Chapter 199: , The Department Manager Jumping Case at the Construction Company

Ever since the Fuji TV Case, Uesugi Muneyuki had maintained contact with Executive Director Shimakawa of Ota Real Estate.

Shimakawa's family was truly wealthy, belonging to the typical post-war new money; his family lived in a luxury mansion in Roppongi Hills, the kind with a yacht, and he was a minor shareholder on the boards of many enterprises under the Mitsui Group and Fuji Group.

Uesugi Muneyuki would meet with Shimakawa for a meal every two to three months; the old Peerage gentleman and the old Minato Ward gentleman actually had quite a lot to talk about, but since their business interests did not overlap, their interactions were relatively infrequent, and they almost never sent messages to each other.

From Shimakawa's tone, Uesugi Muneyuki could sense that this was a troublesome matter, and for it to be considered troublesome by this old Minato Ward gentleman, it was definitely a big deal. Considering that the engagement matters with the Watanabe Family had already been discussed, Uesugi Muneyuki decisively agreed to go and take a look.

"Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, I have a friend..." Uesugi Muneyuki explained the situation to Watanabe Eiji and Watanabe Michiko: "I am going to go take a look now to see what exactly is going on."

"I see, that is fine." Watanabe Eiji nodded; he also felt that the discussions were mostly finished, and he still had some matters he wanted to discuss with his wife in private: "How about this, take Minami with you."

Miss Minami's eyes immediately lit up, signaling: take me, take me, I will be very well-behaved!

"Of course." Uesugi Muneyuki had no reason to refuse.

Miss Minami changed into a layered white shirt-dress, a frost-blue dream-summer sprite style for early summer, slipped her black-silk-clad jade feet into a pair of black flat-soled leather shoes, and took off the beret on her head. Just like that, she let her long hair hang loose and hooked her arm into Uesugi Muneyuki's: "Muneyuki-kun, don't even think about running away!"

"I wasn't running away." He had almost forgotten that Miss Minami was actually just a 23-year-old young woman this year. Compared to her previous serious professional attire, the summer-youthful, brilliant, and delicate young lady made a man's eyes light up: "May I ask for your assistance? Section Chief Watanabe?"

"Hmph hmph~ Of course, Forensic Examiner, please get in the car~ This young lady will take you flying!"

Uesugi Muneyuki and Watanabe Minami got into the car. Naturally, Uesugi Muneyuki, who did not like to drive, sat in the passenger seat, and Miss Minami was responsible for driving.

In the car, Uesugi Muneyuki dialed Shimakawa Ren's phone number again: "Where are you, and what exactly is going on?"

Shimakawa Ren's voice was full of distress: "I am in XX District, XX Town, XX Block of Shinagawa Ward. My friend, Aonuma Shingo, is dead. The police at the scene say he died by suicide, but how is that possible? But no one believes me. You hurry over; only you can make this bunch of useless police afraid."

"Pfft!" Uesugi Muneyuki noticed Miss Minami rolling her eyes upon hearing this and couldn't help but laugh, only then straightening his expression: "Can you tell me in detail what exactly happened?"

"It is like this: I have a friend named Aonuma Shingo, who is a Project Manager at the Tachikawa Construction Company here in Shinagawa Ward. He is 34 this year. I was drinking with him yesterday, and after I went home in the evening, he never made it home."

Shimakawa Ren told Uesugi Muneyuki everything he had encountered one by one.

"This morning, Aonuma Shingo was found dead in the open space between two buildings. There was a lot of blood on the ground. Police Inspector Moritsugu of Shinagawa Station is in charge of the case. After their investigation, they unanimously concluded it was suicide. At the same time, Manager Takeda Hironobu from Nippon Life also came... Do you know? Uesugi, it is such a coincidence; Aonuma Shingo happened to die exactly one year and two days after taking out his life insurance! Because of this, these police are even more convinced that it was suicide!"

"One year and two days? What does that mean?" Uesugi Muneyuki did not understand for a moment.

"Ah~ Takeda, you tell him!" Shimakawa Ren handed the phone to someone else.

"Hello, Mr. Uesugi Muneyuki. I am Takeda Hironobu, the person in charge of life insurance claims in the personal business department of Nippon Life Insurance Company. You can just call me Takeda." A man whose professional competence was clearly much sharper took the phone: "Regarding life insurance claims, I will put it simply: life insurance claims include suicide claims. As long as one commits suicide after one year of officially taking out the policy and paying the premiums on time, one can receive the full insurance payout."

