Chapter 868

The massive personnel reshuffles at the Metropolitan Police Department and the National Police Agency peaked in the first week of December.

Every day, new transfer orders were issued from the Personnel Division, every day unfamiliar faces appeared on each floor, every day old faces were packing cardboard boxes, clearing desks, clutching potted plants they had nurtured for years, and swiping their ID cards one last time through the turnstile.

After Watanabe Eiji took office, he needed to carry out a massive personnel reshuffle across the entire Metropolitan Police Department, and this was an excellent opportunity.

Onoda had died, but a large pile of transfer orders he had signed remained, and people could not oppose a transfer order from someone who had died in the line of duty, especially since this deceased had been blown up by an internal explosion within the police system, so a large number of people could only consider themselves unlucky.

Damn it, how come I don't have a Uesugi Muneyuki to save me?

Minami had been working overtime for four consecutive days, returning home each time in the late night.

As the flagship division of the Metropolitan Police Department, the Special Mission Division maintained relative stability amidst this personnel upheaval—Watanabe Eiji needed the Special Mission Division to continue serving as the emblem of the criminal investigation division, Shinzou Kamiya temporarily did not want to touch the core interests of the criminal investigation faction, and both sides reached a tacit, unwritten agreement on this matter: the Special Mission Division would not move, its personnel would not move, and its cases would proceed as usual.

Yet Minami's desk was still piled high with documents.

Personnel adjustments, departmental liaison, communications from various police headquarters nationwide, and the joint operational guidelines under the new system—she, as the Special Mission Division Chief, although not in the core circle of personnel decision-making, still needed to sign off on every document concerning coordination between the Special Mission Division and other departments, promotions of Special Mission Division personnel, and the reallocation of the Special Mission Division's budget.

Okada Masayoshi was the same—his desk was stacked with coordination requests flowing in from various departments of the National Police Agency and the Metropolitan Police Department—some were official business, some were probing, some were purely personal favors.

The Special Mission Division's status did not decline but rose in this power reshuffle; those seeking to leverage the Special Mission Division to get close to Watanabe Eiji lined up. Okada Masayoshi answered phone calls while cursing inwardly, but said aloud, "Sure, sure, I'll check my schedule."

Ikeda Erena, on the other hand, was idle—she couldn't do anything, so she wrapped the sandbag in the Metropolitan Police Department gym with two extra layers of bandages, treating that sandbag as the face of everyone who made her write reports.

"Hey!"

Boom! The sandbag trembled, the empire collapsed.

Kai Toru met Nango Yui in the hallway; the two locked eyes and sighed simultaneously: "Busy?" "Busy is good!" Meanwhile, Date Nagamune and Maeda Toshihide each had their own troubles.

Kai Toru encountered Nanxiang Yui in the hallway, the two exchanged a glance and sighed simultaneously: "Busy?" "Being busy is good!" Meanwhile, Date Nagamune and Maeda Toshihide each had their own troubles.

Date Nagamune had truly become an "Honorary Malay," he had cleared his former Self-Defense Forces suspicion through this case, but he himself now had to write a pile of reports and identity registrations, and had been forcibly placed on a two-week "gardening leave"—meaning he was temporarily reassigned, while public security police and the Metropolitan Police Department were to conduct a deep investigation into his affairs to confirm he had no issues.

Maeda Toshihide, on the other hand, had become the recipient of care from all sides after being struck by that public security baton, for everyone knew why he had been struck—this blow was taken for the entire Special Mission Division and even the criminal police, so he received 100,000 yen in condolence payment and two weeks of leave. When these two met, they were still as they always were.

"Wow! Great news, great news—Katsui Daishin officially announced the resumption of serialization for Angel Academy, the White Peak Nine Cherry Blossoms sequel! Haha! Under heaven, is there an eight-year-old virgin?" Maeda Toshihide exclaimed excitedly.

"Haha, Hirate Sarina, due to joint discomfort and pain in both wrists' radial joints, will focus on treatment and suspend all dance performance activities at Akai Saka 46, hehe, hehehehehehe~" Date Nagamune then wore a lecherous smile: "Akane-chan recently has free time; we should go together to Mie Prefecture to soak in hot springs, hot springs, hot springs, yukata, gourmet food, and…… ehehehehehehehehe"

"Hah, such weak foolishness—you truly are an army idiot!" Maeda Toshihide said with a face full of contempt.

"Hmph~ such arrogance and rudeness—truly a navy idiot!" Date Nagamune replied with a look of disdain.

