The airport was bustling with people coming and going, especially noisy in the piercing cold wind and heavy snow that resembled goose feathers. Everyone quickened their pace, their breath visible as they spoke.
A few disheveled, unkempt homeless men weaved through the crowds, begging anyone they encountered.
But in such cold weather, no one wanted to stay outdoors longer than necessary. Thus, most people impatiently shooed away the homeless men who were delaying them, with very few willing to stop and give money.
Sitting in a warm luxury car, dressed in a tailored suit and coat, wearing a designer watch, Aoyama Xiu Xin couldn’t stand it anymore. He frowned and said, "Get rid of those beggars, they’re a blight on the cityscape. Brother Xianyou and his wife are kind-hearted, seeing this right after leaving the airport will spoil their mood for enjoying the snow in Sapporo."
The master is kind-hearted, he couldn’t bear to see such a scene.
Moreover, it was New Year’s Day, a national holiday, and some beggars still "came to work," violating labor laws!
As a law enforcer, he couldn’t just ignore this.
"Hey!" Jin Yucheng immediately got out of the car, walked over to the beggars with an air of superiority, pulled out his wallet, took out a stack of cash, and threw it at them, "Take this money and get out of the airport right now."
"Hey! Hey! We’re going, we’re going!"
The beggars, stunned by the unexpected windfall, scrambled on the ground. After a brief scuffle, they thanked Jin Yucheng profusely with nods and bows before hastily leaving.
That was Aoyama Xiu Xin’s way of getting rid of them; he was, after all, a dignified man and wouldn’t mistreat beggars.
On such a festive day, let them go work the early shift.
"Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!"
A series of urgent ringing suddenly broke out.
"Moshi moshi?" Aoyama Xiu Xin answered.
"Minister, we have a problem. A jewelry store in the Central District just exploded. 7 dead, 9 critically injured, and several others slightly injured, but it’s uncertain if it was man-made."
Hashimoto Youko’s anxious voice came through.
"Idiot!" Aoyama Xiu Xin’s face darkened. How come a major incident occurred at the beginning of the year again? His eyes caught a glimpse of Yanchuan Xianyou and Asakawa Xia holding hands as they walked out of the airport exit. Without hesitation, he said, "I have an urgent matter here, can’t be distracted, find out the cause of the explosion as soon as possible, and report back to me immediately."
Ideally, as the Director of the Criminal Affairs Department, he should have been at the scene right away, but reality often doesn’t make sense. What official business could be more important than receiving the Yanchuan couple?
If Yanchuan Shilang manages to make further progress this year and becomes the Prime Minister, then Yanchuan Xianyou would be the grandchild of the Prime Minister, the top bureaucrat in the country.
He needed to curry favor with his "god-grandson," and his wife as well.
"Hey!" Hashimoto Youko respectfully replied.
"Call me back in ten minutes to update on the situation, ask me where I am and make it sound urgent," Aoyama Xiu Xin added.
"Eh?" Hashimoto Youko was momentarily confused, although she didn’t understand why, she dutifully responded, "Hey."
Aoyama Xiu Xin hung up, squeezed a warm smile on his face, and got out of the car to welcome the two, "Welcome to Sapporo, Brother Xianyou, and Sister-in-law. It’s cold; let’s get into the car first, the car is over there, Yu Cheng will get the luggage."
Jin Yucheng stepped forward to take their suitcases.
"Thank you, Xiu Xin, for coming to greet us personally," said Asakawa Xia, who was wearing a beige trench coat, wrapped in a red scarf, and wearing high-heeled boots. She laughed charmingly, hugging Yanchuan Xianyou’s arm.
It’s difficult to avoid wearing thick clothes in winter, but her figure was also quite plump, so even these couldn’t hide her graceful curves. The coat flared over her tightly wrapped jeans showcasing her straight legs like pair of chopsticks.
Japanese are also very adept at using chopsticks.
"No trouble at all, it’s only right for a younger brother to receive his older brother and sister-in-law," Aoyama Xiu Xin laughed heartily.
"He’s right, don’t be polite with him," Yanchuan Xianyou said with a nod and a sigh, "There are so many people coming to Hokkaido recently, this airport is almost as busy as Tokyo, I almost got crushed."
"Winter in Hokkaido is like that." As they talked, they reached the car, Aoyama Xiu Xin reached out to open the door, "Brother Xianyou, Sister-in-law, please get in."
"Mm." Yanchuan Xianyou nodded slightly, standing a bit forward, he was the first to get into the car.
Asakawa Xia followed closely behind, and whether intentionally or not, she first stuck her butt into the car before adjusting her sit, her rounded derriere stretching the jeans, showing off beautiful curves. She briefly flaunted this in front of Aoyama Xiu Xin before settling into the seat.
Aoyama Xiu Xin cursed under his breath, closed the car door, then turned and sat in the passenger seat. He instructed Jin Yucheng to drive, and turning to Yanchuan Xianyou and his wife, he said, "It’s still early for dinner, I’ll drop you off at the hotel to rest first, I need to handle some work, and I’ll come back in the evening to meet you both for dinner."
"Okay." Yanchuan Xianyou nodded.
"Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!"
Before long, the phone rang again.
Aoyama Xiu Xin glanced apologetically at Yanchuan Xianyou and Asakawa Xia before answering, even turning on the speaker.
"This is Aoyama Xiu Xin, what’s the matter?"
"This is Youko, Minister, how long until you arrive at the scene? Many people have died, and reporters have already swarmed the place!" Hashimoto Youko said anxiously.
Hearing this, Yanchuan Xianyou and Asakawa Xia’s faces changed slightly, they exchanged glances, then looked toward Aoyama Xiu Xin.
"Stabilize the situation there, I’ll come over as soon as I’m done here," Aoyama Xiu Xin said sternly.
Watching him hang up, Yanchuan Xianyou immediately asked, "Was there a major incident?"
"Half an hour ago, a jewelry store in the city center exploded, many are dead or injured," Aoyama Xiu Xin exhaled, his expression looking rather grim as he replied.