Tokyo: From Lawless Madpolice to Minister
Chapter 140 - 136: Playing it big, the era makes Aoyama Xiu Xin

Chapter 140: Chapter 136: Playing it big, the era makes Aoyama Xiu Xin

Police Headquarters, meeting room.

The long and tedious "Kanagawa Prefecture Gunfight Special Investigation Headquarters Establishment Meeting" finally ended. Kuniaki Renping stood up, bowed, and said, "I hope everyone can overcome all difficulties and solve this case as soon as possible. Thank you!"

"Yes, sir!" Everyone got up and responded in unison.

Kuniaki Renping raised his head, "Dismiss—"

"Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!"

A ringtone interrupted his voice.

Everyone’s gaze followed the sound and looked toward Ayumi Asai.

"Sorry," Ayumi Asai instinctively went to hang up the phone.

Seeing this, Kuniaki Renping smiled and said with a pleasant demeanor, "Answer it, it might be something important. Besides, the meeting has just ended."

"Yes, sir!" Ayumi Asai responded and then answered the phone, "Moshi moshi, this is Ayumi Asai."

"Are you still in the meeting?" Aoyama Xiu Xin asked.

Ayumi Asai replied softly with a "Mhm."

By this time, other people had already started to walk out.

But because Ayumi Asai was on the phone, they all very considerately made no noise.

"Turn on the speakerphone," Aoyama Xiu Xin instructed.

He was going to put on a big show.

Even though he knew it might be seen as a slight to the other members of the Special Investigation Headquarters, he didn’t care.

He was committed to his performance!

Not even Jesus could stop him.

Although Ayumi Asai was confused, she still complied.

Then everyone in the room heard Aoyama Xiu Xin’s emphatic report: "Report to the Police Chief! Last night’s main suspect in the Kanagawa Prefecture gunfight incident has been captured by the First Investigation Division’s murder unit!"

For a moment, everyone froze in their steps, turned back sharply, and stared at Ayumi Asai in disbelief.

Then they looked around at each other, and only after seeing that everyone else’s reactions were just as shocked did they confirm they had heard correctly.

Ayumi Asai’s heart was also in turmoil, but she managed to maintain her composure and asked calmly, "Details."

"One accomplice killed in action, one main suspect and two accomplices arrested, no casualties," Aoyama Xiu Xin said.

Everyone felt stunned.

We had just finished the meeting, analyzing how difficult the case was to investigate and how hard the criminals were to catch, yet over there, they had already caught them.

Now what were we supposed to do?

Some people’s expressions turned quite marvelous.

They had initially been relieved that Aoyama Xiu Xin had not joined the Special Investigation Headquarters and stolen their thunder, but now he had singlehandedly taken all the credit.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

A slow round of applause began to sound.

People looked in the direction of the applause and saw Kuniaki Renping leading the clapping, after which others also started to join in.

"Clap clap clap clap clap clap!"

Thunderous applause filled the meeting room.

"Good! Good! Marvelous!" Kuniaki Renping said with an exhilarated smile, "Police Chief Aoyama, you have truly surprised us all and lived up to your reputation as a great detective. Please bring the suspects back as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir!" Aoyama Xiu Xin hung up the phone.

Everyone else looked at Kuniaki Renping. Now that Aoyama Xiu Xin had solved the case, their position seemed a bit awkward. Was it time for everyone to go their separate ways?

Kuniaki Renping spoke cheerfully, "Police Chief Aoyama acted so swiftly, catching not only the suspects but also us off-guard, making this Special Investigation Headquarters seem like a joke."

Ayumi Asai furrowed her brow delicately; Kuniaki Renping seemed to be joking, but he was actually stirring up resentment towards Aoyama Xiu Xin.

Being too outstanding could indeed be a mistake!

"Since the main suspect has been arrested, there’s no need for the Special Investigation Headquarters to continue. Dismiss on the spot, and everyone return to your respective departments."

Kuniaki Renping dropped these words and strode away.

As soon as he stepped out, his expression darkened.

