Tokyo: From Lawless Madpolice to Minister
Chapter 443 - 391: How Should a Police Officer Fulfill His Role

Chapter 443: Chapter 391: How Should a Police Officer Fulfill His Role

Evening fell, and with the dimming skies, the city lights began to twinkle.

In December’s Sapporo, its prosperity appeared on the surface not inferior to Tokyo, with streets bathed in brilliant neon at night, filled with hustle and bustle, and every so often, one could catch snippets of various foreign accents, including but not limited to Chinese, Korean, European, and American.

In a private room on the second floor of a street-side izakaya in the Central District, Aoyama Xiu Xin and Nakamura Shinichi sat across the table from one another, with the windows wide open, offering them an unobstructed view of the busy crowds passing by.

"Sapporo is quite lively too," Aoyama Xiu Xin remarked as he withdrew his gaze and drained the sake cup before him in one gulp.

"That’s what I thought when I first arrived. A subordinate told me that it’s only like this in winter," Nakamura Shinichi refilled Aoyama Xiu Xin’s cup, adding jokingly, "It’s quite idle here, there are hardly any major cases usually, the scenery is great, it’s suitable for vacations and retirement."

That wasn’t to say it suited people like them, who were there to work.

"Is that so? Well, they probably won’t have much idle time coming up," said Aoyama Xiu Xin with a slight smile.

He wasn’t here for a vacation or retirement. If the crime rate was low, how would he demonstrate his effectiveness?

Thus, the benevolent Mr. Aoyama would first raise Hokkaido’s crime rate, and then personally bring it down. This way, he could earn his commendations and leave.

And all the people of Hokkaido would have left to do was thank him.

Thinking about all the disreputable schemes Aoyama Xiu Xin had pulled off in the past, Nakamura Shinichi mourned for his Hokkaido colleagues for a minute. They would have to start hustling!

Aoyama Xiu Xin picked up the sake cup once more and emptied it in one go, stopping Nakamura Shinichi from pouring more, and picked up his chopsticks to select some food, "Let’s talk about what you’ve found."

Actually, after eating Japanese food for a while, it was pretty good.

His stomach was becoming more and more acclimatized.

"Yes!" Nakamura Shinichi bowed slightly, setting down his own drink, and began to speak slowly, "Director Fujimoto Takayoshi wields tremendous power over headquarters, with high prestige, and has near absolute control. Deputy Director Yamashita Kogoro, on the other hand, is a bit of a pushover, but even Fujimoto Takayoshi respects him to some extent."

"When I first arrived, I established some authority by cracking down on a troublemaker from my subordinates, but I feel that the people at headquarters are very united and xenophobic. They superficially follow my rank and orders but inwardly are wary and hostile towards me, the specific reasons for which I am not yet clear."

"The police here act much more brazenly compared to Police Headquarters; they dare to beat and scold suspects right in the corridors, and everyone else regards this as normal. If you see one cockroach in your house, you know there’s certainly not just one."

"Brazen is good. I don’t fear them being corrupt or violent; I can be corrupt and violent too. What I’m afraid of is if they were all honest kids," Aoyama Xiu Xin toyed delicately with his exquisite sake cup, smiling nonchalantly.

Combining their modus operandi, he could guess that their hostility towards outsiders was mostly because they shared interests that couldn’t bear the light of day.

Therefore, they feared any changes that might affect their interests. Nakamura Shinichi and he both could be such changes, especially since he had a reputation for being incorruptible, which certainly made them even more wary.

But fortunately, he was greedier than them, and worse than them, so as long as he had time to let these people understand his true nature, he could quickly assimilate.

First, to blend into the local gangs, gain their trust and approval, and then slowly scheme to overthrow the gang leaders, taking charge as the chief himself.

If he was going to be a bad guy, he was going to be the worst one!

Confronted with Aoyama Xiu Xin’s unabashedly corrupt and villainous facade, Nakamura Shinichi was at a loss for words. It took him a while to manage a mere, "Yes!"

"All right, Mr. Nakamura, you’ve worked hard. I’ll drink to you," said Aoyama Xiu Xin as he poured himself another drink.

Nakamura Shinichi promptly lifted his cup with both hands, "Yes!"

Meanwhile, in a private room of a high-end club in the Central District, the upper echelons of the Hokkaido Police Headquarters and the Sapporo City Police Department chiefs and deputy chiefs gathered together.

