Guan Xing neither refused nor had any way to refuse.
The Alliance's work had already concluded. At Old Tom's request, Guan Xing bade farewell to Spenti and moved into the Tom family's estate, only waiting for the presidential cabinet to decide the date for awarding the medal—he would just attend the ceremony when the time came.
As for the report on the edema patients, Guan Xing had long since completed it. Aside from the crucial explanatory sections, the rest was handled by the Alliance's assistants.
Perhaps aware of Guan Xing's concerns, Old Tom smiled and said, "Xing, Lisa won't be back until next week. What a pity—you probably won't run into her this time."
Amitabha Buddha. Though he was being teased, Guan Xing's mood instantly lifted. As long as he wasn't entangled by that female demon, he had nothing to worry about.
Lan Fo, that bastard, laughed rather indecently. Guan Xing secretly thought to himself that it didn't matter—there would be a chance sooner or later to let this kid taste the consequences of kicking someone when they were down. And the consequences would be severe.
At the very least, he'd make him look like a pig's head.
The Tom family estate had been built in the eighteenth century, an ancient structure by comparison. Yet it was grand in style, uniquely decorated, and carried an air of supreme authority. Although Guan Xing had stayed here before, every time he stepped inside, that awe-inspiring aura seemed to grow stronger.
Of course, the estate had undergone three major renovations. While preserving its original appearance, it had been equipped with a large number of modern facilities. Even the most advanced detection systems filled both the air and the ground. There was no helping it—God's power inevitably came with bloodshed in the shadows, and enemies were never in short supply.
Covering hundreds of acres, the estate progressed layer by layer. According to Little Tom, there were twelve perimeter walls and twelve guarded gates, each equipped with formidable firepower. In M Country, the Tom family was permitted to maintain private armed forces. For such super-rich magnates, this was hardly difficult.
It was said that the current president had received tens of billions in campaign funding from the Tom family back then, along with full covert support. Otherwise, whether he could have become president at all was questionable. Within the government, the Tom family's influence was immense—mostly hidden in the shadows.
Guan Xing sat in a specially customized Rolls-Royce convertible. One should not underestimate this car. Beyond the brand, it was a brand-new bulletproof design, with absolute safety in mind. Its outward appearance was merely a disguise to mislead enemies—few people knew the truth.
Old Tom's car naturally passed without obstruction. As for Guan Xing's status, every member of the Tom family remembered it clearly. He was an absolutely special existence—enjoying all the rights of a family member, yet bearing none of the obligations. Here, Guan Xing was completely free.
Moreover, among the more than three thousand bodyguards in the estate, at least half had been trained under Guan Xing. Back then, he had applied the ancient conditioning methods from the Guan family's martial teachings to these men. After enduring extreme hardship, their strength increased significantly. As for those who refused to comply, they were either beaten flat by Guan Xing or quietly eliminated by Old Tom.
All of this stemmed from Old Tom's trust in Guan Xing—not merely because Guan Xing had once saved his life.
Anyone who had never been here could never imagine such luxury. If someone said this place was a royal palace, Guan Xing would wholeheartedly agree. In the innermost residence, the use of silver and gold far exceeded what ordinary people could endure. Even the tableware was made of gold and silver—it simply felt different in the hand.
After enjoying a lavish dinner, Guan Xing didn't hold back. The Tom family was unimaginably wealthy; no matter how much he ate, they could afford it. Rare seafood, caviar that cost a fortune in restaurants—here, all of it was commonplace.
Anything one could think of seemed to exist here.
Perhaps the reason Guan Xing didn't want to live here permanently was that he didn't want such excessive luxury to corrode his passion for life.
For two consecutive days, nothing much happened. Aside from chatting with Old Tom and sparring a bit with Lan Fo and the other bodyguards, Guan Xing simply wandered around the estate. Compared to a few years ago, the place had changed again—there was even Chinese rosewood furniture now, which felt strangely familiar.
On the morning of the third day, Guan Xing was awakened by someone knocking. When he opened the door, the towering figure of Wolf Head appeared before him.
