Chapter 957

The news from the press conference spread across all major media the next day.

In the early morning, Tokyo's morning papers and morning news programs almost simultaneously released their front pages.

The Yomiuri Shimbun's headline read "The Dark Knight Arrested for Five Acts of Harm and Violence, Self-Confessed," accompanied by a photo from the Metropolitan Police Department press conference, with the speaker blurred out, and the deep blue background cloth behind the podium reading "警祝療" became the main focus of the image. The Asahi Shimbun's headline was "The End of Lynch Justice? Seven Men Arrested in Connection with the Dark Knight!" The article began with a relatively neutral narration, first outlining the case details and the "Dark Knight's" confession, then shifting to a discussion of lynching itself, quoting a comment from a Tokyo University Faculty of Law professor: "Regardless of motive, lynching is a denial of the rule of law. We cannot allow individuals to exercise violence in place of the law just because the law has loopholes."

Meanwhile, the Sankei Shimbun took a different tone, with the headline "Ignoring the Victims' Families' Voices? Sympathy for the Dark Knight," reporting that some social media discussions mentioned, "Although the 'Dark Knight' broke the law, what he did indeed gave vent to the frustrations of those who had no avenue for complaint."

The Mainichi Shimbun's front page read "Dark Knight Arrested, Society in an Uproar—SNS Shows Both Support and Opposition," accompanied by several selected screenshots of netizen comments.

Television stations' discussion programs aired in rotation throughout the daytime.

Arguments on social networks became even more intense.

【The law can no longer protect ordinary people; someone is willing to step forward and act on heaven's behalf—do you still want to arrest him?】

【The law being imperfect does not mean lynching can replace it. If today someone kills to vent anger for an acquaintance, tomorrow someone will kill because they were annoyed by a neighbor!】

【He's right—since this society is unjust! We must use our hands to change it! Blood asks no origin, skulls ask no lineage! Heaven creates all things to nourish humanity! Humanity has nothing to repay heaven! Kill Kill Kill!】

【Shut up upstairs, damn it!! Do you really think you'll get stabbed downstairs just because you forgot to take out the trash today or your game audio was a bit loud? Then why are you yelling so loud? Go find the property management!】

【What the upstairs person said is correct—hatred varies from person to person. Sometimes, just glancing at someone a little longer makes them think you harbor deep hatred, and if you get stabbed, do you think it's justified?】

【So what? Can it be the same? How so? Just endure it!】

【Support the Dark Knight! He did what the police dare not do!】

【He killed someone! No matter the reason, he doesn't deserve sympathy!】

Various social media posts scrolled wildly across the screen, overlapping into an unidentifiable block of color, as if society's emotions had been compressed into a small box in an instant, now surging at dozens of times the speed.

The atmosphere inside the Metropolitan Police Department was much calmer.

In the Criminal Investigation Department Chief's office, the warm air from the air conditioner blew quietly, the stack of confession transcripts on the desk had been flipped through many times, the edges slightly curled.

Uchimura Kanji stood by the window, on the phone with Kirekawa Buchou of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office.

His voice carried a light tone: "Yes, they've all confessed. The first four incidents, plus that one over there. The prosecution materials are ready; we can hand them over next week."

After hearing a few words on the other end, Uchimura Kanji nodded, somewhat obsequiously: "Of course, the credit belongs to everyone. You prosecutors have also worked hard."

Kirekawa Buchou was about to be promoted to Tokyo Chief Prosecutor.

This was precisely the critical moment for Uchimura Kanji to solidify ties with the prosecutors—damn it!

Put simply, resources belong to the state, but connections are one's own!

Then he said a few more words before hanging up, turned around, and looked at the pile of materials on the desk, as if seeing a blueprint already half-finished, needing only a few final strokes to be archived.

When Sugishita Ukyo pushed the door open and entered, Uchimura Kanji was just about to sit down.

He glanced at Sugishita Ukyo, without speaking immediately.

Sugishita Ukyo walked to the desk, placed a folder labeled "Proposal for Re-Enclosure" on it. His movements were unhurried, as if he did not want to create any unnecessary noise.

"What?!?" Criminal Investigation Department Counselor Chuzon read Sugishita Ukyo's proposal once, his mouth hanging open: "You mean…… it still can't be fully confirmed?"

