Chapter 155: The Metropolitan Police Department is Finished!

Judging from the phone call Uesugi Muneyuki received, Saito Asuka could generally sense that this case was quite urgent. The girl respectfully saw Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena out, then continued to clean the house.

Today was originally the weekend, a day off from school and work, which was why that tall, fat woman dared to stay the night, but judging from Uesugi-sensei's reaction, this matter was no small thing!

The Chosen Girl thought of this and slightly pouted her little lips.

Uesugi-sensei is really busy!

Saito Asuka had originally been prepared to use her only asset—her body—to trade for the right to survive from Uesugi-sensei.

She knew this was terrible; she knew this was not what her sister had wanted while she was alive.

But this was all she had, and Uesugi-sensei was an exceptionally outstanding person in every sense! No wonder that whenever he asked her out, her sister would prioritize the date even if it meant skipping work... That was a Peerage handsome man, after all!

The girl wondered to herself how her sister had even met Uesugi-sensei.

Life after moving into the Tower Mansion was almost perfect for Saito Asuka. The girl was very satisfied with her current life of warmth, safety, and tranquility; she didn't have to work, didn't have to worry about hunger or cold, and didn't have to constantly worry about the future... Behind her were Uesugi Muneyuki's warm and solid arms. Only inside the Tower Mansion could the girl feel like she had a home.

What she liked most was the warm and sweet world for two when Uesugi Muneyuki was at home. Uesugi-sensei would keep her company and talk, the two of them would sit on the sofa watching TV together, and they would eat at the table together; this greatly satisfied her spiritual needs.

However, Uesugi Muneyuki was very busy, especially after he officially joined the Metropolitan Police Department during this period. As a Special Mission Unit Special Consultant, Uesugi Muneyuki went out early every morning and didn't get home until seven or eight in the evening. The time the two spent together had decreased significantly, not to mention when he encountered cases, sometimes returning in the middle of the night.

Just once at the end of April, Saito Asuka had prepared a meal and was waiting at home for Uesugi Muneyuki to return for dinner. As a result, she reheated it three times in total, and she fell asleep on the sofa waiting for him, only for Uesugi Muneyuki to return in the early hours of the morning.

Seeing that the girl was still waiting for him to come home for dinner, the man felt very sorry for her. From that day on, Uesugi Muneyuki would tell the girl in advance every day whether he would be home for dinner, and if something came up temporarily, he would call the home landline to tell her he wouldn't be home for dinner that day.

Regarding this behavior of Uesugi-sensei, Asuka secretly felt delighted, viewing it as a major victory for herself.

Life in the Tower Mansion was very comfortable, and the work of a Housekeeper could not be called tiring at all. Asuka had known how to do housework since she was very young; the house had a vacuum cleaner, a dishwasher, and a washing machine, so the daily chores could be finished very quickly.

Uesugi-sensei, he still really needs me, after all.

The girl always felt a sense of accomplishment when doing housework.

Isn't this just like a married couple~

She suddenly had an impulse and walked from the living room to her own room by the entrance. On the door hung a nameplate that read "Saito Asuka," indicating that this was the girl's own room.

Saito Asuka looked up and stared at the kanji that Uesugi Muneyuki had written himself on the nameplate. She could feel a faint happiness from the thick, powerful brushstrokes. Looking at this line of text, she could almost feel Uesugi-sensei looking at her and stroking her little head.

In a daze, the nameplate hanging on the door seemed to have changed slightly.

Saito Asuka's "Saito" was replaced by "Uesugi."

And the "Asuka" that followed also slowly changed into "Asuka" (written as 'Flying Bird').

After all, Uesugi-sensei had said that 'asuka' could be written as 'Tomorrow's Fragrance', or it could be written as 'Flying Bird'!

If he likes 'Flying Bird', of course I can change my name to 'Flying Bird', but the surname in front...

That seems very difficult, right?

Will I be able to be with Uesugi-sensei in the future?

Am I qualified to be with Uesugi-sensei?

Is Uesugi-sensei willing to be with me?

He... seems... Thinking of that big-breasted cow, Saito Asuka gestured in front of her own chest, comparing it to her own "small steamed buns," and felt like crying but had no tears.

There's absolutely nothing there!

When will I be able to develop, when will I be able to grow up like that tall, fat policewoman!

At the thought of the noisy sounds from last night, the girl inexplicably felt very uncomfortable.

She could feel that Uesugi-sensei did not treat her as a woman!

However, compared to that tall, fat policewoman, the girl really had no confidence to compete.

If that's the case, if that's the case, will I be kicked out by her one day in the future!

Saito Asuka had a little sense of crisis in her heart, but there was nothing she could do now. Not only that, she still had to clean the ruins of last night's ancient battlefield, wash the sheets, and change the pillowcases.

Housekeeper Ashūshū thought this to herself as she opened the door to Uesugi Muneyuki's room.

The scene before her eyes left Saito Asuka stunned.

In Uesugi Muneyuki's room, there is someone?!

Borrowing the morning sunlight, a figure stood in Uesugi Muneyuki's room, and the figure before her eyes slowly became clear.

