Chapter 790

After a whole night of chaos, Uesugi Muneyuki and Eirina and the others could finally go rest, while the remaining Special Mission Division personnel still had to clean up the whole mess and incidentally write reports.

But as the Ace Department, that's the perk—three days off after an all-nighter.

After arriving at the Special Mission Division, everyone actually had more rest time.

And Uesugi Muneyuki once again proved himself the "Final Weapon of the Japanese Police."

However, corresponding to the Special Mission Division, some people are now in trouble.

At nine in the morning, Metropolitan Police Department, Criminal Investigation Department Chief's office.

Kameyama Kaoru stood in the hallway, waiting to be called in. He had already been standing for ten minutes.

Passing detectives cast sympathetic glances his way, but not one dared to stop and say a word—Criminal Investigation Department Chief Uchimura Kanji's wrath, everyone on this floor had experienced.

This veteran detective who had just returned to the Metropolitan Police Department felt somewhat ill at ease; he had also seen the news last night, knowing how much trouble he had caused the entire police system.

Although he did not regret it, he is now in his early fifties and has also learned many life lessons, just as he had been forever on the path of volunteering and humanitarian relief in Africa, yet it was precisely because of such actions that he provoked one warlord, resulting in his expulsion when the new military government seized power after a regime change.

If he regretted it, why would he have quit his police job in the first place to go to Africa and the Near East as a volunteer?

After a while of idle speculation, the door finally opened.

Uchimura Kanji's secretary poked his head out, expression subtle: "Section Chief Kameyama, please come in."

Kameyama Kaoru took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and entered.

Smoke lingered in the office.

Uchimura Kanji sat behind his desk, the ashtray in front of him piled high with cigarette butts.

National Police Agency Commissioner Tamaru Juzaburo sat on the sofa, his suit jacket off and draped over the armrest, his shirt sleeves rolled up, revealing his thin wrists. The teacups before both men were cold, indicating they had been sitting here for quite a while.

The Commissioner is here too?!

Kameyama Kaoru could only stand at attention and salute.

Uchimura Kanji looked at him, not offering him a seat; his eyes held anger, helplessness, and an absurd "how dare you" feeling. "Kameyama Kaoru, our Police Inspector, the people's Police Inspector!" Uchimura Kanji spoke, voice lowered: "Do you know what you've done?"

Kameyama Kaoru opened his mouth: "I arrested someone…"

"You arrested a peeping pervert." Uchimura Kanji finished for him, "And the result? That pervert photographed over a hundred corpses, sold the pictures for ten years, uncovered an entire industry chain in Kanagawa Prefectural Police, dragged in the U. S. military base, alarmed the Prime Minister's Office, and nearly caused a diplomatic incident. Do you know how many people in Nagatacho didn't sleep last night?"

Kameyama Kaoru lowered his head: "I know."

"You know jack shit." Uchimura Kanji's voice finally broke loose: "Do you know, if that U. S. military major hadn't shown his hoof, if Agence France-Presse hadn't had the video, if Uesugi Muneyuki hadn't summoned General Roy Uuran—what would the situation be now? The U. S. would be cursing us, the whole world would be laughing at us, and you and I and people like us would all have to resign in disgrace!"

Kameyama Kaoru said nothing.

National Police Agency Commissioner Tamaru Juzaburo spoke, his voice calmer than Uchimura Kanji's, but that calmness made people even more uncomfortable: "Kameyama-kun, I'm not saying you did wrong. Arresting a peeper is right. But you must understand one thing—in this system, some things are not a matter of right and wrong." "If it weren't for Uesugi Muneyuki last night turning the tide, we'd all be finished, we'd all be finished, the entire Japanese police system would need a major overhaul, even a complete reorganization, personnel upheaval and social impact lasting at least over a year! Once we lose control and order, do you know how many peeping incidents would be allowed to run rampant? Do you know how many cases would stall due to lack of police? All this is because you started this! The people will lose faith in us! The nation will be humiliated because of us! The U. S. -Japan alliance will suffer because of you… ah, I know you mean well, but…"

"You nearly destroyed the entire Japanese police—do you understand?" Commissioner Tamaru grabbed the oxygen bottle beside him and took a sip.

Kameyama Kaoru raised his head: "Commissioner, I don't understand. Upholding justice—isn't that what police are supposed to do?"

