my word,” Sun Yanjie declared, thumping his chest with bravado.

“Come on, another round!” Liu Xiaobing proposed.

“Alright, cheers!”

“Cheers!”

While drinking, Bai Zeshao feigned curiosity. “Sun, aren’t you afraid if this gets found out by the higher-ups? Losing money is the least of it—you could lose your life.”

Sun Yanjie sneered, “In your eyes, that’s a key part of a radio transmitter—a vacuum tube. In mine, it’s just a glass tube, representing real money.”

He took a sip and continued, “Besides, even if the higher-ups find out, so what? I’m just using the vacuum tube as bait. Who else would need it besides the Communists?”

“Brilliant,” Bai Zeshao and Liu Xiaobing said, giving Sun Yanjie a thumbs up.

At that moment, Bai Zeshao understood why Sun Yanjie had conducted the transaction in front of them tonight.