Chapter 29: The Truth Comes to Light

News from the front came one after another.

The deceased was named Matsubara Daigo, a former employee of the Tokyo Fujita Construction Company and a construction worker who lost his job after the bubble burst; his wife had also divorced him, taken most of their assets, and left with their children, leaving Matsubara Daigo to live off his past savings.

Afterward, the economy remained poor, and since Matsubara Daigo had developed a habit of spending lavishly in his youth, he quickly exhausted his savings and became a homeless person, living in a few shacks built of cardboard boxes and plastic sheets in a corner near the station with a group of down-and-out former construction workers; the station was very annoyed by these homeless people who scrounged for food and sleep, rummaged through trash cans, and occasionally committed petty theft, but due to legal protections, evicting this group was troublesome, and conflicts had erupted as grievances accumulated between the two sides.

The Station Master of Sanya and several employees had long found this group an eyesore, and just two weeks ago, according to the Station Master's confession, Matsubara Daigo was found dead under the train tracks, his body severed into several pieces.

The Station Master, the employees, and the train conductor who had gotten off to inspect were shocked; there was no doubt this would be a major safety incident, and the entire station from top to bottom would inevitably face disciplinary action, so for a moment, the few people at the scene were plunged into immense panic.

Just at this moment, the Station Master recognized Matsubara Daigo; he discovered that this guy was just a homeless person from near the station.

Got it!

Historically, such homeless people were always marginalized individuals whom no one cared about, and they were despised by society; no one would care when they died or when they left, so the Station Master had an idea: they covered up the incident, threw the body into the river, and agreed to keep the secret among themselves.

They were very confident because even if the body were discovered, it was just a dead homeless person, so what was worth paying attention to? Tokyo was so big, wasn't it normal to have hundreds of cases of unnatural death every year?

It was just a few people who died; we at JR have the entire Kanto region in our hearts.

If it weren't for a piece of the body sticking to the bottom of the train, and Uesugi Muneyuki himself coming to investigate, this matter really would have been covered up by those few people.

However, when a large number of police arrived and Director Minami Takeshi revealed Uesugi Muneyuki's judgment to the interior of JR East, the few guys led by the Station Master immediately panicked, and soon an ordinary platform attendant was the first to break and surrender to the police, explaining the course of events.

At this point, the train corpse case finally came to light.

And with further investigation, the whole matter surfaced; all evidence and clues matched Uesugi Muneyuki's judgment, and the Metropolitan Police Department was already preparing divers to go down into the river at the identified location to salvage the body.

In the maintenance plant's break room, Director Minami Takeshi silently put down his phone; he felt some admiration, and shaking his head with a bit of stubbornness, he said, "Young man, you won."

"What did I win?" Uesugi Muneyuki's expression remained calm, though his unclenched fists proved he was still a little nervous.

The person had been dead for some time, the awakened Soul was very faint, and he recognized the construction worker's uniform, which was the only reason he could have such an accurate judgment.

"Fine, this time, it was indeed the negligence and poor supervision of JR East; I apologize to you here." Director Minami Takeshi was a bit unsure of Uesugi Muneyuki's thoughts; now that both human and material evidence were present, even a Fortune Global 500 company had to show some attitude.

This made Director Minami Takeshi hate him secretly, but he was truly too impressed by Uesugi Muneyuki's level to say anything.

He didn't like this kind of person, but he couldn't bring himself to hate him either.

"You don't need to apologize to me; if you really want to apologize, you should apologize to the late Mr. Matsubara." Uesugi Muneyuki's expression was indifferent: "I said, I am just a Forensic Pathologist; all I want to do is clarify the facts."

"Minami Takeshi-san, Moritsugu-san, you might think I am targeting you, but I really just want to restore the facts, tell the truth to everyone, tell the general public outside, tell the entire nation—the matter is just like this, nothing more." Uesugi Muneyuki was still very calm, and having said this, he suddenly asked again: "Wait, where is my pork cutlet bowl?"

"I'll go buy it right away, right now!" Police Inspector Moritsugu hurriedly signaled his subordinates to go quickly; he simply took a 10,000-yen note from his person, and the subordinate felt the money was burning his hands, grabbing it three times before he could hold it, and left in a flurry.

"She wants one too." Uesugi Muneyuki pointed at Ikeda Erena beside him.

Naturally, he received an eye-roll from the tall beauty.

Though she looked disgusted on the face, Ikeda's heart was experiencing endless turbulent waves.

What an overbearing man! Eirina looked at Uesugi Muneyuki's profile, which remained serious, solemn, and indifferent, and felt her heart beating very fast.

The atmosphere just now, the dual pressure from a Fortune Global 500 company and the Police Station, had made her almost suffocate, but how did Uesugi Muneyuki manage to keep his face unchanged and his heart steady, firmly believing in his own judgment?

Perhaps, this was the place where he felt different from others?

