Chapter 745

PS: Tenshi wishes everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! With Du Du protecting you, play a round to your heart's content! Wishing everyone teammates so you can all play a round to your heart's content! PS2: This update is 6800 characters, a two-in-one chapter delivered in one go!

Japanese people are notorious for not wanting to cause trouble for others.

Japanese society possesses a high degree of tacit understanding and extremely strong conventional customs, therefore Japanese people exhibit two extremes in the public and private spheres: the private sphere is extremely free, to put it bluntly, even if an uncle wears a JK uniform and strolls through Kichijoji, as long as he abides by the whole of society's etiquette rules, no one will care.

Various "cross-dressing big brothers," "ugly comedians," and "lecherous uncles" on Japanese variety shows look very perverted, yet Japanese society is able to understand and generally grant them respect, which is difficult to imagine in many countries.

However, Japanese society's public morality is extremely strict and oppressive; once leaving the private sphere, any tiny thing considered out of line will be criticized very seriously by the Japanese populace. For example, there was once a mixed-race female model who merely stood on a park bench to take artistic photos (to facilitate a long shot), and just because she stepped on the bench it triggered a collective "flaming" (public denunciation) by Japanese people, forcing her to come out and apologize. Moreover, she herself didn't understand at all why she was being scolded, which triggered an even larger wave of denunciation, causing sponsors to terminate contracts and her agency's reputation to suffer, forcing them to put her on ice for several months.

And for a foreigner outside the East Asian Confucian cultural sphere to understand Japan's entire "public morality" system and various taboos... is basically impossible.

Therefore, when a Japanese person has no choice but to come forward and personally accuse someone, it means the matter is extremely serious! Serious enough that he is willing to risk controversy and challenge the entire public sphere!!

For example, in France, a police officer falling critically ill in the line of duty and his wife and children going to the police station to make a scene is practically commonplace, after all, it's revolutionary heartland France.

But in Japan, line-of-duty illness and overwork are symbols of "honesty, dedication, and devotion" in Japanese social morality; working while sick was even considered a virtue until the 2010s (social mores only began to reverse after the Dentsu overwork death incident in the 2010s). Therefore, if a wife really brought her children to the police station to make a scene because her husband fell ill in the line of duty, that would be an extremely severe PR crisis, meaning this wife has been driven to the very last step.

The Criminal Investigation Department Chief, or even the Superintendent General and Deputy Superintendent General, must personally mobilize, or at the very least dispatch the wife immediately to communicate with the family. Hearing the family personally name names, Kinoshita Kancho's face twitched, and he gestured for him to continue.

Reason?

"Then I asked about the timeline." Suzuki Kenichi continued: "February 3rd, entered the scene at 2:20 PM. Around 3:00 PM the forensic people left first. Around 3:20 PM the two detectives also withdrew. The only one left at the scene was Inspector Tanaka alone. He said he wanted to 'do a final confirmation of the scene,' and took fifteen to twenty minutes before coming out. After he came out, the scene was sealed."

He stared at Kinoshita.

"Fifteen to twenty minutes, Kinoshita Kancho. Enough to do a lot of things."

Kinoshita fell silent.

Japanese banknote denominations are large; if converted to USD, 13 million USD would need a 20-inch flight case, but in yen, 13 million yen only needs a shoebox to fit it all.

(So in Conan Episode 1, the briefcase Shinichi witnessed Gin trading with could hold at most 1 million USD, becoming a joke; the second-in-command of a super multinational pharmaceutical arms monopoly that can strafe Tokyo Tower with a helicopter would personally come out to trade for 1 million USD... proof of Conan's numerical inflation from medium-length to long-running series)

"One more thing." Suzuki Kenichi raised a finger. "The day after the incident, February 4th, Inspector Tanaka took half a day off. The reason was 'family matters.' But I checked, and nothing happened at his house that day."

He paused, letting these words sink into the air.

"Kinoshita Kancho, I'm not an amateur. I know these don't count as evidence, only suspicions. But..." his gaze sharpened, "I have a question for you."

"Speak."

"That room was locked. No pry marks, no broken windows, no traces of any outsider entering. Besides my father himself, the only people who could enter that room were police— and police with keys."

He stared at the Kancho.

"If that money wasn't taken by the police, you tell me, who else could it be?"

Kinoshita Kancho fell silent for a few seconds.

