Chapter 486: Forensic Entomology!

Uesugi Muneyuki and Tanaka Kenji stared at each other; Uesugi Muneyuki's eyes were full of sincerity, but Tanaka Kenji had no reaction whatsoever — on the contrary, this American expert currently wore a completely bewildered expression.

The two stared at each other for a long while before Tanaka Kenji pointed at his own face and spoke in American-accented English: "Uh, excuse me, are you talking to me? Sorry, I don't understand Japanese."

"Can you speak English?" The American expert scratched his head.

Uesugi Muneyuki had no choice but to repeat himself in English.

However, whether due to his Japanese accent or the other party's overly abbreviated English, communication between the two was quite difficult.

Finally, Ikeda Erena beside them couldn't bear to watch any longer and stepped in to mediate.

Only then did Uesugi Muneyuki realize that Ikeda Erena actually spoke fluent English! And she could understand all kinds of abbreviated grammar and pronunciation in American English!

Amazing, Master! Just what else don't I know about you?

Seeing the worshipful look on Uesugi Muneyuki's face, the tall beauty couldn't help but proudly thrust out her chest.

What's so hard about it?

My mom speaks exactly like that; this kind of English is native-level language to me!

And so, with Erena's support, Uesugi Muneyuki was finally able to communicate normally with this American expert.

"I see." Tanaka Kenji had practically forgotten his own Japanese name; he generally used "Ken-Tanaka" outside, and only after Uesugi Muneyuki called him for a long time did he remember his full name was "Kenji": "You're that Uesugi, right? I've heard your name! It's that University of Tokyo professor case! Everyone at MIT knows about it — Professor William's PT Project! Back then the professor even went around asking students and mentors to sign petitions because of that Professor Tsuda!"

"That's right, it's me. I need your help now!" Uesugi Muneyuki had no time for pleasantries and requested directly: "The situation is urgent; I need your assistance!"

"You really don't know how to be polite at all — are you really Japanese?" The American expert sighed: "If you're Japanese, you should learn manners; if you're not Japanese, you should understand — I'm here on vacation."

"My apologies, Mr. Tanaka, but I believe business is business — that is the best respect for you." Uesugi Muneyuki replied.

"Good! I like that!" Tanaka was persuaded; he stood up and patted Uesugi Muneyuki on the shoulder: "You really understand us Americans!"

Morning, University of Tokyo Medical School, Forensic Laboratory.

"Lucilia bufonivora." After a series of experimental observations and judgments, Tanaka Kenji said to Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena.

"Luciliabufonivora." After a series of experimental observations and Judgment, Tanaka Kenji said to Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena.

What kind of word is this? She wouldn't know how to translate it.

"Lucilia bufonivora, a very special necrophagous fly species, scientific name Lucilia bufonivora, common name Toad Green Fly." Tanaka Kenji said to Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena: "The developmental stage of these fly eggs is extremely early; combined with the temperature and humidity at the time of discovery, the oviposition occurred after the corpse was moved and repositioned."

"Luciliabufonivora, One Kind of very special necrophagous fly, scientific name Luciliabufonivora, common name Luciliabufonivora." Tanaka Kenji said to Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena: "The developmental stage of these fly eggs is extremely early; combined with the temperature and humidity at the time of discovery, the oviposition time was after the Essence Refining was moved and its Pose was rearranged."

"In other words, the killer carried Toad Green Fly eggs on his person and let the Toad Green Fly lay eggs on the deceased — oh, this poor Exhibitionist Miss's corpse — during his actions. Truly tragic." The American expert remarked casually.

After receiving the affirmative answer, Uesugi Muneyuki felt his vision suddenly brighten.

That's it, exactly this — this is what I needed!

He immediately checked the files, especially the biological files on the Toad Green Fly, and sure enough made a major discovery!

This fly's main distribution area in Japan is very limited, concentrated mainly in Hokkaido and the Tohoku mountain regions; it is extremely rare in the Tokyo metropolis, almost impossible to naturally appear in a sealed room inside a downtown apartment building.

And considering it is already late April, the only region still maintaining cold weather is Hokkaido!

Moreover, Imazaki's manager just lost the documents! And the time the Yuasa father and son received the news was very close, so it can be confirmed that this was definitely a very recent event — the killer hurried back from Hokkaido to Tokyo to commit the crime, so fly eggs were left on his person and laid on the corpse that day!

These fly eggs didn't come from the local area but were attached to someone who came to the scene from a specific region and were accidentally brought in! This person appeared at the crime scene during the critical time window when the corpse was being staged!

Worthy of an American forensic pathologist — strength indeed strong, scope indeed wide, ability indeed high, English indeed poor!

After thanking Tanaka Kenji, Uesugi Muneyuki immediately brought this information back to the fully assembled Special Investigation Headquarters.

The investigation headquarters instantly boiled over.

Only a day and a half, and Chief Uesugi already has a conclusion?

All investigative directions immediately converged:

Urgently screen all known personnel who entered or exited the apartment building during the incident timeframe!

Check all surveillance near the crime scene, focusing on targets matching the general physical characteristics and features described by Uesugi Muneyuki!

And the Metropolitan Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division immediately pulled nationwide organized crime member records for those with Hokkaido travel history in the recent period (within one to two days before the incident)!

The convergence of these three lines, plus Uesugi Muneyuki secretly having Minami Ojou-sama monitor the Yuasa father and son's associates — the Special Investigation Headquarters' overtime investigation finally locked onto a suspicious individual!

