Chapter 33: Apprenticing to the Beautiful Female Detective

While Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena were eating in a small private room, the Uesugi couple and the four people from Otsuka Station were dining in a large private room on the other side.

Otsuka Station Chief Kanazawa, Criminal Investigation Division Section Chief Sudo, Investigation Section 1 Chief Tanaka, and Police Sergeant Kuwabara sat on one side, while the Uesugi couple sat on the other. One side of the large room was adorned with a shrine to the Hachiman Great Bodhisattva, with the Wind God and Thunder God on either side looking on with fierce expressions at the banquet. On the other side was a closed floor-to-ceiling glass door, naturally blocked off from the outside by a bamboo screen to prevent their conversation from leaking. Beyond that lay a damp courtyard after the rain, featuring rockeries, a flowing stream, a pond, a bamboo forest, and stone pillars.

"My son has always been well taken care of by you all." Uesugi Hironori smiled cheerfully and took the initiative to pour drinks for the guests. "I, Uesugi Hironori, on behalf of the Yonezawa Uesugi Clan, thank you all for being willing to give Yukimatsumaru a chance, which also brings honor to me as a father."

"Haha, rather than saying Uesugi-kun is taken care of by us, it's more like Uesugi-kun has taken care of our entire Otsuka Station." Otsuka Station Chief Kanazawa was already an old man nearing retirement, holding the rank of Police Superintendent. It was said that a year and a half from now, once he finished this term as Station Chief, he would be officially promoted to Police Superintendent on the day before his retirement.

Similar rules exist within the police system; before retirement, police officers who have worked diligently for the safety of the citizens their entire lives are usually promoted by one rank at the very last moment, provided there are no major issues, and then they retire immediately.

However, this type of promotion for Japanese police is not for you to serve a final term. In the vast majority of cases, it really, truly is just a one-rank promotion at the very last moment. Many 60-something-year-old Police Sergeants who have worked their whole lives are often only awarded the badge of an Assistant Police Inspector on the morning of their retirement day, and then they officially retire in the afternoon.

It's just given to you to wear for a day for show.

The police officers present were all Non-Career Track, whose theoretical ceiling is Police Superintendent. As mentioned earlier, the differences between Career Track, Associate Career Track, and Non-Career Track have been explained. So, out of the 380,000 police officers in all of Japan, how many are Career Track?

Only a few hundred.

Then how many are Associate Career Track?

Unfortunately, the number of Associate Career Track personnel is even smaller than the Career Track, because under normal circumstances, only 20 people are recruited for the Career Track each year, while only 10 are recruited for the Associate Career Track; the latter is a supplement to the former.

Most Non-Career Track personnel will remain at the rank of Police Sergeant for their entire lives, and only in their final year, month, week, or even final day can they enjoy the honor of wearing an Assistant Police Inspector badge. Police Superintendent is the absolute ceiling for Non-Career Track before a posthumous or retirement promotion.

As for the ranks beyond that—Police Superintendent, Police Superintendent, Assistant Commissioner, and Director General—they shouldn't even think about it; they are destined to have no chance. Occasionally, a Non-Career Track Police Superintendent might get to wear the badge of a Police Superintendent or Police Superintendent for a day before retirement, but that is only because the new Police Law stipulates that a certain number of Non-Career Track members must hold senior positions of Police Superintendent or above to demonstrate fairness.

This is the fairness of our Japan; it truly is "fair and square." Do you have this kind of fairness?

Uesugi Hironori intended to build connections, and the police side naturally did not want to offend an old Noble family or a "KPI Immortal" like Uesugi Muneyuki, so the atmosphere between the two sides quickly became warm.

Seeing that the timing was about right, Uesugi Hironori feigned ignorance and said, "Speaking of which, does anyone know the background of that beautiful female detective by Yukimatsumaru's side? She's so pretty, why would she come to do field work?"