"Suzuki-san." He finally spoke, voice still steady: "We understand your suspicions. But based solely on the timeline and speculation..." "I know." Suzuki Kenichi interrupted the Metropolitan Police Department's Kancho.

His body leaned forward slightly, his voice lowered a fraction, but that sense of pressure only grew heavier.

"Kinoshita Kancho, I came to find you today not to ask you to investigate the case. I'm here to tell you— I've already decided on this matter." He stared into Kinoshita's eyes.

"If the Metropolitan Police Department doesn't investigate seriously, if you plan to cover for your own, if this gets swept under the rug— I'll go to the press." Kinoshita Kancho's pupils contracted slightly.

"I know a few reporters who cover social news." Suzuki Kenichi said, voice light but every word clear: "Weekly Bunshun's, Asahi Shimbun's, and a few freelancers. They've been waiting for this kind of scoop— police embezzlement, misappropriating a deceased's estate, the deceased's family having no recourse." He tilted his chin up slightly.

"The Metropolitan Police Department brass don't want to make the front page headlines, do you?"

"My father lay alone in that room for fourteen days, no one knew. He saved money his whole life, wanting his son to see the world. Now, that money is gone. The last words he left behind were stolen by someone."

His eye sockets reddened slightly, but his voice grew steadier instead.

"I don't care about losing face. I don't care who I offend. I only want one result— where that money went, who took it, how they took it, where they hid it after taking it."

He looked at Kinoshita Kancho.

"You investigate, I'll wait for your investigation. You don't investigate, I'll go to the press. Let all of Japan see how the Metropolitan Police Department treats the final wish of a lonely old man who died alone!"

"Suzuki-san." Kinoshita Kancho's expression changed slightly; he realized the gravity of the situation. His voice was lower than before, with less official distance and more pressure of facing reality: "Your demands, we understand. We have recorded them in full. This matter..." He paused.

"This matter, the Metropolitan Police Department will formally intervene and investigate!"

9:00 PM, Tokyo, Tanaka Residence.

When Tanaka Naoki pushed open the front door, the living room light was still on.

His wife was sitting on the sofa folding clothes. Hearing the door open, she looked up: "You're back? How was it? Was the sukiyaki at Imafuku good?" "Oh yeah!" Tanaka changed into slippers, walking toward the living room while taking off his coat, the smile not yet faded from his face: "That shop isn't just talk. Black-haired Wagyu upper rib meat, melts in your mouth! Uesugi that brat, his mouth is picky as hell, even he said it's the best sukiyaki he's eaten in his life. You think how good it must be? Of course it's five ants!"

"Is that so? Yonezawa Uesugi noble birth, what mountain and sea delicacies, Michelin hasn't he eaten? He thinks highly of your 40,000 yen sukiyaki?" Tanaka Fujin said coldly, but she unusually didn't nitpick. Her husband got promoted, annual salary reaching 7 million yen, about 1 million yen more than before. The family could afford this expense, and her husband's promotion indeed relied largely on Uesugi Muneyuki's help. Tanaka Laodeng reported expenses honestly, producing the receipt.

"40,000 plus, huh." Tanaka Fujin sighed lightly, but no blame in her eyes: "One meal eating 40,000 plus, you're generous enough." "Hey, it's rare!" Tanaka Laodeng patted his wife's hand: "Uesugi that brat, how much did he help me back then? If not for him, our Otaku Police Station wouldn't have once been Tokyo's number one clearance rate. Me, this Inspector... this favor, had to be repaid."

"True." Tanaka Fujin nodded: "Doctor Uesugi is a good person. Ikeda-san isn't bad either, quiet and peaceful, looking at her puts one at ease." "Right right right!" Tanaka opened a beer, took a big swig: "I'm telling you, today at the dining table, I even told Uesugi, if there's anything in the future just speak up. I, Tanaka Naoki, may not be a big shot, but on this turf of Otaku Police Station, I still have some pull..." At this moment, footsteps came from the stairs.

Daughter Tanaka Shizhi, 19 this year, wants to go to the UK for a master's, but that's not cheap. The Tanaka family is still debating whether it's worth it. Two years study, one year correspondence, roughly need to prepare 8 million yen...

"Dad, you're back? Heard you went for sukiyaki? Didn't take me!"

"Next time for sure!" Tanaka Laodeng waved at his daughter: "Come down, come down. Dad'll tell you about tonight— tonight we hosted Uesugi Muneyuki! Tokyo University Doctor, Metropolitan Police Department's Chief Medical Examiner! All past events kept in heart. If Dad hadn't promoted him back then, believed his baseless judgment, he might not have today!"