"This time is calculated starting from the second day after officially taking out the policy, which is to say..."

"Which is to say that Mr. Aonuma happened to die on the very first day the suicide claim clause of the life insurance policy took effect, right?" Uesugi Muneyuki interrupted proactively.

"Exactly," said Takeda Hironobu on the other end.

"How much will be paid out?"

"Mr. Uesugi is asking about the maximum coverage, right? Mr. Aonuma did indeed take out a very large life insurance policy for himself; the maximum coverage can reach 80 million yen, which is why the police insist it is suicide."

"No wonder." Uesugi Muneyuki felt a bit helpless upon hearing this, and also a bit amused: "The 'Tenkei Yonshimai' incident last time was also like this, reaching 100 million, which is why it alarmed you at Nippon Life, right?"

"Hehe, Mr. Uesugi is joking." Who knew the claims manager on the other end would be amused by Uesugi Muneyuki instead: "A mere 80 million yen—if it needs to be paid, it gets paid; it is nothing. Mr. Uesugi, the Tenkei Yonshimai matter last time was actually because those four women all sought out the same loophole in the same region. To prove that they were not colluding with the policyholders to defraud insurance, plus the bizarre consecutive acute deaths of nurses' husbands in the jurisdiction, the police and the regional claims manager insisted on a re-audit."

"Ah?"

"Hehe, Mr. Uesugi, we at Nippon Life are a Fortune Global 500 company, and also the number one insurance group in all of Japan and top eight in the world. If someone really intends to commit suicide after one year of taking out life insurance to defraud insurance money, then we will just pay it; this bit of money is nothing." Takeda Hironobu spoke of this matter with a slight tease for the layman's lack of understanding: "Suicide is actually a type of non-natural death probability; the group's design has already taken it into account."

Ah? As long as the policyholder commits suicide one year after taking out life insurance, the insurance company will pay out directly?

Uesugi Muneyuki was baffled by Takeda's answer. Wouldn't that mean a person could premeditatedly defraud insurance?

Just at this moment, Miss Minami beside him said with a smile: "Muneyuki, you haven't studied criminal psychology, have you? My mentor once said that very few people have a psychological state that remains unchanged over time, and the determination to commit premeditated suicide is almost impossible to sustain for more than a month, and there is almost no one who can persist until the 13th month."

Uesugi Muneyuki looked at Miss Minami beside him in surprise.

You are quite smart!

How could I be your fiancée if I weren't smart? I am not Ikeda! Miss Minami rolled her eyes again.

"Yes, this lady is right." Takeda Hironobu expressed his approval this time: "The probability is negligible. If we really encounter someone willing to trade their life for insurance money, we will just pay it. This is also the social responsibility of Nippon Life."

"Impossible! How could Aonuma commit suicide!" Shimakawa Ren took back the phone: "He was drinking with me just last night! That is right, he has indeed been having financial difficulties recently, but I had already promised that I could provide him with a short-term loan of 30 million yen through the company to tide him over. As long as he held on through this period, he would be able to receive the 150 million yen final payment from Mitsui Real Estate. How could he possibly commit suicide? It is just that this is a trade secret, so I couldn't tell the police directly, and... after saying it, it makes it look like I have a suspicion too."

"But these police are just afraid of trouble, afraid of causing issues, and insist on ruling it a suicide. I do not accept it! Uesugi, thinking it over, it really only depends on you. I have already spoken with Takeda here: as long as you come, Nippon Life is willing to give you a 300,000 yen consultation fee, and I will treat you to a Ryotei!"

"Deal!"

Before long, they arrived at the location.

The area between the two buildings was filled with yellow tape, and a row of police officers stood with their hands behind their backs, keeping curious passersby away. Just as they saw a car stop nearby, two officers wearing field vests immediately came up: "Please do not park here, a case has occurred here... Forensic Examiner Uesugi???"

"Hmm." From Setagaya Ward to Edogawa Ward, Uesugi Muneyuki's notoriety was known to everyone in the Metropolitan Police Department. As soon as they saw him appear, the two officers immediately shivered.

It was just an ordinary suicide case; why did Forensic Examiner Uesugi have to show up in person?

"It is nothing, a friend asked me to come take a look." Uesugi Muneyuki got out of the car, and the person who came to meet him was an acquaintance. Police Inspector Moritsugu, who had appeared in the Shinagawa Train Corpse Case, walked up: "Forensic Examiner?"