Wolf Head was the Tom family's sharpest weapon of slaughter. He rarely appeared here unless there was a special need. At that moment, Guan Xing already had an idea—the Yamaguchi-gumi's negotiation letter had probably arrived.
"Teacher, sorry to disturb your rest. The boss requests your presence," Wolf Head said. Unlike Lan Fo, Wolf Head and all the bodyguards addressed Old Tom as "boss," Little Tom as "boss," and only Lisa as "miss."
After washing up, Guan Xing followed Wolf Head to Old Tom's study. This was the safest place in the estate—and the place where the Tom family issued its dark laws. Every word spoken here could influence the life or death of a country or an important figure.
Seeing Guan Xing, Old Tom smiled and handed him an invitation.
It contained only a few words:
"Tomorrow at noon, meet at the Sun and Moon Spring Hotel. Respectfully."
Signed with two characters: Yōsen. Polite enough.
"Yōsen is the vice chairman of the Yamaguchi-gumi," Lan Fo said before Guan Xing could ask. "He's known as the most cunning man in the world—very difficult to deal with. At his side are the twin brothers Shadow Image and Shadow Imprint, known as the number-one fighters of the East. With them protecting him, we can't even get close."
Wolf Head continued, "These twins are like one person. From childhood, they were trained together—eating the same food, wearing the same clothes, even walking with identical stride length. Even those closest to them can't tell which is the elder and which is the younger."
Truly perverse. Assassins trained this way, acting as one, were indeed not something Wolf Head or Lan Fo could handle.
"No matter how skilled they are," Old Tom said calmly, "if I want them dead, I have at least ten ways to do it. The simplest and dumbest way—I could level the entire Sun and Moon Spring Hotel within ten seconds."
Clearly, he wasn't worried. With the power and weapons in his hands, killing someone was far too easy.
"But I don't want to do that," he continued. "What I want is absolute fear. I hear the Japanese aren't afraid of death. Then defeat them—make them collapse mentally and shatter their will."
As expected, age brought sharpness. Old Tom's methods were ruthless beyond resistance.
There was a reason God could dominate the world.
Guan Xing already knew what he was supposed to do. His head felt a bit heavy as he said helplessly, "Against such abnormal masters, I can't guarantee I'll win."
Old Tom smiled. "Xing, I believe you can. Just do your best." Then his tone hardened. "If they refuse to submit, they will become corpses."
Everything was already arranged. Indeed, with God's strength—and on its own home turf—even the strongest Japanese experts would stand no chance.
Guan Xing didn't want to get involved in God's affairs, but this favor was impossible to refuse. Though unwilling, he had to go. Deep down, he truly didn't want anything to happen to Old Tom.
Three cars set out. Guan Xing and Old Tom rode in one, with the estate's top killers in the front and rear cars—at least three of them ranked on the world's lists. Aside from Guan Xing and Old Tom, Lan Fo drove, while Wolf Head sat in the passenger seat, eyes closed in meditation.
There were only twelve of them, but Guan Xing knew that apart from Old Tom, every one was a top-tier expert.
The Sun and Moon Spring Hotel was a Yamaguchi-gumi investment on this continent. Like God, aside from smuggling and drugs, they also had legitimate companies for laundering money.
According to Lan Fo, more than two hundred gunmen and experts were stationed inside and around the hotel. They could be flower-selling little girls on the street—or a pair of lovers casually passing by. Killing intent lurked everywhere. The moment Guan Xing stepped out of the car, an unusual atmosphere blended into the damp air.
Solemn. Tense. Oppressive.
This was the calm before a storm of slaughter, making it hard to breathe.
Aside from Guan Xing and Old Tom, everyone—including Lan Fo and Wolf Head—looked grim.
In Old Tom's deep eyes flowed a chilling light. At this moment, he was no longer the kindly old man, but the overlord of the underworld. His presence was awe-inspiring. Wearing a leather coat and leaning on his cane, he strode into the Sun and Moon Spring Hotel under heavy guard.
Guan Xing followed closely behind. Invisible streams of true energy slowly spread outward without limit—