Chapter 1040

Just past seven in the evening, Uesugi Muneyuki pushed open the front door.

The genkan light was on, and the air carried a mixed scent of miso and pan-fried fish. As he changed his shoes, he heard two voices from the living room: one was Minami's slow, teasing drawl with a lazy lilt, the other was Eirina's slightly defiant, rising reply.

"Ou fei lai li~" Uesugi Muneyuki's face showed no sign of how tired he was.

"Welcome back." Minami Ojou-sama said lazily.

Minami Ojou-sama, her belly swollen close to nine months, resembled a slow-docking enterprise-class aircraft carrier, hands braced on her waist, standing by the sofa, gazing at Eirina with an expression that said, "I've seen big scenes before," and "Eirina, you little clerk, you've made it, huh?"

Her belly was so large it nearly obscured her entire upper torso, the fabric of her house dress stretched tight, yet she stood ramrod straight, chin slightly lifted, radiating the unique aura of a young lady who refuses to yield even in pregnancy.

As the Minami clan, even pregnant, I dominate the world, teeth bared!

I take three parts return to primal energy! (Minami Eirina Asuka!)

Eirina sat on the sofa armrest, her left hand still wrapped in an elastic bandage, her right hand holding a teacup, the smug look on her face not yet fully faded: "As Muneyuki said!"

She had already changed out of her training gear, wearing a loose white T-shirt and dark gray athletic shorts, her feet in

slippers, looking far more relaxed than in the hospital, naturally, the white T-shirt bearing the five lines of Wu's full face had been completely distorted by Eirina's stretching.

Full of spirit and vigor, Master!

Asuka sat on the carpet beside the sofa, hugging a Pikachu cushion, wearing a light pink home hoodie and white shorts, barefoot and curled up, watching Eirina with an expression that said, "I'm listening too."

Uesugi Muneyuki sighed.

Wuwuwu, Ashura Rei clearly said before that as long as we're home, she'd wear stockings for me to see!

But now, since her position stabilized, she's become the household tyrant—not only has she lost her former carefulness, she doesn't even wear stockings every day at home anymore.

Damn it! Give back that formerly bird-dependent, hundred-percent obedient, shy and cute Ashūshū to me, teeth bared!!!

"————So!" Eirina set her teacup down on the coffee table, her voice brimming with the unrestrained pride of being praised: "Just as I said, everything I have is what I earned myself. I got into the police academy on my own, I trained myself in karate and judo, I rushed into this case myself. No one gave me a back door, no one paved my way. I'm twenty-eight this year, and in a few months I'll be a police inspector. Non-career track, I fought my way up with my fists!"

"Os!"

"Look, outside opinion is all praising me—some say I'm like Tomoe Gozen, some say I'm like Qin Liangyu, some say I'm like

Tiamat, and some say I'm like Asuka." Eirina waved her iPhone, boasting proudly.

"What the heck is Asuka." Uesugi Muneyuki couldn't help but retort.

"Tsk tsk tsk." Minami Ojou-sama wore a full face of disdain.

Without me and Muneyuki, could you have had the chance to be seen by everyone?

Tsk tsk tsk, Asuka also wore a look of contempt beside her.

Just Muneyuki's little cricket causing trouble, relying on those few ounces of meat on him—hey you, look how lewd you are!

"Alright, Eirina-chan, you won't really think just relying on you will do, will you?" Minami looked at her, raised an eyebrow slightly, then let out an extremely light, faint laugh: "Indeed, every woman in the end feels she doesn't deserve it—sense of deserving, sense of deserving, honest and true—so I told the Personnel Division side, the Special Mission Division is no longer recruiting female officers."

"Ugh! Didn't I knock down that Indian guy? I really tried hard!" Eirina pouted, unconvinced.

She truly believed she had made a major contribution.

"No one said you're not strong enough, but the system never looks at that." Minami, belly prominent, slowly sat back on the sofa, shoved the cushion behind her waist, speaking slowly: "Do you know how old I was when I became a police inspector?"

