Chapter 59: Return to the Homeland

On the top floor of a tall building near the harbor, a figure clad in a gray monk's robe and wearing a bamboo hat silently watched everything unfold.

"So that's how it is," he finally sighed after a long while. "This is Xiao Kaitian—a man not to be underestimated. His martial prowess is one thing, but to be favored by the fortune of the martial way as well... It's enough to inspire both envy and dread."

"My heart, it seems, remains unsettled," he shook his head. "If I do not resolve the hatred for the destruction of Six Petals, I fear my path ends here. Xiao Kaitian, wait for me."

His figure dissolved into a flurry of paper slips, fluttering away with the wind.

Xiao Kaitian knew nothing of Takeda Tetsu's death. The entire incident concluded with the arrest of Hattori Hideo and his accomplices, as well as the rescue of Harui Sakura.

Upon returning home, Xiao Kaitian received a call from Rin Ogiwara, her voice carrying a trace of excitement. With Hattori Hideo's arrest, the greatest obstacle to the protective gloves was removed. What’s more, thanks to the recent upheaval, the gloves had gained widespread public attention and acceptance—a silver lining in the midst of adversity.

With the crisis resolved, the company could resume operations. Hongli and the exchange students who had been detained were also released. When Xiao Kaitian returned to the company, things had largely returned to normal. To his surprise, he found Harui Sakura there as well.

Seeing her, Xiao Kaitian felt a touch embarrassed. "You got dragged into all this because of me."

"Not entirely," Sakura replied, still as earnest as ever. She spread her arms, showing off her new uniform. "I actually realized my own wish. My family finally agreed to let me transfer to the criminal police department."

"Congratulations," Xiao Kaitian said, genuinely happy for her. As he watched the faint blush on her cheeks, he couldn't help but smile. "Come in and have a seat."

"No, that's all right." Sakura shook her head. "I just wanted to see you, since we’ve been through so much together. Consider this a visit between comrades."

She bowed slightly, signaling her departure. Lifting her head, she looked deep into Xiao Kaitian's eyes. He nodded in return, and a gentle smile crossed her face as she walked away with a light step.

Watching Sakura drive away, still a little nervous behind the wheel, Xiao Kaitian recalled snippets of their past encounters and couldn't help but find it all rather amusing.

He returned to the company and pushed open the meeting room door. There he found his employees, long unseen, sitting neatly on either side of the table. Rin Ogiwara was emphasizing work details, but as soon as he entered, nearly everyone stood up, bowing in unison.

"Director Xiao!"

In their eyes shone genuine respect and awe for Xiao Kaitian.

Especially Wang Cheng—only recently, he had been teetering on the edge of despair. The job he had stumbled upon, initially suspected to be a scam, turned out to involve genuine high-tech products that practically sold themselves. He quickly solved his tuition issues, accumulated a tidy sum, and even helped his girlfriend join the company. With wedding plans for the following year, life seemed perfect.

Then disaster struck: a conflict erupted among martial artists, the police intervened, and both he and his girlfriend became subjects of investigation, their accounts frozen.

He thought all was lost, but the tide of public opinion turned in their favor. The police inspector handling their case was arrested, and they were recognized as victims.

With everything back to normal and the job now secure, Rin Ogiwara had just announced plans to expand the production line, create a dedicated marketing department, and perhaps even enter the Western market.

If all went according to plan, Wang Cheng would become a founding member. With such a promising company, his dreams of rising to the top seemed within reach.

To him, Xiao Kaitian was nothing short of a legend—which, in fact, was true.

Xiao Kaitian surveyed his staff with satisfaction. Not one of them had turned on him during the crisis, proof enough of their character. He was more than willing to lead them forward.

Rin Ogiwara briefly outlined the plans for expansion into the West. Xiao Kaitian nodded his approval; her business acumen was remarkable, and the company was running smoothly. With Sun Zhongyi overseeing things in the future, there would be little to worry about.

"I'll return to Han-Tang for now," Xiao Kaitian announced his intentions. "As for this product, aside from Han-Tang, you can develop other markets as you see fit. If I have more suitable products in the future, I'll channel them through you. That’s why building the right distribution channels is crucial."

"You have other products like this?" Rin Ogiwara's eyes sparkled; she sensed a strong business opportunity. She recalled Xiao Kaitian's earlier promise to help the Ogiwara family become the first family in the island nation—perhaps it was not just an empty dream.

"Yes," Xiao Kaitian replied, unwilling to say more. In the Central Axis Universe, he had seen civilizations across many dimensions. Any item he brought out could dominate this universe. His Divine Source contained many treasures, but the passage to it was still too narrow for him to extract them.

Besides, he could not unduly disrupt the balance of the various universes—a fundamental law of the Central Axis Universe.

Naturally, Xiao Kaitian had no intention of explaining any of this.

With his return home now on the agenda, Xiao Kaitian focused on stabilizing matters in the island country. When the day arrived, he made his way alone to Narita Airport to fly home.

He now possessed over eight hundred million yen—just under fifty million in Han-Tang currency. The paperwork for the overseas transfer was handled by Sun Zhongyi, as cross-border remittances would take time. Thus, Xiao Kaitian carried only a little over a thousand yuan in cash.

But his custom-tailored silver-gray GG suit and the Patek Philippe on his wrist were more than enough to establish his status. Paired with his striking looks and the aura of someone set apart from the crowd, even in economy class he drew frequent glances from fellow passengers.

After a nearly four-hour flight through turbulence, Xiao Kaitian finally dragged his luggage through customs and stepped out into the arrival hall.

He carried little, exuding the air of a successful businessman. No sooner had he emerged than someone called out loudly, "Brother Xiao! Brother Xiao!"

Xiao Kaitian looked up to see a young man in a black trench coat and sunglasses, cutting a dashing figure. He frowned. "Do you know me?"

"Of course! Uncle Zhong sent me to pick you up." The young man tugged at his Hermes coat and tossed his hair. "The young lady told me all about you. It’s normal you don’t remember me. I'll explain everything on the way—come on, our car’s over there."

Both men were striking in appearance and carried an air of distinction. Several young women who had disembarked on the same flight couldn't help but whisper among themselves, cheeks flushed as they stole glances at the pair.

"Shall we go to the company or home first?" the young man awaited Xiao Kaitian's direction.

"Let's go to the company first." With issues at his domestic company, Xiao Kaitian wanted to understand the situation as soon as possible.

The young man tilted his head toward the nearby bus stop, where a silver-gray Koenigsegg sports car was parked. The young women, following his gesture, gasped in amazement.

The young man smiled knowingly, took Xiao Kaitian’s luggage, and strode toward the car. Xiao Kaitian followed, their coats billowing in the wind.

Behind them came the clamor of excited fans, but neither had time to care.

"Here we are, Brother Xiao—please get in." At the bus stop, the young man removed his sunglasses, produced a card, and gestured for Xiao Kaitian to enter first. Then he pressed the card to a machine; with a beep, an announcement sounded:

"Welcome to the Haidu City Public Transport System!"