"That is a long story." Tanaka Laodeng was the most familiar with Uesugi Muneyuki. After a few cups of shochu, he naturally opened up. "Ikeda's situation is quite special. In fact, we still don't understand why the Metropolitan Police Department transferred her here..."

Uesugi Hironori listened to the introduction from the officers, instinctively furrowed his brows, and exchanged a glance with his wife, Uesugi Tomoko.

Contrary to what one might imagine, as a Public Servant organization, a place like the Metropolitan Police Department naturally attracts beautiful women. The Metropolitan Police Department headquarters at Sakuradamon is famous for being full of beauties, especially in the General Affairs Department and the Police Affairs Department. In particular, the subordinate Public Relations Division, Personnel Division, and Welfare Division have an especially high number of beauties, followed by the Traffic Department.

The more the work leans toward internal administrative and clerical tasks, the more beauties there are; the more it leans toward field work, the less willing women are to come.

It is truly strange that someone with Ikeda Erena's looks would appear in the Criminal Investigation Division of a police station.

"Yukimatsumaru opened a separate table specifically for her, saying that she doesn't seem to like these kinds of scenes. Oh my, it's really strange, so I'll ask bluntly: do you know what is going on between her and Muneyuki?" Uesugi Hironori continued to play dumb. "Yukimatsumaru is only 22 years old this year. I'm worried he might be acting on impulse, so I'm particularly concerned. If something were to happen by accident and you all came to the main family to force a marriage, that would be difficult to handle."

This remark struck a chord with the Sudo trio; they were actually planning exactly that.

However, in this environment, having drunk their wine, eaten their food, and accepted the favor of the Uesugi family, they could not help but show some reaction. Sudo could only awkwardly laugh and say, "That kind of thing is impossible. We are all trying to avoid Ikeda as it is; how could we possibly help her force a marriage?"

"Oh, that's good, that's good. I'm very grateful!" Uesugi Hironori acted as if he had just realized this and hurriedly poured drinks for the guests.

From this point on, the possibility of a forced marriage was quietly neutralized by Uesugi Hironori.

"Thank you all for your support of Yukimatsumaru. The main family just wants to make friends with you. Speaking of which, I just spoke to Michiko on the phone recently, congratulating Eiji on his promotion to Director General!" It was Uesugi Tomoko's turn to shine. Muneyuki's mother smiled brightly with a sincere attitude. "The child has been performing well recently, and we would also like to ask, how far can he go on this path? I hope you all will provide some guidance."

"Yes, we heard that in the past four months, the results at Otsuka Station have been quite good. We also hope that Yukimatsumaru can continue on this path. Regardless of anything else, he is a Regular Employee, after all. Gentlemen, making friends with the main family will have no downsides." Uesugi Hironori and Uesugi Tomoko sang in harmony. "Mutual benefit? We leave it to you to recommend Yukimatsumaru to the Metropolitan Police Department."

All four from Otsuka Station felt the pressure, thinking that as expected of the Chairman of the Tokyo Cultural Exchange Association and the Chairman of the Keio University Alumni Association, Uesugi Hironori had left them no room to refuse.

They had no choice but to agree.

"And regarding Ms. Ikeda, please keep an eye on her as well. After all, the main family is a local Noble family that has been passed down since the Muromachi period. If overseas bloodlines were to mix in, it would always seem a bit strange." Uesugi Hironori continued, "The style over in Kyushu is not good to begin with, and it's field work. I heard from you that she is unwilling to transfer to an internal position, so what is to be done in the future? I can only trouble you to look after her a bit more."

"Yes." Uesugi Hironori's meaning was very clear: for a grassroots female Patrol Officer from the countryside who is a mixed-race and not even on the Career Track, it is fine for his youngest son to associate with her, but if trouble really arises, the police station must firmly stand on Uesugi Muneyuki's side.

Ikeda Erena's reputation in the police world was notorious, and the few people from the police station agreed to this very readily.

