Lu Mingfei, who had read Dragon Clan before slaying the dragon

In Caesar's eyes, this was an extremely orderly city.

The traffic is endless and people seem to be walking quickly along the straight streets as if they are queuing. When the traffic light turns red at the intersection, the crowd will stop suddenly. Even the office workers who were jogging on their way the previous second will stop their hurried pace instantly.

When the light changes again, all the cars brake behind the zebra crossing within a second, and the crowd continues to walk at a regular pace along the established track until they pass the next street light, and the cycle repeats itself.

But the more he observed, the deeper Caesar's frown grew. Watching this scene for too long could leave one feeling deeply exhausted, like watching a machine repetitively operate. The people in the crowd seemed like copied and pasted parts, and even the girls' skirts fluttering in the wind had lost their beauty.

"Some say Japan is like a giant birdcage. If you settle here, you'll experience considerable comfort, but you'll also lose a certain wild freedom. Everyone here is like a puppet tied tightly by an invisible string, moving on a fixed track day after day, living the same life... Maybe it can't be called living anymore, it can only be called being alive." Chu Zihang, who was sitting by the window on the other side, suddenly spoke up. "The Gattuso family heir, who yearns for freedom, must find this life like hell, right?"

"No..." Caesar paused, "I just think the hem of the Japanese girl's miniskirt is too short..."

Caesar suddenly came to his senses and was surprised to find that the person who had just approached him was Chu Zihang. He turned around and saw that Chu Zihang's gaze had returned to the book in his hand.

It was a book with a colorful cover called "100 Lectures on Japanese Mythology and History" that could be bought at any bookstall, but it would definitely not be a bestseller...at least that's what Caesar thought.

Caesar Gattuso likes everything grand and majestic. He is interested in both magnificent mythological texts and dragon civilization, but Japanese mythology is an exception. In his opinion, Japanese mythology is too... petty.

In the Japanese mythology system, all gods are descended from the father god Izanagi and the mother goddess Izanami. The entire pantheon is actually their family affairs. The conflicts between gods are actually family disputes. When they quarrel, a sneeze can bring about a century-long typhoon. When they fight, they get angry and Mount Fuji starts to erupt... Rather than being a myth, it is better to say it is a boring and exaggerated family record.

"You're not trying to find any trace of dragons in Japanese mythology, are you? Don't you think it's stupid? They mix mythology and history together, and these Japanese people actually believe their ancestors were 'gods' and that they were all descended from them." Caesar scoffed. "No other country's history can compare to theirs. In this regard, even the Gattuso family would be outdone."

"Someone once told me that some things might be hidden in Japanese history and mythology... but I haven't found a clue." Chu Zihang put down the book and rubbed his temples. "The history of the dragon race is a history of war. Struggle and fighting are the main themes of dragon civilization. But the gods in Japanese mythology have no mortal enemies. Even the two supreme gods, Izanagi and Izanami, have a harmonious relationship as husband and wife. At most, they have some daily bickering and minor frictions."

"Perhaps history has been tampered with," Caesar said. "What you see now is just what history wants you to see."

"What do you mean?" Chu Zihang frowned slightly.

"It just suddenly occurred to me that the Gattuso family has a position called 'Genealogist,' similar to the historians of those dynasties. When my father first became head of the family, they wrote phrases like 'A renowned ruler throughout the ages, combining strictness and leniency' in the family annals to curry his favor. Later, when my bastard father found out about this, he tore up the family annals and slammed them in their faces, angrily cursing, 'I hold banquets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, horse racing, swimming, and sailing competitions on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and I give the whole family a day off on Sundays. Where does my strictness come from? You can't lie with your eyes open!' It wasn't until my uncle stripped him of his power that the Genealogists finally spoke out and branded him 'a pile of mud.'"

Caesar openly publicized his family's scandals. "There was also an ancestor during the Roman Empire who, after winning a war, loved to lock up prisoners in the arena and watch them fight. But his genealogists at the time were afraid of offending him, so they wrote nonsense in the family history books, saying he was a 'benevolent ruler rarely seen in a thousand years.'"

"Do you mean that Japan's history has also been tampered with?" Chu Zihang asked.

