Chapter 383

The piercing alarm tore through the deafening music without warning, like a cold steel needle stabbing into the eardrums. Instantly, the dazzling laser ball stopped spinning, replaced by blinding, wildly flashing red emergency lights. The entire space was drenched in an ominous blood-red hue.

"Fire! It's a fire!" someone shouted shrilly, though no one knew who started it.

The silence lasted less than half a second before being utterly drowned by a surging wave of panic. A pungent, smoke-and-dust-laden thick smoke violently gushed from some unknown vent, rapidly spreading above the dance floor and obscuring vision.

"Run!"

"Where's the exit?!"

The crowd erupted like a disturbed ant colony. Shattering glasses, overturning tables and chairs, women's screams and men's curses blended into a torrent of despairing noise. People instinctively shoved and shoved toward the remembered main entrance, the scene completely out of control.

At the very heart of this chaos, Uesugi Muneyuki stood unmoving. In his spirit vision, he easily saw the entire layout of the bar, like a rock in a raging current—clear in purpose, his gaze fixed on the staff passage behind the bar,

where the heavy fire door was now violently shoved open! Three burly bodyguards in dark suits, like human shields, brutally shoved out a figure tightly protected in the middle, clad in an exquisitely tailored dark gray cashmere coat. Even in panic, he exuded an air of noble privilege utterly alien to this chaos. He wore a low-brimmed duckbill cap pulled low, hiding his face, but the priority given to his protection and the unconscious tension of privilege in his every movement were unmistakable.

He was the VIP the dark-suited man at the bar had mentioned!

Uesugi Muneyuki only saw his lips, about to look further, when he noticed the bodyguards were extremely professional: two led the way, using their bodies to forcibly clear a path, shoving aside any panicked guests without mercy, while the third stayed glued to the VIP's rear, one hand guarding his back, the other vigilantly pressing on the bulge of his gun holster at the waist, sharp eyes constantly scanning the chaotic surroundings, especially anyone non-staff trying to approach.

A gun??

Uesugi Muneyuki's expression changed, and he immediately shifted his thinking.

"Get out of the way! Anyone who doesn't want to die, fucking move!" the lead bodyguard roared brutally, his voice clear and powerful amid the alarms and screams. The VIP was shoved and jostled, his steps keeping pace with a run but extremely fast; beneath his duckbill cap, his tightly pressed lips revealed suppressed shock and anger. They clearly knew this building's structure like the back of their hand, heading straight for the depths of the staff passage with a clear target.

It seems there's another emergency exit.

At this moment, Uesugi Muneyuki also lost the chance to observe further. As the alarm blared, he, along with Kashiwagi Jin and Sugishita Ukyo, etc., had no choice but to be swept out with the crowd. For a moment, the main entrance was completely packed with people, while the group of bodyguards protecting the VIP guests had already vanished behind the fire door of the staff passage, without a trace.

Hironaka Mariko tried pulling that door, but it was useless. This wasn't the Odaiba Building, and Hironaka Mariko had no ability to phase through walls easily. After a moment's thought, Uesugi Muneyuki immediately told her to come back.

The smoke's duration is limited. As Miyahara Toru exhaled for a few minutes, he had to shake that emergency inhaler to restore strength and replenish vitality. By now, Uesugi Muneyuki's purpose had already been achieved. He and Kashiwagi Jin and Sugishita Ukyo met outside the shop, three of them watching the emergency evacuation of Burning Bar, watching the thick smoke spewing out. Kashiwagi Jin's face showed undisguised disappointment—he had thought this investigation would absolutely yield something, never expecting it to turn out like this!

"Oh dear, it seems we came at a bad time—Burning Bar is really burning now." Investigation Division Chief Sugishita Ukyo said calmly: "But this bar is indeed suspicious. Didn't you notice anything? Uesugi-kun, Kashiwagi-kun, just now, it seemed those bodyguards were shielding someone as they escaped."

"It's perfectly normal for high-end bars to have VIPs with separate escape routes." Kashiwagi Jin looked at Uesugi Muneyuki, complaining: "How is it that wherever you go, something happens? What are we supposed to do now? We gained nothing and even drew attention."

"Not nothing gained." Uesugi Muneyuki picked up the phone wrapped in banknotes in his hand: "See what I accidentally grabbed?"