"Uesugi, you finally came. I am just waiting for a word from you. Take a look, is Aonuma really a suicide?" At this time, Shimakawa Ren and the Nippon Life claims manager Takeda Hironobu also appeared. Shimakawa Ren's expression was agitated: "If you say Aonuma committed suicide, I will accept it. If you say Aonuma did not commit suicide, then I will file a complaint against this bunch of incompetent police! Thieves of the national tax!"

"Aonuma would not commit suicide; he was such a person who loved his family and loved life so much."

Hearing Shimakawa Ren say this, the police present all had looks of indignation.

To avoid extra trouble is better than to cause it; does this guy understand anything?

Falling between two buildings, having obvious impact injuries on the body, having taken out a high-value insurance policy—isn't this just premeditated suicide?

Nippon Life has already agreed to the claim; the suicide conclusion is set, the 80 million yen insurance money is in hand, the family is satisfied, the police are satisfied, the insurance is accepted—everyone is happy.

Why did you call Forensic Examiner Uesugi over???

Are you trying to ruin this peace?

"Fine, I will take a look." Uesugi Muneyuki casually took out his gloves, pulled the yellow tape, crossed the police cordon, and saw the corpse on the ground.

The corpse was about thirty-something years old, with multiple fractures to the head and body. There were impact injuries but no signs of a struggle; it really did look like a suicide by jumping from a building.

However, Uesugi Muneyuki only looked for a few seconds before shaking his head directly: "Not suicide."

"What?" Police Inspector Moritsugu behind him widened his eyes.

How long did the Forensic Examiner look? Was it even a minute? He didn't even use his tools!

Can he determine suicide or homicide just like that?

"I said so!" Shimakawa Ren jumped up excitedly: "Not suicide, not suicide! It really was right to let Uesugi come take a look!"

"Indeed, as Shimakawa said, this is not a suicide." Uesugi Muneyuki had spent less than two minutes on the corpse before he stood up decisively: "But it is not a homicide either."

"Huh?" At this, everyone at the scene was full of question marks.

"This is not even the primary crime scene," Uesugi Muneyuki continued.

Huh???

Uesugi Muneyuki had now left everyone completely bewildered.

"Correct, this is not the primary crime scene. Someone transported him here from the primary crime scene, likely in the early hours of the morning," Uesugi Muneyuki continued: "Shinagawa Station... who determined that the victim committed suicide?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Miss Minami couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle; Uesugi Muneyuki's meaning was very simple.

Who determined it was a suicide? Come out and face me!

As a result, not a single Detective from Shinagawa Station dared to come out and face Uesugi Muneyuki. They collectively retreated two or three steps, but Police Inspector Moritsugu, who had only retreated one step, instead looked as if he had stepped forward, appearing as though he wanted to face Uesugi Muneyuki.

Consequently, Police Inspector Moritsugu immediately changed his expression and said humbly: "Since this is the professional judgment of the Forensic Examiner, then we shall proceed according to the Forensic Examiner's wishes, but the reason is..."

Already humbled, please let me off.

"Mm, come over here, I will explain it to you all." Uesugi Muneyuki gestured for everyone to come over.

At this, all the Detectives, curious passersby, onlookers, as well as the property managers and security guards of the two buildings, and Shimakawa Ren and the others swarmed over, all anticipating Uesugi Muneyuki's performance.

Especially the Detectives from Shinagawa Station; they were as expectant now as they had been fearful before.

What was about to be staged today was a terrifying truth!

However, Takeda Hironobu, the Manager of the Claims Department for the Individual Business Division of Nippon Life, who was in the crowd, was deep in thought.

Uesugi Muneyuki's Autopsy ability was peerless; this went without saying, as the Tokyo metropolitan area had already witnessed it. Last time, during the Tenkei Yonshimai incident, it was also Uesugi Muneyuki who exposed the despicable tricks of the four sisters.

With such strong Autopsy ability, was it a bit of a waste to give it to the Metropolitan Police Department?

Takeda Hironobu thought to himself. Although most life insurance policies only had coverage amounts of a few million or tens of millions, which Nippon Life could easily afford to pay out, what if they encountered other types of massive insurance policies involving homicide cases?

His Autopsy ability could also be of great use to our insurance business!

Such talent might be a bit wasted if used solely by the Metropolitan Police Department!

The representative of Nippon Life realized for the first time that although the business Uesugi Muneyuki engaged in was primarily Autopsy and forensics, it did not need to be limited to criminal cases!

(End of chapter)