Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 121 - 43: The More You Soak Your Feet in Red Wine, The Richer It Gets

Chapter 121: Chapter 43: The More You Soak Your Feet in Red Wine, The Richer It Gets

"I earned a bit from stock trading recently," Fushimi Roku said.

It’s not unusual for Japanese civil servants to play the stock market. In fact, before the financial bubble burst, Japan was essentially in a state of everyone doing day trading. Trading stocks isn’t a surprise for civil servants; it wasn’t as tightly regulated as long as they adhered to information confidentiality and filed asset declarations, the government would turn a blind eye.

"Eh——"

Minamoto Tamako was a bit worried. In recent years, she had often heard stories about this or that person going bankrupt and committing suicide because of stocks, and some executives who used to visit her mother had also misappropriated public funds due to trading stocks, leading to them ending up in jail because they couldn’t cover the losses...

Fushimi Roku could tell what she was thinking from her expression and casually explained, "Don’t worry, I’ve already cashed out everything. I don’t plan to trade stocks anymore."

In the context of a general fiscal deficit, the probability of small investors making money from stock trading is about as slim as winning the lottery. Fushimi Roku merely used the financial company as a way to launder the dirty money on the one hand and cashed out over five million yen—Sazaki Gen had made some arrangements, so that financial company waived his fees.

Moreover, Sazaki Gen had given him unwrapped solid Daifuku. He wasn’t short on money for the time being and was already considering where to buy a house.

"You can’t rely on a windfall alone; it’s not sustainable. You need to learn how to manage your finances!"

Minamoto Tamako earnestly advised. During this time, she had learned quite a few money-saving tips like remembering to turn off the living room lights before bed or flushing the toilet without pressing all the way down, visiting second-hand flea markets which were more economical than buying at full price... Master Tamako shared her secrets openly, and Fushimi Roku half-heartedly brushed her off with a couple of "umms," then turned and opened a bottle of red wine to soak his feet.

"What are you doing?!"

Minamoto Tamako was shocked. She’d never been so extravagant even before she ran away from home, and the red wine produced by a quality Chianti winery was now priced around ten thousand yen. Fushimi Roku casually poured it into the steaming foot bath bucket. This was extravagant luxury taken to a whole new level!

"What do you mean, ’what am I doing’? It’s winter; of course, I’m soaking my feet."

Fushimi Roku sat on the living room sofa, rolled up his pant legs, and tested the water temperature with his toes. Finding it a bit too hot, he added a bit more red wine to balance it out.

"Why add red wine to a foot bath?" Minamoto Tamako wanted to catch it with her mouth. Even if the bottle was opened, it could still sell for a good amount of money! At the very least, it could buy her a set of handmade Japanese snacks!

"It promotes blood circulation, don’t you know? For people who frequently have cold hands and feet, using red wine for a foot bath can help improve the situation and warm the feet before bed."

Fushimi Roku put his feet into the tub, earnestly explaining: "Besides, red wine contains a rich array of polyphenols and vitamins with antioxidant properties, which helps improve dryness and roughness of the foot skin, nourishing it in the process."

"Can’t you use cheaper red wine?" Minamoto Tamako moved closer, curiously observing. The steaming heat brought with it a rich, fragrant wine aroma, hmm, quite pleasant.

"Sure, but I think there’s a reason why expensive things are more pricey." Fushimi Roku spread his hands flat on the back of the sofa, leaning back to enjoy the invigorating feeling of a winter foot bath... he thought it would be even better if someone could give him a foot massage right now.

So extravagant! Utterly extravagant!

Minamoto Tamako criticized Fushimi Roku. If things continued like this, no matter how much money he made, it would never be enough to cover his expenditures. Seeing that Fushimi Roku was indifferent, she felt like her good intentions were misunderstood and resolved that if in the future Fushimi Roku spent all his money and came to her pitifully asking to borrow some, she wouldn’t soften!

