Chapter 755

When coming out of the miscellaneous room of the sealed underground archive, the corridor was still quiet as another world.

The underground three levels of the Metropolitan Police Department had almost no traffic, only the low hum of the constant temperature and humidity air conditioning system, and occasionally the sound of equipment operating from behind a distant door.

Kashiwagi Misa, with a ruddy and lustrous complexion, stopped at the corner ahead, tilted her ear to listen to the movement, then nodded slightly to Uesugi Muneyuki who followed behind, the two walking one after the other, maintaining just the right distance, like colleagues who happened to meet in the corridor, retracing their steps. Under the dim yellow light, her stockings had turned black with a slight oily sheen, the back seam style, lightly rubbing as she walked, producing a fine and exquisite sound.

"That 'Hand of God' TV drama, I heard it's going to be filmed entirely on location?" She tidied her skirt hem while asking without turning back, her tone carrying a hint of elusive anticipation: "Fuji TV's Monday 9 slot? The one starring Shirakawa Mai?"

As Uesugi Muneyuki passed a row of dust-covered metal cabinets, he gazed at her graceful back, the corners of his mouth slightly lifting: "News travels fast. What, our Assistant Police Inspector Kashiwagi also wants to be on camera?"

Kashiwagi Misa turned around, already restored to that icy beauty demeanor, but a trace of earlier laziness lingered at the corner of her eye: "Can't I be an extra? I'm still an on-duty officer of the Metropolitan Police Department, after all?"

She said, raising her hand to tidy the hair by her ear, very much looking forward to: "Besides, this kind of big production, if I can squeeze in a shot, I can show it to my children later……

Halfway through her sentence, she realized something and fell silent.

Children……will Muneyuki like children?

Uesugi Muneyuki pretended not to notice the latter half, smiling as he replied: "Don't worry, if it really gets filmed, the Special Mission Division will definitely have screen time. Then I'll casually arrange for you a 'desk duty female police officer' role, and it'll definitely make the cut."

"That's about right." Kashiwagi Misa's lips twitched slightly, then, as if remembering business, her expression turned serious: "By the way, I have something to tell you. The management officer from Search One, Nomura, took early retirement, you know?"

Uesugi Muneyuki nodded: "I heard, health reasons? His old heart condition has indeed been a struggle these past few years." Nomura Management Officer, over these years the officer in charge of Sections One, Two, and Three in Search One Division, due to years of overwork leading to illness, his heart has been poor, these past few years he has had little presence, mostly recuperating while on duty but drawing salary like a thief, he himself also felt a bit embarrassed, having served three years and immediately applied for early retirement. No way, the civil servant system still offers some protection for occupational illnesses.

"Mm." Kashiwagi Misa walked two steps closer, lowering her voice: "His replacement is Inspector Kouka Shinichirou, section chief of Section One, although he's from the non-career track, his seniority is deep enough, and the higher-ups all approve."

"Kouka promoted to management officer……" Uesugi Muneyuki mused: "Then who will fill the vacancy in Section One?"

Section One of Division One, that's the imperial omen!

Kashiwagi Misa lifted her eyes to look at him, her eyes carrying a trace of elusive complex emotion: "Mine."

Uesugi Muneyuki blinked slightly, then smiled: "Old Ren? That's good news, his seniority is sufficient, even a bit more than enough, he's done well in Section Three these past few years, the cases he's cracked have weight."

"It's not like I don't have to thank you." Kashiwagi Misa lowered her eyelids, her voice soft: "Those few cases earlier and the stir Ren caused, if you hadn't agreed to help, plus those……special channel information, he wouldn't have had it so easy to come forward."

Uesugi Muneyuki gazed at her lowered profile, the light tracing a soft edge along her contour, he reached out and gently lifted her chin, letting her look at him: "My lady, you already 'thanked' me just now. Any more thanks, and I'm afraid I can't bear it."

Kashiwagi Misa froze for a second, then realized, her cheeks faintly flushing, she raised her hand to brush off his hand, pouting: "Muneyuki, when did you become so slick-tongued? Be careful I go complain to Section Chief Minami."

"Section Chief Minami is busy setting up a new department, no time to manage me." Uesugi Muneyuki withdrew his hand, slipped it into his pants pocket, smiling with cloudless ease. Kashiwagi Misa glared at him, but there was no annoyance in her eyes.

No time, no time is best!

She readjusted her collar, suddenly remembering something, her tone turning gossipy: "Hey, did you hear about Shiratori Sho's matter?" "Section Chief Shiratori? What happened to him?"

"He broke up with his girlfriend."

Uesugi Muneyuki was genuinely surprised this time: "Broke up? That professional female mahjong player? Still a model, I think? What was her name……Okada……something?" "Okada Sayaka." Kashiwagi Misa added, her tone carrying a hint of glee: "I heard Shiratori was too busy, always buried in cases, they spent little time together. Plus……."

