?Reading on mobile phone The sun-kissed country of Fujisan is blossoming with cherry blossoms. Beneath a tree, an e-book table is set. Fujimoto Toshihisa and an elderly gentleman dressed in a kimono face each other, kneeling in quiet reverence. The aroma of tea fills the air. "Master Kaga," Fujimoto pretends to sip thoughtfully, then sets down his cup, "this Chinese man is absolutely unbearable. He's made me lose face in Europe, and even threatened me with a flight. If he doesn't die, I simply won't be able to rest!" The elder gentleman is the head of the Kaga Ninja Clan, Master Kaga Ichiku, a senior jounin renowned in the sun-kissed nation, who once served as the imperial court's sword instructor. Master Kaga Ichiku smiles gently. "Young Fujimoto, why so agitated? The Chinese medicine theory states that anger harms the liver—this makes perfect sense to me." "What sense does the Chinese man have, then?" "He said with a condescending tone, 'If it weren't for the steady pressure exerted by these Western powers—Britain and the United States—our countries would have been vassal states long ago. In Asia, they wouldn't even have a chance to step in. Mr. Jiahe, have you agreed to my request just now?' The elder smiled again and replied, 'With such generous terms set by Mr. Nakamura, and given my personal relationship with your grandfather, how could I possibly refuse? I will first dispatch personnel to ensure your safety. As for eliminating that Chinese official, that will have to be handled more carefully and thoughtfully.' 'Why?' Nakamura Junnan felt deeply puzzled. Isn't it better to carry out the assassination as swiftly as possible? And wouldn't we still fall short of receiving the second half of the payment unless we eliminate the target?" Koga Ichiku smiled and said, "Besides our Koga faction, you also invited the Wushen Sect, didn't you? Their first mission has failed—they'll surely rush to launch a second one now. If I send someone to intervene at this moment, there's a good chance of conflict, allowing the target to escape. I'll act only after they've completed their operations—of course, if they manage to kill the person, their credit will naturally go to them!" Such reasoning was hard for Nakamura Shun-nan to refuse. At that moment, a subordinate approached, leaning close to his ear and whispering, "Mr. Nakamura, the Ministry of Defense has just sent a message stating that you'll be held accountable for this maritime incident..." "What?" He blinked in surprise. "What does this have to do with me? The plane wasn't mine—nor were the ship or the submarine. How can they possibly find me? What's going on here? Have you found out what they really mean?" "The man replied in a normal tone, 'We've investigated thoroughly. The Ministry of Defense officials feel the maritime operation has suffered excessive losses—two aircraft, one warship, one submarine, plus one helicopter. These are all the Self-Defense Forces' core assets, and collectively, their value exceeds tens of billions of dollars!' Nakamura Shun-nan murmured, 'They must not be expecting me to cover the costs—that would indeed be excessive!' Kagami Ichiku remained smiling, saying, 'I've heard about this as well. The Self-Defense Forces have certainly been unlucky—having limited equipment to begin with, each loss further diminishes their strength. Nakamura-san, with your substantial resources, might just need to contribute a bit.' 'On what grounds?' he firmly rejected, saying, 'I am wealthy, but I never spend money frivolously. At the time, I didn't request the air self-defense forces to deploy aircraft, nor did I ask them to send warships or submarines. Therefore, their losses have nothing to do with me. If they truly wish to assign responsibility, why not go find the Chinese side instead!'" "... All the young girls had taken the pills newly prepared by Lin Caiwei, and like Qin Feng, everyone's rank had been elevated. However, the effect of these pills was only effective once—after consuming the first pill, subsequent doses offered only the texture of sugar beans. This was the only slight drawback: if each dose could elevate their rank by one level, the entire family could swiftly achieve immortality. Of course, this minor limitation did not dampen the girls' enthusiasm. Every day, they gathered together, entered the small steaming chamber, donned oxygen tanks, and descended to collect herbs, then gathered to discuss their findings. Thanks to Lin Caiwei's persistent efforts, they made rapid progress in identifying herbs and understanding their medicinal properties, and all began to experiment with pill-making, though their initial success rates were not high—still, this was a commendable achievement." The biggest expense in alchemy is medicinal herbs, yet what Qin Daxiao currently lacks most is precisely these. According to the mathematical prodigy Mei Hui's calculations, based on the current daily consumption rate compared to the total stock, it will take at least another dozen years before these herbs are fully depleted. After all, whether in the herb gardens on land or in the aquatic habitats housing rare varieties, the plants grow continuously—so much so that their supply can be described as virtually inexhaustible. The only concern remains: Qin Daxiao must not attract any more young women. Should he truly establish a household with three palaces, six courts, and seventy-two consorts, the consumption rate would accelerate several-fold. With the tie-wearing officer and Shu Jinghua returning late, they have been diligently monitoring European arrivals through customs, working tirelessly from dawn till dusk with no signs of relaxation. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed—they have finally brought Qin Daxiao fresh news. In front of Qin Feng were six photographs, each showing a European man of different ages, ranging from young golden-haired youths to elderly white-haired men. "Are these six exactly the people from the Wushen Church?" he asked, his fingers clicking loudly as if he were already determined to resolve matters with them right away. Shu, the police officer, replied, "All six have suspicion, but that doesn't mean they're all members of the Wushen Church. Miss Qing has already notified customs and other departments, requiring that these individuals register with the local authorities wherever they go!" Qin Shao furrowed his brows slightly, "Then wouldn't they soon begin to notice something?" "Leader smiled, 'Do you think we're just vegetarians like Jingjing? We've already anticipated this. That's why we're asking all arriving passengers to receive the same treatment—this way, everyone is treated equally, and no one will question it. They'll simply know that the Chinese government is tightening its management of incoming visitors. Of course, these six individuals are our top priority targets!' He genuinely raised his thumb, 'That's why people say, "Three women make a show"—with you three in our special operations team, the ambitious ones won't have a chance to succeed!' Upon hearing this, Shu, the police officer, immediately objected, 'It's not just me and Qingjie—Romana didn't even get involved at all!' 'Really? Then she's being unfair. Why hasn't she participated if she's one of the team members?' Qin, the young gentleman, spoke with mild displeasure, thinking Romana truly wasn't doing her part. After all, once she took a salary, she should have contributed—how could she remain completely detached?' What the leader murmured: "She's been swamped working at someone else's company—supposedly, that company just moved from the prefectural level up to the provincial capital, and the number of things going on is endless!" "Uh."