Moreover, Minamoto Tamako had secretly decided not to pay the partner fee for next month! They had been so busy with work lately that there was no time to investigate the Heavenly Punishment culprit, so why should she spend that unnecessary money... Anyway, Fushimi Roku had already agreed to work with her on investigations in the future.

Even without paying, they’re still partners!

Taira Sakurako tugged at Minamoto Tamako’s clothes, taking her to tour her room, saying she wished for Minamoto Tamako to live with her. Eager to oblige, Tamako agreed wholeheartedly, smiling with extraordinary kindness, radiating a motherly glow.

Upon entering Taira Sakurako’s room, she instinctively shivered. The walls were covered with Noh masks, eerily resembling peeled-off human faces. The corner of the room was piled with sturdy cardboard boxes, and the bed had no dolls or toys, just a bunch of half-read law codes and files.

Minamoto Tamako decided that once she moved in, she would give the room a proper makeover... at the very least, she’d buy Sakurako some toys, even if she couldn’t afford sweets next month!

She took a bath in Taira Sakurako’s room and borrowed Sakurako’s clothes to wear. Fushimi Roku, in order to save effort, bought clothes that were mostly large-sized, so Sakurako could continue to wear them as she grew, and they fit Minamoto Tamako just right.

"Why does it look like old man’s clothes? Dusty gray long sleeves and trousers, so drab." Minamoto Tamako stood in front of the floor-length mirror, turning around to examine the clothes on her and said to Taira Sakurako, "Fushimi doesn’t have any sense of style. Next time I have a day off, I’ll take you to buy new clothes!"

"Okay." Taira Sakurako nodded.

Just as Minamoto Tamako was about to ask her how she was doing, her stomach growled. She had slept the whole day and hadn’t had dinner yet. Just as she was about to suggest going downstairs to buy a bento, Taira Sakurako opened the door and called out to Fushimi Roku, "I’m hungry."

"Go next door to grab a bite," Fushimi Roku was too lazy to get up.

"How could you?! You can’t just trouble the neighbors like that!" Minamoto Tamako frowned, "Is that how you’ve been handling dinner all this time?"

"I used to cook at home, but the guy next door would always come by drawn by the aroma to scrounge a meal..."

Fushimi Roku wiped his feet with a towel and said, "Oh right, forgot to tell you, Senior Feng lives next door."

"Ah?" Minamoto Tamako was quite surprised, "Since when did you guys become so close?"

"You’re overthinking it. It’s just a coincidence. I didn’t know Senior Feng bought a place here beforehand, or I wouldn’t have moved here—it’s just too unlucky... And it’s Watanabe Shun who comes over for food; it’s about time he returns the favor."

"Senior Watanabe is here too?" Minamoto Tamako was stunned again.

"The police department doesn’t have dormitories, and his salary wouldn’t cover the rent, so Senior Feng took him in until he saves enough to move out," Fushimi Roku explained.

This was truly great news! Minamoto Tamako’s eyes gleamed; she never expected to reunite with her station buddies! Plus, Fushimi Roku and they were all colleagues—once she got promoted to Criminal Police and transferred to the Criminal Division, they could all work together again!

This must be fate’s arrangement! They must have a reunion banquet to celebrate!

Under Minamoto Tamako’s urging, Fushimi Roku reluctantly got up, wearing fluffy slippers to knock on the next-door apartment. Taira Sakurako followed with a cardboard box in tow. She needed a box for protection whenever she went out, otherwise, she felt insecure.

"Moses——" he feebly called out, "Senior Watanabe, are you in? Time for a feast..."

The sound of footsteps came from behind the door, the peephole darkened briefly. A moment later, there was a click, and the door opened.

Standing at the door was a beautiful woman, radiating gentle sophistication. She wore a turtleneck white sweater, with a full bust, and had a tear mole at the corner of her eye.

"May I ask... who are you looking for?"