"I know. Twenty-two." Eirina took this calmly: "But you're career track. You graduated from Nagoya University's Law Faculty, topped the national civil service comprehensive exam, your path was different from mine from the start. I'm non-career track, I trained at nineteen,

joined as a patrol officer at twenty, became patrol division chief at twenty-four, and was promoted to assistant police inspector at twenty-six. Now I'm not even twenty-nine and I'm about to be promoted to police inspector!"

Eirina waved her fingers in the air triumphantly, distorting the five lines of Wu into Ma Yun: "In the non-career track, how many can achieve that?"

Minami didn't bother to rebut that point.

She merely picked up the warm water on the table, took a sip, then looked at Asuka: "Ashū, you joined this year, right?

Non-career track. Public Relations Division."

Asuka half-emerged from behind the cushion, nodding firmly, her small face glowing: "Yes! Joined in April! Big sister Minami, how long until I can reach police inspector?"

"Actually, nearly impossible." Minami set down the water cup: "Nineteen, Public Relations Division clerical female officer, Face of the Metropolitan Police Department, non-career track."

"Normally, you'd stay at the patrol officer level for five to seven years. Then if you perform well, you'd be promoted to patrol division chief, roughly around your thirtieth year."

"Then after that, if everything goes smoothly, you'd be promoted to assistant police inspector around forty-five." Minami Ojou-sama added offhand: "This is already assuming everything goes extremely smoothly—normally, patrol division chief is the ceiling, most non-career track female officers, a lifetime of reaching assistant police inspector is already the ceiling. Police inspector? For clerical female officers, it's roughly only when you're near retirement that, to let you exit with dignity, they might give you an honorary promotion."

Asuka's smile froze on her face, the tiny bird head peeking from behind the cushion full of shock: "How can this be? I

already joined the Metropolitan Police Department, didn't I? Muneyuki, Muneyuki will share merit with me, I—I—I can only ever be a tiny assistant police inspector for life?"

"Ikkyū Nun." Minami nodded seriously.

"Mo!!!" Asuka was instantly struck by a major blow.

Because of Uesugi Muneyuki's connection, Asuka is the household tyrant at home and also the tyrant in the Public Relations Division, everyone dotes on her.

The reason is simple: aside from Asuka having backing, the main reason is she poses no threat—everyone knows she's Uesugi Muneyuki's person, so with no threat, she won't compete with clerical female officers for men, making her less likely to be bullied.

Thus naturally, Asuka's self-perception is: although I'm only a patrol officer now, I'll surely rise to police superintendent or something someday, or at least at least become a police inspector?

The result: Minami told her, patrol division chief? Talk about it after thirty, assistant police inspector? Talk about it after forty-five, and even that only if things go very smoothly!

Eirina gloated from the side: "Ashū only needs to handle cute and lovable! Leave the rest to big sister!"

"You fat high girl! Shut up, teeth bared!!! I'm going to tell Mai-sama!" Asuka hurled the Pikachu cushion at her, which she caught with one hand.

Uesugi Muneyuki stood aside, having watched the whole scene, he put his briefcase on the genkan cabinet, walked in, sat by the dining table,

picked up his chopsticks, and took a piece of sanma.

Minami looked at him sitting down and asked: "Did they check everything at the hospital?"

"Yeah, checked. Kai broke two ribs, Meng Shao Zhi had a dislocated right shoulder plus a fracture, Kashiwagi tore muscles in his back and groin, Eirina had superficial injuries, no problem." Uesugi Muneyuki sighed: "Also, Igarashi, Date, and Maeda all suffered varying injuries, the Special Mission Division is basically half-destroyed by this—you, as division chief, should find a chance to check on them too."

"I will." Minami nodded, mainly because she's pregnant and can't do much: "It's just these two guys in my belly"

o

Uesugi Muneyuki heard this and couldn't hold back his laughter.

He and his grandfather proposed naming these two kids Uesugi Katsuyuki and Uesugi Masatada, but got hit by his grandfather.

Then Uesugi Muneyuki proposed Uesugi Naofuyu and Uesugi Naoyoshi, but got beaten by Watanabe Eiji.

In the end, sure enough, the two kids' names were decided as Uesugi Sōken and Uesugi Nori-ken.

As for Mikoto-nee's child, she also found Uesugi Muneyuki's suggestions of Zhaodi, Wangdi, Laidi, Pan di, and Yindi quite speechless, and in the end still decided to stick with the original version, naming her Uesugi Chisaki.

