Chapter 318: Alright, Good, Very Spirited!

First to walk in was a handsome man about 175cm tall, sporting a slightly brownish hairstyle that partially covered his face. He had a slender build and an extraordinary aura in his suit, looking like a man of great talent. Carrying a large cardboard box, he showed none of the nervousness of a newcomer; instead, he was full of composure, his rolled-up sleeves exuding a sense of relaxation and a hint of arrogance.

The three big shots of the Special Mission Unit—Minami, Uesugi, and Okada—knew who he was the moment they picked up the file.

Kai Toru, son of the Ministry of Justice Administrative Vice-Minister Kai Mineaki.

"I'm here, Masayoshi, Minami." The newcomer had no self-awareness of being a rookie at all. He sighed and placed the box on the desk: "Where is my workstation?"

"Right here," Okada Masayoshi retorted: "Toru, this isn't Nakane Police Station! It's true you have connections, but who here doesn't?"

"I kno~w," Kai Toru placed his box on the desk, pulled a Samsung Galaxy phone directly from his pocket, plugged in Sony earphones, and said impatiently: "I know why I was transferred here, but I'm telling you, I never like to call him Father!"

"Did I ask you?" Miss Minami rolled her eyes: "Also, what kind of attitude is that? Get up, stand at attention properly!"

"Yes~" The brown-haired handsome man rolled his eyes as well, stood up, and snapped to attention: "Superintendent, Police Inspector, and Special Appointed Forensic Officer! At your service!"

"Rest for a moment first, wait for the others to arrive, then you can introduce yourselves." Uesugi Muneyuki looked at the young man with interest.

Kai Toru, a detective from the Nakane Police Station Criminal Investigation Division, 27 years old, rank of Police Sergeant. Unlike his lazy appearance, this guy was actually a man of action with a strong sense of justice who charged madly at the front lines of criminal investigation.

His father, the Administrative Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Justice, held a rank equivalent to a Vice-Ministerial level, equal to Superintendent General Watanabe Eiji, and lower than the Ministerial-level rank of Okada Masayoshi's father, Financial Services Agency Commissioner Okada Masahide.

Naturally, this group all knew each other.

Kai Toru had deep conflicts with his father. He didn't do well in school and refused to accept his father's arrangements to enter the civil service system, insisting instead on becoming a Non-Career Track Detective—the most dangerous kind—repeatedly rejecting his father's attempts to place him in a desk job at the National Police Agency.

This had infuriated his father.

Unfortunately, for Japanese people, it was the same: only a man who makes a name for himself outside is a good man. If you were a Career Track Detective, that would be one thing, but to be a Non-Career Track Detective and go to the front lines—wasn't that a disgrace to him?

But even a rebellious son is still his own son. Kai Mineaki helplessly used all his connections to try to squeeze him into the Special Mission Unit. Kai Toru had initially refused sternly, but later, seeing that the Special Mission Unit did indeed participate in front-line investigations, and furthermore, that in the Japanese workplace, refusing a superior's transfer order three times meant one had to resign, he had no choice but to report to the Special Mission Unit.

In reality, this guy was just as reckless as Kashiwagi Jin when investigating, but because he had an Administrative Vice-Minister for a father, he was always protected by the organization. The difference was that Kai Toru detested this situation; he liked being a detective, but he didn't want to be a second-generation young master office detective.

"There's coffee and black tea here." Uesugi Muneyuki greeted him: "You should know me, so I won't introduce myself."

"Nonsense, who in Kanto doesn't know you? To you, I'll only say one thing: I didn't come here to sit in an office. As long as you go out, you must count me in." Kai Toru nodded at Uesugi Muneyuki.

Not two minutes later, the other newcomers arrived.

Igarashi Hayato, 25 years old this year, son of former Investigation Division 2 Chief Igarashi Masataka. This guy had been introduced before, so I won't go into detail.

Igarashi's appearance was a bit like a young lion. He also had dyed brown hair, styled in a lion's mane, looking like both a little lion and a frizzy orange cat. His face was full of endless enthusiasm and excitement, his innocent eyes shining with infinite light, and his mouth was smiling brilliantly: "Hello everyone!"

The last one was the eldest son of the Uwajima Date Clan, Date Nagamune, 26 years old.

Date Nagamune had a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, with a hint of Ainu features. He was about 173cm tall. His temperament was different from the others in the room; he had a "corporate drone" vibe and a very natural "Self-Defense Official" air. His speech, tone, and gaze always seemed very formal, but it was visible to the naked eye that this guy's life hadn't been very smooth, and his core was a bit burnt out.

