Chapter 436

Date Nagamune's words were not false.

This Yamada Nanase wife was actually not a great beauty, but her especially soft and cute facial features, a slightly sunken nose bridge with an upturned tip and cheeks carrying a bit of baby fat gave her a special girlish and pure ethereal quality, and her widow's mourning dress and the sorrowful expression from losing her husband added a touch of married woman's charm, and that mourning attire even added a hint of forbidden color.

"This Mrs. Yamada, I heard she's only 24 this year?"

"Oh dear, how pitiful! Married at 23, didn't expect to lose her husband at 24, what will she do in the future?"

"And she doesn't even have a child? Such a martyr's widow can only be taken in by the headquarters."

"This is also normal, there are quite a few like this in the General Affairs Section!"

"Who knows who will end up benefiting in the end?"

The police beside them were whispering frantically, and the crowd stirred with restlessness.

Date Nagamune, hearing this scene, felt eager to try again, and he whispered to Kai Toru and Uesugi Muneyuki beside him: "Speaking of which, doesn't the headquarters hold such mixers? And there's no law saying you can't marry a widow!"

"Well, that's what they say." Kai Toru was utterly speechless at Date Nagamune's audacity, and he could only whisper in explanation: "You bastard, do you understand or not?"

"Understand? Understand what?" Date Nagamune still didn't get it.

"Do you understand or not the headquarters' regulations regarding the care of widows?" Kai Toru, furious, began explaining on the spot at the funeral scene.

According to Japan's National Public Servant Injury Compensation Law and Local Public Servant Injury Compensation Law, if it can be confirmed that the public servant died in the line of duty, then the public servant's relatives can enjoy three kinds of benefits.

Parents' pension and medical security, children's priority enrollment and priority hiring—these we'll set aside for now.

Similar to this kind of police widow who died in the line of duty, she can enjoy the Metropolitan Police Department's threefold protection: specifically, survivor's pension (can receive 60% of the husband's salary annually for 20 consecutive years) + priority hiring (if the widow herself has no income, the Metropolitan Police Department can arrange a General Affairs Section position for her) + housing allowance, medical security, and regular condolence payments from the Police Mutual Aid Association.

As mentioned earlier, like Yamada Nanase, a housewife, the Metropolitan Police Department will definitely arrange priority hiring (i. e., special procedure employment contract), so her income would be: female officer in General Affairs Section 4.5 million + Yamada Yuki 5.5 million * 60% + housing and medical allowance + Police Mutual Aid Association condolence money, preliminarily estimated annual income not less than 8 million yen!

8 million yen! This income, even in Tokyo, counts as high-income, so it can be said the Metropolitan Police Department's protection for such widows is still relatively adequate.

But, the premise of all this is that Mrs. Yamada must retain the status of "widow."

Once she remarries, then all three benefits above are gone—what has already been given by the Metropolitan Police Department won't be taken back, but the survivor's pension will stop immediately, priority hiring will be terminated immediately, and as for housing allowance, medical security, and Police Mutual Aid Association condolence money, there's no need to even mention.

"Date, what's your annual salary now?" Kai Toru couldn't help but retort: "How much take-home pay?"

"... 4.2 million." Date Nagamune said with a bitter face.

In the Special Mission Unit, Date Nagamune's salary is the lowest, because he just joined the first year as a non-career track patrol officer, and his own staffing isn't even in the Metropolitan Police Department, but in the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters, belonging to cross-regional secondment, receiving salary according to Kanagawa standards, not even enjoying Tokyo's various subsidies.

"Good, so you don't even think!" Kai Toru continued to retort: "She alone, relying on widow status, can earn 8 million yen annually, while you, currently only earn 4.2 million yen!"

"She alone can freely spend over 6 million yen take-home! But if she marries you, she'd have to spend together with you on 4.2 million—who could bear that! And you too, 4.2 million yen in Tokyo is just enough to eat and drink a bit more comfortably, occasionally go out to eat—you still want to chase love and show off, are you sure you've prepared to spend 4.2 million together for two people? Are you sure? Or are you going to ask your family for money? Although the Uwajima Date family is quite wealthy with lots of real estate, can your family accept the heir marrying a widow?"

"…………" Date Nagamune was sunk, completely sunk.

Yeah, she alone can happily spend 6 million, I alone earn 4.2 million in Tokyo, guaranteed to have enough for food and warmth and even have a little hobby, but if I married her, two people together only have 4.2 million—how can that be enough to spend in Tokyo!

Family? Even more impossible! If my grandfather knew I wanted to marry a police widow, he'd bring out the spiritual injection rod!

The cold reality shattered Date Nagamune's sexual fantasies.

I'll just continue chasing idols, chasing the Second Young Lady and Sakura.

Reality is truly too cruel!

Minami Ojou-sama also glanced at Mrs. Yamada on the stage, and very rarely showed a hint of sympathy as a fellow woman.

As Minami Ojou-sama, who once worked in the Metropolitan Police Department's Personnel Division, she still understands the situation inside the department.