"I miss the best Special Mission Division." Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head: "Already pregnant, already in labor, already severely injured, already promoted, already severely injured, already cracked bone, already fractured bone, already groin strain, already under immense pressure — "

"And Nango Yui and Shiratori Sho, who remained invisible the whole time." Eirina complained.

Dinner ended in a relaxed but exhausted atmosphere.

Eirina ate little, her shoulder and wrist injuries making it awkward for her to use chopsticks.

Asuka ate absentmindedly, still digesting the information about "a lifetime as Ikkyū Nun."

Minami, on the other hand, had a great appetite, downing eight skewers of yakitori in one go, leaning back on the sofa with her eyes closed, resting, one hand lightly stroking her swollen belly.

Uesugi Muneyuki cleared the bowls and chopsticks into the dishwasher, then walked over to Asuka's side, lowered his head, and looked at her.

"Ashura Rei!"

She lifted her head: "Muneyuki?! I really can only ever be a Police Sergeant for my whole life? It's so tough! You have to give me at least an Assistant Police Inspector!"

Uesugi Muneyuki ignored her, tilting his head slightly toward the door: "Let's go."

"Where to?" Asuka tilted her bird head upward.

"Metropolitan Police Department. Public Security is interrogating Vikram and the other two. They've been interrogating them all afternoon, Vikram hasn't said a word. The other two loosened up a bit, but they're just going in circles. I need you to go listen in." Uesugi Muneyuki said.

Asuka froze for a moment.

She lowered her head to glance at her light pink hoodie and white shorts, then glanced toward the genkan.

Eirina leaned against the sofa, squinting at her: "Go change clothes. Dress formally. You're going on a mission, not to a convenience store."

Asuka jumped up, barefoot, and ran into the bedroom.

About three minutes later she came out, having changed into a dark blue shirt and a pair of black long pants, wearing a pair of low-heeled black slip-on shoes on her feet, her long black hair simply tied into a ponytail, her face still bearing a hint of unremoved childishness, but overall she looked much more put together than before, both charming and cute, with endless charm on her tiny face.

Uesugi Muneyuki walked toward the door, Asuka followed half a step behind him, and when she reached the door she turned back to glance at Minami.

Minami sat on the sofa, giving her a slight nod.

Do your job well, stop thinking about promotion all day — you've only just joined?

Ugh! Minami-nee also bullied me!

I'll have Mai-sama come punish you!

Asuka puffed her cheeks, turned around, and caught up to Uesugi Muneyuki, walking into the elevator.

The car drove toward Sakuradamon in the night.

Tokyo's night was brightly lit, the traffic on the elevated roads like a slow-moving ribbon of light.

Uesugi Muneyuki gripped the steering wheel.

He didn't like driving, but Eirina was injured, Asuka had no license, so he had no choice but to drive.

Asuka sat in the front passenger seat, her hands resting on her knees, quietly gazing out the window.

She suddenly spoke, lacking confidence: "Muneyuki, my ability — is it really useful?"

"It is." Uesugi Muneyuki looked ahead at the road: "Vikram's kind can't be made to speak by ordinary interrogation methods. But your Reading Air ability can directly read the emotional undercurrents in him — what questions trigger him, what words anger him, what sentences frighten him. Those fluctuations can help us find his weakness."

Asuka lightly nodded, her face regaining its confidence.

The car exited the ramp, and the outline of the Metropolitan Police Department building gradually came into view ahead.

The gray building of Sakuradamon stood out in the night, unusually silent and solid.

Uesugi Muneyuki parked the car in the underground garage, turned off the engine, sat in the seat for two seconds, then turned his head to glance at Asuka.

"Ready?"

Asuka took a deep breath, pushed open the car door: "Ready."

After entering the Metropolitan Police Department, Asuka spent about five minutes changing clothes in the Public Relations Division's changing room.

When she came out, Uesugi Muneyuki was leaning against the hallway wall, scrolling on his phone.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up, his gaze lingering on her for a moment.

A girl in police uniform always looks so beautiful.