The air in the office froze for an instant.

Uchimura Kanji and Tamaru Juzaburo exchanged a glance, their eyes holding a helpless "as expected."

The door was pushed open.

Cabinet Secretariat Director Onoda Kimiaki walked in, followed by Police Commissioner Watanabe Eiji.

Onoda Kimiaki's face was worse than anyone's—he had sat in the Prime Minister's Office until dawn last night, then rushed back to the National Police Agency to handle a pile of aftermath, and by now hadn't even had a sip of water, but when he walked in, his back was still ramrod straight.

"Enough." Onoda Kimiaki glanced at Uchimura Kanji and Tamaru Juzaburo: "Scolded enough? This ends now." Uchimura Kanji frowned: "Director of the Secretariat."

"What Kameyama-kun did wasn't wrong." Onoda Kimiaki interrupted him: "The wrongdoers are Setouchi Makoto, those in Kanagawa shielding him, and those rotten apples in the U. S. military. A beat cop arrests a suspect in the act—if we punish him just because the fallout blew up, what's the difference between us and covering our ears while stealing a bell? The people aren't blind!"

Your older brother is the Chief Cabinet Secretary, and you're right.

"Yes, the main responsibility for this matter does not lie with Kameyama-kun." Watanabe Eiji also chimed in.

Your son-in-law is Uesugi Muneyuki, and you're right.

Tamaru Juzaburo fell silent; he had already decided to submit his resignation by year's end!

He can neither direct Onoda Kimiaki nor Uesugi Muneyuki, yet still has to take the blame!

This National Police Agency Commissioner—might as well not be one!

Watanabe Eiji walked up to Kameyama Kaoru, looking at this junior who was half a head taller than him.

He recalled many years ago, when he himself was still an Assistant Police Inspector, he too had been chewed out by his superiors for arresting someone he shouldn't have—that person was later sentenced to twenty years, while he was suspended for half a month.

Fortunately, back then his father was the President of Japanese National Railways, his uncle was the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, so someone had his back.

At that time he had also asked the same question—upholding justice, isn't that what police are supposed to do?

"Kameyama-kun." Watanabe Eiji spoke, voice very calm: "Go back to work. No one will punish you for this."

Kameyama Kaoru opened his mouth, wanted to say something, but ultimately just bowed deeply.

As he walked out of the Criminal Investigation Department Chief's office, in the hallway, Investigation Division 1 Chief Sugishita Ukyo was already waiting for him.

The Investigation Division 1 Chief leaned by the window, holding a cup of coffee from a vending machine, gazing at the Tokyo streetscape outside.

Hearing footsteps, he turned around, the eyes behind his lenses bearing an expression very familiar to Kameyama Kaoru—one that lay between teasing and serious.

"Chief Sugishita…" Kameyama Kaoru walked over.

"Been reprimanded?" Sugishita Ukyo's tone was very flat.

"Mm." Kameyama Kaoru felt a bit down.

"Finished being scolded?" Sugishita Ukyo's eyes gave no hint of joy or anger.

"Mm." Kameyama Kaoru slumped even more.

Sugishita Ukyo nodded, took a sip of coffee: "Do you feel this place is still not as good as Africa?"

Kameyama Kaoru stood beside him, silent for a while: "Compared to the warlords and tribes there, this place is still better." "Oh dear, oh dear, is that praise or sarcasm?" Sugishita Ukyo smiled: "Little Turtle, how'd you become a Kyoto native? Throw in a Kyoto accent? Hey now, congratulations~"

"Chief Sugishita!" Kameyama Kaoru finally spoke: "I don't understand. I arrested a peeper—isn't that right? He photographed corpses, sold the photos—that's crime, right? I brought him to justice—isn't that what police are supposed to do? Why… why does the whole system seem to wish I'd never done this?"

Sugishita Ukyo didn't answer immediately. He finished the last sip of coffee, tossed the paper cup into the nearby trash bin.

"Little Turtle." He said: "Do you know what this system hates most?"

Kameyama Kaoru shook his head.

"I hate accidents the most," Sugishita Ukyo said: "Whether it's a good accident or a bad one. You caught a voyeur, that was a good act, but it triggered a bad accident—a storm sweeping the nation. To the system, the storm itself is the enemy, regardless of whether it brings justice or chaos."

