Chapter 191: Uesugi Muneyuki, the Man Who Silenced Everyone

When it comes to promissory notes, there is a case everyone is relatively familiar with: the Jang Yeong-ja fraud case in "The Fifth Republic."

During the Fifth Republic era, Jang Yeong-ja leveraged her special relationship with the Chun Doo-hwan family to proactively approach large corporations in urgent need of capital, promising to provide massive loans; in exchange, however, the companies were required to issue "promissory notes" worth many times the loan amount.

Once Jang Yeong-ja obtained these notes, she would immediately sell them off at a discount on the secondary market to recoup large amounts of cash.

When these notes matured, the companies would naturally be unable to honor them and would immediately fall to the brink of bankruptcy. At this point, Jang Yeong-ja would approach the companies again, telling them she could help repay these notes, but only if they issued even more notes as repayment. If these companies did not want to go bankrupt right then and there, they had no choice but to drink poison to quench their thirst, leaving themselves at Jang Yeong-ja's mercy.

The same logic applied to banks. Jang Yeong-ja used her special relationship with Chun Doo-hwan to act as an intermediary for banks and companies to issue "promissory notes," but she secretly demanded that the banks issue her notes far exceeding the collateral amount, then discounted and sold these notes to other companies.

In less than two years, Jang Yeong-ja defrauded a total of 7.1 trillion won (equivalent to 9.7 billion USD in 1982), nearly causing all of South Korea's banks to go bankrupt collectively, with a bad debt ratio as high as 30%-40%.

South Korea's approach is a classic East Asian style; I believe everyone has heard of "triangular debt," "H-Group commercial paper," or "Di-Chain." Let me say here, the only place that played with promissory notes to such a high and elaborate degree is Japan.

Yes, back in the Showa era, Japan allowed all companies to freely issue "promissory notes"—even a ramen shop was allowed to; it was permitted without bank guarantees, and anyone could issue them.

As for whether this thing could guarantee that one would actually get money when it matured?

No one guaranteed it.

If this situation were allowed to happen in the United States, on the first day, every American would over-issue promissory notes worth 114,514 times their annual salary to use directly as money, and on the second day, three hundred million Americans would collectively declare bankruptcy and evade their debts.

Only a place like Japan, with its extremely strong collectivism and a culture that views personal morality and shame as life itself, where individual business owners proactively shoulder unlimited liability, could manage such a loophole-ridden system and even turn it into an important pillar of economic take-off.

Heh heh, there are still too many rule-abiding Japanese people; the rigid and conservative character of the Japanese determines that they will do everything in their power to pay off their accounts on time.

If everyone is committing fraud, it means no one is committing fraud; that is why promissory notes can have room to survive in a place like Japan (though more and more problems with notes have emerged since the Heisei era).

This is also why many Japanese small and medium-sized enterprise owners commit suicide once they go bankrupt; because in such a situation, they have at least ten times the amount of their bank loans in promissory notes waiting to be honored outside!

In the car, Okada Masayoshi described the issue of promissory notes in detail. The son of the Financial Services Agency Commissioner whispered: "So there is almost no doubt, the accountant's suicide is definitely problematic."

At the same time, Investigation Division 1 Chief Sugishita Ukyo also calmly said the exact same thing to all members of Investigation Division 1, yet his judgment was even more radical: "Without a doubt, it is murder!"

The many detectives from the Second, Third, and Fourth Units of Investigation Division 1 remained silent for a long time after hearing Sugishita Ukyo's description.

They had learned for the first time the true capability of this new Division Chief.

As expected of someone from the Second Division, he is very knowledgeable about the financial sector.

But when Investigation Division 1 arrived at the Ebara Police Station, the police station was extremely uncooperative!

"Our station has already finished the investigation, Division Chief Sugishita," Chief Kurosu said coldly. "This is not a major case at all, and we did not request assistance from Investigation Division 1. We don't have time to waste on a case that has already been closed!"

"We have many other cases to investigate!"

"Please return, everyone from Investigation Division 1. We will report and explain this to the Criminal Investigation Department Chief afterwards!"

