Chapter 649

In late November, on a Monday morning, inside the Metropolitan Police Department building, the atmosphere in the Special Mission System Office was starkly different from its usual efficient, tense rhythm.

With the core decision-maker, Special Mission System Management Officer Watanabe Minami (soon to be Uesugi Minami), absent, and more crucially, without the Chief Medical Examiner Uesugi Muneyuki—who could always tease out decisive leads from the tiniest physical evidence—the entire department seemed to have lost its backbone and strongest engine, falling into a kind of "half-idle" stalled state.

Apparently taking into account that Uesugi Ando and Watanabe Minami were on their honeymoon, the Metropolitan Police Department had not assigned them any new tasks recently, merely asking them to "cooperate" with the activities of Search One.

A few early-arriving detectives gathered in the tea room, the aroma of coffee unable to dispel the air of idle listlessness.

By the window, Acting Unit Chief Inspector Okada Masayoshi held his bone-china coffee cup—this clashed starkly with the Metropolitan Police Department mugs widely used around him—as he spoke softly with Assistant Inspector Nango Yui.

A strong, powerful elite aura enveloped this place.

This is the world of the second generation!

As an elite of the professional corps, Okada Masayoshi was already an inspector at a young age; his father, Okada Masahide, had recently assumed the post of Vice Minister of Finance, making him a scion of a standard bureaucratic family, his demeanor strict and slightly reserved, though lately he had been troubled by endless matchmaking.

Nango Yui likewise came from an extraordinary background; after all, her father was the Managing Director of Nanxiang Affairs at Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, likewise a paradigm of rapid promotion within the professional corps; after joining the Special Mission Unit, she had been busy with various cases for a long time, and this was the first time she had been this idle.

"Nango, regarding the draft for upgrading the Special Mission Division, have you heard any wind from your father's side?" Okada Masayoshi took a sip of coffee, his voice not loud, but the topic carried weight.

Ever since his father became Vice Minister of Finance, Okada Masayoshi's conduct had become increasingly strict and dignified.

Nango Yui pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses, similarly responding in a low voice: "I heard Section Chief mention it from the First Division; the Criminal Investigation Department is indeed pushing for it, with resistance mainly in budget and adjustment of the existing division structure. Coordination between the Ministry of Finance and the National Police Agency side is key."

"Director Watanabe is very determined about this, and with this wedding—you also saw, look at who came. The invisible push is not small." He paused: "The key is, this time point in March next year is very delicate. It just happens to be when the management officer promotion freeze ends, and also when the new fiscal year begins."

"Hmm," Okada Masayoshi nodded, "so during this period, we need to stay steady. We cannot have mishaps, nor appear too idle. Reviewing backlogged old cases, organizing intelligence, drafting cross-regional cooperation plans—these foundational tasks must be taken up. When the management officer and Doctor Uesugi return, we need to have something to report." His gaze swept over the somewhat empty office, his brows slightly furrowed: "However, without Doctor Uesugi's鉴定 support, many cases are indeed—difficult to delve into deeply."

"No problem, it's just over a week." Nango Yui smiled: "Soon enough, once Chief Uesugi and Management Officer Uesugi return, there will be work to do.

"That said, it's true." Okada Masayoshi glanced at Watanabe Minami's desk not far away.

Previously, the wooden nameplate of Special Mission System Management Officer Detective Watanabe Minami had already been replaced.

The current nameplate reads "Special Mission System Management Officer Detective Uesugi Minami".

Okada Masayoshi felt a bit dazed; suddenly before his eyes appeared Watanabe Minami, the Young Lady, seated at her desk looking at reports, while the nameplate had also changed to "Commander of the Capital Security Division, Detective Watanabe Minami".

With Uesugi Muneyuki and Uesugi Minami formally married, and with the Special Mission Unit's promotion in March next year, a new era has arrived.

On the other side, by the tables near the door, the atmosphere was much livelier.

Non-professional corps Assistant Inspector Kai Toru was propping his chair, shaking his canned black coffee, chatting with Inspector Date Nagamune opposite him; Kai Toru has an open personality, loves joking without restraint, his father Kai Mineaki also attended this wedding, counting as a "VIP among the non-professional corps".

