Chapter 174: Ryotei Imperial Banquet

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Uesugi Muneyuki didn't understand what Mai meant at first; he thought Shirakawa Mai was implying that Hirate was also from the Inner World. It was only after Mai explained it more clearly that Uesugi Muneyuki realized Hirate Sarina had a big shot backing her.

In Japan, a lawmaker is equivalent to a vice-national-level high official. They receive a fixed monthly salary of 1.29 million yen from the Diet, a semi-annual bonus of 6.35 million yen, bringing their annual salary to as high as 22 million yen. On top of that, they get 1 million yen per month in tax-free official expenses to allocate freely, can live in a lawmaker residence in Akasaka for only 100,000 yen in rent (market value usually exceeds 500,000 yen), and enjoy unlimited travel on all JR lines in Japan plus four free domestic flights per year.

Furthermore, a lawmaker can appoint three secretaries: a policy secretary, a first secretary, and a first private secretary, with annual salaries of 10 million, 8 million, and 6 million yen respectively, all fully reimbursed. Many lawmakers leave these positions vacant or have their own children or relatives fill them.

This is a true big shot, and he is also one of the Party Three Roles, meaning he holds one of the three important positions just below the party chairman.

And everyone should understand, as mentioned before, that once one reaches the rank of Superintendent, they no longer rely entirely on their salary to get by; these big-shot lawmakers basically don't count on this salary to live.

According to Mai, Lawmaker Yuasa's son, Tangqian Yang, is a playboy. Akasaka was built up by this father-son duo. Tangqian Yang likes Hirate Sarina, whom he hand-picked, very much, and whenever there is an opportunity, he takes her to meet various big names. She has dined with the likes of Tamori, Takeshi Kitano, and Sanma Akashi. He has also introduced Hirate to the presidents of Soul Agency, Horipro, Ken-On, Toho, Oscar, Amuse, Sony, LesPros, and other major agencies, as well as NHK and the five major commercial television stations.

Over time, Hirate Sarina naturally felt she was someone of importance, and she looked down on an Old Nobility like Uesugi Muneyuki, who didn't graduate from the Imperial Seven Universities and whose family didn't even have a government department manager or a member of a large corporation's Board of Directors.

Who are you?

I am a superstar Idol who made it to Kohaku in my first year. You, a specially appointed Forensic Pathologist Advisor with a monthly salary of 280,000, can only be considered half a Police Inspector, right?

Why don't you become a Chief Physician and Specialist Physician before you talk to me?

"That doesn't really matter." Uesugi Muneyuki didn't care much about this. He thought to himself that he and this little Idol would probably only meet two or three times in this life, and they were on completely different paths with no intersection, so he would let her be arrogant if she wanted: "What exactly happened with that Mitsui matter?"

"Giggle, it's very simple!" Mai glanced at Uesugi lightly with no other change in expression, paused her two silk-stockinged legs that were crossed together, and turned to face Uesugi Muneyuki. Through her white shirt, those two beautiful, slender shoulder blades were still faintly visible.

She had a special ability shrouding her and Uesugi Muneyuki, so even in the park in front of the Odaiba Building, no one noticed them: "That matter is actually very simple. The young master of Sumitomo Mitsui fell in love with me at first sight at a banquet at the Imperial Hotel. He deliberately pestered me, arranged for a waiter to bring me drugged champagne, and then pretended to be drunk to try to force a kiss on me and get handsy. I initially thought he was also an Inner World person and investigated him, but it turned out he was just a reckless second-generation heir."

"But regardless of whether he was or not, he already had a path to death!"

"My arrangement was also very simple. I knew he was going to Nagoya for a business trip in three days, so I arranged for a Dongfeng heavy-duty truck from an undismantled shipping container in Yokohama to send him to the afterlife at just the right moment."

"Giggle, the Sumitomo Mitsui conglomerate was incredibly shocked by this. They demanded that the Nagoya Police Headquarters investigate strictly, but there was no one in the vehicle, no fingerprints, no license plate, and no records of highway entry or exit. No matter how hard they racked their brains, they couldn't find out it was murder, so they could only close the case as an accident."

