154: Chapter 154 Departure Notebook

June in Tokyo was hot.

It was humid and sweltering, like a steamer hitting his face. When Li Xin walked down the private jet's airstairs, that wave of heat washed over him, and his shirt collar instantly stuck to his neck.

The VIP passage at Haneda Airport was excessively quiet. Ground staff bowed as they guided him through the glass corridor. Someone carried his luggage, and a car was already waiting at the exit.

A black Maybach, its body polished to a mirror-like shine. The driver wore a dark suit and white gloves, opening the car door with clean and efficient movements.

"Mr. Li, welcome to the Japanese Military."

Li Xin nodded and bent down to get inside.

The muffled sound of the car door closing shut out all the noise from outside. The air conditioning in the car was set just right, and the seats were soft enough to sink into. He took a bottle of water from the car's refrigerator, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip.

Tokyo outside the window was racing backward. Overpasses, office buildings, convenience store signs—everything was in Japanese, dense and crowded. When they stopped at a red light, a middle-aged man in work clothes got out of a truck next to them, squatted by the side of the road to smoke, his face full of exhaustion.

Li Xin withdrew his gaze.

Yamashita Kyoko was already waiting at the entrance of the mansion in Moto-Azabu. She was in her thirties, her hair styled meticulously, wearing a dark gray suit, standing straight. As the Maybach came to a stop, she stepped forward two paces and bowed slightly.

"Mr. Li, the room is ready."

"Thank you for your hard work," Li Xin replied in Japanese.

A flash of surprise crossed Yamashita Kyoko's eyes. She thought to herself, "This Chinese guest's Japanese is very authentic."

"Would you like to rest first or have dinner?"

"Let me look at the house first."

Yamashita Kyoko turned to lead the way, her pace neither fast nor slow, exactly half a step behind Li Xin.

It was a four-story detached house. In a place like Moto-Azabu, it wasn't the largest, but the privacy was excellent. The courtyard walls were high, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. There was no house number at the entrance, only a brass mailbox. The courtyard wasn't large, planted with a few dwarf pines, and a gravel path led to the main entrance.

The first floor had a living room and a tea room; the second floor had a study and a master bedroom; the third floor had two guest bedrooms; and the fourth floor had a small terrace. The basement had a wine cellar and a massage bathtub. The decor was Japanese minimalist, featuring natural wood tones. There wasn't much furniture, but one could tell each piece was expensive.

Li Xin took a tour of the living room. The sofa was genuine leather, and a freshly arranged bouquet of flowers sat on the coffee table. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was a private courtyard, where the dwarf pines were neatly trimmed, and several nandina plants were planted next to a stone lantern.

"This will do," he said.

Yamashita Kyoko nodded: "Dinner has been arranged. Would you like to eat out or at home?"

"Let's go out. I just arrived and want to look around."

"Then I will arrange a car."

"No need, I'll walk around myself."

Yamashita Kyoko glanced at him without asking further, took a key from the cabinet in the entryway, and handed it over.

"This is the key to the house. Please keep it safe."

Li Xin took it and tucked it into his pocket.

He changed into casual clothes.

A dark polo shirt, khaki pants, and casual shoes. He looked at himself in the mirror and looked like an ordinary businessman on vacation. He stuffed his phone, wallet, and passport into his pockets and went out.

The streets of Moto-Azabu were quiet, lined with high-end residential buildings and detached houses, with high walls and deep courtyards, making it impossible to see inside. Occasionally a car would pass by, its engine sound very soft. After walking for ten minutes, he reached Azabudai.

The tea room Yamashita Kyoko mentioned was on the fourth floor of a commercial and residential building. The elevator was old-fashioned, with an iron gate that made noise when opened and closed. Li Xin pressed the button for the fourth floor, and the elevator swayed as it went up.

The tea room didn't have a large frontage; it had a wooden sliding door with a noren hanging at the entrance. He pushed the door open and went in. Inside sat a woman wearing a kimono, around forty years old, with elegant makeup.

"Welcome. Is it just one person?"

"Yes."

He was led to a seat by the window, where he could see Tokyo Tower outside. It was red and white, very conspicuous in the evening sky.

He ordered the most expensive kaiseki tea snack set. The tea ceremony process was carried out, and he watched the woman use a tea whisk to stir the matcha, her movements unhurried.

