Once we returned to Jia and let him know about Takamasa Kaoru, Jia asked us to arrange a meeting with him. We let Jia know that we had let Kaoru know of the possibility of Jia wanting a word with him. All we had to do was call him in.

"Okay...I don't feel like having any meetings tonight. We'll do it tomorrow morning...uh...afternoon. Keisuike, it's okay if we have the meeting here right?"

"Where else would you have it Jia-sama?"

Jia smiled slightly as he then said,

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow."

Jia and Keisuike shook hands as we then left. Once outside, Jia yawned before he took out his cigarette case and had his cigarette lit as everyone else smoked. We stood near the side of the building as Jia said,

"Everyone has the night off. Feel free to do as you please. I'm getting some sleep."

"Li, you sleepin?" Said Toki.

"Yes I'm sleeping. I'm tired. I'm not gonna entertain you tonight."

Toki pouted as the rest of us then went on our way to do nothing for the night. Tai, Gabriel and myself headed back to the hotel along with Jia once he finished smoking. Once we got back, I went to my room and fell down for a few more hours of rest.

I was exhausted. I didn't realize how tired I was until I slept through the next morning. It had been early when I returned from Keisuike's building, why I was so exhausted, I wasn't sure. I yawned, turning over to my back as I looked up at the ceiling seeing how bright it was outside. Back to the scalding heat. I was grateful I wouldn't have anything to do until the afternoon. Although the heat then is about a hundred times worse. I sat up as I showered and dressed and went to get something to eat. I saw Tai and Gabriel, along with Aya and Jo were already having breakfast. I greeted them as I joined them and they nodded, Jo saying good morning in return as I said,

"How long has everyone been up?"

"Just an hour." Said Gabriel.

I ordered tea and breakfast once a waiter came by as Aya picked off one of Jo's strawberries from his plate and pressed it to his own lips, winking at Jo as he did so. Tai and Gabriel talked among themselves as I waited for my breakfast. Aoki eventually came down to join us, his hair tied back for once as he yawned and said,

"If I took off my glasses you could see how tired I am."

Aya looked at Aoki as he said,

"When did you get in last night?"

"Uh...four?"

Aya shook his head as Tai said,

"Where did you three go?"

"Party. Leave it to Akio to get us invited to a VIP party in a club."

Gabriel sighed as Aya said,

"How drunk did you get?"

Aoki shrugged as he sipped some of the water on the table. When the waiter came back with my order, Aoki ordered something and we then waited.

We had all finished eating with no one else joining us. We figured that was likely since Akio and Toki were probably wasted enough and Jia was a heavy sleeper. We went back to our rooms to wait for whenever Jia woke. During that time, I watched TV, taking a short nap when my phone rang. It was Tai, letting me know we were ready to go. We gathered in the lobby as we decided to meet up at Keisuike's building to meet Kaoru later on. It was late afternoon, Keisuike greeting Jia at the door as he said,

"I thought something had happened for a moment."

"I just over slept."

Toki, Jia and myself got out of the first cab as the second and third pulled up, Tai, Gabriel and Jo getting out of the second, Aya, Aoki and Aya out of the last. We went inside as Keisuike let us know he sent his people to get Kaoru while we were on our way. Jia was grateful as he sat down, lighting a cigarette by Toki's lighter and waited. The rest of us stood around, looking about as Keisuike's guards were near the sides of the wall. Keisuike himself sat beside Jia, waiting as well. After about ten minutes, Kaoru came in, red hair standing slightly to the side, dark eyes glowing, snowy white skin standing out against the black of his suit and on his cheek was the same tattoo of ketsurui, right under his right eye. Jia stood up once he saw him and said,

"You must be Takamasa Kaoru."

"I am."

"Strange your father would be a second in command to a Chinese triad."

"Strange a Chinese man would be oyabun of a Japanese syndicate."

Jia nodded as he said,

"Good point. I'd like to know why you even bothered sending those papers to me."

"They weren't mine. And trust me, getting a hold of an address, even a fake one to send anything to you was difficult. It's why I didn't send them any sooner."

"How long ago did your father pass away?"

"Short of a few days ago. But he's been ill for some time. When he was bed ridden, I started taking care of his personal matters. It was then I found the ownership papers of California."

I noticed that Kaoru's facial expression, much like yesterday did not change. He didn't soften at all, his eyes glowed but not with life. His voice was monotone, much like my own, deep enough to make him seem older. I then noticed his paleness, it was much like Shikou, Tsubasa and myself. I felt the cold presence like Eirinsu as he stood and I saw his hands resting casually at his sides, one of his fingers inked in black, the pattern reminding me of a snakes scales. I looked back up at his face as Jia said,

"My associates tell me you want nothing in return."

"No, I don't. Thank you for your gracious offer though."

Jia nodded as he finished his cigarette and put it out in a near by ashtray before he then said,

"I'll be on my way back home. Thank you though."

As we all gathered to leave, I heard Kaoru speak again.

"I hear rumors that you own Hong Kong. After crushing the Black Hand."

Jia paused as he turned and said,

"I do."

"You married into the Kenimin family and one it was no longer to your advantage you murdered them all."

"That rumor is false. Kenimin Shi died of natural causes. The rest of his family...that's true. And my ex was due to stupidity."

"She didn't die you know."

Jia seemed surprised as he said,

"Lotus didn't die?"

"No. Unlike her father, the woman turned out to be stronger."

"How do you know about Lotus anyway? And The Black Hand? And Hong Kong?"

It was then I saw a slight shift in Kaoru's eyes as they seemed to grow darker with his response.

"Because...I married Lotus."

It was silent for a moment as Jia gathered his thoughts and said,

"You married Lotus?"

