Chapter 68: A New Home at Sakata Bridge

PS: I will certainly keep my word. The extra chapter will be made up on New Year's Day. I won't be going home or going out to play on New Year's Day; I'll just stay home and write hard to reward the dear readers who support me!

"We can extract maternal DNA from mitochondria. Theoretically, mitochondrial maternal DNA is currently sufficient to trace back 6,500 years."

Uesugi Muneyuki was giving a lecture to Eirina on the sofa. This was something they had agreed upon earlier: Eirina would teach him martial arts, and he would teach Eirina criminal investigation techniques.

"6,500 years already exceeds everything needed for modern criminal investigation. This means that everyone, regardless of gender, possesses the same mitochondrial DNA as their mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, and so on. The difference is that a mother will pass her own mitochondria to her descendants, while a male does not possess this ability."

"In contrast, the nuclear DNA of the human body is completely different. A mother might have the exact same mitochondrial DNA as her sister, but because the nuclear DNA is different, it is actually difficult to determine the relationship between the two. However, based on this, as long as one can obtain the DNA of their father, mother, and aunt, it becomes very easy to distinguish."

"Building on this, in parent-child relationships, half-siblings sharing the same father can be identified as to whether one party is an illegitimate child through a large amount of overlapping DNA and different mitochondrial DNA." Uesugi Muneyuki continued: "Although it might be impossible to know the specific identity of the illegitimate child's biological mother, once you reach this step, it is already very powerful evidence... Master Eirina, are you listening?"

"Ah? Ah! Sorry, sorry!" Ikeda Erena was stunned for a moment, realizing Uesugi Muneyuki was calling her. She gave a start and hurriedly indicated she was listening: "I was distracted."

You were distracted? You were asleep, weren't you?

Uesugi Muneyuki couldn't help but mutter to himself.

The two had nothing to do early in the morning, so Uesugi Muneyuki fried some eggs and bacon to make breakfast sandwiches. They ate a few bites casually, and then he took the opportunity to talk about some knowledge regarding criminal investigation.

It was unclear whether it was because Erena had woken up too early and the food caused her blood to flow downward, or because she wasn't good at studying in the first place, but the tall beauty was already drowsy after hearing Uesugi Muneyuki speak for only a moment.

Facing Uesugi Muneyuki's disdainful gaze, Erena keenly sensed the man's emotions. Her pretty face instantly turned a deep red, and even her ears were covered in a delicate crimson. She lowered her head in great embarrassment.

She was never good at studying, and ever since she started asking for instruction, she had discovered that the investigative knowledge Uesugi Muneyuki taught was completely different from what she had imagined.

The investigative knowledge she imagined was like a detective, being able to deduce a person's age, occupation, standard of living, and region from an unconscious movement. However, Uesugi Muneyuki spent the whole time talking about "surveillance, DNA, and on-site testing," and at most, he only spoke a few words about the differences in identifying injuries on different parts of the body.

This wasn't what she wanted, but she was too embarrassed to interrupt the man, and as time went on, she began to grow drowsy.

Caught by the man for being asleep, Erena fidgeted with her hands and twisted her legs, her face flushed with shame. Fortunately, it was him; if it had been anyone else, she would have been truly furious.

So uncomfortable... Erena subconsciously tugged at the waistband of her pantyhose at her waist, making a *snap* sound: "Sorry~ It's just that coming to your place..."

She was not a good student, but Uesugi Muneyuki still felt this lesson was worth teaching.

She had specifically changed into silk stockings she didn't like wearing to see him. How could he bear to blame such a simple, silly woman?

A standard "landmine" girl had been unknowingly transformed by him into this state. Uesugi Muneyuki suddenly felt a strange sense of accomplishment.

"Alright, let's stop here. The moving company should be arriving soon." Uesugi Muneyuki stood up with a smile.

"Mm." Erena was still very embarrassed. It was clear that Uesugi Muneyuki was so serious when learning Karate, yet she had fallen asleep while learning from him. It was too rude. So, she slowly moved her body to Uesugi Muneyuki's side and then straightened her legs. The pair of black-silk-wrapped beautiful legs looked even more slender and rounded, directly displaying them to the man: "This, can this count as an apology?"

"Pfft!" Uesugi Muneyuki was amused by Erena's bizarre way of apologizing, yet he was exactly the type to fall for it: "Fine, I'll let you off this time. Let's do some final packing; the moving company is coming."

"Mm!" Erena bit her lip tightly and nodded shyly, unable to help but feel a tiny bit proud in her heart.

The silk stockings today were not worn in vain.

By around nine o'clock in the morning, the moving company arrived and carried the things Uesugi Muneyuki had packed down the stairs box by box.

The two no longer had the atmosphere of being alone as they had before. They worked efficiently, handling every item one by one. Uesugi Muneyuki stood in front of his student apartment, stood straight, and finally bowed slightly toward the room: "Thank you for the last four years."

