Tokyo: From Lawless Madpolice to Minister
Chapter 37 - 36: Young People Are Still Too Young, Back to Police Headquarters (Vote for Monthly Ticket! Subscribe!)

Chapter 37: Chapter 36: Young People Are Still Too Young, Back to Police Headquarters (Vote for Monthly Ticket! Subscribe!)

"What? Hey! I got it, hey!"

In the chief’s office, Asai Ayumi, with her slightly disheveled dress and a flirtatious look, hung up the phone and turned to Aoyama Xiu Xin, "The Police Headquarters wants our Shinjuku Police Station and the first investigative team to jointly form an investigative headquarters responsible for arresting Takeda Ichiro. My father will serve as the head of the department, and Sato Rich will be the deputy director."

"It seems my brother isn’t so impressive after all?" Aoyama Xiu Xin, dressed neatly in a suit from the waist up, but with his pants dropped to his knees, smirked with a cigarette in his mouth and teased.

"If it were someone else, this case would have already been grabbed by the first investigative unit." Asai Ayumi spoke proudly of her father, then started tidying up her dress, "Mr. Aoyama, hurry up and put on your pants, go and report to my father immediately, you’ve also been assigned to the investigative headquarters."

"Include Nakamura too," Aoyama Xiu Xin flicked off some ash, stood up and pulled up his pants.

"Okay, I’ll propose it to my father. It’s just adding one more person." Asai Ayumi answered casually.

When the two arrived at the chief’s office, they saw that over ten people were already there, from various departments of the police station; Takahashi Tomoyuki and Fujimoto Ryosuke were also present.

"Alright, everyone is here." Asai Youki slightly nodded with a grave expression, "The Police Headquarters has ordered the establishment of an investigative headquarters specifically for arresting Takeda Ichiro. I will serve as the head, and the first investigative unit’s Police Chief Sato will be the deputy director. The department is set in Police Headquarters. This is cooperation, but also competition. You all are the elites of the police station, so I have chosen you. Please bring honor to our station!"

"Hey!" Everyone stood at attention and responded in unison.

Asai Youki’s face relaxed a bit, "Alright, go prepare. The headquarters is already setting up office space. We’ll depart in an hour."

"Hey!"

People bowed and then left, all except for Asai Ayumi, who lingered alone for a while before leaving.

Just after sitting down back in the office, Nakamura Shinichi immediately brought a cup of hot tea for Aoyama Xiu Xin.

"Deputy Director, you’ve worked hard. Please have some tea."

"Put it down."

As Aoyama Xiu Xin spoke, he took off his jacket, and Nakamura Shinichi quickly put down the teacup to take his suit. Noticing lipstick on the collar, he discreetly wiped it off with his sleeve.

"Nakamura." Aoyama Xiu Xin picked up the teacup and took a sip before speaking, "The Police Headquarters has established an investigative headquarters for Takeda. I just proposed to the chief, and you’ve been included as well."

"Hey! Thank you, Deputy Director, for your support!" Nakamura Shinichi immediately showed excitement and bowed deeply.

Aoyama Xiu Xin smiled and waved his hand.

Nakamura Shinichi turned back to his seat.

Xingzi sneered and turned to Jing Shang to complain, "Senior, doesn’t Nakamura demean himself too much? He doesn’t even see what he gets out of it."

Because Jing Shang, like her, never actively toadied up to their direct superior Aoyama Xiu Xin, she viewed him as someone who respected himself as much as she did.

"Who knows, let’s get back to work," Jing Shang casually responded, not wanting to offer an opinion.

He even felt a bit helpless, wondering why this young girl always liked to interact with him, an "old guy."

Suddenly, he stood up, "Police Chief, good to see you."

"Police Chief!" The others also stood up.

"Hmm." Asai Ayumi just nodded slightly at Aoyama Xiu Xin before entering her private office.

About an hour later, she walked out and clapped her hands to draw everyone’s attention, "Aoyama Deputy Director and I have been pulled into the investigative headquarters for the arrest of Takeda Ichiro. Until the department officially disbands, the daily affairs of the divisions will be temporarily overseen by Jing Shang. If there are important matters, report them to me or Deputy Director Aoyama."

