Chapter 634

PS：It's freezing cold, East Bai is truly a bitterly cold place, Tenshi unfortunately caught a cold, luckily no fever, just a bit of coughing, so I'm grateful today there's only one chapter, 5000 words, a double chapter combined, Tenshi owes an update +1, plus the two thousand monthly tickets from last month for an extra chapter, Tenshi owes an update +2, readers, remember this for me.

Saying it and doing it, Kashiwagi Jin the next day quickly changed into inconspicuous casual wear, put on a baseball cap and a □ cover, changed his hairstyle to as much as possible conceal his signature elite demeanor.

He used unofficial personal connections, under vague pretenses like "understanding campus security situation" or "searching for clues about missing personnel," to quietly infiltrate Waseda University campus, his target directly pointing to students of the Social Sciences Research Department—Sato Liang.

Damn, indeed it's the Social Sciences Institute!

After finding out, Kashiwagi Jin cursed silently.

The Social Sciences Institute produces traitors!

Exactly, it's this person!

As a graduate of Tokyo University's Faculty of Law, he naturally understands this kind of place is a gathering spot for traitors; Waseda University is the birthplace of old left-wingers, and while Tokyo University, as the nation's highest learning institution, is still somewhat better, you prefer places like Kyoto University and Osaka University, where year after year student organizations and the administration conduct "Gillette's bean steaming!"

It's actually the Social Sciences Institute, this is already no ordinary student, must bring out heavy fists!

Kashiwagi Jin thus pretended to be an outsider interested in political science books, loitering in the social sciences reading area. He quickly locked onto his target—a thin, tall youth wearing black-rimmed glasses, dressed plainly but neatly, intently reading《On Violent Apparatus》, appearance matching Shi Shi's description.

Kashiwagi Jin held several thick books, pretending to accidentally bump into the other's table.

"Ah, sorry!" books scattered all over the floor.

"No problem." Sato Liang raised his head, eyes calm and waveless, even carrying a hint of student-specific shyness, quickly helping Kashiwagi Jin pick up the books.

His fingers were long and clean, with no special traces.

"Are you interested in this book, classmate?" Kashiwagi Jin picked up that《On Violent Apparatus》, probing,"The viewpoint is quite radical, huh."

"Just academic discussion." Sato Liang pushed up his glasses, revealing a harmless smile,"Any thought has its soil and logic of existence, understanding is to better criticize or comprehend. Do you also have research in this area, sir?"

The conversation proceeded abnormally normally; it could even be considered the model answer of an exemplary student.

Sato Liang answered fluently, attitude gentle and harmonious, when mentioning "Sakikawa Restoration Army," he said "That's just an extreme term from news reports," and cleverly turned the question back to Kashiwagi Jin why he was interested in this.

Kashiwagi Jin's prepared various indirect approaches, like striking cotton, had no point of force.

Finally, Kashiwagi Jin couldn't help but casually ask:"Classmate, you're so knowledgeable, you must be very popular at school, right?"

"Ah? Also, still okay." The handsome Sato Liang finally pinched his nose, then somewhat embarrassedly said:"Before, there was."

"Before?"

"Um, we talked seriously, but the other party took a leave of absence due to circumstances." The young man said in a low voice.

His tone carried just the right amount of regret.

Kashiwagi Jin's heart instantly felt a mix of emotions—"Family circumstances leave of absence"? That's not just Alice, is it?

I'm here investigating a possible romantic rival and dangerous individual, while the other is reminiscing about the same woman as an "ex-boyfriend," and I, this "current lover," can only pretend to be a passerby listening————this absurd feeling almost made him want to bitterly laugh.

I don't even know if Alice and Sato Liang have done it————if they have, then aren't we kindred spirits?

Upon thinking this, Kashiwagi Jin's mood instantly turned bad.

What kindred spirits!

Alice————having received so many people, that wouldn't mean I and dozens or even hundreds of people are all kindred spirits?

Damn it!

Alice, I thought I was special to you!

Well, although indeed special, but still not special enough!

Kashiwagi Jin felt bitter in his heart, thinking how the more I investigate this case, the more harm I seem to suffer?

Could Uesugi have already anticipated this?

Sigh, Uesugi is still better! He just has no thoughts about Alice.

Uesugi really is a decent person!

Shi Shi belongs to him, Alice belongs to me.

The investigation continues, one day later, Kashiwagi Jin managed to mix into a public discussion meeting of the "Social Sciences Research Society."

Sato Liang is one of the active speakers, he discussed social injustice, capital alienation, modern people's sense of alienation, viewpoints sharp but logic clear, citing classics, gaining approval from many classmates. His words always stayed at the level of academic criticism and idealist appeals, with no clear violent incitement or illegal advocacy.

