Tokyo, Japan.
Two women walked before the open-air television at Ginza Plaza. When they walked past, their gazes turned to the televisions at the same time.
On the large screen was a Kendo Dojo with corpses lying haphazardly on the ground. Although the images were blurred, it was still a gory scene.
The news reporter suspected that it was a revenge murder case committed by the mafia but no one would know that the person who started all of this was currently watching the news here.
These two girls were Tsukino Kyoko and Long Bing, both wearing a human skin mask.
“The yakuza?” Tsukino Kyoko smirked coldly. “I wonder if they’d even suspect the Yamaguchi clan.”
“Let’s go, Sa’im’s arriving soon,” said Long Bing.
Tsukino Kyoko nodded then walked towards the street next to the square. This was where she and Sa’im agreed to meet.
At this moment, a woman suddenly appeared on the television screen.
“This is an emergency news report.” A female news reporter in formal wear appeared on the screen with a solemn expression. “According to the police, this woman is a spy from China. She has stolen a tech company’s AI technology and is currently on the run. If anyone sees this woman, please report to the police…”
She was now a wanted criminal on TV!
Long Bing’s eyebrows furrowed.
Tsukino Kyoko grabbed her hand. “Let’s not watch this. Let’s go.”
“How could the Japanese media do this?” said Long Bing coldly.
Tsukino Kyoko smiled. “Your man had stolen the tech ages ago. The Hattori family isn’t completely wrong in putting the blame on you either. Don’t you Chinese talk about how the husband owes and the wife pays?”
“You’re talking about ‘the father owes and the son pays’.”
“Doesn’t matter wife or son, it’s the same,” said Tsukino Kyoko. “My point is, you should consider returning to China. Although you have a mask, experienced lookers will soon catch on. It’s very unsafe for you to be in Japan now. Think about it.”
“Why are you always advising me to go back?” said Long Bing coldly. “Is it because you’re Japanese?”
Tsukino Kyoko shrugged. “I know you’re unhappy and worried. But let me tell you this. Although I’m Japanese, I am not nationalistic. My father gave me my life, and all that I have now was given by your man. I will always stand on your side. That is why I am here. I don’t care about your mission. My first concern is your safety, do you understand?”
Long Bing fell silent. “Let’s go. I’ll consider returning to China but I need time.”
Tsukino Kyoko nodded. She wasn’t angry and she was familiar with the women around Xia Lei. Long Bing was the one she liked most.
When they came to the street, a motorbike approached slowly. The rider was a muscular man, though his face was covered by the helmet. However, just from his physique, the two women recognised him. He was Sa’im.
“Get on!” came Sa’im’s voice from beneath the helmet. He did not take it off.
Long Bing did not move. She did not want to touch anyone in this world other than Xia Lei.
Tsukino Kyoko seemed to understand. She got on the bike and turned to Long Bing. “You can sit behind me.”
Long Bing finally got on, secretly thankful for Tsukino Kyoko’s action but did not express it.
Sa’im turned around and grinned. “Kyoko, grab my waist.”
Tsukino Kyoko said flatly, “I have a dagger on my belt. Scoot forward or it might end up in your ass.”
Sa’im fell silent.
He liked Tsukino Kyoko but she felt nothing towards him. She was always a thousand miles from his grasp.
He scooted forward, his ass almost on the gas tank. He knew her well. She was a person of her word. He did not want a dagger in his ass. When they were both seated, he revved the engine and rode down the street.
One hour later, all three left the Tokyo city area to arrive at a village at the foot of Mount Fuji. This village wasn’t very far from Oshino Hakkai, just over ten minutes’ ride. It was a memorable place to Long Bing because she had spent time with Xia Lei here. It was in this place that she became his woman.
Under Tsukino Kyoko’s lead, Long Bing and Sa’im entered an ancient building. It was a Kendo Dojo with a two-hundred-year-long history. It was a new safe haven that Tsukino Kyoko prepared for Long Bing.
Within the courtyard covered in snow, a thin, old Japanese man was practising Kendo. His movements were very slow but seemed very powerful. Although Long Bing wasn’t familiar with Japanese Kendo, she could tell that he wasn’t as simple as he looked. He reminded her of Xia Lei and his teacher, Liang Zhengchun, also similar to Tang Yuyan’s grandfather, Tang Yunhai.