An elegant long dress, soft flowing hair, skin like ice and bones like jade, a soul-stirring pure white, and a peerless face so dazzling it was blinding.

Is it Bai Chuan Mai?!

The National Goddess, Uesugi-sensei's senior, Lady Bai Chuan Mai, actually appeared here!

This, how is this possible?

Bai Chuan Mai, when did she come? She had never seen her enter her house at all?!

Saito Asuka was shocked. She stared at Bai Chuan Mai just like that, and the other party also looked at her quietly. She could feel that the gaze was full of relief, pity, and joy.

Not an illusion?!

The girl then reached out and rubbed her eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, Bai Chuan Mai was gone, just as if she had never appeared at all.

As expected, it was an illusion!

Saito Asuka wondered if she hadn't slept well last night; that fat woman had screamed too loudly!

Ah, it's the pajamas Uesugi-sensei changed out of!

Saito Asuka secretly picked up the man's pajamas and gently sniffed the scent on them, her little face gradually turning bright red.

I'll wash them later.

……………………

On their day off, Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena were forced to rush to the Sakuradamon Metropolitan Police Department headquarters.

Uesugi Muneyuki complained bitterly about this; he had wanted to have a good rest today, practice martial arts with Master Ikeda, and by the way, go find Senior Mai to continue his Hidden World Course!

Who knew that ever since he joined the Metropolitan Police Department, the overtime had been endless. He worked at least one to two hours of overtime on average every day, often couldn't rest for even one day a week, and the Autopsy and on-site investigation tasks were endless, which was simply enough to make one break down.

The only benefit was that with Miss Minami there, all the benefits were fully provided. Uesugi Muneyuki's overtime allowance for one hour of overtime was 3,000 yen. If he worked overtime past twelve o'clock at night, he could get an extra day of compensatory leave, and if he worked through the night, he could get an extra three days of compensatory leave.

Since he started his job in late April, Uesugi Muneyuki had earned over 150,000 yen in overtime pay alone.

The Metropolitan Police Department had no complaints about this—the man was truly capable of solving cases!

The benefits for field work were also excellent; if an overnight stay was required, the standard for hotels was 8,000 yen per night, and the meal allowance was 3,500 yen per day, meaning Uesugi Muneyuki didn't have to spend a single yen of his own money, as everything was arranged.

If Uesugi Muneyuki only felt these benefits were decent and still wanted some private time, then for Ikeda Erena, being seconded to the Special Mission Unit could not be described as just "decent"; the tall beauty was immensely satisfied with the treatment and benefits of the Special Mission Unit.

With these benefits as a safety net, all she could think about was work! She felt she could work all year round without a break!

"Was it about what Kousaka came to see you for yesterday?" Ikeda Erena asked while driving, the tall beauty unable to hold back her curiosity.

"Probably," Uesugi Muneyuki said, feeling torn between laughter and tears: "He shared a portion of the information on the Todai Case with me and asked for my opinion. I told Kousaka, I am a Forensic Pathologist! Not a detective! Mrs. Tsuda is neither seen alive nor dead; how would I know what actually happened?"

"Aren't you very good at finding bodies? Back when we were at Fuji TV?" Ikeda Erena said, following Uesugi Muneyuki's train of thought; she always had an inexplicable confidence in him.

"That was because Hironaka Mariko had never left the Odaiba Building!" Uesugi Muneyuki couldn't help but retort: "But we cannot confirm whether Mrs. Tsuda left the Oiwake Dormitory, because the dormitory has a complex flow of people, and there are at least four ways to leave the dormitory building without being caught on surveillance."

"I see." Erena thought to herself that she didn't understand technical matters: "Then what is your judgment?"

"I think we will know soon enough."

Uesugi Muneyuki stared at the Sakuradamon building, faintly visible in the distance, and said softly.

By the time Uesugi Muneyuki and Erena arrived at the Metropolitan Police Department, the place was already teeming with people, with large groups of men in suits acting as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Amidst the crowd of men in suits, Miss Minami stood gracefully at the front of the brigade; it was evident she had rushed over on short notice, her silk floral milk-white soft gauze mature-style dress swaying in the traffic, with long, slender calves wrapped in black translucent silk stockings beneath the hem, and beige high-heeled shoes accentuating her dainty steps—casual, cheerful, and at ease was her unique style.

If they occasionally met in private, she would gently lift her skirt and hum a little tune to share interesting things with Uesugi Muneyuki; one cold and stern, the other lively, the golden boy and jade girl were just like a scene from a movie.

But today, Miss Minami did not have the heart for that. When she saw the familiar Lexus pull into the Metropolitan Police Department, Miss Minami didn't even wait for the car to stop properly before rushing up: "Uesugi, hurry! Ikeda, you go park the car first!"

"What exactly is going on?" Uesugi Muneyuki was dragged out of the car by Miss Minami and followed her into the elevator.

Ten minutes later, in the Superintendent General's office.