After saying this, Uesugi Muneyuki bid farewell to the student apartment where he had lived for four years. In a sense, he had truly bid farewell to his identity as a student at the Medical and Dental University. He had already obtained his medical license and completed the Peer Review process; now, all that was missing was his graduation thesis and the formal graduation ceremony.

Moving companies in Japan are quite professional; unless the customer initiates a conversation, the employees rarely speak on their own. After everything was packed, the moving company set off, taking Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena along in the truck.

Uesugi Muneyuki's new home was at Sakata Bridge in Bunkyo Ward.

As the moving truck drove along the highway, a giant, towering building pointed straight to the sky. The low-rise detached houses and commercial buildings on the neighboring streets looked very small in front of this giant structure. Under the sky, the way its floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the sunlight made it look as dazzling as the Plasma Spark Tower of the Land of Light.

This was Uesugi Muneyuki's new home.

"Tower Mansion" is a translation of the term, referring to tower-style ultra-high-rise residences, generally over 30 stories. Although large cities in Japan are very densely populated, ultra-high-rise buildings are not everywhere.

This is because Japan's rail transit is well-developed, and the city is spread out wide without traffic problems. For example, Chiba City, which is dozens of kilometers away from Tokyo, only takes about an hour to get to Minato Ward by train, so commuting is not a problem at all.

Many people working in Tokyo live in Chiba Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, or Saitama Prefecture, so there is no need to build a large number of tower mansions in the city center to accommodate everyone. Therefore, multi-story apartments under 15 floors account for the majority in Tokyo, while tower mansions over 30 floors are actually rare.

Due to this characteristic, Japan can turn tower mansions into scarce, high-end residences. Japanese tower mansions are equipped with hotel-like front desk services, gyms, activity rooms, and other facilities. These features clearly distinguish tower mansions from ordinary apartments, making the tower mansion a symbol of high status.

Moreover, because most residential buildings in Tokyo (excluding the numerous high-rise office buildings) are under 15 floors, the tower mansion stands out from the crowd. Especially on the high floors, the view is quite good, with Tokyo Bay and Tokyo Tower in full view, and the sunlight is also quite good, which is extremely precious in a place like Tokyo where buildings are dense and per capita resources are scarce.

Aside from the Garden Western-style House of the Uesugi main family, what the wealthy in Tokyo love to live in most is the tower mansion.

Excellent views, a superior geographical location, strict security, star-rated hotel public facility services, and tax savings.

"The moving address is the tower mansion next to Sakata Bridge? That's the customer's new home? The land price at Sakata Bridge is super expensive, right?" Sure enough, seeing his destination for the day, the moving company employee driving the truck couldn't help but say: "Customer, you are truly amazing. To be able to live in such a good place at such a young age."

"No, this has nothing to do with my age. I'm just relying on my father with all my might," Uesugi Muneyuki replied casually.

Between the exchange, the rule of not speaking without cause was broken. The mover naturally chimed in with admiration: "Wow, it's good to be rich. How much does a tower mansion here cost? At least 100 million, right?"

"I'm not too sure about the specific price," Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head: "Buddy, do you know the land price here?"

"In this area, and it's a tower mansion... the customer is on the eighteenth floor, right? That should be about 100 million," the mover judged based on experience: "Around 120 million. The economy is bad now, so if you're lucky, you might be able to get it for 100 million."

The price of a tower mansion varies greatly within a single building. The lower floors have poor lighting and limited views, and the price difference compared to the high-rise floors can be up to 60%. That is, a 4th-floor unit might be worth 80 million yen, while a 40th-floor unit could head toward 150 million.

"Madam, you are blessed to be able to live in such a tower mansion with your husband," the mover continued, speaking to Ikeda Erena, who had remained silent on the side.

As soon as the word "Madam" came out, Erena, who was beside Uesugi Muneyuki, was stunned for a moment before realizing the mover was talking to her.

The tall beauty's face instantly flushed with shyness, and she explained in a half-angry, half-urgent tone: "No, I'm just his..."

"She is my Partner," Uesugi Muneyuki cut in, explaining naturally: "She's accompanying me to see the new house."

"Oh, oh, oh, I'm sorry, I got it wrong." The mover apologized quickly. Feeling Erena's unfriendly gaze, the mover was startled and immediately shut his mouth.

However, Erena fell into silence because of this sentence.

She was satisfied with Uesugi Muneyuki's answer.

Erena also knew she was a difficult person. If Uesugi Muneyuki had answered that she was just a colleague or a friend, Erena would have felt uncomfortable because their relationship went beyond that.

But if Uesugi Muneyuki had truly acquiesced or called her his girlfriend, Erena would have felt it was a bit much; if they were to be serious, nothing had actually happened between them.

The word "Partner" was just right: more than friends, but not yet lovers.

Having touched a nerve, the mover didn't dare to say anything more. Under the autumn sun, the moving work officially began.

