Chapter 938

After the New Year holiday, the first working day found the Special Mission Division office filled with a unique, post-holiday syndrome-induced lassitude. Warm air from the radiators drifted slowly through the space, and sunlight streamed in from the south-facing windows, casting warm patterns of light and shadow across the floor. It was now late January of the fifth year of the Uesugi era, and after enduring the Kobe Dahlia case and the subsequent vacation, the members of the Special Mission Division had finally reassembled.

Uesugi Muneyuki had used five days of accumulated leave, plus the weekends before and after, granting the Special Mission Division a solid nine-day break.

What Golden Week?

Others at the Metropolitan Police Department complained, saying, "How come the Special Mission Division gets to take holidays all the time while we have to work every day?"

Superintendent General Shinzou Kamiya also knew that doing something like this at this time was inappropriate, yet what troubled him was that he had no way to withhold approval.

This was also one of the dilemmas facing this newly appointed Superintendent General—he was not like Watanabe Eiji, who had a son-in-law and adoptive father relationship with Uesugi Muneyuki. Shinzou Kamiya felt neither gratitude nor familial ties toward Uesugi Muneyuki, nor was he a mentor or junior, nor did he share sufficient friendship. Most critically, the Special Mission Division was established by cabinet legislation, leaving him, as Superintendent General, without authority to abolish it or adjust its budget.

One can imagine that how to deal with the Special Mission Division in the future will be a problem for every Superintendent General.

Although Superintendent General Shinzou Kamiya and the Special Mission Division are not close, there is no hatred between them, and he currently has no interest in taking action against this elite unit. As he said, solving cases and meeting KPIs are the hard truths.

However, others may not feel the same.

As a member of the Public Security faction, Superintendent General Shinzou Kamiya finds it difficult to challenge the criminal division left behind by Watanabe Eiji.

This quickly shifted his focus to another position.

Chief of Investigation Division One, Sugishita Ukyo!

This guy spends all day opposing Onoda! Onoda tolerates you, but I do not!

Assigning you to idle elsewhere is my final act of mercy.

Superintendent General Shinzou Kamiya pondered where to send Sugishita Ukyo.

At the Special Mission Division, time was approaching noon.

Everyone was still somewhat dazed from the holiday relaxation.

Nango Yui leaned against the chair back, eyes half-closed, the coffee before her gone cold, still savoring the wonderful time she had spent with the Nakamoto sisters in Hawaii.

Kai Toru sat on the windowsill, one leg bent, the other dangling and swinging, holding a manga he had read halfway through. He had just returned from Milan with his girlfriend Debuki Etsuko, having watched the Milan Derby. After seeing AC Milan lose, he spent the evening in the hotel having her change into Milan's red-and-black jersey.

Date Nagamune remained in a daze, having spent several enjoyable days on Hachijo Island with Moriya Akane.

Maeda Toshihide had gone to Mihoyo's headquarters in the Magic Capital and even took a photo with Dawei Ge.

As for the others, several from the Public Security faction found the Special Mission Division's extended holidays hard to adjust to. Minami Ozawa took Hojo Toru and Hikawa Makoto to join other secret operations of the Public Security Police, while Tsugawa Shouichi went to work part-time at a certain Salian store with his close friend Godai Yusuke.

Prosecutorial System's Kanjou Wataru and others vanished without a trace, reportedly attending a hearing at a special detention center for death row inmates to listen to their appeals.

This action made everyone tremble—newcomers to death row are now essentially "Uesugi faction," but what about the elders? Many elderly death row inmates have written letters requesting Uesugi Muneyuki to reinvestigate their past cases and death sentences. Yet once this process begins, how many judges and prosecutors from that era will face accountability? How many retired officers will be uprooted?

This is precisely what Nishikawa Noble Teaching wants to see.

The reason is simple.

Tokyo Chief Prosecutor Nishikawa Noble Teaching is about to be promoted to Prosecutor General.

At this critical juncture, he needs something sufficiently shocking to deter others and prevent accidents.

As long as he smoothly assumes the position of Prosecutor General, Kanjou Wataru's actions will cease immediately.

Minami Ojou-sama calmly kept everything under control.

She only felt something strange—since Uesugi Muneyuki returned to Tokyo, ten days have passed, and her husband has not touched her once.

Strange—this guy was clearly a super lust demon before, so why is he now as pure as a Buddha?

Could he have been enlightened by Ahiru? Unlikely!

Haven't you seen Reina-chan lately, all frustrated and unsatisfied?

Is he seeing someone outside…… Thinking this, Minami tugged at the corner of her mouth, thinking he already had women outside.

Damn it! Although I don't forbid you from going to Yoshiwara, you must pay your public grain on time!

Minami Ojou-sama was then flipping through a document just sent from the Personnel Division. She wore the standard winter uniform of the Metropolitan Police Department: a deep navy-blue suit jacket, tailored to fit, the badge on the collar flashing cold light under indoor lighting, a dark blue tie tied in a standard Windsor knot. Below, she wore a dark tube skirt ending about three finger-widths above the knee, its straight, clean lines tracing the outline of her hips, dark gray commuter-grade thick-knit silk stockings extending from the hem, wrapping her slender, well-proportioned calves, catching a soft, fine sheen under the fluorescent lights. A pair of gray-silk feet stepped into black pointed-toe low-cut high heels, heels about five centimeters high, polished to a shine, the metal parts of the soles scattering tiny reflective points under the light.

From the end of the hallway came a burst of footsteps—faster and more forceful than usual visitors, as if each step carried some kind of resolve. The steps stopped at the door of the Section Chief's office.

"Knock knock~"

"Please come in~"

Asō Kōta stood in the doorway, wearing a brand-new police uniform.

The uniform was clearly too big for him—the shoulder line sagged onto his upper arms, the trousers bunched at the ankles, and the cuffs extended beyond his wrists. Standing about 163 cm tall beneath the doorframe of the Special Mission Division office, he looked as if he had just tried on a uniform still growing into.