"So that's it." Uesugi Muneyuki tossed the newspaper onto the table and said to Watanabe Eiji and Watanabe Minami opposite him: "In other words, if the Metropolitan Police Department cannot resolve this case quickly, the people from across the ocean are going to fly over?"

Watanabe Eiji was already restless and on edge, constantly adjusting his posture in his comfortable Superintendent General's chair. The throne of the Superintendent General, which was usually comparable to a fully automatic massage chair, now felt like a golden throne draining his Soul: "Uesugi, this is no time for jokes! You know! I am also a graduate of the Tokyo University Faculty of Law!"

"Right, you are, and so is Okada, as well as Shiratori from the Second Division, Kashiwagi from the Third Subsection, and I recall the current Commissioner Kaneko of the National Police Agency is as well." Uesugi Muneyuki was very calm: "Is it Department Manager Mouri who was just transferred to the Chiba Prefectural Police Headquarters to serve as Headquarters Chief?"

"He is from Keio." Miss Minami realized that when she was speechless, she would truly laugh: "Uesugi! This is not the time to talk about that; this is a moment of life and death for us!"

"Us?" Uesugi Muneyuki narrowed his eyes.

"There's a leak inside the Metropolitan Police Department!" Miss Minami pointed at the newspaper on the table: "As you can see, this matter at Todai has already caught the attention of the United States, and the leak of information only occurred after the Division Chief intervened in the investigation. Do you know what this means? It means if the matter cannot be resolved properly, everything is over!"

"Over?!" Uesugi Muneyuki still didn't understand: "There's no evidence it was a leak from this headquarters, right? It could also be from Todai's side!"

"I've received over a dozen calls from Todai alumni since this morning, from the Chief Cabinet Secretary to the Party Three Roles, from the Mitsubishi Group to Nippon Life, from the Tokyo Central Bank to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs!" Watanabe Eiji's hands were shaking slightly: "If the Metropolitan Police Department cannot handle this well, we will all be finished! I am the Superintendent General, I am the person primarily responsible. Uesugi, do you think I can just get by with bowing and saying 'I'm sorry' after something like this happens?"

"Uesugi-kun, the Metropolitan Police Department will have a mass resignation of senior officials because of this, and the Special Mission Unit we worked so hard to build will also go down the drain." Miss Minami was also anxious: "Without Father at the helm, all the efforts you and I have made will be for nothing! Uesugi, this is our life's work!"

"I see... I understand." Uesugi Muneyuki finally understood how troublesome this matter was: "Then let's establish a Special Investigation Headquarters and conduct an investigation!"

"The key to the problem is, how do we investigate? To what extent?" Watanabe Eiji stomped his feet in anxiety: "The situation is, we have to investigate, but we can't investigate too seriously; we have to solve the case, but we can't solve it too thoroughly; we have to give the Americans a satisfactory result, but we can't let the Americans actually get their wish and have an excuse to interfere in the internal affairs of my Todai."

Understood. It seems Watanabe Eiji also knew that there were many shady accounts within his alma mater.

Not investigating is not an option, because if you don't, the Americans will help you investigate; investigating too seriously is also not an option, as the pressure from Todai is already right in the face of the Metropolitan Police Department!

"So, Uesugi-kun, what exactly did Kousaka say to you that day? Can you tell us?" Miss Minami, in her anxiety, took the initiative to reach out and hold Uesugi Muneyuki's large hand, saying with extreme earnestness: "I beg you!"

"Kousaka did indeed come to me that day to talk about this case. He shared some of the case details with me and then asked for my opinion..." Uesugi Muneyuki stated the facts: "I told him I am a Forensic Pathologist, not a detective, but we analyzed it and discovered that Professor Tsuda seemed unwilling to let the Metropolitan Police Department continue the investigation and sought out Todai's high-level network. Sure enough, when Kousaka went to report to Division Chief Oshima, he received orders to follow Normal Procedure."

"I didn't know about any of this!" Watanabe Eiji slammed the table in anger, then stared at Uesugi Muneyuki: "Do you... think it could be Kousaka who leaked the information?"

"I cannot be certain of that." Uesugi Muneyuki frowned: "But I feel his deduction is that something happened to Mrs. Tsuda, and Professor Tsuda might know something. This whole family is suspicious, if it's true that the couple they are investigating has financial problems."

"Kousaka has always been very ambitious." Miss Minami was thoughtful: "He likes to make bold deductions and then carefully verify them."

"Regardless of who leaked the information, we at the Metropolitan Police Department must not admit it at this time." Watanabe Eiji nodded coldly; he hadn't suspected Uesugi Muneyuki: "Regardless of who leaked it, Uesugi, do you have any thoughts on this case?"

"I actually do have an idea." Combining his previous chat with Erena, a special plan emerged in Uesugi Muneyuki's mind.

I have a plan!

"We can use a special method to test how much Professor Tsuda actually knows about his wife's disappearance."

"Then we will decide the direction of the investigation based on his reaction."

"Go on!" Watanabe Eiji and Watanabe Minami's eyes both lit up.

This kid Uesugi always manages to bring us infinite surprises!

"We can do it like this..."

(End of chapter)