He paused: "What you did was right. But being right doesn't necessarily mean it's what the system wants. What the system wants is stability, controllability, today being the same as yesterday, and tomorrow the same as today. You broke that stability, so the system rejects you. This isn't your fault—it's the system's nature."

"Modern government isn't about good and evil, right and wrong—it only cares about order and chaos."

Kameyama Kaoru couldn't help but say: "Then... what should I do? Next time I see someone secretly filming, should I pretend not to see?"

Sugishita Ukyo looked at him, the corner of his mouth slightly upturned: "Little Turtle, you've been in Africa for so many years—how are you still this naive?" Kameyama Kaoru froze.

"You should keep catching," Sugishita Ukyo said, his tone as flat as discussing London's weather: "After catching them, make a call. First call Section One, then call the Special Mission Division, then wait to be scolded. After the scolding, go home and sleep. The next day, get up and keep catching."

He turned around and walked toward the office.

"Mr. Sugishita!"

Sugishita Ukyo stopped: "Anything else?"

"Is that it?" Kameyama Kaoru asked.

Sugishita Ukyo turned his head.

"That's it," he said, "You think something different would happen? Justice won't give you a commendation just because you did the right thing, and the system won't fire you just because you caused trouble. You just did what you were supposed to do, then bore the consequences you should bear. That's police work. Justice requires a price; justice doesn't fall from the sky. If justice is delayed, it might never come."

He pushed open the door: "By the way, Little Turtle, although I can't speak for everyone, but..."

"But what?"

"The Setouchi Makoto case—you did well."

The door closed.

Kameyama Kaoru stood in the hallway, staring at the closed door for a long time before turning away, beating his chest like a silverback gorilla, then soon splitting his mouth open in a grin.

"Yo! Let's start searching!!!"

Ten o'clock in the morning, Cabinet Secretariat.

Kameyama Kaoru felt relieved, but the trouble he left for the entire police system still needed everyone to clean up.

Director of the Commissioner's Secretariat Onoda Kimiaki presided over a brief aftermath meeting.

Attendees were few: Cabinet Secretariat Deputy Chief Secretary, Police Commissioner, Superintendent General, and Director of the North America Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The agenda had only one item: How to wrap this up.

"Let's state the conclusion first." Onoda Kimiaki flipped through the document before him: "The Special Mission Division has already been upgraded to an independent department, and it's been a short time. Specific personnel arrangements and budget adjustments will have to wait until the next fiscal year. So for rewards, for now only bonuses will be given—Special Mission Division all members, each receiving twenty thousand yen. Uesugi Muneyuki individually gets an additional one million yen."

Watanabe Eiji nodded.

He had anticipated this result long ago—the Special Mission Division had just achieved great merit, so its promotion to independent status was natural, but Prime Minister Oowada wouldn't give too many concrete benefits at this time—doing so would be tantamount to publicly admitting that a twenty-six-year-old forensic pathologist and his makeshift team were more useful than the entire police system. TMD, are we in the Cabinet all just a makeshift team?

Bonuses are the safest form of reward: give money, but no title; wait for the wind to die down, then slowly arrange things... or just renege on it, anyway Prime Minister Oowada will soon step down and won't make it to the next fiscal year—what does the previous prime minister's promise have to do with me this term?

"What about the handling of the personnel involved?" Tamaru Juzaburo asked.

Onoda Kimiaki turned to the next page.

"Regarding Setouchi Makoto, he will be handed over to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Department. Charges include: violating the Obscene Materials Distribution Law, violating the Child Pornography Prohibition Law, violating the Corpse Desecration Law, and violating the Telecommunications Business Law—specifically, illegal use of the dark web for transactions. Multiple charges combined, estimated sentence between eight and twelve years." He paused: "He attempted suicide once in detention, was discovered. Now under 24-hour surveillance." No one expressed sympathy for Setouchi Makoto.

Or rather, everyone hated him intensely.

Without you, there wouldn't be so many troubles!

You idiot—if you hadn't come out secretly filming, things wouldn't have turned out like this?

"Kanagawa Prefectural Police personnel involved, seventeen in total." Onoda Kimiaki continued: "Includes the Forensic Identification Division staff who worked with Setouchi Makoto back then, one system chief, one section chief assistant. Handling: dismissal from public office, transfer to prosecutors. Main charges: cover-up, dereliction of duty, accepting bribes. Sentence won't be too severe, but their careers are over."

