Chapter 169: I Want Him!

Watanabe Eiji knows this person.

Sugishita Ukyo, 56 years old, a graduate of the Tokyo University Faculty of Law, entered the Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division 2 early on to work on economic crimes. He is wise, calm, and highly capable in execution. He is not tall, always wears his hair in a slicked-back style, likes to brew black tea, and was once married but has no children, having since divorced his wife.

Sugishita Ukyo achieved quite good results early on in Investigation Division 2, but his colleagues did not think highly of him. To use the words of the current Investigation Division 2 Chief, Duan Zhi Da Hui, Sugishita Ukyo's investigative style is "polite, but utterly disrespectful." He spends his days testing the boundaries between legal and illegal investigations; a person like him should be working in Public Security rather than as a detective.

However, even so, Sugishita Ukyo has solved a large number of difficult cases. Like Uesugi Muneyuki, he is a very troublesome but quite capable person.

The main reason Sugishita Ukyo only reached the rank of Police Superintendent at 56 is that, during the "Ambassador's Residence Hijacking Incident" some years ago, he was seconded to the Special Investigation Headquarters for the emergency. However, at the critical moment, he refused the order to launch a direct assault, advocating instead for negotiations with the hijackers. This nearly caused the mission to fail, and a relative of a high-ranking official was also seriously injured.

In an organization like the Metropolitan Police Department, whether one executes orders at critical moments is a very important performance indicator. Because of this incident, Sugishita Ukyo not only lost his position in Investigation Division 2 and was demoted to the Life Safety Division, but he was also demoted from Police Inspector to Assistant Police Inspector.

Therefore, as a dignified member of the Tokyo University Faculty of Law Career Track, Sugishita Ukyo only became the Section Chief of the Life Safety Division at 56. Having sat on the bench in the Life Safety Division for nearly 30 years, he is known as the "Eccentric of the Isolated Island."

"I know him." Watanabe Eiji put down the file. The Director General frowned. Sugishita Ukyo is even older than him; after sitting on the bench for 30 years, can he still return to hold such an important position as Investigation Division 1 Chief?

"Don't worry, trust me, Ukyo is a person of extreme ability. Furthermore, this time our police have pushed Tokyo University to this point, so we should appropriately express our apologies. Isn't there a press conference later? Uesugi-kun will surely speak his mind at the conference." Chief Cabinet Secretary Onoda said nonchalantly: "The older brother is from Tokyo University, Commissioner Kaneko is from Tokyo University, and you and I are both from Tokyo University. If we can make the Division 1 Chief also from the Tokyo University Faction, surely that can convey the sincerity of the Metropolitan Police Department, right?"

"The high-ranking officials he offended back then have all passed away now. I think we can give him another chance." Onoda's attitude was very sincere: "I suggest you take a look at his file. Aside from his habit of going to Ryotei and his lingering ties with his ex-wife, his file is very clean."

"Do you admire him that much?" Watanabe Eiji put down the file.

"A detective's duty is to obey orders. On this point, he was wrong and I was right. However, the police organization should take the protection of the citizens' bodies, lives, and property as its primary principle. On this point, he was right and I was wrong. Him serving as Division 1 Chief is a compromise."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Onoda did not force Watanabe Eiji to give a decision right now. Even though his older brother is the Chief Cabinet Secretary, he cannot challenge Watanabe Eiji's current status, which is at its zenith.

"Should the police take the citizens' bodies, lives, and property as the primary principle?" Onoda left, and Watanabe Eiji sat in his seat, pondering. He vaguely recalled the passionate, burning years when he first joined the Metropolitan Police Department—the days of heroism and fearlessness, personally leading men to charge Yakuza strongholds at the docks in large-scale gunfights, and chasing criminals into villages deep in the mountains.

He had also once violated some internal organizational taboos due to a strong sense of justice, but back then his father and uncle were still around—one a President of National Railways, the other a Minister of Health and Welfare—and they could always ensure he was fine.