"Isn't this nonsense? Where else did their hybrids come from? Could it be that the immoral couple from the Divine Family really created them?" Caesar rolled his eyes.

The car stopped and arrived at the destination.

The girl in a black suit opened the car door and bowed deeply to Caesar and Chu Zihang. She smiled sweetly and said, "Welcome to our Japanese branch."

Caesar raised his head and looked around. Standing in front of him was a black skyscraper, surrounded by a group of light gray buildings. The dark black glass curtain wall reflected the scenery of the city, like a towering beast hiding deep in the city, quietly observing the various people coming and going.

Caesar recognized at a glance that the price of the black light-absorbing glass was several times higher than that of the nearby buildings, which demonstrated the strong financial resources of the owner of this skyscraper.

"It looks like a big company." Chu Zihang also looked up at the skyscraper and said seriously, "I thought the headquarters of the Sheqi Eight Clan would be more ancient, like a shrine deep in the mountains."

"We maintained this tradition about a hundred years ago, but with the rise of modern industry, settling in downtown Tokyo is more suitable for the development of our family. We only use the family shrine during New Year celebrations or important family meetings, but we will send people to carry out daily repairs and renovations. Year by year, that is also a considerable expense. I believe that our ancestors can understand that the descendants are not ungrateful." Standing at the door of the skyscraper to greet them was Minamoto no Chisei's assistant, Sakura Yabuki.

She was dressed in secretary at the moment, a black suit, and black stockings that turned her straight long legs into two slender lines. She was a rare slender and tall girl among Japanese girls. Wearing eight-centimeter high heels, she was almost at eye level with Caesar.

"I will continue to receive all the distinguished guests." Ying bowed slightly and paused. "It seems that Commissioner Lu Mingfei has not returned all night. But please don't worry. We have issued a wanted warrant in the name of the Eight Clans of Sheqi. Only capture alive is allowed. If he falls into the hands of any gang, at least his life will not be in danger."

Is this typical gangster behavior? They're looking for their own people and actually issue a wanted warrant? That's right, wanted warrants come with a fee, so they should be more effective than a missing person notice.

"Miss Ying, you seem to have misunderstood a little." Caesar smiled. "As the captain of the team, I have absolute confidence in my team members. Besides, Lu Mingfei is our 'S' class. Even your Japanese gangsters can't threaten his life, or even dirty his clothes, because our 'S' class are always bright and beautiful."

Caesar's smile was a sly one, a smile that reflected his complete trust in his teammates. Although he and Chu Zihang of the team were at odds, he had to admit that being the leader of this team gave him a sense of security. Caesar even had the confidence that if the three of them worked together, conquering the world would be just around the corner.

Just as they were about to enter the building for a visit, a dilapidated taxi came into their sight.

It was impossible not to notice. Black smoke billowed from the hood, the windshield was cracked in several places, the trunk lid had been blown off, and all four doors were pierced with black bullet holes... If this taxi didn't have Japanese signs on it, they might have thought it had crossed the border of some small Middle Eastern country.

A dark figure jumped out from the back seat. He was wearing a ragged leather jacket on the upper body and jeans on the lower body that looked like they had just been pulled out of a garbage bag. His hair was messily curled behind his head and his face was stained with black and gray. If he didn't have a vague human shape, he would have looked like a black bear wearing human clothes!

Black Bear came over and greeted Caesar, Chu Zihang, and Yabuki Sakura enthusiastically, "Hey, did you just arrive? Looks like I'm not late, am I?"

"...Lu Mingfei?" Chu Zihang frowned slightly as he looked at "Black Bear". He only dared to call out the name tentatively because of the other party's voice and fluent Chinese.

"Black Bear" nodded and grinned, revealing his white teeth.

"Is this your ever-glamorous 'S' rank?" Sakura asked, tilting her head.

Caesar was speechless. He looked at Lu Mingfei, who had nothing to do with the word "glamorous", and opened his mouth, wanting to say something like "You don't understand, this is the popular beggar style and coal mining outfit this year", "In our European and American regions, darker skin often means stronger a person, look how strong Lu Mingfei is now"... But when the words came to his lips, he couldn't say them.

