Chapter 358

The corruption issue at the NHK Taiga drama set hit several sore points for the Japanese public.

The stain of tax scandals, the desecration of cultural symbols, the exposure of workplace bullying, concerns over tourist destinations, and most fundamentally, the resentment of overworked laborers treated like beasts of burden.

The Tochigi Prefecture Police Headquarters first made public the conflict arising from corruption issues between the two parties, focusing on reports of intense exploitation of actors, rushed production, and fatigue rotation of extras, as well as corruption involving embezzlement of subsidies and eating empty pay, with detailed exposure of safety hazards caused by rushed work (such as compressed safety inspections, fatigued operations, and forced filming in poor environments), sparking public concern and anger over the working conditions of grassroots personnel in the entire film and television industry.

Case details also sparked discussion about deeply entrenched power oppression in Japanese workplaces, the difficulty of overthrowing superiors, and the mechanism of pressure transmission.

"Speaking of which, has NHK recently been pushing this beautiful female anchor?" In the Special Mission Unit, after spending the entire New Year holiday, Kai Toru leaned back in his soft chair and casually complained: "I remember she wasn't just hired two years ago, right? Why is Fuji TV always showing her lately? Could there be some shady deal?"

"Who knows? Uesugi-san is familiar with Fuji TV over there, he might know something." Special Mission Unit Chief Inspector Okada said casually while holding a cup of iced Americano.

"……Probably started around that time when the Odaiba building was locked down and she appeared." Uesugi Muneyuki's expression remained unchanged, but he felt somewhat troubled inside.

Tei Reiji joined the company in her third year and directly became one of Fuji TV's leading ladies; to put it bluntly, the reason is still him. Although the Odaiba building lockdown appearance was hosted by Mai Xuejie, Tei Reiji also appeared on site at that time. Her naturally cheerful appearance and lovely side profile (her front face has slight flaws but her side profile is unbeatable) greatly boosted her popularity.

And then……she was taken a liking to by Nakai Masahiro, so Fuji TV President Kameyama arranged for her to entertain Nakai Masahiro in the green room. As a result, Nakai Masahiro was frightened into impotence by the sudden appearance of Hironaka Mariko and had to see a psychosomatic doctor for several months before gradually improving. Tei Reiji thus narrowly escaped disaster.

In contrast, when Fuji TV President Kameyama asked her if she was willing to entertain Uesugi Muneyuki, she immediately agreed without even thinking.

Nonsense—compared to accompanying that greasy, hoarse middle-aged old man Nakai, Tei Reiji naturally preferred to accompany the aristocratic handsome guy Uesugi.

After they had one or two private encounters, Uesugi Muneyuki naturally began to specifically request Tei Reiji for interviews, and Tei Reiji also gained Kameyama's favor—for example, for this incident's scheduled interview, Kameyama's secretary came to ask Uesugi Muneyuki.

"Uesugi-san, will Miss Tei be hosting this interview or not?"

"She will!"

"Will Uesugi-san support her career?"

"Of course!"

And so Tei Reiji thus surpassed all the veteran female anchors and began hosting this kind of major news related to Uesugi Muneyuki.

Damn, does this make me look like a pervert? Uesugi Muneyuki watched the radiant Fuji TV beautiful anchor on TV and muttered inwardly.

"Uesugi-san, give us some credit too!" At this moment, Kai Toru complained: "Don't always just bring Patrol Officer Ikeda with you, look—today all the news headlines are about the NHK Taiga drama case; I should have appeared too! You agree, right? Date? Igarashi?"

"Well, I'll pass." Date Nagamune stared at the TV, shaking his head vigorously—he dislikes drawing attention unless it's in front of his favorite Hirate or Second Young Lady Moriya Akane at Akasaka Not Moving C.

I feel Tei Reiji isn't as good as Moriya Akane……in looks.

"Uesugi-san would definitely do this for his own reasons!" Igarashi Hayato said without hesitation.

"……This Special Mission Unit is unbearable—one Mandarine Lady, one concubine, one noble household, one Hatamoto attendant group, one hereditary senior official, one forensic magistrate, and only me, weak, pitiful, and helpless outsider here, only fit to kneel outside the Thirtyfold Grand Hall, shouting through the bamboo curtain 'Shogun A!' " Kai Toru said sarcastically.

Kai Toru's sarcastic remark made everyone in the Special Mission Unit except Igarashi Hayato and Ikeda Erena smile knowingly, thinking this guy may have poor grades, but he still understands these historical allusions well.

"Oh? Is that so?" After hearing this, Uesugi Muneyuki thought for a moment and said: "Since you want to follow me, then today you can come along too."

"Eh, are we mobilizing again? What big case is it?" Kai Toru immediately perked up: "I'm coming~~~"

"No, today is Ikeda's day to go to the Ministry of Justice for emergency review." Uesugi Muneyuki smiled: "Your father, that esteemed one, Vice-Minister of Justice Kai Mineaki-san will also be there!"