Although everyone else felt a sense of being reduced to mere extras, he was the most aggrieved.

Not letting Aoyama Xiu Xin into the Special Investigation Headquarters was meant to avoid sharing credit with him, but unexpectedly, Aoyama Xiu Xin solving the case alone was a slap in his face.

"Notify them to hold a press conference."

Although he felt aggrieved, the process still had to be followed; from the police’s perspective, Aoyama Xiu Xin’s performance was beneficial to the collective image.

Kuniaki Renping might have harbored animosity toward Aoyama Xiu Xin due to his son’s situation, but he wouldn’t let sentiment cloud his judgment. If his suppression efforts were too apparent, it would look petty and small-minded, which was not befitting his stature.

After all, as the Police Headquarters Director, he needed to present a shining image of fairness and impartiality to the public; otherwise, it would certainly not go over well.

"Fallback!" On the other side, Aoyama Xiu Xin gave the order.

The officers escorted the trio including Yamamoto away, and the body of the bearded man was handed over to a nearby police station.

Strolling out of the living room, Aoyama Xiu Xin casually reached for a cigarette.

Hirofumi Asano rushed out, slapped the cigarette from his hand, pointed at the body of the bearded man, and roared furiously, "Shinichi Nakamura used his gun against regulations, deliberately killing a person, and you still cover for him? Our guns are for maintaining order, not for taking lives recklessly! Even if he was guilty, he should have been tried and executed through legal procedures, not gunned down on the spot!"

The recent incident was too atrocious in his eyes, and he just couldn’t stand it anymore, not even wanting to pretend on the surface.

At that instant, everyone stopped and glared at Asano Hirofumi with unfriendly eyes, full of disdain.

After all, supervisory methods aren’t complete these days, and there hardly exists a police officer who enforces the law entirely by the book. Plus, what’s wrong with killing a vicious criminal?

If they were to enforce the law strictly by the book, those criminals would teach them a lesson in minutes.

Most people are influenced by experience; their law enforcement is based on years of accumulated experience from their seniors.

Legal provisions? Who cares about that stuff!

Compared to an upright and selfless boss like Asano Hirofumi, they naturally preferred a boss like Aoyama Xiu Xin, who would cover for his subordinates – it felt safer to be associated with him.

Even the captured Yamamoto had a look of amusement as he watched Asano Hirofumi, not expecting to find such an honest and law-abiding police officer within the Police Headquarters.

"Who saw it?" Aoyama Xiu Xin looked directly at Asano Hirofumi in front of him and asked casually.

Then, without waiting for a response, he looked at the other officers and asked with a smile, "Did you see anything?"

"No!" everyone answered in unison.

Asano Hirofumi trembled with rage rushed up to Yamamoto, grabbed him by the collar, and demanded, "You saw it! You saw your men being shot by police out of regulations! Are you willing to come forward and testify?"

"I didn’t see anything," Yamamoto answered indifferently.

Even if he could escape the death penalty, he was destined to never leave prison in this lifetime. Speaking out of turn, Aoyama Xiu Xin would have ways to retaliate; he didn’t want to be beaten up every three days or ganged up on every five.

In their line of work, losing one’s life for money was common; if not killed by peers, then by police. Thus, while he was saddened by the Bearded Man’s death, he couldn’t fully accept it.

"Idiot!" Asano Hirofumi, not expecting even Yamamoto to testify, angrily grabbed the collars of two others and demanded, "What about you? What about you?"

But they both remained silent, not saying a word.

Feeling the cold stares around him, Asano Hirofumi’s heart filled with desolation and anger, convinced he was in the right!

"Assistant Director Asano, instead of thinking about how to take down your colleagues, you should think about how to capture more criminals," Aoyama Xiu Xin said, bent down to pick up the cigarette that had been knocked onto the ground, and walked toward the courtyard.

In this era, Aoyama Xiu Xin had adapted well after his arrival, using the superficial rules to thrive.

Meanwhile, Asano Hirofumi, all alone, was trying to fight against the entire era, which was like using a mantis’s arm to stop a chariot—only to be crushed by its wheels. He could choose not to board the vehicle, but he couldn’t block it and expect others not to get on.