"Section Chief Uchimura, regarding the Kanzuka Makoto case, some details still warrant further investigation. The injury records from the first four cases do not fully match Kanzuka Makoto's description of the modus operandi, showing some noteworthy discrepancies. For example, in the first case, the victim's injuries were mainly concentrated on the sides of the torso and outer upper arms, but Kanzuka stated in his confession that he struck the shoulders and back. These differences, while not major, appear repeatedly across the serial cases, possibly indicating he is not the actual perpetrator of these incidents."

"Moreover, the perpetrator's height in the first few cases should be around 177 cm, but Kanzuka Makoto is only 173 cm tall. Although he has a pair of 3.5 cm elevating boots, ……"

Uchimura Kanji pressed his finger once on that folder, then pushed it back to the center of the desk without opening it.

"Sugishita, I understand your caution. But Kanzuka Makoto has already confessed to all five cases. His confession contains no obvious contradictions, and the target selection logic in the first four cases aligns with his usual behavioral pattern. The prosecutors are already waiting for the materials—you graduated from Tokyo University Faculty of Law and have worked in the system for 30 years; you know why this is!"

Sugishita Ukyo's voice did not rise; he simply maintained his refined demeanor: "If we submit an incomplete case to the prosecutors, and later other potential suspects emerge, readjusting the case file would be extremely difficult. I do not oppose submission, but I hope we can re-examine those discrepancies in the scene records, injury reports, and surveillance footage before submission."

Uchimura Kanji sat down in his chair: "Sugishita! You don't grasp the current situation. This case has drawn high-level attention from the Cabinet, and the Diet is awaiting results. Solving it in five days is a major achievement for the Metropolitan Police Department, and also a victory that needs consolidation!"

"If something slips through now, I ask you—who will take responsibility? The entire Metropolitan Police Department's merit, the cost of deploying the Special Mission Division, the expense of having Uesugi Muneyuki conduct the autopsy, plus the cost of requesting assistance from nearly half of Investigation Division One and applying for Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters support—who will bear it?!" Uchimura Kanji was quite flustered: "Do you want everyone's merit to be revoked because of you? Do you deserve it? Do you deserve a damn thing?" "I don't care about merit. I care about the case itself." Sugishita Ukyo remained just as calm.

Uchimura Kanji fell silent for a moment: "Solving the case in five days—this achievement has already received approval from top to bottom. If we reinvestigate, it would mean our earlier conclusion had flaws, and the impact on the entire system would be significant. Do you understand what I mean?"

Sugishita Ukyo stood by the desk, the door behind him closing.

"Yayayayaya." The Investigation Division 1 Chief unconsciously thought of going to the National Police Agency to find Onoda Kanbocho, but as he entered the National Police Agency elevator, he suddenly realized.

Yeah, Onoda is already gone.

Sugishita Ukyo turned around in a circle, but found no one he could talk to.

When he pushed open the Special Mission Division's main door, Uesugi Muneyuki was sitting in his office workstation chair, a half-read photocopied case file spread across his knees.

He looked up, seeing Sugishita Ukyo enter: "Section Chief?! Really a rare visitor!"

"Uesugi-kun…… could I possibly borrow a bit of your time?" Sugishita Ukyo said somewhat unnaturally.

He explained the situation to Uesugi Muneyuki.

After listening, Uesugi Muneyuki neither agreed nor disagreed, simply closing the photocopied file and placing it aside: "Section Chief Uchimura isn't letting you continue the investigation?"

Sugishita Ukyo sat down in the chair opposite him, placing the photocopied file on the desk: "He won't allow it. The prosecutors are also waiting. The entire system is awaiting closure. Everyone feels this case is already solved, and no one wants to stir up trouble."

Uesugi Muneyuki smiled.

The Civil Servant Group does not exist—yet the Civil Servant Group is everywhere.

There is no civil servant group secretly controlling the entire empire from behind the scenes, just as Hacker would only need to hint slightly for countless civil servants to be willing to replace Humphrey as the Cabinet Civil Servant Chief.

But there does exist a collective unconsciousness within the civil servant group—this is certain—the group will unconsciously reject unfavorable situations, just as when Jim Hacker asked Frank Sir whether he thought Humphrey's power was too great, Frank Sir unconsciously replied that no such situation existed, that the civil service system runs smoothly, but when Jim Hacker said I don't mean that—I mean, are you willing to share some of his authority with him? Frank immediately said yes, Humphrey's power is too great, we can help him bear it.