Now his father and uncle are both gone, and he himself is over fifty, having become much more slick and bureaucratic. However, whenever he thinks of those years of charging to the front lines to make arrests during gunfights, Watanabe Eiji still subconsciously reveals a smile.

Sugishita Ukyo is the version of himself that refused to compromise, and also the version of himself without a backer.

This person is quite upright, and the Investigation Division 1 Chief is the face of the Metropolitan Police Department. It is just that he is a bit old, but...

If the spring breeze has pity for the flowers, the white-haired head does not lose to the youth!

Moreover, this is indeed a signal to express apologies to Tokyo University...

After another while, Uesugi Muneyuki, Watanabe Minami, and the others returned to the Metropolitan Police Department. After a brief report, Uesugi Muneyuki left with Ikeda Erena, leaving only Watanabe Minami to find her father.

"Father! About the information leak!"

"I already know about this matter." Watanabe Eiji shook his head with a smile: "I will deal with Oshima. You just tell Uesugi-kun not to worry; the headquarters will definitely make him pay a sufficient price."

"As expected of Father!" Only then did Miss Minami breathe a sigh of relief. Avoiding a direct conflict between the Metropolitan Police Department and Uesugi Muneyuki is the most important thing Miss Minami needs to do.

"Alright, let's not talk about this for now. I have something to ask you. Minami, how are things between you and Uesugi-kun now? Have you decided?" Watanabe Eiji twirled the fountain pen in his hand, his expression gradually becoming serious.

"I..." Miss Minami thought of what had happened in the car earlier, and the blush that had just faded spread across her face again.

Damn it!

"You?" Seeing that his daughter seemed not to have made up her mind yet, Watanabe Eiji's expression became serious: "I must tell you, if Uesugi-kun only made a name for himself among the citizens before, then although this Todai Case doesn't have much impact on the citizens, it is different for the upper class. Even Chief Cabinet Secretary Onoda knows him and told me that he will ask Uesugi-kun for help with other matters in the future."

"If such a Uesugi-kun continues like this, the District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Team will soon notice him. If nothing goes wrong, various political and business factions will start introducing marriage candidates to him. Minami, there isn't much time left for us."

After speaking, Watanabe Eiji perhaps felt his tone wasn't heavy enough, so he emphasized: "Just now, Tokyo University sent an invitation for a banquet three days from now at the Hanami Ryotei in Chiyoda. They invited Commissioner Kaneko, me, and Uesugi-kun. From Tokyo University, there will be President Komiyama, Uesugi-kun's grandfather Senior Uesugi, Managing Director Kimoto who is in charge of finance for the School Board, and Department Head Furuya."

"Do you know what this means?"

Watanabe Eiji stood up, looking at the brilliant and magnificent night view of Tokyo.

Although he is currently a powerful Director General with infinite glory, in reality, the Watanabe Clan has already shown signs of decline by his generation. His father was equivalent to a full ministerial level, his uncle was equivalent to a deputy national level, and his uncle had no children. By his generation, the Director General of the Metropolitan Police Department is only equivalent to a deputy ministerial-level bureaucrat, and he is an Administrative Official, not a Political Official.

As for the daughter before him, Watanabe Eiji highly doubts she can reach the rank of Assistant Commissioner. No matter how idealistic, a female Police Superintendent is the limit. And by that time, he will have been retired for many years and won't be able to help.

Thus, the Watanabe Family's slide in class is almost inevitable.

"I think I like him!" Miss Minami hesitated for a moment, but still decided to huff: "I've decided, it has to be him!"

If Miss Minami still had room to withdraw before, then after what happened in the car, it was equivalent to her having already made her decision.

She wants him!

And only a male with such noble blood and talent is worthy of getting me pregnant, Kora!

"Very good, then I have a mission for you." Watanabe Eiji nodded, very satisfied. For a KPI Immortal like Uesugi Muneyuki, and with his daughter liking him, the father has no reason to object.

