A flicker of surprise crossed Miyamoto Kojiro's face, but he quickly regained his composure. Ikegami Aya, on the other hand, looked up at the ceiling with a hint of confusion in her eyes. Who on earth was causing chaos in the Miyamoto family's shopping mall?
At that moment, Su Wanwan let out a perfectly timed scream, throwing herself into Han Feng's arms, her body trembling just in time. "Darling, what happened? A terrorist attack?"
Han Feng held her tightly, his back to the direction of the explosion forming a protective posture. His face perfectly portrayed the panic of an ordinary person facing a sudden crisis: "It's okay, it's okay, it's probably just a gas pipe..." But his gaze went past Su Wanwan's shoulder, carefully observing the micro-expressions of Ikegami Aya and Miyamoto Kojiro.
Chaos erupted instantly in the mall. Screams filled the air as people scattered in all directions like headless flies. The automatic sprinkler system activated, spraying water mist from the ceiling, quickly soaking everyone's clothes.
"Please remain calm, everyone!" a curt evacuation announcement came over the loudspeaker. "Please proceed to the emergency exits in an orderly manner..."
Kojiro Miyamoto pulled out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen. He was probably sending a message to his family. Aya Ikegami, meanwhile, had already stepped outside the shop, looking up at the location of the explosion—directly opposite the dessert shop they had been at ten minutes earlier.
"Miss Lu, Mr. Zhang, please wait here for a moment." Miyamoto Kojiro put away his phone, a smile returning to his face, but the bulging veins on his forehead betrayed his inner turmoil. "I'll go find out what's going on and be right back."
Aya Ikegami asked, "Do you need my help?" Kojiro Miyamoto shook his head and said, "No, Miss Aya, you can stay here with Mr. Zhang and the others. The explosion occurred in the mall's control center, and I suspect something is amiss."
Aya Ikegami nodded, and Kojiro Miyamoto immediately ran upstairs. Aya Ikegami then led Han Feng and Su Wanwan to the lounge to wait for Kojiro Miyamoto. The explosion was not large; it only destroyed the central control center, and other areas were undamaged. Therefore, when the R Country Metropolitan Police Department arrived, they only sealed off the floor of the central control center.
A short while later, Miyamoto Kojiro returned, his face so dark it could drip water. Dust was visible on his clothes, and a few strands of his hair were disheveled, clearly indicating the chaos at the site of the explosion.
"What's wrong?" Aya Ikegami put down her teacup, her brows furrowing slightly. Seeing Kojiro Miyamoto like this, she couldn't help but feel worried.
"The central control center was bombed." Miyamoto Kojiro spat out the words through gritted teeth, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. "The mall's internal hard drives were all stolen, and the scene was spotless, like it was done by professionals."
Aya Ikegami's teacup clattered onto the saucer, spilling a few drops of tea onto the table. She quickly glanced at Han Feng and Su Wanwan sitting in the corner, lowering her voice: "The stuff on the hard drive...?"
Kojiro Miyamoto nodded almost imperceptibly, veins bulging on his forehead: "If this data is exposed, part of the Miyamoto family's shady business will be revealed, and that's not the outcome I want." He pulled out his phone, his fingers rapidly swiping across the screen. "I've already notified my uncle; the family will send someone to handle it."
Han Feng pretended to be very interested in Japanese flower arranging, but in reality, he overheard every word of their conversation. Su Wanwan fiddled with her phone, the screen displaying a special interface disguised as a social media app.
"Who do you think did it?" Aya Ikegami's voice was even lower.
Miyamoto Kojiro sneered, "Besides that mad dog from the Makino family, who else could it be?" He unbuttoned his suit jacket and loosened his tie in frustration. "My uncle just told me that Makino Yuta has already sent 'Kurosaki' to Makino Tenki's side."
Upon hearing this name, Aya Ikegami frowned: "Kurosaki? That assassin from the Makino family?"
"Who else could it be but him?" Miyamoto Kojiro gritted his teeth. "Makino Tenki was just attacked, and I mocked him a bit this morning. We just arrived at the mall, and then the mall's control center was blown up. It's hard for me not to suspect that he did it."
Han Feng's fingertips gently caressed the rim of the teacup as he received Liu Xiaoran's message through a miniature communicator hidden under his collar: "Kurosaki, a Makino family assassin, early stage of the Acquired Realm, seventh level."
"Seventh level of the Acquired Realm?" A trace of solemnity flashed in Han Feng's eyes. Although his strength was close to the mid-stage of the Acquired Realm, he had never fought against someone from the ancient martial arts world before, and he didn't know the extent of their strength. He dared not be overconfident.
"Mr. Zhang." Miyamoto Kojiro suddenly turned to Han Feng, his anger instantly replaced by a polite smile—a change of expression that was astonishingly fast. "I apologize for making you see these trivial matters. There was a small explosion in the mall just now. For safety's sake, I suggest we go back to the hotel to rest first, and then go shopping again in a couple of days."
Han Feng wore a perfectly timed expression of concern: "An explosion? Is anyone injured? Do we need help? We have a professional doctor in our delegation."
"No need for that." Miyamoto Kojiro bowed slightly, his posture respectful yet leaving no room for refusal. "It was just a minor incident caused by a short circuit, and it's already under control. But Mr. Makino Tenki..." He paused meaningfully, "After this morning's conflict, I'm worried he might cause trouble for you all. After all, no one wants to see foreign guests get into trouble here."
It seemed the morning's conflict had planted a seed of suspicion in Miyamoto Kojiro's mind. Han Feng sneered inwardly, but feigned sudden realization: "You mean... this explosion might be related to Mr. Makino?"
Miyamoto Kojiro smiled without answering, but his eyes said it all.
Su Wanwan interjected at the opportune moment, "Then let's go back to the hotel first." She took Han Feng's arm, feigning alarm, "It's too dangerous here."
"Alright." Han Feng nodded. "Then let's go back first."
Miyamoto Kojiro waved his hand: "Miss Aya will go back with you. I need to wait here for the elders of my family to arrive."
"Alright, Mr. Miyamoto, please let us know when you return." After saying that, Han Feng extended his hand to shake hands with Miyamoto Kojiro.
When their hands clasped, Han Feng could feel a slight tremor in Miyamoto Kojiro's palms—not fear, but suppressed anger. It seemed Miyamoto Kojiro's cunning was far less profound than he appeared; he was indeed a sucker.
Leaving the VIP lounge, Han Feng walked through the still bustling mall lobby. On the surface, the explosion didn't seem to cause much of a commotion, and tourists continued to linger in the various luxury stores. However, Han Feng keenly noticed that several security personnel in black suits had been added to each entrance and exit; their posture and gaze clearly indicated they had received professional training.
A short while later, accompanied by Aya Ikegami, Han Feng and a still-shaken Su Wanwan returned to the hotel.
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