This was Japan, after all, and Aoyama Xiu Xin was only too pleased to have all government departments be as corrupt as could be—so he felt no psychological pressure, which was actually conducive to his advancement.

Everyone else followed suit, leaving Asano Hirofumi standing alone, seemingly in a daze.

It wasn’t until the sound of engines outside that he was brought back to his senses, his fists clenched, and his eyes regained their determination.

He had seen superiors engage in corruption and cover-ups, but this was the first time he’d witnessed a subordinate openly commit murder while the boss turned a blind eye. He had a premonition that the higher Aoyama Xiu Xin climbed, the greater the danger to the nation.

After all, Aoyama Xiu Xin had the capability and the backing to go further; now he was just leading one department astray, but once he became a section chief, wouldn’t that spoil an entire section? And as Director, the entire Police Headquarters!

He had to stop this man! Like a hero in a game striving to defeat the dragon.

.........

On the way back to Police Headquarters, Aoyama Xiu Xin conducted a brief interrogation of Yamamoto and the other two, learning that the other group involved in the gun battle had all died that very night.

In other words, after capturing Yamamoto, the Kanagawa Prefecture gunfight case was effectively solved.

Aoyama Xiu Xin reported this to Asai Ayumi.

Asai Ayumi then relayed the information to Renping Guoxiong.

Asking him to clarify this matter in the press conference later.

When Aoyama Xiu Xin returned to Police Headquarters, someone was waiting for him at the entrance, "Police Chief Aoyama, the Director has requested that you immediately attend the press conference in the auditorium."

"Yes!" Aoyama Xiu Xin hurried to the auditorium and just as he approached the side door, he heard Director Renping speaking inside.

"After the incident, the police reacted swiftly upon receiving the information and, after a relentless all-night investigation, the perpetrators suspected of the Kanagawa Prefecture shootout have all been apprehended an hour ago..."

"Special Investigation Headquarters? Haha, the journalist asked a good question. Actually, that was just a smoke bomb we released to confuse the suspects! There was never any intention to establish an investigation headquarters; from the very beginning, I assigned the murder division of Investigation Section One to take charge of this case."

"The details of the case? To be honest, I’m not yet clear on the specifics of the apprehension, as Police Chief Aoyama has just returned to Police Headquarters. Please, let’s have him come up on stage and explain to everyone."

"Applause"

Amidst fervent applause, Renping Kuniaki bowed and left the stage, while Aoyama Xiu Xin walked up.

As the two crossed paths, they exchanged a glance.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press, good morning. I am Police Chief Aoyama Xiu Xin of Investigation Section One’s murder division," Aoyama Xiu Xin bowed after taking the stage.

"Applause"

Following another round of fervent applause, as Aoyama Xiu Xin raised his head to speak, the applause gradually subsided.

Standing tall and proud, Aoyama Xiu Xin said in a deep voice, "Actually, last night, Police Headquarters had already secured a crucial lead. To mislead the suspects and keep them in Tokyo, buying time for the investigation, Director Renping proposed the establishment of the Special Investigation Headquarters."

"Our murder division has been secretly following the clues, and finally, an hour ago, we discovered the hideout of the suspects, burst in, and apprehended them. During the capture, one suspect attempted resistance and was decisively killed by our officers."

"Although the Kanagawa Prefecture gunfight incident is shockingly horrifying, I assure the public that Japan’s entire police force is on guard 24 hours a day, protecting the safety of our citizens, and any crime will be resolved with utmost speed!"

With that, Aoyama Xiu Xin bowed.

He then prepared to leave the stage amidst the resounding applause.

"Police Chief Aoyama, could you talk about the progress of the 1990 serial murder case?" Just then, a young journalist suddenly stood up and asked loudly.

"Yes, Police Chief Aoyama, please say a few words.

"The public is very concerned about this case, but it seems you have never personally addressed it."

"Police Chief Aoyama..."

The other journalists began to speak one after another.