Chapter 423

The price Kashiwagi Misa quoted can no longer be described as Shizi opening his mouth wide.

This can simply be called opening one's mouth wide to accept filth.

As an Assistant Police Inspector who joined the department about seven years ago, Kashiwagi Misa earns approximately 380,000 yen per month, with seventeen payments a year; adding regional allowance, housing allowance, adjustment allowance, management position allowance, special duty allowance, and year-end bonus, her annual income is roughly 8 million yen, and after deducting various taxes and pension contributions, her take-home pay is about 5.9 million yen per year.

This overall income is almost identical to Uesugi Muneyuki's annual income from last year (though Uesugi Muneyuki's entire living expenses are covered by public funds, making his living costs nearly zero).

Meanwhile, according to Tokyo standards, the average annual income for working-age men in Tokyo, Japan, is roughly 5 to 5.3 million yen, with the median annual income being only about 4.1 to 4.3 million yen (as is well known, the young are always averaged out by the old, so the average wage is pulled high), hence the so-called "general male" standard mentioned by Sakura Girl.

The "general male" referred to by Sakura Girl means "annual income of at least 5 million yen, not greasy, fresh appearance, height 172 cm or above, regular employee or public servant, parents have welfare pension, stable living conditions," not some random 30-year-old otaku convenience store part-timer grabbed off the street called a "general male."

To Sakura Girl, lacking an annual income of 5 million yen basically means being expelled from humanity (unless one comes from a wealthy family with parental support).

Thus, Kashiwagi Misa instinctively quoted "5 million," following her initial mate-selection standard upon moving to Tokyo, but upon speaking, she realized she might have quoted too little; she couldn't help it, as she actually isn't very sharp, and in her view, 5 million yen per year is already a lot.

But seeing the other party's attitude clearly indicating agreement, in a panic, Kashiwagi Misa recalled Uesugi Muneyuki's words "sky-high pricing, spot payment," and immediately corrected herself.

I'm not talking about yen, but US dollars!

And Kashiwagi Misa's correction instantly left Yamamoto Shachou of Daiwa Bōgu thunderstruck.

5 million, US dollars?!

Are you serious, ma'am?!?!

US dollars?!?!

Is this clerical-section female officer completely devoid of any concept of money?

5 million US dollars?!?!?!?

At this time, the USD to JPY exchange rate has not yet reached 1:140; currently, it fluctuates around 1:115 to 1:125; calculating 5 million USD at an average rate of 1:120 gives roughly 600 million yen!

Are you pulling an international joke?!

Daiwa Bōgu's total procurement of bulletproof vests from the Metropolitan Police Department over ten years amounts to just over 10 billion yen in scale, and you want to take half of that in ten years?!

Nitpicking an Assistant Police Inspector—I think you're, crazy!

"Section Chief Kashiwagi, are you serious? US dollars?" When someone is speechless, they truly want to laugh; Yamamoto Shachou of Daiwa Bōgu coldly laughed and shook his head repeatedly: "Sorry, our company is a small-scale operation; 5 million US dollars is also an astronomical figure for us; this is absolutely impossible, Section Chief—you might not know what 5 million US dollars means."

"Converting 5 million US dollars to yen is enough to crush you directly into meat paste." Yamamoto Shachou said with a slight threat: "If that's the case, then there's nothing left for us to discuss; please go ahead."

"Yamamoto Shachou! Don't treat me like a fool!" Kashiwagi Misa recalled the report.

According to the internal budget audit report of the Metropolitan Police Department Security Bureau, normally, the quotation for a NIJ Level 3 Kevlar bulletproof vest is about 500 US dollars, while the Metropolitan Police Department's standard procurement price is approximately 85,000 yen per piece, due to additional budget allocated for domestic production support; however, Daiwa Bōgu's budget quotation per piece is only 58,000 yen, thus securing the winning bid.

Although Kashiwagi Misa is a clerical-section female officer, she still has some understanding of equipment; if the report's claims are true, then the manufacturing cost of each such inferior bulletproof vest would not exceed 20,000 yen!

These people are profiteering horribly!

Seventy percent of the world's bulletproof vests come from a certain country across the sea from Japan, and their quoted price for a standard NIJ Level 3 bulletproof vest is exactly 500 US dollars.

"Your company's inferior bulletproof vest has a manufacturing cost not exceeding 20,000 yen per piece; an annual 5 million yen—won't your company think that's too little? Could it be that you're giving Ikeda Section Chief only this price?" Kashiwagi Misa earnestly said: "If that's the case, our department would be better off ordering from that certain country across the sea!"

Oh?

Oh!!!

Daiwa Bōgu side was stunned, thinking, no wonder.

This woman doesn't understand pricing! Doesn't understand market conditions! She's just sky-high pricing, spot payment—she has no idea how much those equipment section chiefs and Public Affairs Department people fixedly earn.

This makes things much easier.

"That certain country across the sea? Section Chief, how are we supposed to compete with them? Their workers only need 80,000 to 90,000 yen per month to work 996, two shifts, two rotations, and they don't even need to provide employees with medical insurance and pension!" Yamamoto Shachou said earnestly: "We're different—we have to pay employees' pension and medical insurance, and the minimum wage for working hours cannot be below 1,050 yen per hour, otherwise we can't hire anyone!"