Meanwhile, Date Nagamune's brain had not yet recovered from that wedding, his face bearing the dignified composure and a hint of aloofness unique to the old peerage; he had been constantly calculating whether his own wedding could be like that of Uesugi Muneyuki and Uesugi Minami.

If he could get Akasaka to perform at his wedding, that would be great.

Himself and the Second Young Lady, hehehehe~

Or, could he not ask Taylor Swift to give him a Newlywed Blessing?

Taylor Swift is the best, Date Nagamune thought to himself.

"Hey, Date, did you hear? On the wedding day, hotel security caught an Indian guy trying to rob a convenience store!" Kai Toru winked and made faces.

Date Nagamune was slowly wiping the edge of his police notebook with his finger; hearing this, he lifted his eyes slightly: "I've heard a bit. Public Security handled it, saying it was an isolated incident, the weapons were crude imitations."

"Isolated incident?" Kai Toru snorted: "I'd say he ran into gunfire! He didn't even check what occasion that day was, how many big shots were there. That guy is really damned unlucky—his mom gave him bad luck opening the door, and bad luck followed him home. He pulled out a toy gun, yelled at a few Public Security officers eating breakfast, ended up with five real guns pointed at his head, his face full of laser red dots—Pfft, the scene is too beautiful for me to imagine." He described it vividly, as if he had seen it himself.

Date Nagamune's mouth corner also twitched slightly, but he immediately straightened and said: "However, in recent years, the case involvement rate of South Asian nationals, especially Indians, Bangladeshis, and Nepalis, holding short-term visas or illegally staying, has indeed shown an upward trend. It is mainly concentrated in theft, robbery, violent debt collection, and disputes in certain specific industries."

"It's not like the higher-ups keep shouting about wanting to import foreign labor, create some 'specific skills' visa, wanting to inject vitality into society, solve the low birthrate and aging problem." Kai Toru shrugged, his tone carrying the sharpness and a bit of indifference typical of youth: "The idea is good, but what about the supporting measures? Language training, cultural integration, legal popularization, management supervision— which of these has caught up? Many people come here, language barrier, limited skills, can only squeeze into the bottom layer doing the toughest work, earning the least money, or simply turn to crime. With no way out, don't they just have to turn to crooked thinking? Doesn't the public security pressure just shift onto us?"

"Damn Indians, recently in Tokyo Metropolis there have been many convenience store thefts, public urination and defecation, bicycle thefts committed by South Asians; the Third Division often complains, saying how come it's always those 'A-Sans'?"

Date Nagamune nodded, rare in agreeing with Kai Toru's view: "From a historical perspective, any large-scale population movement, if lacking proper settlement and assimilation policies, will initially be accompanied by growing pains. The migration of various domains in the Edo era, the pioneer groups of the Meiji period—all were like this. Only now, under the backdrop of globalization, it comes faster, and the problems are more complex. The police can only react passively, treating symptoms not the root."

"You two big shots, what are you talking about? Sounds so profound." Investigation Division Sergeant Igarashi Hayato approached, holding a cup of instant noodles, with an honest face. He is a non-professional corps member who rose through connections, tall and sturdy, straightforward in personality; toward Okada, Nango, Kai, and Date—these "backgrounded" colleagues—he always carries a touch of awe and an exclamation of "you guys really know a lot".

But he himself actually does have a background, just not that strong.

"We're talking about the relationship between Indian curry and public security cases." Kai Toru said solemnly, spouting nonsense.

"Huh? Can curry even cause cases?" Igarashi Hayato widened his eyes, believing it: "Curry GEIGEI~

Ah well, I was playing in the mud in Tōhoku~ I said Tōhoku isn't big, I have no home in Dàlián wah wah wah~"

Kai Toru and Date Nagamune exchanged glances, both unable to hold back laughter.

"Igarashi, you could go play Indian Ultraman." Kai Toru muttered.

"If it's about India, it's Hanuman desu~" Date Nagamune laughed.

Amidst this somewhat noisy chatter as background sound, at the inner part of the office, Ikeda Erena and Ishihara Mikoto sat side by side, a case file spread before them, but obviously neither had really gotten into it.