Kashiwagi Jin and Sugishita Ukyo's eyes lit up: "So many phones—you're sure this one's useful?" Kashiwagi Jin still hesitated a bit, but there's no doubt Uesugi Muneyuki's investigative method suits his taste—police officers can't steal evidence, but if the other party accidentally left it in a public area, and we happened to obtain it during our search, and happened to discover the key data and content inside, that's also perfectly reasonable, right?

"How would we know if we don't try?" Uesugi Muneyuki held the phone, flipped it over, and displayed the chat log.

There was a chat log from four days ago, clearly written.

"Yamamoto, the VIP's mood tonight is poor. The previously arranged 'standard package' didn't meet expectations, needs an 'add-on' special service,

the highest tier, immediately! Location unchanged, top-floor suite, budget no issue."

"Understood, Hironaka-san. Now contacting 'Night Hawk' to begin selection, arrive within 30 minutes. Fee calculated as S-rank doubled?"

"Doubled! As long as it makes that young master 'thoroughly satisfied'. Remember, 'absolutely professional' and 'quiet'. You know his identity."

Then came a screenshot from the hidden camera in the yoga room.

Obviously, the VIP was selecting a partner.

This is the selection.

"Person confirmed departure. 'No. 1' short hair, mixed-race feel, good at atmosphere, 'No. 5' yoga pants, female university student. Fee: 200,000 each,

total 400,000. Old account (Mizuho-1557****4396)?"

"Transfer immediately after completion. Must confirm 'N-network satisfaction report'."

Uesugi Muneyuki and Kashiwagi Jin and Sugishita Ukyo exchanged glances, then tried scrolling up—all chat logs had already been deleted,

while scrolling down showed the content Hironaka Mariko had seen today.

"So we've figured out why the yoga room has hidden cameras." Sugishita Ukyo said solemnly, nodding: "Also now clear why the fitness room is full of mysteries."

"This is unforgivable! Simply unforgivable!!!" Kashiwagi Jin angrily slapped his thigh, low-voice roaring: "Turns out—it's escorting! Sexual escorting! No wonder those girls said they'd blacked out from drinking, and some even went missing!"

"Exactly, the so-called hidden cameras in the yoga room are actually for the bar's VIPs to select partners, to choose escort targets. Sayakura Female Trainer is the matchmaker, and she herself is a female-presenting male fitness instructor, most easily making young girls let their guard down and agree to have a drink together, then after being drugged, sexual escorting occurs. But I have a doubt—what is N-network?"

Kashiwagi Jin and Sugishita Ukyo shook their heads, obviously knowing nothing.

"Well, what should we do now? Apply for a search warrant for this bar? Or..." Uesugi Muneyuki tentatively asked Sugishita Ukyo: "... or wait for the chance? Net them all in one go?"

"Of course we apply for a search warrant now! Uesugi, Division Chief, you're not scared, are you?" Kashiwagi Jin shouted sternly: "These chat logs already involve specific paid sexual escort services at the designated location tonight, organized, plus provided fund transfer account information—key ironclad evidence for tracing funds and securing conviction. Besides, there are specific names—this is enough!"

"Division Chief, let's go!" Kashiwagi Jin said passionately.

"Normally, this would be a long-term job—we'd need preliminary preparation and identity building, entering and initial integration,

establishing contacts and gathering leads, then finding a breakthrough, must always prioritize safety, with patient rapport and strong psychological resilience." Sugishita Ukyo fell silent for a few seconds, gazing meaningfully at Uesugi Muneyuki: "But I must say, no wonder you're Uesugi Forensic Examiner?"

This old guy seems to have discovered something—Uesugi Muneyuki's gaze shifted, his unexpected question at the bar counter indeed had a bit of a sudden edge.

Indeed, Sugishita Ukyo had this doubt—the Division Chief actually noticed that dark-suited man at the far end of the bar counter observing and sending something, but in that dim environment, seven or eight meters away, plus the angled phone screen and extremely small chat content, even with 5.3 vision, you couldn't see it clearly.

Could this brat Uesugi Muneyuki have white eyes and a Sharingan?

What a joke!

Sugishita Ukyo instinctively rejected his own thought, immediately saying: "Find a way to copy all the phone's data, then we go apply for a search warrant. Note, this kind of evidence can only serve as reasonable suspicion, not direct criminal proof—we still need more solid, concrete evidence!"

"Yes!"

