Chapter 96: A Trip to Chiba

Regarding Uesugi Muneyuki's request, the Joint Special Investigation Headquarters naturally had no objections, so Police Inspector Megure of the Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division 1, Thirteenth Subsection, and Police Inspector Okada, the Superintendent General's personal driver, received orders to accompany Uesugi Muneyuki on a trip to Chiba Prefecture tomorrow.

With this, from the establishment of the Joint Special Investigation Headquarters on Monday night to the major breakthroughs achieved by Thursday and Friday, the Metropolitan Police Department finally breathed a deep sigh of relief; everyone was beaming, their appetites returned, and they could sleep soundly.

It was just that Miss Minami had some opinions.

The high-intensity investigation over the past few days had left everyone a bit tired, so Department Manager Mouri decided that everyone would take a short rest that evening and arrange for vehicles to head to Chiba Prefecture the next morning.

That evening, Miss Minami took the initiative to invite Uesugi Muneyuki to dinner, driving him to a small shop called "Pobushana Nana Dojo."

The owner was a middle-aged man in high spirits; seeing Uesugi Muneyuki and Watanabe Minami take their seats, he briskly used long chopsticks to pick up two dollops of light brown semi-fluid from a plastic container and placed them into cups: "Welcome!"

"What is this?" Uesugi Muneyuki looked at the two small glass cups of light brown semi-fluid, feeling they looked like mucus.

"This is sea grapes, an appetizer." The boss laughed: "The color of today's sea grapes isn't very good, but I can guarantee they are absolutely delicious."

Oh! It's sea hair vegetable!

Only then did Uesugi Muneyuki recognize what this stuff was.

"You aren't Japanese, are you! Uesugi-san!" The owner laughed honestly, then asked with great interest: "How is it? Has there been any progress on the serial murder case? Eeya, it's truly terrifying."

Uesugi Muneyuki wondered to himself, how does this boss know me too?

"Regrettably, the current investigation results are still Metropolitan Police Department secrets, so it is inconvenient for me to disclose them," Uesugi Muneyuki said softly.

"Hey! You have the nerve to come eat without any results?" The owner immediately changed his expression: "Look for yourself, this matter has made everything outside a total mess recently! My shop's business has even been affected! You people collect so much tax money from me every year, you need to step up!"

The middle-aged boss's attitude was initially very poor, shouting several times, but just as Uesugi Muneyuki and Watanabe Minami were about to show displeasure, he immediately took two sand pots from behind the bar: "Yoshi, to help you two step up, this dish today is on the house. Ganbatte, take a piece of my shop's spirit with you!"

"Matsutake Conger Eel Soup!"

The two sand pots were like teapots, and combined with the small bowls the boss served, it felt even more like drinking tea.

The soup tasted sweet and clear, with a faint fragrance of matsutake, leaving a lingering aftertaste; the conger eel meat had been steamed snow-white and was tucked between the matsutake.

"Hi, here is the flounder sashimi from Matsukawa, please enjoy~" The boss then served a series of Set Meals.

Flounder sashimi, Grilled Pacific Saury, Grilled Turnip, Crab Paste and Roe, Eel Egg Roll.

Finally, a fragrant, large box of Eel Rice was brought out.

Uesugi Muneyuki took a big, satisfying bite, then smiled and said to Miss Minami beside him: "Are you angry?"

"Not at all!" Miss Minami's expression was complex.

"Oh." Uesugi Muneyuki really only asked once, then lowered his head to scarf down his food, which made Miss Minami so dizzy with anger that she didn't eat very ladylike either, as if the grilled eel were Uesugi Muneyuki's flesh, biting down fiercely.

"Are you angry?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked again.

"I'm not angry!" Miss Minami replied in a flash, wrinkling her nose and narrowing her eyes in a "threat."

Ask again and I'll hit you!

"Looks like you are still angry." Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head repeatedly and put down his chopsticks: "Anyway, you didn't plan on going to the scene, so there was no need for me to call you."

"I can choose not to go! But you cannot choose not to call!" Miss Minami finally couldn't hold it in and said huffily: "To think I supported you so much in front of Uncle Mouri and Brother Okada, and you didn't name me at a time like this?"

"You didn't plan on going anyway."

"Then you still have to name me! And then I will be the one to refuse!"

Miss Minami's pretty face was full of conflict.

With a *pat*, Uesugi Muneyuki didn't give her time to hesitate and grabbed her small hand tightly.

"The right person must be placed in the right place."

"Everything is with me, you don't need to fear; with you in the rear, I don't need to fear."

Uesugi Muneyuki's tone was full of composure and confidence.

Such a statement was simply so forceful that it brooked no rebuttal.

Yet this kind of forcefulness was exactly what worked best on Miss Minami!