And the priority of civil servant pay raises exceeds national defense and everything else.

Uesugi Muneyuki leaned back in his chair: "In other words, you've positioned yourself against the entire system. The civil servant system. This thing is far more stubborn than we imagine. It has its own rhythm, its own logic, its own interest calculations—once it gets moving, it won't stop easily. Unless someone can prove one—Kanzuka Makoto is not the true Dark Knight."

Sugishita Ukyo looked at him: "Then what do you think—is he?"

Uesugi Muneyuki did not answer immediately: "What do you think?"

"I think one—he admitted too much. A person who committed four incidents and then a fifth should know exactly what he did each time. But in his confession, regarding the details of the first four incidents, there are several points that don't match the scene records. If even his own crime details are confused, that only shows he's unfamiliar with those details."

Uesugi Muneyuki's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then he turned back, looking out the window at the Imperial Palace, the treetops gently swaying in the winter wind: "If you can find evidence proving the first four incidents were not committed by him, then you can prove the fifth incident was not his either. But this takes time. It requires materials. It requires those files already stamped 'Closed' to be reopened. Are you ready?"

Sugishita Ukyo sat in that chair, the streetlights of Nagatacho outside the window lighting up one by one, light slowly spreading through the air as it gradually darkened, as if seeping in simultaneously from many directions into this space.

He paused for a moment, his voice not loud but carrying a confirmed firmness: "Then let's look."

"No, you don't have time." Uesugi Muneyuki narrowed his eyes: "This is already the day after Kanzuka Makoto's arrest. According to procedure, Japanese police can detain suspects for at most 72 hours before handing them over to prosecutors, and according to civil servant system habit, the Metropolitan Police Department rarely hands over suspects after 64 hours—usually between 48 and 64 hours, especially when the evidence is so solid."

After speaking, Uesugi Muneyuki took out several documents: "On Kanzuka Makoto's clothing, we detected Motoki Honke's blood and DNA—this is absolutely undisputed evidence."

"But..." Sugishita Ukyo still insisted.

"No buts, Section Chief. I investigate the matter, not the person. Since you asked me to investigate, I will investigate. What I find is what it is. The rest, I don't care. Kanzuka Makoto is the killer of Motoki Honke—it's that simple." Uesugi Muneyuki said: "As for the rest, the decision is not mine. How to convict and prosecute is the prosecution's and court's job. My duty is simply to bring him before the prosecutors and the judge."

Sugishita Ukyo stared at Uesugi Muneyuki: "Uesugi-kun, without realizing it, you've also become a member of the Civil Servant Group?"

"You're the one who believes in procedural justice, Section Chief." Uesugi Muneyuki fell silent for a moment, then said: "As a Procedural Justice Advocate, you can't emphasize procedural justice in normal times and then suddenly emphasize the system's 'original sin' at a moment like this?"

"Then how do you usually face this issue, Uesugi-kun?" Sugishita Ukyo's small eyes reflected Uesugi Muneyuki's face. "I never worry, because I never make mistakes." Uesugi Muneyuki closed his eyes, seemingly avoiding direct eye contact with Sugishita Ukyo: "Because I am Uesugi Muneyuki, I never make mistakes."

"I see. It seems we can't convince each other." Sugishita Ukyo sounded disappointed: "You ultimately chose to defend the system's side—is it because of Section Chief Uesugi (Minami)?"

"From my debut to now, I've handled countless cases. I simply believe one shouldn't drown in ideals." Uesugi Muneyuki's gaze flickered for a moment: "I said it—I don't care about all that. I just perform autopsies, autopsies, reach conclusions, then make judgments. As for what comes after, that's not my concern. I will argue with the system over whether someone is a killer, but I won't sympathize or help someone just because they became a killer for some reason. This is my way."

"I see, I understand." Sugishita Ukyo nodded slightly, pushed open the door, and walked out.

The room was left with only Uesugi Muneyuki alone. He frowned, placing a large stack of documents in position.

【Village Flower Palace? Skewed, at mua?】

【Ah ha?】

【Can, help me a favor?】

【Then I want to eat Häagen-Dazs, and also three-color balls!】

【Deal!】