Kaoru nodded calmly before he said,

"About two years back, before my father was too ill, we went to Hong Kong. My father had always made it a point to completely get rid of anything his job ever acquired him to do. His best friend had been leader of the Jade, one of the biggest triad syndicates some time ago in Hong Kong before it went over to California. It still held some ground there. When we arrived, as my father worked, I met Lotus. She was holding nothing under her given name Kenimin, anyone that ever knew of the Black Hand had long since died or were too afraid to say the name because of you."

"So why'd you marry her if she held no worth?"

"My own reasons Jia."

It was silent again for a moment before Jia walked over to the young Kaoru and said,

"You do or try anything with your new found knowledge I'll kill you, your wife and whatever remains of your life. You got me?"

Kaoru didn't move. He didn't look down, away or cower. Unlike most people that were that close to Jia, he did not fear. Kaoru instead stepped a little closer and said,

"Are you afraid I might be the one Jia? The one that has a chance to bring you down? Even slightly?"

Jia didn't move either as he said,

"If I had that feeling you would be dead right now. But I don't. You're just another punk kid thinking he has what it takes to take me on. Try little boy. I dare you to. And I'll watch you fall apart."

Kaoru stared back with black eyes as he said,

"I'll accept the invitation."

He then stepped back from Jia's presence and left. Jia looked at the rest of us as we looked back at him.

Keisuike wasted no time looking into what Takamasa Kaoru was saying. Within a few hours, he produced the fact that yes, Kaoru had married Lotus. Where was Lotus now, however? That was the question. Keisuike's people as well as the 36 Moons went around California looking to see if the second to last Kenimin was alive. After only a day of looking, it was discovered that Lotus was in a small town a few miles away from San Francisco. She had also given birth to Kaoru's child who she was currently nursing. Jia didn't really care that Lotus had remarried, had a child and carried on with her life. What Jia did care about was her actually having a life. We finally concluded that someone must have helped her after we left. After all, Toki didn't shoot to kill. It was annoying for something so trivial to come back up and hit Jia in the face. It was something he could very well do without. He was also angry with himself that so many of his past mistakes were coming back to haunt him. First Eve, now Lotus. It was not something he needed. Jia decided to not stay in California any longer and wanted to return to New York for a small amount of time, mostly to meet with his associates there and let them know of the imposing threat. I called Jun to find out if he was still in New York. Once he let me know he was, I let him know we were on our way there. A few days later, we left for New York. After resting for the entire day from jet lag, early the next evening, Jia held a meeting with the oyabuns and saiko-kimon's of each syndicate working for him. He decided not to involve Takeo in this though he would let him know later of what was going on. Yuki, who had long since grown up but kept a childish attitude about certain things, asked Jia,

"What do you think he'll do?"

Jia shrugged, sincerely not knowing. He himself wondered what Kaoru could want. It was then that Jia made the realization,

"I own the Jade."

He wasn't too please, or excited about the realization. It was just something he had not thought about. Tai, who sat beside him said,

"It's not as if you could claim rights to it anyway Jia. There's nothing left."

Jia nodded as he said,

"In birth rights, it is my syndicate. But I wouldn't want it even if it was something. Maybe that's what Kaoru wants. He could want the rights to the Jade."

"But you jus said the Jade was a piece of shit anyway." Said Toki.

Jia nodded as he said,

"It is. But that doesn't mean someone couldn't take a hold of it."

Jia bit his bottom lip slightly as Kotei said,

"Are we just waiting for him to make his move?"

We looked at the little emperor as Jia said,

"I guess so."

"Why not just kill him now?"

"Because, if he's smart he'll know to move. Which he probably already."

Sozaburo then said,

"Hong Kong."

We looked over at him as he lifted his head slightly, blonde and red bangs moving aside as he said,

"On his woman's advice, he more then likely headed back to Hong Kong."

"Probably."

"What do you have in Hong Kong?" Asked Tsubasa.

Jia thought for a moment as his eyes widened slightly and said,

"Nothing. I didn't guard it. At the time it wasn't of significance. That's stupidity on my behave. Other then the casino the owners of the game set up, the small establishment to let people know it's mine, I have no allie, no army there waiting to take my enemy down should someone try to venture there."

Tai shook his head slightly as he said,

"It's too late now."

"Tai, we can't automatically assume that Takamasa went there already." Said Gabriel.

Aya nodded as he said,

"For all we know he could still be in California."

Jia leaned back in his chair, turning slightly, his hand to his mouth as he said,

"I have a feeling he already left."

Sozaburo decided to ask Keisuike about it anyway. Whatever contacts the Ryuujin no Chi had in California they were put in effect. We waited for word later on.

Sozaburo came in the about two days later.

"He's gone."

Jia nodded, leaning in his seat, as Shikou sat on his desk, his head tilted upwards as Jia stroked under his chin like a cat. I had escorted Sozaburo upstairs since Jo had gone out for lunch earlier. Jia looked at Shikou, playing with the dark doll's hair as he said,

"I have to find out where the owners of the game are. I'll send one of my Japan associates to see what they can find out."

Sozaburo then nodded and said,

"Anything else I can do for you Jia?"

"No. Thank you anyway."

After showing Sozaburo out, I returned to Jia's office. Before entering I knocked and was allowed inside. There Shikou was now on Jia's lap, holding on to our oyabun as Jia helped him remove his coat. I bowed my head as I said,

"Excuse me for interrupting. But I had to ask you something."

Jia gave a nod allowing me to continue as I said,

"Is there anything else we can do?"

"For the time no. I have to find out where Toshimasa and the China Doll are. Hopefully they're out of Hong Kong."

I nodded as I excused myself and went to leave. As I approached the door, Jia said,

"We may have to go into Hong Kong soon. I will not allow him to flourish any more then he may have already."

I turned, nodding once more as I then left.