Chapter 9: I Am Xiao Kaitian

Her expression turned solemn in an instant. As the princess of the Hagiwara family, she was expected to possess a certain degree of dignity and authority, even if these had been utterly shredded by Xiao Kaitian today. “You need to report such trivial matters to me? What is Ichiro Nakayama’s job?”

“My deepest apologies,” the messenger bowed even lower. “President Nakayama is already mediating the situation, but as you know, if this were an official police matter, it would be easier to handle up and down the ranks. The issue is, it’s the traffic police—petty, insignificant matters like this are actually trickier.”

Ogihara Rin fell silent. In this country, syndicates were allowed by law but kept under tight scrutiny, leading to an intricate relationship with the police. Unless it was a major incident, the authorities tended to follow their own protocols for minor issues.

“Then just follow procedure. Must you consult me about this?” Ogihara Rin showed a touch of irritation. Couldn’t he see she was in the middle of an important conversation?

“Y-yes, of course…” The messenger was sweating profusely. “It’s just… just that… the traffic police came for Young Master Xiao.” He finally summoned the courage to state the facts.

Ogihara Rin was taken aback. She turned to look at Xiao Kaitian, who appeared equally puzzled. When had he become entangled with the traffic police here? At this point, should she let him go or not? After all, this country prided itself on being a society governed by law.

“They’re here for me?” Xiao Kaitian asked, and upon receiving the messenger’s frantic nods, he looked to Ogihara Rin.

“Shall I…” Ogihara Rin was about to use her connections to smooth things over.

“No need, I’ll go,” Xiao Kaitian replied, already understanding the situation. He stood, walked over to Ogihara Rin, his left hand in his pocket, his right hand extended, his gaze cold and unwavering. “Give it to me.”

What did he mean by that? Ogihara Rin’s mind went blank. Give him what? What exactly did he want? Could it be… her most precious…? But if things had come to this, perhaps it was time for Xiao Kaitian to prove his own strength. Besides, with the police right outside, how could she possibly give it to him now? Her face flushed scarlet in an instant.

“Hurry up and give it to me.” Xiao Kaitian was growing impatient.

“You… this…” Ogihara Rin tried to compose herself, tugging at her flawless attire in confusion. “I…” Suddenly, inspiration struck. Gritting her teeth, she extended her left hand, resting it gently in Xiao Kaitian’s palm, performing the standard Western gesture of a hand-kiss.

Xiao Kaitian stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “What are you doing? I’m in a hurry. I want the records you have on me—the storage drive. Do you have it?”

With a crash, Ogihara Rin’s composure shattered. She coughed awkwardly, her entire face as red as a boiled lobster. In her fluster, she fished out a six-sided storage drive and tossed it to Xiao Kaitian.

“Excellent.” Having obtained what he wanted, Xiao Kaitian’s mood improved considerably. “Please see my people safely returned. In three days, find a place and we’ll meet again.” With that, he donned his black trench coat and strode straight out.

At that moment, Ogihara Rin felt a mixture of emotions swirling within her. Xiao Kaitian, with his indelible presence, was like a brand burned deep into her heart.

“Damn it!” The ever-composed Rin could no longer restrain herself; she kicked over a low table, sending dishes and sake crashing across the tatami, filling the air with the heady aroma of rice wine.

Yet even if Xiao Kaitian sensed this, he wouldn’t have understood. In his eyes, a little tantrum from Ogihara Rin was perfectly normal—who would willingly hand over their advantage to an unknown opponent?

He slipped on his black leather shoes, giving them a tentative kick against the floor to ensure a perfect fit. The motion was smooth, almost habitual. A trace of doubt flickered through his mind: he hadn’t expected his doppelgänger in this dimension to have begun influencing his true self.

A faint smile curved his lips. Everything before him felt as uninteresting as seeing an old, feeble lion confined in a zoo—a sight that failed to stir a grown man’s curiosity.

He unfurled an umbrella, the torrential rain drumming on it like a barrage of beans. With his left hand in his pocket, he circled through the garden to the front gate.

Having come here on short notice, his Toyota Corolla was still parked outside, its lights blinking. Not far behind it, red and blue lights flashed from a white police cruiser marked with a black horizontal stripe.

A man and a woman stood by. The man, holding an umbrella, looked ill at ease, while the woman appeared perfectly calm, gesturing at his car as she spoke.

“Officer Harui, ma’am?” The short-statured man holding the umbrella had to stand on tiptoe to meet her gaze. “Are you sure about this…? This is the Anegane Ogihara Trading Company!”

“Oh, I know,” replied the tall, long-legged policewoman, her fitted uniform accentuating her graceful lines. “It’s just a trading company. Our country’s laws are about fairness, justice, and transparency. Is there a problem?”

She flicked her bangs and stared at the man with wide, assertive eyes.

“Uh… well, as you wish.” The man’s bravado immediately deflated.

Xiao Kaitian watched the earnest policewoman with interest as she produced a pen, opened her notebook, and carefully jotted down notes. Placing the pen in the center of the notebook, she snapped it shut and handed it to her flustered companion, then pulled out her phone and began expertly photographing the Corolla from every angle.

“Have you found the owner’s information?” After finishing her photos, the policewoman wiped raindrops from her phone screen. The man, who had followed her around with the umbrella, managed a wry smile. “The info just came in from IT. The car belongs to Ichimedo Hall.”

“Ichimedo Hall?” The policewoman’s beautiful eyes sparkled.

“Ahem, also one of our business organizations. But according to the records, a few hours ago, a man named Xiao Kaitian from Han-Tang borrowed it.” The man with the umbrella looked thoroughly embarrassed. This was plainly a matter between syndicate organizations—hardly the sort of thing for the traffic police to handle.

Granted, when some low-level syndicate punks flagrantly broke traffic laws, they’d step in, but rarely did they barge straight into a syndicate headquarters like this. He looked at his colleague, disbelief plain in his eyes.

“Ichimedo Hall? Xiao Kaitian?” The policewoman tossed her short hair, revealing a striking, heroic profile. “Then call him out, quickly!”

Unlike her exasperated partner, she pointed directly at the main entrance. “Now!”

The man holding the umbrella was nearly in tears.

Xiao Kaitian watched all this with a smile. He stepped forward, drawing the policewoman’s attention to himself. “Hello, I am Xiao Kaitian!”