Moreover, his plan is not to marry his daughter off, but to bring Uesugi Muneyuki into the family!

He is a second son, after all!

"At the Ryotei five days from now, can you attend as Uesugi Muneyuki's official partner?"

……………………

Flowers bloom on two branches, each telling its own story; let us not discuss the conspiracy of the Watanabe father and daughter here.

By the time Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena arrived at Sakata Bridge, it was already 8:30 PM.

It must be said here that the working hours of Metropolitan Police Department detectives are truly very long. If it is not a slack department, basically, if you look for people at seven or eight in the evening, they are still there. If they encounter a major homicide case, it is the norm for detectives not to return home for many consecutive days. Some Police Sergeants and Assistant Police Inspectors in Investigation Division 1 often bring luggage to the Special Investigation Headquarters; if the case isn't solved, they don't go home for days or even weeks at a time.

Tanaka Laodeng once said that when he was young, he was out running around for a month once, and his landlord couldn't reach him and thought he had died, preparing to come over to reclaim the room.

So, strictly speaking, detectives can also be considered "corporate slaves," it's just that the benefits and allowances are better.

This is also a norm left over from Japan's economic take-off in the 1970s. In the 1950s and 60s, most Japanese households were dual-income, but with the economic take-off in the 70s, the Japanese discovered that one salary from a Regular Employee in the household was enough to support a family of four.

But at the same time, with the economic take-off, the work intensity also increased sharply. In the 70s and 80s, it was the norm for Japanese people to leave for work at six or seven in the morning and arrive home at eight or nine in the evening. It was actually 996ICU, but at the time the whole country was in full swing, and the wages were particularly high. The Japanese men of that time were full of beautiful expectations for the future and infinite drive to earn money, naturally working until they had no regrets, together creating the most beautiful era.

As for who did the work, it goes without saying: the wives returned to the home to become housewives.

The husband would return home from 996, eat a bite of food, lie down and watch TV for a while, and then be so tired that he had to sleep, being forced to be absent from the family role for long periods. Under these circumstances, it wouldn't work without a housewife.

So, contrary to stereotypes, the employment rate of Japanese women actually reached its historical peak in the 1950s and 60s, at about 65%-67%. As the economy began to take off in the 70s, the female employment rate actually dropped sharply, reaching its historical low in the 80s—a little over 40%. After the bubble economy burst, when it became difficult for a single-income household to support a family of five (husband, wife, children, and a dog), the female employment rate began to rise again, recovering to 50% around the year 2000, and then fluctuating in that range.

Uesugi Muneyuki has also felt this 996ICU feeling in recent days.

The money from the Metropolitan Police Department is not earned for free; there are simply too many annoying things and it is too busy.

But he is still enjoying it; after all, he still has the need to collect souls.

It's just that in this way, the time spent at home has become very little, almost the same as the Japanese men of the past: leaving in the morning and not arriving home until eight or nine in the evening.

When they officially entered the interior of the Sakata Bridge Tower and the two were waiting for the elevator in the underground garage, Ikeda Erena immediately leaned against Uesugi Muneyuki's side and then hooked her arm around his.

"Were you and the Section Chief doing bad things in the back seat just now?"

Master Eirina looked at Uesugi Muneyuki with a beaming smile, showing a rare look of cleverness: "Don't try to trick me! I'm not stupid! I know everything!"

Uesugi Muneyuki was amused by Eirina's attitude; this tall beauty was usually silly, but she was particularly sharp and clever when it came to matters between men and women.

Was this a blatant provocation, or a show of force?

But Eirina's next words still exceeded Uesugi Muneyuki's expectations.

"She only gets to enjoy it for a little while; for the rest of the night, it's all mine!" Eirina could barely control her expression of secret delight: "It's all mine!"

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Muneyuki couldn't stop chuckling.

She's still silly after all!

(End of this chapter)