Chapter 860

That night, Sushirou, revolving sushi.

The events of the day cast a thick cloud of gloom over the nation, turning even a place like Sushirou into a typical low-pressure system; on television, Fuji's beautiful female anchor, the leading lady Tei Reiji, was reporting the news about today's attack.

Investigation Division 1 Chief Sugishita Ukyo and Police Commissioner's Secretariat Director Onoda sat together.

Onoda Kimiaki ate and drank as usual, ordering two servings of fatty tuna belly and appearing quite relaxed: "At this time, taking a break to eat is quite busy, Ukyo, it's only because it's you that I came out specially, and for that I even got scolded by my brother, hehe~"

"What I want to ask is about the connection between Yaegaki and today's incident; both sides are former Self-Defense Forces, and I was thinking…… perhaps the Commissioner's Secretariat Director knows something?"

"How unfortunate, I don't know much; when I was serving as Security Department Chief or Public Security Bureau Chief at the Public Security Bureau, that time had already passed, and as for me personally, I have never served as a Shadow Administrator." Onoda Kimiaki said rather playfully: "Public Security is a place of secrecy; knowing too many secrets means you won't live long, so key personnel must constantly be rotated."

"Oh dear, Commissioner's Secretariat Director, you just mentioned the Shadow Administrator, right?" Sugishita Ukyo gracefully placed a sweet shrimp sushi into his mouth…… not bad, Ukyo." Onoda Kimiaki's eyes rolled, knowing his old friend had discovered something: "You really do like to dwell on past events."

"I'm not dwelling, but pretending nothing happened makes it easy for incidents like Yaegaki's to happen again." Sugishita Ukyo said calmly.

"The matter is over; people must look forward; this…… Ukyo, just leave it alone." Onoda Kimiaki pondered for a moment: "On the contrary, don't you think you should consider your future?"

"Huh↓what?" Sugishita Ukyo blinked.

"You've held the position of Division Chief for two years, done well, and it's time to consider what to do next; you're about to turn 60, and you've reached the age limit for promotion, people must learn to look forward." Onoda Kimiaki said: "Watanabe Eiji is about to be promoted to Police Commissioner, and I too will soon experience growth…… look at me, eating revolving sushi with you so often, I've even learned not to put the plate back." "That's common sense!" Sugishita Ukyo retorted, knowing his old friend was changing the subject to avoid answering, which was tantamount to admitting…… this matter will be handled soon, and there's a big move coming that needs secrecy." Onoda Kimiaki suddenly said: "Just because it's you, Ukyo, I'm telling you specially."

"Oh dear, so this is for Commissioner Onoda's great plan, requiring a slight sacrifice of others' interests?" Sugishita Ukyo somewhat understood, and couldn't help but say sarcastically: "Those former Self-Defense Officers today thought the same way."

"Not for my personal gain, but for the entire police system, even for the nation's future!" Onoda Kimiaki said calmly and composedly.

"?" Sugishita Ukyo still couldn't grasp his old friend's meaning this time.

But Onoda Kimiaki didn't continue, instead gesturing for him to order an eel sushi.

"Uesugi Muneyuki, this guy, is really impressive." Onoda Kimiaki drank a mouthful of barley tea before saying meaningfully: "Really didn't expect he could investigate to this extent…… this matter could thus……"

The next day's sunlight streamed through the Special Mission Division office window, casting neat patterns of light and shadow on the floor.

Maeda Toshihide stood beside Uesugi Muneyuki's workstation, head bowed, like an eggplant struck by frost.

A gauze pad was still stuck to the back of his head, white medical tape standing out starkly against his dark brown hair.

"Red bean paste! Privacy mosaic!!!" Maeda Toshihide's voice was audible to everyone.

"Uesugi Chief, sorry. I was careless. I heard footsteps behind me but didn't have time to dodge."

"I should have been more alert. Cao Liangming's corpse was lost, all my fault." Maeda Toshihide's voice grew softer and softer, until the last few words were almost squeezed out from his throat.

