Chapter 58: The Final Question (Fifth Update!)

Fortunately, because the building lockdown is still ongoing, Fukushima Sozaburo remains inside the Odaiba Building and has not left, though he has temporarily vanished; the Metropolitan Police Department's Special Action Team has immediately mobilized, preparing to track down the suspect.

"You've been a huge help, Uesugi-kun." With the Fuji TV live broadcast temporarily following the Special Squad, the Metropolitan Police Department felt a sense of relief; Police Inspector Megure took the initiative to come up and shake hands with Uesugi Muneyuki, sighing, "If it weren't for you, I truly don't know what would have happened next."

Yet, Uesugi Muneyuki's mood was not very good; he managed to squeeze out a smile and said softly, "Police Inspector Megure, I have a request—it's a bit excessive, but could you agree to it?"

"What request?"

"After you catch Fukushima Sozaburo, could you let me ask him a few questions?" Uesugi Muneyuki pressed his palms together in request, "Just a few simple questions."

"This... isn't quite standard procedure." Police Inspector Megure smiled wearily and patted Uesugi Muneyuki on the shoulder, "However, it's not against the rules either. We'll stay far away when the time comes, and you can ask him directly. After all, you are a professional forensic expert invited by our Metropolitan Police Department."

"Alright." The muscles on Uesugi Muneyuki's face twitched; he hung his head, looking to be in a very poor state.

"Junior, are you tired?" Shirakawa Mai reached out her jade-like hands toward him and clapped them twice with force: "Ta-da~ Would you like your senior to boil you an egg?"

Hearing this, the eyes of the surrounding males turned red.

Even though this guy has amazing forensic skills, he really should just go die!

Burn to death!

Let the flames purify everything!

However, Uesugi Muneyuki's spirits remained low; he waved his hand to indicate he wanted to go to the restroom.

Finding an empty restroom, Uesugi Muneyuki finally found the opportunity to awaken the Dead Soul of the anchorwoman Hironaka Mariko once again.

The extreme emotions of this twenty-eight-year-old anchorwoman immediately overwhelmed Uesugi Muneyuki's mental defenses; her sorrow and grievance surged forth like a violent, raging storm, wild and magnificent like a tsunami.

It must be said that while Hironaka Mariko was not a peerless beauty—about the same as Ikeda Erena and far inferior to Shirakawa Mai—with the addition of an anchorwoman's standard makeup and temperament, calling her a beauty was no problem; she had a pair of pretty phoenix eyes (though slightly asymmetrical), long brown-dyed braided hair, stood a little over 160cm, and had clean, elegant features and a sweet smile.

Yet, the Dead Soul of this anchorwoman was burning fiercely.

She felt so aggrieved! She completely did not understand!

Why did Fukushima Sozaburo want to kill her? She com~pletely did not understand!

Originally, she thought she would leave this world carrying eternal grievance and confusion, but fortunately, Uesugi Muneyuki had awakened her; thus, the moment she was awakened, the soul energy that this woman erupted with nearly swept Uesugi Muneyuki away!

No wonder the cute and adorable Kyubey in "Magical Girl Madoka Magica" would think human emotional energy could stop the heat death of the universe; Uesugi Muneyuki had finally experienced it once. Having seen so many corpses, the Soul Power erupting from Hironaka Mariko was over ten times that of anyone else!

【Why why why? Why why why why why why, ahhhhhhh!】

【Ms. Hironaka, please calm down!】 Uesugi Muneyuki hurriedly urged her: 【What exactly happened? Why did Fukushima Sozaburo want to kill you?】

【How the hell would I know?!】 Hironaka Mariko clutched her head tightly; because the Dead Soul body formed by Soul Power would not change, no matter how she scratched at herself, she wouldn't mess up her hairstyle: 【Wuu wuu, I clearly... wuu wuu wuu wuu~】

Through Hironaka Mariko, Uesugi Muneyuki finally learned the full picture of the matter.

It turned out that Fuji TV, like other large companies, was divided into Regular Employees and Dispatched Employees; the former were naturally people like Hironaka Mariko, who had signed formal lifetime employment contracts, while the latter were dispatched staff from staffing agencies.

Because the law stipulated that if a Dispatched Employee's contract was renewed, it was considered a formal employment contract—meaning they would become a Regular Employee—Fuji TV never renewed contracts with Dispatched Employees. They were generally signed for five years, and when the time was up, they were given a farewell party and replaced by a new batch.

Fukushima Sozaburo was one such Dispatched Employee. He was over thirty, plain-looking, and naturally felt inferior because he was from the countryside. According to Hironaka Mariko, he seemed to especially love this job at Fuji TV; he worked with enthusiasm and effort, would loudly say "good morning" every morning, and often volunteered for overtime. Everyone at Fuji TV, from top to bottom, liked him, and President Kameyama had even said that among this batch of Dispatched Employees, Fukushima Sozaburo was the best, with his words hinting that he might be converted into a Regular Employee.

