Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 183 - 105 Discussing Merits and Rewards

Chapter 183: Chapter 105 Discussing Merits and Rewards

The train stopped, snow chunks splashed onto the wheels, sizzling and smoking.

Toot—toot—

The whistle blew, and people jumped off the train cheering, with Inakawa Association members and criminal police from the search division celebrating together, a rare sight. Hotta Hidego and Kinosaki Shoujin leaned against the window, lit a cigarette, and watched their subordinates rush into the snow, tossing the half-dead Fushimi Roku high into the air.

"One, two, three! Hurrah!"

Fushimi Roku grimaced in pain and cursed a bunch of lunatics. Who treats the injured like this? Seeing he still had the energy to curse, they tossed him up again, having a great time.

Minamoto Tamako jogged over to the side of the train switch, checking Sakurako from top to bottom to make sure she wasn’t injured, then sighed heavily in relief and hugged Sakurako tightly.

Passengers from another train also got off and gathered around them, clapping earnestly in thanks.

"Amazing, little sister!"

"So brave, jumping off the train in such a situation..."

"So cool! Even cooler than professional skiers!"

Sakurako turned her head and buried her face in Minamoto Tamako’s arms. It was her first time experiencing this strange feeling. Although she was in a crowd, she wasn’t scared, just had a strange sense of nervousness—happy but too shy to face people... Could this be what they call being shy?

Minamoto Tamako, afraid Sakurako would be further affected, quickly hugged her, patting her back to soothe her gently, and quietly explained the situation to the onlookers. Upon learning that Sakurako was ’strong-minded despite her intellectual disabilities,’ everyone was awed, with some even considering donating money.

Minamoto Tamako hastily waved them off, feeling that accepting money now would make them seem like beggars. Plus, morally coercing others wasn’t right; many travelers looked even poorer, with clothes patched up...

"Sister, do you want an orange?"

A girl, holding an orange in both hands, offered it to Taira Sakurako. She looked a year or two younger than Sakurako, likely just starting elementary school, with her mother standing behind her, eyes still wet with tears of relief.

Sakurako turned her head slightly, hesitated for a moment, then carefully reached out to take the orange.

This orange was meant just for her.

She no longer had to rack her brains about how to claim someone else’s orange for herself.

Seeing this, Minamoto Tamako felt as if her eyes got caught in a Barrett sniper rifle, and couldn’t help but cry her heart out, hugging Sakurako.

Several detectives from the search division were tasked with wrapping up, using the radio in the train’s locomotive to contact the nearest signal station. The local autonomous association sent several hundred volunteers with small carts to deliver supplies. The train drivers and conductors rushed to repair the train and verify the track line.

The local police sent criminal police and patrol police to assist in the wrap-up, temporarily replacing identification officers and coroners, responsible for photographing evidence, transporting bodies, and recording investigation notes... Everyone was bustling in the snowy field.

Over seven hours later, they finally began the journey home.

The operation’s commanding officer was Director Sakamoto, currently holding the rank of Police Chief, serving as the Director of the Criminal Department of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department—the overall responsibilities such as prior preparations, budget approvals, personnel mobilizations, and action leadership were all personally handled by him.

More than three hundred detectives from the search division boarded the train and lost contact over an hour later. One can imagine the pressure Director Sakamoto was under.

Before he could catch his breath, an urgent report from the signal station stated the train was about to crash. His assistant spun around in panic, asking what to do, while he calmly said over his teacup, "I trust my subordinates, they’ll surely turn danger into safety" ... Despite his calm exterior, Director Sakamoto was internally frantic.

When everyone returned safely, Director Sakamoto finally breathed a sigh of relief, albeit exhausted. Although many detectives were lost this time, considering the situation, it was already the best possible outcome compared to a complete wipeout.

In the follow-up wrapping-up activities, the police confirmed the number of deaths, tallied the number of missing persons, arrested numerous Heavenly Punishment Group members, and various media outlets were rushing to draft new reports.

All detectives worked overtime to write the action report, which angered Director Sakamoto to no end. Everyone was already competing for commendations, but how was it that in the end, a little girl who hadn’t even finished elementary school turned the tide? How was he supposed to submit such a closing report to his superiors?

Director Sakamoto directly rejected it. His assistant helped translate: In the action report, Lady Tamako’s contributions must be prominently highlighted, followed by emphasizing the minister’s competent leadership, then the leaders, division heads, and members should individually claim their exploits.

Though dissatisfied, the subordinates didn’t dare to voice their complaints.

The next day, Director Sakamoto received the revised action report. After examining it, he was pleased, made a few minor adjustments, and then called a meeting with superiors to report on his duties.

This operation was deemed a resounding success, with no civilian casualties or families seeking trouble, the police and tycoons (Inakawa Association) worked closely together, eradicating the Heavenly Punishment crime syndicate... If they were to issue a public statement, they could paint the Heavenly Punishment Group as more severe than it seemed, further publicizing the contributions of fallen officers, leading public opinion to overwhelmingly applaud.

However, as expected, he was harshly criticized by Kujo Yua.

As a Police Chief, she certainly scolded without using profanities. Kujo Yua tossed the report on the table, asking who authored it, slyly berating: "Who exactly did something this stupid? Director Sakamoto, I suggest you properly discipline your subordinates... Don’t the rescued passengers have mouths? To claim credit, lying about such insignificant matters. If the action report is announced according to this, how do you think the public will view the Police Department? A bunch of nincompoops fighting a little girl for credit?"

No one in the meeting defended him.

She made valid points: in cases with so many eyewitnesses, the Police Department couldn’t present itself poorly. Honestly commending the little girl, allocating a subsidy to help disabled children reintegrate into society is what the Police Department should do.

That afternoon, the Mejiro Train Major Case topped criminal news headlines. The report was penned by Yazaki Momo, who had exclusive information before the incident.

The news article, taking the perspective of the socially marginalized, emphasized that the "Heavenly Punishment" incident wasn’t an isolated case. Amid financial recession, rising prices, and the tides of the times sweeping through Japan, a sense of nihilism is quietly growing. Many marginalized people have already lost hope in life—even without Heavenly Punishment, they would go to extremes for other reasons.

Various media called on all walks of life to care for the nation’s welfare, aiming to increase public happiness levels. TV news invited celebrities to discuss their views on the "Heavenly Punishment Group," analyzing the societal factors behind its emergence.

Fushimi Roku couldn’t care less about the societal uproar, as he was hospitalized again.

This time, his left arm was fractured, right shoulder dislocated, and ankle sprained. Luckily, none were shattering injuries, and he’d recover after some rest.

Minamoto Tamako brought a fruit basket to visit him, inquiring if he needed anything. Lying in the hospital bed, Fushimi Roku thought for a long time. It might have been a head injury’s effect, as he felt his memory wasn’t as good as before.

"I feel like I’ve forgotten something," Fushimi Roku said, frowning.

"Huh? What thing?" Minamoto Tamako asked beside the bed.

"Never mind, if I can’t recall, it must not be important." Fushimi Roku dismissed the thought, directing Minamoto Tamako to unpack the fruit basket.