"And the funniest thing is, this truck was actually imported by their own Sumitomo Mitsui conglomerate." Shirakawa Mai finished with a smile, then whispered in Uesugi Muneyuki's ear like a demon: "You wouldn't report me, would you? Junior?"

"Even if I wanted to report you, I don't have any evidence!" Uesugi Muneyuki rolled his eyes, and he felt he understood Mai a little: "Given your personality, Senior, there must have been a sufficient reason for you to kill someone, right?"

"I am a person with principles. For bad guys, I have three 'must-kills': first, those who intentionally kill the innocent; second, drug traffickers; and third, those who rape and kill minors. As long as I encounter these three types of situations, I will take action. Junior, guess how many of these crimes this Mitsui Takamatsu committed?"

"The third one?" Uesugi Muneyuki swallowed hard. He knew he had also almost been killed by Mai; if he had made a move on Saito Asuka that night, it would have touched upon parts of the third situation.

"The answer is, he committed all three!"

Mai smiled and held up three fingers: "So there was a reason I had to take action! He's about to 'hit the jackpot'~"

Hearing her tone, Uesugi Muneyuki knew that Mai had let more than a few people "hit the jackpot" and sent them off to start a life in an alternate world from zero. He wanted to ask, but didn't know how to ask.

"Hoo~" After saying this, Mai suddenly leaned on Uesugi Muneyuki's shoulder, looking quite exhausted, and pulled him to sit on a bench in Odaiba Park, resting her head on his shoulder: "Let me lean on you, okay?"

"What's wrong, are you tired?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked.

"I... Junior, do you know? Except for you, I have no way to tell these things to anyone else." Mai smiled bitterly with exhaustion: "Now, finally having someone I can confide in and communicate with, it's really good."

"Actually, I know it's quite dangerous to proactively reveal myself to you, especially for the dark forest that is the Inner World."

"But I have been lonely for too long. If I don't find someone I can confide in, I really..."

The white shirt clung to her body, looking impossibly slender and delicate around her willow waist. The hem of her pure black skirt extended from her waist and hips down to her ankles. Below, her calves, which were already smooth and delicate, looked even more lustrous and beautiful wrapped in silk stockings. Because Mai was sitting in a half-twisted position, the flesh-colored silk stockings were stretched tight against her elastic, beautiful legs. Two sexy stocking folds were clearly visible near her ankles. On the surface of her white pointed high-heeled shoes, the blue veins on her smooth feet were visible through the thin silk stockings, looking incredibly sexy, making Uesugi Muneyuki feel a bit unable to control himself.

He knew that Senior had taken a huge risk by proactively revealing to him that she was also an Inner World existence, but if she didn't find a confidant and partner in the Inner World, her mental pressure would soon reach its limit. She wasn't like Uesugi Muneyuki, who could communicate directly with Dead Souls and Cursed Grudges; she had always been alone, lonely to the point of madness. The only master she had ever worked with, who was also an Inner World existence, had been killed by her own hands because he wanted to kill her.

He proactively took Mai's jade hand, clasped it with both hands, and said with a smile: "Isn't that the reason we've joined forces? From now on, if you have anything you want to confide in me, just come to me!"

"Heh, you say that as if you have the right to refuse!" After a brief moment of weakness, Mai was full of strength again: "Let me tell you, we have already signed a Contract and share our Chakra! You have to listen whether you want to or not! You have no right to refuse!"

"Alright, alright~ alright!" Uesugi Muneyuki played along seriously, saluting Mai in his arms: "Loyal! To! You!"

"Giggle giggle~" Mai was amused by Uesugi Muneyuki and saluted him in the same manner: "Loyal~ to~ you!"

Having someone to talk to and confide in, it's really good.

……………………

After finishing the business at Fuji TV and welcoming the return of Hironaka Mariko, Uesugi Muneyuki had to rush to prepare for the Ryotei trip to the University of Tokyo.

This Ryotei banquet was extremely grand and serious. The venue was the Hanami Ryotei located in Chiyoda Ward, which is said to have a history of over three hundred years, existing since the mid-Edo period.

And what was worth complaining about was that this Ryotei was an industry held by the Head of the Alliance of the Kanto Shrine Alliance, which was something Mai had "inherited" from her master.

So, it goes to show that the upper class of Japan is always just this group of people.

