Chapter 55: Arrival in the Island Nation, Searching for The Hand
Beneath the seemingly calm night, dark currents surged unseen.
Last night—
Not only had Jiang Feng quietly absorbed the essence of heaven and earth, collecting the dragon bone into his possession—
At the same time, Ivan Vanko had secretly forged his own Arc Reactor in a dim corner.
Meanwhile, on the West Coast of the United States—
Tony Stark, the dazzling billionaire, was holding a wild birthday party when he got into a heated argument with his close friend, Colonel Rhodes.
The suit of armor that symbolized his name as Iron Man was taken from him after their dispute.
Perhaps this was no accident.
Everything was within Tony's expectations.
The palladium poisoning eating away at him like a parasite had tormented him endlessly, and he had yet to find a cure.
Facing his own impending death, Tony had already accepted his fate.
Instead of letting the armor be buried with him, it was better to let it continue shining in Rhodes's hands.
That seemingly angry confrontation was, in truth, the genius inventor's final act of kindness—
a farewell disguised as a quarrel, leaving his dearest friend his most precious gift.
By the next morning—
Hammer, together with his trusted secretary, boarded his private jet and headed straight for the military base.
While he was still wondering about the missing Jiang Feng—
The latter had already crossed the vast ocean, boarding a flight from New York to the island nation, silently arriving at the ancient Kyoto Airport.
To complete his new side mission,
Linglong had already conducted a deep network search, tracking faint digital traces that precisely pinpointed the remnants of The Hand.
They were most likely hiding somewhere in this ancient city.
The Hand, an organization that had existed since ancient times, lurked like a venomous snake, maintaining its primitive methods of communication—
almost never revealing its true form to the world.
Even so, with Linglong's godlike hacking ability—capable of breaching even the military's core databases—
she still managed to catch some crucial clues from the vast ocean of data.
However—
To pinpoint their exact location, Jiang Feng still needed to investigate personally and drag them out of the shadows.
The cabin door opened.
Cold, damp air rushed in.
At the end of the corridor bridge, a pitch-black Rolls-Royce waited quietly, its sleek, luxurious body exuding understated nobility.
Then—
The passenger door opened, and a slender figure appeared.
It was a young woman dressed in a perfectly tailored suit and white gloves.
Her features were refined and graceful, her expression filled with respect and anticipation.
The bustling travelers nearby couldn't help but stop and stare curiously at the VIP passage.
"Whoa, such a setup! Must be some big shot—Kyoto doesn't see this every day."
Someone muttered in amazement.
"Tsk, rich people really are different. Even have top-tier luxury cars picking them up."
Another spoke enviously, lowering his voice.
Amid the crowd's attention, a tall and imposing figure stepped out of the cabin.
His short black hair, gold-rimmed glasses, and handsome, composed face gave off a calm yet commanding presence.
Every gesture carried an effortless authority.
This young man, who had stirred waves back in New York, now walked steadily toward the waiting Rolls-Royce.
The young woman—normally calm and well-trained—felt her heart skip a beat as the tall man approached.
She tensed slightly.
But when her eyes met his handsome face and perfect physique, she couldn't look away.
When Jiang Feng finally reached her, she quickly snapped out of her daze, her cheeks blushing as she bowed deeply.
"You must be Mr. Jiang? Welcome to Kyoto. The car is ready, please allow me to escort you."
Jiang Feng gave a calm "Mm," his tone flat and indifferent, without another word.
He opened the door, bent his tall frame slightly, and sat in the backseat of the Rolls-Royce.
To be honest—
With Jiang Feng's tall build, even this spacious luxury car felt a bit cramped.
The driver, dressed in a black suit and white gloves, was a middle-aged man who clearly came from the same professional chauffeur service as the girl.
"Sir, may I ask where you'd like to go?"
The driver asked in fluent, polished English, his professionalism on full display.
Before arriving in the island nation, Jiang Feng had already paid a generous sum online to book this premium car service.
"Just drive slowly around Kyoto. I'll cover all fuel expenses. Don't stop—unless I say so."
He said casually.
"Understood, sir."
The driver and the young woman exchanged glances but didn't question it.
They'd served countless wealthy clients with strange requests—this was nothing new.
Since Jiang Feng had already paid in full, all they had to do was perform their duty.
With a deep rumble of the engine, the luxurious Rolls-Royce slowly pulled away, speeding toward Kyoto under the envious gazes of onlookers.
Halfway there—
Jiang Feng's hawk-like eyes scanned the surroundings through his smart glasses, missing not a single detail.
Every movement, every shadow, every anomaly—nothing escaped his radar-like senses.
He searched patiently, like a hunter, tracing any possible lead The Hand might have left behind.
He didn't overlook a single clue.
The girl sitting beside him, however, felt her heart pounding wildly.
Facing this man—rich, handsome, and straight out of a manga—her heart had already been completely captured.
A shy warmth bloomed within her like a cherry blossom in spring.
"Mr. Jiang," she asked timidly, her soft voice hesitant, "are you looking for something… special?"
"Tell me," Jiang Feng replied calmly, eyes still on the passing scenery outside the window, "have you ever heard that there are ninjas around here?"
"Ninjas?"
The girl's eyes widened in surprise—she hadn't expected such a question.
Could this handsome, wealthy man have come all the way here… to find ninjas from ancient legends?
But… weren't those just stories from history books?
In this age of advanced technology, how could real ninjas still exist?
"This… I'm not quite sure," she stammered, confusion in her tone.
At that moment, the driver—who had been silent all along—spoke up.
"If you mean ninjas, there are some old legends about them around Lake Biwa. I used to hear the elders talk about it when I was a child—but no one's ever actually seen one."
"Lake Biwa?"
A flash of light passed through Jiang Feng's eyes, his voice tinged with interest.
"Yes," the driver continued, "it's a scenic spot near Kyoto—the largest freshwater lake in the country. They say that in ancient times, it was once a secret training and hiding place for ninjas."