Chapter 283: Fuji TV's Ambition

Ever since the Yoshimoto Comedian case, Fuji TV had been working very hard to try and bridge the relationship between the Ministry of Justice and the Metropolitan Police Department. Naturally, the Metropolitan Police Department was easy to handle; as a key figurehead of the Metropolitan Police Department, Uesugi Muneyuki had always carried a strong imprint of the Metropolitan Police Department, and at the same time, the Superintendent General was his future father-in-law, so there was naturally no objection to Uesugi Muneyuki appearing on screen, and it was soon given the green light all the way.

However, the Ministry of Justice side was not easy to deal with. The District Public Prosecutors Office and the Metropolitan Police Department were naturally antagonistic by nature; after all, given Japan's mixed prosecutor-police system, if one side's power grew, the other's naturally shrank. So, it wasn't until the incident at Uesugi Muneyuki's brother's wedding, when Department Manager Kirekawa of the District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Team felt embarrassed that his dignified team had been messed with to their faces, that he was persuaded to relax the standards for the District Public Prosecutors Office.

Besides this, NHK also had quite a few complaints about Fuji TV's approach... or rather, not just complaints, they were pointing fingers and cursing, and the top brass at NHK even disagreed with broadcasting such content.

The atmosphere in post-war Japan gradually shifted from conservative control toward open freedom, with masters like Tezuka Osamu and Miyazaki Hayao contributing greatly. An early example that everyone is more familiar with is the 12th episode of "Ultra Seven" in the 60s; simply because Shogakukan had nicknamed the alien in that episode "Bomb-Explosion Alien" on a card, a survivor merely protested that Shogakukan shouldn't have given such a nickname, and Tsuburaya was so scared that they apologized in newspapers across the whole society and permanently sealed that episode.

By the 80s, after "Ultraman Ace"—where an Ultraman acts as a teacher and violently fights monsters on campus—received a joint written protest from parents across Japan, they only gradually reduced the filming on campus in a half-hearted way, which shows that the atmosphere had changed.

The 80s were also an era when all sorts of bloody, violent, dark, and cruel themes appeared in Japan, largely supported by the "freedom of expression and freedom of creation" advocated by masters like Tezuka Osamu.

It wasn't until the mid-to-late 90s, when globalization began to drive works overseas on a large scale, that television stations began to propose a concept called "Autonomous Avoidance," and the atmosphere began to turn conservative again. For example, Miyazaki Hayao complained many times that after the millennium, television stations repeatedly emphasized that some content should not be written, but he didn't understand why it couldn't be written. Facing this master, the television station had no choice but to let him be, but not everyone was Miyazaki Hayao who could ignore the television station.

Tsuburaya Productions also keenly sensed that the overall atmosphere was becoming conservative, so they cleverly seized the opportunity to film their desired hardcore adult masterpiece, "Ultraman Nexus," before the television stations strengthened "Autonomous Avoidance." The deep dark fantasy plot and various bloody scenes made all the children who loved Ultraman spiral into the sky in one go; how gratifying, how gratifying.

Uesugi Muneyuki did not understand how Fuji TV eventually managed to handle the protesters like NHK, but in any case, Fuji TV began to gradually promote this episode of "God's Hand SP." The first 2-minute trailer garnered a total of over five million views, and Japanese netizens were discussing it crazily online.

Subsequently, the second 4-minute trailer and the third 5-minute trailer combined to gain another five million-plus views. Then, on a day in late October, Fuji TV officially announced that this episode of "God's Hand SP" would be officially broadcast at 6:30 PM on Sunday, November 3rd, and it would be a full three-hour super-ultimate-invincible deluxe SP!

The entire Japanese nation went crazy.

Why is there still a week to go? I'm going to die if I can't watch Forensic Examiner Uesugi solve cases on the spot!

I can't see the interaction between Uesugi Muneyuki and Shirakawa Mai; it feels like ants are crawling on me!

