A Lonely Lamp in the Flames of War

Shen Yanzhi was an instructor at a specialized modern training institute. Just a moment ago, he had been guiding trainees through a simulated infiltration exercise behind enemy lines. His fingertips had touched the cold alloy controls, and the roar of simulated artillery had filled his ears. But now his palms were covered in calluses, there was a fresh scrape across his knuckles, and black dirt was packed beneath his nails. These were the hands of someone who had spent years gripping a gun but neglected to care for them. They belonged to someone else.

A crumpled appointment letter lay open on the table. Its yellowed rice paper bore the bright red seal of the Military Statistics Bureau of the Military Affairs Commission. The young man in the photograph wore a crisp Zhongshan suit and looked remarkably like him, sharing seven or eight features, though his eyes held the naïveté of someone who had yet to see the world. The name field read: Shen Yanzhi. Position: Field Operative, Tianjin Station, Military Statistics Bureau.