"Alright, now give me the death certificate, I will write the report." Uesugi Muneyuki ignored Eirina's complex gaze and signaled that the death certificate could be rewritten now.

"Uesugi-kun is joking." Director Minami Takeshi immediately stood up: "It is truly too rude to be here; please, by all means, accompany me to the JR East headquarters; the President is already prepared to apologize to you in person."

Having said that, the few people stood up on their own initiative.

"Then what about my pork cutlet bowl?" Uesugi Muneyuki blinked.

"The President has already ordered a high-end bento at the Tokyo Imperial Hotel; please, Uesugi-kun, do us the honor." Director Minami Takeshi thought to himself, at a time like this, you're still thinking about your pork cutlet bowl?

By the time the few people got into the car and prepared to leave, Police Inspector Moritsugu of the Shinagawa Station finally realized.

Hey! The money for the pork cutlet bowl was paid by me!

Hey!!!

————I am the dividing line for delicious pork cutlet bowls————

The next day, the Asahi Shimbun, Daily Telegraph, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, and Yomiuri Shimbun reported on this matter comprehensively.

"Shinagawa Ward Train Corpse Case Solved in One Day, New Forensic Pathologist Shows God-Tier Judgment!"

"Station Master Covers Up, JR East President and Directors Apologize Publicly!"

"Metropolitan Police Department Reacts Quickly, Revealing Daily Fresh News from the Core Traffic Division"

"Super Rookie Forensic Pathologist's Strength Already Shown, Was He Also the One Who Performed the Autopsy in Bunkyo Ward Last Time?"

"Bunkyo Ward Beauty Detective, Private Life Insider Exposed"

On television, Fuji TV, NTV, and TBS all reported on this matter, and because Uesugi Muneyuki's Autopsy and deduction were completed almost in front of all the reporters, this was equivalent to a semi-live broadcast, so the reporters who got the first-hand scoop immediately sent the story back to their stations, outputting fiercely.

Under the arrangements of JR East, Uesugi Muneyuki accepted interviews from reporters at the Imperial Hotel; just as he had said, he simply repeated the matter, and the rest was writing the death certificate in front of everyone, signing and stamping it, and then formally announcing that his duties were completed.

But people are just like that; the more calm and indifferent Uesugi Muneyuki was, the greater the interest netizens had in him, and for a time, they even gave him the nickname "Cold-Faced Forensic Pathologist," and along with him, Ikeda Erena also had a small moment of exposure, making the people of Tokyo marvel that even a local branch could have such a beautiful female detective.

Unfortunately, Ikeda hated interviews very much, not saying a word, keeping a sour face the whole time, looking unapproachable at first glance.

At the same time, the living problems of these former construction workers also triggered fierce social discussion; many people believed that homeless people had already affected the operation of public transportation and that heavy blows must be dealt.

But others believed that these construction workers had dedicated their youth and sweat to the country's construction, and they should not be left to wander the streets and be displaced in their old age; the authorities should provide relief and support.

A war of words broke out in society, and even various news media launched special programs.

All programs inevitably started from Uesugi Muneyuki's Autopsy.

Hot topics continued, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, Sakuradamon, Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters.

Protecting the lives, bodies, and property of all citizens is the mission of all police, and among them, as the Japan Metropolitan Police Department directly under the National Police Agency, it is directly responsible for the safety of the 30 million population of all Tokyo, gathering almost the elite of all police in Japan.

There is one person who is responsible for governing the Metropolitan Police Department, this most cutting-edge organization; he is the elite among elites standing at the very top of the 80,000 police officers of the Metropolitan Police Department, an existence standing at the pyramid top of the entire Metropolitan Police Department's power.

The newly appointed Superintendent General, Watanabe Eiji.

A thick stack of newspapers was placed on the oversized wooden desk, and the summer sunlight next to it passed through the gaps in the curtains, shining into the ecological tank that had just been moved in; fish were swimming freely in the gaps of the algae plants, and the potted plants that the previous Superintendent General liked most had all been moved away; the new Superintendent General Watanabe seemed not to like potted plants.

The newspaper read, "Station Master, Conductor, and Workers Collectively Dismissed, JR East's Controversial Decision Triggers Social Anxiety."

Watanabe Eiji was tall and sturdy, and his wheat-colored skin and simple side-parted short hair showed that he had done plenty of field work, but compared to the former Investigation Division 1 Section Chief who would personally lead teams out, Watanabe Eiji, who had served as Criminal Investigation Department Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, Director of Criminal Investigation of the National Police Agency, and Deputy Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, also had a slight air of middle-aged weight gain; like Uesugi Muneyuki, the new Superintendent General had a pair of extremely sharp eyes; let alone suspects, even his subordinates both respected and feared him.

At this moment, standing before the Superintendent General, anxious and uneasy, were the Station Master of Shinagawa Station and Police Inspector Moritsugu who was in charge of the case; because Shinagawa Station was a large station, the Station Master's rank was Police Superintendent, which was already considered high-level management, yet facing Watanabe Eiji, he still dared not breathe loudly, waiting for the verdict, and Police Inspector Moritsugu was even more trembling, his sweat soaking his hair.

