Chapter 13: The Face of the Metropolitan Police Department

In May, a drizzling rain fell over Tokyo. Amidst flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder, Uesugi Muneyuki returned to his apartment after finishing a full day of work. Fine raindrops tapped against the transparent glass windows, and the droplets that trickled down traced a transparent chessboard of varying sizes across the pane.

Tokyo under the veil of rain possessed a unique beauty. Although, in Uesugi Muneyuki's estimation, it was not as marvelous as the feeling of sitting in a theater amidst rockeries and water in a Jiangnan garden during a rainstorm, listening to Kunqu and Wu opera, it was still a second-rate pleasure.

Usually, Tokyo was filled with a chaotic, bustling vitality amidst the heavy traffic and hurried crowds. Pedestrians came and went, lively yet indifferent. Aside from a few tourists, the vast majority of passersby would not stop their steps, at most casting a cursory glance at anything unusual.

This city was truly noisy, but it was also truly indifferent.

Yet, the city under the rain veil underwent a quiet change. The rain muffled the city's original clamor, making it seem slightly more tranquil. Because of this rainy season, the indifference between people was faintly eased, and the originally crowded streets and roads seemed much more spacious and clear after being washed by the rain.

"Looking at this time, the fine rain is vast, it is May."

Uesugi chanted the waka poem by the famous Japanese Sengoku-era barbecue master Akechi Mitsuhide and raised his right hand.

After one or two weeks of experimentation, he had roughly understood the bonuses the Aizen Myoo Dharma Image provided him.

His appearance had become more dignified and charismatic, and his speech had become more infectious and persuasive. The Dharma Image granted Uesugi Muneyuki a formidable temperament that brooked no doubt, as if he were the Dharma-protecting Wisdom King sitting upon a throne; no heterodox path could escape his third eye.

"I still need, more Soul." Uesugi Muneyuki muttered to himself.

His Soul was still too scarce. He needed more Soul to inject into the Dharma Image; he needed to continue improving himself, strengthening his supernatural ability, and telling everyone that he was not a ball to be kicked around.

He needed that kasaya that could prove his worth.

After a while, the phone rang. Uesugi Muneyuki picked up his mobile phone and glanced at the contact name.

Kansai, Ririka.

Answering the phone, Uesugi Muneyuki listened to the voice of apology on the other end. After a long while, he sighed, "I see. I understand."

"That girl from Kansai has already grown up."

"Fine, I accept. This is my final wish: you must be happy!"

"Eh? Wait, what I meant was..."

Uesugi Muneyuki ignored the other party, hung up the phone immediately, and then easily added her number to his blacklist.

He was not actually short of women, but just like the several women he knew, the other party had also selected several potential stocks in Tokyo. Perhaps it was because she felt Uesugi Muneyuki could not provide her with the resources to establish herself in Tokyo, or perhaps she had found a better option. It was perfectly normal for one side to propose an end, and Uesugi Muneyuki never cared.

He hadn't transmigrated here to become a monk! Besides, Japanese Buddhism had no taboos against drinking, eating meat, or marrying and having children; for generations, the heads of the sect passed the position from father to son, or uncle to nephew, inheriting it generation after generation.

Uesugi Muneyuki instinctively scrolled through his contacts. When he reached the name of the person from Hokkaido who was currently studying at Musashino University, his finger paused, and he was about to tap it.

However, at that very moment, a call came in, faster than Uesugi Muneyuki's finger.

Otsuka Station, Tanaka Naoki.

Is it the old fogey?

Uesugi Muneyuki had almost forgotten that Tanaka Laodeng's name was Tanaka Naoki. Calling him "Laodeng" all day long, he felt a bit unaccustomed to seeing his real name for a moment!

"Hello? Is there work?" Uesugi Muneyuki looked out at the gloomy sky in the distance, his tone a bit excited: "What is it this time?"

"What do you mean 'what'?" Tanaka Laodeng's lazy voice came through: "Hey, little brother Uesugi, our police station's Criminal Investigation Division is having a dinner party, are you coming or not?"

