Chapter 808

PS: Visiting hometown to sweep graves, two-in-one, might take leave tomorrow, what heavy rain, that's all!

National security.

Uesugi Muneyuki knew that if this matter involved the Self-Defense Forces, or rather former Self-Defense Forces members, then he might face all kinds of trouble.

Moreover, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces are not quite the same as Germany across the sea.

No matter how you say it, Germany across the sea generally has a good public reputation and decent treatment, although military mindset itself is hard to adapt to civil servant life, making converted personnel difficult to use and communicate with, but overall it's still due to the military habits cultivated during service rather than the person themselves having problems.

But the Japanese are different; they have a notion that if you kill someone, you are essentially born a murderer, with an "evil flower" on your person.

As Date Nagamune said, the Self-Defense Forces have poor public reputation and poor treatment, with the public generally holding fear and negative impressions, which leads citizens to often only enlist when there is "no choice," including a classic BUG: promising service, then attending the Self-Defense Forces University, thus obtaining nearly free higher education and tuition waivers, plus living subsidies and various benefits.

Then after graduation, saying I've changed my mind and don't want to serve, the Self-Defense Forces can only feel angry but helpless, after all, can they really kill you? At most they can only reclaim tuition and subsidies.

Moreover, Japanese civil servants, like those in other countries, basically have lifetime employment, but the Self-Defense Forces become unemployed immediately after service ends, and can only offer "employment guidance and assistance," leading to discrimination in the marriage market.

As for the Self-Defense Forces having good discipline, this is also a typical false proposition.

Put bluntly, if you lock a group of young adults in a place with iron bars everywhere, all corridors sealed with iron windows, waking at 5 a. m. and sleeping at 11 p. m., during breaks having to run drills with books, use the toilet with books limited to five minutes while holding books, even wanting to suicide finds no opportunity, then their discipline can also be good.

So, under conditions of poor treatment, low status, and oppressive environment, the emergence of right-wing ideology within the Self-Defense Forces is quite normal; in this situation, everyone needs a "community" to project onto, so it can substitute for me winning, making me feel a bit better. Daytime hard training met with sideways glances and meager pay (a Land Sergeant Major is theoretically the highest rank a regular soldier can achieve, similar to non-career track, after which it's the non-commissioned officer domain), returning to the dormitory at night with extreme anxiety about whether one can find a spouse after discharge (laugh) and whether the future is in aquaculture, security, civil engineering, or auto repair, then decisively opening Niconico to see how many shootings occurred in the U. S. today—this is a human instinctive psychological compensation mechanism and a way to seek comfort.

Uesugi Muneyuki also has no qualifications to blame them on this point, because he shares some aspects with this group, for example, he also dislikes and looks down on Indians (laugh).

But this does not mean their crimes can be forgiven; if they should be investigated, investigate; if they should be arrested, arrest.

What makes Uesugi Muneyuki feel troubled is the Self-Defense Forces' special attribute.

National security.

As everyone knows, national defense, from ancient times to present, ancient and modern, foreign and domestic, from beginning to end, has always been undisputed political correctness, and many reforms and centralizations are also carried out under this banner.

TMD even the Song Dynasty knows national defense is necessary!

Take an example: during Emperor Renzong of Song's reign, the civil official system reached its peak, with those enjoying premier minister-level treatment increasing by one or two each year, Di Qing was repeatedly tormented by Fan Zhongyan, Han Yu, and others, Fu Bi even said he wanted to "not hear of military affairs for fifty years," yet even so, no one dared say abolish national defense; on the contrary, Emperor Renzong's army was the largest in history, with over 700,000 palace troops and over 800,000 regional militia, labor conscripts, and security units, totaling up to 1.6 million troops nationwide.

This then leads to the next question: is there someone who dares to say that of these 1.6 million troops, only Di Qing's several ten thousand Western Army actually has combat capability?

No, involving national defense and national security, criticism is simply not allowed, everyone understands this, otherwise one might accidentally be expelled from the "Song registry" and become a Barracks person.