"So-called comfort and satisfaction, it's nothing more than this." Director General Watanabe looked at the newspaper a few more times, while the large screen in the office was also playing the footage of Uesugi Muneyuki accepting an interview. The dignified middle-aged man said with a chuckle: "You at Shinagawa Station really did give me a grand welcome gift for my inauguration. I've only been in this position for three days, and the president of JR East Japan has already come to see me in person."

After the laughter, the Station Chief and Police Inspector Moritsugu did not dare to respond. Watanabe Eiji frowned: "What is it? Is there a problem?"

"Regarding the handling method from a few days ago, our station unanimously believes that compared to the Forensic Pathologist of the Metropolitan Police Department's Forensics Division, Uesugi-kun is still too unconventional." Police Inspector Moritsugu said hesitantly: "That day, it was only because of various coincidences that it could be resolved satisfactorily."

"What do you mean by coincidence?" Watanabe Eiji's eyebrows knitted together, his presence imposing without anger.

"......" Police Inspector Moritsugu immediately shut his mouth.

"I watched his interview. Which sentence of his do you think lacks scientific basis? Or do you think which judgment was wrong? Or are you saying you think he was just guessing blindly and happened to guess correctly?"

"You are right." Police Inspector Moritsugu immediately lowered his head.

"Aonuma, you too. If you still want to climb higher, don't collude with corporations all day long." Watanabe Eiji's eyes stared at the Shinagawa Station Chief: "Don't be afraid of trouble. Didn't this matter just make JR owe our Metropolitan Police Department a huge favor? Blindly being submissive is not what the Metropolitan Police Department is about."

"You are right!" The Shinagawa Station Chief also hurriedly lowered his head.

"In this era of highly elite and professional fields, we cannot rely solely on interpersonal relationships and experience to get things done. This incident can also serve as a wake-up call for the Forensics Division. A twenty-two-year-old Forensic Pathologist who just became a regular is better than them by more than just a little bit." Watanabe Eiji clasped his hands together: "The technology and capabilities of criminals are constantly upgrading, and we must keep up. What we need right now is exactly this kind of unconventional existence. You found the right person this time."

"You are right!" *2

But the Shinagawa Station Chief still expressed the worry in his heart: "However, Uesugi Muneyuki is not directly under our command. Will his personality cause trouble?"

"What? Didn't Uesugi say that all he wants to do is clarify the facts? Does our dignified Metropolitan Police Department not even have the confidence to control and utilize him? You look down on our Sakuradamon too much." Watanabe Eiji still shook his head with a chuckle: "Whether a Sword will hurt oneself does not depend on how sharp the Sword itself is, but on the person wielding it."

"For us, the most important thing is efficiency. Does the Diet approve so much budget for us every year just for you to report suicides and missing persons all day? Like this case, wasn't it handled beautifully? The case was solved in one day, with both human and physical evidence present. In this case, even the District Public Prosecutors Office has nothing to say, right?" The Superintendent General remained relaxed: "Just a moment ago, another special call came to me."

"Everyone in the shack where Matsuzono Daigo stayed is fighting to turn themselves in and confess, wanting to admit it was their own manslaughter. After all, for these homeless people, being able to go inside to eat prison food and have someone look after their illnesses is much better than being homeless, isn't it?" Watanabe Eiji said meaningfully: "Uesugi won't care about our subsequent handling by the Metropolitan Police Department. Feel free to find him boldly in the future."

Both the Shinagawa Station Chief and Police Inspector Moritsugu were shocked.

"So, you found the right person. Not only did you find the right person, but you should find him more often. Gold will always shine." Watanabe Eiji laughed: "Speaking of which, my wife and his mother are Riichi Mahjong buddies. How did Yūken hide such a son? I had never heard of him before, hahaha~"

After he finished speaking, the phone on the desk suddenly rang.

The Shinagawa Station Chief and Police Inspector Moritsugu hurriedly excused themselves and left.

"Yes, I will handle it well. I am very grateful for your praise." Watanabe Eiji said very respectfully to the other side of the receiver: "Yes, it was arranged by me to be handled. Everything will be properly resolved."

"Okay, I look forward to your continued support in the future."

Putting down the phone, Watanabe Eiji touched the chair he was sitting on with satisfaction, patted the armrests twice, and sat up straight. Behind him, the Metropolitan Police Department's Cherry Blossom Badge was brilliant and infinitely radiant.

He leaned back slowly, his eyes slightly closed and his mouth open, until he was firmly leaning against the back of the chair. Only then did he open his eyes with a smile on his lips, his body swaying slightly to the left to rotate the seat 45°.

Finally, he had taken charge of Sakuradamon.

It's a good start!

The second update, updating fiercely!

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(End of this chapter)