Tanaka Shizhi rolled her eyes but still walked over, nestled into the sofa, picked up her phone and started scrolling: "Speaking of! Fuji TV's 'Hand of God' TV drama version is based on Uesugi-san! Starring Shirakawa Mai! I'm definitely following the drama!"

"Hahaha, Dad's gonna follow the drama too!" Tanaka Laodeng laughed heartily: "Dad's experienced several of Uesugi's cases! Hehe, maybe the drama will even have my part!"

Tanaka Fujin smiled and shook her head. Tanaka Shizhi pretended not to hear, but the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

A very traditional Japanese family. Husband responsible for earning money outside to support the family, comes home and spreads his hands enjoying Le Bang Zhan Shi responsible for bragging and enjoying himself announcing he's the Managing Director Deputy Mountain Goat under Uesugi, doesn't care much about other things.

However, Tanaka Laodeng's happiness didn't last long.

The doorbell rang.

Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~

Tanaka Laodeng froze, looked at the wall clock— 9:55 PM.

Japanese social custom is that unless it's an especially urgent matter, there are no guests after 9 PM. And only when the relationship is extremely close and the host actively invites them will Japanese people visit someone else's home. That kind of "come play at your house" is an extremely rude request, the kind that instantly drops favorability by 50.

"So late, who is it?" Tanaka Fujin put down the clothes in her hand, stood up.

"I'll get it." Tanaka put down the beer can, walked toward the genkan. He felt a faint unease in his heart.

Opened the door. Two middle-aged men in dark suits stood outside.

The older one took out a black leather-covered police handbook from his inner pocket, flipped it open, revealing the inner page.

"Metropolitan Police Department Inspection Bureau, Kinoshita." His voice was not loud, yet it was like a stone, pressing heavily on the genkan floor. "This is my colleague, Police Sergeant Kishimoto. Police Inspector Tanaka, apologies for the late-night disturbance; there is a matter we need to confirm with you in person."

Tanaka's smile froze on his face.

Inspection Officer? The police's police?

He stood at the door; behind him was warm lighting and his family's laughter, before him were two standard businesslike smiles that didn't reach the eyes and the winter night's cold wind.

Truly a pair of smiling tigers, two wobbegong sharks!

"Please... please come in."

The atmosphere in the living room completely changed.

Tanaka Fujin and Tanaka Laodeng's daughter sat on the sofa, looking at each other in mutual shock, at a loss.

Tanaka Laodeng sat on the single sofa, spine straight, hands on knees, trying to make himself look composed.

Could it be, the matter was exposed?!

Supervision Officer Kinoshita and Police Sergeant Kishimoto sat opposite.

On the coffee table, a small recording device was already on, its red indication light flashing faintly.

"Police Inspector Tanaka," Kinoshita spoke, voice steady: "February 3rd, you led the team to investigate the scene of Suzuki Tadahiko's lonely death, is that true?"

"Yes." Tanaka Laodeng swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and said.

"During the investigation, did you discover a large amount of cash inside the Buddhist shrine drawer?"

Tanaka Laodeng's brow furrowed slightly.

It seemed, not quite the same as what he thought!

"No." He said: "The crime scene investigation record writes it very clearly — discovered a small amount of valuables inside the Buddhist shrine drawer, already registered and kept. Those items were later handed over to the victim family."

Supervision Officer Kinoshita nodded, took out a document from the briefcase, opened it, and pushed it in front of Tanaka.

"This is a copy of Suzuki Tadahiko's will. Dated last July, notarized by a notary office. Article 4, Clause 2 clearly writes: 'Inside the Buddhist shrine drawer of my bedroom, there is cash of 13 million yen, for my grandchild Yoshihito's study in England.'"

Tanaka Laodeng looked at that page of paper, pupils contracting slightly.

Money?

"Police Inspector Tanaka," Kinoshita's voice remained steady, "This sum of money, did you see it?"

"No." Tanaka Laodeng said: "I have not seen any cash."

"Is that so?" Supervision Officer Kinoshita leaned forward slightly: "How do you explain, in the fifteen to twenty minutes of your 'final scene confirmation', this money vanished into thin air?"

Tanaka Laodeng's complexion changed.

"My final scene confirmation is routine procedure." He said, voice slightly tight: "Every scene I do this, to ensure no evidence is missed. In those fifteen minutes, I did not touch anything."