Even Fan Zhongyan, who dared say "emperor and scholar-officials share the world," would not directly criticize our national defense as utterly rotten, with the emperor's palace guards all being mere decorations and trash, could only deflect, say what about recklessly starting wars causing people to suffer, for peace's sake, at most say a few things about insufficient treasury, lax military preparations, lack of training—harmless criticisms.

Uesugi Muneyuki furrowed his brow, if opening fire on the Self-Defense Forces, it would easily be seen as "threatening national security" and "undermining national defense construction." Handling this requires caution; to investigate the Self-Defense Forces, one must first gain public security police support!

Uesugi Muneyuki thought of this and became angry; apparently Old Ren's old habit flared up again—he never thought this much, nor considered reporting upward, but rashly planned to just go ahead and do it; he so recklessly, without prior coordination, if this team turns out to be a criminal gang formed by former Self-Defense Forces members, wouldn't that be directly slapping the nation's face?

That is, Old Ren still remembers himself, knows to have Ming Sha come find him for help……but this is equally dragging himself into trouble! When did Old Ren become this clever?

Oh no, Old Ren probably never had this cleverness; he just thinks he's useful.

Uesugi Muneyuki thought long and hard, still picking up the file folder brought by Kashiwagi Misa: "So this case, I decide to cooperate with Kashiwagi Jin. Not because the case is big—our Special Mission Division has handled 2-billion-yen cases before—but because what might be involved behind this case is far bigger than 2 billion."

He handed the file folder to Date Nagamune: "Date-kun, you're responsible for investigating Kondo Fumihiko's interpersonal relations during his Self-Defense Forces time. He served in the First Division; those people, that network, you know better than I."

"Yes." Date Nagamune took the file folder.

"Maeda, you're responsible for investigating Kondo Fumihiko's movements after retirement. He changed several auto repair shops; each must be visited, asking clearly who he usually contacts, what topics he discusses, whether he shows any extreme political tendencies."

"Understood." Maeda Toshihide nodded.

"Kai Toru, you're responsible for liaising with Kashiwagi Jin's side of the Special Investigation Headquarters, synchronizing our investigation direction with theirs. Cooperation is not command; both sides need equal information."

"Yes." Kai Toru sighed.

"As for me, I'll first go tell Commissioner Secretariat Director Onoda Kimiaki about this." Uesugi Muneyuki said: "Before I get a definite reply, you guys, besides gathering intelligence, must not have any other activities!"

The three people received their tasks and left.

Kashiwagi Misa still stood in the corner, watching Uesugi Muneyuki.

Her expression remained cold, but her eyes held something indescribable—like reassurance, yet like something else.

"Thank you." She said, voice soft, also somewhat moved.

Uesugi Muneyuki looked at her: "Tell Jin, this opponent might be bigger than he thinks. Not just a few bank-robbing petty thieves, but a group, an organization, or even a school of thought. Have him prepare."

Kashiwagi Misa nodded, turned to leave.

"Misa-san." Uesugi Muneyuki called out to her.

She stopped, didn't turn back.

"You, how should I thank you?" Uesugi Muneyuki's voice lowered, slightly deliberate: "Did Jin tell you?"

Kashiwagi Misa's ear tips turned red again.

She didn't answer, pulled open the door and walked out, her high heels tapping on the hallway floor, sound fading into distance.

Uesugi Muneyuki didn't speak further, just tidied the documents, and headed to the Police Agency.

About fifteen minutes later, the office of Police Agency Commissioner Secretariat Director Onoda Kimiaki.

Onoda Kimiaki listened to Uesugi Muneyuki's report and remained silent for a long time, his index finger tapping the desk: "Uesugi-kun?"

"Commissioner Secretariat Director?"

"Is this your investigation or Kashiwagi Jin's?" Onoda Kimiaki said meaningfully.

