Michael smiled and said, "There is no need for such formalities, Mr. Takahashi. If our two families can finalize cooperation, we will become strategic partners. The Bruce family holds our strategic partners in high regard. I spoke with my father last night, and he is also concerned about your son’s condition. He told me repeatedly to ask if the Bruce family can be of any assistance. Should Japan’s orthopedic specialists prove inadequate, he can arrange for several top orthopedists to come over from Neon City."Takahashi Masachi replied, overwhelmed by the gesture. "I am truly grateful. If such a need arises, I will not hesitate to reach out to you!"He then sighed and continued, "I deeply admire the Bruce family’s sincere attitude toward partners, and I am even more eager to forge an alliance with you. If we manage to establish a strategic partnership, the Takahashi family will spare no effort and will never fail to live up to the Bruce family’s expectations."Michael nodded faintly w

Just then, he felt two light taps land on his right shoulder.At that moment, Fujibayashi Aota nearly lost control of his bladder from fright.He lunged forward frantically and twisted around in rage, throwing the two shuriken once more.Once again, he struck nothing but empty air.There was not a trace of anyone behind him.Dumbfounded by terror, Fujibayashi Aota hastily pulled out his final two shuriken.A man’s cold, mocking voice drifted from behind him. "It seems Japanese ninjas are nothing special. What a disappointment."Upon hearing the voice, Fujibayashi Aota was seized with mortal dread.His worst fear had been confirmed.The Chinese man had been here all along and never left.He had not picked up the slightest sound of the man’s breathing or heartbeat this entire time. How could such a thing be possible?!Moreover, the man had tapped his shoulder twice. That meant he had drawn close enough to touch him on two separate occasions, yet Fujibayashi Aota had heard absolutely not

With this thought, he quickly sent another message to Fujibayashi Aota. The message contained the number 10, a code meaning urgent—reply immediately.Yet after sending it, there was still no response whatsoever.He waited anxiously for another minute, and still received no reply.All three men wore grim expressions.The third disciple could no longer stay seated. He stood up and said, "Senior brother, we need to go search for him.""Search?" Fujibayashi Masatetsu clicked his tongue. "Where should we look? Aota has not contacted us since we split up. We do not even know which direction to head once we leave the hotel."The second disciple blurted out, "What if something terrible has happened to Aota?"Fujibayashi Masatetsu’s face darkened. "I believe with Aota’s skill, even if he is detected, he can put up a fight. He may not be in mortal danger. It is possible he has already engaged the target."He then ordered, "Second Brother, call Aota."Fujibayashi Masatetsu clung to one last hope

After sorting through all the evidence, Fujihayashi Masazuru gritted his teeth and declared, “All of this points to one truth: we’ve been targeted by another faction of ninjas!”His second junior brother blurted out a question, “Senior brother, who do you think it could be?”Fujihayashi Masazuru pondered for a moment and spoke earnestly, “We have not wronged any ninja clans in our daily dealings. Therefore, I suspect the ones who moved against Aota are most likely the enemies of the Takahashi Clan!”His third junior brother slapped his thigh at once. “Damn it! Could it be the Ito Clan?!”Tokyo, Japan, at this very moment.Takahashi Machi had wrapped up a full day of negotiations with Michael and Louise.The talks between the two sides had been extremely thorough, and both parties left highly satisfied with one another.For one thing, Michael and Louise found Takahashi Machi easy to work with. He needed no prompting to move against the Ito Clan — he already harbored that intention hims

Jonas continued. "All right, let us go with your brother's decision on this. Turn him down."Louise could only nod. "Very well."In the lobby of the Aman Hotel.Matsumoto Yoshito, not yet forty years old, waited with eager anticipation for his meeting with the Bruce family.He had come to the hotel in person to request an audience, hoping that his humble demeanor and respectful attitude would earn him a face-to-face meeting with the Bruces.Though the Matsumoto family's power could not compare to that of the Takahashi or Ito clans, Matsumoto Yoshito believed his own abilities were second to none. Young and bold, he was convinced he would make the ideal partner for the Bruce family.The problem was that the Matsumoto family lacked the deep historical foundations of the Takahashi and Ito clans, leaving a vast gap between them.Though Matsumoto Yoshito had led the family forward with bold reforms and rapid growth, they still lagged behind.In truth, the Matsumoto family was the fastest r