Fukushima Sozaburo worked even harder.

Hironaka Mariko also quite appreciated him, occasionally greeting him and saying a few words of encouragement, and their relationship was very harmonious.

【If the relationship was so good, why would he kill you?】 Uesugi Muneyuki was puzzled.

【I don't know either!!!】 Ms. Hironaka scrunched her features into a ball in pain, and she continued.

Due to the Death Soul Contract, Hironaka Mariko could not hide anything; she clearly told Uesugi Muneyuki that her private life was not clean. She had had one-night stands with several high-level executives, including President Kameyama of Fuji TV, and had also tried dating a member of a national idol group from Johnny & Associates. Among them, she maintained a fleeting affair with President Kameyama on and off, and it was through this that she became an anchorwoman for the entertainment news segment.

Pillow Business, is it? Very well.

Uesugi Muneyuki muttered to himself, thinking that it was no wonder his father didn't like women in the entertainment industry; apart from those like Senior Mai who had high social status and brought their own capital into the production, most women desperate to climb the ladder would have more or less engaged in such operations.

Moreover, in the environment of Japan, most were active, not passive.

【A few days ago, during a social gathering with President Kameyama, I brought up Mr. Fukushima.】

【As a result, President Kameyama said the quality of this batch of Dispatched Employees was too poor, and he intended to find an excuse to dismiss them all.】

【I asked, then what about Mr. Fukushima?】

【The President said, of course, not a single one would be kept; there is no such thing as a Dispatched Employee actually becoming a Regular Employee. If Mr. Fukushima were allowed to become a Regular Employee, what would the other dismissed Dispatched Employees think? What would those Regular Employees who passed the formal exams think? He was just saying it casually.】

Hironaka Mariko was very distressed when talking about this; as a vested interest holder, her reason felt the President was right, but her emotions told her that what the President did was truly excessive.

She began to be unable to face Fukushima Sozaburo's energetic "Good morning" and his hardworking figure every day.

【Normal; in your eyes, Mr. Fukushima was already a temporary worker on a futures contract.】 Uesugi Muneyuki still didn't understand: 【So why? Did you tell him?】

【Wasn't I about to get married?】 Hironaka Mariko was filled with resentment: 【The wedding was on Monday, followed by a honeymoon; I thought that at least at the end...】

According to Hironaka Mariko, she happened to run into the hardworking Fukushima Sozaburo while preparing to get off work. Thinking of her upcoming marriage and President Kameyama's plan to dismiss this batch of Dispatched Employees, she couldn't bear it and took the initiative to suggest they talk.

Thus, the two went to the underground area, and Hironaka tactfully told Fukushima that Fuji TV intended to dismiss their batch, and naturally, Mr. Fukushima was on the list.

Who would have thought that after hearing this, Fukushima Sozaburo suddenly lost his composure and, without a word, attacked Hironaka and killed her.

Hironaka Mariko never understood until her death why this hardworking, simple Dispatched Employee from the countryside would suddenly have such an emotional breakdown.

【How did you say it to him?】 Uesugi Muneyuki thought of a possibility.

【Just... simply told him that becoming a Regular Employee was impossible, the TV station intended to dismiss him, and that I was getting married soon and probably wouldn't see him again.】

Uesugi Muneyuki's vision blurred; the words of his father, Uesugi Hironori, suddenly appeared in his mind.

"Towards the bottom of society, we should generally maintain concern and sympathy, but personally, we must maintain vigilance and distance."

He vaguely thought of a possibility.

And clearly, to complete the Death Soul Contract, Uesugi Muneyuki had to fulfill Hironaka Mariko's wish.

She wanted to know why such a good person would suddenly kill someone?

"Why so long?"

Washing his hands, Uesugi Muneyuki came out of the restroom and saw Eirina still standing at the door waiting for him. Seeing his expression was a bit off, Eirina asked with concern: "What's wrong? Is your stomach uncomfortable?"

"How is the situation outside?" Uesugi Muneyuki did not directly answer Eirina's question.

"Outside..." Eirina was momentarily speechless. Uesugi Muneyuki had been inside for fifteen minutes; she had been waiting outside the whole time, and without a walkie-talkie, she had no idea what the situation was like now.

She realized now that after leaving Uesugi Muneyuki, she seemed to have no idea what to do.

【"How are this policewoman's breasts bigger than her head!?"】

The Soul of Hironaka Mariko suddenly said this, filled with resentment.

The muscles on Uesugi Muneyuki's face twitched wildly, and he almost laughed out loud.

Seeing Uesugi Muneyuki's expression as he held back laughter, Ikeda Erena thought she was being mocked for her incompetence and felt a bit aggrieved; it wasn't that she didn't want to, but those people at the Metropolitan Police Department would hide the moment they saw her, so naturally, they wouldn't share information or give her a walkie-talkie.

