Nelson came straight to the balcony, and his sudden appearance left me so stunned that I forgot to get up to greet him and remained seated!
The waiter withdrew, and Nelson sat down opposite me, saying, "I heard you were seriously injured. Who did you clash with?"
I sighed and said, "It's a long story."
Nelson took out a gold-covered document from his pocket, which, at first glance, looked like a bank passbook. He solemnly placed it in my hand and said, "Signed by the heads of police of seventy-one countries, this is the tenth document of its kind in the world, certifying that your actions, under any circumstances, are beneficial to public order!"
I took it, feeling overjoyed. This was the document I requested from Nelson, and he had indeed obtained it for me.
I tightly grasped his hand, saying, "Thank you! Thank you!"
Nelson leaned back in his chair, half lying down, saying, "You might not be too pleased. When we requested signatures from police chiefs around the world, the quickest responses came from Italy and the Philippines, because you've dealt with the Italian Mafia and the Huokou Gang in the Philippines. For the rest of the countries, we provided detailed introductions about you, and there weren't any issues, except for one major country, which caused some complications."
He shook his head as he mentioned this.
I quickly asked, "Is it the United States?"
I don't remember Mr. Nelson's exact response because subsequent events, all related to this country, were coded using a pseudonym, referred to as "a certain powerful Western nation."
Feeling disheartened, I realized this country was a major Western power. Without the signature of its police chief, the effectiveness of this document would be significantly reduced.
I asked, "Why won't they sign?"
Nelson replied, "It's not that they won't sign. This country has two different security systems, one public and one semi-public. For the document to take effect, it requires signatures from the heads of both systems. One of them, upon learning you're Chinese, insists on entrusting you with a task as a condition for his signature."
I shrugged and said, "That sounds simple enough. What's the task?"
Nelson's demeanor wasn't relaxed at all as he replied, "Don't underestimate the situation. Consider this: this country's security system is arguably the world's best, yet they can't accomplish this task themselves and need your assistance. Is it really that simple?"
Nelson's words fueled my competitive spirit even more, and I said, "What is it? Tell me!"
Nelson said, "This matter is highly confidential. I've come to inform you personally, and after I do, no more than twelve people in the world will know about it. Do you understand?"
I felt somewhat displeased and replied, "If someone thinks I'm a blabbermouth, then it's best not to tell me classified information."
Nelson chuckled and said, "Don't get angry. Let me start from the beginning." He lit his pipe and continued, "That country has a little-known space development plan: to conquer Saturn."
Before Nelson could finish, I interrupted, "How can I help with that? I know nothing about space science, like a primary school student."
Nelson said, "Listen to me until the end."
I reluctantly nodded.
Nelson explained, "Saturn is far from Earth and not an ideal target for conquest. However, scientists believe Saturn's rings consist of freely moving metallic particles. Utilizing the magnetic field properties of these particles, spaceships can be attracted from long distances, making exploration more convenient than that of other planets closer to Earth."
I nodded, saying, "I understand. So, the spaceship's direction won't go wrong, and it might even save a lot of fuel."
Nelson affirmed, "Exactly. Generally speaking, that's the idea. The detailed advantages and disadvantages are known only to the scientists leading the project, and we don't need to delve into that."
I asked, "So, what do they need me to do?"
Nelson tapped his pipe, gazing at the field, and said, "The project is led by a German named Zoss. His existence itself is considered highly classified."
I understood "Zoss" as the German pronunciation of "Zeus" and immediately thought of Fang Tian.
Seeing my reaction, Nelson paused and asked, "You don't know this person, do you?"
I took a deep breath and replied, "Continue."
Nelson explained, "According to Dr. Zoss, this Mr. Fang is an extraordinary talent who actually leads the project. However, due to Mr. Fang's suspicious background, Dr. Zoss acts as the nominal head. Significant decisions require Dr. Zoss's signature for implementation."
I was deeply intrigued by Nelson's words. I was certain the mysterious "Mr. Fang" was Fang Tian, the person I had been investigating. The events he described seemed closely related to Fang Tian, making me even more interested.
I urged, "Please get to the point."
Nelson continued, "Now, this country requests you to find out who this Mr. Fang really is!"
I felt a bit annoyed and asked, "Why should I bother? Can I even find out?"
Nelson replied, "You can. This project is no fantasy; it's at an advanced stage. A huge spaceship has been successfully constructed in a secret base of that country, ready for launch. It's an unmanned spacecraft, meant to be followed by a manned one after successful testing. However, it's been discovered that Mr. Fang has added a small cabin to the spaceship, allowing him to conceal himself without anyone's knowledge."
I said, "Can you describe his appearance to me?"
Nelson took out an envelope from his pocket, saying, "Here are two photos of him."
