They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 136 Hypocrisy with a Snake
As night deepened, the last trace of the daytime hustle and bustle was swallowed up by Tokyo's neon lights and tranquility.

Shigeru Miyamoto changed into a decent dark casual outfit and then clocked out.

Afterwards, we drove to a kaiseki restaurant located deep in Ginza.

The shop has a simple and unpretentious facade, with only a stone lantern in front of it emitting a soft and warm light.

This is a place for true celebrities; ordinary people don't even have the right to make an appointment.

Led by a waiter, he walked through a cobblestone courtyard, around an elegant dry landscape garden, and finally stopped in front of a private room at the far end of the garden.

As you open the washi paper door, a calming sandalwood scent wafts out.

Inside the private room, a man dressed in a black patterned haori (traditional Japanese jacket) sat upright.

His face was thin and his temples were slightly gray, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. He was none other than Tachibana Munemasa, the patriarch of the Snake-Headed Eight Families.

Even with Miyamoto Shigeru's current status, he has only seen the patriarch a few times from afar at the family's annual general meeting.

This is the first time we've had a one-on-one meeting like today...

However, it's unclear whether the person in front of us is Tachibana Munemasa himself, or the madman Herzog hiding behind the scenes... or perhaps just a meticulously crafted shadow puppet.

"Maojun, you've arrived."

Tachibana Munemasa's voice was gentle and steady, without the airs of a patriarch, but rather like that of a kind elder. He gestured to the cushion opposite him.

Please sit down, there's no need to be so formal.

Tonight, I'm inviting you in a private capacity, hoping to have a conversation with you.

"You flatter me, sir."

Shigeru Miyamoto bowed slightly and sat down as instructed, his posture neither humble nor arrogant.

He was well aware of the turbulent undercurrents hidden behind this seemingly courteous and respectful attitude.

At Tachibana Munemasa's signal, maids dressed in kimonos filed in like a stream, presenting one exquisite kaiseki dish after another, each a work of art.

"I have read every one of your papers..."

Tachibana Munemasa poured Miyamoto Shigeru a full glass of sake; the liquid was clear and sparkling under the lamplight.

"Stabilizing the bloodline factors of hybrids at the genetic level, completely eliminating the birth of 'demons'... Miyamoto-kun, you have depicted a future that none of the Snake Clan had dared to imagine in thousands of years."

He raised his glass, his gaze fixed intently on Shigeru Miyamoto:
"If you succeed, you will be the hero who breaks the thousand-year curse of our family."

"I have only stood on the shoulders of giants and put forward some insignificant ideas. I am unworthy of such praise."

Shigeru Miyamoto also raised his glass in response, a humble smile on his face, uttering impeccable pleasantries.

"It is an honor for us to contribute to the future of our family."

Herzog, that madman, doesn't care about curses at all; he only cares about power.

The theories he put forward were naturally quite attractive to a scientist who was fanatical about the power of dragons and wanted to become a god.

Moreover, by using Tachibana Munemasa's identity, he could also utilize the resources of the entire Snake-Headed Eight Families to support his "research."
When the time is ripe, they will then, in the name of the patriarch, rightfully claim all the fruits of their labor as their own.

In this situation, it would be strange if they didn't take the bait...

I just don't know what reason this guy will use to get him to join him.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

A perfectly balanced blush rose on Tachibana Munemasa's face, as if fueled by a bit of alcohol, and he finally revealed his true purpose for the night.

“Miyamoto-kun…”

He put down his glass, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice.
“Your research can no longer remain merely at the theoretical stage. I have decided to provide you with all the resources you need for your research, however much you require.”

coming.

Miyamoto Shigeru's eyes narrowed, and the fingers gripping the wine glass tightened slightly without him noticing.

The main event has finally begun.

However, he did not immediately show ecstasy.

For a young researcher who knew "nothing," such sudden and enormous support from the head of the family seemed extremely unusual.

After all, his paper only provided a possibility, and it was still a very distant, almost invisible distance from actual clinical application.

"Master... I am flattered by your kindness."

However, my research is still in the most basic theoretical stage, fraught with uncertainty, and the resources required will be astronomical. Will the family... really agree to such a massive investment?

He pondered for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly, his face displaying just the right amount of doubt and caution.

Upon hearing this, Tachibana Munemasa's smile vanished, replaced by a heavy, gloomy expression.

He let out a long sigh, as if he had shed his patriarchal authority and was now just a weary man.

"Miyamoto-kun, do you... know the head of the Uesugi family?"

He slowly shook his head, then changed the subject.