Fortunately, at this moment, someone else arrived to relieve Ikeda Erena of her predicament.

"The surveillance has already found the approximate location of Fukushima Sozaburo. Thank you, Uesugi-san."

A beautiful young policewoman who looked no more than twenty years old appeared before his eyes. Her jet-black, soft hair draped casually over her shoulders, and her cute, innocent apple-shaped face was fair and delicate. Her clear eyes were as bright as autumn, and beneath her tall, jade-like nose were a pair of charming, alluring red lips. Her slender, jade-like neck glowed with a faint pearlescent luster.

At this time, she was wearing a standard autumn dark blue Metropolitan Police Department office uniform skirt. Her perfectly proportioned breasts stood slightly erect beneath the clothing, her willow waist was slender and soft, and the simple, tight-fitting skirt wrapped around her full, rounded hips, making them look round and perky. Although she was clearly a size smaller than Ikeda Erena, she was surprisingly well-proportioned and exquisite.

On her beautiful legs beneath the skirt, she wore standard 40D thick-wood style commuter pantyhose. The thin layer of silk outlined the symmetrical and sexy charm of her legs. The legs wrapped in the flesh-colored silk were smooth and tender, her slender calves were symmetrical and firm, and they continuously emitted an alluring luster through the flesh-colored silk.

On her feet, she wore a pair of black, five-centimeter standard uniform High-heeled Shoes. The heels were not the particularly thin ceremonial style that made walking difficult, and they were extremely suitable for a woman of around 160cm in height. Her entire instep was smooth, soft, and full of bone structure.

At her ankles, the flesh-colored silk rose in a tiny, fine wrinkle line, looking like a silk ribbon tied around these beautiful silk-clad feet. Her five toes were pressed together, and Uesugi Muneyuki estimated that the size of these silk-clad feet was likely a size 33.

He had absolute confidence in his ability to estimate sizes, just as he did with his Autopsy work.

The policewoman generously ignored Ikeda Erena. She first brought her feet together, let her hands hang down, lowered her head, and bowed at a fifteen-degree angle. Her eyes were smiling: "Nice to meet you. I am Watanabe Minami, Section Chief of the Personnel Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, with the rank of Police Inspector. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Uesugi Muneyuki. Please treat me well."

"It is not the first time," Uesugi Muneyuki glanced at her and returned the bow: "And we are not meeting for the first time."

"And it is not for advice," the Face of the Metropolitan Police Department smiled brilliantly. As she met Uesugi Muneyuki's gaze, both saw a sense of familiarity in the other's eyes.

It was as if a silent understanding was rippling between the two.

"The introduction is over. Please allow me to thank you again, Uesugi-kun." Watanabe Minami bowed again. She placed her left hand over her right hand in front of her to perform a bow, this time at a forty-five-degree angle: "On behalf of the entire Metropolitan Police Department, as well as my father, I thank you for your generous assistance."

"It was just a small effort. Since I encountered such a matter, there is no reason for my family to stand by and watch. After all, three heads are better than one." Uesugi Muneyuki accepted her thanks calmly.

"To have the assistance of Uesugi-kun is like a demon obtaining a golden club." Watanabe Minami replied with a proverb: "It is better for a poor person to light one lamp than for a rich person to light ten thousand. I will never forget Uesugi-kun's help in this life."

【"Such standard bowing and deep bowing, and she even knows how to distinguish between the two. This person is definitely a young lady from a Noble family."】 Hironaka Mariko commented again: 【"She is so beautiful. It would be great if these two people could be combined. This guy's face paired with this guy's body would be Shirakawa Mai-san."】

Hironaka Mariko... since you're already dead, you've stopped pretending, haven't you?

Uesugi Muneyuki muttered to himself.

"How is the situation now?" This was someone who knew the situation, so Uesugi Muneyuki followed up.

"Several teams have already been arranged to search," Watanabe Minami nodded, her expression slightly troubled: "But... many people are willing to come forward to vouch for him, saying that Mr. Fukushima Sozaburo is not that kind of person. He is warm-hearted, works hard, and is kind and simple by nature. He doesn't look like a criminal at all. Moreover, Ms. Hironaka Mariko seems to have always had a good relationship with him, and there are witnesses willing to testify."

"Yes, if it is as Miss Watanabe says, no matter how much one suspects, one would never suspect him. But the surveillance footage and the evidence found are not fake," Uesugi Muneyuki put his hands on his hips, his brows locked in a frown: "Therefore, this is the final question of this case."

"Why did he suddenly kill someone?"

"Yes, why?" A glimmer shone in Watanabe Minami's sweet eyes: "I am waiting for you to use your Forensic Pathologist skills to answer that for us! Mr. Uesugi."

"It is not Forensic Pathologist skills," Uesugi Muneyuki blinked.

The two smiled at each other, as if they shared the same heart.

The five updates are finished! I'm exhausted. The post-launch announcement will be out later.

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(End of this chapter)