Miss Minami naturally looked down on those yes-men who were timid and submissive; as a proud daughter of heaven, she had had her own ideas since she was small, and she looked down on those who were too weak.

And what about those who were too forceful?

Very sorry, Miss Minami also didn't like that kind of overly forceful male; she liked to keep the situation under her own control.

She gazed at the confidence in Uesugi Muneyuki's eyes, felt his determination, and understood that her staying in the rear was the best choice.

The Face of the Metropolitan Police Department turned to grip his hand tightly and nodded her head slightly.

"Then I will wait here for your good news."

"Mm." The two looked at each other and smiled, and the previous small conflict was resolved.

Both sides were still habitually competing for the leading role as Partners, but the two continued to deepen their tacit understanding—internal conflicts are resolved internally.

"By the way, why did you name Brother Okada?" Only then did Watanabe Minami remember Uesugi Muneyuki's strange choice; Police Inspector Megure was understandable as they were old partners, but why name Okada Masayoshi?

"Because he is one of our people, yet I don't know much about him."

…………

The next day, after a night's rest, Uesugi Muneyuki's spirits were much better; he watched Police Inspector Okada driving in front and pretended to be looking down at documents.

He had a deeper reason for naming Okada Masayoshi; this intelligence came from Fuji TV anchorwoman Hironaka Mariko.

【Isn't that guy that Okada?】 Hironaka Mariko's Cursed Grudge laughed wickedly: 【Look at him, he hasn't regretted it yet?】

【That Okada? What do you mean?】 Uesugi Muneyuki asked curiously.

【It's that Okada Masayoshi! He's quite famous in the circle; as the son of a dignified Financial Services Agency Commissioner from the Career Track, he actually chose to have a whirlwind marriage with a supermarket saleswoman from Hachioji City!】 Hironaka Mariko said with an indifferent face: 【It became known to everyone in the circle last year, causing a huge stir. His father almost announced he was disowning him, and to this day, the father and son haven't spoken a word to each other in public.】

【That dramatic?】 Uesugi Muneyuki raised an eyebrow: 【Does that supermarket saleswoman look like Matsushima Nanako or Uchida Yuki?】

【She looks like Sakai Noriko.】 Hironaka Mariko said nonchalantly: 【Heh, a woman from the countryside with low education; beauty is considered a core competency. It's good to be pretty.】

【A Career Track official crazy for love? Truly rare.】

She looks like Sakai Noriko, then it's fine.

Uesugi Muneyuki chatted with Hironaka Mariko for a few sentences, and Police Inspector Okada in front took the initiative to speak: "Uesugi-san, why did you specifically have me come along?"

"Oh, Watanabe said you want to transfer to Investigation Division 1 in the future," Uesugi Muneyuki said, holding the documents: "This matter is just a good stepping stone."

"If Watanabe puts it that way, indeed." A bitter smile appeared on the handsome, dashing face of Okada Masayoshi: "Actually, going to the front lines is hard, grueling work, but that is how one gets promoted quickly."

"Isn't it said that the Administrative Unit promotes faster than the Field Unit?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked with some interest upon hearing this: "Those sitting in offices at the National Police Agency are the 'Heavenly Officials,' while those of us running the field are the laborers. Aren't the Heavenly Officials much better off than the laborers?"

"That may be so, but we have you now, Uesugi-san, don't we?" Police Inspector Okada said meaningfully: "In this way, the Field Unit outweighs the Administrative Unit."

So that was it, Uesugi Muneyuki understood.

Because he had arrived, there were merits to be shared.

With merits, of course, one gets promoted quickly! Even faster than the Heavenly Officials sitting in offices!

"Promotions require sufficient justification, Uesugi-san; your skills are the best justification for a promotion." Police Inspector Okada felt a bit embarrassed as he said this: "You should know something about my situation, right?"

"Mm." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded.

"In short, I have cut ties with my family now, and one person's income has to cover the expenses of the whole household, which is a bit tight. The Field Unit has a large amount of field allowances; if I can be promoted to the Superintendent level, I can earn about 1.5 million more a year." Police Inspector Okada said a few honest words, feeling a bit ashamed: "I was used to being a young master before; I didn't expect life out here to be so difficult. Miki says she can't get by at all on 500,000 a month."

A female supermarket clerk spending 500,000 a month to run a household?

Uesugi Muneyuki raised an eyebrow: "Then how much do you take home a year?"

"About 5.2 million, I suppose. I entered the Metropolitan Police Department at 23, so I have 4 years of seniority."

"Isn't that not enough?" Uesugi Muneyuki spoke very directly.

A dignified Career Track Police Inspector, living in debt?

And isn't spending 500,000 a month a bit outrageous?

Although the previous text mentioned that a normal Japanese single-income family needs 6 million a year to live relatively decently, this standard is calculated for a married couple with a family of four; if it is just a young couple, 500,000 is considered quite affluent.