On the contrary, he repeatedly emphasized "rational thinking" and "the importance of legal expression channels."

Kashiwagi Jin carefully observed other members of the research society, most were hot-blooded, slightly cynical ordinary students, Sato Liang among them was more like a clear-minded, adept at guiding discussion "theorist," rather than a fervent "activist."

However, it's precisely this kind of person who is most terrifying in secret.

Kashiwagi Jin knows, many so-called radical left-wingers deliberately break the law to enter juvenile detention, then proselytize.

During a break in the discussion, Kashiwagi Jin overheard two female students quietly gossiping about Sato Liang:"Sato-kun is really great, gentle and thoughtful, too bad he seems never to have moved out of his ex-girlfriend's shadow————"

"Yeah, heard his ex-girlfriend was especially beautiful, like something happened when she was working part-time at a bar? Sigh, beauty fades quickly「they probably often dated on campus before? 」

Kashiwagi Jin, listening nearby, felt his forehead veins twitch slightly, gentle? thoughtful? ex-girlfriend shadow? These words wrapped around a possibly extreme left-wing dangerous individual who is also my "romantic rival," simply satirical to the extreme.

And he, the esteemed Star Inspector of the Metropolitan Police Department, is here eavesdropping on female students gossiping about his "competitor"

Damn it!!!

Thus, Kashiwagi Jin decided to conduct limited tracking.

Sato Liang's life routine is nearly rigid: classroom, library, cheap student apartment, convenience store, occasional participation in research society activities. He has no suspicious meetings, communication seems normal too (Kashiwagi Jin cannot monitor content, but observing his mobile phone usage frequency and occasions shows no abnormality).

However, just as Kashiwagi Jin thought his covert tracking was proceeding on the third day, the situation changed.

Sato Liang seemed to suddenly develop an interest in campus photography, often carrying an old camera around to shoot "building structures" and "light and shadow effects." Several times, Kashiwagi Jin found himself almost caught in the frame, or Sato Liang's shooting angle happened to block his observation line of sight.

More clearly once, Sato Liang bought things at the convenience store, then "accidentally" spilled the change coins on the ground, they rolled to Kashiwagi Jin's feet. When Kashiwagi Jin instinctively helped pick them up, Sato Liang looked at him and clearly said:"Thank you, enthusiastic sir. You seem to often walk around campus lately"？Truly caring about our school's environment."

"How do I feel, like I've seen you somewhere before?"

Tone still polite, but those eyes behind the lenses flashed a fleeting, hard-to-catch glimmer.

Kashiwagi Jin's heart jolted, knowing the other had noticed, and used this almost "divine will" way to point it out.

He forced calm, brushed it off, but knew continuing blatant tracking was now impossible.

After several days of investigation, Kashiwagi Jin came up empty-handed.

There is no evidence showing that Sato Liang had direct contact with the "Sakikawa Restoration Army," no evidence showing he participated in any illegal activities, and not even any evidence proving he knew of Nakamura Kenichi's existence.

He looks like a standard template of an excellent poor student who is somewhat idealistic, academically strong, lives in poverty, and has some regrets in his emotional experiences.

When Kashiwagi Jin reported to Uesugi Muneyuki, his tone carried a sense of frustration: "That kid is slippery as an eel, speaks without leaving a trace, lives with the regularity of a clock—I've watched him for days, and I can't even find evidence that he secretly downloaded adult films!"

(Exaggerated statement) He's completely just a harmless bookworm!"

On the other end of the phone, Uesugi Muneyuki fell silent for a moment, then slowly said: "Kashiwagi-san, sometimes, 'no evidence' and 'no loopholes' themselves are the most noteworthy evidence and loopholes."

"An ordinary student, when approached by suspected police personnel and subjected to covert investigation, can react with vigilance, fear, anger, or even foolishly expose something—but he should not be Sato Liang, this overly perfect, overly calm, overly logically self-consistent 'ordinary.' He handled it too well, too well to be like a young person truly immersed in studies and heartbreak pain."

"A dog that bites doesn't bark."

Uesugi Muneyuki's words were like a basin of cold water, awakening the somewhat unwilling Kashiwagi Jin.

He recalled Sato Liang's calm eyes occasionally flashing with a glint, that "coincidence" of precisely evading his surveillance, and that meaningful phrase "enthusiastic teacher," "I feel like I've seen you somewhere"—

Sato Liang wasn't without reaction; his reaction was "no reaction"—a carefully calculated display of "normalcy" for the outside world.

