Chapter 845

In the conference room, Superintendent General Watanabe Eiji and over a dozen senior officials of superintendent rank or higher could only clutch their heads with both hands, while other department heads followed one after another, raising their arms at varying heights—some hesitating, some resolute—but in the end, all raised them.

Deputy Superintendent Hasegawa Soun, seated to Watanabe Eiji's left, raised his hand more slowly than the others; he glanced at this greasy middle-aged man, feeling he looked somewhat familiar, yet could not quite recall where he had seen him.

The former Deputy Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police Department, Ooyama Ren, had already been transferred to the National Police Agency to serve as Deputy Commissioner General; now the newly appointed Deputy Superintendent, Hasegawa Soun, naturally belonged to the Public Security faction.

Watanabe Eiji had held the position of Superintendent General for too long—four years might be a standard term for other countries, but for the Superintendent General role, where half the incumbents serve only one year and forty percent serve two, four years was excessively long; consequently, the Metropolitan Police Department from top to bottom had become his people, making it necessary for the Deputy Superintendent to be from the Public Security faction.

Though he of Public Security origin seemed to be weighing his options, considering the current situation and that no one at the scene was armed, he ultimately still raised both hands.

Thus, this group of Metropolitan Police Department bureau chiefs, who were normally arrogant and domineering, sat down against the wall like kindergarten children.

The cherry blossoms on the shoulder boards of those in uniform cast scattered shadows on the floor; the badges on the chests of those in suits reflected dazzling light under the lamps; they sat crowded shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee, no one speaking, no one glancing at the person beside them, all eyes fixed on that gun.

"What do you want to do?" Watanabe Eiji swallowed, speaking calmly: "Don't rush, stay calm—what are your demands? We will do our utmost to meet them."

Everyone stared at this unexpected intruder; the Metropolitan Police Department bureau chiefs' faces showed no lack of humiliation and fear, yet unsurprisingly, they all chose to cooperate, for each knew their own lives were worth far more than this man's, and there was no need to fight desperately here—after all, agreeing would mean the state paid, but if this man were provoked into firing, it would be their own lives.

The man glanced at Watanabe Eiji, his eyes cold as ice, yet devoid of hatred; he did not look at Watanabe Eiji, but instead aimed his small revolver at several other officers—the Public Security Bureau Director, the Security Department Director, and Deputy Superintendent Hasegawa, among others.

He made no demands. He did not say, "Prepare a car for me," nor "Release my accomplices," nor "I want to see so-and-so."

He simply stood there, the gun muzzle sweeping back and forth among the dozen or so people, repeatedly uttering the same phrase in his mouth; his voice shifted from hoarse to sharp, then from sharp to raspy, like a stuck record player rubbing repeatedly over the same groove.

"Who is the Shadow Administrator?"

Watanabe Eiji's pupils contracted.

Shadow Administrator!

All the department heads present also changed expression.

Shadow Administrator!

This position is exceptionally special in the Japanese police world; as previously stated, the core of the Japanese Public Security Police lies not in the Metropolitan Police Department, but in the Security Department under the National Police Agency, since Japan lacks institutions comparable to the CIA, FBI, or KGB's Military Intelligence Section Six, thus the Japanese Public Security Police assume this responsibility, and due to the Security Department's involvement in protecting numerous important personnel and national security, it gradually became the core department of the Public Security Police.

Within this, the post of First Management Officer of the Security Planning Division under the Security Department, being the chief planner and organizer of various Public Security activities and thus highly vulnerable to attack, must remain concealed and undisclosed in identity, so this person does not operate publicly, does not disclose their identity externally, and does not issue orders under their real name, hence they are called the "Shadow Administrator."

Only the Security Department Director and the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency know who this person is, or, like Onoda Kimiaki, who although merely a Deputy Secretary-General, is a Public Security leader and thus would know.

Since he is from the Criminal Investigation Division, even Watanabe Eiji, as Superintendent General, does not know.

Over a dozen people sat against the wall, shoulders touching, knees touching, no one speaking, no one coughing, no one swallowing.

Everyone stared at that man's hand, at his fingers positioned outside the trigger guard, at his thumb pressing the hammer.

The man's expression shifted from agitation to irritability, then to frenzy; he made no demands, set no conditions, did not say he wanted to kill, nor did he say he wanted to release anyone.

He merely kept asking, a few words, over and over, like some incantation stuck on repeat.

"If you don't speak, I will detonate Sakuradamon!"

Yet the bureau chiefs still showed no reaction; the Criminal Investigation Division faction glanced at the few Public Security bureau chiefs, whose faces also revealed confusion.

No one could answer this question; Watanabe Eiji, seeing this, closed his eyes.

Tetsuya! You've ultimately come back!

You shouldn't have come back!

Like this, you will destroy the Japanese Police!

——

Meanwhile, Special Mission Division.

"Something happened!" "Why is there gunfire inside Sakuradamon?" "Listening to this sound, is it from upstairs?"

The crowd, who had just prepared to leave work, all changed expression upon hearing this gunshot.

Yamada Nanase cried out "Ah!" and immediately ran to the farthest corner of the office, crouching behind a potted plant with her hands over her head, her whole body trembling; among the Public Security Police who reacted fastest, Hikawa Makoto and Hojo Toru immediately drew their handguns from the cabinet.

Uesugi Minami's expression changed; Minami Ojou-sama glanced at everyone.

Okada Masayoshi and others also reacted instantly, moving to grab their guns; Eirina likewise instinctively reached for her gun, but Uesugi Ukyo seized her: "You will protect Mikoto and Nanase, Master."