In the Metropolitan Police Department, such widows of police who died in the line of duty (basically traffic accidents, overwork death, and sudden illness death), the department arranges them to do simple clerical work to ensure their livelihood, but in reality, the Metropolitan Police Department from time to time arranges various internal police mixers hoping to get them remarried, one is to free up positions for later widows, two is to save expenses, three is also internal digestion to avoid possible second disturbances.

But overall, over 80% of these women retain the "widow" status, first because they can have a decent job and enjoy higher social status, second because they can continue to fiercely enjoy the gold coins left by their deceased husbands and enjoy benefits, third because after working long in the General Affairs Section, people actually become useless, and other things they can no longer do.

The remarriage rate for widows under 35 is still 30%, while for those over 45, the remarriage rate is already infinitely close to zero; in recent years, those daring to remarry are mostly younger widows who entered the General Affairs Section to work 5-10 years ago, working while preparing to take the local public servant exam, then applying to the Metropolitan Police Department to become regular staff, and only then, while retaining their position, will they remarry.

Where will the future of this Mrs. Yamada lead?

Uesugi Muneyuki then held Minami's hand, gazing at the spirit hall.

He thought it was indeed that the bulletproof vest really had a problem, if the post-mortem investigation found the cause of death was Yamada Yuki not properly wearing his bulletproof vest, privately removing the lining and going into battle lightly equipped, the Metropolitan Police Department would not possibly grant widow status to Yamada Nanase, and she would even be the first in recent years to become a widow due to being shot in a gunfight.

However, speaking frankly, in terms of posthumous consolation and protection, Japan is still doing quite well.

Uesugi Muneyuki's great-uncle in his past life was once a Vietnam War Air Force logistics truck driver, still under 20 at the time, he had complained, saying many frontline comrades in the units clearly weren't even married, and even before the outbreak of war received many breakup letters, but after sacrifice, suddenly many "fiancées" appeared to cause trouble in the units, finally the units also arranged logistics clerical positions and gave consolation, but the premise of all this was, cannot remarry, otherwise all benefits would be completely canceled.

"Today's funeral will be the last glory of Inspector Kikuchi and Inspector Yamada!" Uesugi Muneyuki said to Minami and Eirina behind him: "The living continually use time to create new life, while the dead, life has already ceased."

The 8-kilometer road the hearse passed over was covered with blue ribbons (police color) spontaneously hung by citizens. But even more shocking was the police human wall along the route, one post every three steps—they weren't there to maintain order, but with their backs to the street, turning their bulletproof vests inside out, wearing them upside down, to display silent protest.

And on the hearse, the coffins of the two fallen inspectors were each covered with a brand-new NIJIV-level bulletproof vest—purchased by nationwide police fundraising, single piece price 120,000 yen, with the words of condolence personally written by the National Police Mutual Aid Association.

"This time, definitely bulletproof!"

The hearse entered the Tama Reien.

When the ash box was slowly lowered into the grave, thousands of police simultaneously drew their sidearms (blank rounds), and fired three shots toward the sky!

The gunfire exploded in the winter clear sky, startling countless birds into flight.

Superintendent General Watanabe Eiji stepped forward one step, his voice shattered by the cold wind yet each word like iron:

"Yamada! Kikuchi! We police organization will surely… eradicate by our own hands the bulletproof vest that betrayed you and corruption!"

"You all!" He suddenly turned to face the police formation, roaring hoarsely: "Turn this lament into the spark of reform! Never again… let comrades be murdered by machines!"

In response to the superintendent general, thousands of police tore the sky with their roars—

"Yes sir!!!"

The sound wave shook snow off tree branches.

The next second, an even more shocking scene occurred: the front-row patrol officers suddenly took off their outer coats, revealing the old bulletproof vests underneath, punched their chests and shouted: "We demand the truth! We demand an explanation!"

"The warehouse staff who inspected those vests should commit seppuku! Commit seppuku!!!"

"The next bullet to hit might just be me!"

"Death penalty for high-level issues! Death penalty for suppliers! Daiwa Armor, death penalty!!!"

Rear police followed like a tide, countless problematic bulletproof vests were thrown into the air, forming under the pale winter sky a surging black torrent of anger!

Under the guidance of concerned individuals, this funeral baptized with blood and wind and snow will ultimately forge the Japanese police's grief into a blade to slash at systemic corruption.

This is a declaration of war!

Uesugi Muneyuki looked from a distance at Watanabe Eiji, who had made up his mind, recalling the conversation he once had with his adoptive father and adoptive son.

"For someone like me, it's better to stay in the forensic pathologist position than to get involved in politics."

"Don't you, Father, need someone who can always stay active on the front lines, a KPI Case-solving Immortal?"

"Please, Father, purge the corrupt political atmosphere; I will remain on the front lines and continue to serve you."

"Go ahead and do it, Father—I'll be right behind you!"

Thinking of this, Uesugi Muneyuki felt that the series of storms triggered by the Ikebukuro Phantom Guest had finally come to an end, at least for him; the subsequent personnel reassignments and political storms involved had nothing to do with him.

As for him, the Special Mission Unit's active role in this series of events had already laid an extremely solid foundation.

As for himself……it's time for promotion.

(Chapter End)