"Any witnesses?"

"... No."

"February 4th, the day after the incident, you took half a day off. What was the reason?"

Tanaka Laodeng's Adam's apple rolled once.

"Family matter." He said.

Kinoshita looked at his eyes.

"Police Inspector Tanaka, we verified — that day your home had no matter at all. Your wife normally went to work at the nearby Sam's Supermarket, daughter normally went to the UK-bound cram school. Your so-called 'family matter', where did you go?"

The air in the living room seemed to freeze.

Tanaka Fujin's gaze landed on her husband's face, in that gaze there began to be some... unfamiliar things.

Tanaka Shizhi put down her mobile phone, eyes wide open.

Tanaka opened his mouth, yet discovered he could not speak.

What could he say? Say he took leave to go see a person — Metropolitan Police Department Police Affairs Department Personnel Division Section Chief Ibuki, to thank him for his care and promotion, and by the way held a reception mixer and gave quite a few souvenirs and commemorative gifts?

This matter cannot be said! If said, how can he still mix in the Japanese police world afterwards?

Yes, Section Chief Sudo wants to promote and needs to operate and cover up, he Tanaka Naoki wants to promote to Section Chief and also needs to operate and cover up!

But these, can they be said to this group of Inspection Officers?

Cannot!

Saying it would not only harm him, but also harm Section Chief Ibuki!

So he could only stay silent.

And silence, is the best answer.

Supervision Officer Kinoshita sighed.

He took out another set of materials from the briefcase, gently placed it on the coffee table.

"Police Inspector Tanaka, we investigated your accounts. In the past three months, you have a cash deposit of 1.2 million yen — deposited in three installments. At your salary level, where did this money come from?"

"Moreover, we found you recently have many large consumption records; although all are said to be cash payments, the total is also at least around 2 million yen. What is going on with this money?"

Tanaka Laodeng's complexion thoroughly whitened.

He indeed recently had expenses, but those were expenses for operating and covering up for promotion!

He had 4 million yen on hand, but that was his private stash!

Saved bit by bit over fifteen years, sometimes overtime pay, sometimes business trip allowance, sometimes saved from the pocket money his wife gave. Saved for fifteen years, just for today — not for his own squandering, but to be usable at key moments, for example promotion operations, for example... preparation fund for Shizhi to study for a master's in England!

After operations finished, 4 million still had 1.2 million left, so he deposited it in the bank.

But now, in front of that missing 13 million, this 4 million, however you look at it seems like...

Like stolen money.

Why... so... coincidental?

"Supervision Officer Kinoshita," Tanaka Laodeng spoke, voice hoarse: "That money is my own savings. I have a legitimate source—" "What source?"

"I... I saved it."

"Saved?" Kinoshita Supervision Officer repeated, his tone devoid of any emotion, "When did you start saving? How much each month? Do you have records?"

Tanaka opened his mouth, but found he could produce nothing.

He had no records.

As for private money, how dare he keep records?

His wife kept strict control of the household accounts; if she discovered he had private money... would his wife, who scrimped and saved all day and still had to work two hours part-time at Sam's Supermarket to supplement the household income, not become the biggest... clown?

He unconsciously glanced toward his wife.

Tanaka Fujin sat on the sofa, her face ashen.

Her gaze fell on her husband's face, and that gaze no longer held the warmth and trust from before, but rather one by one suspicion.

Naoki, you?

The daughter had already stood up, retreated behind the sofa, and looked at him with the eyes of a stranger.

Dad, you've always said you might not be able to afford my studies in Britain, and the result?!

I've always wanted an iPhone Promax, but you said the current Huawei P20 was sufficient, to use it for three full years before replacing, and I agreed, and the result?! "Tanaka Inspector." Kinoshita Supervision Officer stood up, his tone holding no triumphant pride, nor any sympathetic warmth, only a professional, official calm: "Today we end here. You have one night to consider."

He paused, his expression turning utterly cold.

"Tomorrow morning at ten, if you haven't contacted us by then, we will formally initiate the suspension and inquiry process. By then, things won't look good." He walked toward the door, with Kishimoto following behind.

Upon reaching the genkan, he turned his head back.

"Tanaka Inspector, my advice is for you to turn yourself in one by one!"

The door closed.

The living room fell into a terrifying silence.

The clock on the wall ticked away, each sound like a hammer striking Tanaka Laodeng's heart.

