Chapter 288: The Second Battle of Kanagawa

Sure enough, that very day, the protests in Kanagawa intensified. By evening, over four hundred protesters were besieging the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters. Most of them were citizens who had previously been treated unfairly by the Kanagawa police, and nearly half were elderly people over 60, with the rest mostly being housewives. Dozens of old cases were dug up, especially fraud and theft cases; the Kanagawa police had almost exclusively just taken reports without ever investigating.

Of course, the most high-profile case remained the drowning suicide of Nikaido. After the Nikaido family displayed recordings and records of nine police reports, they gained widespread sympathy from everyone. In particular, the 10-year-old son, Nikaido Takumi, kept shouting "Give me back my dad" at the Prefectural Headquarters, putting immense pressure on the Kanagawa police.

The acting Headquarters Chief, Kobayashi Shoji, was completely numb. He thought to himself, what does this have to do with me? How did I run into this kind of thing as soon as I took office? This is not what Superintendent Watanabe said! I clearly just cleared out the Headquarters Chief, Criminal Investigation Department Chief, Public Security Department Chief, Security Department Chief, and Police Affairs Department Chief in one go, and it was supposed to be the time to do some real work, so why give me this?

It is worth noting that in the commercial street directly opposite the Prefectural Headquarters, many shops provided free drinking water and boxed lunches to the protesters.

From this, it is clear that the people of Kanagawa have suffered under the Kanagawa police for too long!

At the same time, a Police Sergeant in his 50s who had handled the Nikaido Kei case and wished to remain anonymous said in an interview with the BBC Japan branch, while under extremely grim lighting filters: "Many colleagues privately feel that it should be reinvestigated, but the system does not allow us to admit fault."

The protests also attracted the attention of Agence France-Presse (AFP). The AFP Japan branch cited data from the Cabinet Office of Japan, pointing out that in the last five years, cases where "a body was discovered after the police refused to open an investigation" have increased by 37%, and in 70% of these cases, the families were never given the opportunity for a reinvestigation.

The Tokyo Legal Aid Office, which handled the "Iijima Incident," stated that they might provide free legal aid to the Nikaido family, emphasizing that "this case may uncover systemic investigative negligence."

It was a case of everyone kicking a man when he's down.

However, this also reflects the problems of the Japanese system—actually, these things are common; it's just that they are usually suppressed. If it weren't for the previous Yokohama Case leading to the downfall of the upper echelons of the Police Headquarters and the original investigators of that case, the families would never have had the chance to make a scene.

And it was precisely as AFP and the BBC began to pay attention to this matter that the incident showed signs of spreading to Tokyo. Projection protests appeared in the Shinjuku Special Ward at night, and a comparison chart of Nikaido Kei's disappearance timeline and the police response was displayed on a loop on the outer walls of buildings. A small number of citizens had also begun to gather to protest, demanding that the Japanese police provide an explanation, and it had to be investigated by Uesugi Muneyuki.

The reason is simple: we really can't trust anyone else!

Under pressure, the Kanagawa police had no choice but to take the initiative to ask the Metropolitan Police Department for help. When Headquarters Chief Kobayashi Shoji saw the news, he felt that something terrible was about to happen and hurriedly dialed the Superintendent General's number.

Hurry to Sakuradamon and find the ancestor Uesugi!

Uesugi, save me!

Thus, that same evening, Watanabe Eiji's call came through.

"Muneyuki, can you perform a second forensic examination on that case in Kanagawa Prefecture from 5 years ago that was treated as a drowning suicide?" Watanabe Eiji asked over the phone.

"In fact, I have already done so." Uesugi Muneyuki held the report sent by Sugishita Ukyo and said helplessly: "Hasn't this case already undergone a judicial autopsy by the Kanagawa University Faculty of Medicine and been closed as a suicide? If I am to perform a second examination, it means overturning all previous conclusions!"

"You already have a conclusion?" Watanabe Eiji was quite surprised.

"Yes, just looking at the historical documents and the forensic results from that time, Nikaido Kei could not possibly have committed suicide." Uesugi Muneyuki said on the phone: "The weight of the lungs is wrong, but the result given by Kanagawa University was ambiguous—the typical kind of tone that neither confirms nor completely excludes, neither denies nor is difficult to determine."

"And then our Kanagawa Headquarters relied on this incredibly vague assessment to rule it a drowning suicide, and then, despite the family reporting it to the police nine times, they adamantly refused to open an investigation." Uesugi Muneyuki complained on the phone: "Ever since I entered the Metropolitan Police Department, I found that the much-vaunted Metropolitan Police Department was just like that, but now I find that the Metropolitan Police Department is actually quite good; at least the people in Investigation Division 1 wouldn't just decide it's a suicide and close the case."

"You brat, you know the value of the Metropolitan Police Department now, don't you?" Watanabe Eiji laughed and scolded over the phone: "If it were anywhere else without my support, you would be in for a real treat."

"In short, this matter is now in a terrible state, and public opinion is a bit out of control. You need to intervene as soon as possible, figure out what happened, and provide a conclusion with sufficient scientific basis. As for overturning the case, you don't need to worry; I will cover for you here." Watanabe Eiji said on the phone: "The most important thing now is to handle it quickly and not let public opinion ferment any further."

"Yes, I understand." Uesugi Muneyuki hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

"Are you confident?" Watanabe Eiji heard the hesitation in Uesugi Muneyuki's voice: "Well, after all, it's a cold case, so it's normal for it to be difficult to handle... but take some of the burden for the Metropolitan Police Department, Muneyuki-kun; you are already the last hope of the Metropolitan Police Department."

