Chapter 366

Uesugi Muneyuki stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at all the news reporters and skeptics at the scene, paying particular attention to the representative reporter of Weekly Bunshun, Takahashi Katsuto.

Weekly Bunshun, formerly known as Bungei Shunjū, is undoubtedly one of the strongest gossip media in Japanese history; many people's impression of the paper is roughly various entertainment gossip news.

But in reality, Weekly Bunshun is a terrifying existence capable of pulling an emperor off his horse; its influence is not limited to the entertainment circle but has spread to every field in Japan, including politics—here, due to involving some sensitive matters, I won't elaborate further, anyway everyone knows many senior officials have been forced into a corner by Weekly Bunshun, either resigning in apology or being handcuffed and imprisoned...

Moreover, Japan indeed has a very lax regulation of the news industry; as long as it involves public figures, one must tacitly accept surrendering part of their privacy rights, and the law also stipulates that the scope of "press freedom" is very large, especially negative news, even if baseless, courts generally would not be willing to set this precedent for punishment.

The Bunshun cannon blasted so quickly onto himself, with no one behind the scenes directing it, Uesugi Muneyuki does not believe.

So he does not intend to passively defend; his plan is to take the initiative!

Land one punch to avoid a hundred punches; as long as he wins head-on, thereafter no media will dare to write about his private life, and moreover, facing head-on, it is very likely he could discover who was behind directing the Weekly Bunshun cannon at himself.

This point, for someone currently unclear who the enemy is, is crucial!

"Uesugi-san, hello, your account, we understood, facing the Metropolitan Police Department preserving so much evidence including surveillance, we also cannot but acknowledge, but we still want to ask, is the entire adoption procedure legal? Why didn't you adopt yourself? At the same time, have you not considered other better options?" asked the Asahi Shimbun reporter.

"I can affirm, all my adoption procedures are entirely legal." Uesugi Muneyuki produced documents.

On the big screen appeared the "Family Court Adoption Permit" and "Japan Children's Consultation Office Evaluation Records," each stamped by official agencies, each with a trace ledger.

"As for the choice of adoptive guardian, at that time I also considered others." Uesugi Muneyuki continued: "You know, as an unmarried male adopting a minor seven years younger than oneself, it is unreasonable, and the family court could not possibly approve."

At this moment, Mai Xuejie spoke: "Yes, I have evidence that can prove, when this matter occurred, Uesugi first came to me to discuss, but I declined, first because I am a public figure and unmarried, adoption would be troublesome, second because I am personally very busy, unable to truly take care of her."

"Understood, but please allow us to question, Uesugi-san, Bai Chuan-san, as everyone knows, you are very close friends, senior-junior relationship..." said the Asahi Shimbun reporter relatively tactfully.

"Understood." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded.

Thus, under the guidance of two children's consultation office staff, Saito Asuka and her guardian Ishihara Mikoto officially appeared!

"Oh oh oh oh oh!" At the moment the Chosen Girl, dressed in winter uniform thick stockings and little leather shoes, full of first-love feeling and ethereal quality, made her formal appearance, everyone in attendance was astonished, not astonished that she dared to appear in person, but...

Kawaii!!!

At this time, let alone the reporters at the scene, even the government officials present acting as third parties, seeing such a cute girl, all felt incredulous.

Uesugi this bastard...

And the tens of millions of people in front of the television were even more so, especially seeing Saito Asuka's face full of two-dimensional ethereal quality, one after another couldn't help themselves.

Kawaii!!!

Cuteness is justice! Appearance determines stance!

Facing the camera, Saito Asuka was somewhat nervous, but she still softly said amidst the gaze of all: "I am Saito Asuka, Saito Nanami's younger sister, that is, the underage girl A you all refer to, I hereby emphasize, everything Mr. Uesugi said is true."

"My sister mentioned Mr. Uesugi's existence to me multiple times before her passing, and after that incident, it was Mr. Uesugi who proactively offered to take me in." The girl said very firmly.

"Wait, there is an error here!" At this moment, the Weekly Bunshun reporter spoke: "Earlier, Uesugi-san said he did not know you had this sister! Yet here you emphasize your sister told you about it—is this your collusion?"

"No!" Saito Asuka emphasized: "That is because... because my sister feared my existence would affect her relationship with Mr. Uesugi! So Mr. Uesugi has always not known! But I know!"