The tea snacks were served one by one. Each one was exquisite but small in portion. The wagashi was cloyingly sweet, so he took one bite and put it down.

The sky outside darkened, and the lights of Tokyo Tower turned on.

Li Xin sat there, slowly drinking tea, his mind on other things. The system panel was suspended before his eyes, gray-blue, with AI System curled up in the corner dozing.

"AI System." No response. "AI System." The Little Yellow Man yawned.

["Zhuzi, are you calling for a soul? Just enjoy the tea. Such expensive tea, costing hundreds of RMB a sip—since you're here, just enjoy it."]

"Stop talking nonsense, Scan the entire Tokyo area."

AI System lazily got up. ["I really don't know what to say about you. You have time but don't enjoy it, and now you want to start getting gold. You really have the life of a born workhorse. Just wait, full coverage within a 50-kilometer radius will take some time."]

Li Xin picked up his teacup and took another sip; the tea had already cooled, and the astringency was even stronger.

After waiting for about three minutes, data began to jump on the system panel. The map unfolded before his eyes, the outlines of the entire Tokyo area and surrounding prefectures slowly becoming clear. Golden light spots lit up densely, like a handful of scattered gold dust.

AI System's voice filled with disdain rang out: ["Zhuzi, it's all noise. These grandsons of the Japanese Military dug everything up a hundred years ago. These signals are all geologically invalid signals, or else they are shallow residues, with extremely poor quality and zero value."]

Li Xin frowned: "Filter it. Mark the gold mining characteristics of the Shogunate period and the artificial storage characteristics separately."

The light spots on the map began to fade. Most of them disappeared, leaving only a few areas still flashing.

None in Tokyo, none in Chiba, none in Saitama. There was a faint signal in the direction of Kanagawa, but AI System judged it to be shallow mineralization, with no value.

"AI System, in the direction of Gunma, is there nothing near Akagi Mountain? It is rumored that the Tokugawa gold treasure is there."

AI System rolled its eyes. ["Do you understand geography? If you don't, go reflect on yourself. Did you listen properly in geography class? That place is about 110 kilometers away from here; how could I Scan it?"]

Li Xin felt a bit awkward. "Hehe~ I'm not too sure. Then I'll Scan it when I go there."

AI System: [...]

"AI System, what about Sado?"

AI System pulled up the distance: ["The straight-line distance from Tokyo to Sado is about 150 kilometers, exceeding the 50-kilometer Scan range. You can't Scan it standing in Tokyo; you need to go north."]

Li Xin stared at that blank area. Sado Gold Mine, Japan's largest gold and silver mine, had been mined for over four hundred years. The official word was that it had long been exhausted, but just because the system didn't Scan it didn't mean it wasn't there; it was just that the distance wasn't enough.

"Record it for now, I'll Scan it when I get there."

AI System asked: ["Where?"]

Li Xin closed the panel and called the waiter to settle the bill. The bill was 28,000 yen. He handed over three 10,000-yen notes. "Keep the change."

Walking out of the tea room, it was already dark outside. The alleys of Azabudai were brightly lit. Restaurants, izakayas, and yakitori shops had red lanterns hanging at their entrances, and the smoke from grilled skewers wafted into the street.

He walked along the alley and found a ryotei in Akasaka. The facade was low-key, but inside, it was a different world. There was flower arrangement at the entrance and calligraphy hanging on the wall. The hostess in a kimono led him to a private room with tatami mats and a low table. Outside the window was a small courtyard with a stone lantern and a bamboo fence.

He ordered the most expensive kaiseki course. A5 Wagyu, sashimi platter, grilled dishes, simmered dishes—every dish was as exquisite as a work of art. The sake was warmed and served in a tokkuri, and he poured for himself.

Halfway through the meal, his phone vibrated. A message from Yamashita Kyoko: "Mr. Li, do you need a car tomorrow?"

Li Xin thought for a moment and replied: "Arrange a Crown, nothing too conspicuous."

Yamashita Kyoko replied: "Understood."

He put down his phone and continued eating. The Wagyu was indeed good, melting in his mouth, the fragrance of the fat spreading in his mouth. The sake was smooth, not burning his throat, and it felt warm going down.

After eating, he settled the bill: 42,000 yen. He gave 50,000 and told them to keep the change.