Done for, now I'll be stepped on by Date Nagamune, that army idiot, and never able to turn things around in this lifetime!

Simply the navy's disgrace!

Uesugi Muneyuki raised his head and glanced at him.

In that glance there was no blame, no disappointment, no negative emotion Maeda Toshihide expected; he merely put down the pen in his hand, leaned back in the chair, and crossed his hands on his abdomen.

"It's not your fault. Since the day Cao Liangming's corpse was taken from the hospital by Yaegaki Tetsuya, it has been under surveillance by the Public Security Police. You thought you weren't watching closely enough, but actually they were watching you to see if you would lead them to Cao Liangming. When you were knocked unconscious, their people were nearby. Before you woke up, they had already moved the corpse."

"This isn't your carelessness; it's their design from the start. Yaegaki being able to take a vegetative person from a ward long monitored by Public Security Police is itself abnormal. Who withdrew those monitors? Who opened those doors? How could Yaegaki, a former Investigation Division Chief who left the force seven or eight years ago, penetrate the Public Security Police's protective net? The answer is only one: someone let him in, someone let him take the person. Public Security Police are fishing, bait is Cao Liangming, fish is Yaegaki. Yaegaki thought he was investigating the truth, but in fact every step he took was within Public Security's sight."

Uesugi Muneyuki stated his analysis.

Maeda Toshihide's mouth opened and closed, opened and closed again, finally squeezing out only one sentence: "Then…… then I was knocked unconscious……" "Also part of their plan. They needed to confirm where Yaegaki hid Cao Liangming, and also whether others were investigating this matter. When you were knocked unconscious, they confirmed Yaegaki had moved Cao Liangming to that abandoned factory. While you lay on the ground, they moved Cao Liangming's corpse. As for your safety, they never intended to harm you from the start. The blow that knocked you unconscious was precisely calibrated, causing no permanent injury. Public Security Police act with precision, clearer than anyone."

Maeda Toshihide stood there, something flashing in his eyes.

Is this the Public Security Police?

Uesugi Muneyuki stood up, walked to him, extended his hand, and patted Maeda Toshihide's shoulder. Force not strong, but steady: "Get back to work. No need to think about Cao Liangming anymore."

Maeda Toshihide left, Okada Masayoshi pushed the door open and entered: "Uesugi, regarding Yaegaki's whistleblower letter……"

"All letters addressed to 'Police Commissioner' must first be screened by the Police Affairs Department Inspection Section. Not targeting him personally, it's a Police Commissioner regulation that letters to the Commissioner must first undergo content and procedure filtering by the Inspection Section to prevent dangerous items or defamatory content. If that letter reached the Police Commissioner's office, the first stop would not be the Commissioner's office, but the Police Affairs Department Inspection Section."

"Perhaps Section Chief Miyake knows something." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded.

Miyake Sadamu.

Current Livelihood Safety Director.

He is the only non-professional-organization officer among all Superintendent-ranked and above officials, having risen from Patrol Officer all the way up, the sole non-professional-organization Superintendent in the entire Japanese Police System, and the spiritual idol of every non-professional-organization police officer.

Of course, naturally, being able to reach this position in the non-professional-organization track requires ability, but in reality the most important factor is still having someone affirm him, someone push him up to become this "mascot," proving our Japanese Police System is also fair, treating professional and non-professional-organization equally." "Very well, let's go find him!" Uesugi Muneyuki immediately stood up.

"Eh, do I have to go too?" Okada Masayoshi realized Uesugi Muneyuki had opened the door, gesturing for him to come along as well.

"Nonsense, dealing with this guy, nothing is more intimidating than showing up together with a Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade Inspectorate of Censors, the Japanese Police System's Final Weapon, and the Finance Ministry Administrative Vice-Minister, a nobleman and national hero!" Uesugi Muneyuki laughed: "You guess what the most important ability is for a non-professional-organization officer to reach the rank of Superintendent?"

"Reading people's expressions, seeing who to side with, navigating all situations." Okada Masayoshi understood.