"Hahaha, I am very grateful. Let's drink, let's drink~" With the banquet, Uesugi Hironori's goal was basically achieved. He laughed and poured drinks for them again.

This is the essence of a Ryotei!

————I am the divider line for the Ryotei————

In the small private room on the other side, Ikeda Erena and Uesugi Muneyuki naturally could not hear the situation in the large room. A place like a Ryotei designs soundproofing and anti-eavesdropping to the extreme. When the tall beauty learned that Uesugi Muneyuki wanted to take her as his master, Erena only felt a strong sense of secret joy and pleasure in her heart that made her almost unable to control herself.

For a long time, Erena had been very calculating about her relationship with Uesugi Muneyuki. The tall beauty actually knew in her heart that her partnership with Uesugi Muneyuki was unequal. Her biggest task was to serve as Uesugi Muneyuki's driver and case introducer, a job anyone could do. The police station sending her here was nothing more than wanting to keep her far away from them.

This imbalance in their relationship made Erena harbor resentment. Therefore, whenever Uesugi Muneyuki's eyes wandered or he spoke directly, she chose to restrain and endure her fiery temper time and time again, precisely because she viewed this behavior as a trade—she forgave Uesugi Muneyuki's various rude behaviors, and in compensation, Uesugi Muneyuki let her be his partner; the two were equals.

Deep down, Erena knew she was lying to herself, but she could only do this. She was thin-skinned and had a strong sense of self-esteem, unwilling to be subservient, but having finally met a man with whom she got along very comfortably and having entered her professional comfort zone, she absolutely did not want to return to the lonely days of the past. Being with Uesugi Muneyuki allowed her to watch his various miraculous Autopsy performances, learn Forensic Pathologist knowledge from his mouth that she didn't understand but was surely impressive, and enjoy his meticulous care.

She could only lie to herself like this. In fact, Uesugi Muneyuki still couldn't help but look at certain parts of her from time to time, but she no longer felt any discomfort. On the contrary, the more he looked, the more at ease Erena felt in her partnership with him.

And now, Uesugi Muneyuki was actually taking the initiative to ask something of her?

Erena was almost unable to control herself. She suppressed her laughter and smugness, her clear light-brown eyes gradually becoming arrogant. "I can teach you Karate and Judo, but you must agree to a few conditions."

"What conditions?" Uesugi Muneyuki sensed the change in Erena's mood. He felt something was amiss and immediately said, "If it's money, that's negotiable. I will pay you at the normal price..."

"I don't want your money." The tall beauty snorted, thinking how could she let him use money as a trade.

"Uh, then what do you want?" Uesugi Muneyuki could only signal for Erena not to leave, and that they should talk.

Sitting back down, Ikeda Erena's eyes narrowed and the corners of her mouth turned up. Her beautiful face, which was always aggressive and invasive, melted into intense joy.

Finally got a hold on you!

"I can teach you, but you have to agree to three conditions. First, can you not speak so fast when you perform an Autopsy in the future? I haven't even understood it yet, and you're already done... We are partners, so from now on, whenever I have a question, you must answer it!" Ikeda Erena held up her first finger. "Sometimes there isn't enough time at the scene, so you must explain it to me specifically afterward."

"I can do that." This was simple. Uesugi Muneyuki thought about it and felt it was no problem.

"Second, teach me investigation techniques." Ikeda Erena happily held up her second finger.

Uesugi Muneyuki raised an eyebrow, thinking, how am I supposed to teach you?

Teach you how to communicate with a Dead Soul? Or teach you various clinical knowledge of forensic medicine?

But thinking of this, he suddenly felt that this was not much different from the first point. Anyway, he was responsible for answering; whether Erena understood it or not was her business.

"I can do that." Uesugi Muneyuki agreed as well.

The green light all the way made Erena extremely satisfied with Uesugi Muneyuki. She thought for a moment and decided to be a bit bolder.