Walking out of the ryotei, the streetlights of Omotesando were on. The signs for LV, GUCCI, and PRADA were shining in the night. There weren't many people on the street, just a few here and there, mostly tourists.

When passing by a Leica store, he stopped. In the display window was an M3 commemorative edition, with a silver body and black leather trim; it looked exquisite.

He pushed the door open and went in. The clerk was a young man wearing glasses and a black apron.

"Welcome."

"That M3, take it out for me to see."

The clerk put on white gloves, took the camera from the display window, and placed it gently on the counter.

Li Xin picked it up to test the feel. It was heavy, with a strong mechanical quality. He pressed the shutter a few times, and the sound was crisp.

"How much?"

"600,000 yen."

"Wrap it up."

The clerk's eyes lit up, and his movements became faster. Issuing the receipt, swiping the card, and packing it were done in one go.

Li Xin came out carrying the paper bag and stood on the side of the street to light a cigarette. The smoke dissipated into the night wind and quickly became invisible.

The phone vibrated again. A message from Qiang Zi: "Brother Xin, are you getting used to the Japanese Military?"

Li Xin replied: "It's okay, getting used to it."

"Stay safe. If anything happens, contact us anytime."

"Okay."

He tucked his phone into his pocket and walked towards Roppongi.

The restaurant on the 52nd floor had floor-to-ceiling windows facing Tokyo Tower. The night view was indeed good; the entire city was under his feet, the lights connected together like a glowing net.

Li Xin ordered a bottle of '82 Lafite. The sommelier brought the wine, opened the bottle, decanted it, and poured a little for him to taste. He nodded, and the sommelier poured it for him.

He sat by the window drinking red wine alone. At the table next to him sat a few couples, talking and laughing, their voices not loud. In the distance by the window, there was a middle-aged man in a suit, alone, with steak and red wine in front of him, also drinking alone.

Li Xin held his wine glass and looked at the night view outside the window. Tokyo Tower was shining with an orange-red light, and the surrounding high-rise buildings were brightly lit. This city was different from Shenzhen; the nights in Shenzhen were noisy and restless, while the nights in Tokyo were quiet and restrained.

AI System floated out: ["Zhuzi, you are drinking '82 Lafite while thinking about people's gold mines; this contrast is too big! But this Lafite is really not bad, get me a bottle next time!"]

Li Xin ignored it, thinking, "You system, if I give you wine, can you drink it?"

The bill was 120,000 yen. He signed it and got up to leave.

Returning to the Moto-Azabu mansion, Yamashita Kyoko was still there. She was standing in the entryway, and seeing him return, she bowed slightly.

"Mr. Li, the tea has been brewed and is in the study."

"Thank you for your hard work, rest early."

Yamashita Kyoko nodded and turned to leave. Her footsteps were very light, disappearing at the end of the hallway.

Li Xin went upstairs and pushed open the door to the study. The lights were on, and a pot of tea was on the table, still steaming. The curtains were not drawn, and he could see the dwarf pines and stone lantern in the courtyard.

He closed the door, opened the curtains, sat down on the sofa, and began to close his eyes and think.

AI System jumped out: ["It's the middle of the night, aren't you going to sleep?"]

"I am thinking about the next itinerary. I plan to go to Hakone first tomorrow, soak in the hot springs, and then go to Niigata."

AI System rolled its eyes: ["Are you here for a vacation?"]

"What's the rush? You won't run away. You told me to enjoy myself before, and now you're going back on your word?"

AI System muttered: ["Fine, whatever rich people say is right."]

Li Xin closed the panel and went to the bathroom to take a shower. The water was very hot, steam filled the room, and he felt comfortable all over after the shower.

Lying on the bed, he stared at the ceiling. The ceiling was wooden, with clear grain, and it looked expensive.

The phone vibrated again. A message from Li Jiayi: "The registration progress of the family office is faster than expected. The trust structure in Singapore will be approved soon."

Li Xin replied: "Good."

"The one in the Bahamas will get its license by the end of the month, and the one in Switzerland is going through the process."

"Thank you for your hard work."

Li Jiayi sent a smiling emoji and didn't reply again.

Li Xin put his phone on the nightstand and turned off the light.

It was very quiet outside the window, with cars passing by occasionally, their engine sounds very light.

He turned over, closed his eyes, secretly planning how to indulge himself in Hakone, and soon fell into a deep sleep.