Chapter 417

PS: Finally got the premium badge, thanks everyone for your support, Tenshi loves you all mwah "Sōsetsu, what other surprises do you have for me?"

Sakuradamon, the National Police Agency Commissioner's Office, Watanabe Eiji sat quite relaxed in his own comfortable chair and said casually.

His 15-year wish fulfilled, old man Eiji was very relaxed, a smile on his face, and he was even amiable toward the visiting Uesugi Muneyuki, even asking if he wanted tea.

Uesugi Muneyuki also wore a faint smile, thinking you won't be in the mood for tea very soon.

"Yifu Daren, I've made some——surprising discoveries——" Uesugi Muneyuki placed the investigation results from Forensic Science Laboratory Equipment Division Expert Assistant Police Inspector Hikawa Makoto on the table: "Right during the autopsy of the two fallen Patrol Sergeants, there were new findings."

"New findings? You wouldn't be telling me that the fallen Inspector Yamada and Inspector Kikuchi didn't die from gunshots but from 'dying in the saddle', right, Sōsetsu? I'm telling you, the cause of death can't be changed at a time like this, the whole nation is watching." Watanabe Eiji took the documents,

wound the cord around a few times to clear it, and laughed.

"Yifu Daren will know once you look." Uesugi Muneyuki thought, like to laugh?

Sure enough, Watanabe Eiji hadn't looked twice before the smile on his face began to gradually freeze.

As a Tokyo University Kingo-gumi alumnus, having served as Investigation Division 1 Chief, and with a career background in the Criminal Investigation Department having actually experienced several gunfights, he naturally understood firearms and police equipment better than Uesugi Muneyuki!

With just one glance at the X-ray scans and the Forensic Science Laboratory's appraisal, Watanabe Eiji immediately knew the crux of the problem!

The Metropolitan Police Department's bulletproof vests don't stop bullets.

This matter wasn't particularly strange in itself; as a police officer who had been on the front lines, Watanabe Eiji knew that bulletproof vests not only have an expiration date,

but Japanese police are also negligent about the vests themselves.

The average number of gun-related cases in all of Japan in recent years is about 30-50 per year, but 90% of those are either gang-related or drug-related, which have little connection to regular police, so spread across all of Japan and back to Tokyo, Tokyo actually often goes a whole year without a single shooting case; after prolonged peace, Metropolitan Police Department officers are quite lax. Not just now, even in Watanabe Eiji's era as Investigation Division 1 Chief, 99.9% of regular officers never encounter a gunfight in their lifetime; bulletproof vests are treated as "duty uniform accessories" rather than life-saving gear.

Even back then, patrol officers complained they were heavy and stuffy, privately removing the inner lining to reduce weight.

But this thing is just like the modern national defense military: you know full well the military won't be used the vast majority of the time, you're just letting a large group of able-bodied young men in their prime waste away in barracks, but you absolutely cannot not have it!

Japanese police bulletproof vests are exactly this kind of thing.

At first Watanabe Eiji thought Kikuchi Fūma had worn the vest incorrectly, or had privately removed part of the inner lining to reduce weight, and besides, they didn't know Ghost Guest had a gun at the time, so not seriously preparing for firearms was normal.

But when the inspection results showing that Yamayoshi Yuki's vest also had problems were placed before Watanabe Eiji, the Commissioner General finally realized the severity of the problem.

These two men belonged to different stations in different wards! And they wore vests from different procurement batches taken from different warehouses! Yet they encountered almost the exact same problem: one Kevlar layer count was only 18 layers, one even only 16 layers, and the exact same defects: inferior nylon passed off as quality, resin coating adhesion incomplete, fiber lamination direction chaotic!

Watanabe Eiji, being such a sharp person, this doesn't mean—it's highly likely that the bulletproof vests procured from Daiwa Bōgu as a whole have a massive problem!

The middle-aged man's pupils contracted violently, the smile on his face completely vanished, even looking somewhat dazed; he abruptly raised his head, staring at his adopted son.

This TMD is called a surprise?

You translate for me, what is called a surprise?

Translate translate, what the hell is TMD, a surprise?!

"It really is a huge surprise, isn't it, Yifu Daren." Uesugi Muneyuki said with a complex expression: "Did you know about this?"

"Who else knows about this?" Watanabe Eiji cut in rudely, his voice and expression stern, roaring like a fierce tiger: "And, TMD, which people know about this?! Speak!!!"

"Me, Forensics Division's Mikoto, Nakadō, and Forensic Science Laboratory's Assistant Police Inspector Hikawa." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded, speaking equally seriously: "Yifu Daren, tell me, did you know about this?"

"You suspect me? Sōsetsu?" Watanabe Eiji glared wide-eyed, slamming a fist on the table: "You don't trust me?"

"I'm asking you!" Uesugi Muneyuki also said fiercely: "Yes! Or, no!"

The Commissioner General's face turned ashen, eyes bloodshot, teeth grinding with a creaking sound; after a long silence, he finally said: "No, I haven't taken a single yen from Daiwa Bōgu, and the original procurement case wasn't presided over by me."

"Then it was the previous Commissioner General, Commissioner Hakuba, right?" Uesugi Muneyuki looked at Watanabe Eiji a few times, felt he wasn't lying, and besides Assistant Police Inspector Hikawa mentioned the last unified procurement was three years ago.

"No, it's not Commissioner Hakuba's business either; the procurement three years ago should have had open bidding four or five years ago, so it should be the Commissioner before last, Commissioner Tabuchi, Tabuchi Masahiro." Watanabe Eiji forced himself to calm down, he read the documents in front of him, then stared at Uesugi Muneyuki: "You haven't told anyone else, right?"