"There's a bathing area inside Genji Heavy Industries. Go take a shower. I hope you'll maintain proper etiquette during your meeting with the family heads," Ying said. "I'll have someone prepare a set of appropriate clothes and send them to the locker room. In the meantime, I'll show Mr. Gattuso and Mr. Chu Zihang around the office area."

Ying was "very sensible" and did not ask Lu Mingfei about his whereabouts last night, but she wrote down the license plate of the taxi from Osaka Prefecture.

Lu Mingfei was led by the waiter Ying casually summoned to the upper floor, where VIP bathing was reserved. Ying then personally led Caesar and Chu Zihang into the spacious lobby. "This building is the headquarters of Genji Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. It was completed at the end of 2004 and serves as both the academy's liaison office in Tokyo and the headquarters' office center."

The lobby was covered with a mirror-clear dark grey marble floor, reflecting the shadows of pairs of high heels or leather shoes. The sound of footsteps was rapid and powerful, one after another. Waves of people walked out of the elevator and then waves of people filled the elevator. The movements of the people were regular and orderly, just like a microcosm of the Japanese white-collar workers... except for the business they were in charge of.

"Team leader, we just received a report that the second-in-command of the Yamato Society has fallen for a third-tier female star. He used drugs to trick the female star into bed the day before yesterday, but unfortunately, he was discovered the next day by the female star's sponsor, who is a politician from the Tokyo Finance Bureau and has some business dealings with the main family. Now that politician is using his connections in the National Police Agency and the Detention Center to suppress the Yamato Society. The Yamato Society has just sent a fax to the main family asking for help." The young man with black-framed glasses was originally in a state of panic, but when he saw a middle-aged man walking out of the elevator, he seemed to have found a savior, and hurried up to him, reading the report in his hand.

"The Yamanto Association? Oh, I remember it was founded less than five years ago. According to the family's records, its credit rating seems to be..."

"It's 'C' level, team leader." The young man reminded.

The middle-aged man thought for a moment, "Does the Shan Teng Society know about the relationship between that politician and the main family?"

"They should know. After all, the news of the cooperation between our family and the Tokyo Finance Department was mentioned at the last meeting. But this was not the focus of the last meeting. They may have skipped it or forgotten it." said the young man.

"Forgot? They deserve it! If they relied on their own charm, it would be fine, but using drugs to trick women into bed is the very act of dishonesty on the part of the Shan Teng Society!" The middle-aged man frowned and said harshly, "Downgrade the Shan Teng Society's credit rating from 'C' to 'D', and then tell that clueless second-in-command to go to their house and apologize with gifts and sincerity. If all else fails, cut off your little finger to atone for your sins!"

Caesar and Chu Zihang exchanged a glance. Reality was far more thrilling than the movies, with people constantly cutting off their fingers. Chu Zihang even wondered if, based on genetics, thousands of years from now, Japanese descendants would be born with extra fingers. Otherwise, ten fingers wouldn't be enough to cut off.

"What if the politician is still not satisfied?" The man with black-framed glasses asked cautiously while writing down the middle-aged man's words in a notebook.

"Still not satisfied?" the middle-aged man said coldly, "Then get rid of him! He's already cut his finger in apology, what else does he want? After all, he's just a kept mistress. Our family has already come forward to offer a mediation plan for both of them. If he doesn't accept it, it would be disrespectful to our family. We don't need such an ungrateful person among our strategic partners!"

Chapter 198 Eri's Rubber Duck

"You are worthy of being the team leader! You are so imposing! I will be satisfied when I can be half as reliable as my seniors!" The young man with black-framed glasses was shocked by the middle-aged man's aura and was completely impressed.

"You still need to practice, young man. It's not easy to reach half of what I have achieved, but I am very optimistic about you." The middle-aged man patted the young man's shoulder encouragingly, adjusted the badge on his chest that read "Team Leader", and quickly left.

"I have to say, the people in your Japanese branch are full of personality and seem very motivated." Caesar looked at the two men talking not far away and nodded slightly, actually putting on the appearance of a branch leader visiting the branch for inspection.