"Hearing you say that, I must overcome even the greatest difficulties. After all... you are my foster father." Uesugi Muneyuki smiled: "Isn't this the perfect opportunity to boost my performance record? Please give me your full support!"

"Very good! I'm counting on you!" Watanabe Eiji was very satisfied with Uesugi Muneyuki's answer: "Then, the Special Investigation Division will set off for Kanagawa Prefecture tomorrow. Minami will handle the other matters. You must give the entire nation an answer!"

Not long after hanging up the phone, the desk phone in the Superintendent General's office rang immediately.

"Hello, is that Eiji?" Chief Cabinet Secretary Onoda Kimiaki said calmly: "Did you watch the TV program? The one on NHK."

"Yes, I watched it, Chief Cabinet Secretary." As soon as Watanabe Eiji heard this call, he stood up, feeling immense pressure.

"Very good, very good indeed. I know that the Kanagawa Headquarters doesn't have much to do with Sakuradamon, but this could be a fuse. We are never sure what will happen after protests and demonstrations, and the attention of foreign media is even more so." Onoda Kimiaki said politely: "So, I am not forcing you, and I don't know the inside story of this case, but what the public is demanding now is for the Special Investigation Division of Investigation Division 1—which you insisted on establishing and which has an 87% public approval rating—to take over the case. As Superintendent General, I hope you can..."

"Yes, yes, I have already arranged for Uesugi Muneyuki to take over, and he has already read the forensic report and the case files. There are indeed serious problems. He and the Special Investigation Division will head to Kanagawa Prefecture tomorrow morning." Watanabe Eiji interrupted to answer: "Acting Headquarters Chief Kobayashi voluntarily requested guidance from the Metropolitan Police Department."

"…………" There was silence on the phone for a while; clearly, the Chief Cabinet Secretary was surprised by this answer.

"Eiji, my evaluation of you as Superintendent General is: Good, good~ good! You are always so reliable. So, can our Cabinet count on you?"

"Of course!"

"Very good~ A reliable Superintendent General~ always giving us surprises."

In Nagatacho, Chief Cabinet Secretary Onoda Kimiaki put down the phone. Opposite him, the Director of the Commissioner's Secretariat of the National Police Agency, his own younger brother Onoda Kimiaki, was there: "So, Watanabe Eiji agreed?"

"Yes. In fact, his reaction was faster than ours; Uesugi Muneyuki has already read the case files." Onoda Kimiaki's brow relaxed, and he leaned back in his chair easily: "And he has already discovered the problems; he will head to Kanagawa tomorrow to solve it... I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to force him to serve as the chairman of the JRA or the National Traffic Safety Association, just based on the fact that he can easily command Uesugi Muneyuki."

"I can do it too." Onoda Kimiaki said coldly: "The Special Investigation Division is a subordinate department of Investigation Division 1 and must obey the orders of Investigation Division 1."

"Sugishita Ukyo? No, I'm afraid you can't even command Sugishita Ukyo at times, let alone the even more difficult and stubborn Uesugi Muneyuki." Onoda Kimiaki still shook his head: "Besides, you are Public Security, and he is Criminal Investigation. There are some things in Public Security... it's not good to hand them to Uesugi. He is too powerful. Can you control him like Eiji does without hurting yourself?"

"Why don't I have a beautiful daughter?" Onoda Kimiaki felt a bit frustrated seeing that his own brother didn't support him either.

"Whoever can master Uesugi Muneyuki can master the case-solving KPI. Whoever can master the investigative power of the Special Investigation Division can master the police world." Chief Cabinet Secretary Onoda Kimiaki remained calm: "If you want to master the Metropolitan Police Department, you must first master Uesugi. If you want to master the police world, you must first master the Special Investigation Division and Investigation Division 1. Kimiaki, don't be anxious; we are brothers, after all."

Onoda Kimiaki watched the direction of the Metropolitan Police Department coldly across the night sky of Nagatacho, and nodded slowly, feeling unwilling.

……………………

The next day, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department issued a statement.

Considering the feelings of Nikaido Kei's family, as well as the chaotic state of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters caused by the previous Yokohama Case, and synthesizing the demands of the public and the call for active response from the Cabinet, Forensic Examiner Uesugi Muneyuki of the Special Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division 1 will head to Kanagawa Prefecture again to be responsible for investigating and handling matters related to the Nikaido Kei drowning suicide case.

Once this statement was released, the public finally got a satisfactory answer and cheered one after another.

"That's right, Metropolitan Police Department, it has to be Forensic Examiner Uesugi who is in charge!"

"No matter how you look at it, it's only him."

"So the big shots in Nagatacho really do look at public opinion? I thought they never did!"

"They say the lawmakers are all dozing off when they hold meetings in Nagatacho; luckily they are occasionally clear-headed."

"Please, Forensic Examiner Uesugi, we are troubling you again."

"@Fuji TV, can we see Uesugi-san explain this case on your channel later?"

"Will this investigation lead to another Tankendo competition? Yokosuka City Tankendo? A major disaster is happening!"

"What are you joking about, upstairs? There is a US military base right next to Yokosuka City, what are you afraid of?"

"Oh, that's right, great, it's the US military, we are saved."

"Taira no Ason, Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade, Yonezawa Uesugi, Sakuradamon Guardian Muneyuki is setting out for Kanagawa again! The Second Battle of Kanagawa is about to begin!"

(End of chapter)