I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

Li Jing'an and his group disembarked from the plane. Their journey had taken them from Beijing, with a stopover in Shanghai, then a direct flight to Osaka, before finally arriving in Tokyo—at that time, there were no direct flights from Beijing to Japan, so the journey was inevitably arduous.

As Li Jing'an reached the exit of the departure hall, he immediately saw someone holding a sign that read "Dongda Metallurgical Department Inspection Team" in large characters. There were seven or eight people standing under the sign; it seemed like quite a large group. Li Jing'an was taken aback. Why were so many people from the embassy here?

Before he could even get close, and before the person holding the sign could move, five or six people swarmed around him, chattering away, bowing and handing out business cards, leaving the translator scrambling to keep up.

Amidst the chaos, Li Jing'an finally understood—these were people from two Japanese mining machinery companies, Komatsu and Sumitomo. These two companies had always been the main suppliers of mining equipment to Tokyo University and attached great importance to the Tokyo University market. As soon as they received the news, they immediately sent people to the airport to prepare to "snatch" him away.

A bald man, his forehead covered in sweat, seized the opportunity to rattle off a string of words to Li Jing'an. His translator quickly followed up, "Minister Li, hello! We are from Komatsu. This is Mr. Nagata, our Overseas Sales Manager. We warmly welcome you to Japan with your delegation! We hope you can give our company an opportunity—all expenses for your delegation in Japan will be covered by Komatsu!"

Before the words were even finished, the Sumitomo staff member beside him didn't back down. The translator quickly followed up, "Minister Li! We are from Sumitomo Corporation. This is Manager Murata from our sales department. Manager Murata came all the way from headquarters to the airport to greet you. Because of the close relationship between the University of Tokyo and Sumitomo, we sincerely hope to cover all your travel expenses. Please give us this opportunity!"

As soon as the translator finished speaking, Minister Murata bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, his waist almost parallel to the ground. Seeing this, Nagata knew he couldn't lose. He immediately bowed as well, even lower than Murata, almost pressing his face to his knees.

Li Jing'an's eyelids twitched, his face remaining calm, but his mind was racing—look, look, this is what business looks like! Last time he went to Europe, not even someone picked him up at the airport, it was all cold and deserted, they didn't understand any social etiquette. In this respect, East Asians really know how to behave.

Although he was secretly thrilled, he showed no sign of it on his face, instead feigning embarrassment. He glanced at the two Japanese soldiers who were still standing, then slowly said, "Oh, get up, get up. You see, we're on official business. If we accept your hospitality, it won't be good for our reports when we get back, will it? I appreciate your kindness. Komatsu and Sumitomo are both important production equipment suppliers for our Ministry of Metallurgy, I know that very well. But this is official business, so we must adhere to the principles of fairness and impartiality. Going to either of your companies wouldn't be appropriate, nor would it be fair to the other one, don't you think?"

He paused, then waved to the two translators, "Quickly, make them stand up." The translators rattled off their explanation, and the two ministers straightened up, only to simultaneously bow deeply again, startling Li Jing'an. He chuckled, saying, "No need for such formalities," and reiterated the rules, stating that accepting hospitality privately was strictly forbidden. Seeing his upright and righteous demeanor, everyone awkwardly fell silent.

Afterwards, Li Jing'an shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with the embassy staff, learning about the itinerary. As for transportation—both companies sent cars, and the embassy was happy to save money, so it didn't make any further arrangements. Li Jing'an's group members then "reluctantly" rode in the two companies' cars to their hotel.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As night falls, Tokyo's Ginza district is a scene of dazzling lights and extravagant revelry.

Neon lights cast dappled reflections on the wet asphalt, and jazz music seeped from the cracks of a heavy wooden door, mingling with the scents of perfume and whiskey. Komatsu's manager, Nagata, finally "invited" Li Jing'an out of the hotel, shoved him into a black Crown, and drove straight to a high-class club deep within Ginza.

The private room was dimly lit and the carpet was so thick it could drown out any footsteps. Li Jing'an sat upright in the center of the sofa, with Chang Tian and the translator on either side, both sitting formally. But Li Jing'an's eyes had already drifted to the woman beside him who was bending down to pour him a drink.