The Livelihood Safety Bureau office is on the fifth floor.

Okada Masayoshi walked ahead, Uesugi Muneyuki followed behind.

The two said nothing in the hallway, Okada Masayoshi's steps were a bit quicker than usual, Uesugi Muneyuki followed easily. Section Chief Miyake's office is at the end of the hallway, with a small copper plaque on the door engraved with his name and position.

Okada Masayoshi knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

The voice from inside was not the loud, echoing tone of someone long in high position, but a softer, even slightly probing tone, like someone constantly checking if they had misspoken.

Okada Masayoshi pushed open the door.

Section Chief Miyake rose from behind his desk, sporting a chestnut-shaped head, hair somewhat messy, deep wrinkles on his face, uniform worn impeccably, the Superintendent's cherry blossom shoulder boards blooming neatly and evenly, but wearing that uniform on him always gave a sense of ill-fit, not because the clothes were too big or too small, but a mismatch in demeanor.

He looked like someone constantly worried about having made a mistake, cautious, afraid of causing trouble for others—indeed, upon seeing the visitors were Okada Masayoshi and Uesugi Muneyuki, he immediately sprang up, face breaking into smiles!

This is the nobleman from the Finance Ministry and the great savior of the Japanese Police!.

"Officer Okada, Chief Uesugi, please sit please sit." Miyake came out from behind his desk, personally pulled out two chairs, placed them properly, then patted the seat surfaces with his palms, as if checking for dust.

Then he returned to his own seat, hands placed properly on the desk, fingers together, like a job applicant waiting for an interview, while Uesugi Muneyuki and Okada Masayoshi are the Superintendents.

"Section Chief Miyake, we won't take much of your time. Want to ask one thing—eight years ago, when you were still in the Police Affairs Department Inspection Section, did you receive a whistleblower letter addressed to the Police Commissioner? The sender was a former Investigation Division Chief named Yaegaki Tetsuya."

Miyake's expression didn't change, but his gaze flickered slightly.

He lowered his head to look at his hands resting on the desk, stared for a while, then lifted his head.

"No…… was that person the one from the previous hostage incident?"

"I'm not sure if the letter you're referring to is the one I know." Section Chief Miyake said cautiously: "That time indeed had some letters, but several were taken by the Public Security Police, roughly meaning 'After investigation, the content of the letter is unfounded. This letter shall be handled confidentially, the original kept by the Public Security Bureau. Please do not disseminate.' I then ceased inquiring about this matter. I don't know where those letters ended up, nor do I know who wrote them."

"Originally like this." Uesugi Muneyuki thoughtful: "Then about the Shadow Administrator?"

Hearing this name, Miya Department Head's nerves jumped, he pursed his lips, then looked at Okada Masayoshi, fell silent for a moment, and dipped his finger in the tea.

Five minutes later, the three stood at the entrance of the Public Safety Bureau office, sunlight from the window at the end of the corridor streamed in, gilding Miya's chestnut-haired head.

Okada Masayoshi bowed slightly: "Thank you, Miya Department Head."

Miya bent over and returned a deeper bow.

"I haven't helped at all! I haven't helped at all!"

He repeated it twice, the first time to Okada Masayoshi, the second time as if to himself.

"The five people of the Public Security faction: Deputy Superintendent Hasegawa, Communications Director Matsushita, Regional Affairs Director Suzuki, Director of the Public Security Bureau Genji, and Security Department Chief Ide." On the way back, Uesugi Muneyuki recited the five names one by one.

"Among these five, one is the original Shadow Administrator!" Okada Masayoshi said softly: "The key is, who exactly is it?" "No, actually by now, who the original Shadow Administrator was is no longer important." Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head: "The key is, what should we do next?"

Okada Masayoshi fell silent.

Retreat means abandoning justice and reason, advance means challenging and destroying order, even destroying Uesugi Muneyuki's own work achievements! Things have come to this, Uesugi is already caught in a dilemma!

What to do?