"It's not an autopsy?" Uesugi Muneyuki was a bit disappointed, thinking to himself, if you don't have work, where will I replenish the Soul I lack? Where will my activity funds come from?

"Where would I get so many corpses to examine... Anyway, if you want to come, set off now. The dinner address is at..." Tanaka Laodeng recited an address: "Everyone also wants to properly thank you. Section Chief Sudo and Kuwabara are here too."

The Criminal Investigation Division Chief of Otsuka Station was named Sudo, and his rank was Police Inspector. If anyone had noticed, this guy had actually never appeared in person even once.

The reason was simple: in a local police station like this, a Police Inspector could already serve as the Section Chief of an entire division. In local stations, the ones actually handling cases were at the level of Police Sergeant and Assistant Police Inspector. The Police Inspector level generally sat in the office, and only major cases would prompt them to mobilize personally.

However, when it truly came to major cases, most local branches had neither the authority nor the ability and willingness to handle them. All they could do was report to the Metropolitan Police Department and let them send people to take over. At that point, the core members of Investigation Division 1 dispatched from the Metropolitan Police Department would be led by Police Inspectors who handled cases, and this group was responsible for dealing with major, heinous crimes.

After thinking about it, Uesugi Muneyuki felt it would be better to go. Meeting more people was good; the Soul he craved still required these people to help.

The place for the dinner was called 【KAKA Zhuang】, which specialized in Japanese okonomiyaki. The shop was filled with smoke and crowds. One had to take off their shoes at the entrance. Under the amber light, the tatami mats along the walls surrounded a large bar counter. Groups of three or five colleagues and friends sat around the iron griddles for dinner. The sound of the light rain outside and the sizzling sound of the griddles inside had a unique charm.

"Hey, little brother Uesugi, over here!" As soon as Uesugi Muneyuki entered, he heard Laodeng greeting him. He quickly slipped over to the spot. The familiar Tanaka Laodeng, the young Kuwabara, a Police Sergeant with cropped hair, small eyes, and obvious pockmarks on his face, and another middle-aged man were seated there.

The middle-aged man looked much younger than Tanaka, likely in his early forties. He had a tall, sturdy build, full features, and spirited eyes. There was a cleft in the middle of his round chin, and he was stuffing food into his mouth with a large face.

It seemed this was the Criminal Investigation Division Chief of Otsuka Station, Section Chief Sudo.

Uesugi Muneyuki gave him a nickname in his heart, deciding to call him Sudo-butt.

Who told him to have a chin that looked so much like a butt?

Very good, Tanaka Laodeng, Kuwabara Mako, Sudo-butt!

Our Otsuka Station Criminal Investigation Division is truly full of talent; how gratifying, how gratifying.

"Oh, you must be little brother Uesugi, right? Nice to meet you, I'm Sudo." Sudo-butt enthusiastically waved at Uesugi Muneyuki, signaling him to sit next to him, and then said to the proprietress: "Mixed-grill, green onion, and modern-style, one rice plate for each of them, and I'll have one fried noodle."

"Little brother Uesugi, see what you want to eat, order whatever you like. The Section Chief is paying today." Tanaka Laodeng was very blunt: "He also wants to thank you!"

The seniority and hierarchy system in Japan was full of feudal dregs, where seniors held absolute authority and control over juniors. Uesugi Muneyuki himself complained about this constantly. In the Department of Surgery, the thing he couldn't stand most was the medical seniors' favorite line: "Are you questioning a senior's diagnosis?"

Once these words were spoken, if one didn't want to challenge the entire hospital or even the medical field, one had to bow their head.

But compared to the Koreans, the Japanese seniority system still retained some advantages of Confucian culture. For example, while seniors enjoyed the rights of seniors, they also bore the obligation to promote and look after their juniors. In some situations, seniors had to protect their juniors and speak up for them. At the same time, going out for dinner and activities was basically always paid for by the seniors.