I quickly took them and looked. As expected, it was Fang Tian!
The photos depicted Fang Tian exactly as I remembered him: with a thin face, striking eyes, and his distinct pale complexion visible even in the pictures.
I sighed and said, "This person is currently in Japan."
Nelson widened his eyes in disbelief, asking, "How do you know?"
I replied, "First, tell me why he came to Japan."
Nelson explained, "Due to his suspicious activities aboard the Saturn spaceship, he was given a break from the secret base, and scientists were gathered to study the purpose of his actions. The result showed he hadn't sabotaged the spaceship; in fact, he had added several devices beneficial for long-distance space travel. It's baffling why he didn't publicize his actions. Hence, suspicion arises that he might be serving another powerful nation."
I sarcastically remarked, "Is he defecting in space?"
Nelson replied, "Space science, to this point, has more political implications than scientific ones. It's not an impossibility."
Before he could continue, urgent knocking interrupted us. Without waiting for permission, the door burst open, and a Japanese senior officer and a European man rushed in. The European man immediately addressed Nelson, saying, "
He's disappeared!"
Nelson jumped up from his chair!
Nelson had always seemed composed and stable to me, but I had never seen him so agitated.
He almost reprimanded the European man, saying, "Disappeared? What have you been doing? How did he disappear? Tell me, now!"
The European man turned pale, unable to utter a word. The Japanese officer said, "We suspect he might have been kidnapped."
Nelson was taken aback, asking, "Kidnapped?"
The officer explained, "Yes, politically motivated kidnapping. Our surveillance reported that this morning at Haneda Airport, he was surrounded by four personnel from a certain country's consulate, but he skillfully evaded them. However, after leaving the airport, he was followed by many people."
I nudged Nelson, and he said, "That's referring to Fang Tian."
I already knew they were talking about Fang Tian. I remained silent, listening to the Japanese officer.
The officer continued, "His country's security, the Japanese police, the international police, and even individuals from a certain country's embassy—all were involved. However..."
He hesitated, then continued, "We lost track of him one by one. So, we suspect he might have been abducted by personnel from a certain country's embassy."
Nelson paced around, saying, "This is beyond our capabilities. Failure, shameful failure!"
The European man was sweating profusely. At this point, I spoke up, "Panicking won't help."
The Japanese officer glanced at me. He didn't know who I was, but he politely said, "Yes, we've informed all airports, train stations, major and minor routes in Tokyo to be on the lookout for him. Even embassy vehicles shouldn't be overlooked."
I suggested, "If he's kidnapped by a certain country's embassy, he must still be inside the embassy."
I signaled to Nelson, indicating my intention.
Nelson and I had collaborated more than once, so he understood immediately. He told the two men, "Continue your standard search for Fang Tian's whereabouts. He's a significant figure, and you must do your utmost!"
The European man wiped his sweat, and together with the Japanese officer, they left.
After they left, I whispered, "Things are getting more complicated. I need to take special measures to check if Fang Tian is in the embassy of that country."
Nelson stared at me for a while before saying, "I don't agree."
I patted his shoulder, saying, "Don't worry. If I get caught, I'll just be a common thief, and the embassy will hand me over to the local police."
Nelson asked, "Will you do this during the day?"
I chuckled, "Such matters are best done at night."
Nelson said, "Okay, I might not see you again today. Be careful."
As soon as he finished, he hurriedly left to make further arrangements, anticipating the possibility of agents from that country smuggling Fang Tian out of Japan.
Alone on the balcony, I summarized the events of the past few days. From the accident involving Kusuda Yoshiko to a certain country's vast space development plan aimed at Saturn, and the struggles of the Eastern Group's agents, these events seemed unrelated on the surface.
However, I, knowing the details, understood they were closely connected. At the center of these events was Fang Tian, the mysterious and enigmatic blue-blooded man!
According to Mr. Nelson, Fang Tian was already a highly distinguished scientist.
This made me feel ashamed. We were once dorm mates, and now, what had I achieved? Today, I was tasked with uncovering his background, presenting a significant challenge. Of course, I knew Fang Tian possessed a sharp secret weapon: he feared no harm, only inflicted it upon others. His plight meant nothing to me.
But I cared about myself. It seemed Fang Tian had been planning to kill me. Twice, I narrowly escaped, and I couldn't let Fang Tian succeed a third time. I had to eliminate the possibility of him harming me again!
That day, I too felt the urgency that Nelson exuded. After lunch, time seemed to pass too slowly.
I drove into the city to pass the time. Around two in the afternoon, I noticed someone was tailing me. I was strolling, window shopping, and noticed a man in a kimono on the opposite side of the street. He pretended to smoke but kept glancing at me.