She paused, lowered her voice: "The income gap is too huge. Miss Okada's annual income is no less than thirty million yen, Shiratori Sho's dead-end salary is just a fraction of hers. How can they live like this? But as a career-track police inspector, Shiratori holds high status, and both feel unbalanced inside."

Uesugi Muneyuki stared for a moment, then chuckled: "Thirty million……really just a fraction. We who eat public funds really can't compare." He leaned against the cabinet, his tone tinged with emotion: "But Shiratori Sho, he's not exactly giving his all in investigations either, just going by the book, already not that busy, and even so they broke up, truly a pity."

He recalled having seen Okada Sayaka before, her face was ordinary, but her figure was indeed impeccable, those long legs.

"What's there to pity," Kashiwagi Misa snorted lightly: "Models looking for police, it's just a passing novelty. Really wanting to live a life, who can bear coming home empty-handed every day, still having to worry and fear?"

This remark carried some hidden meaning, Uesugi Muneyuki didn't respond, just looked at her.

Kashiwagi Misa realized her slip, turned her face away, and changed the topic: "By the way, has the new section chief for Section Three been decided? My guy got promoted to Section One, so Section Three is still vacant, right?"

Uesugi Muneyuki raised an eyebrow slightly: "You don't know? Aren't you from Personnel Division?"

"I don't handle Personnel for Division One." Kashiwagi Misa shook her head: "After the year-end major reshuffle, we female officers in General Affairs actually have very limited power in hand, most of the time we're just ornaments, I still have some real authority because of Ren and you, others……."

Uesugi Muneyuki murmured "hmm" thoughtfully, about to say something, when Kashiwagi Misa's phone vibrated, she glanced at it, composed her expression: "Nanase is asking me, I'll go up first, tidy up before leaving work."

The married female police officer like an iceberg finished speaking, walked to the door's side, tilted her ear to listen to outside movement, then slipped out through a crack in the door.

Her footsteps gradually faded away.

Uesugi Muneyuki stood in place for a while, a hint of smile in his eyes.

Personnel, documentation, external affairs, coordination, budget, accounting—actually these are the truly troublesome matters of a department, fortunately I have Minami and Okada, Nanxiang and others handling them, this period I actually can slack off now and then, and even go out to film.

Once the structure is fully set up, Uesugi Muneyuki absolutely won't be able to be this idle.

He already has a premonition.

By then he will be: AAA Nationwide Flyable Uesugi Chief Medical Examiner!

At the same time, the office of the Section Chief of Search One Division.

Superintendent Sugishita Ukyo sat behind his desk, as always holding a cup of tea that had gone completely cold, his gaze calmly fixed on the man standing before him.

"Kameyama-kun, long time no see."

The man standing opposite the desk, about fifty, square face, thick eyebrows, bearing the ruggedness of long exposure to wind and frost and an irrepressible excitement, bowed deeply.

"Mr. Sugishita! Thirteen years without seeing, you're still the same!"

Sugishita Ukyo smiled slightly, put down his teacup, stood up, walked around the desk, approached Kameyama Kaoru, and extended his hand.

"Welcome back, Kameyama-kun. No," he paused, his eyes carrying a hint of relief: "You should be called Section Chief of Section Three, Inspector Kameyama Kaoru."

Kameyama Kaoru, Sugishita Ukyo's early partner, and also the first police officer able to partner long-term with Sugishita Ukyo, but after seven years as partners, Kameyama Kaoru went to the Near East and Africa regions as a volunteer to fulfill an old friend's last wish, however this time, due to involvement in regime change and national power shifts in African regions, Kameyama Kaoru, as a volunteer who had contact with the former leader, was expelled from the country, and had no choice but to return to Japan together with his wife Kameyama Miwako.

Director of the Commissioner's Secretariat of the National Police Agency, Onoda Kimiaki, pleaded with his brother, Chief Cabinet Secretary Onoda Kimiaki, to use a special exception to let him return to the Metropolitan Police Department, considering he "has a certain reputation and contribution internationally, recognized by the United Nations," he was granted the rank of inspector, one level higher than his former assistant inspector rank. Thus he has returned from hell.

Kameyama Kaoru gripped his hand, shook it vigorously, grinning: "Mr. Sugishita, this time I can return, all thanks to your help! Section Three, I will surely work hard!"

"Not helping me," Sugishita Ukyo shook his head, his tone gentle but firm: "It's helping those who need the truth. Go ahead, the personnel division over there still has paperwork unfinished, first familiarize yourself with the environment. Formal assumption of duty in two days."

"Yes!"

"Remember tonight to tell Miwako, come together to Flower Village, Onoda is treating." Sugishita Ukyo's face showed a smile.

"I and Miwako will definitely be on time!"

Kameyama Kaoru saluted, turned, and strode out of the office.

The moment the door closed, Sugishita Ukyo picked up again that cup of tea gone completely cold, gazed out the window at the Metropolitan Police Department courtyard, and murmured softly: "Section Three……now the Metropolitan Police Department is really going to liven up, huh."