"It's Kashiwagi Jin's investigation." Uesugi Muneyuki sat on the sofa opposite Onoda Kimiaki.

"Since it's Kashiwagi Jin's investigation, why are you sticking your hand in?" Onoda Kimiaki said somewhat teasingly, also slightly surprised: "I recall the Special Mission Division isn't exactly idle these days? You still haven't finished that mountain corpse case in Yamanashi Prefecture, have you?"

"Not only that, if spoken, there's also a murder case in Fujioka, Gunma Prefecture." Uesugi Muneyuki helplessly shook his head: "I might need to go to Gunma later, if the police there have no leads."

"So why are you handling this mess?" Onoda Kimiaki's thick-eyed eyes narrowed: "Wasn't your father already the one who assigned Kashiwagi Jin to handle this?"

"Because he came to me for help." Uesugi Muneyuki thought: I can't possibly say Old Ren's wife made a big sacrifice for this, can I?

"You can refuse." Onoda Kimiaki's fingers tapped the desk: "This isn't your duty, you have no obligation to help him; involving former Self-Defense Forces members is indeed troublesome, and from this file, Kondo Fumihiko does seem suspicious, but we are police, we need evidence to act!"

"Without solid evidence, I won't support you and Kashiwagi in searching a former Self-Defense Forces member with no prior record and no evidence proving he actually participated in this robbery." Onoda Kimiaki shook his head, tossing the file back to Uesugi Muneyuki: "Want our public security support? Bring out the evidence."

"Don't the public security police understand the prevailing ideology spreading recently within the Self-Defense Forces?" Uesugi Muneyuki said offhand.

"The surveillance system has never had problems." Onoda Kimiaki shook his head: "But terrorist attacks are unpredictable; we, after all, aren't mind-readers, can't know what each person deep down is thinking."

"So, Uesugi-kun, our public security naturally supports you, but to have us deploy and be able to justify it to the Cabinet, you need to produce solid evidence." Onoda Kimiaki suddenly emphasized: "No matter how the evidence is obtained, it's fine."

===TITLE

Unexpected Harvest!

===GLOSSARY

Uesugi Muneyuki, Tsubasa, Kashiwagi, Uesugi, Kashiwagi Jin, Kashiwagi Misa, Maeda, Onoda, Higashi, Date Nagamune, Meisa, Kai Toru, Kai, Onoda Kimiaki, Ming Sha Jie, Sugi, Sōsetsu, Old Ren, Security Guard, Snow, Wazō, Onoda Kanbocho, Maeda Toshihide, Lao Ren, Shiro, Kimiaki, Sō, Emperor Renzong of Song, Di Qing, Wen Yanbo, Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, Lai, Kyō, Takeshi, Riku, Hana, Satoshi, Kiyoshi, Hito, Public Servant, Director of the Commissioner's Secretariat, Self-Defense Official, Detective, Kanchoukanbou, Former Self-Defense Officer, Ministry, Consultant, Katana, Non-Commissioned Officer, Land Sergeant Major, Index Finger, Regular, Gunma Prefecture, Gunma, United States, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, 13 Locations, India, Office, Hallway, Room, Germany, Rain, Across the Sea, Yamanashi, Hall, Country, Earth, Song Dynasty, Gunma Prefecture Fujioka, Self-Defense Forces University, Shelf, Sea, Iron Bars, On Desk, Dormitory, Back, National Police Agency, Cabinet, Public Security, Public Security Police, Mori, Self-Defense Forces, Date Clan, Special Mission Division, System, Army, Taira Clan, Right Wing, Japan Self-Defense Forces, Xi Army, Barracks Dynasty, Self-Defense Force (former), Employment Support, High-heeled Shoe, Railing, Sofa, Document, Floor, File Folder, Qiāng, Fingers, Pull Open the Door, Wind, Documents, Shoe, Ears, Letter, Brow, Desk Surface, Cloth, Career Track, Non-Career Track, Police Deployment, Surveillance, Police Command, Police Reform, Very Good, Breakup, Sudden Event, Reason 2, Qi Refining, Mizu, Tsuchi, Hakai, Window, Suicide, Threat, Shōko, Limit, Understanding, Kokumin, Sigh, Evenney, Eleventh Day of Lunar New Year, Fifteenth Day of Lunar New Year, Twentieth Day of Lunar New Year, Year-end Review, Emergency police necessary, Emergency police contact, Emergency police understood, Gunshot Wound, Fear, Long Time Later, Taking Along, Organization, Terrorist Attack, Gyou

