odessanovel Chapter 56 Heavenly Palace Arc: Prequel "The Okamine Family"
Chapter 56 Heavenly Palace Arc: Prequel "The Okamine Family"
"Beep! Beep!"
A loud sound rang out continuously; on the highway bridge, the ringing of a small red taxi broke the morning's tranquility.
At that moment, Ming was sitting in a speeding taxi, quietly watching the city scenery rushing past the window.
"Is this Tiangong City? A city built on the ruins after a spacequake, it's quite a sight." Ming exclaimed sincerely, looking at the natural and rustic scenery of Tiangong City, which was so different from that of England.
"Sigh, but what is Father's purpose in suddenly summoning me back?"
Tick-tock~ The clock hand points to 8:30 in the morning, and sunlight shines through the thin clouds, falling gently onto the earth.
The taxi slowly stopped at the foot of the Tiangong Tower. Ming paid the fare and got out of the car.
He looked up at the towering building that seemed to reach into the clouds, his mind filled with questions. "Why did Father ask him to meet here?"
Ming strode towards the entrance of the Heavenly Palace Tower. People were coming and going around him, but his mind was not on the bustling scene at all. Once inside the Heavenly Palace Tower, the elevator ascended rapidly, and his ears rang slightly due to the change in air pressure.
Upon reaching the designated floor, Ming stepped out of the elevator and saw a familiar figure standing at the end of the corridor—his father, Takeichiro Okamine. "Father, what brings you here all of a sudden?" Ming asked.
Looking at Ming, who had matured considerably over the years, Wu Yilang turned around, his eyes serious yet carrying a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction.
“Xiao Ming!” Gangfeng Wuyilang’s slightly authoritative yet caring voice slowly rang out, “You have ventured and trained alone in faraway England, experiencing all kinds of ups and downs. Now you have achieved some success and your wings are growing stronger.”
“I imagine you’ve gained a lot during this time, haven’t you? But now it’s time to return to the family and fulfill the tradition that has been passed down through generations of the Okamine family…” Takeichiro paused slightly at this point.
Ming looked puzzled. "A tradition passed down through generations? Father, what do you mean?" Takeichiro Okamine took a deep breath and slowly said:
"In our Gangfeng family, we have always regarded the achievement of surpassing others through personal talent or hard work as the highest honor."
"It is precisely because of my outstanding abilities and continuous hard work that I have been able to take up the important position of the family patriarch."
As Wu Yilang led Ming into the elevator, he explained things to Ming, his eyes occasionally flashing with pride.
"Today is a special day for the family to gather together and share their feelings. That's why I've called you back so that you can get to know the other family members in advance and make full preparations for the upcoming fierce competition."
"However, Xiaoming, whether you intend to run for the next clan leader depends entirely on your own true feelings! After all, the formal clan leader election will begin in four years. At that time, anything is possible; it will all depend on who can stand out among the many competitors and become the victor who does not disgrace the Gangfeng family!"
"By the way: Normally, the eldest son of the Okamine family would have his marriage arranged by his elders in advance when he was in high school, but due to the relationship between Ming and Sawa, this ordinary girl, it was not possible."
Because of Takeichiro and Orihime's open-mindedness, Mingcai wasn't informed of the arranged marriage, but due to family tradition, the marriage was arranged with Kotaro, who was still in high school.
After saying that, Wu Yilang took Ming away from the Heavenly Palace Tower, casually hailed a taxi, and headed to the entrance of a large banquet hall.
Ming followed his father into the banquet hall, which was bustling with activity and filled with the laughter of family members. However, Ming was filled with worry, as he did not want to get involved in this power struggle.
While Ming was still thinking this, Wu Yilang beside him went to chat with his 'relatives'.
Ming was still thinking that he had not told his father about joining SSS. In fact, apart from knowing that Insa had died from the spatial shockwave, which caused him to be depressed for a long time, Wu Yilang had hardly communicated with him.
Ming stood in the corner, his gaze unfocused, seemingly oblivious to the warm greetings from his relatives. Just then, a young girl, who appeared to be looking away, bumped into his chest.
"Ouch! It hurts so much!" The girl who had accidentally bumped into me fell to the ground, and I whispered, still dazed.
Upon seeing this, Ming hurriedly squatted down to examine her. She appeared to be a young girl with brown hair, who looked no more than nine years old.
Ming asked softly, "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
The girl looked up, tears welling in her eyes, and her expression turned panicked as she looked at the older boy wearing an eye patch.