For example, the senior Mori from Etajima would bully you fiercely, hit you with a spirit-injection stick, and mock you with words, but he would also tuck you in, charge in front of you to protect his juniors during battle, pay for outings, and if you didn't have a wife, he would introduce you to a young lady from a branch of the Peerage.

The military seniors of the Koreans just wanted you to die.

However, if you put it that way, the Koreans' Park Kaka and General Chun were actually true successors to the Japanese seniors; as long as you followed them firmly, they would give you good treatment. Following a big brother meant having meat to eat.

"One order of salt-grilled cartilage, one order of ginger-fried pork, one order of beef udon stir-fry, and another bottle of Coca-Cola." Uesugi Muneyuki ordered a few dishes casually and was not polite: "Ice cold."

It is worth mentioning that in Japan, Coca-Cola held an absolute dominant position among carbonated drinks, and Pepsi could only be affiliated with Suntory Beverages and distributed by them.

Uesugi Muneyuki expressed his appreciation for this; anyone who liked Pepsi was a heretic!

"Cheers!"

After a while, the dishes were all served, and the three detectives and one Forensic Pathologist toasted.

"This time, really, really, really want to thank you, little brother Uesugi." Men, after eating a few bites and downing two beers, the atmosphere immediately became lively. Section Chief Sudo personally poured a glass of shochu for Uesugi Muneyuki: "Yesterday, the commendation from the Metropolitan Police Department came down. The entire Criminal Investigation Division, especially the three of us, received a letter of appreciation from the Metropolitan Police Department!"

"That's right, commending us for our effective case handling. All three cases from April to May were solved in a single day." Police Sergeant Kuwabara nodded excitedly: "The higher-ups are very appreciative of our performance."

"Can't help it, the four of us are just too strong!" Tanaka Laodeng raised his arm triumphantly: "Cheers to five days of paid leave!"

"Cheers~" Uesugi Muneyuki also raised his mug, calm and composed.

The Section Chief, unit chiefs, and members of the Criminal Investigation Division who were mainly responsible for handling these three cases all received five days of paid leave.

"Come to think of it, I don't even know when my last day off was." Kuwabara Mako took the initiative to start the conversation: "Busy, busy all day long, so tired~"

"Heh, you call this tired? Young people really haven't suffered. Do you know that when I was young, I once spent an entire month continuously chasing a criminal? The apartment manager didn't see me return for a month, the electric and water meters hadn't moved a bit, and he thought I was dead!" Tanaka Laodeng chuckled and patted his subordinate on the shoulder: "What's your current work intensity compared to ours?"

"Exactly, exactly." Sudo pulled Uesugi Muneyuki over: "Look at our little brother Uesugi here, dealing with corpses, working overtime on payday, not a single word of complaint from start to finish. That's how young people should be."

"That's enough, no matter how hard we work at these local branches, we can't compare to the Metropolitan Police Department." Kuwabara Mako looked dejected: "They just have to sit in an office to get promoted regularly, but us? I'd be lucky if I could reach Assistant Police Inspector before fifty. Amitabha, Amitabha, Hachiman Great Bodhisattva!"

"Well, after all, the Field Unit and the Administrative Unit are different. If you had the ability, you would have tested into the Metropolitan Police Department and wouldn't have ended up at a local branch." Sudo dismissed Kuwabara's dejection: "Since you're already doing it, cheer up, you idiot!"

"Section Chief, do you know a lot about the Metropolitan Police Department?" Uesugi Muneyuki became interested.

"Well, I do know a thing or two." Hearing his little brother was interested, Sudo immediately perked up; this guy clearly liked to play the teacher: "Recently, there's definitely going to be another batch of high-level officials from headquarters transferred out."

In the police world, all the elites are in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the Osaka Police Department, with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department being the most important. The true elites are all bunched up there, and no one is willing to leave Sakuradamon—the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Department.

"Why?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked curiously: "What happened?"