The Ebara Station's immediate, exceptionally tough attitude was something the big shots of Investigation Division 1 had not expected.

"Please be quiet!" Sugishita Ukyo frowned, trying to get the detectives of Ebara Station to listen to him.

"Waste of time!" "Please don't increase our workload, Headquarters!" "Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're from Headquarters..."

Just then, the conference room door opened.

In walked Uesugi Muneyuki, the newly appointed Special Appointed Forensic Officer of the Special Investigation Division, Criminal Investigation Division 1, Metropolitan Police Department, with his hands behind his back.

The entire room went from clamorous to deathly silent immediately.

"It's that man!" An old detective below swallowed hard: "How did the Metropolitan Police Department send him here?"

"Which man? Is that Uesugi Muneyuki?" A newly hired Patrol Officer asked in a low voice: "What does his arrival represent?"

"The Special Mission Unit has arrived, which means this case is going to be troublesome."

Uesugi Muneyuki entered the Special Investigation Headquarters with his hands behind his back. Behind him, Ikeda Erena, a tall beauty in a suit and skirt, slammed the table: "Sit down!"

Not a single detective in the entire Ebara Station dared to make a sound; some of the more timid ones had already sat down.

But for this group of male detectives to bow their heads and listen to Ikeda Erena, a Police Sergeant with a poor reputation, was something many old detectives could not do.

"Sit down quickly!" Okada Keibu shouted again.

Now the old detectives had a way to back down—he was a man, and a Police Inspector from the Career Track; might as well give him some face.

And so, the entire room was silent.

Even Chief Kurosu, who had been very tough before, had his expression change upon seeing Uesugi Muneyuki.

"Let's start by describing the case," Uesugi Muneyuki signaled.

The Ebara Station Police Inspector had no choice but to take the stage and describe the case to all the police in the Special Investigation Headquarters.

"The deceased, Yamabuki Ryuhei, an accountant in the Finance Department of Toyokawa Trading Company, left the company dormitory the night before last, took a taxi to the Shinagawa Ward station. The estimated time of death is 3:15 AM, and the cause of death is Aconitine poisoning."

"The source of the poison was the Barley Tea in his thermos. Investigation confirmed it matched the Barley Tea he brewed in his dormitory. There were no other fingerprints on the thermos, so it is judged that he prepared the poison at home and then went to the train station to commit suicide by ingestion."

"According to Toyokawa Kiyotsugu, President of Toyokawa Trading Company under the Toyokawa Group, Yamabuki Ryuhei decided to commit suicide because he had been careless during a previous land acquisition deal, resulting in the receipt of promissory notes with huge problems, totaling 16.8 billion, causing major losses to the Toyokawa Group. The reason for committing suicide outside was that he did not want to die in the dormitory; he had already caused the company trouble once and did not want to add a second time."

"The logic of this case is complete, there is no evidence to prove it was murder, the motive for suicide is sufficient, the suicide drug is the very common Aconitine, and the victim's family has also accepted it. Therefore, this case is undoubtedly a suicide case."

"That is all." Ebara Station gave a brief introduction.

But at almost the same time, Uesugi Muneyuki and Sugishita Ukyo spoke together: "It is murder!"

"No suicide note, no mobile phone, and he died on a bench near a station with no surveillance. These issues all suggest that the deceased did not seem to have prepared for suicide," Sugishita Ukyo said calmly. "Moreover, the method of ingesting Aconitine causes great pain; unless one is unable to move, one would roll on the ground while dying, but the deceased was sitting on the bench and only vomited. These all indicate that something is amiss."

"Therefore, the evidence for suicide is not very sufficient..."

"Enough, Sugishita Ukyo!" Chief Kurosu of Ebara Station couldn't help but interrupt the Division Chief: "No suicide note and no phone can prove murder? No surveillance and no rolling on the ground can prove murder? What kind of joke is this!"

"Our station has already closed the case. If Headquarters wants to investigate, please feel free to do so, but if you get complained about by the Toyokawa Group, please do not involve our Ebara Station. That is all."

After speaking, Chief Kurosu led all the detectives from the police station and left collectively.