"Mr. Uesugi indeed asked me about Mai-sama's adoption matter, but... I don't want! I only believe him! My sister entrusted me to him, besides Mr. Uesugi, I believe no one! Being adopted by my mother is my consent! What's it to you?"

The girl's anger overflowed in her words.

"That also cannot prove you were not subject to inducement and coercion..." the Weekly Bunshun side still wanted to question, now the children's consultation office official spoke: "Stop! The witness's statement is already very clear! Please do not induce or coerce minors!"

Weekly Bunshun then fell silent.

Afterwards, Ishihara Mikoto also, as guardian, sternly opposed Weekly Bunshun's baseless attacks, and thus, with the parties involved and guardian's dual denial and official documents from the family court and children's consultation office, the illegitimate possibility of whether the adoption was legal and whether the process involved inducement or coercion disappeared.

"Uesugi-san, hello, we are Yomiuri Shimbun." Another reporter spoke: "Regarding the live-in domestic worker issue, as everyone knows, 92% of domestic worker companies do not accept commissions for underage live-in domestic workers, moreover, cohabiting with an opposite-sex underage live-in domestic worker, would there be controversy?"

"Regarding this, I want to turn the question back to this Yomiuri Shimbun reporter." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded to indicate he knew: "I ask, why cannot there be underage live-in domestic workers? Which law stipulates this?"

"This..." the Yomiuri Shimbun reporter was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Let me put it this way, although underage live-in domestic workers may indeed pose problems, but... this is legally permitted." Uesugi Muneyuki displayed three documents to the entire audience.

The first is the full authorization permit as guardian.

The second is the record of filing and regular home visits by the Minor Labor Standards Bureau of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

The third is the employment contract, proving weekly working hours ≤40 hours, and wages higher than Tokyo's minimum hourly wage standard (about 1000 yen/hour) and permission prohibiting night work.

All documents are complete, all legal and compliant, the domestic service company, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and children's consultation office also acknowledged the legality of the documents.

Among the reporters' army at the scene, there are not a few who understand law, yet they stubbornly examined all documents again and again, but could not find any evidence that underage live-in domestic workers are illegal.

Yes, everyone subconsciously feels this is dangerous, but if one truly examines it seriously, as long as all documents are complete, the guardian consents, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has filed and conducts regular home visits, this is legal indeed!

Put bluntly, if all procedures are completely legal yet still considered problematic, then who in the future would dare to employ minors under 18 years old?

Yomiuri Shimbun lowered its flags and ceased drumming, indicating acknowledgment, but Weekly Bunshun began to be unable to sit still.

They did not expect Uesugi Muneyuki to be so prepared, so flawless.

"According to our knowledge, Uesugi-san, you have paid a total of 5 million yen in wages for this domestic worker's service over two years, which already far exceeds normal domestic worker wages? Do we have reasonable grounds to suspect there were other problems and benefit transfers beforehand?" Weekly Bunshun continued to harp on a point.

"This point, our side can explain." At this moment, the Mitsubishi UFJ Bank representative raised a hand.

On the big screen appeared all fund flows of Saito Asuka's account, each entry clear and traceable, which money is for tuition and fees, which for living expenses, each very clear, and the saved money, Nippon Life Insurance announced, the vast majority of the surplus has been invested by Uesugi Muneyuki into the "education fund," for future use in Saito Asuka's university education.

Subsequently, the representative of Tsukuba University High School then presented the girl's attendance record.

Aside from occasionally coming for menstruation each month, Saito Asuka's school attendance record is nearly perfect, her grades are in the middle range, teachers and psychological counselors at school all said the girl has nothing unusual.

Then came the tuition payment receipt.

At this point, the entire audience had nothing left to say.

"This is the evidence, I have sufficient facts to prove, all my actions and decisions are legal, no mistake, I indeed cohabit with a minor, and indeed employ her as a live-in domestic worker, Asuka, due to losing her sister causing inner trauma, only trusts those entrusted by her sister, this factor aside, I also believe, the current best choice is for me to guard her!"

Uesugi Muneyuki loudly said to the Weekly Bunshun representative: "All my actions have passed the triple review of the family court, children's consultation office, and Labor Standards Inspection Office, document numbers can be publicly verified (displaying permit number)—ask your company whether, before reporting, you fulfilled the fact-verification obligation under Article 3 of the Broadcast Law?"