Asuka had changed into a set of dark blue summer service skirt uniform, the length reaching a palm's width above the knees, the skirt hem cut neatly and snugly, the lines from waist to hips drawn clean and distinct.

The upper garment was the same color suit jacket, paired with a white short-sleeve shirt underneath, the collar tied with a narrow dark blue necktie, the knot tied tighter than usual.

Her legs wore a layer of sheer black thick-wood-style commuting silk stockings, the type that glows faintly under light, her feet in a pair of black pointed-toe mid-heel leather shoes, heel about five centimeters, the shoe upper bare of any extra decoration.

Her hair was retied, the high ponytail changed to a low ponytail, bound with a dark hair tie at the nape, revealing a clean forehead and ears, her cheeks flushed with a faint pink from the changing room's heat, but overall she looked much more put together than before in the car.

That uniform made her look somewhat more mature than her actual age, but also made her naturally delicate air more noticeable.

"Muneyuki, I'm ready!"

Uesugi Muneyuki looked at her for two seconds, then smiled and nodded: "In formal settings, address by rank!"

"Uesugi Chief Medical Examiner, I'm ready!" Asuka immediately saluted, saying with a grin.

"Excellent! Not a single moment of mourning for the injured Special Mission Division members — now appearing: Saito Police Officer!" Uesugi Muneyuki smiled, gesturing for her to follow.

The interrogation room is in the special interrogation area on the basement level of the Metropolitan Police Department, the entire corridor's walls reinforced, with two Public Security Police in dark combat uniforms stationed at the entrance.

Further in, the walls on both sides of the corridor begin to display interfaces of various precision equipment and signal shielding devices, the ceiling lights are recessed, with an additional layer of metal netting outside.

The interrogation room door is double-layered: the outer layer a regular iron door, the inner layer a sound- and signal-proof reinforced door.

At the end of the corridor stand two U. S. Soldiers, wearing dark green combat uniforms, each holding an M16 rifle, standing ramrod straight like figures cut from a poster.

When they saw Uesugi Muneyuki and Asuka approach, their gaze lingered on Asuka for an extra second — a young female officer in desk-duty uniform, looking as if just called from the office, appearing at this level of interrogation scene, indeed quite unusual.

In the observation room beside the interrogation room, Okada Masayoshi and Nango Yui are present.

The room is not large, one wall is one-way glass, allowing a full view of the interrogation room interior.

In front of the glass is a row of monitoring screens, the feed from different angles focused on the three people inside the interrogation room: Vikram, Elephant Person, Lion Person.

The three sit separately on three independent metal chairs, wrists and ankles fixed to the chair's anchor points. Vikram sits in the middle, body slightly leaned forward, head lowered, his lips tightly shut, eyes half-closed visible on screen.

Elephant Person sits to his left, his body one size larger than the other two, currently hunched in the chair like a giant animal caged, occasionally lifting his head to glance at the interrogators opposite.

The Lion Person sat on the right side, still wrapped in several bandages, face pale, but his gaze more lively than the Elephant Person's, clearly still desperately searching for an exit.

There were two other people in the observation room.

One was Investigation Division 1 Chief Sugishita Ukyo, the other was Criminal Investigation Department Chief Uchimura Kanji.

When the two saw Uesugi push the door open and enter, their gazes turned simultaneously.

Then they saw Asuka following behind Uesugi. Sugishita Ukyo's eyebrows lifted slightly, Uchimura Kanji's brow furrowed even deeper.

How did she come here?

"Saito Asuka, the Special Mission Division has no one left." Uesugi Muneyuki explained: "I always need to have a police officer follow me."

"But, the Public Relations Division side — Uesugi Chief, don't you have other administrative female officers in your Special Mission Division?" Uchimura Kanji wanted to speak but hesitated.

Oh, I see, this is treating the current face of the Metropolitan Police Department as that tall judo beauty policewoman.

The Criminal Investigation Department Chief nodded, Saito Asuka only then entered, she hid behind Uesugi Muneyuki, only peeking out a bird's head, both curious and afraid.

Ah, the Ganges Superman has come!

"Other nonsense need not be said, how is the interrogation going?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked in a deep voice.

"As for the interrogation — " Sugishita Ukyo cleared his throat.

"The current situation is — "