"That depends on how you intend to handle this, Yifu Daren." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded.

"Good, very good." Only then did Watanabe Eiji let out a breath, feeling both shock and joy in his heart.

The bulletproof vest issue Uesugi Muneyuki poked out, if handled badly, would be a hellfire bomb that blows up all of Sakuradamon! The kind that sends the entire police organization sky-high!

This kid is simply the legendary silver bullet, but he doesn't just destroy enemies, he might also destroy the organization itself!

But fortunately, he's still willing to discuss it with me first, to gauge my intentions first.

If Uesugi Muneyuki had directly leaked this to the District Public Prosecutors Office or the media, then at this critical juncture, the entire Metropolitan Police Department leadership headed by him would be finished!

Uesugi Muneyuki was waiting for his decision; Watanabe Eiji pondered briefly, nodded, and picked up the phone.

The Commissioner General first arranged for Forensics Division's Mikoto and Nakadō, and Forensic Science Laboratory's Hikawa, three people, under the pretext of an emergency business trip, sending them directly to Chiba Prefecture, to be immediately managed by his confidant Chiba Prefectural Police Headquarters Chief Assistant Commissioner Mouri Takayoshi.

Then, Watanabe Eiji immediately stood up: "This isn't a place for chatting, Sōsetsu, come with me!"

"Good!"

Thirty minutes later, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, Utei Ryōtei.

Commissioner General Watanabe Eiji sat in the main seat, below him sat several high-ranking police officials:

Metropolitan Police Department General Affairs Department Head Tanaka Yasushi.

Metropolitan Police Department Security Department Head Namite Jitsu.

Metropolitan Police Department Criminal Investigation Department Chief Uchimura Kanji.

Metropolitan Police Department Organized Crime Control Department Chief Kawakami Hiroto.

Metropolitan Police Department Police Affairs Department Chief Hasegawa Soun.

These few are all Watanabe Eiji's confidants; actually besides them there's also Metropolitan Police Department Public Security Bureau Director Haruko Yoshikazu, but does our Criminal Investigation Department faction's business need the Public Security faction to know?

So to say, old man Eiji in the Metropolitan Police Department can now be described as covering the sky with one hand; Public Security faction's Onoda Kimiaki at most only placed Ooyama Ren as Deputy Superintendent.

Besides that, Uesugi Muneyuki's urgently arrived Special Mission System Management Officer Watanabe Minami was also present; Minami Ojou-sama had no qualification to participate in this gathering of bigwigs, only responsible for serving tea and pouring water.

The bigwigs of Eiji's faction originally thought the Commissioner General summoned them for a celebration meeting, thinking isn't this a bit too rushed?

However, after they finished reading all the materials, none of them dared even breathe; in late February weather, each sweating profusely, holding their breath, occasionally glancing at Watanabe Eiji sitting in the main seat, no one dared speak first; the room interior was shrouded in an atmosphere of fear and shock.

"Commissioner General, where did this data come from?" Finally, General Affairs Department Head Tanaka, cold sweat bathing him, argued urgently: "Our past inspections never showed any problems!"

"No problems? Tanaka, are you TMD blind? This is called no problems?!" Watanabe Eiji roared angrily, slamming the documents in his hand hard onto the table: "These two bulletproof vests, from different places, different batches, different inventories, yet showed the exact same problem!"

Winning bidder enterprise "Daiwa Bōgu" passed strict bidding—yet past inspection records have problems—General Affairs Department Head Tanaka cannot escape responsibility!

Police Affairs Department Chief Hasegawa immediately said sternly: "Past inspections? Those were spot checks! Never implemented full testing due to cost issues!

Based on the material analysis of the fractured parts, the issues with this batch of defective products are all exactly the same—there is extremely strong suspicion that the supplier deliberately used substandard materials! Moreover, Daiwa Armor has been supplying our headquarters for ten years already.

Security Department Chief Idete Saneatsu finally said in a daze: "Yamada was killed by— the vest we bought?! How could this happen—"

Organized Crime Control Department Chief, whose temper is the most explosive: "Immediately terminate the contract with 'Daiwa Armor,' file criminal charges! Punish the procurement officer in charge without mercy!"

Only Criminal Investigation Department Chief Uchimura Kanji was under pressure to explode; he tentatively asked: "Director General, what exactly is this—"

"It was discovered by Uesugi-kun." Watanabe Eiji nodded, looking toward Uchimura, his voice icy: "Fortunately, it was Uesugi-kun who discovered it. If it had been anyone else, we would all be finished."

Uesugi Muneyuki nodded: "In my autopsy, I found that although the. 45 caliber has obviously greater power, the killer used only standard-issue bullets. If wearing specification-compliant! Level 11 bulletproof vests and worn correctly, penetration could have been completely avoided."

This statement struck like a final judgment, hitting each person's heart; the ryotei fell into deathly silence, with only heavy breathing audible.

The two fallen officers, Yamada Yuki and Kikuchi Fūma, did not die from criminals' bullets, but from corruption and dereliction of duty within the Metropolitan Police Department system.

Watanabe Eiji slowly stood up: "Fifteen years ago, at the Sato family crime scene, the killer left behind— a cheap energy drink can— and a rough climbing rope."

"And fifteen years later, our department's officers actually died because of 'cheap goods.'"

"Once this comes to light, the Metropolitan Police Department's reputation will be completely ruined. Collective resignation won't even suffice to explain it— we may even face criminal liability!"

As soon as these words were spoken, only a group of deathly pale, lightning-struck executives remained in the ryotei.

"Peace sickness has caused Japan's police system to lose reverence for violent threats, equipment supervision has descended into bureaucratic child's play, and ultimately, the bill is paid with police lives."

"Now the problem is, what should we do next?"