Because everything had already been arranged in advance with the Eastern authorities, Karl's private aircraft was not intercepted by the Eastern Air Force when it entered the country's airspace.
Soon afterward, the plane landed in Kyoto, the capital city.
Waiting at the airport were several Chinese diplomats along with Zheng Xian, the Director of the Divine Spear Bureau—China's superhuman intelligence agency.
When Karl stepped off the plane, he paused for a moment and took a deep breath.
A complex emotion rose in his heart.
He had never imagined that in this life he would return to the East in such a way.
Looking at the unfamiliar yet strangely familiar buildings around him, Karl felt a wave of nostalgia.
Although the architecture was somewhat different from what he remembered in his previous life, he quickly reminded himself of the current timeline and regained his composure.
With May, Raven, Gwen, Helen Cho, Black Phoenix, and the others, he walked toward the welcoming group.
"Mr. Karl, welcome."
The diplomat who spoke was a refined middle-aged man wearing a black suit. His gentle demeanor gave people an immediate sense of warmth.
"My name is Wang Wen. We've prepared two accommodations for you: a traditional courtyard residence and a modern villa."
"Which would you prefer?"
Karl raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise.
He hadn't expected such thoughtful arrangements.
They had even prepared two different styles of residence for him to choose from.
"How about the courtyard house?" Karl said with a smile.
"I've never stayed in one before, so this seems like a good opportunity to experience it."
"Thank you for the hospitality."
When May and the others heard that they would be staying in a traditional courtyard residence, their curiosity was immediately piqued.
It was something unique to Eastern culture.
"Of course," Wang Wen replied politely.
"This way, please."
"You're being too modest. With your current reputation, any country would treat you with the same level of respect."
Although Wang Wen appeared calm, he was actually somewhat nervous inside.
Before coming here, he had already read the intelligence reports.
This was the man who had destroyed Mars with his power.
And according to the data—
One of the women beside him was rumored to be even stronger than he was.
Naturally, he had to remain extremely cautious.
Karl and the others soon boarded the vehicles arranged for them.
During the drive, Karl briefly chatted with Zheng Xian, the Director of the Divine Spear Bureau.
The convoy then headed toward a bustling district of the capital.
Behind them, Speed transformed into a Lamborghini and followed closely.
Along the route, traffic police temporarily blocked the roads, allowing the convoy to pass without interruption.
Before long, they arrived at an exquisite courtyard residence.
The structure looked like a classic Eastern mansion.
Inside the courtyard were:
artificial hills
flowing waterfalls
stone ponds
traditional pavilions
The scenery was elegant and tranquil.
The moment they saw it, Wanda, Pietro, and Peter ran inside excitedly.
They quickly noticed something unusual.
The entire building was constructed entirely from wood, without any visible metal fasteners.
"Isn't it amazing?" Karl said with a smile.
"This is called a mortise-and-tenon structure, a traditional Eastern architectural technique."
"The entire building is assembled from interlocking wooden joints."
"No nails, no screws."
"Some ancient Eastern buildings have stood for hundreds of years because of this structure."
"I didn't expect Mr. Karl to know so much about Eastern culture," Wang Wen said with a smile.
"You're correct. This is indeed a mortise-and-tenon construction."
"Of course, this isn't ancient times anymore."
"So we've added modern conveniences like electricity, running water, and climate control."
After ensuring everything was arranged properly, Wang Wen and Zheng Xian took their leave.
Only Karl's group and several professional chefs remained inside the residence.
Everyone had become hungry during the trip.
Dinner was served shortly afterward.
The chefs had been specially selected from different regions of the country, allowing them to prepare a wide variety of authentic Eastern dishes.
When Karl tasted the food, he suddenly realized something.
Compared to this—
What he had been eating in America barely qualified as Chinese cuisine.
May noticed his reaction after taking her own first bite.
A trace of embarrassment appeared on her face.
The dishes she had cooked for Karl before were completely different from this authentic version.
Even the flavors were noticeably different.
Yet Karl had always eaten her cooking without complaint.
And he had done so for a long time.
Watching Karl happily enjoy the meal now, a soft look appeared in May's eyes.
At another table, Juggernaut was eating like a wild beast.
Fine cuisine clearly meant nothing to him.
He shoveled food into his mouth nonstop, devouring everything within reach.
That evening, Karl and the others relaxed in the courtyard.
The night sky was clear.
From the courtyard, they could see the bright Eastern moon.
Several plates of local snacks had been delivered earlier by Wang Wen.
Karl reclined comfortably on a rocking chair, gently swaying back and forth as he enjoyed the quiet atmosphere.
A moment later, Yan walked over and sat down in the chair beside him.
"You seem to miss the East," Yan said thoughtfully.
"My data indicates that you grew up in America."
"So why do you react this way?"
She studied his face carefully.
"When you saw these things earlier, your expression wasn't curiosity or surprise."
"It was longing."
Karl slowly opened one eye and glanced at her.
"It's nothing."
"I just like Eastern culture."
"Seeing these things reminded me of a few memories."
In truth, his heart had skipped a beat earlier.
For a moment, he had felt as if someone had seen through his secret.
But after thinking about it, he realized it didn't matter.
Even if someone knew—
What difference would it make now?
Everything had already changed.
Karl closed his eyes again and leaned back in the chair.
May walked over quietly and began gently massaging his temples.
She had always sensed that Karl carried a heavy burden.
He seemed to know many things that others did not.
He rarely involved himself in daily household matters, not because he didn't care—but because his mind was focused on far greater concerns.
The memory of the battle that had destroyed their manor still lingered in her thoughts.
She suddenly leaned down and hugged his head gently.
Karl sensed her unease.
Without opening his eyes, he reached up and patted her hand reassuringly.
Nearby, Gwen, Raven, Helen Cho, and Black Phoenix were also relaxing on their own rocking chairs.
Only Peter and Pietro had gone out.
They had dragged Juggernaut and Yelena with them to explore the city streets.
Karl and the others didn't stop them.
Those two were restless all day anyway.
At least now Juggernaut's excess energy had somewhere to go.
Meanwhile, on the streets of the capital city…
Peter and Pietro quickly discovered a problem.
Neither of them could speak Chinese.
When they tried to buy snacks, they realized that US dollars weren't accepted.
Both of them suddenly felt awkward.
Fortunately, a kind shop owner helped them exchange some Renminbi.
Unbeknownst to them, several Divine Spear Bureau agents were secretly monitoring them from nearby.
After all—
They were family members of Karl.
If anything happened to them while visiting the country, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Fortunately, with the massive Juggernaut walking beside them, no one dared to cause trouble.
After exchanging the money, Peter and Pietro immediately began buying every snack they saw.
They would take one bite—
Then hand the rest to Juggernaut.
Watching the two of them continue this strange routine, Yelena could only stare in speechless disbelief.
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