Shanghai's night still glittered—neon winked along the avenues, traffic flowed like a river, everything outwardly as usual. Yet in a corner of the city a quiet battle was unfolding.
We returned to the safe house on the city's outskirts. When we pushed the door open, Kawashima Sakurako sat on the sofa, cradling a cup of tea that had long gone cold. Her eyes were distant, as if she were still walking through memories.
"Sakurako," I said softly, approaching her. From my pocket I took out the white pixiu that Master Zhang had given me. "Master Zhang asked me to give this to you."
She looked up, fixed her gaze on the little jade beast in my hand, confusion softening her features. She accepted it and ran a fingertip gently over the stone's surface. "Which Master Zhang? Why give this to me?" Her voice was hoarse — I suddenly remembered she'd never met the old Taoist.
At that moment Er-Ge slid over with that sly grin of his. "Hey, beauty," he teased, "looks like Brother Fa's giving you a token of affection. This thing isn't simple — Brother Fa practically bled for it. He's even been wearing one himself!"
I shot him a glare. "Er-Ge, shut up. Master Zhang gave this to Sakurako specifically — what does that have to do with you?"
Er-Ge pouted with mock injury. "Come on, Fa — that's not fair. We're sworn brothers; why do all the nice things go to her?"
Sakurako allowed a small, unexpected smile. Her eyes warmed for a moment as she examined the pixiu. "You have one too?"
I scratched my head, a little embarrassed, and unclasped the pixiu from around my neck. "It's a pair. Mine's yellow; Master Zhang said the white one is for you. He said it'd do you good."
"Thank you," she murmured, her voice rough yet grateful.
Er-Ge couldn't resist. "Ooh, Fa, smooth talker, huh? But beware — this quiet exterior? He's famous at the office as a 'sleeper seducer.' He doesn't talk much, but when he does…" He waggled his eyebrows.
I reddened. "Cut it out!"
Sakurako chuckled, mischief flickering at the corner of her mouth. "Is that so? Then I'll just have to watch closely and see."
Er-Ge clapped my shoulder with triumph. "See? She's curious. Don't blow it, Fa."
The levity broke some of the tension. When Fang Zhiguo walked over from the window, his tone pulled us back to business. "All right, enough. We have work to do."
We sat, the conversation tightened. Sakurako put the pixiu around her neck and straightened, resolve replacing the haze in her eyes.
"Ms. Kawashima," Fang said, calm but urgent, "we need your help. Based on our intelligence, Chongming Island is one of Kawashima Fukeirō's key strongholds. But our information is limited. What do you know about Chongming? Where might he be hiding?"
Sakurako considered for a moment, gathering thought. After a pause she met our eyes with steadiness. "Chongming Island was one of my father's early footholds in China. He has a hidden laboratory there used for biological weapons research and storage. I don't know the exact coordinates — he never involved me in the core operations."
She paused, voice cooling. "From what I know of him, he's likely moved back into China to personally oversee things. He wouldn't hand such an important task to others, especially anything involving virus deployment or vaccine custody."
Er-Ge muttered, "That old fox — slicker than we thought. He's acting himself."
Qin Xiao nodded and added, "If Kawashima Fukeirō is on Chongming, we have to find his hideout fast. The virus and the vaccine could be under his control; the longer we delay, the worse the risk."
Fang spread a detailed map of Chongming Island on the table and scanned it. "Chongming's large, terrain's messy. Abandoned factories and remote fishing hamlets are the sort of places someone could vanish into. We need to narrow our search."
Sakurako rose and moved close to the map, tracing a finger swiftly. "Here — near the Dongtan wetlands. There's an abandoned fishing village. My father once mentioned it: sparsely populated, poor access, perfect for concealment. The wetlands' terrain offers hidden inlets and exits."
Qin Xiao pulled up satellite imagery and enlarged the area. "Indeed. Lots of derelict structures and it's right on the coast — easy for boats."
Fang gave a curt nod. "Good. Do you recall any of your father's habits? Any signature signs? Safe houses? Ways he contacts people?"
Sakurako thought a moment, then said, "He's meticulous. He likes setting up bases near water — easier for escape and transfer. He also uses a sakura (cherry blossom) mark at each base entrance as a secret sign. It's subtle; only those who know what to look for would find it."
"A cherry blossom mark?" I repeated, the memory of her family tattoo — the one removed from beneath her clavicle — flickering in my mind. Her father indeed obsessed over details.
"And he uses old Morse-code-style communications," she continued. "Lights or radio bursts, especially in emergencies. Hard to trace."
Qin Xiao's eyes lit up. "Morse? If we can intercept similar signals, we might triangulate his position."
Fang's expression hardened. "We'll start searching the Dongtan wetlands. Sakurako, will you join this operation? Your experience is crucial."
She didn't hesitate. "I'll go. Not just for you, but for myself. I must stop him. I won't let him hurt more innocents."
Her tone was resolute. I could see she'd made her decision.
"All right," Fang said, clapping once with determination. "Qin Xiao, monitor satellite and communications around Dongtan. Everyone else — prepare. We'll split tasks."
Er-Ge patted my shoulder. "Fa, don't screw this up."
I shot him a look. "You take care of yourself; don't be the one who screams and runs."
He grinned, quiet for the moment.
Late into the night the safe house stayed bright. We sat around the table plotting the operation's details.
"Sakurako," I asked softly, "are you ready?"
She lifted her head, eyes steady on mine, a faint curve at her mouth. "I'm ready. This time I won't run."
I nodded, complicated emotions roiling inside me. The coming mission would be dangerous, but it was the only choice left. If we could follow the thread — trace the signals, find the marks, chase the clues — we would finally close in on the truth and end this conspiracy.
Outside, the night remained deep. Inside, a small light of hope had kindled: follow the vine, find the source — we would chase the thread until the truth was found.