"Eh?" Kashiwagi Misa truly didn't know these things; she was stunned for a moment.

This, this can't be true? Is there really someone who would work 996 for less than 100,000 yen a month? And without paying pension and medical insurance?

"So, Section Chief, you're also about the same……Also, we need to know, how exactly did you discover the problem? What do you really want to do with all this money?" Yamamoto Shachou pondered, then decided to continue probing.

"The problem was discovered when the Forensics Division autopsied the corpses of two fallen Police Inspectors." Kashiwagi Misa blinked, then instinctively said: "It was Uesugi Shougenshou who brought this to me."

"What?!" Upon hearing the name Uesugi Muneyuki, Yamamoto Shachou shuddered.

Uesugi Muneyuki, again him?!

Is he trying to destroy Japan?!

"This won't do! Section Chief, you might not even know how terrifying that guy is……"

"Don't worry, Uesugi that guy is very skilled at autopsies and examinations, but he knows nothing about firearms." Kashiwagi Misa interrupted Yamamoto Shachou: "I told him this is normal, so he didn't say anything."

"But……" Yamamoto Shachou still didn't believe it.

"Actually, the Weekly Bunshun matter……is not merely pure rumor and hearsay." Kashiwagi Misa continued adding details, she reached out to cover her lower abdomen, her icy, cold beauty revealing a faint blush on her face, and softly said: "I have a way to keep him in check, really, he truly doesn't understand firearms."

"Hmm……ahaha~" Yamamoto Shachou now understood, he got it!

Moreover, Kashiwagi Misa's expression, judging from his over fifty years of experience, doesn't look like an act; an ordinary woman couldn't possibly pull this off—if a woman could display such a unique demeanor, she could go compete for an Oscar Best Actress!

That Kashiwagi Misa claims she can keep Uesugi Muneyuki in check thus has some credibility.

But there's still one last thing to confirm.

"Very good, ma'am, very good, then we still have a problem—you need this much money, for……"

"For my husband." Kashiwagi Misa softly said, her expression complex.

"Ah?!" Yamamoto Shachou was overloaded with pig brain by Kashiwagi Misa.

What kind of situation is this again?!

You didn't cheat with Uesugi Muneyuki, did you? How come it's for your husband again?

What on earth is going on here?!

"My husband, because he impulsively offended many people, so I need money, a large sum, to make up for his faults; he's from the Todai Kinbyo-gumi, with limitless future, so……I need a large sum, all this is for Ren, for his future." Kashiwagi Misa this time played her true colors, speaking earnestly: "I can tell you, Yamamoto Shachou, my husband is outside right now; although he knows nothing, as long as I send out a signal, he'll come in, so, President, give me a clear answer—will you give me the money, or let me expose this matter?"

"…………" Daiwa Bōgu side fell silent; Yamamoto Shachou thought, the relationship among you three is truly complicated; after thinking, he said: "Can you give us some time? Our company needs to consider, and moreover, 5 million US dollars is really too much—even the Fire Department Chief wouldn't dare ask for that much! Don't say you're just a section chief! Be reasonable, otherwise we have no need to continue talking."

"Then 50 million yen!" Kashiwagi Misa immediately said.

50 million?!

What joke are you pulling?! We give Ikeda Equipment Section Chief only 60 million per year! Public Affairs Department Supervision Officer gets 60 million! Procurement Section Chief gets only 40 million per year! Warehouse Management Section Chief gets only 30 million per year!

"At your rank, Section Chief, 50 million... that's your Section Chief's price!" Yamamoto Shachou finally couldn't help but retort: "Young madam, you need to know at least some rules!"

"I want 50 million! The latest I can wait is this afternoon!" Kashiwagi Misa thought it was perfect, I'll go discuss with Uesugi Muneyuki.

Finished speaking, Kashiwagi Misa wanted to stand up and leave, and when she reached her hand toward the voice recorder on the desk, Yamamoto Shachou pressed down on her: "This cannot be taken away!"

Kashiwagi Misa didn't say anything, she put down the voice recorder, and left with quick steps.

Yamamoto Shachou sat in place, silent for a long time.

The most worried-about thing still occurred.

"Go contact Ijuuin and them inside the Metropolitan Police Department, see if the Metropolitan Police Department has discovered this matter at all, and the Special Mission Unit side, investigate whether Uesugi Muneyuki has looked for Kashiwagi Misa, I need to confirm whether what she said is true or false!"

"Yes!" Immediately several black-suited men came up.

"Also, inquire with the financial department side, see how much we can give." Yamamoto Shachou's dark complexion was gloomy: "This rule cannot be broken!"

On this industry chain, too many people have already been fed.

On the giant tower composed of rotting flesh, everyone lies on top sucking blood, even if they pass off inferior goods as genuine, in recent years they also feel overburdened.

Have the Financial Department side give Kashiwagi Misa a price, if she agrees that's still acceptable to speak of, if she doesn't agree...

Then notify the Yakuza, after all, only dead people won't leak secrets.

At that time arrange for her to have an accident be raped (harmonized) killed, then arrange for someone to surrender, even Uesugi Muneyuki won't be able to find out.

After all, this isn't the first time they've done this kind of thing.

(Chapter End)