j.a.pan, Tokyo, Hyper Technology secret headquarters.
A Toyota van parked itself on the shoulder of the road to allow a tall Mexican girl to emerge from within. Her wheat-coloured complexion along with her impressive one hundred and eighty-five-centimetre height made her stand out among the j.a.panese.
She was Sirita, a member of the FA Organization.
After Xia Lei had destroyed the FA’s headquarters in Mexico, the organization launched its Plan B. The FA would’ve proceeded with Plan B even without the support of the American government. This no longer had anything to do with just interests. They wanted revenge!
Sirita took in her surroundings cautiously after exiting the vehicle. In that short amount of time, she was able to spot the highest points around here and any potential hiding spots on the ground. After all, she was the FA’s best a.s.sa.s.sin.
“Miss Sirita, please follow me. Miss Hattori is waiting for you in her office.” A middle-aged man welcomed her in Spanish.
Sirita replied, “There’s no need to converse in Spanish with me. I can understand j.a.panese and you may even speak English with me.”
As an elite a.s.sa.s.sin, the world was her hunting ground. How could she not know an extra language or two? This was an advantage shared between herself and Dark Mona.
“Very well. Come with me, Miss Sirita.” The man switched to j.a.panese, giving her a respectful bow in the process. With an extended arm gesture, he invited her into the building.
She trailed behind him, venturing deeper into the building. Soon enough, she found herself inside an office.
Hattori Mei stood before a french window, staring out ahead at the scenery of the j.a.panese Royal Palace in the distance. It wasn’t sakura season but as soon as March rolled around, her office would be blessed with a sea of pink.
The middle-aged man announced Sirita’s presence. “Miss Hattori, your guest is here.”
That snapped Hattori Mei out of her daze. The woman turned around and studied Sirita with a smile. “Miss Sirita, please have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?”
Sirita replied curtly, “I’m not here to drink. The CIA sent me here. You should know what I’m here for.” The Mexican woman tossed a look at the middle-aged man beside her.
Hattori Mei spared a meaningful glance at the man.
“Miss Hattori, I shall resume my work. Please excuse me,” The man bowed deeply and left the office.
Hattori Mei returned her gaze onto the guest. “Miss Sirita, that was my a.s.sistant. He goes by the name Watanabe Kazuo. Should you require any a.s.sistance, you can contact him and he’ll accommodate your needs.”
Sirita furrowed her brows. “I don’t need any special a.s.sistance but I do have a request. My people will choose a Chinese Airline to board. All you need to do is liaise with your border inspection team so that we can board without issue.”
“You’re bringing weapons?”
“Of course.” Sirita continued, “How are we supposed to hijack a plane without weapons? Do you expect us to only use our fists?”
Hattori Mei rea.s.sured, “That wouldn’t be a problem. However, I’ve got a request too. Your people shall not leave behind any trace of our activity. The incident will definitely drive the world in shock and China’s wrath would erupt like a volcano. This is serious and dangerous business. If China finds out that j.a.pan was involved in this, the aftermath will be severe.”
“Why is that our concern?” Sirita’s tone was devoid of any hint of humanity.
Hattori Mei chuckled dryly. “Miss Sirita, this is not the tone to use with allies. We almost managed to colonize China. We know them better than you do. They may look kind and docile but their eruptive force triggered by their wrath is truly horrifying. Let me just make this simple. If your operation leaves behind trails and traces, China’s Special Forces and special agents will hunt you down.”
Sirita scoffed, completely unamused by Hattori Mei’s warning. “We’ll destroy the hijacked plane with explosives provided specially by the CIA. As soon as they are detonated, the plane will not be left with any debris larger than five square centimetres. With that being said, I’m sure you have nothing else to fear.”
“Miss Sirita, don’t get me wrong. It’s only a reminder. This mission is significant. You must make sure that it is done cleanly without a trace. Other than that, I would like to extend my respects and grat.i.tude to your comrades.” A smile bloomed across Hattori Mei’s face. “Their sacrifices will not be in vain. We will remember their names and build a shrine for them. They will be prayed to and remembered for generations to come.”
Sirita scoffed. “I’m not interested in your shrines. All we want is access to all the information on all flights headed to Jingdu. We’ll be alright as long as you can offer us these.”
“I’ve already prepared it for you.” Hattori Mei pulled a drawer open to reveal a thick envelope, pa.s.sing it into the hands of Sirita.
Sirita opened its flap and took a quick scan of its contents. “We’ll select our flight and inform you of the details soon. See you soon, Miss Hattori.”
“Goodbye.” Hattori Mei sent her off with a courteous bow.