According to internal Peerage news, this guy also didn't do well in school. To get into university, he went to the National Defense Academy, which was tuition-free. After graduating, he served in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force for three years as required. After getting out, he couldn't find a job, and finally, the Peerage joined forces with the Self-Defense Official Employment Department of the Defense Ministry to finally squeeze him into the Metropolitan Police Department.

"Alright, everyone is here!" Miss Minami signaled for the three newcomers to stand at attention for the Management Officer!

Kai Toru, Igarashi Hayato, and Date Nagamune stood at attention in unison.

"I am Uesugi Muneyuki, Special Appointed Forensic Officer of the Metropolitan Police Department Criminal Investigation Department 1 Special Mission Unit!" Uesugi Muneyuki stood with his hands behind his back: "I am here to provide technical guidance!"

"From now on, you are all members of the Special Mission Unit! Although I am not as old as you, when it comes to criminal investigation, autopsy, dissection, and forensic examination, I can say I am your big brother!"

"In criminal investigations, if there is anything you don't understand, you can ask me and my assistant, Miss Ishihara Mikoto, directly, and we will kindly tell you!"

"Now, please introduce your name, rank, and previous work position one by one. Starting with you!" Uesugi Muneyuki pointed at Kai Toru first.

"Yes, Nakane Police Station under the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Criminal Investigation Division..." Kai Toru introduced himself helplessly in a low voice.

Because he had connections, Kai Toru was a bit unruly at the station, but today, everyone here had connections, and he knew he couldn't go too far.

"Can't hear you at all, say it again!" "Do it over! Do it over!" "You want to be a detective with a voice that small? Kora!" Miss Minami and the others jeered together.

"Yes! Nakane Police Station!!! Criminal Investigation Division!!! Police Sergeant!!! Kai, Toru!!!" The little young master of the Ministry of Justice gave up on his image.

"Good, next!"

"Yamanashi Prefecture Police Headquarters!!! Patrol Officer!!! Igarashi Hayato!!!" The little lion was especially loud.

"Good, very spirited! Next!"

"Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Self-Defense Official, Third Class Sergeant, Date Nagamune." The eldest son of the Uwajima Date Clan was very unconfident when stating his identity. After all, the Self-Defense Forces had a terrible reputation among the Japanese. After he retired, he hit walls repeatedly while looking for work, his edges had been smoothed away, and he had started to become obsessed with Idols; he was a hardcore Idol fan.

"Can't hear you, can't hear you at all!" "Is that a posture of standing at attention?" "Is this how Lord Masamune taught you to speak?" "Show some spirit! When Grandpa Date Munetada was young, he wasn't a coward like you!"

Uesugi Muneyuki and the other two shouted. Finally, Uesugi Muneyuki dealt him a fatal blow: "I know Senior Mai and Sakura-chan, you know! If you're such a coward, how can I help you ask her for a top-tier autograph?"

"Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Third Class Sergeant!!! Date!!! Nagamune!!! My favorites are Mai-sama from the Soul series, Sakura from YKC48, and the Second Miss of Akasaka, Moriya Akane, ahhhhhhhh!" Date Nagamune was finally provoked, and he roared out the deepest secret in his heart.

Beside them, Ishihara Mikoto and Ikeda Erena were already holding back laughter until their faces were red, especially Erena, who was shaking uncontrollably.

Why is there such a strong scent of Edajima here? Ishihara Mikoto mused to herself.

"Alright, the introductions are over. Forensic Officer Uesugi, you should take us to solve cases now, right?" Kai Toru said with a very burnt-out attitude.

"I'm very sorry, you should know that I just resigned from the Medical and Dental University." Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head with a smile: "Because I lost my physician status, it will take time to re-acquire legal autopsy qualifications and re-apply for a license. So, during this time, I won't be able to perform autopsies legally. Therefore, for these few days, you should just familiarize yourselves with the environment."

"Mo~ I knew it would be like this!" Kai Toru tilted his head and cursed: "The old man really screwed me!"

"I will work hard! Please take care of me from now on!" Igarashi Hayato was very excited and enthusiastic: "If there is anything needed, please instruct me, I will work hard to learn!"

"............" Date Nagamune didn't speak. He had already taken out his phone to check the results of his handshake event lottery. When he saw he had won, he shouted happily: "Yi, I won!"

"What did you win?" Miss Minami was least familiar with Date Nagamune.

"I won a handshake autograph, eh? Why is it Hirate? I wanted the eldest miss and second miss of Imaizumi, Kobayashi, and Habu!" After Date Nagamune saw clearly, his face immediately fell. He checked his phone again, and his expression worsened: "Damn it, I didn't win the handshake for Sakura! Boo-hoo-hoo, didn't I win any of the 10 tickets?"

"But you're still going, right?" Uesugi Muneyuki retorted.

