Did Matsushita go to all this trouble, arranging for luxury hotels and fawning over them, just to make Chen Long’s family happy?
After all, the hotel where Chen Long and his family were staying cost a considerable amount of money per day.
The reason for doing this was to learn their techniques.
Matsushita Kinmura had already found out that Chen Long’s father was a genuine Archmage, a rare talent even in America.
This was precisely why the Sakura Association had orchestrated this whole event, hoping to appease him with good food and drink, and perhaps glean some useful magic.
After all, ninety-nine percent of Japan's magical heritage originated from China. Not only was the amount small, but it had also been damaged over the years, resulting in severe deterioration of what remained.
But Matsushita never imagined that the opportunity he had painstakingly obtained, by shedding all pretense of dignity, would be so easily ruined by that scoundrel Hong Shu.
Seeing that Matsushita was genuinely angry, Hong Shu had no choice but to back down and say, "Alright, I understand. It's my fault."
"Go apologize."
"What?"
Hong Shu’s eyebrows shot up, and his tone involuntarily rose.
He could hardly believe his ears.
"I have to apologize to a Chinese person? Impossible!"
As an Onmyoji, and the most promising talent among the younger generation of his clan, Hong Shu had always held himself in high esteem since childhood. Everyone in the clan would bow and scrape to him, and even some elders treated him with deference. It was already a tremendous favor to admit his fault, yet now he was being told to apologize to that old man – absolutely out of the question.
"Are you sure you won't go?"
"No."
The moment Hong Shu finished speaking, an immense pressure descended upon him.
The temperature in the entire room dropped by several degrees.
Hong Shu felt as if his shoulders were bearing the weight of a mountain, making it difficult to breathe.
Matsushita's position as the head of the Sakura Association was not solely due to the support of the Japanese government; his own strength was also a crucial factor.
Hong Shu might be a genius in the Japanese magical world, but the world was vast, and there were countless talented individuals. Only those who truly matured were considered geniuses; countless others with a little ability perverted their talents and met an early end.
Just as Matsushita was about to teach Hong Shu an unforgettable lesson, the door to the room was suddenly pulled open.
Matsushita, thinking it was Chen Long’s family returning, quickly retracted his oppressive aura and looked towards the door.
Unfortunately, it was not Chen Long’s family, but Matsushita's assistant.
Matsushita frowned and asked with displeasure, "What is it?"
The assistant hurried to Matsushita's ear and whispered a few words. Matsushita's pupils visibly contracted.
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Absolutely, sir."
It was no wonder Matsushita was so taken aback. Just half an hour ago, Dikui had landed.
"The four of you go back to your rooms. You are not allowed to leave without my orders."
Then, he turned to his assistant and said, "You come with me."
Without another glance at the others, he quickly ran out of the room.
Time rewinds half an hour. Sudan Novel Network
Logically speaking, since it was known that Dikui would arrive by ship, the best course of action would have been to dispatch a fleet in advance to intercept all suspicious vessels outside Japanese waters, and if necessary, open fire and sink them.
After all, Dikui was an Earth Demon, and its combat power would be greatly diminished in water.
However, Japan did not do this, only dispatching patrol boats and cooperating with the coast guard to monitor all vessels within its maritime territory.
Was Japan truly foolish and ignorant?
Of course not.
The reason they didn't was due to interference from America.
Following the resurgence of the Holy Lord, America took the threat of demons very seriously. When demons like Bogang, Ximu, and Zhongsu appeared, the American machinery would quickly mobilize, deploying all its forces to gather all relevant information.
After such a long period of data collection, the American government had reached a crucial conclusion.
The mediocre mages within America, with their limited skills, were no match for demons. In fact, all of them combined were not as powerful as Old Dad.
To seal a demon, they had to rely on Old Dad's methods.
To prevent Dikui from causing trouble on American soil, the best solution was to seal it as quickly as possible, and Old Dad was known to be the only one capable of doing so.
Since Old Dad was currently in Tokyo, Japan, they could not allow the Japanese fleet to intercept Dikui before it landed.
Alternatively, they could have taken Old Dad out to sea on a ship to seal the demon.
However, this would put Dikui at a disadvantage, making it possible for it to escape and not guaranteeing a one hundred percent successful sealing.
For this reason, America specifically pressured Japan to act only after Dikui had landed.
Under American pressure, Japan had to compromise. However, they were not foolish enough to let Dikui land in Tokyo Bay, as the damage to Japan would have been too great.
Therefore, as soon as the cargo ship carrying Dikui entered Tokyo Bay, the Japanese government quickly intervened, creating various incidents that forced it to dock prematurely at Yokosuka, a considerable distance from Tokyo.
A port in Yokosuka.
"What are you carrying?"
A Japanese customs officer, holding a document, asked as he walked among the containers.
"Sir, this contains clothing and toys."
The owner of the cargo ship followed, a forced smile on his face.
The customs officer glanced at him and said, "There seems to be a problem with your paperwork."
"Huh?" The cargo ship owner let out a soft exclamation. "You can't be serious, sir. Please take a closer look. My paperwork is all in order and complete."
Upon hearing the cargo ship owner's words, the customs officer shot him an impatient glance, thinking to himself how incompetent this man was. Wasn't his meaning clear enough?
The cargo ship owner wasn't stupid; he naturally understood the implied meaning. However, the owner was unfazed. After all, the container's contents weren't his. What did it matter to him if they searched or confiscated it?
To be honest, when Dikui was loaded onto the cargo ship, it was a joint effort between the Spanish government and Bai Qi, who intercepted it midway and placed it onboard. The cargo ship owner had no idea what was inside. He was merely instructed by a high-ranking Spanish official, acting in a private capacity, to deliver the cargo to the port of Tokyo.
If the cargo ship owner had known that the container held Dikui, he would never have been so nonchalant.
Seeing the man's lack of cooperation, the customs officer decided to cause him some trouble.
Coincidentally, the customs officer stopped in front of the container that held Dikui.
He pointed to the container and said, "Open it, I want to see."
The cargo ship owner smiled obsequiously. "But sir, isn't that a bit... irregular?"
"Irregular? I am the rule here. Open it!"