A flash of shyness crossed the tall beauty's face. She paused for a long while before whispering, "Occasionally... on my days off, I go to the supermarket to buy things or go shopping to find a good restaurant. Sometimes it's not appropriate to go alone, so you might have to take the time to accompany me."

So, occasionally be her dining and shopping partner, right? That's simple.

Uesugi Muneyuki had thought the third condition would be something troublesome.

"This... I suppose that's fine." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded slowly under Erena's expectant gaze. "However, I have to state in advance that I usually sleep in on my days off, at least until after nine o'clock. Also, the main family has a family dinner every Saturday night, and I might have other appointments, so if you need anything, you have to tell me in advance."

Other appointments?

Ikeda Erena thought of that phone call again, and a sharp glint flashed through the tall beauty's eyes.

Considering that she had already gained enough for today, Ikeda Erena did not say anything more, indicating that this would be all.

With the three conditions met, both parties felt their relationship had grown closer, and Uesugi Muneyuki let out a soft breath, keeping his composure.

After setting up so many schemes and specifically currying favor with the beautiful female Detective before him several times, he had finally gotten her to agree to teach him Karate and Judo.

This was very important to Uesugi Muneyuki; as a physician, his physique was only slightly stronger than an average person's, and since the ability of Vajra Holding could strengthen his fists, the best choice was Karate.

For this reason, he had specifically asked Tanaka Laodeng if there were any good instructors at the Police Station.

Tanaka Laodeng had expressed surprise, saying that Ikeda was a good instructor, and asked if he didn't know that she was a black belt in Karate and Judo, and had won several national youth championships growing up?

Uesugi Muneyuki had looked it up and found it to be true, but he also found it very strange, because Eirina, who had a promising future in this field, had for some reason suddenly given up her Karate career shortly after graduating from middle school, turned to attend a correspondence high school in the capital, and passed the local Public Servant exam to join the police force.

Based on Uesugi Muneyuki's understanding of her, he guessed that something might have happened, and given Eirina's personality...

Being able to successfully become her apprentice was truly not easy!

Both people at the dining table felt they had gained a lot from the other, and the atmosphere improved even further.

"To our cooperation, cheers!"

"Cheers!" With no outsiders present and their cooperation having progressed further, the tall beauty also took the opportunity to release more of her true nature, raising her juice to clink glasses with Uesugi Muneyuki and letting go of her reserve to enjoy the food.

This kind of environment is really comfortable!

The banquet lasted for about an hour and a half, and by this time it was already past nine o'clock in the evening; Ikeda Erena felt a bit regretful, but considering that both parties had already forged a deeper relationship and there would be no lack of time to be alone in the future, she took the initiative to propose leaving.

She was a very serious person; since she intended to teach Uesugi Muneyuki, she was determined to teach him well!

The two had just stood up when the firelight not far outside the building caught their attention.

What's going on, is someone setting off fireworks?

*Thump, thump, thump~* Urgent footsteps came from the hallway, and a female clerk broke protocol by sliding open the paper door, her face anxious: "It's bad, guests, there is a fire nearby. I am very sorry to disturb you, but please come with me and evacuate immediately."

"A fire?" Uesugi Muneyuki was stunned.

By this time, Ikeda Erena had already stepped out first, with Uesugi Muneyuki following closely behind, and the two happened to run into the four people from Otsuka Station and the Uesugi couple in the hallway.

"It's a fire!" Kanazawa, the chief of Otsuka Station, said in a deep voice: "This is our Otsuka Station's jurisdiction, we cannot just pretend we didn't see it. Sudo, Tanaka, Kuwabara, and Ikeda, you go over there immediately; I will call for fire trucks now!"

"Yes!" Several Detectives immediately replied.

"Wait, I'm going too," Uesugi Muneyuki said immediately; since he had seen it, it was impossible for him to just pretend he hadn't.

"We're going too!" the Uesugi couple said, following along; Mom and Dad were in high spirits.

"Huh?"

Updated, happy weekend everyone~

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(End of chapter)