I won't allow you to insult Uesugi! He is my father!

Mai-sama, take me away, Mai-sama!

And it was also about a week before the official broadcast that Fuji TV officially sent people over to discuss the production of subsequent programs with Uesugi Muneyuki.

Fuji TV offered quite generous terms: a fee of 200,000 yen for a single appearance, and that was after tax. At the same time, they promised to make Senior Mai a regular guest to play opposite him, and all benefits and treatment for location shoots would be of the highest grade.

At the same time, Fuji TV also secretly promised that as long as Uesugi-san had a need, the "Green Room" arrangements would be absolutely no problem.

The person who came to negotiate from Fuji TV was Department Director Abiru Kazuhiko. As the Department Director of the Fuji TV FNS Production Bureau, being able to visit in person was already giving enough sincerity. Fuji TV had a total of only four major production bureaus, namely the Tokyo headquarters and three regional production bureaus. Large production bureaus had many small production bureaus under them responsible for variety shows, dramas, documentaries, news, and sports. As the Department Director of the FNS Production Bureau in Tokyo, Abiru Kazuhiko could be said to be the direct superior of more than 20 small production bureaus in total, so his coming to negotiate in person was indeed giving enough sincerity.

Uesugi Muneyuki also put forward his own conditions: "One episode per month. The program will focus on discussing cases, supplemented by traveling around and popularizing some forensic knowledge."

"Only one episode a month? Uesugi-kun, isn't that too little?" Department Director Abiru was not very satisfied with the design of only one episode a month.

"No, one episode a month is just right." Uesugi Muneyuki was very calm about this: "First of all, I am very busy. Recording this kind of program takes a whole day, and I don't have that much spare time. Secondly, there are not that many interesting cases to talk about. This is a world of limited stock. If it were one episode a week, this program wouldn't be able to produce cases to talk about in a year or two. Even with one episode a month, I will have to trouble you at Fuji TV to find cases in the future."

"Moreover, maintaining some mystery can also attract the audience." Uesugi Muneyuki continued: "Nowadays, some agencies, in order to squeeze the blooming period of actresses to the maximum, sometimes broadcast all year round (referring to appearing in major roles in dramas for all four quarters), and they soon end up on the 'most hated' list. I am not an entertainer; if I appear too much, the public will get annoyed."

Thus, the two sides finally settled on a production plan of one episode per month.

After finishing the talk with Fuji TV, Uesugi Muneyuki turned his attention to other matters.

The first was the matter of resigning from the Medical and Dental University. Although this matter was very low-key, it was still known to some people in the industry. At the same time, Uesugi Muneyuki had not yet officially joined Tokyo University, as he still had to negotiate the treatment and conditions with them. During this period, he could only work full-time at the Metropolitan Police Department.

After Professor Higashi's daughter, Higashi Saeko, learned of this, she was deeply shocked and came to the Metropolitan Police Department specifically to express her gratitude, only to be stared at by Ikeda Erena with the eyes of someone guarding against a thief. Uesugi Muneyuki told Higashi Saeko that he would testify in court on time, but he would only state the facts clearly rather than favoring one side.

Then there was the Inner World side.

Hironaka Mariko told Uesugi Muneyuki that Saijo Yasue had likely returned. She could sometimes faintly sense her aura around Tokyo, but it was very weak and very cautious, and she couldn't find the specific location for the time being.

This bastard female lunatic, crazy woman!

There is only the principle of a thousand days of being a thief, not a thousand days of guarding against a thief. Uesugi Muneyuki pondered whether he should simply use bait to lure her out and find a way to completely solve this trouble.

As for that gigolo, he was hidden even deeper, to the point where there wasn't even a sensation, but the other party hadn't discovered him either, which was still safe.

The chain-smoker Miyahara Toru had also gradually begun to adapt to his Inner World abilities.