"I understand." Uesugi Muneyuki mused.

This is tacit approval.

This has the flavor of Zuo Zongtang borrowing money from foreign firms for his northwest expedition—being able to borrow means representing the Great Qing; if not lent, it's merely his personal inquiry.

Uesugi Muneyuki left, leaving only Onoda Kimiaki sitting in the chair, gazing at the sky outside the window.

Former Self-Defense Officer? Related to this joyriding bank robbery case?

This is an unexpected gain, especially……the time is almost upon us.

The time since he assumed the post of Superintendent General is already very close, extremely close!

Taking this opportunity, his long-deployed grand plan is about to begin!

After the cooperation was settled, personnel from both sides began to connect.

Kashiwagi Jin's side, the Special Investigation Headquarters, provided detailed information on Kondo Fumihiko; Uesugi Muneyuki's side, the Special Mission Division, was responsible for analyzing the internal relations network of the Self-Defense Forces. Both sides exchanged progress daily, Shiratori Sho and Nanxiang Weicheng became the liaison points, both being steady and unflustered types, unexpectedly getting along well.

But the Kondo Fumihiko lead still broke.

With Uesugi Muneyuki's assistance, holding the search warrant signed by the court from the Special Mission Division Prosecutor's Liaison System, Kashiwagi Jin personally led the team to Chiba Prefecture Funabashi City the moment he received the warrant; Kondo Fumihiko's house was already empty.

Not the emptiness of a hasty escape, but the emptiness of pre-planned departure—furniture remained, but all personal belongings were completely cleared, not even a single sheet of paper left.

The refrigerator still had food, clothes were still hanging to dry in the sun, appearing as if the owner had stepped out temporarily, but drawers, cabinets, wardrobes—every place that could hold things—were empty.

Kashiwagi Jin crouched to examine the floor gaps, discovering a depression left by a removed document envelope under the tatami mat.

Rectangular, roughly A4 size, the depression still fresh, having been pulled out within the past few days.

"He fled." Shiratori Sho stood in the genkan, scanning the surroundings: "Not a sudden escape, but prepared long ago. When we found him, he had already left."

Kashiwagi Jin stood up, patted the dust off his knees, and said nothing.

On Uesugi Muneyuki's side, the Public Security Police checked Kondo Fumihiko's exit records—none.

But this name cannot be used; he may have other passports, other identities.

Nanxiang Weicheng checked airport and port surveillance for two days, finally finding Kondo Fumihiko's silhouette in the footage from Niigata Airport. He had changed clothes, wore glasses, but facial bone structure and gait analysis pointed to him.

He bought a ticket to Thailand, departing from Niigata, transferring in Singapore, final destination unknown.

"He went to Thailand?" Uesugi Muneyuki stared at the report, brows furrowed.

Nanxiang Weicheng shook his head: "After Singapore, there are no records. Possibly changed passport, possibly went to a third country, possibly never left Singapore, possibly never left Japan—he served in the Self-Defense Forces, these counter-reconnaissance tactics, he knows them better than we do."

"Moreover, seriously speaking, we haven't found his actual criminal evidence, meaning even if he returns to Japan someday, we can only informally question him." Date Nagamune couldn't help but retort: "So cunning!"

"Interesting." Okada Masayoshi drank his iced cola beside him, saying to Uesugi Muneyuki: "If so, then aren't all current leads broken, as far as we can see?"