“This is my teacher, Yuichi Yagyu,” said Tsukino Kyoko. “He owed his life to my father so he repaid this debt by teaching me. He taught me ninjitsu and how to kill. He’s very good.”
“So Xia Lei’s father is really…” Long Bing had an odd feeling but couldn’t put a finger on it.
“What do you want to say?” Tsukino Kyoko looked at Long Bing as if she guessed what Long Bing was thinking.
Long Bing shook her head. “Nothing.” She changed the subject. “Your teacher’s fine with this?”
“He is, don’t worry about it. You just need to make your decision as soon as possible. This place isn’t as safe as you think. The longer you stay, the closer danger gets,” said Tsukino Kyoko.
Long Bing said, “I’ll think about it, you don’t have to keep…”
Ring, ring…
The phone rang, interrupting Long Bing. It was the satellite phone she used to communicate with her colleagues at Bureau 101.
“My people are calling me.” Long Bing was very surprised when she looked at the phone.
“Don’t answer it,” said Tsukino Kyoko.
Long Bing did not pick it up. Even without Tsukino Kyoko’s reminder, she knew that the Japanese might use her colleague’s phone to track her location. It was a common tactic used in Bureau 101.
Ring, ring…
“Aren’t you going to pick up?” Yuichi Yagyu stopped his practice. “Or are you just going to let it ring?”
To her surprise, he was fluent in Mandarin.
Long Bing was stunned for a moment, then decided to decline the call. It was a satellite phone meant for Bureau 101 special force agents. Its anti-tracking properties were as good as the Chinese Zodiac’s satellite phones. As long as she didn’t pick up, the Japanese intelligence would not be able to track her location.
“Kyoko, come train with me,” said Yuichi Yagyu, tossing a katana at her.
Tsukino Kyoko caught its handle and turned to Long Bing. “Head inside and rest, I’ll come look for you later.” Then, she strode into the yard and fought Yuichi Yagyu intensely.
Blades glinted and the sound of weapons hitting each other rang constantly.
Long Bing’s mind was a mess.
Ring, ring…
The satellite phone rang once again.
The urgent rings were agonising. She suspected the Japanese intelligence for luring her colleagues into a trap. She could not take the call. However, she also suspected her colleague had escaped the control of the Japanese and was calling her for help. If she did not pick up and her colleague died because of this, she would regret it for life.
Should she pick up?
Long Bing was torn, unable to make a decision.
However, just as she hesitated, the ringing stopped.
‘The Japanese intelligence lost their patience this quickly? This is not normal…’ thought Long Bing.
Beep beep!
A row of text entered her inbox. “Leader, we’ve escaped. We are now hiding in Oshino Hakkai. We need your help, please meet us immediately.”
What happened?
Long Bing was already unable to determine the situation. “Oshino Hakkai? Why is it Oshino Hakkai again?”
Long Bing and Xia Lei had undergone a bloody fight there. It was during that battle when she thought she had killed Gu Kewen but Dark Mona of the FA group had escaped too. Now her colleagues had escaped to that place? Was this a coincidence or a set-up by the Japanese intelligence?
Knock knock! Someone knocked on the door.
Long Bing cleared her mind. “Come in.”
The Japanese-style wooden door slid open. The person who walked in wasn’t Tsukino Kyoko but Sa’im.
“What is it?” asked Long Bing. She was still quite foreign to the members of the Zodiac team and she did not like being in a room with a strange man.
Sa’im sat down, cross-legged. “Madam Long, you should talk to me.”
Long Bing frowned. “About what?”
Sa’im said, “About the missed calls you chose not to pick up. Were they from your people?”
“You saw it?”
“Don’t forget what my job is,” said Sa’im.
Long Bing said, “Yes, they were from my subordinates. Two calls but I didn’t pick up. I received a message saying they’ve escaped and are at Oshino Hakkai. They want me to meet them.”
“It’s a trap.”
Long Bing fell silent. She had also sensed danger but she couldn’t ignore the life and death of her people.
“Let me deal with this, I’ll find out the truth.” Sa’im got up.
Long Bing looked at him, not speaking.
He smiled bitterly. “You’re just like a block of ice. Uh, ignore what I said. I just want to say, we’re on Boss’ side. You can completely trust us. But you must decide if you want to conserve Boss’ military power or protect the people of Bureau 101. But no matter what you do, we will support you.”
She stared as he left, though she did not speak.
