Chapter 613

After the shock, a massive, indescribable surge of wild joy and pride flooded his entire body like a warm current. This was precisely a "surprise" — no, it was simply timely rain from heaven! This not only redeemed the Metropolitan Police Department's honor, but also added the most brilliant stroke to Watanabe Eiji's own record! On the eve of the important personnel changes coming next year, the value of this achievement was immeasurable!

"Good————good! Good!" Watanabe Eiji said "good" three times in a row, his voice resonant, not a trace of drowsiness left. "Immediately organize the strongest forces, form a task force, dig deeper into remaining crimes, expand the battle gains! For all personnel who participated in this operation, especially Chief Uesugi, request commendations! I'm heading back to headquarters right now!"

Hanging up the phone, Watanabe Eiji quickly got up and changed clothes, his face glowing with vigor. He glanced at the photograph of the bedside cabinet's girl's stand and Uesugi Muneyuki on the bedside cabinet, and the corner of his mouth couldn't help but curve upward.

"Sōsetsu this brat————he really gave me a heaven-sent surprise!"

Outside the window, the rain had stopped at some unknown time. Under Tokyo's night sky, the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters building was brightly lit, like a lighthouse ignited in the black night, filled with a long-lost vitality and hope.

And for Watanabe Eiji, and many people caught up in it, a sleepless night full of excitement and busyness had only just begun.

At the same time, Minami and Erena, having received the news, finally arrived at the Metropolitan Police Department.

"Muneyuki, are you okay?!" Minami Ojou-sama had been holding Erena, both already asleep, but upon hearing this news she was frantic with anxiety and was about to go settle accounts with the public security police.

"Muneyuki, why didn't you take me with you?" Ikeda Erena also said very discontentedly, looking distressedly at the bandages and wrapped wounds on Uesugi Muneyuki's body. "Wait! Now isn't the time to talk about this."

Uesugi Muneyuki was silent for a moment, gesturing for them to follow him.

The secrets inside the SD card, it was time to unfold them!

Deep inside the Metropolitan Police Department, in the Special Duty System Uesugi Muneyuki's office inner room, the air seemed to have solidified into heavy lead blocks.

Only the faint light emitted by that custom-made reading device on the desk surface illuminated three faces with incomparably grave expressions.

Uesugi Muneyuki, Watanabe Minami, and also Ikeda Erena who was still immersed in why didn't you call me when you went out to investigate.

On the reading device's screen, the footage and photos restored from the SD card that Nakamura Kenichi protected with his life were clearly displayed.

The first several photos were already shocking enough — footage of Vice Minister Akimoto Shin'ichirō behaving brutally inside a detached house where Nagase Arisu was, and although key parts were mosaicked, his identity and the nature of his actions were undeniable.

However, as Uesugi Muneyuki expressionlessly swiped the screen, the content that appeared afterward made Minami and Erena's breathing almost stop.

It wasn't just a vice minister, but a list — a client list of a massive prostitution network called "N Network" constructed with Akimoto Shin'ichirō at its core!

By some method, Nakamura Kenichi had actually photographed or collected intimate photos or clear profiles of multiple "guests" in similar situations with different young women (some with faces so youthful it was alarming).

This wasn't a simple, straightforward john and sex-work reception!

But an entire massive community of interests bound together by sexual bribery and shared secrets, tying together politics, business, media, academia, and even foreign forces! The so-called "receiving overseas prostitution clients" concealed intelligence exchange, benefit transfer, and political alliances that couldn't see the light of day!

No wonder Akimoto Daijin's overseas connections are so solid! No wonder the United States and that country across the sea both can't bear to let him go!

So that's what he relied on!

No wonder in recent years prostitution by foreigners in Japan has become a trend; according to a Tokyo University survey, foreign tourists visiting Japan purely for prostitution, especially those led by the United States and that certain country, number in the millions!

Uesugi Muneyuki thought, how strange, I never do this kind of thing!

Whether it's Tokyo Shinjuku Ikebukuro Shibuya Yoshiwara, Osaka Umeda Namba Nipponbashi Tobita Shinchi, Tsuchiura's Sakuramachi, Kobe's Fukuhara, Fukuoka's Nakasu — he not only had never even heard of them, but had never been to any of them even once!

"This————this is————" Watanabe Minami covered her mouth, her eyes filled with incredulous shock.

As a Career Track elite, she instantly understood the terrifying weight of this SD card!

This was no longer a scandal; this was a nuclear bomb capable of triggering an unprecedented great earthquake in Japan's political world!

"All of these are? Prostitution? But, why?" Ikeda Erena was also stunned, the Tall Beauty's expression dazed: "Some of them look like minors, right? Why would they?"

"Because————to stay alive." Uesugi Muneyuki was silent for a few seconds, then said heavily: "And this is the fastest and easiest way to make money; once you get used to living like this————you can never go back."

There are too many such women in Tokyo.

The Saitō sisters, the Nagase sisters, Sakura.

Among them, Sakura counts as one of the lucky ones.

