Yashida and Logan met in Nagasaki. At that time, Logan had been deceived by the kind treatment from the American POW Yashida, believing that Yashida was a conscientious Japanese man. So, when the atomic bomb exploded, Logan pushed Yashida into an underground prison and used his body to protect him.
It was then that Yashida first learned that mutants existed in the world. After World War II, he used his military achievements to start his rise. In just a few decades, the Yashida family had expanded into multiple industries in Japan, becoming a major conglomerate. The control of the conglomerate always remained in Yashida's hands.
Although recently Yashida had intended to pass the power to his son, the son was not capable. Coupled with his own greed for power, he was unwilling to die. He wanted to live for another 500 years, but the truth was cruel—he had developed a tumor and, with his aging body, though he had spent huge sums developing many medical devices to prolong his life, by the time he reached 100, he finally felt like he could no longer hold on.
But this world had many mutants. He hoped that Wolverine's genes could allow him to live to a hundred.
The Yashida family members weren't friendly, except for Yukio. There was no warmth, only caution.
"Miss Yukio, when will the meal be ready? I had some drinks with Logan at lunch, and now I'm hungry," Liu A'dou asked, holding his stomach.
"Soon, Liu-san. We're just waiting for everyone to arrive," Yukio replied, thinking to herself that it was typical of someone raised in America—so straightforward. Every country has people who are infatuated with foreign cultures. In Japan, anyone who has been to the U.S. or Europe is highly respected. Japan has the mindset of a servant with the heart of a young lady, thinking it's like Europe, but unfortunately, they don't accept you. In Asia, they can only form alliances with countries like India and the Philippines, which are considered third-rate, lowering their value.
Actually, India was okay, but the Philippines really left people speechless. You could say that the upper echelons of Japan's decisions were made by impulsive thinking. Thoughtful people can't survive in Japan. For example, during World War II, someone suggested occupying the northeastern provinces first, taking time to digest them before aiming for the rest of China. What a brilliant plan, but that person was eliminated the next day. Then, Japan's whole country shouted for three months that China would be destroyed. This kind of brainless thinking is mainstream, which is why Japan is still stuck in the "chuunibyou" mindset today. They act as if their ancestors' wars have nothing to do with them, claiming they shouldn't apologize and should live as victims. But if you really believe that, then why build the Yasukuni Shrine? They clearly know that the only mistake their ancestors made was not winning the war, not anything else.
"Can I look around a bit?" Liu A'dou asked. If he saw something valuable, he wouldn't mind taking a couple of things. After all, with so many things, they wouldn't even notice if a few items went missing.
"This…" It's not appropriate to wander around the mansion, but since he's a guest, Yukio reluctantly agreed. "Liu-san, you can walk around the front yard, but please don't go to the inner courtyard. That's where the Yashida family lives."
"Alright," Liu A'dou said before disappearing down the hallway.
Logan was speechless. Why did they leave him alone? He didn't like the atmosphere here at all. Fortunately, Yukio gave him a few introductions, and eventually, Logan spotted a samurai sword in the hall.
"This sword is called '断斩' (Duan Zhan), which means cutting off the enemy's limbs," Yukio explained.
Logan, curious, drew the sword and felt a cold chill hit him. This sword was incredibly sharp, sharper than any cold weapon he had ever used. It was solid enough to rival the Adamantium in his body. "Good sword."
"Thank you, Logan-san. This is a Japanese masterpiece with 200 years of history," Yukio continued, "The legend is that it belonged to a ronin. He fought against mountain bandits for two days, killed all of them, but was fatally wounded in the process. His sword was later enshrined by the villagers. That village is Lord Yashida's hometown."
Logan swung the sword a couple of times, clearly feeling the air cut through: "This is really a good sword."
Liu A'dou wandered around the front yard, noticing there wasn't much of interest. He eventually made his way to the banquet hall, where the dishes had already started being served. Finally, it was time to eat.
As a distinguished guest, Wolverine sat at the right hand of the host. Across from them was the Minister of Justice's family, and farther along were the father and daughter, Shinzen and Mariko Yashida. Liu A'dou took a seat next to Yukio, and the host's seat remained empty. Before they could begin eating, a doctor wheeled in a high-tech hospital bed.
The bed was incredibly smart—just a slight movement from the patient and small parts of the bed would adjust to accommodate the position comfortably. The hydraulic rods on the bed flexed and extended smoothly, offering the patient a near-perfect experience. It was clearly a blessing for those in need of care, but only the ultra-wealthy, like Yashida, could afford such advanced technology. Yashida didn't mind spending the money, as it was all for his extended life.
Standing beside the bed was a tall American woman with golden hair and an attractive figure—an exceptional beauty. There were three women at the family banquet who were all competing for attention: the alluring Dr. Midori, the graceful Mariko, and the warm and lively Yukio.
Liu A'dou couldn't help but think the food might be the least of his concerns tonight.
The traditional Japanese meal was tight-knit and meticulous. Japanese chefs prided themselves on preserving the original flavors of their ingredients, often serving raw dishes. To put it simply, Japan had once been too poor to afford seasonings, but the Japanese had long been known for their ability to mask or even turn their shortcomings into a national trait. Humans spent so many years cooking food with fire, yet a small group of Japanese chefs rejected that concept, believing raw food to be the purest form. Seasoning it, in their eyes, would distort its authenticity.
There were a lot of sashimi. Liu A'dou could tell their ancestors must have lived in a way that could only be described as divine. He didn't mind eating raw fish, and he even admitted the taste was decent, but he wasn't about to say it was better than cooked food.
"Mr. Yashida, in honor of our families' union, I have brought a gift. Please, open it," the Minister of Justice said.
A servant brought over a beautifully crafted wooden box, adorned with traditional Japanese figures, resembling ukiyo-e art. Liu A'dou recognized it immediately; it was the story of the Seven Samurai, where seven warriors sacrificed themselves to protect a village. Such stories were common in early Japan, many of which had been passed down, much like the earlier tale of 'Duan Zhan' (the sword).
"Please open it," the Minister of Justice urged.
Liu A'dou noticed that the Minister's son had been sneaking glances at Mariko, clearly interested in her. In Japanese society, background was important, and the Minister's son was likely to enter politics and rise to a high position in the future.
Yashida gestured for the servant to open the box, revealing a lavish silk-wrapped object.
Liu A'dou's eyes were immediately drawn to it. He could tell it was an artifact worth a fortune, definitely over a thousand years old. The craftsmanship from that period in Japan wouldn't have been capable of creating something like this. The shape of the artifact screamed Chinese style, meaning it must have been an artifact lost to another country.
"Shō-kun, what is this?" The Minister of Justice, who was the same age as Yashida's son Shinzen, asked, making the address appropriate.
"Sir, this tower is called the Jiulong Bagua Qixing Pagoda. It's an invaluable treasure from China's Shang and Zhou dynasties," Yashida's son replied.
Liu A'dou couldn't help but think, 'What a coincidence, could it be?'