Eirina glanced at the pregnant Ishihara Mikoto; the Forensic Beauty at this moment already wanted to cry but had no tears, thinking, "Is this ever going to end? Why, on my first day back to work, just returning to Sakuradamon, do I encounter such a thing?"

This money is too hard to earn!

"From the sound, it's probably in the large conference room upstairs." Uesugi Ukyo frowned, saying somewhat uncertainly.

"Let's go." Minami Ojou-sama did not draw her gun, she gestured for everyone to follow her.

The Special Mission Division team set out; at this point, clearly many had already heard the gunfire, and chaos spread like a contagion through the entire building!

Minami, Okada, Uesugi, Kai, Nango, and the Roku of the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō hurried to the large conference room upstairs; indeed, several people were already stationed at the entrance, including some from the Superintendent General's Secretariat, Investigation Division 1 Chief Sugishita Ukyo, and Investigation Division 1 Third Subsection Chief Kameyama Kaoru.

"What happened? What's going on?" Minami instinctively looked toward the Superintendent General's Secretariat.

"We don't know; we just heard the gunshot, but the main gate is locked." The Deputy Secretary-General said softly: "The Superintendent General and over a dozen bureau chiefs are inside!"

"Yes, someone indeed saw them enter to hold a meeting earlier." Uesugi Ukyo glanced at Nango Yui, speaking solemnly: "If so, the gunfire is coming from inside the conference room! Something must have happened in there!"

"Father————" Minami Ojou-sama's face turned pale; she instinctively pressed her hand against the conference room door.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Uesugi Ukyo pressed Minami Ojou-sama's shoulder, signaling no need to panic, and loudly told the Deputy Secretary-General: "Immediately call inside the conference room, adjust the surveillance!"

"Yes!" The Deputy Secretary-General trembled as he pulled out his mobile phone.

Meanwhile, inside the Secretariat, the man named Yae Ken Tetsuya was still interrogating everyone about the Shadow Administrator, when at that moment, the telephone in the conference room rang.

"Ring-a-ling~ ring-a-ling~"

The landline in the conference room rang, faces changed, and among them, the Department Head of the Public Safety Bureau showed delight.

Someone realized! Someone discovered!

"Hello, is anyone out there? Come quickly! This place————"

"Bang!"

Yae Ken Tetsuya fired another shot; the bullet struck the wall, hitting the MPD cherry blossom crest of the Metropolitan Police Department, sending up a string of sparks!

The ringing continued, but those in the conference room were frightened into stillness by this shot, while others glared at the agitated Public Safety Bureau Department Head with angry eyes.

This person is the only non-professional-background member among those present of superintendent rank or higher.

Indeed, those who did not pass the National Civil Service Examination must have faulty intelligence!

As soon as the gunshot rang out, everyone outside except Uesugi Muneyuki was so frightened that they immediately crouched down on the spot.

He's really inside!

"Hey! You people outside, listen to me! Don't act rashly! This is your final warning! Otherwise, the next one to be shot will start with the Superintendent General, and then proceed one by one!"

Yae Ken shouted.

"Okay, okay, we won't move, we won't move, please don't act impulsively!" Sugishita Ukyo, the Investigation Division 1 Chief at the door, immediately shouted inside: "We just want to know, what are your demands?"

"Me? What am I here for?" The voice from inside the door carried a hint of mockery and sneer, he fell silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke with resentment and disgust.

"I came to end the Japanese Police!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of more than a dozen people at the door turned even paler.

End the Japanese Police?

"Hey~ hey~ we understand, we understand, we just want to know, what do you need?" Sugishita Ukyo continued to ask.

"My demand is————get all of you out! Get far away!!!"

"Do as he says." Sugishita Ukyo immediately told the people at the door: "Seal off this entire floor, request support from other departments! Contact————"

Sugishita Ukyo fell silent for a moment, then suddenly realized that all police commissioners and above were inside this door; theoretically, the highest position in the Metropolitan Police Department now was him, as the Investigation Division 1 Chief, and Minami beside him, the Special Mission Section Chief, both being Police Superintendents: "Please let Superintendent Uesugi and I together form a temporary special command headquarters."

Minami bit her lip, nodded slightly; her father was still inside the door turned into a hostage, and the other side clearly had the intention to shoot, she was already in mental turmoil at this moment, and could only force herself to stay calm.

"Really? Fake? Why would such a thing happen inside Sakuradamon?" Kameyama Kaoru cursed, he subconsciously glanced at the conference room's main door: "With this kind of door lock, I could kick it open————"

"Idiot! There's someone inside! With a gun!" Okada Masayoshi immediately blocked Kameyama Kaoru.

"But, just leave it like this?" Kameyama Kaoru looked anxious: "This person is also strange, what exactly does he want to do?"

"Left, immediately announce, announce to all of Sakuradamon and the opposite police agency!" Sugishita Ukyo said calmly: "Take action!"

"Yes!" Everyone scattered, the scene left only Uesugi Muneyuki: "Uesugi-kun?"

"Yeah, I'm with you guys." Uesugi Muneyuki glanced again at the conference room's main door.

To end the entire Japanese police?

This guy, what exactly does he want to do?

But no matter what, rushing in now would be unwise.

Uesugi Muneyuki thought for a moment, then still silently followed Minami and them downstairs.

Soon, a piece of news came out from inside Sakuradamon.

Hostage incident occurred! Hostage incident occurred!

The worst hostage incident in Metropolitan Police Department history occurred inside Sakuradamon! Including Superintendent General Watanabe Eiji, all police commissioners and above of the Metropolitan Police Department were entirely taken hostage by one criminal!

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