"Also, when copying the records, we should keep an extra copy. Uesugi-kun, Kashiwagi-kun, what we're facing this time might not be as simple as just one bar." Sugishita Ukyo looked up at the sky: "Around here, it's not like there are no police stations—once or twice might be forgivable, but if they've done this so many times, surely no girl would have the courage to report it?"

Upon hearing this, Kashiwagi Jin nodded, while Uesugi Muneyuki nodded heavily.

This is also why he didn't let Eirina Nami and others participate this time.

The investigation is getting deeper and deeper.

Back at Special Investigation Headquarters, Date Nagamune managed to copy all data from the phone, then Uesugi Muneyuki arranged for Hironaka Mariko to secretly return the phone afterward—sure enough, the Ebisu Gym Special Investigation Headquarters erupted in a heaven-shaking, earth-shaking storm!

This case involving a National Diet Member actually unearthed an even blacker, deeper conspiracy?

And the news and evidence of the Special Investigation Headquarters' search warrant application arrived at Sakuradamon in the first moment!

Special Investigation Headquarters Chief, Metropolitan Police Department Investigation Division 1 Chief Sugishita Ukyo, demanded the Metropolitan Police Department apply to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office for a search warrant!

However, after receiving this news, the Metropolitan Police Department had no reaction at all.

Quite the opposite—right next to Sakuradamon, in the Police Bureau Chief's Office, Sugishita Ukyo's search warrant application and the chat logs and image evidence Uesugi Muneyuki collected appeared first on Onoda's desk.

At this moment, the Official Residence Secretary suddenly knocked on the door: "Chief of Staff, the new Security Department Chief has arrived!"

"Please come in!" Chief of Staff Onoda immediately stood up.

A middle-aged man about 55 years old walked in facing them, tall and straight-backed, maintaining a military bearing even though he was nearly sixty, with broad shoulders and white hair combed back meticulously, revealing a broad forehead covered in deep wrinkles. His sideburns were trimmed extremely neatly.

His expression was stern, his outline sharp as if carved by knife and axe. His gaze was sharp as a hawk's, as if it could penetrate the human heart and see through all lies. Long years in high office and heavy responsibilities had mixed in his eyes a heavy pressure, profound wisdom, and a barely perceptible fatigue, with dark shadows under his eyes.

This was the man who succeeded Kudo Tsuyoshi as Director of Security of the National Police Agency, the new head of Japan's Public Security, Shinzou Kamiya.

"Chief of Staff, you summoned me?" Department Chief Shinchou nodded, his expression slightly respectful but not servile, for he came from a police family, his father having held important posts in the police force and participated in the Asama Mountain Lodge incident and the Aum Shinrikyo case.

From a young age he displayed extraordinary ability, graduating with top marks from the Police Academy, and in the Public Security Department (including foreign affairs counter-terrorism) he accumulated rich practical and intelligence experience, having participated in or directed numerous major counter-terrorism operations, VIP protection duties, and international security cooperation projects, his record brilliant, his merits outstanding.

"Ah, look at this, should we say it's no wonder he's Uesugi Shougenshou?" Chief of Staff Onoda's heavy eyelids flickered with a trace of fear and even considerable certainty: "In such a short time, he has actually found this place already."

"Is that Uesugi Muneyuki?" Department Chief Shinchou glanced at the documents, his expression shocked.

"Such ability, not letting our Public Security make use of it, is truly a pity." Chief of Staff Onoda stood up, turned his back to Department Chief Shinchou, clasped his hands behind his back, and stood by the window: "But, being too good at investigating, is also not a good thing."

Department Chief Shinchou's fingers unconsciously tightened, and he fell into silence.

As if responding to Chief of Staff Onoda's judgment, the telephone on his desk suddenly rang.

"See, here it comes." Chief of Staff Onoda was not at all surprised by this result, he gestured for Department Chief Shinchou not to leave, and picked up the phone.

"Yes, yes, I am Onoda—understood, I will give the order, good, I know what to do." Chief of Staff Onoda simply replied a few times.

He slowly hung up the handset, the office fell into dead silence, and Chief of Staff Onoda quietly said: "Go ahead, be quick, I know Sugishita Ukyo, if we don't move fast, he will surely keep pestering us relentlessly, and then things will become more troublesome."

"Yes!!!" Department Chief Shinchou immediately stood up, bowed deeply, and left the room.

The Public Security Police began to move.