"That's just bluffing," Sakura bluntly exposed her subordinate's hypocrisy. "That middle-aged man's name is Ishida Hideyoshi. He's been with the main family for twenty-four years. His colleagues from the same period are now at least vice-minister-level cadres, and some are even junior ministers. But he hasn't been promoted since he became team leader ten years ago. I'm sure you've seen that, while his professional abilities are fine, he's too concerned about his reputation with the other members... A team leader can't possibly have the authority to decide on behalf of the main family whether to execute a political member."

As soon as Ying finished speaking, the sound of discussion came from the side again.

"Have you heard? The National Police Agency is coming to check out the nightclub in Shibuya that our team is responsible for tonight. We have to rush over early this afternoon to check it out first. If they find anything... we'll just have to commit seppuku in our family's ancestral hall."

"Damn it! They check every day and every night. Do the police think this nightclub is their home?"

"It was that bastard whose finger we cut off last time who reported it. Shibuya has the unsurpassed 'Tamamonomae Club', so that little nightclub is listed under our master's personal name. The people from the National Police Agency don't need to give face to our family."

"I see those police officers don't seem to be looking for anything every time they come. Instead, their eyes seem to be fixed on the legs of the youngest girls in the nightclub. They don't look like upright people. How about giving them a few gold nightclub cards as a bribe?"

"Is it reliable? I heard that physical relationships are the least reliable."

"You're so stupid. Install a few cameras in their box in advance. Then they'll be crying and begging us...if they don't want the film starring them to be admired by men all over Japan."

The two men in black suits hit it off immediately, excitedly walked around Caesar and his men and headed straight for the gate, hailed a taxi and threatened to conquer the entire Shinjuku Metropolitan Police Department.

"Minister, I really envy you for being entrusted with an important task by your family and sent to Kyoto Prefecture. Please make sure to revive our family's glory in the entertainment industry in Kyoto Prefecture!" At the bar in the lounge area, three young men with flushed faces toasted a middle-aged man to say goodbye.

"Please rest assured, everyone. I'm going there with the courage to face death head-on. I'm determined to accomplish something in Kyoto Prefecture to repay my family, and I will never bring disgrace to the reputation of our Group Nine!"

"I really don't want to leave you. The Minister has always been as kind and great as our brother. Whenever Group 9 goes to the nightclub to celebrate, the Minister always lets us choose first. Please don't forget us after you make a name for yourself in Kyoto Prefecture, Minister!"

"Oh my, this is so touching. Please rest assured, everyone. I will remember every one of your voices and faces in my heart!"

"Buyer, you're so cunning! It's a discount! When we visit you at the nightclub in Kyoto, you must give us a discount! I heard that the girls in Kyoto have longer legs and fuller breasts than those in Tokyo..."

"Your underworld organization has its own unique management style. It reminds me of the time when my bastard father took over the Gattuso family." Caesar raised his eyebrows.

"Strictly speaking, we're not a mafia organization, but an organization that manages the mafia. Everyone here, even a small member, is a manager within the mafia," Sakura explained. "Genji Heavy Industries has a database of mafia organizations throughout Japan and over two thousand employees. We're responsible for monitoring and managing the entire Japanese mafia. If they run into trouble, they'll turn to us for help. If they make mistakes, we'll punish them according to the rules. Our relationship with the mafia is like that between the Judiciary and a law firm... Perhaps this analogy isn't quite right, but to put it simply..."

"You are the equivalent of the emperor of the Japanese underworld?" Caesar concluded.

"Although saying this may make us seem a bit arrogant, it can be understood this way. If the Japanese political situation is responsible for the part that is visible to the general public, then the Yaki Eight Families are responsible for the part hidden in the shadows. We not only play a role in supervising the underworld, but are also responsible for the life safety of every registered underworld member." Sakura said.

"Because Japan has very strict insurance qualification reviews for yakuza practitioners, most yakuza members don't meet the insurance company's standards. So the main family set up a protection fund with nearly 200 billion in capital, investing it in various projects around the world. The profits are used to provide benefits to every yakuza member, which is equivalent to the family setting up a separate medical insurance and social insurance for them."

"If a member unfortunately dies, the family will pay a large sum of alimony to their family and will also bear the cost of raising their offspring until they reach adulthood."

