“Can you two not be all lovey-dovey in front of me?” Hattori Masao had a smile on his face. “You will have all the time to be together when the deal is done.” 

Hattori Mei said poutily, “Xia Lei is bullying me and you are making fun of me too, Father. Oh, poor me.” 

The father and daughter’s conversation was fairly familial, and warm. 

Xia Lei went up to the second floor with the father-and-daughter pair, and came to a study. This was a very large study with several bookshelves full of books. There was also a quiet place to sit alone and think in the study, and there was a futon in that spot. The wall behind the futon held an ancient painting of a samurai, looking brave. There was a Japanese name in the bottom right corner of the painting — Hattori Hanzo. 

Under the painting was a ritual table with an incense burner and a sword stand on it. The sword stand held a sheathed samurai sword. 

What caught Xia Lei’s attention, however, was that painting. 

Hattori Hanzo was a legendary warrior of Japan, and was honoured as a thief who robbed the rich to give to the poor. He was held in high regard by the Japanese people. 

‘Could the Hattori family be descendants of Hattori Hanzo? If...