The reason for assigning this task to Jing Shang was that he was the most senior officer in the division, not only experienced but also composed, capable of managing others.

"Hey!" Jing Shang stood up and answered.

Asai Ayumi nodded and walked outside.

Aoyama Xiu Xin stood up, and Nakamura Shinichi quickly approached to hand him his jacket, then silently followed him out of the office.

"No way, Nakamura, how could he..." Xingzi was stunned by the scene, vaguely guessing something she didn’t want to admit, feeling bewildered.

Jing Shang glanced at the unfortunate kid and said softly, "He must have also been included in the investigative headquarters."

"This... Why though!" Xingzi could no longer contain herself, even though she and Nakamura had both joined the force as newcomers, "He has only been a police officer for a few days..."

"He hasn’t been a police officer for long, but the Deputy Director values him," Jing Shang cut her off, sighed, pulled Xingzi to sit down, and spoke in a low voice, "Actually, I have wanted to tell you something for a while but feared it might hurt you. If you want to advance in your career, don’t follow my example. You should learn more from Mr. Nakamura."

"You’re learning from me? At my age, I have no room for advancement, naturally, I don’t need to serve a superior like Nakamura does."

He paused, then gave a bitter smile and pointed at himself, "Xingzi, why do you think I’ve been a police officer for twenty years and still on the front lines? Because when I was young, I was just like you!"

Under Japanese regulations, police officers who prefer working on the front lines can choose not to be promoted, but how many are genuinely willing to give up a promotion for that?

Most experienced officers don’t get promotions due to various reasons.

Struck by a heavy blow, Xingzi sat in the chair staring at Jing Shang with a somewhat vacant look, appearing even more bewildered.

"Think about it." Jing Shang patted her shoulder and turned back to his work.

It’s just that young people are too young.

.........

About twenty minutes later, Asai Youki, leading Aoyama Xiu Xin and others, arrived at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department located at Chiyoda-ku Kasumigaseki Nishidome 1-1.

"Mr. Aoyama, returning here again, must your feelings be quite mixed?" Asai Youki looked back.

"Hey!" Aoyama Xiu Xin acknowledged, speaking somewhat melancholically, "Indeed, there are indescribable emotions."

In fact, he felt no turmoil inside.

"Keep it up, and aim that the next time you return, you won’t have to leave." Asai Youki encouraged him, then smiling, walked towards the welcoming Sato.

Sato Police Chief had already extended his hand from afar, rapidly approaching with a greeting, "Police Chief Asai, welcome, welcome."

"Police Chief Sato, it’s been a long time, I’m on your turf now, please take good care of me." Asai Youki clasped his hand, speaking amiably.

"What turf of mine?" Sato chuckled, shaking his head to correct him, "This belongs to all police in Japan. Police Chief Asai and colleagues should feel like they’re returning to their own home, please feel at ease."

"Hahahaha, Police Chief Sato, you’re still so eloquent," Asai Youki laughed heartily, letting go of his hand and turning to look at Aoyama Xiu Xin, "Xiu Xin, you used to work under Police Chief Sato, right?"

"Hi!" Aoyama Xiu Xin stepped forward, looking at Sato Rich, "Police Chief Sato, long time no see."

"Mr. Aoyama, welcome back," Sato grinned broadly as he extended his hand while turning his head to speak to Asai Youki, "Criminal Aoyama was a junior I highly favored, unfortunately fate had other plans. Police Chief Asai, you must make full use of him, do not waste his talents."

Suddenly, his facial expression changed drastically as he whipped his head to look at Aoyama Xiu Xin, gritting his teeth so tight it felt like his hand was about to be crushed, but he dared not cry out.

"Police Chief Sato, are you alright? Why is your face so red?" Aoyama Xiu Xin asked with concern.

Sato endured the pain, squeezing out a sentence from between his teeth, "I’m just too excited to see you return."