How should he explain? Bribed the Personnel Division Chief? Went out for secret receptions? Or was it the matter of hiding private money?

He couldn't explain a single thing!

Before him lay a cliff, behind him pursuers!

He sat on the sofa, head lowered, not daring to look at anyone.

Silence.

A long silence.

He felt more desperate than at any other moment.

Finally, Tanaka Fujin spoke. Her voice was soft, so soft it was almost inaudible.

"Naoki..."

Tanaka lifted his head, meeting his wife's eyes.

In those eyes were confusion, pain, disappointment—but not the icy resolve he had imagined.

"Naoki, set aside other matters for now, tell me." Tanaka Fujin said: "That sum of money, did you take it or not?"

"No." Tanaka Laodeng said firmly, this being the most resolute thing he had said all night, his eyes resolute: "I didn't take it! Mayumi! I really didn't take it."

Tanaka Fujin looked at him, staring for a long time.

Then she slowly exhaled.

"I believe you." She said: "You're not that kind of person, otherwise I wouldn't have married you in the first place."

Tanaka Laodeng's eye sockets suddenly grew hot.

They had been married over twenty years; his wife was no longer young, her face lined with wrinkles, her once slender waist now as thick as a water barrel, and in reality they had not been intimate for nearly ten years.

Yet at this moment, knowing he was strange, knowing he was concealing something, his wife still stood by his side.

But Tanaka Fujin did not give him much time to be moved. She stood, walked to him, placed both hands on his shoulders, and looked straight into his eyes: "Naoki, listen to me."

Her voice suddenly became steady, steady as if she were not a housewife who had just endured such a shock.

"What those supervision officers said, I understand. Your biggest problem now is not that they suspect you, but that you cannot explain yourself clearly. The timeline doesn't match, the private money doesn't match, the leave requests don't match—one by one you can't explain anything. If you turn yourself in tomorrow, your life is over." Tanaka Naoki stared blankly at her, nodded, thinking: Do you still need to say that?

"But now, there is still one person who can help you."

Her eyes lit up: "Doctor Uesugi."

Tanaka Laodeng was stunned.

"Uesugi-kun?"

"Yes." Tanaka Fujin's tone was firm: "He is an authority in forensic medicine, the Chief Medical Examiner of the Metropolitan Police Department, he understands things we don't. Back then, with so many cases, didn't he help you find evidence? This time is the same—one by one, as long as he is willing to act, he will surely find the truth."

She looked into her husband's eyes.

"What you need to do now is not to daze here, nor wait until tomorrow to turn yourself in. What you need to do now is to go immediately and find Doctor Uesugi." Tanaka Laodeng opened his mouth: "But it's already past ten... and, the corpse has already..."

"What's wrong with it being past ten?" Tanaka Fujin interrupted him: "Do you have his phone number? If you do, call now. If not, go to his house now. Naoki, you have no time to hesitate—one by one, only he can save you!"

"This concerns your career, our whole family, and your personal latter half of life. At this moment, what use is your so-called Inspector dignity and benefactor's face? Or rather, isn't your affinity with Uesugi precisely for moments like this?!"

Tanaka Fujin urged urgently: "Go beg him for help! Kneel or do a full prostration, just do it for me and Shi! Go find him! You can't explain things clearly now, and even if you spoke, the Metropolitan Police Department wouldn't listen, but he is different—you tell him everything, completely and fully, then let him save you! Since you didn't take it, Uesugi Muneyuki absolutely has a way to prove it, and what he says, the Metropolitan Police Department will believe!"

The daughter also understood, whispering from the side: "Mom's right, Dad, you hurry up."

Tanaka looked at his wife and daughter, something surging in his eye sockets.

He took a deep breath, stood up.

"I'm going." He said: "Even if it's for you, I'll do a full prostration for him if I have to!"

Ten minutes later, Tanaka Naoki put on his coat, pushed open the front door.

The winter night's cold wind blew in his face, streetlamps casting a dim yellow light overhead.

He stood at the doorway, turned back and glanced once.

His wife stood in the genkan, nodding at him, her eyes holding a resolve and reproach he had never seen before.

"Go." She said: "No matter how late, you must find him."

Tanaka Laodeng nodded, turned, and walked into the night.

However, just a few seconds after leaving home, Tanaka Laodeng could no longer maintain his resolute gaze; he seemed to have grasped at the last straw, immediately dialing Uesugi Muneyuki's phone, his breath already choked with tears.

Uesugi, save my tooth!!!