On the day of the banquet, Uesugi Muneyuki set off from Sakata Bridge. He rarely changed into a traditional black kimono, with the blue Uesugi bamboo-sparrow family crest printed on his arms and back. With a Folding Fan hanging at his chest, paired with his cold temperament, he looked even more extraordinary, handsome, and dashing.

At least Saito Asuka and Ikeda Erena, who helped him change, had stars in their eyes.

As dusk fell, dyeing the deep alleys of Chiyoda Ward in a shade of indigo, Uesugi Muneyuki arrived in front of the black lacquered wooden gate. The three characters for 【Hanami】 on the noren fluttered slightly, reflected by the paper lanterns in the courtyard. A layer of faint sunset glow covered the dry landscape garden, the turtle-shell patterned gravel formed waves of ice crystals, and the dark fragrance of a weeping plum tree drifted onto the veranda, mixed with the scent of charcoal fire.

"Welcome! Are you Mr. Uesugi Muneyuki, who has a reservation?"

"Yes." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded.

"Please come to Tsuru no Ma." The crane pattern on the proprietress's Tomesode Kimono brushed past the gold-leaf cloud patterns on the shoji door. The tatami mats exuded the cold fragrance of rush grass as she took the initiative to lead Uesugi Muneyuki through the corridor.

However, after only a few steps, Uesugi Muneyuki heard a sound behind him. He turned his head and suddenly felt his heart pounding.

Miss Minami?

Perhaps because today's Ryotei banquet was particularly important, Miss Minami had specially dressed up today. Her long, black, beautiful hair was piled high behind her head. Her slender, curved willow eyebrows, high and straight nose, and bright lipstick on her full lips made her intellectual and sweet face look flawless and exquisitely moving with just a touch of makeup.

Her tabi-clad feet tapped on the floor under her cherry-blossom-colored Furisode Kimono. The seven-layered gradient cherry-blossom Furisode brushed against the corridor pillars, and the gold-lacquered peonies that had been sleeping for a hundred years flowed down along the folds of her clothes, setting off her willow waist to be slender and charming, looking very soft.

A snow-blue obi tied up her triple-layered dew-patterned undergarment, with mother-of-pearl carved falling cherry blossoms on the outermost layer, swaying gently with her posture as she stood still gazing at the flying snow. It wrapped around her petite and exquisite body, and the coral tassels hanging from her hair brushed against her neck, leaving pale pink ripples on her skin.

Is this Miss Minami?

Uesugi Muneyuki was a bit stunned. Yes, he was used to seeing her in her police uniform and casual clothes, and seeing her in a kimono for the first time, she really had the vibe of a traditional Japanese young lady!

Encountering Uesugi Muneyuki here, a moving smile appeared on Watanabe Minami's beautiful, sweet face, and a flush gradually spread from her snow-white neck. It was clear that she was also very excited to happen to run into Uesugi Muneyuki wearing a kimono.

"What, haven't you seen me dressed like this?" As soon as Miss Minami spoke, she felt a thick sense of shyness, so she deliberately acted a bit stronger: "Muneyuki-kun, it's very impolite to stare like that!"

"I see you in your police uniform or casual western-style plaid skirt and beret every day. This is the first time I've seen you, Miss Minami, in a kimono. I have to say, it suits you very well." Uesugi Muneyuki laughed: "A Yamato Nadeshiko-style Miss Minami?"

"Tsk tsk, Muneyuki-kun, you're not bad yourself. A Feudal Lord Peerage on a Sankin-kotai?" Watanabe Minami lowered her head shyly, her small feet in snow-white tabi instinctively shrinking into the hem of her kimono. She wasn't wearing silk stockings today and wasn't used to it.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"The other guests have already taken their seats. Please take your seats, you two." The proprietress, wearing a Tomesode Kimono, said with a playful look at the golden boy and jade girl, then pulled open the paper door of Tsuru no Ma.

Both the University of Tokyo side and the Metropolitan Police Department side had arrived, waiting only for the two of them.

Uesugi Muneyuki nodded, but just as he was about to step into the Tsuru no Ma first, Miss Minami suddenly quickened her pace and then took the initiative to hold his hand.

Hm?!

(End of chapter)