Takikawa Katsuya, former yakuza organization member; call records and transport records from within 48 hours before the incident show he had just returned to Tokyo from Sapporo, Hokkaido after handling "business"!

Takikawa's license plate was captured by an inconspicuous traffic camera near the crime scene; the timestamp highly matched the "scene time" deduced by Uesugi Muneyuki!

That evening, the entire Special Investigation Headquarters police force immediately deployed, heading straight for Takikawa Katsuya's temporary residence and office in Tokyo!

At the exact same time the Metropolitan Police Department mobilized fully, Setagaya, Yuasa Villa.

The quiet in the study was torn apart by a burst of urgent phone ringing.

Yuasa Yang answered the phone, listened to just a few sentences, and his face instantly turned deathly pale; his hand trembled and the phone nearly slipped from his grasp.

"Father Father!" His voice sharpened and distorted from extreme terror: "It's over! Our informant just called! The Metropolitan Police Department has already found Takikawa! They've started moving!"

Yuasa Masamichi, who had been resting with eyes closed, snapped them open, gaze sharp and piercing. He leaned forward; his earlier composure vanished, replaced by the extreme alertness of a predator who has been startled.

"What?!" His voice cracked audibly for the first time: "How could it be this fast?! These three cases are intricately complex, a tangled mess, and Imazaki is already dead — how could the police figure this out so quickly?!"

"I don't know! They said there was no warning — that Uesugi Muneyuki, it's like he got evidence out of thin air and pounced directly! Father, what do we do?! If they catch Takikawa, following the vine will definitely lead to us!" Yuasa Yang had completely lost his composure, pacing like a trapped beast in the study, his face written with the fear of doomsday approaching. He suddenly stopped, speaking in a near-desperate, all-or-nothing tone: "Should I go take the fall! Say it was my idea, everything was ordered by me to Takikawa, nothing to do with you! As long as you're still here, the Honke will———"

"Unaware of Each Other! That side said there was no warning; that Uesugi Muneyuki, as if he had obtained Shōko out of thin air, lunged over directly! Father, What To Do?! They caught Takigawa, and following the vine will surely lead the investigation to us!" Tangqian Yang had already completely lost his composure, pacing back and forth in the Study like a trapped beast, his face written full of Apocalypse Imminent's Fear; he suddenly stopped, using a near-Despair desperate tone to say: "Should I go Bear it! Just say it was my idea, everything was me instructing Takigawa to do, No Problem with you! As long as you are still here, the Honke will———"

Yuasa Masamichi roared, like cold water to the face, instantly cutting off his son's self-destructive words. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down with astonishing speed. Decades of political turbulence had granted him a ruthless instinct to rapidly find the optimal solution in a crisis.

"You go 'take the fall' now? That's true self-destruction! The Metropolitan Police Department and Financial Services Agency don't want you — they want me! If you go in, they'll use every method to pry open your mouth, and the final target is still me!" His brain spun rapidly, eyes becoming deep and unfathomable again.

"Listen, Yang. Calm down. Our firewall still holds." His tone became unnaturally calm, even carrying a hint of pained calculation: "Takikawa is Suzuki Ichiro's white glove; Suzuki Ichiro is the head of 'Pacific Management Consulting.' All overt orders and fund flows end at Suzuki."

He seemed to be playing a game of chess — though he lost an important piece, the king still stands.

"Suzuki is a smart man; he knows what to do. To protect his family and receive sufficient 'condolence payment,' he'll know how to keep his mouth shut. The Metropolitan Police Department and Financial Services Agency can at most only trace as far as Pacific Management Consulting and Suzuki Ichiro — this is cutting off a limb to survive. Although — hmph, this time the price will probably be steep." The corner of his mouth twitched, clearly thinking of the interests he'd have to surrender, heart twisting like a knife.

He seemed to be playing a game of chess, although he had lost an important piece, the general was still in place.

"Suzuki is a smart man, he knows what to do. To protect his family and obtain sufficient 'compensation,' he will know how to keep quiet. At most, the Metropolitan Police Department and the Financial Services Agency can only trace it to Pacific Management Consulting and Suzuki Ichirō—this is severing limb to survive,

although·huff, this time he will probably have to pay a considerable price." His mouth corner twitched slightly, evidently thinking of the benefits he would have to relinquish,

heart cut by knife.

Immediately, he picked up another phone, quickly dialed a number, and spoke in an urgent and stern tone:

"Notify Takikawa immediately—original plan canceled! Have him use the backup plan and leave at once, right away! Any channel will do! The sooner the better!"

"Huh, why did it turn out like this?" Yuasa Yang felt as if his bones had been pulled out; he had arranged the matter and naturally bore primary responsibility.

Even the deeply scheming Yuasa Masamichi seemed struck by an invisible blow, staggered back a step, and heavily slumped into the armchair. He fixed his son's terrified face with a dead stare, and for the first time, an expression of blame appeared on his face.

He had calculated everything, weighed every human interest and grievance, laid down layered firewalls, yet missed a single detail.

Uesugi Muneyuki!

After a silence of over ten seconds, he spoke in a tone laced with incredulity and even a hint of fear, slowly, word by word:

"Strange, how—how did they manage to find Takikawa so quickly? Could Uesugi Muneyuki really be this strong?!"

At this moment, his lifelong absolute confidence in "rules" and "evidence" showed its first clear crack, a fissure that made him feel a bone-chilling cold.

He realized he was facing what seemed to be a power beyond his comprehension.

"Could he really have made this dead Imasaki speak?!"