"I...I'm sorry...I...I didn't mean to!"
In the girl's eyes, Ming's eyes were dull and lifeless, yet they also revealed a hint of coldness.
His once handsome face now appeared extremely stiff, his lips straining upwards in an attempt to force a smile, but the smile looked so eerie that it sent chills down one's spine. Faced with Ming like this, one's heart was filled with fear.
"What's wrong with you?" Ming asked, looking puzzled.
Just then, an older member of the Gangfeng family came over and called out the name of the girl in front of Ming.
"Xiaozhu, why are you running around here? Did you bump into someone?" The elder looked at the girl with a doting expression.
The girl hid behind her elders, peeking out cautiously to watch Ming stand up again.
Ming bowed slightly and nodded politely. The elder looked Ming up and down, his gaze lingering on Ming's eye patch for a few seconds. "Nice to meet you. My name is Okamine Raijiro. You must be Takeichiro's eldest son, Okamine Ming."
Ming bowed slightly and replied with a smile, "That's right, it is I. Hello, Mr. Lai Erlang! It is a great honor to meet you here." His respectful manner immediately won one's favor.
Upon hearing this, the elder's face also showed a kind and amiable smile.
He gently turned his head, looked at Xiaozhu standing timidly behind him, and said softly, "Xiaozhu, don't be afraid. Look, this older brother in front of you is, to be precise, your uncle." As he spoke, he pointed a finger at Mingye and said...
“Ming, this is your niece, Okamine Tamae.”
Ming looked at the girl behind Lai Erlang, who seemed to be only 14 years younger than him, and felt a little uncomfortable about their relationship as uncle and niece.
Ming took the outstretched hand and said gently, "Hello, Zhu Hui. I'm so sorry I startled you just now."
Zhu Hui slowly stepped out from behind her elder and whispered, "It's alright, Uncle." Ming smiled, a complex emotion barely perceptible in his single eye.
"Speaking of which, Tamae Okamine? She was the homeroom teacher of Sergeant Nakamichi in the original work. I almost forgot that she also has the surname Okamine."
Ming thought to himself that he needed to get out of this somewhat awkward situation as soon as possible. So, a thought struck him, and he pretended to anxiously glance at his watch.
"Oh dear, Mr. Lai Erlang, niece Zhu Hui, I'm sorry I can't chat with you any longer. My father seems to have told me not long ago that he wanted me to come find him at this time, so I won't talk to you any longer."
Lai Erlang hurriedly asked with concern, "Have you encountered any difficulties? Please don't hesitate to ask if you need any help." Ming waved his hand, "Thank you for your concern, it's just some trivial matter. I hope we can catch up properly next time." After saying that, he hurriedly turned and left.
Fun fact: Because Raijiro's family only has girls, it's impossible for Kozuma to compete for the position of clan leader, which is why he seems kind to everyone.
After walking a distance, Ming let out a long sigh of relief. As he walked, he recalled the plot from the original work. "In the original work, Tamae Okamine was Shido's homeroom teacher, but now she's my niece. This complicated relationship is really troublesome."
As Ming walked through the banquet hall, he frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping through the crowd, trying to find a quiet corner where no one would notice him.
Ming moved his feet carefully, trying not to attract too much attention from others.
As he walked, he occasionally stepped aside to avoid the guests who were holding wine glasses and chatting animatedly. Finally, after searching for a while, he spotted a slightly deserted corner of the banquet hall. There, a set of sofas and a coffee table were placed, seemingly waiting for someone to sit down and rest.
However, just as Ming was about to walk towards that corner, his gaze inadvertently swept over a group of people who were having a lively conversation.
One figure in particular made him stop in his tracks—it was his younger brother, Kotaro! Kotaro was dressed in an elegant suit, smiling as he chatted with several elderly people, exuding confidence and maturity in every gesture.
Ming was startled; he hadn't expected to see Kotaro so spirited and high-spirited here.
However, I didn't pay much attention to it. Anyway, after Wu Yilang left me here, I didn't know where he went. He didn't say that I should socialize. I just stayed in one place and watched over things.
Then an elder said with a smile, "Toratarou, you are destined for great things. I wish all the younger generation in the family were like you."
Kotaro responded humbly, but his eyes revealed a determination, as if he were going to compete with 'someone' for something and was determined to win it.
Ming gazed quietly at Kotaro before him, a feeling of indescribable emotion welling up within him.
Now, his younger brother, who has grown into a more mature and composed man, showed a fleeting, almost imperceptible look of satisfaction in his eyes.