Chapter 719: , Akimoto Yasushi's Purgatory!

Hand over your path to godhood!

"Boom!"

Uesugi Muneyuki's words were like a deep-water bomb dropped into a calm lake, exploding across Japanese society the moment the broadcast signal went out—knowing that Uesugi Muneyuki had always maintained an "absolutely neutral," "just talk business" stance in social activities and programs, never offering personal opinions or emotions, making this the first time!

His statement instantly triggered a public opinion tsunami across Japan!

On social media, #CancelTotalElection# shot to the top of the trending list in an instant.

Uesugi Muneyuki's NHK remarks were frenetically clipped, shared, and interpreted.

Supporters praised him for "daring to speak the truth," "cutting through the industry's cancer with one stroke," and "truly considering the long-term interests of idols and fans." Opponents (especially some hardcore fans and vested interests) angrily accused him of "an amateur telling professionals what to do," "using tragedy to suppress idols," and "ruining the annual extravaganza for hundreds of thousands of fans."

Yet there is no doubt that no one can call Uesugi Muneyuki an idol hater, for it is said he personally loves and appreciates the so-called "next-generation ACE" Miyawaki Sakura of the 48 Group, having named her multiple times on shows, and the placard girl on "Hand of God" to this day has always been a female idol—such a person is unlikely to be an idol hater, for if he truly disliked them, how could he let a little idol hold the placard?

As for "Hand of God," let alone little idols, even some second- and third-tier actresses and anchors are willing to come up as placard girls!

Major newspapers immediately adjusted their headlines, and TV news ran rolling commentary.

The Asahi Shimbun editorial headline: "Legendary Forensic Doctor's Warning: It's Time to Review the Side Effects of the 'Total Election'."

The traditionally right-leaning Sankei Shimbun took a relatively conservative stance: "A calm period after the tragedy? Uesugi the Forensic Doctor's proposal sparks heated debate." Online, opinion leaders, sociologists, and psychologists piled into the debate, discussing the cultural significance, social impact, and mental health risks of the total election, with depth and breadth far exceeding the case itself.

And among the populace, Japanese people already have a strong academic elitism and elite identity; many non-idol-fan ordinary viewers, based on trust in Uesugi Muneyuki's professional identity and legendary case-solving record, as well as the general shock and sympathy brought by the case, tend to support the "cancel" proposal, believing, "Someone died, and so tragically—canceling for a year to mourn and reflect is reasonable and proper," "That money-throwing voting model has always been problematic." Fan communities erupted in fierce debate. The rational faction began reflecting on the pressure, comparison, and negative effects brought by the total election; the radical faction felt betrayed and deprived, anger surging, while more middle-ground factions fell into confusion.

Likewise, the chill emanating from Uesugi Muneyuki spread to the operations team here.

In Akimoto Yasushi's private office, the television screen was replaying a clip of Uesugi Muneyuki's interview.

Akimoto Yasushi's face turned ashen, the cigar in his hand crushed into deformation. He violently hurled the remote at the wall, and the expensive electronic equipment instantly shattered into pieces.

"Damn it! What does he know?! A corpse-fiddler, what right does he have to point fingers at my kingdom?!" Akimoto Yasushi's low growl brimmed with the mad rage of having his reverse scale touched.

The total election is not only the jewel on the crown of his business empire, but also the key stage in his plan to gather faith power and complete the "ritual"! Canceling? That equals directly pulling out the most important support pillar in his plan!

Moreover, the total election originally relied heavily on the long tail effect and sustained buzz—if it stops this year, can it even restart next year? Suou Hinata stood nearby, her face equally grim and terrifying.

His jealousy and hatred in his heart gnawed like a poisonous snake.

Uesugi Muneyuki! Again him!

This guy not only messed up their sacrifice plan, now he casually drops a few sentences and wants to destroy their long-prepared bigger stage? What "cooling period," "reflection period"—in his view, they're all hypocritical nonsense. What gives this guy the right to stand on the moral high ground, with one sentence stirring up such a storm?

However, anger aside, both are extremely realistic and shrewd individuals; they quickly pulled public opinion monitoring data and held an emergency meeting with the core team.

The conclusion was suffocating: public opinion had already turned, and it was hard to reverse.