"Your approach is very humane. Members receive basic social security, which will make the position of the Snake Eight Clan even more unshakable. No other underworld organization can shoulder the social welfare of the entire Japanese underworld." Chu Zihang nodded. "Your welfare policy is even more comprehensive than some high-income European and American countries."

"Thank you for your recognition." Ying swiped her card to open the VIP elevator and bowed slightly to Caesar and Chu Zihang, "Please."

……

The Caesar team and the people from the Japanese branch got along very well and were very enthusiastic about the visit, but one person was forgotten.

Lu Mingfei was placed on the 24th floor of Genji Heavy Industries. The waiter led him directly to this floor. The moment the elevator door opened, his vision instantly widened.

This skyscraper was built primarily for office use. The atmosphere on almost all floors is serious and crowded. The slightly more relaxed areas may house a few quiet Japanese-style rooms, elegant tea tables, or self-service bars and restaurants.

But the style of the 24th floor is completely out of tune with the other floors. There is no one here, and perhaps the word "empty" would be a more appropriate description.

The floor is seamlessly tiled with dark gray wood-grain tiles, and several large areas are separated by deep black opaque glass. There's a two-dimensional area filled with action figures and anime costumes, a PS3 connected to a massive LCD screen, and a display rack filled with a full range of game cartridges. There's also an exhibition area showcasing ancient paintings and artifacts, walls covered in expensive originals and inscriptions by renowned artists. Tempered glass display cases hold priceless swords forged by renowned swordsmiths, handed down from the Kamakura shogunate to the present day. There's also a seemingly infinity pool and a pool-like bathtub...

"Miss Ying has instructed that you have fifteen minutes to shower. During this time, you can enjoy all the facilities in the VIP area. The changing room is at the right corner of the swimming pool, and suitable clothes are prepared inside. In order not to disturb you, I will take my leave during this time." The waiter closed the elevator door, leaving the entire floor to Lu Mingfei alone.

"I have to admit, the Japanese really know how to enjoy life. But if you set up a separate anime and game area here, besides the few of us, will anyone really patronize this area..."

Lu Mingfei fell silent before he finished speaking, because he felt... the presence of another person in this space.

The mysterious man seemed to have noticed Lu Mingfei's arrival, and all his movements were deliberately concealed.

Lu Mingfei frowned deeply. He knew better than anyone that Genji Heavy Industries was not just a place where employees and operators could work. There were many secrets hidden here, and there were some hidden corners that no one could reach normally. Someone was raising some... dangerous things here, such as Deadpool.

He walked silently through the area of ​​ancient paintings and swords. The place was very intact and looked neatly arranged. Every piece of glass was wiped clean without leaving a fingerprint, and it didn't look like anyone had been there. But it was not until he walked deep into the two-dimensional area that he realized something was wrong.

There was a gap in the game discs on the display shelf, a hanger was empty where a cosplay costume should have been hung, the large LCD screen was still warm, and the head of the anime figure Luffy was twisted 180 degrees... It was impossible that the waiter had deliberately messed it up while preparing it. There was nothing to doubt. Besides him, there was another person hiding here... a very familiar person.

Lu Mingfei was very sure that this person had not left this floor. He was still hiding in a corner of this huge space. The breath of that person was floating in the air. Lu Mingfei could feel the presence of another person from every detail in the room.

Suddenly, a strange, sharp sound and a thin sound of water came from deeper in the floor... Although the sound was very small, it was very abrupt in the silent space.

That person should be hiding in the swimming pool and bathing area. Lu Mingfei held his breath and crouched down to explore. The reason he came to this floor was the bathing area. He was now thankful that he and Nuonuo had learned the ability of profiling. If the person hiding there was a dangerous guy and he walked into it without noticing, he might end up in a very dangerous situation.

He looked around the corner and saw that the bathing area on this floor was simply too big. There were several swimming pools and shower rooms alone, and there were too many places to hide people.

He first checked the ceiling, just in case the other party possessed the same ninja abilities as Jude Mai or Sakura. There were no ripples in any of the pools, and no footprints at the doors of the restrooms or showers.