Meanwhile, Igarashi was chatting with Tsugawa Shouichi of Public Security about more nourishing topics: "What should we eat tonight?" "Yeah, what should we eat?" Tsugawa said seriously: "Indeed, it's still gotta be a big bowl of pork cutlet from Yoshinoya, double beef well with egg!" Yes, the Special Mission Division is about to start collective vacation.

Meanwhile, Igarashi was chatting with Tsugawa Shouichi from public security about more nourishing topics: "What should we eat tonight?" "Yeah, what should we eat?" Tsugawa said earnestly: "After all, it's still gotta be a big bowl of pork cutlet at Yoshinoya, double beef well with egg!" Yes, the Special Mission Division was about to begin collective vacation.

Because Uesugi Muneyuki was going to take a break.

Uesugi Muneyuki found a perfect excuse to leave Tokyo amidst this chaos.

Fuji's "Hand of Hand" called, saying the outdoor shooting location for the next episode was set in Aomori Prefecture, requiring Uesugi Muneyuki to accompany the production throughout, with the plot being the heroine Shiraishi Mai and her daughter Fujitō Sakura tracking a serial killer into the deep mountains of Aomori, and Uesugi Muneyuki himself would appear.

Uesugi Muneyuki agreed readily on the phone. On one hand, because he indeed needed to leave Tokyo for a few days to let the smoke of those personnel changes clear from his nasal passages.

On the other hand, because the guest cast list for this episode included one person—Aragaki Yui.

Fuji had specially invited her; although Uesugi Muneyuki did not ask how much appearance fee was involved, anyone who could make the producer say the words "super big shot" numbered no more than five in all of Japan.

The light in the genkan was on, the living room light was on, a person curled up on the sofa, wearing black-and-white winter maid attire, a head of radiant, soft black hair scattered on the cushion, a pair of feet wrapped in thick white velvet silk stockings dangled just right from the sofa, toes painted with light pink nail polish.

The light in the genkan was on, the living room light was on, a person was curled up on the sofa, wearing a black-and-white winter maid outfit, a head of radiant, smooth black hair scattered across the cushion, a pair of feet wrapped in white velvet thickened silk stockings dangled just right from the sofa, toenails painted with light pink nail polish.

"Sōsetsu" Saito Asuka sat up from the sofa, rubbed her eyes, her hair pressed by the cushion into several curved arcs, her face bore imprint marks from the cushion, and the corner of her mouth still had a trace of saliva not wiped clean.

"Sōsetsu" Saito Asuka sat up from the sofa, rubbed her eyes, her hair had been pressed into several wavy curves by the cushion, her face bore the imprint of the cushion's texture, and there was still a trace of uncleaned saliva at the corner of her mouth.

She had obviously been waiting a long time, waiting until she fell asleep.

"Why did you just come back now?" Her voice carried the hoarseness of just waking up, her tone was that of "I waited for you so long, but now that you're back I'm not angry": "Want to eat something?"

Uesugi Muneyuki hung his coat on the rack and walked to the sofa: "I ate outside, didn't I say not to save me rice?" "Minami-senpai is still working overtime. She said she might not come back tonight." Asuka pouted her little mouth, rather willfully saying: "The chubby girl said she wants to help Minami-senpai."

"Oh ho? That's actually quite rare." Uesugi Muneyuki raised his eyebrows, he put down his coat and immediately opened his computer.

"Wait a minute!" Saito Asuka stood up from the sofa, her white-silk feet thudded on the floor, height just reaching Uesugi Muneyuki's chin, she lifted her head to look at him, those bird-like eyes still hadn't fully shaken off sleepiness, but already lit up with that Saito Asuka-specific gleam, like a kitten seeing a fish.

"Wait!" Saito Asuka stood up from the sofa, her white-silk stockinged feet tapped on the floor with a dong-dong-dong, the height just right to reach Uesugi Muneyuki's chin, she lifted her head to look at him, those eyes like a little bird's had not yet fully shaken off sleepiness, but had already lit up with that particular Saito Asuka glow—like a little cat seeing a fish.

"I heard you're going to Aomori to shoot outdoor scenes." She used an affirmative sentence.

Uesugi Muneyuki did not deny: "Did Mai-senpai tell you that?"

"Take me with you." She again used an affirmative sentence.