"Ah dah!!! Yah metrou!" Kai Toru, upon hearing his father's name, instantly reacted like a mouse seeing a cat, shrinking his whole body: "No way! I'd rather die than go! Uesugi-san, I'll never mock you again! Please, I don't want to see that person!"

This father-son pair truly loathe each other.

Seeing this, Uesugi Muneyuki helplessly exchanged a glance with Watanabe Minami. Watanabe Minami noticed Ikeda Erena was very tense, appearing restless, and softly comforted: "Don't be afraid, Ikeda, I and Uesugi will go with you."

"……" Ikeda Erena was indeed very tense; hearing that these two would be by her side, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Ever since her work and life have been arranged by Uesugi and Watanabe Minami, Ikeda Erena has further abandoned thinking, completely following their instructions and arrangements. If the two of them are not present, Ikeda Erena truly doesn't know what to do.

————I am the brain-emptied dividing line————

One hour later, at the Ministry of Justice building, the closed-door hearing was held here.

Regarding the emergency review committee on Ikeda Erena's killing act, everyone had already assembled. The committee chair was personally held by Minister of Justice Daikanyama Umihito, including himself, four Ministry of Justice officials, and legal experts responsible for questioning Ikeda Erena.

Vice-Minister of Justice Kai Mineaki asked: "Please state the time, location, and your position when the incident occurred."

"Sakawa X year XX month XX day, around 8:20 PM, in Kabukicho 1-chome, Shinjuku, Tokyo. I am the Patrol Section Chief of the Violent Crimes Division One, Criminal Investigation Division, Otsuka Police Station, Metropolitan Police Department, and was conducting street patrol duties at the time of the incident."

"Please describe the situation you observed upon arriving at the scene."

"The suspect was wielding a Zwilling kitchen knife about 40 centimeters long, chasing and slashing pedestrians. Eyewitnesses confirmed five deaths, six people collapsed bleeding, and another police officer seriously injured. Civilians panicked and fled, the suspect took hostages, and afterward attempted to attack Uesugi during hostage exchange."

Ministry of Justice review committee members nodded, and one official asked: "During the pursuit, did you attempt any non-lethal means to subdue the suspect? For example, using a police baton or sprayer?"

Ikeda Erena was a bit nervous: "Yes. After the suspect slashed several people, turned and fled, and continued to seriously injure multiple people on the escape route, the Metropolitan Police Department had tried various methods, but the suspect ignored them and remained in an excited state; all methods were ineffective and instead worsened casualties, failing to stop him from continuing to assault innocent pedestrians."

Another official flipped through NHK's on-site footage: "The bodycam shows you went from approaching to attacking in just 2 seconds. Why wasn't the standard warning procedure completed?"

"At that……moment, the suspect in flagrante had already swung his knife at Uesugi, with distance under one meter." This question was answered by Watanabe Minami, who presented Uesugi Muneyuki's suit torn to rags from the stabbing, and the wound captured on video at his waist: "If a full warning had been given, the knife could have struck a vital point within one second. According to Article 7 of the Police Officer Duty Execution Law, when delaying weapon use would directly cause a third-party death, part of the warning procedure may be omitted."

"Understood." Ministry of Justice officials continued nodding: "The forensic report shows the suspect died from severe cerebral concussion and intracranial hemorrhage due to a heavy blow to the head, indicating possible intent to kill. Does this violate the 'minimum necessary force' principle?"

"At that time, the situation did not allow me to make further judgment. When I kicked out, the suspect in flagrante had already killed multiple lives and was still committing criminal harmful acts; I acted to completely eliminate his mobility." Ikeda Erena replied.

"At that time, the tip of the suspect's Zwilling kitchen knife had already pierced my skin, the harmful act was still ongoing, and Ikeda's use of force complies with Article 9 of the 'Use of Force Standards'—'Immediate Interruption Standard for Continuous Threat.'" Uesugi Muneyuki added.

Ministry of Justice officials and legal experts all nodded. After a private discussion, Minister of Justice Daikanyama Umihito struck the gavel: "Patrol Section Chief Ikeda Erena of Otsuka Police Station, Metropolitan Police Department, after committee confirmation: your actions meet the 'Prevention of Major Harm' requirement under Article 7, Paragraph 2 of the Police Officer Duty Execution Law, but the warning procedure was not fully fulfilled—this will be recorded as insufficient fulfillment of duty of care, and additional training is recommended."

"Eh???" Ikeda Erena never expected the Ministry of Justice would make this decision!

The Tall Beauty instantly pouted in grievance.

Why does doing more lead to more mistakes?

A tiny flaw—why do you people insist on harping on it?

She had no immediate reaction, until Watanabe Minami and Uesugi Muneyuki both stared at her, then she quickly nodded and recited: "Accept the criticism; henceforth I will strictly follow procedural norms."

And thus, Ikeda Erena's street killing case emergency review at the Ministry of Justice concluded.