She wore a plain-colored kimono, the neckline revealing a glimpse of her fair nape. Her wrists were slender, and her movements as she poured wine were fluid and unhurried. Li Jing'an stared at her profile, lost in thought, but a thought popped into his head—she had a good figure, but why was she all alone? Three people came to a place like this, and they only ordered one woman? What was going on? Or was there some special service?

"Your Excellency, are you satisfied with this place?" Nagata asked respectfully, his hands resting on his knees, a broad smile on his face, his voice trembling with utmost caution. The translator immediately relayed his words in a low voice.

Li Jing'an forcefully pulled his gaze away from the female general, straightened his expression, and said in a serious tone, "Hey, Minister Nagata, what's there to be satisfied or dissatisfied with? It's just a place to drink and talk! You guys are really something, dragging me out of the hotel so late at night. If people find out, the impact will be terrible!" As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance over there out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm very sorry! It's just that our company has always attached great importance to our relationship with China, and we hope to show you our sincerity." Nagata, sitting in his chair, bowed again, so deeply that his forehead almost hit the table. Li Jing'an's eyelids twitched, and he cursed inwardly—Damn, this Japanese guy is bowing so hard he's practically banging himself to death.

"Alright, alright, I understand your intentions, I won't blame you." He said casually, his gaze returning to the female general. The female general seemed to notice his gaze, raised her eyes, a perfectly placed smile playing on her lips, and softly asked, "Sir, would you like to drink this bottle?" She held a bottle of red wine in her hand, her posture elegant.

Li Jing'an didn't even see what kind of wine it was. He just stared at her face, and couldn't help but smile. He replied in English, "OK." The woman poured a glass of wine, held it with both hands, and handed it to him.

Li Jing'an quickly reached out to take her hand, placing his hands directly on the back of her hand—smooth and warm. But the female general's hand seemed to be coated with oil, subtly withdrawing and sliding away, her smile unchanged, still meeting his gaze, her eyes gentle yet distant.

Li Jing'an paused slightly in his wine glass, his heart skipping a beat—well-trained. Damn, those hands are slippery, interesting.

Just as he was thinking of finding another opportunity to flirt a bit more, the translator next to him cleared his throat, signaling the female general to leave for a moment. Li Jing'an watched reluctantly as the female general bowed and withdrew, her waist swaying slightly as she turned, the hem of her kimono outlining a graceful curve. Only when the door clicked shut did he slowly sit up straight, his eyes darkening—alright, the sex scene is about to begin.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

At the same time, in front of the hotel where the inspection team was staying, a black sedan was parked quietly in the shadows. Sumitomo's Department Head Murata stood beside the car, his face ashen. Opposite him stood a subordinate, head bowed, reporting: "...Komatsu's people are already hosting a banquet for Department Head Li at a club in Ginza. According to intelligence, Department Head Nagata is personally accompanying him; they went in about an hour ago..."

Before the words were finished—

"Slap!" A loud slap landed on the subordinate's face.

"Baka!"

"Hi!"

Several more slaps followed, each delivered with extreme force. Blood immediately seeped from the corner of the subordinate's mouth, yet he remained standing ramrod straight, loudly responding with a "Hi!" with each slap.

Murata stopped, panting heavily, his eyes as cold as blades.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash! I told you to keep an eye on things, how could you let Komatsu's people get there first?!" He recalled Li Jing'an's sanctimonious face at the airport, talking about "official business" and "fairness and impartiality," but what happened? He turned around and went to Ginza with Komatsu's people!

"Hypocritical!" Murata spat out through gritted teeth, paced back and forth in front of the car a few times, then suddenly stopped, his eyes darting around, and said sharply, "Investigate! Which club did Komatsu's men take Minister Li to!"

"Yes, sir!" The subordinates, as if granted a pardon, scattered in all directions. Murata stood there, tightening his tie, gazing at the dazzling night sky in the direction of Ginza, and muttered to himself, "There's still a chance... as long as the contract hasn't been signed, there's still a chance."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.