Saito Asuka's chin lifted slightly, that was her standard pose for listing reasons: "First, I've never been to Aomori. Second, I don't have much class lately. Third, I can be your assistant, help you carry things, proofread, fend off fans. Fourth—" her voice suddenly dropped, lowered to a volume only two could hear, a faint blush rose on her face, nearly invisible under the light: "I heard this outdoor shoot has a super big guest star. Aragaki Yui, GAKKI! I want to meet her."

Saito Asuka's chin lifted slightly, that was her standard posture for beginning to list reasons: "First, I've never been to Aomori. Second, I have nothing to do lately. Third, I can be your assistant, help you carry things, go over lines, block fans. Fourth—" her voice suddenly dropped, lowered to a volume only the two of them could hear, a thin blush rose on her face, nearly invisible under the light: "I heard this outdoor shoot has a super big shot cameo. Aragaki Yui, GAKKI-san! I want to meet her."

Saito Asuka's face reddened further, her voice even lower than before: "Not chasing stars. It's… appreciation. She acts well. I've watched her work since her debut, and don't you think 'It's Shameful but Useful' is kinda like how we were back then?"

Saito Asuka's face reddened further, her voice even lower than before: "Not chasing stars. It's…… appreciation. She acts very well. I've been watching her works since her debut, and besides, don't you think 'It's Shameful But Useful' is very like us back then?"

Uesugi Muneyuki looked at her expression of "I'm stating a serious matter, don't laugh," he was speechless, nodded, and rubbed her little head: "I can't put up with you. Go ahead. Leave early tomorrow, don't be late."

The corner of her mouth lifted into an unstoppable, big, childlike smile—like when a kid opens a birthday gift—she immediately took a small step forward, tiptoed, grabbed Uesugi Muneyuki's shirt collar, and lightly brushed her lips against the corner of his mouth; this kiss was as brief as a bird landing on a petal, wings not yet closed before flying off.

The corners of her mouth rose into an unstoppable, big, childlike smile—like when a child opens a birthday gift—she immediately stepped forward a small step, tiptoed, grabbed the collar of Uesugi Muneyuki's shirt with both hands, and lightly touched her lips to the corner of his mouth—this kiss was as brief as a bird landing on a petal, its wings not yet having time to close before it flew away.

She landed back on the ground, her face already red to the roots of her ears.

"Thank you." She said one word, her voice as small as a mosquito's buzz: "Sou-chan really is nice!"

Uesugi Muneyuki stood in place, the collar of his windbreaker still retaining the warmth of her fingers.

He watched Saito Asuka lower her head, her ears red as if about to bleed, her whole body emitting a sense of "What did I just do? Why did I do that?" embarrassment, and he reached out to lightly pat the top of her head.

Saito Asuka didn't lift her head, turned and walked a few steps toward the bedroom, stopped, without looking back said a sentence, her voice even softer than before, so soft that if not for Uesugi Muneyuki's ears being better than most people's, it would be impossible to hear clearly.

Saito Asuka did not lift her head, turned and walked a few steps toward the bedroom, stopped, without looking back said a sentence, her voice even smaller than before, so small that if not for Uesugi Muneyuki's ears being better than most people's, it would be impossible to hear clearly.

After saying that, she ran. Bare feet on the floor, footsteps shifted from hurried to light, the bedroom door closed, the door lock made a soft click, Uesugi Muneyuki stood in the living room, listening to the low, muffled sound from behind the door, like a bird rolling in its nest. Outside the window, Tokyo's night view lay quietly spread in the darkness, those lights like a sparkling, ignorant galaxy.

Having said that, she ran off. Barefoot steps on the floor shifted from hurried to light, the bedroom door closed, the door lock emitted a soft click, Uesugi Muneyuki stood in the living room, listening to the low, muffled sound coming from behind that door—like a small bird rolling around in its nest. The Tokyo nightscape outside the window quietly unfolded in the darkness, those lights like a brilliant, unknown galaxy of stars.

Uesugi Muneyuki was still somewhat curious about this woman who could almost be called the most recognizable female star in Japanese entertainment—she debuted as a model in 2001, as an actress in 2004, truly a figure two generations have grown up watching.

Uesugi Muneyuki still had some curiosity about this woman who could almost be called the most recognized female star in Japanese entertainment—she debuted as a model in 2001, as an actress in 2004, and could be said to have been watched grow up by two generations.

【61】 But once he thought about this Aomori outdoor shoot having Mai-senpai, Sakura, Tei Reiji, and Asuka added in, Uesugi Muneyuki had completely no ideas—he simply could not free up more time.

Already, there's no need to fight anymore!