Upon entering the lobby at Sakata Bridge, one was met with a rustic Harajuku-style decor. Both the ceiling and walls were in a natural wood style, and the scattered tiles on the floor formed patterns of color blocks. Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows were tall, landscaped plants. The star-rated hotel-style front desk staff wore standard uniforms, and the security guards were tall and fierce, looking much more spirited than the average Koban Patrol Officer.

"President, welcome home!"

As the Revolving Door turned, the lady at the front desk in an OL uniform stepped forward in her High-heeled Shoe to greet them: "Is this Mr. Uesugi Muneyuki who has an appointment?"

"Yes... do you know me?"

"Of course, how could I not know... Uesugi-san, your Live Broadcast the night before last was super cool!" the receptionist said excitedly: "And is this the beautiful policewoman who showed off that Judo skill? How should I address you?"

"Ikeda..." Eirina replied with a huff.

"Understood, please this way." No one who could work as a receptionist at the Tower Mansion lacked perception; seeing Eirina was displeased, she immediately switched back to her professional state.

First, she processed the owner card for Uesugi Muneyuki. The Tower Mansion's security facilities were very complete; security guards, surveillance, automatic locks, smart elevators, and alarm devices were all present. Moreover, the internal amenities were extremely comprehensive, even including a dedicated cafeteria and a restaurant—one on the second floor and one in the basement. For a monthly meal fee of 36,000, both lunch and dinner were provided.

Ikeda Eirina only felt a new world unfolding before her eyes.

After arriving at the eighteenth floor, the thick carpet, the paintings on the walls, and the vase at the end of the corridor made the tall beauty think she had truly entered a four-star hotel. And when the receptionist opened the door to "1802" for Uesugi Muneyuki, the light rushing toward her made Eirina involuntarily squint her eyes.

So big!

On one side of the entrance foyer was a large built-in shoe cabinet, and on the left side of the other was a guest room. This guest room was not large, about twelve square meters, but it had everything one needed, including a small sliding window and a bay window, from which one could directly overlook the scenery of the Tower Mansion's entrance below and the cityscape of Tokyo.

This was Uesugi's new home?

Under guidance, Ikeda Eirina took off her newly bought pearl-embellished High-heeled Shoe and stepped into the room with a clatter.

Past the shoe cabinet on the right of the entrance and the small guest room on the left, what came into view was an extremely spacious living room that stretched horizontally before Eirina. The tall floor-to-ceiling windows drew in plenty of sunlight, and the space, over twenty meters wide, was bright and open. On the left was a huge reception area, and on the right was an open-style kitchen with a double-burner gas stove.

All facilities were fully equipped: a GE refrigerator from the United States, a full set of kitchen appliances from the old German brand Miele, a complete set of washer and dryer, and a full suite of bathroom equipment.

Outside the reception area was a twenty-square-meter balcony planted with vegetation and equipped with an emergency exit. Here, one could once again overlook the scenery of Tokyo, and there was even a barbecue grill placed against the wall.

Walking further inside was a long corridor. The home had two toilets and one bathroom. The larger toilet and bathroom were combined next to the kitchen, featuring a 1.7-meter-long bathtub, located on the right side of the corridor. On the left was the secondary bedroom, which was larger than the small guest room outside.

The largest was the master bedroom inside; not only did it exceed twenty square meters in area, but it was also equipped with a small bathroom and a walk-in closet.

It is worth mentioning that the master bedroom also had a circular semi-circular bay window. Pulling back the curtains and looking through the glass, Tokyo Tower could be faintly seen from here.

"Is this a king's suite?" Eirina couldn't help but remark: "So luxurious?"

However, Uesugi Muneyuki only smiled upon hearing this, directing the moving company employees to begin setting up his home.

Seeing he didn't answer, Eirina felt somewhat constrained. Seeing everyone in the house busy, she stood in place alone and suddenly couldn't find her own position, feeling a bit awkward.

A certain guy noticed this scene.

The Soul of the news anchor Hironaka Mariko flashed out. She clicked her tongue in wonder at Uesugi Muneyuki's new home, then remarked: 【Does this Partner of yours not know what good living is? This is called a king's suite? Then what do you call that 400-square-meter flat that old toad Kameyama lives in?】

【Uh, the Shogun's Ooku?】

【Hahahaha! Might as well call it the Toad's Yoshiwara!】 Hironaka Mariko laughed loudly, then looked askance at the somewhat constrained Ikeda: 【Is this person from the countryside?】

【Seems like she's from Fukuoka in northern Kyushu.】

【No wonder, a bumpkin is a bumpkin. But you, you really know your stuff!】 Hironaka Mariko laughed wildly: 【Generally speaking, as long as you bring a country girl who has come to the capital with dreams in her heart to your new Tower Mansion home for a tour, you can score that same night!】

【You aren't planning on that, are you?】

Thank you all for your support of the author in 2024. Happy New Year, keep it up, congratulations~

The third update for New Year's Day. The first update will be posted a while after 12 o'clock. I'm counting on everyone in the new year too!

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(End of this chapter)