With the envelope secured under her arm, Sirita headed towards the exit. From the corner of her eye, she studied the leisure room within the office as she approached the door frame. The room’s door was shut taut but Sirita had noticed something. That realization made her clench her brows and a mocking smirk played on her lips.
After Sirita’s departure, the door to the leisure room was pushed open.
Hattori Masao exited the smaller room. “Do you think the FA’s Plan B will work?”
Hattori Mei went silent and shook her head.
“You think it’ll fail?” It was Hattori Masao’s turn to frown. “Then why are we still working with them? As soon as China finds out, we’ll be faced with the fury of more than one billion people!”
Calmly, Hattori Mei uttered, “That’s why we need our own operation.”
“Our own operation?”
“Yes, FA’s Plan C.”
“Our own operation but a Plan C of FA?” Hattori Masao’s brows were furrowed with more intensity. “Just spill it. I’m not in the mood to hear you beat around the bush.”
Hattori Mei pulled another drawer open to retrieve a brown paper envelope. The woman handed it to her father.
Hattori Masao extracted the contents. There was a woman’s photo inside, her face expressionless. The woman was beautiful but seemed cold and distant.
“She’s…?”
“Long Bing.” Hattori Mei continued, “According to our intel, she’s already in j.a.pan. She’s a departmental head of China’s Bureau 101.”
“To send their important talent over to j.a.pan in such a time. Could it be that...” Hattori Masao paused. “Could it be that China had already received intel about FA’s Plan B?”
“There’s an eighty percent possibility.”
“This plan needs to be cancelled!”
“No, father.” Hattori Mei proceeded to explain, “The existence of Xia Lei and the Thunder Horse Military Factory threatens not only the interest of America but also j.a.pan. We are the main ones who want to hinder China’s growth. We cannot accept a stronger China.”
“What are your plans then?”
Hattori Mei came closer to her father and whispered into his ear. “The reason why we need a Plan C is that…”
Meanwhile, a large bunch of tourists exited Tokyo’s Narita Airport, lugging with them their backpacks and suitcases. These were tourists from China and their next stop was to head into Tokyo city through the Narita Express train. However, there were a few that halted their footsteps and seemed to not be in a rush to leave. Among them was a woman with a baseball cap. It covered a good half of her face but it did nothing to conceal her tall and alluring figure.
The woman was none other than Long Bing. Standing around her were her subordinates from Bureau 101.
“Leader, where are we heading to next? Into Tokyo or...?” One of them asked.
Long Bing answered, “Tokyo has two airports. Haneda and Narita. Most flights to China will depart from Narita but we can’t be sure if the FA will board from Haneda. How about we split up? I’ll handle Narita and the rest of you shall head to Haneda.”
“Leader, are you sure you’re fine with being left alone here?”
“It’s dangerous.”
“Leader, that doesn’t sound right. Even if we need to split up, it’s only safe if two of us accompany you.”
All of these agents were Long Bing’s most loyal and capable comrades. They shared a sibling-like bond with her. Her abrupt decision was enough to trigger their worry.
“This is an order.” Long Bing’s face was void of any expression. She was as cold and distant as ever.
The few agents looked at each other, not daring to move a single muscle.
“Execute the order! Now!” Long Bing yelled at them unforgivingly.
It was only then that they were willing to leave. They understood her temper. She was as stubborn as an ox. Any decision made was her final say.
As soon as they were far enough, Long Bing found a deserted corner and brought out the satellite phone Xia Lei pa.s.sed to her. She dialled a saved number.
It didn’t take long for the call to be answered. A woman’s voice was immediately heard from the device. “It’s me, the one you’re looking for.”
“It’s me, the one you’re looking for.” Long Bing repeated.
“I know where you are. Just keep walking ahead and you’ll find me very soon. I’ll be waiting for you there.” The feminine voice instructed.
Long Bing kept the satellite phone away and continued to walk along the road. Roads in j.a.pan were spotless and clean. There were houses on either side of the road, all of them clean and lovely. The scent of their culture was thick in the air.
She continued to walk for another few minutes until a Toyota car was spotted on the side. There was a woman standing beside the vehicle. Her stature was pet.i.te and she had a delicate doll-like face.
She was Tsukino Kyoko, the rat of the Chinese Zodiac Battle Team.
“Is she the female ninja hubby was referring to? She doesn’t seem that capable, she looks more like a student.” Long Bing was sceptical.
Tsukino Kyoko opened the car doors for Long Bing. “Madam Long, please enter.”
“Madam Long?” Long Bing blinked in shock. This term was such a stranger to her ears.
“Would you prefer that I call you Miss Long instead?” questioned Tsukino Kyoko.
Long Bing declined. “Madam Long is fine.”
With that, Long Bing climbed into the Toyota and the vehicle began to travel towards an unknown destination.