Chapter 421

The heavy door of the archives room in the underground warehouse at Sakuradamon was shut tight; Kashiwagi Misa stood outside, as if trying to press down the complex emotions surging in her chest — a tangle of joy, anxiety, nervous unease, and a thread of relief that made her reach for the door again and again, only to snatch her hand back each time.

As head of the Equipment Management Department, Kashiwagi Misa naturally knew which places in the Metropolitan Police Department were suitable for secret meetings without being discovered, but she never imagined there would come a day when she herself would have to provide Uesugi Muneyuki with a tryst location and run cover; this intense sense of dislocation and humiliation made her feel terrible, the dark-blue uniform jacket feeling abnormally heavy at this moment, the tight police uniform skirt also binding her body.

Yet she couldn't help but be filled with anticipation and secret joy; hearing Uesugi Muneyuki's summons, she was both afraid and expectant, indescribably complex.

She raised her hand, fingertips lightly pushing open the archives room, and Kashiwagi Misa saw Uesugi Muneyuki inside just as she wished.

"You're here." Uesugi Muneyuki's expression was calm but tinged with laziness; he stood behind a file cabinet, back against the wall, a document in hand, not immediately looking up; the archives room was brightly lit, the air permeated with the smell of paper and old leather.

"Forensic Examiner." Kashiwagi Misa's voice was calm as usual, but her excited emotions and surging turmoil could be heard: "Is... is there something?"

"Can't I look for you if there's nothing? Madam?" Uesugi Muneyuki slowly raised his head; his eyes were sharp yet held a hint of amusement, his gaze habitually sweeping over her whole body, finally coming to rest almost naturally on her legs.

The former Face of the Metropolitan Police Department possessed a pair of well-proportioned, slender beautiful legs; under the archives room's lights, the straight lines wrapped in flesh-colored pantyhose extended from the hem of her knee-length skirt, the sheer stockings catching a delicate, soft luster under the light, evenly covering every inch of the ice-mountain mixed-blood beauty wife's skin, tracing the smooth, taut curves of her calves down to her ankles.

Those black patent-leather high-heeled shoes trod on the clean floor tiles; the just-right 5cm heel height made Madam Kashiwagi's leg lines appear even more slender and powerful, the arch of her foot revealing a perfect arc beneath the delicate stockings.

Kashiwagi Misa naturally noticed Uesugi Muneyuki's gaze; the ice-mountain mixed-blood beauty wife's heart was a turmoil; she stood in place, spine ramrod straight to appear unyielding, chin slightly tucked, meeting Uesugi Muneyuki's eyes, conveying: I'm not afraid of you!

However, privately, Madam Kashiwagi ever so slightly shifted her weight from one foot to the other; this minute movement made the muscle lines of her pair of silk-stocking beautiful legs tighten and relax slightly beneath the gossamer stockings, the shoe tips rotating a nearly invisible angle, letting Uesugi Muneyuki admire them better.

Uesugi Muneyuki's gaze froze for a moment; the corner of his mouth curled up an almost imperceptible arc — not a smile, more like a satisfied confirmation.

"Madam." Uesugi Muneyuki spoke, his voice carrying an unhurried, knowing deliberation: "How have things been lately? Any slip-ups at work?"

"Everything, is fine." Kashiwagi Misa couldn't guess what Uesugi Muneyuki wanted to say — had her husband caused trouble again? Did he have needs of her? Or was there something he needed her help with?

She didn't know, but she knew she had no ability to refuse; the ice-mountain mixed-blood beauty wife stepped forward, heels striking the floor with a heavy sound; as she approached, those beautiful legs swayed front and back, accompanied by the waist swaying beneath her uniform and her unique cold, alluring mixed-blood features, she carefully flattered: "Also congratulations to Uesugi-san, this time you've truly rendered great merit! The people and Headquarters are both proud of you..."

However, Uesugi Muneyuki did not answer immediately; he merely watched her quietly, ten fingers interlocked at his abdomen, gaze heavy upon her; the air in the archives room seemed to freeze, leaving only a silent, oppressive scrutiny and being scrutinized.

Wh-what is he going to do? Kashiwagi Misa found it strange.

"Madam, you really don't know?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked next.

"Know, what?" Madam Kashiwagi still didn't quite understand; wasn't it said he'd give me a surprise?

"About the two Police Inspectors who died in the line of duty?"

"Yes, the department expressed deep regret; no one expected the other party to have a gun... what about it?" Kashiwagi Misa still looked bewildered.

Uesugi Muneyuki let out a light sigh; his young face bore the unique sharpness and brook-no-question of the Uesugi peerage bloodline; he studied Kashiwagi Misa for a while, then sighed lightly: "Equipment Management Department Head, Assistant Police Inspector Kashiwagi Misa, the situation implicated in the Ikebukuro Phantom Guest case... is not light; we've discovered a small problem, and I now have a question: can I trust you?"

Finished speaking, Uesugi Muneyuki produced that bulletproof vest inspection report and handed it to Kashiwagi Misa: "If you've made up your mind, take a look at this; perhaps you can tell me what's going on."