This deep-level disguise and control far surpasses ordinary suspicious behavior in terror.

In the end, the two still decided to meet at a private coffee shop booth.

"What should we do now?" Kashiwagi Jin said, feeling somewhat disheartened.

"Get married first." Uesugi Muneyuki said casually: "Wait for Alice to wake up."

"Ah?!" Kashiwagi Jin was stunned by what Uesugi Muneyuki said.

"I mean, I want to get married first!" Uesugi Muneyuki said somewhat impatiently: "My wedding is in November, and it's almost October now, plus Akimoto Daijin's investigation is still ongoing, so I need to get married first!"

"The investigation into Sato Liang is temporarily halted, because we have no search warrant and no arrest warrant! Moreover, if police were to arrest a student based on suspicion or mere possibility, it would cause an uproar." Uesugi Muneyuki furrowed his brow: "You know, the fear of the Special Higher Police still lingers in the hearts of the people."

"The investigation into Sato Liang has been temporarily halted because we lack a search warrant and an arrest warrant! Moreover, if the police were to arrest a student based merely on suspicion or possibility, it would cause a major uproar." Uesugi Muneyuki frowned: "You know, the fear of the Special Higher Police still lingers in the hearts of the people."

Japan after WWII has two theories: first, that no wronged souls exist under the atomic bomb; second, that the atomic bomb harmed only ordinary Japanese people, and thus Japanese people are also victims.

These two theories are actually not entirely correct, because at that time Japan gambled its national fate three times and won all three, putting the Japanese people as a whole in an extreme state of war frenzy; if we say that, then no one is innocent.

These two statements are actually not entirely correct, because at that time Japan staked its national fate three times in gambling and won all three, so the Japanese people as a whole were in a state of extreme war fervor; if we put it that way, then no one among us was innocent.

Actually, there are.

Even in the most frenzied circumstances, the Japanese Diet still had 20—25% of its members clearly opposing war, and civilian anti-war rhetoric was just as intense.

And this brings us to the Special Higher Police.

In that era, the Special Higher Police, for targeting various anti-war statements and statements speaking ill of the nation, as well as statements declining the nation, arrested over one million Japanese nationals, at least half of whom received heavy punishments, and ultimately executed nearly one hundred thousand.

In that era, the Special Higher Police, due to targeting various anti-war remarks and statements speaking ill of the country, arrested over one million Japanese nationals in succession, at least half of whom received heavy sentences, and ultimately executed nearly one hundred thousand people.

The Special Higher Police's bloody terror was everywhere, so for the sake of survival, people ultimately could only keep their mouths shut.

That is not now—publishing incorrect statements is punishable by death! Being sent by the Special Higher Police to the Japanese version of the West Ice Cellar to eat a full Manchu-Han feast, receiving hydrotherapy SPA, undergoing electroconvulsive therapy, and still having to take a sauna.

Therefore, just from this point, if you kill people until heads roll, and someone disappears from time to time, then naturally the whole society sings praises.

Until after WWII, when the Five-Star MacArthur Emperor abolished the Special Higher Police, but public fear of the Special Higher Police remained omnipresent.

Uesugi Muneyuki knows this kind of thing easily triggers the Japanese people's deep-seated fear.

"When will Alice wake up? That will be the final reckoning and total assault against Akimoto Daijin!" Uesugi Muneyuki said coldly: "If I haven't guessed wrong, I think the Red Goldfinch and the Sakikawa Restoration Army are also waiting."

"Wait for Alice to wake up." Kashiwagi Jin nodded: "We are all waiting."

"Well, so I'm preparing to get married first, and to be honest, my influence now is a bit too great, making it seem like the whole country revolves around me, but I'm just a passing forensic pathologist." Uesugi Muneyuki smiled: "Akimoto Daijin's matter is handled by the District Public Prosecutors Office, evidence is collected by Public Security, and has nothing to do with me. What I'm most doubtful about now is, if the Sakikawa Restoration Army's purpose is to expose Akimoto Daijin and the N Network, then why did Takigawa Tsubasa kill Nakamura Kenichi? If the Sakikawa Restoration Army has other plans, then what is their purpose? Surely they're not really planning to establish a school self-governing organization? Brothers, can't we play with something other than the All-Campus Joint Struggle Committee? These are all leftovers from before."

"Young students' blood and vigor are at their peak, in a special stage of full-time study but still under economic control, thus especially prone to contact such radical ideologies and have a strong mindless craving for justice—this cannot be blamed on them." Kashiwagi Jin nodded: "But now it's no longer the past; relying solely on terror cannot truly change society, and for these people, once they enter society and start making a living, start experiencing what life is, do they still have energy to mess with these things?"