In an instant, the Special Investigation Headquarters was actually left with only the Second, Third, and Fourth Units of Investigation Division 1 and the Special Mission Unit.

"Is Ebara Station that afraid?" Kashiwagi Jin was burning with anger.

"It is the Toyokawa Group, after all!" Police Inspector Shiratori covered his face with his hand helplessly: "This is troublesome. With the local police station not cooperating, where are we supposed to start investigating?"

Sugishita Ukyo had encountered such an extreme situation the first time he went out to handle a case. The Investigation Division 1 Chief did not show his emotions, but came to Uesugi Muneyuki: "Uesugi-kun, can I trouble you to perform an autopsy and see if there is anything else worth noting?"

"No need," Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head with a smile: "My autopsy results are actually exactly the same as Ebara Station's, but there is indeed one thing they didn't think of."

"H-huh?" Sugishita Ukyo was stunned.

"Did these local branch stations not think that the Toyokawa Trading Company dormitory is not Yamabuki Ryuhei's real home?"

Uesugi Muneyuki raised his right hand; the Dead Soul of Yamabuki Ryuhei was full of indignation, pointing out everything.

Thus, under the guidance of Yamabuki Ryuhei, Investigation Division 1 immediately found the Mountaineering Association he had joined, and a friend of Yamabuki Ryuhei within the Mountaineering Association pointed out to the Metropolitan Police Department personnel where Yamabuki Ryuhei's true home in Nerima Ward was located.

"Metropolitan Police Department, move out!"

That afternoon, the members of Investigation Division 1, plus Eirina, under the command of Uesugi Muneyuki, headed straight for Yamabuki Ryuhei's true residence.

Along the way, the members of Investigation Division 1 remained silent, simply acting according to Uesugi Muneyuki's judgment.

This guy, how come after being promoted to Special Appointed Forensic Officer, his abilities feel even more outrageous?

However, nothing was discovered in the house.

Investigation Division 1 found a bathroom that was still somewhat damp, leftover rice in the rice cooker, pre-recorded programs on the television, and a fully planned schedule.

These items proved that Yamabuki Ryuhei did not seem to be planning suicide, but they could not serve as absolute evidence.

Yet Uesugi Muneyuki remained calm and composed; he did not participate in the search at all, but instead stood with his hands behind his back, waiting for something: "Everyone, no need to rush, we are waiting for the District Public Prosecutors Office."

"Huh?!" Eirina looked up with a bewildered expression.

But no sooner had Uesugi Muneyuki finished speaking than the front door was rudely kicked open.

A large group of men in suits swarmed in, and the man in the lead was Uesugi Muneyuki's old friend, Prosecutor Kamibayashi.

The District Public Prosecutors Office?!

Prosecutor Kamibayashi looked at the bewildered detectives, gave a cold laugh, and tossed out a search warrant: "Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, Special Investigation Department... suspect Yamabuki Ryuhei, involved in violating the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act; per approval from the Public Prosecutors Office, search and arrest are authorized!"

Is the District Public Prosecutors Office here to steal the credit again?

"Oh! Mr. Kamibayashi, you've arrived?" Uesugi Muneyuki, however, seemed very welcoming and took the initiative to step forward: "I would like to make a deal with you."

"Ah?! It's you?" Prosecutor Kamibayashi and the Public Prosecutors behind him turned pale when they saw Uesugi Muneyuki.

How is it you again!

"I need you to do me a favor." Uesugi Muneyuki picked up a leather shoe from the entryway and used his finger to scrape a stain off the sole: "This is a trace amount of organic solvent, a solvent used to dissolve dyeing ink."

"Yamabuki Ryuhei has a friend in the Mountaineering Association who works at the nearby Hanechu Dyeing Industry Co., Ltd."

"Could I ask you at the District Public Prosecutors Office to do a small favor for us at the Metropolitan Police Department?"

"I suspect Mr. Yamabuki secretly hid some things there, but I have no evidence; for us criminal investigators, we cannot apply for a search warrant without evidence."

"But you at the District Public Prosecutors Office can."

Uesugi Muneyuki's speed in handling the case left everyone speechless.

Is this guy really human?

(End of chapter)