Uesugi Muneyuki, leveraging massive public trust from solving major cases, the neutral image of a forensic expert, and precise remarks hitting social pain points, had already successfully linked "cancel total election" with "reflect on tragedy, promote health."

If operations insists on fighting back, it will not only confirm the accusations of "cold-blooded" and "only cares about money," but may trigger larger-scale social backlash and even invite regulatory intervention, utterly destroying the idol empire.

Don't go provoking these powerful departments for nothing! Didn't you see earlier, just because of a slight suspicion, Okada Masahide's Financial Services Agency came down hard and gave the idols a lesson?

"Akimoto Sensei……" Suou Hinata's voice was dry, suppressing her unwillingness: "Public opinion pressure is too great; if we force the event under these conditions, the risk is extremely high. This year's total election…… might truly not be able to proceed as scheduled."

Akimoto Yasushi slumped in his chair, utterly unwilling yet helpless, nodding weakly.

Stealing chicken but losing the rice—really, picking up sesame seeds and dropping watermelons!

He had painstakingly built the total election into a phenomenon-level cultural event and faith-power collector over many years, now to be stopped by a few words from an "outsider"—this sense of helplessness and frustration nearly consumed him.

Just a little off, several times just a little off…… I've already prepared to ascend the Golden Throne…… Fatty Autumn recalled his ambition to become a god, clenched his fists tightly, thinking, Is it really going to end like this, so close yet so far?

But for now, the situation is already beyond redemption.

"Hinata……" Akimoto Yasushi's voice exhausted: "Things have come to this, prepare a statement, in the name of the operations group and myself…… announce, out of deep sorrow for the deceased and respect for fan emotions and voices from all sectors of society, after careful consideration, decide to suspend this year's 48Group General Election."

"Note, the wording must be sorrowful, must show responsibility, must link 'suspension' and 'reflecting on the future'…… the rest, we'll say after the wind dies down."

He closed his eyes, waved his hand, signaling Suou Hinata to go handle it, the office left with only Fatty Autumn's forlorn gaze.

Suou Hinata silently withdrew, and the moment the door closed, the gloom on her face almost solidified into substance.

He pulled out his phone, looking at the mysterious code name in his encrypted contacts.

……Akimoto Yasushi's old path is blocked; he needs faster, more direct, more ruthless means to make use of that jar of "Humility Bone Ash" in his hand, and to think about how to deal with Uesugi Muneyuki, this increasingly obstructive "stumbling block."

Damn tough!

Uesugi Muneyuki had just stepped down from the show, and the crowd was still reeling from his earth-shattering remarks.

A sudden jolt shattered the calm. It was Uesugi Muneyuki's encrypted Huawei Proma Battle Bunny red phone used for Metropolitan Police Department emergency contact, the screen flashing "Investigation Division Chief, Sugishita Ukyo."

He immediately answered: "I am Uesugi from the University of Tokyo."

The voice on the other end came calm and clear, carrying a unique tone, as if able to pierce through mist—rational, the legendary figure of the Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division 1, Sugishita Ukyo, Police Superintendent.

Yet at this moment, that calm also carried a trace of rare solemnity.

"Doctor Uesugi, sorry to disturb. I am…… I am near Ototsubashi Bridge in Arakawa Ward, in the backyard of a traditional detached house, where I discovered a buried corpse. Preliminary judgment: burial time may exceed four weeks, decomposition severe, the scene…… the smell is extremely challenging." Sugishita Ukyo's voice came through the waves, steady: "Given the corpse's condition and the scene's particularities, plus possibly involved complex circumstances, I and the Kobe Councillor believe you need to come immediately for initial on-site examination and guidance. This may not be an ordinary case."

Kobe Councillor, namely Kobe Takeru of the National Police Agency Public Security Division, also got involved?

Uesugi Muneyuki's nerves instantly tensed.

To have these two show up, especially Kobe Takeru, who oversees public security and intelligence, personally at the preliminary scene—things are absolutely not simple.

"Understood, please send the specific address, I'll set off right away." He replied crisply.

Case incoming?!

No way, dude—how do you even stumble onto a corpse while recording a show?

Oh wait, this time it's the corpse found by Investigation Division Chief Sugishita…… never mind then!

My Death Soul Contract is already starving for action!