Ikeda Erena today wore a high-neck sweater, her outerwear draped over the chair back, accentuating her figure, especially when she walks she always shakes the ground, drawing attention; she propped her chin with her hand, her fingertips painted with light red nail polish lightly tapping the desk, her gaze drifting out the window, her voice pressed extremely low, carrying a hint of lazy amusement: "Ishihara-san, you say—what state is Minami probably in now?"

Ishihara Mikoto was organizing some physical evidence photos; hearing this, her hand paused, two faint clouds of red flying up her fair cheeks. She pushed up her glasses, also lowered her voice, her tone carrying a certain affectionate gossip and teasing: "Erena-chan—asking me? You're the one who lives together with Watanabe—ah, now it's Management Officer Uesugi—so you're asking me?"

Mikoto recalled how she had spent these months currying favor, being compliant, being played by Uesugi until her bones went soft and legs weak, and still hadn't gotten pregnant, and couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

Minami? Wishing her longevity!

"It's precisely because I know that I worry for Minami." Ikeda Erena laughed like a cat that stole fish, she said with a hint of schadenfreude: "Without me, guess what state Minami will be arranged into by Muneyuki?"

Arranged into what state?

Isn't it just arranged into me? What else could it be?

Mikoto's face reddened further, she lightly punched Ikeda Erena: "Enough! Don't say anymore—"

But the corner of her mouth also couldn't help but turn up, her eyes flickering, obviously she also recalled some of those things only the few of them know about, the "pre-battle preparations" regarding special stockings and pearl chains.

The two locked eyes, each seeing in the other's eyes some kind of tacit understanding of warmth and amusement, then each pressed their lips, pretending to focus on work, though that faintly reddening of the earlobes and the undis scattered water light in their eyes leaked the fact that their thoughts had long drifted away.

Erena recalled what happened that day in the luxurious suite, and thinking again of how, in Minami's absence, she had to shoulder Uesugi alone, she still couldn't help but laugh, yet again felt a bit lonely.

Muneyuki and Minami's wedding leave is to rest for one week! Added together front and back, it's 10 days!

What are they doing now?

Morning light streamed through the window, wine in the somewhat disordered Special Mission System Office. Here there are both serious low whispers about promotion and policy, and casual discussions about social issues, and moreover, private jokes understood only within the small circle.

Everything awaits that Chief Forensic Expert who can restart this precision machine, and the Management Officer who can command the whole situation to return. Before that, gossip, chatter, and a bit of harmless teasing about superiors' private lives have become the best seasoning in this stalled time.

However, when it came to ten o'clock in the morning, that morning's idleness and warmth in the Special Mission System Office was suddenly shattered by a burst of urgent and somewhat arrogant knocking on the door.

The door was pushed open, appearing at the doorway was the Star Inspector of Investigation Division 1, Third Subsection—Kashiwagi Jin.

He wore a tailored deep gray suit, his hair meticulously combed, his eyes sharp with an air of "I'm here to take command."

"Sorry to disturb you," Kashiwagi Jin said politely, but his stride carried him straight into the center of the office, his gaze sweeping over the slightly empty and idle scene, his brow faintly twitching as if he found the Special Mission Unit's "stalled" state somewhat disagreeable.

"Acting Unit Chief Okada? There's an urgent case requiring the Special Mission Unit's assistance!"

"A shooting incident occurred in Mitaka City! The victim is————former Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism!"

"Suspected to be the work of the Sakikawa Restoration Army!"

"What?!" Okada Masayoshi and Nango Yui's pupils rapidly constricted, they exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes.

Still the Sakikawa Restoration Army?! So, lingering shadows?!

"Yes, these people are truly————never-ending!" Kashiwagi Jin nodded wearily: "You all must know about this group by now."

"As you know, I and Uesugi Chief are close comrades, kindred spirits, half-brothers from different fathers and mothers; we once jointly investigated the Sakikawa Restoration Army, and he even entrusted me with the subsequent search."

"So, since Uesugi Chief and Uesugi Management Official are both absent this period, the Special Mission Unit will be under my personal command and deployment!"

Kashiwagi raised his twin pincers high, his imposing presence undiminished from years past!