"Of course, that's Hirate!" Date Nagamune responded immediately, but seeing the three big shots of the Special Mission Unit looking at him with unfriendly eyes, the former Self-Defense Force Third Class Sergeant laughed awkwardly: "I'll go on my day off."

"Mo~ I really don't know what the point is of these handshake events where you wait for hours to talk for 3 seconds," Miss Minami complained.

"Exactly, exactly." Uesugi Muneyuki had a dark face, thinking, if you're this obsessed with little Idols, does Grandpa Date Munetada know?

"Management Officer, you don't understand that feeling. I'm a Japanese man, I should like Japanese women!" Date Nagamune said very seriously: "Don't treat me like other Self-Defense Officials!"

Tsk tsk, becoming patriotic just by being a Self-Defense Official? Uesugi Muneyuki squinted, thinking he was a rare specimen among the Japanese.

However, it was said that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces were indeed quite sexually repressed, so it was normal for this guy to like some substitutes. After all, it wasn't easy for a Self-Defense Official to marry a wife. Japanese women favored marrying detectives, but would turn and walk away the moment they heard someone was a retired Self-Defense Official.

Fortunately, the Self-Defense Forces had also gone all out in the previous Great East Japan Earthquake, so the public's impression had improved slightly (meaning they changed from open discrimination to secret discrimination).

"In any case, take some time to familiarize yourselves with the environment. My forensic autopsy qualification will be processed by after the New Year at the latest," Uesugi Muneyuki said.

"Yes!" From this point on, the three new recruits of the Special Mission Unit were officially on the job.

"Oh, right, there is one more thing. This year's Metropolitan Police Department year-end party will be held at the end of the year at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. You all must attend," Miss Minami said. "Father will also be in attendance."

"This is probably, a victory declaration, right?" Okada Masayoshi laughed.

……………………

That same evening, an apartment in Taito Ward.

The former Face of the Metropolitan Police Department, Kashiwagi Misa, rushed out of the apartment elevator, her High-heeled Shoe clicking loudly. The anxious mixed-race wife lacked any of the icy, solemn aura she held within the Metropolitan Police Department. She fumbled to open the door, and in her panic, she tried the key two or three times without getting it right, so frightened that sweat broke out on her forehead.

The sound of the elevator ascending could already be heard behind her. Kashiwagi Misa went through great pains to finally open the door. She immediately kicked off her shoes, turned on the lights, and pulled open the curtains and windows, watching the doorway with a racing heart and labored breath.

Not discovered, not discovered!

Please, don't let me be discovered!

She had been sitting there for no more than twenty seconds when Kashiwagi Jin opened the apartment door with his key. Seeing his wife sitting on the sofa, Kashiwagi Jin instinctively felt something was a bit strange: "Misa? What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." The former Face of the Metropolitan Police Department looked at her husband, feeling her heart beating extremely fast. She covered her chest and said with difficulty: "Just~ a little tired~. Welcome~ home~, dear."

"Oh? You've worked hard." Although Kashiwagi Jin felt something was a bit off, he was a bit tired himself and didn't think much of it. He hung his coat on the rack and said casually: "I've already eaten out, so I'm going to rest now. I won't take a bath today; you should get some rest early too."

Of course you don't need to take a bath, because you already washed up outside.

In Kashiwagi Misa's mist-covered eyes, disappointment and forbearance were intertwined. She watched her husband as if through an invisible shoji screen, a sorrow too deep for words settling in the depths of her pupils: "Understood."

"Oh, right, Misa. Next Sunday is the Metropolitan Police Department's year-end party. The headquarters invited me, so you should come along too. Remember to dress nicely; don't make me lose face," Kashiwagi Jin said suddenly, looking somewhat smug: "After all, I am from the University of Tokyo, just like Director General Watanabe! If you don't have the money, I'll give you some; go buy a nice outfit."

"Understood," Kashiwagi Misa replied in a low voice.

Kashiwagi Jin was very satisfied with his wife's delicate and submissive answer, and he went back to his room to sleep.

Even though I have been calmly introspective, I am still the Heavenly King of the headquarters!

Director General Watanabe being re-elected is partly thanks to my contribution, isn't it? Look, didn't he invite me to the year-end party?

Kashiwagi Jin himself was exhausted yet refreshed and full of pride. Having recently scored big and become a famous Daimyo, he drifted straight into a deep, sweet slumber.

Everything in the apartment quieted down again. The former Face of the Metropolitan Police Department curled up on the sofa, secretly wiping away tears, her complex gaze a mixture of sadness, disappointment, and deep confusion.

Year-end party?

Things have reached this point; is there any need for me to go?

But if I don't go, then Jin's face will...

I should go after all. No matter what, he is my husband, after all...

(End of chapter)