"It's very simple. The term of the previous Superintendent General, Superintendent General Hakuba, has ended, and the next Superintendent General has already been selected as Deputy Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, Assistant Commissioner Watanabe Eiji. Deputy Commissioner General Watanabe comes from the Criminal Investigation Department, so his rise will inevitably lead to a wave of personnel adjustments." Sudo shook his head: "Deputy Commissioner General Watanabe is a powerful figure in the Criminal Investigation faction, having served as Section Chief of Investigation Division 1, Criminal Investigation Department Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, Criminal Investigation Bureau Chief of the National Police Agency, and Deputy Commissioner General of the National Police Agency."

Watanabe Eiji? Uesugi Muneyuki felt like he had heard this name before.

Oh right, wasn't this the police elite who attended an event hosted by his father and was one of the very few who would actually go to the scene to investigate while holding the high position of Section Chief of Investigation Division 1 at the Metropolitan Police Department?

"Yes, that's right, it's him." The wrinkles on Sudo's face smoothed out: "This time, our Criminal Investigation faction has finally won!"

"Wait, wait! What does the Criminal Investigation faction mean?" Uesugi Muneyuki quickly signaled for Sudo to slow down.

"Oh right, you don't know." Sudo suddenly realized: "Then I must tell little brother Uesugi about it."

"The Superintendent General is the highest official of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, located at the very top of the pyramid of 60,000 police officers in Tokyo. Even in the entire police world, it is second only to the level of the Commissioner of the National Police Agency, but since the Commissioner of the National Police Agency is a Political Official directly appointed by the Cabinet, the Superintendent General is the ultimate peak of the police rank for us 380,000 police officers."

"This position is generally held by three types of factions: the Criminal Investigation faction, meaning those from a criminal investigation background; the Public Security faction, meaning those from an intelligence and special operations background; and the last type called 'Kantei Puppet', meaning those who have had no prior contact with police affairs but are directly appointed as Superintendent General." Sudo summarized: "Watanabe Eiji-san is from the Criminal Investigation faction, so we in the Criminal Investigation Department's Criminal Investigation Division should have more opportunities for promotion in the next two and a half years, while many from other factions will certainly be transferred out."

"Generally speaking, is it possible for transferred elites to return to the Metropolitan Police Department?" Uesugi Muneyuki understood.

"Occasionally, but the probability is very small. Basically, once you are transferred to a local branch, your career is as good as dead." Tanaka Laodeng picked up a large piece of pork, pairing it with lettuce and shochu: "Unless there is a major achievement and a personal appointment from above, good heavens, who would risk their neck to appoint a failure?"

"Tanaka!" Sudo suddenly realized he had said a bit too much. He didn't know why, but he always felt that Uesugi Muneyuki had an infectious charm when he spoke, and he couldn't help but want to answer his questions. He quickly changed the subject: "Come to think of it, Deputy Commissioner General Watanabe... uh, he will be Superintendent General Watanabe soon, he has a super beautiful daughter. A beauty, a great beauty, even we here who aren't in the Metropolitan Police Department know about her."

"That's right, that's the beauty known as the 'Face of the Metropolitan Police Department'. Section Chief, did you see her when you went to headquarters last time?" Kuwabara Mako made a lecherous expression.

"Tch, I'm already a father of two." Sudo shook his head repeatedly, then remembered something: "Hey, Tanaka, come to think of it, Deputy Commissioner General Watanabe is just like you, he only has one daughter, and he's only 3 years older than you, he's only 50 this year."

"The only thing that's the same is having one daughter!" Tanaka Laodeng squinted: "What kind of background does he have? Deputy Commissioner General Watanabe's father was once the President of National Railways, and his second uncle was once the Minister of Health and Welfare. Are you a match for that? I think, among us, only little brother Uesugi, a descendant of a Noble Peerage, has a chance!"

"Face of the Metropolitan Police Department?" Uesugi Muneyuki remained calm: "What is her name?"

"Her name is Watanabe Minami, Personnel Division 1 of the Metropolitan Police Department, Police Inspector."

Watanabe, Minami?

Uesugi Muneyuki felt like he had heard this name from his mother.

Could the main family have any connection with them?

Updated, please vote for me~

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(End of this chapter)