"I’m excited too. I vividly remember the lecture you gave me when I first joined," Aoyama Xiu Xin, still holding his hand, began reminiscing about the past.

"Let’s not stand at the door. Let me show you the office first," Sato Rich obviously couldn’t sit through his lengthy monologue and hurriedly blurted out to interrupt.

Aoyama Xiu Xin then had to let go of his hand.

Sato’s fingers twitched with pain as he led the way inside nonchalantly, "Gentlemen, this way please."

Damn it, Aoyama Xiu Xin, this bastard!

The investigative headquarters were set up on the same floor as the first investigative section, and as the group entered, people inside were busy arranging the scene, organizing data related to Ichiro Takeda.

On the first day of the headquarters’ establishment, more precisely on the first afternoon, they didn’t handle actual cases but just held a meeting to divide all personnel into ten groups, three people per group, assigning them various tasks.

Aoyama Xiu Xin, Nakamura Shinichi, and Asai Ayumi formed one group, with Asai Ayumi taking the role of team leader.

Asai Youki analyzed that Takeda Ichiro’s high-profile return might be in preparation for another crime, so the task for Aoyama Xiu Xin and his team was to find out if anyone had recently bought a large number of firearms and ammunition, especially explosives.

After work, Aoyama Xiu Xin drove home early because his ’big brother’ was coming home tonight.

"Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~"

Halfway there, his phone suddenly rang.

"Moshi moshi, this is Aoyama Xiu Xin."

"Mr. Aoyama," a soft and faint voice came through the phone. It was Mrs. Yanahara. She said, "Today, I arranged a meeting with heads of several companies that have frequent dealings with our corporation using our big client data to exchange for Sato Rich’s information from two of them. He borrowed 170 million yen from these two companies multiple times a year ago and repaid it with interest over the first three months of this year."

Using part of Nozawa Financial Corporation’s major client data, obtaining Sato Rich’s loan information from just two companies was obviously a loss, but Aoyama Xiu Xin had requested it.

"Alright, I understand. Continue to collect Sato Rich’s loan information; I’ll cover any losses," Aoyama Xiu Xin spoke nonchalantly.

Yehua Yiren replied, "Mr. Aoyama, you’ve helped me a lot already, this is the least I can do."

"Let it be then," Aoyama Xiu Xin hung up the phone.

Including the loans from Nozawa Financial Corporation, Sato Rich had borrowed nearly three hundred million yen recently, all repaid concentratedly this year, indicating he had suddenly become wealthy at the start of the year.

Moreover, such a large sum of money definitely had a dirty source – either embezzlement or bribery. As long as he gathered enough evidence and reported him, making a big fuss through the media, and Sato being unable to clarify the source of his repayments, he would be finished.

Of course, the best method would still be to find out where exactly that money came from, ensuring a fail-safe strike against him.

.........

Inside a van parked in a parking lot.

Ichiro Takeda was sitting inside, munching on a sandwich.

There were two phones on the dashboard – one his, and the other belonging to Fumiaki Imamura.

"Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~"

Suddenly, one of the phones started ringing.

Takeda grabbed it and answered, but didn’t speak.

Neither did the person on the other end.

"......"

After a moment of silence, a male voice finally spoke, "Ichiro Takeda has returned."

"I know, I’m Takeda," Takeda Ichiro responded evenly while chewing his sandwich.

The breathing on the other end briefly became rapid.

But the call was not disconnected.

Takeda Ichiro coldly said, "I’ve only come back to get my money. If I get it, I’ll leave immediately. Otherwise, if I get caught, I’ll definitely expose you. If I’m not wrong, you must be a police officer. Although I can’t discover your exact identity, you can gamble whether I would tell the police, and if you would be found out."

Only a police officer could silently obtain Fumiaki Imamura’s criminal evidence to threaten him and tip him off about the police coming to arrest him back then.

That’s why Takeda Ichiro deliberately exposed his identity.

Because as long as the police knew he was back.

That person would definitely know as well.

And now, it seemed his assumption was correct.

That selfish collaborator was a police officer!