Only Deputy Chief Yamashita Kogoro was absent.

Although the light in the room was dim, lending a slightly seductive air, the atmosphere among the people was very serious and tense.

The corpulent Director Fujimoto Takayoshi, whose girth raised the question of whether he was full of talent or simply pregnant, sat in the center, with a female subordinate, who often had in-depth exchanges with him and whose official title was Head Accountant of the General Affairs Department, beside him.

As Fujimoto Takayoshi ran his hand up the Head Accountant’s stocking-clad leg, he surveyed the room and, with a grim voice that scanned each face, said, "Gentlemen, Aoyama Xiu Xin’s sudden arrival at our Hokkaido headquarters is like a bolt from the blue! We don’t know yet if he’s friend or foe, so to be cautious, from now on everyone needs to rein in their subordinates and be more restrained in all matters. Don’t speak out of turn, don’t take money you shouldn’t, and whoever stirs up trouble will be held responsible. Don’t implicate everyone else."

He paused, looking towards the Director of Criminal Affairs Department Oda Take, "Arrange a meeting with the people from Beihai Family and Tangben Group, tell them to halt any business that needs to be stopped for now, but make sure they don’t skimp on their dues."

Left unsaid was that while private collections should cease, the collective contributions couldn’t stop, otherwise there would be discontent among the rank-and-file officers.

Moving from luxury to austerity is difficult. If the collective revenue stream dried up, they would invariably defy orders in secret to seek other sources of income.

That would be more likely to trigger unexpected complications.

"Yes!" Oda Take responded, his hands on his knees.

"How long will this continue? Beihai Family and Tangben Group pay up but can’t operate; if this drags on, they will inevitably harbor resentment, and the men below can’t see that far ahead," remarked one of the Ministers in a deep voice.

Fujimoto Takayoshi, with pudgy hands freely groping the Head Accountant’s thigh beside him, dismissing her pained expression, said indifferently, "I’ll test the waters with Aoyama Xiu Xin as soon as I can, no more than a month at most."

"If he’s truly as incorruptible as they say, not tolerating even a speck of dust, won’t that mean we can’t make money in the future?" another Minister questioned.

Fujimoto Takayoshi smiled, his tiny eyes squinting into slits, "If he’s smart, we’ll just cut him in. If not, we’ll find a way to send this big Buddha packing. And if he isn’t smart, won’t leave, and still wants to block our wealth, there are no shortage of drunk drivers and penniless crazies out for revenge, right?"

As the saying goes, obstructing someone’s livelihood is akin to killing their parents.

Either get in the car or get out of the way; if you insist on standing in front of the car, you will only be crushed by its wheels.

...

On February 1st, Monday, this year’s Sapporo Snow Festival was set to officially kick off at nine o’clock in the evening.

And at nine in the morning, the Hokkaido Police Department would welcome the "Police Tiger" from the Police Headquarters, Aoyama Xiu Xin.

Although Aoyama Xiu Xin was merely a Senior Police Director, his considerable reputation warranted that General Affairs Department Director Fujimoto Takayoshi personally led all the department members in greeting him outside the main entrance, a reception of the utmost grandeur.

The lower-ranked officers had mixed feelings about the arrival of Aoyama Xiu Xin. On one hand, they greatly admired his superhuman achievements and had long held aspirations towards them; on the other hand, they feared he might disrupt their comfortable lives, plunging them from long-held wealth into sudden poverty.

Five minutes past nine, a conspicuously black sedan with a tiger emblem slowly approached, and its Tokyo Central District license plate made everyone realize the person of importance had arrived.

Everyone instinctively straightened up.

Driving the car was Nakamura Shinichi, with Aoyama Xiu Xin sitting in the back seat, muttering to himself while looking at the grand welcome ceremony, "Ill-intent comes this way."

Such a lavish welcome was tantamount to giving enough face before laying the groundwork for a polite prelude to a hostile encounter.

"Senior Police Director, you are, in fact, the visitor here," Nakamura Shinichi heard this remark and couldn’t help but correct him.

Aoyama Xiu Xin rolled his eyes and didn’t respond.

When the car stopped, Aoyama Xiu Xin, dressed in a well-fitted suit and looking as elegant as a willow tree in the breeze, stepped out with a smile on his face.

"Welcome Chief of Police Aoyama to the Hokkaido Police!"

Other than the leadership above the level of Minister, everyone bowed deeply in unison, shouting as loud as thunder, "Welcome!"

