Chapter 155

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Kyoto.

Arasaka Manor.

In the lush courtyard, black flags bearing the Arasaka family crest were hanging, affirming the aura of the domain.

Inside a grand hall with gilded eaves, candles were burning bright. Numerous maids in kimono were bustling about, preparing for the evening banquet.

Slowly, guests began to walk into the inner hall, finding their spots to kneel and sit, engaging in hushed conversations with their neighbors.

These guests, hailing from Arasaka Corporation's branches around the world, had been invited to attend Saburo Arasaka's birthday banquet.

For them, it was not just an honor but also an opportunity to ingratiate themselves with the core members of the Arasaka Family.

In the inner hall, without any members of the Arasaka Family present yet, the guests' demeanor was somewhat relaxed as they chatted and smiled.

Among the guests, there were a few Western faces seated along the outer circle, but they were outnumbered by Eastern faces, mostly from Kyoto.

Many 'wise' individuals had donned kimonos to display their loyalty to Arasaka.

Saburo Arasaka's esteem for the clan's symbol was well-known; he never wore suits, only traditional kimonos.

His opinion about Western faces was curt: "A bunch of uncivilized barbarians."

Tang Yu also arrived early, sitting cross-legged in his assigned spot, focusing inwardly, and disregarding the surrounding chatter.

Perhaps intentionally, his seat was at the innermost layer, near the main aisle, and closer to the high table.

This position made it difficult for him to blend in, especially since he noticed several glances directed his way.

Indeed.

Wearing a suit amidst a group dressed in kimonos was certainly conspicuous.

He even overheard some whispering, curious about his background and why he was seated in a 'high-ranking' spot.

For others, the closer to Saburo Arasaka, the better.

But for Tang Yu, this wasn't necessarily a good thing.

As he sat with his eyes closed, Michiko Arasaka, dressed in a kimono, entered the hall.

Her appearance immediately drew many eyes. As a direct descendant of the Arasaka family, she held a strong allure.

Had Michiko not been married, the Arasaka elites from around the world would surely be vying for her attention.

Even so, rumors about her widow-like marriage abounded, and many felt it was a pity.

To their further regret, Michiko had a Western visage and spent most of her life in Night City, seldom returning to the Arasaka estate in Kyoto.

Such an identity and appearance were unlikely to endear her to Saburo Arasaka.

In the Arasaka Family, losing Saburo's favor essentially meant losing any chance to vie for power.

Thus, the elites viewed Michiko's dove faction as the weakest.

Allying with her would require careful consideration.

An elderly servant in kimono quickly approached her and bowed, "Miss, please follow me; this way."

Michiko's gaze swept the inner hall, swiftly locating her target.

Tang Yu.

"Uncle Tanaka, there's no need for trouble; I'll sit here," she said directly.

Michiko sat next to Tang Yu, eschewing the seat that had been arranged for her beforehand.

Though Tang Yu hadn't opened his eyes, he could sense the rustle of someone sitting beside him.

Her actions were intriguing, referring to the old servant as Tanaka, likely one of the Arasaka Family's stewards—and his curiosity was piqued about any connection to the Tanaka of Night City.

Moreover, choosing to sit beside him was a calculated move.

He figured that the seating had probably been arranged by Tanaka, and if Saburo Arasaka had personally assigned the seats, Michiko wouldn't have acted so boldly.

Whatever her intentions, the plan had worked; the attention being paid to Tang Yu had sharply increased.

Despite its allure, the kneeling posture was difficult for Michiko due to her size. Notably less graceful than a typical kimono-clad lady and unfamiliar with the etiquette from living in Night City, her posture on the cushion was awkward.

Tang Yu advised, "Keep your knees together, strictly aligned."

Michiko replied while struggling to kneel, "This is exactly why I dislike coming back."

The kneeling position required practice and couldn't be mastered instantly.

Tang Yu, unconcerned, simply crossed his legs comfortably—he wasn't a member of the Arasaka family, after all.

Soon after, another member of the Arasaka Family walked in, capturing the undivided attention of everyone in the hall.

Wearing round-rimmed glasses and a traditional kimono, it was Saburo Arasaka's only surviving son—undoubtedly, Yorinobu Arasaka.

His appearance was starkly different from Michiko's; as the sole legitimate heir to the Arasaka empire, Yorinobu commanded nearly as much respect as Saburo Arasaka, and the elites were quick to pay their respects.

One after another, they rose and bowed, greeting Yorinobu as he passed.

"Mr. Yorinobu, hello!"

"Lord Yorinobu, good evening!"

This prestige did not stem from his abilities or charm but from his surname and gender.

Almost everyone knew that Saburo Arasaka, now over 150 years old, had one foot in the grave, and the other was not far behind.

Without a doubt, once Saburo Arasaka passed away, Yorinobu Arasaka would inherit the great dominion of Arasaka and become the rightful helmsman.