"The dying wish of my former girlfriend was to entrust me to protect my sister from secondary harm by the welfare system and continue her studies, I, with a salary 30% above market, guarantee her right to education (displaying tuition receipts)—your company distorted humanitarian intervention into exploitation, are you prepared to bear liability for the defamation crime?"

Having said this, Attorney Kunpei of Nishimura Asahi Law Office stepped forward: "Our office has already accepted Uesugi-san's commission, according to the provisions of Article 230 of the Penal Code on defamation, we will shortly initiate formal litigation against your company!"

Upon these words, the Weekly Bunshun side's faces turned ashen.

As one of the most influential weeklies in Japan, "Bunshun cannon" is famed for its investigative reporting, but also often sparks controversy due to its reporting methods and content; if such a serious defamation incident occurs and is proven true, Bunshun's credibility will suffer a devastating blow. Readers, advertisers, information sources will all develop severe distrust, almost certainly leading to a sharp drop in circulation and a plunge in advertising revenue.

They no matter how could not have imagined Uesugi Muneyuki prepared so thoroughly! To the extent that several major controversy points have reached flawless levels!

However, they Weekly Bunshun are not pushovers!

They cannot fail here! They will not, and they cannot fail here!

Betting everything on the "Bunshun Cannon," they still have a trump card in their hands!

"Even so! Uesugi-san! We can temporarily believe your statement, and we can later verify the credibility of these documents, but there is one most deadly problem! Please explain!" The representative journalist of Weekly Bunshun, Takahashi Katsuto, spoke under pressure: "That is, you still cannot prove one most crucial issue!"

"As the minor living with you! Is she or is she not involved with you? Otherwise, this is outright crime!"

Weekly Bunshun finally threw out the biggest bomb!

Yeah, this is also what everyone suspects, what no one dares to speak clearly about.

Yes, Uesugi Muneyuki can explain why he adopted the underage girl, can explain the adoption was legal, can explain the employment of the underage live-in domestic worker was legal, and can also explain all the fund flows were legal.

But he just cannot explain whether he actually had an affair with Saito Asuka?

And with the fund flow and employment relationship, consent from someone under 18 years old does not count, so the charge of sexual assault of a minor can easily destroy him completely!

The scene and all of Kantou were no different than if a fat man and a little boy had fallen down, Weekly Bunshun's question was suffocating, and it also made everyone look at Uesugi Muneyuki with suspicious eyes.

Yeah, you……otherwise, everything before was just farting, not counting!

However, facing the question, Uesugi Muneyuki merely smiled slightly, he raised his hand to gesture, and a few people came from outside.

Americans!

"Please allow me to introduce, this is Mr. Smith and Miss Judy, who work for a third-party organization employed at St. Mary's Hospital in the United States, and also serve as intermediaries responsible for FBI review operations."

"According to my request, they just conducted a gynecological examination on Asuka, and as for the examination results..."

Uesugi Muneyuki gestured for everyone to look at the big screen.

The examination record on the big screen showed that Saito Asuka's DNA test was negative, with no injuries at all, and even... she was still a virgin.

That is, Uesugi Muneyuki has never touched this girl! Not at all!

Incredible!

"This is impossible!" This time, Weekly Bunshun finally panicked completely: "This is impossible!"

Impossible! This Uesugi guy is famous as the Sakuradamon Lewd Devil, how could he possibly not have touched this super beautiful girl?

This is impossible!

Weekly Bunshun obviously did not expect their sure-win nuclear option to miss, Takahashi Katsuto lost composure on the spot, originally preparing to win, get promoted, and rise to the peak of life to become a national hero, he suddenly realized he would lose, and Weekly Bunshun would also lose.

This is impossible!

In desperation, Takahashi Katsuto blurted out: "This is impossible! I don't believe it! And, it's not only usable there either!"

Upon saying this, the entire venue fell silent.

Metropolitan Police Department: "?"

Hōseirōdōshō: "?"

District Court: "?"

District Public Prosecutors Office: "?"

Child Guidance Center: "???"

Fuji TV: "???"

All nationals of Kantou watching the live broadcast: "??????"