"The head of the Uesugi family? I've only heard that she lives a secluded life and has never appeared in public. Her identity is extremely mysterious."

Miyamoto Shigeru's heart skipped a beat, but his face still maintained a perfectly appropriate look of bewilderment.

This is all the information he should know as the deputy director of the Rock Flow Research Institute; anything more would seem suspicious.

Tachibana Munemasa's eyes grew even more complex, a mixture of pain, struggle, and an undisguised paternal love. He remained silent for a long time, as if making a tremendous decision, before speaking, word by word:

"Because... Erii, she is my daughter."

"what?"

Shigeru Miyamoto promptly expressed his shock.

"She cannot appear in public because her bloodline is...extremely unstable."

Tachibana Munemasa's voice was hoarse and sorrowful.
"In the family's parlance, she is a 'ghost'."

ghost?
Shigeru Miyamoto's pupils contracted sharply, and his face showed undisguised horror.

“That’s right, my daughter… is the most dangerous and powerful ‘demon’ of the Snake Clan’s bloodline.”

And I saw in your research the only hope that could save her.

For her, I'm willing to give everything, even if it means going against my entire family.

Tachibana Munemasa nodded, as if confirming his guess, or as if stating a cruel fact, his tone filled with endless sorrow.

His eyes were bloodshot, like a father who had nowhere else to turn and was pinning all his hopes on the last straw.

However, Shigeru Miyamoto's reaction was beyond his expectations.

After the initial shock, Shigeru Miyamoto's face showed no sympathy or fear, but rather an almost fanatical gleam.

"A living, mixed-race individual whose bloodline is so unstable that he's been defined as a 'ghost'..."

He muttered to himself as if possessed, completely forgetting the etiquette before him.

"Master, more than that, I'm curious about... what method did you use to control Miss Uesugi's bloodline and prevent her from completely losing control?"

That's definitely acting.

In order to firmly hook Herzog, his persona within the Snake Clan was that of a scientific fanatic who would stop at nothing for research.

Looking at Miyamoto Shigeru's fanatical expression, a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashed in Tachibana Munemasa's eyes.

He didn't answer directly, but stood up.

"Some things cannot be described with words."

He regained his patriarchal authority and composure.
"Miyamoto-kun, if you're really determined to know, then come with me."

The black sedan glided silently through the streets of Tokyo late at night, eventually stopping once again in front of the imposing Genji Heavy Industries building.

The two took a private elevator down the stairs.

When the elevator's digital display showed that it had reached the bottom floor, "B20," it did not stop.

Tachibana Munemasa stepped forward, swiped a black card in a hidden spot on the control panel, and entered a long, complex password.

The elevator emitted a soft mechanical sound and began to descend steadily deeper into the earth.

Finally, the elevator doors opened in the deathly darkness.

"Snapped."

Tachibana Munemasa pressed the switch on the wall, and the blinding pure white light instantly dispelled the darkness and illuminated the eerie scene before him.

This is an incredibly vast space, like an underground cave.

Along the wall, rows of huge glass tanks were neatly arranged, emitting a faint green light.

And in those glass tanks, there were twisted and terrifying figures.

Some of them retained some human form, while others had been completely deformed into inhuman monsters, their skin covered with ugly scales and their backs adorned with deformed bony wings.

Miyamoto Shigeru's pupils dilated to their maximum size instantly. He staggered back a step, his face filled with disbelief and immense shock.

It was as if they could not believe that the esteemed patriarch of the Snake Clan would secretly cultivate such a large quantity of forbidden items within the foundation of his family.

"For a father..."

Tachibana Munemasa's leisurely voice echoed in the empty space, carrying a hint of cold madness.

"I would do anything to save my daughter, even if it meant becoming a demon..."

He turned his head, his sharp gaze fixed on Miyamoto Shigeru's pupils, which trembled with shock.

"Now, I need your help, Miyamoto-kun."

Shigeru Miyamoto shifted his gaze from Munemasa Tachibana's face and stared intently at the dead servants in the glass tanks.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and the look of horror on his face was gradually replaced by a stronger emotion called "excitement" and "frenzy".

Some of this was genuine. For any biological research, a vast amount of experimental samples from different stages are invaluable.

Looking at Shigeru Miyamoto's face, which appeared somewhat distorted due to his fanaticism.

A strange, satisfied smile crept across Tachibana Munemasa's lips in the shadows, unnoticed by anyone, before instantly reverting to his sorrowful fatherly demeanor.

The fish has finally taken the bait.

It remains to be seen which fish has fallen into the trap.

(End of this chapter)