"————Young students are full of vigor and at a special stage of breaking away from production yet still under economic control, thus they are especially prone to contact such radical ideas and harbor a strong, mindless yearning for justice; this cannot be blamed on them." Kashiwagi Jin nodded: "But now is no longer the past; relying solely on terrorist acts cannot truly change society, and for these people, once they enter society and begin to make a living, start experiencing what life is, do they still have the energy to engage in these?"

"Alice and Shi Shi, what do you plan to do?"

Alice and Shi Shi! Kashiwagi Jin widened his eyes, dissatisfiedly saying: "Wait a moment, also just forget it—Shi Shi isn't yours, is she?"

"When did Shi Shi become mine? I accepted Public Security guidance, temporarily took her in—you wouldn't think I'd let her live forever in the Tower Mansion, would you? And that's Mai-sama's property." Uesugi Muneyuki furrowed his brow: "But, indeed, driving her away isn't good either; let me think what will happen next."

"Yes, I plan to send Alice to Koto Ward, where there's an empty floor of a house, my parents live on the second floor there!" Kashiwagi Jin couldn't help but whisper to Uesugi Muneyuki.

"?!" Uesugi Muneyuki stunned: "You plan to renew your past relationship?"

"I————I think I like her." Kashiwagi Jin whispered: "I've thought about it for a long time, I feel this is love, this love is different from that with Meisa, Uesugi-san, can you understand me? I have the duty and responsibility to rescue the injured her!"

"I————I think I like her." Kashiwagi Jin said in a low voice: "I have thought about it for a long time, and I feel this is love; this kind of love differs from that with Meisa; Uesugi-san, can you understand me? I have the duty and responsibility to save the injured her!"

Uesugi Muneyuki was stunned, but seeing Kashiwagi Jin's blazing gaze, he still nodded: "I understand you!"

"Great!" Kashiwagi Jin reached out and tightly grasped Uesugi Muneyuki's hand: "We, indeed, are kindred spirits! Previous matters, sorry about that!"

"Nothing, it's all in the past." Uesugi Muneyuki and Kashiwagi Jin tightly grasped each other's hands.

What you owe me, Meisa has already repaid.

Uesugi, my friend! Kashiwagi Jin's eyes filled with hot tears, a scholar dies for one who knows him!

At this moment, the TV screen beside them lit up, displaying "NHK Channel·Midday In-Depth Report," with low, solemn background music.

"Good evening. Recently, a series of abnormal adolescent death incidents in Osaka City have continued to draw attention. Among them, the death of a second-year student at Osaka Private Meisei Institute High School is particularly puzzling. This station, after multi-party investigation, obtained permission to disclose partial information, and reminds all parents and educators to pay attention to adolescents' mental health and social environment. Please watch the exclusive report sent back by our reporter from the front."

(Screen switches to the gate of Meisei Institute High School, night, the school shrouded in the halo of flashing blue-red emergency lights. Reporter stands outside the police cordon)

On-site reporter (voice lowered, with urgency): Anchor, I am now at the gate of Meisei Institute High School where the incident occurred. On the 15th of this month, a second-year student of this school, Tailazaki Kentaro (17 years old), was found unconscious by his family in his bedroom, sent to hospital, and declared dead. However, the direct cause of his death has left even experienced forensic pathologists confused and shocked.

On-site reporter (voice lowered, with a sense of urgency): Anchor, I am now outside the gate of Meisei Academy High School where the incident occurred. On the fifteenth of this month, second-year student Tailazaki Kentai (17 years old) was found unconscious in his own bedroom by his family, taken to the hospital, and pronounced dead after arrival. However, the direct cause of his death has left even experienced forensic pathologists bewildered and shocked.

Reporter (voice-over): According to insiders within the police, the deceased's body surface showed no fatal trauma or common poison reactions. But on his skin, especially the facial, neck, and arm skin beneath, a large amount of minute, incompletely developed eyeball-like tissue was discovered. These "structures" were not pasted or implanted, but have a biological meaningful connection with the subcutaneous nerves and capillaries.

Reporter (voice-over): According to insiders within the police, the deceased's body surface showed no signs of fatal external trauma or common toxic reactions. However, on the skin, especially the facial, neck, and arm subcutaneous layers, numerous small, incompletely developed eyeball-like tissues were discovered. These "structures" were neither adhered nor implanted, but had a biologically meaningful connection with the subcutaneous nerves and capillaries.

Kansai?! Osaka?! Who died?!

Kishiwada, is he moving again?

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