Until he reached the deepest bathing area, which was separated by opaque curtain walls and divided into independent areas, each with a bathtub of a different style.

Lu Mingfei glanced at the small, independent rooms, each of which was neatly tidied. The deeper he went, the more uncertain he felt. Could it be that his profiling skills weren't up to par, and he was being too paranoid? Perhaps there wasn't anyone here.

It wasn't until he had walked into the last compartment without any hope that he froze.

It was a gorgeous bathtub made of white jade, its walls carved with dragons and tigers, and large enough for five people to bathe in simultaneously. The tub was now filled with water, emitting wisps of steam. Rose petals covered the surface, obscuring the view below... Lu Mingfei stared intently at something, his mind blank.

It was a little rubber duck, floating quietly on the water.

……

"The Genji Heavy Industries building was designed and built by Maruyama Construction, a subsidiary of the Tachibana family. It's a benchmark for the Japanese construction industry. The fifth and sixth floors we just passed are suspended. The City Planning Bureau originally wanted to demolish the building, but they couldn't accept our offer, so they changed it to a 100-year lease. The fifth and sixth floors of Genji Heavy Industries are leased. That area has been hollowed out to connect to the highway tunnel outside. Tens of thousands of vehicles pass through it every day, making it a landmark for the area." Sakura introduced, "Mr. Masamune, the head of the Tachibana family, is also the head of our Snake Eight Families."

Caesar nodded slightly, but his heart was shaken. The City Planning Bureau's financial resources were insufficient to purchase the building, and they couldn't even force its demolition. This was enough to demonstrate how powerful the Sheqi Eight Clan's wealth and influence were in Japan, even enough to challenge the political situation.

"The 24th floor is a special area for VIPs. Specialist Lu Mingfei should be showering there right now."

"The 28th floor is our call center. It's similar to a customer service hotline, but the difference is that we're always available 24 hours a day. We have over 600 young operators working in shifts across the region. Our number is definitely more convenient than the mayor's hotline. Gang members generally prefer us to seek justice over the National Police Agency. During gang fights or disasters, civilians can also call us for assistance."

"It does sound more considerate than Japan's political situation," Caesar commented.

"The 29th floor is the Liaison Department. Its function is similar to the floor above, but those who sit here are veterans with considerable standing in the underworld. They're often retired leaders of small gangs or the second or third in command of larger organizations. Matters that the younger operators can't decide on are handled here. These veterans typically have strong connections with the local police station or gang, so if they intervene, the other party will at least give them some respect."

"Is their job to throw darts at the map?" asked Caesar.

"This is a tradition from the Edo period. Wakizashi would be inserted into areas where fighting broke out and removed when the situation was resolved. A considerable number of the elderly here had their little fingers cut off when they were young, so they couldn't hold the swords steadily. In the past, they had experienced wakizashi hitting people on the head, so they changed to light and compact darts," said Sakura.

The elevator went up again. "The 30th floor is the strategic department, here..." Before she finished her words, Yuan Zhisheng walked past them with a gloomy face.

"Young Master?" Ying called softly.

"Ying?" Yuan Zhisheng glanced at Caesar and Chu Zihang and then passed by them. "Have you seen Eri?"

Chapter 199 Lu Mingfei, Eri

"Ms. Eri is missing?" Sakura's tone was obviously panicked.

It was the first time that Caesar had seen the girl show such strong emotions.

He originally thought that as a ninja, the girl had killed all her emotions, so her expressionless face was even comparable to Chu Zihang's, but her panicked look at this moment was as if she had lost a ton-class nuclear bomb!

But "Eri" clearly sounds like a girl's name. Could it be someone important? Could it be the beloved illegitimate daughter of the head of the Sheqi family? It couldn't possibly be his elderly mother, could it? How old would she be? It's really worrying!

"She ran away again. She only left a note saying 'I'm going out to check on her.'" Yuan Zhisheng sighed. "She slipped away about fifteen minutes ago while someone was changing her bed sheets."

"Fifteen minutes? Miss Eri shouldn't have left the Genji Heavy Industries Building yet. I'll call the technical team to retrieve the surveillance footage from each floor, and then send more people to search each floor." Sakura suggested.