And capitalist society is like this: a female student who comes to Tokyo works herself to death at a convenience store for a month, and her income is only about 180,000–220,000 yen; in Tokyo that little money can only be called barely making ends meet.

But these girls who come to Tokyo didn't come for mere survival.

Capitalist society is like this: it won't openly force you, but it will induce you, attract you, teach you how to develop spending habits, how to buy things "worthy" of yourself, how to "be like everyone else."

Not to mention anything else, just take Tokyo's universities — many female students can barely afford to eat, yet carry heavy student loans, but they still insist on joining club activities with monthly fees of 20,000 yen.

For no other reason than to "be like everyone else," just to feel "I'm worthy."

Who comes to Tokyo to be a stinking outsider, a stinking beggar? Who wants to be seen as "better to die than return to the countryside"?

Whereas if they go into the sex work industry, working two to three days a week, a monthly income of 300,000–500,000 yen comes easily.

People are naturally lazy and avoid hard work; this is normal.

But Japan's hostess clubs in principle do not receive foreign tourists.

So that's why the N Network exists; this is the general trend, this is what everyone hopes for.

Uesugi Muneyuki understood, thoroughly understood.

Watanabe Minami also understood, thoroughly understood.

As for Erena, she's temporarily Mongolia.

The flush and joy on Watanabe Minami's face had long since vanished without a trace, replaced by a near-pale, iron-blue pallor.

She stared dead at the screen, lips trembling slightly, subconsciously reciting those names along with it: "Suzuki————Tanaka————Sato————Katsuta————Akutsu————and also————that country's Zhao Wǔguān————"

Nakamura hadn't annotated identities, but Minami Ojou-sama recognized every single one.

Suzuki Ichirō: Heavy-weight ruling party lawmaker, core member of the Finance Committee.

Tanaka Hiroshi: Executive Director of the major general trading company "Nine Red Trading Company," giant in the resources and energy sector.

Satō Tadayoshi: Senior Financial Services Agency councilor, in charge of bank supervision.

Katsuta Kenji: Chief writer of the famous right-wing media "Japan Herald," important mouthpiece of public opinion.

Akutsu Jin: Chairman of a major private university, figure with deep connections in academia and political circles.

Even a military attaché from a certain country's embassy in Japan, golden shoulder boards clearly visible.

With each name recited, the muscles on Minami's face twitched once, as if those names carried thousand-jin burdens, pressing down on Minami until she could barely breathe.

When the last name was finished, she seemed to have been drained of all strength, slowly leaning back against the chair back, raising a hand to loosen her overly tight tie, murmuring to herself: "Sōsetsu————you bastard————what on earth do you intend to do?"

"I only want to make things clear." Uesugi Muneyuki said calmly: "Minami, you tell me, what should we do?

" "You're asking me? Sōsetsu, I'm just a Superintendent! You're asking me?" Minami Ojou-sama's voice was dry, carrying a hint of bitterness and incredulous absurdity.

A moment ago, Uesugi Muneyuki was still a hero who had cracked a serial major case; the next moment, he held in his hand an atomic bomb that could blast the upper echelons of national power into pieces.

The sealed room fell into a deathly silence, with only the faint hum of machinery operating.

"What's the point of thinking so much?" Eirina said lightly: "Just hand it over to the prosecutors, right? The Prosecutor's Special Investigation Unit?"

"No!!!" Watanabe Minami broke the silence first, her voice tense: "This thing————we can't cover it up. Also————we can't just hand it over lightly."

Uesugi Muneyuki's interface, his eyes sharp as a scalpel: "The core of the N Network is Akimoto, but the extent of its involvement far exceeds imagination. Recklessly making it public or launching an investigation, startling the snake is the minor consequence; more likely it would provoke the other side into a desperate counterattack, even————a 'purge' from within the system."

He recalled how Nakamura Kenichi had died.

"Have your father come over." Minami Ojou-sama pondered for a long time, then spoke softly: "Let your father come alone!

This matter, we must first let father know! Then we'll discuss what to do!"

"Ikeda, you go out first, you just pretend not to know this matter, let father think only I, Muneyuki, know!" Minami's voice grew increasingly harsh: "Obey!!!! Get out!!!!"

"Mmm~ okay, I know~" Ikeda felt a bit wronged, but still left without showing any emotion.

The remaining Uesugi Minami two exchanged a glance.

You make the call!

No, you make the call!

Or you come make the call!

You're his daughter, you make the call!

In the end, it was still Uesugi Muneyuki who picked up the phone.

At that moment, Watanabe Eiji had just finished arranging the search and evidence collection at the Metropolitan Police Department Superintendent General's countermeasure headquarters on the seventh floor, and immediately received Uesugi Muneyuki's call.

What? There's still a surprise?

When he heard Uesugi Muneyuki say there was an even bigger "surprise," asking him to personally go to the Special Mission Unit to discuss it in detail, our Superintendent General felt utterly delighted inside.

What other surprise is there?!

I'm going now!

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