"Thank you, thank you, gentlemen, for the trouble of coming out to meet me," Aoyama Xiu Xin bowed in gratitude.

"Mr. Aoyama, it’s an honor I’ve long awaited! Meeting you in person today, truly an impressive figure with extraordinary presence!" Fujimoto Takayoshi, as rotund as a ball, approached with a radiant smile, tightly grasping Aoyama Xiu Xin’s hand, "Learning that you were coming to Hokkaido, I was overjoyed. With you here, I’m certain Hokkaido will become a place where roads are not picked clean and houses need no bolts at night."

"Director Fujimoto flatters me too much. I am but a mere mortal," Aoyama Xiu Xin shook his head, returning the compliment, "Before coming here, I had heard of your great reputation. The sizable territory of Hokkaido has remained well-maintained in social order and the crime rate has steadily declined under your many years of management. As a junior, I still have much to learn from a senior like you. I hope to receive your guidance while working under your command."

His words were not empty, for Hokkaido’s crime rate was indeed low, and it had decreased after Fujimoto Takayoshi took charge, at least outwardly.

"I dare not claim such credit. I merely have a few more years of experience," Fujimoto Takayoshi modestly deflected, before warmly leading him towards a group of senior officials, pointing to a broad-shouldered, middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and a crew cut, "This is your partner, Minister Oda Take, the Director of the Criminal Affairs Department."

"Minister Oda, I look forward to your kind guidance," Aoyama Xiu Xin bowed respectfully without a hint of arrogance.

Oda Take, stern and unsmiling, bowed back and said, "You’re too courteous. Let’s look after each other."

"He’s like this, very old-school. You’ll get used to it," Fujimoto Takayoshi remarked after introducing Aoyama Xiu Xin to the other management members.

Aoyama Xiu Xin shook hands with them and exchanged greetings.

"Alright, we’ll get better acquainted at the welcome dinner prepared for Mr. Aoyama tonight. For now, let’s all return to our posts," said Fujimoto Takayoshi turning back to the crowd, then addressing Oda Take, "Mr. Oda, take Mr. Aoyama to the office, introduce him to the Criminal Department colleagues. Mr. Aoyama has had a long journey; there’s no rush to assign him work, let him rest for a couple of days."

"Understood!" Oda Take bowed deeply.

Aoyama Xiu Xin didn’t decline, cheerfully responding, "Then I’ll shamelessly take it easy."

Following that, he headed off with Oda to the Criminal Department on the third floor to meet the division chiefs from First to Fourth Investigation Units, finally making his way to the office.

His office was spacious, with clear ventilation from north to south, roughly thirty square meters, equipped with a guest sofa, coffee machine, and all the necessary brand-new furnishings.

Noticing every subtle expression on Aoyama Xiu Xin’s face, Oda Take asked, "Mr. Aoyama, are you satisfied?"

"Very satisfied. You’ve thought of everything that I didn’t, giving me a sense of being right at home," Aoyama Xiu Xin said while gently touching the solid wood desk and laughing.

"Good to hear," Oda Take threw in, "We were worried that you might find it too extravagant."

"Eh, well that’s not quite right; how could one be in the right mood for work if even the office environment is lacking? These are necessary expenses," Aoyama Xiu Xin said with a smile.

He could tell that the other was probing him, and he was eager to show that he was one and the same as them.

Stop probing. I’m fucking greedier than any of you.

Oda Take’s eyes flashed briefly, "What you say is very true, and it’s a view shared by the Director as well. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time at the Hokkaido Headquarters. You should rest now, and I’ll take you to the cafeteria at mealtime."

"Great, great, thank you for the trouble, Minister Oda. Take care," Aoyama Xiu Xin nodded and bowed as he saw him off.

The moment Oda Take stepped out of Aoyama Xiu Xin’s office, he headed straight to the Director’s office and dutifully reported the results of his probing, "He displayed no aversion to the completely renovated office; in fact, he was quite pleased, and even earnestly spouted a set of self-deceiving fallacies, seemingly not so incorruptible."

"Don’t rule out the possibility that he’s acting, trying to gain our trust and let our guard down. We’ll test him again at the welcome dinner tonight," said Fujimoto Takayoshi, slumping on his office chair, hands crossed in front.

Not a single upright official could escape his discernment!

Deeply bowing, Oda Take affirmed, "Understood!"

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