That's why the birthday banquet became more significant each year, as the elderly and frail Lord Saburo Arasaka could pass away at any moment.

Those who closely follow Yorinobu Arasaka at this time would be making a significant contribution.

Yorinobu Arasaka, with a hint of anger in his proud demeanor, gave a cold look to many of the elite Arasaka Corporation members who greeted him.

Despite this haughty attitude, it did not provoke dislike among the crowd, who instead felt it was natural and showed even greater respect for Yorinobu.

Old servant Tanaka immediately approached Yorinobu Arasaka, bowed, and led the way to a seat next to the main seat.

When passing by, he stopped in front of Michiko and said in a deep voice, "The great trend is coming. I hope you can see it clearly."

After speaking, Yorinobu Arasaka glanced at Tang Yu sitting beside her and then walked straight to her seat.

Tang Yu remained unmoved. Yorinobu Arasaka's patience to attend Saburo's banquet suggested she was still waiting for an opportunity to break free from the Kyoto Arasaka residence.

As Prince Yorinobu Arasaka took her seat, the hall fell completely silent, all guests seated and waiting for the banquet to begin.

The appointed time had just arrived.

From outside the hall, on the wooden floor, came the sound of a wooden cane tapping.

Click... Click... Click...

The rhythm was not fast, but it was clear and powerful.

Everyone realized that the centennial powerful figure who had controlled Arasaka Corporation for over a century, Saburo Arasaka, was about to appear.

The hall was silent except for the slight breeze that fluttered the Arasaka family's banner.

As the sound of the cane grew closer, the figure of Saburo Arasaka appeared at the entrance to the hall.

The whole venue's attention solemnly focused on the elderly man.

With his hunched and thin back, one hand on his waist, and the other holding a cane, he walked slowly but forcefully.

His aged face, with a cybernetic eye implanted in the left socket, had the sharp gaze of a hawk, although his eyes were a muddled white, emitting a somewhat gloomy aura.

Following behind him, Hanako Arasaka stood with her hands folded in front, donning a cherry blossom kimono, displaying the grace of the Arasaka family's daughter.

However, her face was expressionless and very cold, bearing some resemblance to Saburo Arasaka.

Saburo Arasaka walked up the steps, leaning on his cane before turning to face the audience.

Michiko Arasaka stood slightly behind him, closer to the main seat than Michiko.

Seeing so many new young faces seemed to pique Saburo Arasaka's interest, and after covering his mouth and nose with his fist and coughing twice, his voice, hoarse, said,

"Ladies and gentlemen, your presence here today brings honor to Arasaka."

"The banquet may now begin."

"Feel free to drink to your hearts' content."

After tapping his cane lightly, the banquet officially commenced.

One by one, waitresses approached with short-legged tables, placing plates of sake and appetizers before the guests.

Saburo Arasaka, appearing somewhat weary, covered his face and coughed again, looked around twice, and then turned and walked behind a screen, disappearing into the inner chamber.

Hanako Arasaka stayed behind, taking over the hosting of the banquet in place of Saburo Arasaka.

Tang Yu, seeing the banquet had begun, also casually picked up his chopsticks and started to eat snacks.

He noticed Michiko beside him seemed unfamiliar with chopsticks, not having touched the meal before her.

Used to knives and forks, and despite practicing using chopsticks, she could not adapt and had no knives and forks available.

So at such occasions, she would simply not use chopsticks to avoid embarrassment.

During the banquet, Hanako Arasaka began accepting toasts on behalf of Saburo Arasaka, taking a symbolic sip whenever someone toasted.

Many 'smart' people took the opportunity to toast several times, fearful of missing out.

Hanako Arasaka did not show any annoyance at this but continued to respond expressionlessly to the toasts without uttering an extra word.

Instead, Hanako Arasaka took the opportunity after Saburo Arasaka disappeared to approach Hanako Arasaka and whisper something to her; Hanako nodded as if to agree to something.

Afterward, Hanako Arasaka left the inner chamber with great strides, glancing at Tang Yu with a cold look as she passed.

Tang Yu ignored it; the affairs of the Arasaka family were of no concern to him for the moment.

Brought by Michiko Arasaka and personally named by Saburo Arasaka, Tang Yu suspected that Hanako Arasaka already considered him an outsider from Night City.

After all, he had once covered up the truth about the Militech that annihilated Arasaka's Special Task Force, and the rumors may have reached Hanako's ears.

As the drinking progressed, most of the toasts had been made, leaving the guests to drink and eat freely, using the opportunity to learn more about other Arasaka Corporation affairs.

At that moment, Hanako Arasaka set down her clean cup, stood up, and walked down the steps.

In the midst of the guests' puzzled looks, Hanako Arasaka approached Tang Yu, knelt down, and faced him properly before saying in an expressionless, deep voice,

"Mr. Tang, my father would like a word with you in the back room."