"Yes, and I have an idea." Uesugi Muneyuki curled his lips: "Don't you feel that this guy is also a smoke bomb released by those joyriders to confuse us?"

"Tokyo's traffic conditions are extremely complex, and cases never cease; after briefly disturbing everyone's vision, the true joyriders who obtained the two billion have long since cleaned up everything." Minami Ojou-sama placed her hands on her hips, angrily saying: "What the hell, this isn't affecting Muneyuki's prestige?"

"That's none of my business." Uesugi Muneyuki smiled: "The case is Old Ren's named assignment, the search was conducted by him, the person escaped from his hands—what does it have to do with me?"

"Success means seamless cooperation of Absolute Dual Pride, failure means Old Ren acting alone, Old Ren taking responsibility—right? That's very Absolute Dual Pride." Maeda Toshihide felt speechless: "But considering this involves the Self-Defense Forces, Uesugi Chief, you've already helped him out, yet is this case really just left like this?"

"No, I have a premonition—this won't be this group's last crime." Ikeda Erena suddenly said.

"Huh?!?" Everyone turned to look at Erena, faces full of surprise.

Ikeda Erena couldn't even explain why herself.

"What Ikeda-san said makes sense—this probably won't be this group's last crime." At that moment, Ozawa Sumiko, an MIT graduate, suddenly said.

"Why?" Date Nagamune felt deeply discouraged: "Isn't this typical—being bullied and tormented during the day, then at night hiding under the covers browsing 'Observer Net' to find solace? I thought this place was different!"

"Because money came too easily, no one can resist it." Ozawa Sumiko coldly laughed: "Just like a woman accustomed to the sex industry finds it hard to sincerely return to regular work."

"Indeed." Uesugi Muneyuki remained calm: "Don't rush."

"Patience is a virtue!"

One week later.

The news of the Special Investigation Headquarters' dissolution was personally delivered by Uchimura Kanji.

"The case is transferred to the International Investigation Bureau, you've worked hard." The Criminal Investigation Department Chief's voice was calm, without blame, without comfort—just official business.

Kashiwagi Jin stood up, saluted, said "Yes," then stood there, watching Uchimura Kanji turn and leave.

The footsteps in the hallway gradually faded, and he suddenly felt that sound like stepping on his own chest, thump after thump.

Still too slow!

The newspaper reported the next day.

Asahi Shimbun Social Section Headline: "Two Billion Gate Strong Bundle Incident, National Reduction Investigation Bureau Eight Transfer."

The article mentioned: "Former Self-Defense Officer man overseas escape suspicion eight," just this sentence, Kashiwagi Jin read it several times.

He folded the newspaper, shoved it deep into the drawer, his face full of resentment.

Too late!

Requesting Uesugi's help still came too late! Should have had Meisa find Uesugi on the day of the incident!

I was still careless!

Kashiwagi Jin, angry, went to Alice's again that night.

At the same time, Yokota Air Base was holding a cultural performance.

Dance partners in the base's auditorium, several U. S. soldiers holding guitars, sang Kenshi Yonezu's "Lemon." The Americans' Japanese pronunciation was non-standard, but the atmosphere was lively, seated officers and family members clapping along.

Ah~bitter lemon~

General Zakari sat in the front row, holding that day's newspaper.

Former Self-Defense Officer.

He read those two characters twice.

The "Lemon" performance reached the chorus, several American white soldiers strained their voices shouting "now down village attitude no body strength no seven light." General Zakari gazed out the window, Yokota Base's runway stretching into the distance.

Former Self-Defense Officer.

First it was US Forces Japan, then it was a former Self-Defense Officer.

Japanese people actually took the initiative to fire on the "Star"? That's quite rare, ah!

General Zakari keenly sensed that some major changes were taking place within this country.

Thinking of this, the four-star general rolled over hard, shifted his pose on the chair, sat properly, and gestured to his deputy to bring me an iced Americano, the kind Koreans like to drink.

None of my business.