"What about Tanabe at the crematorium?" Watanabe Eiji asked: "And Onodera—he ultimately did have merit."

"Witnesses, no prosecution. But the red envelopes they received must be recovered."

Everyone in the meeting room nodded.

"There's one more person." Onoda Kimiaki turned to the next page: "This person is indeed not easy to handle."

Everyone's eyes focused on him.

"Shinjo Shigetoki. Kanagawa Prefectural Police Director of Public Security."

The atmosphere in the meeting room subtly shifted.

Onoda Kimiaki read: "Shinjo Shigetoki, last night while performing duties at a certain office building in Yokohama City, encountered U. S. Lieutenant Colonel Morante opening fire with a gun, was shot in the left lung, currently receiving treatment at Yokohama City Municipal Hospital. Surgery completed, no life-threatening danger." He put down the document, looked at those present, his expression rather playful:

"Regarding Director Shinjo's handling, there are two opinions."

"First: He acted independently, mobilized the AT, tried to obstruct the Special Mission Division's investigation, should be punished for obstructing official duties."

"Second: At the critical moment, he tried to use himself as bait to lure Morante into exposure, making a key contribution to solving the case." Watanabe Eiji spoke: "I lean toward the second. In the AFP video, before Morante fired, Shinjo said—'I won't let you destroy this country.' He thought Morante was coming to help him, and he was willing to sacrifice himself to preserve the dignity of the U. S. -Japan alliance. This approach is foolish, but his motive was good."

Tamaru Juzaburo frowned: "When he mobilized the SAT, he didn't consult us at all."

"He's a Director of Public Security—does mobilizing the SAT require consulting you?" Watanabe Eiji countered.

Tamaru Juzaburo shut up.

Onoda Kimiaki glanced at the two.

Obviously, having Uesugi Muneyuki as his son, Watanabe Eiji no longer takes Tamaru seriously.

What a coincidence—I feel the same way!

And Watanabe Eiji also glanced at Onoda Kimiaki—he knew there was still one last detail in this case.

Looking back, clearly Kameyama Kaoru had already reported the matter in advance to Onoda Kimiaki, but this guy didn't immediately report it, instead letting the crisis erupt, causing national shock, American fury, Prime Minister Oowada nearly dying again, and even endangering himself.

Is this guy doing it on purpose? Just to drive the entire police system to desperation, or force himself to send out Uesugi for rescue, or force everyone to resign so he can take over?

A cunning and deadly guy!

After discussion, everyone reached a decision.

"Shinjo Shigetoki, award one great merit. After recovery, transfer to the Police Agency, serve as Councilor—responsible for international police cooperation."

Watanabe Eiji was stunned.

Police Agency Councilor—this is a idle post, but the rank is not low.

Transferred from local Public Security Bureau Director to Counselor at the National Police Agency—a promotion in name, a demotion in reality—but considering he nearly lost his life, this arrangement is also dignified. More importantly, the title "International Police Cooperation" clearly means he is to bury last night's incident in his stomach, and from now on, every Japan-U. S. police exchange, he will be the best living advertisement: "Look, this man took a bullet for the Japan-U. S. alliance! Or was it your U. S. military that fired!" The U. S. side, upon seeing him, will surely feel nauseous to the point of desperation, yet they cannot but give him face.

Thinking this way, we Japanese have won!

Although we cannot make a big deal out of this matter, we have successfully forced the U. S. to concede and made President Darlan-Temur of the U. S. feel nauseous! Victory!

Just imagining the U. S. flustered over this incident, with the U. S. Forces Japan even having to hold a press conference to apologize, even the Clerical Staff police serving tea in the meeting room are smiling.

"The Cabinet will award him a medal." Onoda Kimiaki added: "But not now. We'll talk about it after the wind dies down." The meeting adjourned.

He pushed the door open and went out.

In the hallway, sunlight streamed through the windows and fell upon the white walls.

Watanabe Eiji gazed out at Tokyo Metropolis and let out a quiet sigh.

Justice does not issue commendations just because you did the right thing, nor does the system expel you just because you caused trouble; order is both a constraint and a protection.

You merely did what you were supposed to do, and then bore the consequences you were meant to bear.

This is what it means to be a police officer.