Inside the Japanese Embassy.
Kawasaki and Kada Motoji sat across from each other, faces tense, deeply engaged in discussion about the Dragon Head.
"Kada-kun, I just received word from His Majesty the Emperor. He has sent Itō Itsuki here!"
"The British clearly have no intention of cooperating with us. His Majesty fears they'll keep the Dragon Head for themselves!"
Kada was stunned.
"What! Itō Itsuki?"
"The genius ninja from the Itō clan?"
"Yes."
Kawasaki nodded solemnly.
The Itō family was a renowned ninja clan in Japan. Though Itō Itsuki was the youngest among them, he had already reached the rank of Earth-nin!
The youngest—and the strongest—of the Itō clan.
In Japan, ninjas were ranked as Lower-nin, Middle-nin, Upper-nin, Earth-nin, and Heaven-nin.
Most ninjas, no matter how hard they tried, could only ever reach Upper-nin in their lifeti.
Only those with extraordinary talent could attain the rank of Earth-nin.
As for Heaven-nin, the number of ninjas throughout Japan's history to ever hold that title could be counted on one hand.
So for Itō Itsuki to reach Earth-nin at 25, countless people placed imnse hopes on him—to one day break through to Heaven-nin!
"Kada-san, Itō Itsuki is vital—not just to the Itō family, but to all of Japan."
"So no matter what, we must guarantee his safety!"
Kada's face went blank.
He was expected to protect Itō Itsuki? That was a joke.
But he understood Kawasaki's concern—if anything happened to Itō Itsuki, not even committing seppuku would satisfy the wrath of the Itō clan or the Japanese public.
"Kawasaki-san, I understand!"
"Contact the Fubons Auction as soon as possible. Let's hope they'll cooperate with us."
Fubons wasn't like other venues. Every attendee was a tycoon, from all corners of the world.
If Fubons refused to cooperate, any operation they planned would be extrely difficult.
"I've already sent them a request, but they haven't replied yet."
Kawasaki was just as frustrated. After the disastrous failure of the Dragon Head escort mission, he'd already been chewed out by every superior imaginable.
And now, before they could even recover the Dragon Head, Zhang Yang was at it again!
This ti, it was the Fubons Auction—a place where they absolutely could not act recklessly.
On the cruise ship, Kada's warning shots hadn't intimidated anyone. Instead, they enraged the crowd.
But if he dared fire a single shot at the Fubons Auction?
The hosts would make sure he'd pay dearly, and no one from Japan would dare stand up for him.
That was the power of Fubons.
Fubons had branches worldwide and placed no restrictions on what could be auctioned—but there was a strict minimum.
Every item had to start at no less than five million USD. Anything less didn't qualify for Fubons.
Right now, the head of Fubons in Britain had already received the Japanese Embassy's request for cooperation, but he hadn't responded.
Instead, he reported directly to headquarters.
"Contact the security company. Boost our defenses now. I want the best personnel available!"
For now, Daniel, the local head, could only focus on strengthening security.
As for Japan's request? Headquarters would decide.
"Shit, that nightmare I had the other night actually ca true!"
Daniel was beyond frustrated.
Two nights ago, he'd dreamt that he received a notice from Kaitō Kid—and the auction was robbed clean.
He'd woken up in a panic.
Now that nightmare had co to life. Kaitō Kid was really coming to Fubons.
It was past four in the afternoon.
The Fubons Auction site was making its final preparations.
An additional twenty security personnel had been brought in—elite mbers from a top private firm. Though they couldn't quite match Fubons' in-house security, their professionalism was solid.
Headquarters had also issued a response, allowing both the Japanese Embassy and Britain's MI5 to enter the auction to capture Kaitō Kid.
However, each side could only send five people, and they were strictly forbidden from disrupting the normal proceedings of the auction.
Harrison was the first to arrive, stepping out of the car with four agents.
After showing their IDs at the entrance, they were escorted to Daniel's office.
"Harrison, welco!"
Daniel greeted him warmly with a hug—after all, there was still a chance Harrison might actually catch Kaitō Kid.
"Mr. Daniel, thank you for your cooperation."
"As you requested, only five of us are here."
Although they'd brought only five inside, there were still two cars parked outside, ready for backup.
"I'm sorry, but the guests at Fubons are our top priority—we have to ensure they are comfortable."
"So, Harrison, if you spot Kaitō Kid, please do your best not to disrupt the auction."
Just as Daniel finished, Kada Motoji and Itō Itsuki arrived.
At just one glance, both Harrison and Daniel could tell that the man walking behind Kada, Itō Itsuki, had an extraordinary presence.
Dressed in black, with cloth bands wrapped around his wrists and legs, and wearing a black face mask, he looked sharp and cold.
Even more striking was the short ninja blade strapped to his back.
Like Harrison, Kada brought only five people, exactly per Daniel's instructions.
"Mr. Kada."
Daniel shook his hand.
"I hope you catch Kaitō Kid, but again—please, don't disrupt the auction."
Kada agreed readily.
"Of course, Mr. Daniel. You can count on us!"
After the brief introductions, Harrison and Kada split up, acting independently, with no talk of cooperation.
Kada lowered his voice. "Itō-san, we'll do our best to track Kaitō Kid. He's extrely cunning. Please, be careful."
Itō Itsuki just grunted, giving no reply.
His attitude left Kada a little embarrassed, but what could he do? Itō was an Earth-nin level ninja.
The Fubons Auction was held on the top floor of the Kapa Building, covering over 1,000 square ters.
Besides the central hall, there were many side rooms for staff and storage of auction items.
"Stay sharp, everyone. Kaitō Kid might make his move during the auction, create chaos, and use the chance to escape."
By now, Harrison was very familiar with Zhang Yang's tactics.
At the sa ti, the British royals still insisted on broadcasting the operation live, but Fubons headquarters had ruled that streaming could only begin after the auction officially started.
Fubons also arranged for the entire event to be recorded, in case of any unexpected disputes.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock—"
Minutes passed, and tension filled the air.
Around six, various tycoons began arriving at the auction.
In the hall, Fubons laid out an impressive spread of desserts and drinks, with live bartenders.
And, of course—models everywhere.
No doubt about it, these rich folks knew how to enjoy themselves.
At around seven, Zhang Yang drove up to the Kapa Building.
"Wow, what a spectacle. I wonder what they've got planned tonight to welco Kaitō Kid?"
Zhang Yang smiled faintly, then walked straight into the building.
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