The order was simple, direct, leaving no room for maneuver; Kashiwagi Misa had no ability to refuse Uesugi Muneyuki at all; she could only accept the document and begin reading it carefully.

The document was naturally the bulletproof vest inspection report.

As she read, the air seemed to have been sucked dry; Kashiwagi Misa felt a chill race from the soles of her feet up her spine, while her cheeks burned as if scorched; the ice-mountain beauty wife's face drained of all color, leaving only a cold pallor; her jaw tightened, the masseter outline nearly visible; those clear, cold eyes held roiling incredulity and panic.

This, this is impossible!

Only this thought remained in her mind.

The bulletproof vest, has a problem?

No, not that individual vests have a problem, but every single bulletproof vest in the entire Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, even all bulletproof vests procured from Daiwa Bōgu throughout Japan have a problem?!

How, how can this be?!

The Equipment Management Department Head subconsciously wanted to rebut, but she quickly recalled that the Equipment Section Chief's warehouse inspections were indeed only routine checks for stains and damage, whether batch numbers and dates matched, while live-fire testing was not done in practice because it wasn't mandatory, and routine inspections merely tested submitted samples!

Brief dead silence, until faint, muffled footsteps drifted from outside the archives room, making the indoor oppression all the more suffocating!

"I, I don't know! I... I really don't know, I know nothing!" Kashiwagi Misa's terrified expression made her subconsciously want to scream, but she quickly realized she absolutely must not do that, only able to clamp her mouth shut tight, eye sockets red with anxiety: "I really don't know! Uesugi-san! I really..."

"But you are the Equipment Management Department Head, Madam." Uesugi Muneyuki said calmly.

"I am the Department Head, true, but you also know, Uesugi-san, we internal-staff female police are essentially Clerical Staff; I'm only responsible for paperwork and routine signing — whatever forms the Section Chief gives me, I sign!"

"But you are still the Equipment Management Department Head, Madam." Uesugi Muneyuki cut her off, continuing: "Madam, doing it this way you'll go to prison."

Kashiwagi Misa felt despair at Uesugi Muneyuki's attitude.

Yes, although she was just a clerical internal-staff female police, to hold the post of Equipment Management Department Head she couldn't possibly fail to understand the report, couldn't possibly fail to see the serious problems with the bulletproof vests, couldn't possibly not know that Daiwa Bōgu's supplied vests were procured fraudulently, shoddy workmanship!

Likewise, although she mainly handled routine signing and paperwork and didn't know about the vest problems, she was the Equipment Management Department Head — once something went wrong, she absolutely could not escape!

Is this the so-called surprise?

Madam Kashiwagi's gaze toward Uesugi Muneyuki was filled with grief, indignation, anger, and a thread of disappointment at betrayal.

Oh, no, this might truly be a surprise — at least he was still willing to come find her first...

"Understood, Forensic Examiner." Madam Kashiwagi's voice was extraordinarily steady, not a tremor audible; she turned slightly, took a deep breath, trembling fingers reaching for the edge of her uniform skirt: "I, I'll do whatever you say, Uesugi-san, I, I'll give you everything, please, please think of a way, save me!! Please, Uesugi-san, for the sake of before...!"

Madam Kashiwagi lifted her uniform skirt slightly to mid-thigh, revealing a small stretch of skin above the knee wrapped in thin flesh-colored pantyhose; she strained to control her breathing, both shame and supplication: "I, I've always done as you required..."

The wife's plaintive, bashful appearance made Uesugi Muneyuki truly unable to look away; he leaned against the wall, posture relaxed, checking that the ice-mountain mixed-blood beauty wife had indeed followed his requirements, nodding satisfied: "Madam, so you need my help?"

"Desperately! Uesugi-san, please, do me a favor." Kashiwagi Misa was like someone clutching a last lifeline, hurriedly letting her skirt fall and grabbing Uesugi Muneyuki's large hand, eyes brimming with tears: "What should I do, I'll listen to everything you say."

"Very good, train soldiers a thousand days to use them in a single moment; Hito Sora Kashiwagi — you'll take the lead!"

Uesugi Muneyuki finally nodded satisfied; he whispered his plan to Kashiwagi Misa.

This and that, such and such...

"Huh?!" After hearing Uesugi Muneyuki's plan, Kashiwagi Misa felt all the blood in her body seem to freeze in an instant, then surge to the crown of her head, her body trembling uncontrollably: "R-really? Can this really save me?"

"Of course it's real!" Uesugi Muneyuki nodded: "Only this way can you save yourself, Madam! You should also understand how serious this matter is; once mishandled, not only would you go to prison, even the entire Metropolitan Police Department leadership including the Superintendent General would have to resign en masse!"

"But... how can I guarantee you're not deceiving me? How can I guarantee you won't abandon me and cut me loose when the time comes? I..." Kashiwagi Misa thought of Uesugi Muneyuki's plan and shivered with fear.

"Then, shall I prove it right now? Madam?"

(End of Chapter)