Finally, naturally, it was the internal affairs of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Watanabe Eiji had reached the most critical moment. Before his term as Superintendent General was about to expire, he finally managed to get the big salary increase for the Metropolitan Police Department approved through a series of achievements and outstanding performances in major cases, fiercely boosting his prestige and planning to launch an assault on the position of Commissioner of the National Police Agency. However, although Commissioner Tamaru of the National Police Agency was a Kantei Puppet, he had just taken office, so it would be a bit abrupt to change leadership in less than a year.

Recently, Miss Minami was also very miserable. The 20,000 yen salary increase per month was meaningless to Miss Minami, who came from a wealthy family. What she was truly afraid of was: it was time for the physical fitness test!

If you don't pass the physical fitness test, you can't get promoted! If you don't pass the physical fitness test, there is a possibility of being transferred back to internal affairs!

The position of Chief of the Special Mission Unit was a real piece of fat; everyone was eyeing it!

Therefore, in recent weeks, Miss Minami had been working hard to exercise under Erena's special training. Her 800-meter run had improved to 5 minutes and 30 seconds, and her 100-meter run had improved to 18 seconds.

But the result was still: physical fitness test failed!

Uesugi Muneyuki also went to the physical fitness test that day. When she had exhausted all her strength and still failed, Miss Minami unlocked the defeat CG on all fours.

Burned, burned out, leaving only white ash.

Watanabe Eiji also couldn't do anything about his daughter, and in the end, he could only entrust the University of Tokyo Hospital to issue a medical certificate stating that Miss Minami might have hay fever leading to bronchitis, allowing her to temporarily escape the physical fitness test.

The young lady wasn't sick at all! She was just weak!

As for Ikeda Erena, she naturally passed all the physical fitness tests very easily, with almost full marks in every item. Only her 100-meter run time of 14 seconds was not particularly outstanding. According to Erena, even with a chest binder, it still shook too violently, affecting her balance and making it easy to fall, which prevented her from running fast.

No wonder she gave up Judo and Karate.

According to Erena, she once considered and tried to book a breast reduction surgery, but she was no longer considering it now.

And another thing worth mentioning was Igarashi Hayato, who came from Yamanashi Prefecture.

This guy didn't join the job immediately but had to undergo a period of training at the Police University in Tokyo, but he also participated in the physical fitness test.

This guy's 100-meter time was 10.4 seconds, his 1500-meter time was 3 minutes and 48 seconds, his shooting score on fixed targets was all hits and all above eight rings, he easily took down all moving targets, and he got full marks for push-ups and sit-ups. His comprehensive physical fitness and combat skills were very outstanding.

It made the SAT want to come and poach him.

Just like that, time approached November 3rd day by day. It seemed that even the heavens were helping Uesugi Muneyuki; there were no special murder cases or particularly suspicious corpses during this period, and the Special Mission Unit was relatively calm.

On November 3rd, the entire Tokyo area, the entire Kanto Region, and even more than half of Japan stopped everything they were doing at around 6:00 PM, switched their televisions to the Fuji TV channel, and prepared to watch this long-awaited program that countless people had been looking forward to—the case-solving reality show that belonged exclusively to Uesugi Muneyuki.

And on this same day, the conference room of the Fuji TV Odaiba Building was packed, with everyone staring intently at the real-time viewership statistics on the screen.

President Kameyama gritted his teeth hard, his eyes bloodshot, his heart filled with immense ambition, and also a little bit of trepidation.

He had gone all-in! He had called all the top representatives from Fuji Sankei, Dentsu, Hakuhodo, Toyota, Sony, Panasonic, Mitsubishi UFJ, SoftBank, Shiseido, Kao, Toho, Shueisha, Amazon, and All Nippon Airways!

He believed in Uesugi Muneyuki! He believed that this man who had created countless miracles would make Fuji TV great again!

Starting from today's episode, Fuji TV would return to the throne of the top five private broadcasters under his, Kameyama's, leadership.

Even, challenge NHK and surpass Kohaku!

(End of chapter)