"My mother secretly gives me a subsidy from the living expenses my father provides." Police Inspector Okada nodded: "I heard from Watanabe that you are the same, right?"

"Heh, yes. Who isn't relying entirely on their father?" Uesugi Muneyuki thought of the Tower Mansion he lived in and empathized deeply.

The two men chatted, and finally, they had a further understanding of each other.

"In any case, the Metropolitan Police Department needs your help once again this time." Police Inspector Okada was not very willing to talk more about his own affairs, so he calmly shifted the topic: "Does Uesugi-san have confidence in this investigation?"

"If you ask about confidence, I certainly have it." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded: "Actually, the front line has already roughly figured out the street and school where the killer might live."

"Mm, Inage Junior High School in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture." Seeing Uesugi Muneyuki so confident, Police Inspector Okada also felt an inexplicable sense of confidence.

This legendary genius Forensic Pathologist seemed to be naturally particularly infectious; if he said it was so, it was so; if he said there was something, there was!

When the vehicle arrived in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, it was drizzling in the sky.

In the azure misty rain, the Joint Special Investigation Headquarters gathered in full force; Police Inspectors such as Kosaka Shinichiro, Kashiwagi Jin, and Shiratori Sho were already waiting for them.

Seeing that people had arrived, the front line immediately convened a special investigation meeting.

At the meeting, Star Inspector Kashiwagi Jin fiercely slammed a pile of photos onto the table and punched it: "Simply, insane!"

The photos were all of the large number of animal dismemberment cases that had occurred in Chiba Prefecture previously. The Chiba Prefectural Police Headquarters had been trying hard to cover it up, but now that it had been dug up, the scene was too horrible to look at.

Moreover, the technique was extremely precise; whether it was pigeons, frogs, or stray cats, all were decapitated with a single stroke!

The killer seemed to have some special hobbies, and the dismemberment scene was extremely terrifying.

Everyone felt that they were not far from the real killer!

"What about the school side?" Uesugi Muneyuki ignored Kashiwagi Jin and cast his gaze toward Police Inspector Kosaka of the First Division.

"We communicated with Inage Junior High School, wanting to understand the ins and outs of the animal dismemberment incidents inside the school, but the school does not allow us to enter for an investigation." Police Inspector Kosaka was also very distressed: "The school believes that this involves the school's reputation and the personal privacy of students, especially minors."

Is the school's attitude still so tough?

Finally, Police Inspector Shiratori also stood with his hands in his pockets, watching Police Inspector Kosaka flip through his notes: "According to our screening, that female student noticed in the surveillance should live within a fifteen-kilometer radius of the school, but..."

"But?" Uesugi Muneyuki looked up.

"But we don't have reliable evidence and cannot apply for a search warrant. Although the surveillance footage shows abnormal phenomena and some strange events, between these..."

"Between these, there is not enough connecting evidence; it wouldn't even convince a stray dog on the side of the road, let alone applying for a search warrant from the District Public Prosecutors Office." Uesugi Muneyuki twitched the corner of his mouth.

The school's attitude was tough and wouldn't let them investigate; they had no key evidence in hand, only inferences; and they couldn't apply for a search warrant based on a few clips of passing surveillance footage.

"In that case, we can't investigate." Police Inspector Megure also spoke up, rubbing his chin: "Moreover, the school here has recently suspended classes, and it is very difficult for us to even find opportunities to stop and ask questions on the street. Furthermore, if there is no concrete evidence, letting the outside world know that we suspect a minor is a serial killer would cause public opinion to explode!"

"Damn it, we were so close. Is there really no way?" Police Inspector Okada gritted his teeth: "The Minor for Juvenile Protection Law should protect minors, not murderers!"

"It is not that there is no way."

Just at this moment, two uninvited guests knocked open the door of the Second Conference Room of the Chiba Prefectural Police Headquarters.

It was Superintendent Ichijo and Captain Godai from the Public Security Department of the Metropolitan Police Department!

"Advisor Uesugi, the task of investigating the interior of the school, leave it to us in Public Security." Superintendent Ichijo slightly raised his chin: "Otherwise, even if you chat with this group from the Criminal Investigation Department for another few hours, you won't be able to think of a solution."

"You! What on earth are you Public Security people trying to do?!" Kashiwagi Jin was so angry he was about to rush up on the spot, but was held back tightly by Kosaka and Megure: "You appear only at this time? Haven't you embarrassed us Japanese police enough already?"

Superintendent Ichijo couldn't be bothered to pay attention to this Star Inspector; he just looked at Uesugi Muneyuki, signaling: Do you need our help?

Answer, yes or no?

Uesugi Muneyuki thought for a moment and immediately decided.

"Then, I will leave it to you in Public Security!"

"Very good!"

(End of chapter)