Tokyo: From Lawless Madpolice to Minister

"Madam, please get up quickly." Xiu Xin helped Yehua Yiren to the sofa and sat down, speaking with righteous indignation, "As a police officer, it is my duty to bring lawbreakers to justice. Since you are willing to cooperate, I will not share the sky with evil!"

"Mr. Aoyama, you are such a good person." Yehua Yiren, moved to tears, sniffled to hold back her tears, "Tell me, how can I cooperate?"

"You'll meet with Zhongshan Akiyu... first do this, then that." Xiu Xin began to lay out the plan.

After listening, Yehua Yiren hesitated, her legs tightly closed, and she tentatively asked with a hint of nervousness, "Is... is it legal to do this?"

She constantly felt that these were not the normal proceedings a police officer would follow, and her reason made her subconsciously want to refuse.

"Mrs. Yanahara, of course, it's legal. Could I, as a police officer, be breaking the law?" Xiu Xin said with a mild smile, "Just be at ease."

Yehua Yiren wanted to say that Zhongshan Akiyu and Yamamoto Hiroshi were also police officers, but then she thought comparing the upright Mr. Aoyama to them would be an insult to his noble character, so she swallowed her words and chose to trust Xiu Xin, nodding gently.

"Then I'll leave everything to you, Madam. Let us join hands to give Zhongshan Akiyu the punishment he deserves!" Xiu Xin stood up with a stern face and bowed respectfully, his voice resounding firmly.

Yehua Yiren was also infected by his emotion, feeling a surge of warmth in her body and hurried breathing. She quickly stood up and returned a deep bow, "Yes!"

"I take my leave, Mr.Aoyama awaits the good news. I believe you won't disappoint me," said Xiu Xin, raising his head with a slight smile before turning to leave.

After leaving the Yoshinaga family, Xiu Xin continued investigating Zhongshan Akiyu, busier than ever.

It wasn't until past 9 p.m. that he hurried back to the station, and when he walked into the Chief's office, Fujimoto Ryosuke and Asai Ayumi were already waiting there.

Now that they were all in the same boat, Fujimoto Ryosuke, unusually, didn't mock him for being late. Instead, he stood up with a look of genuine relief and said, "Aoyama Criminal is finally here. Let's now share our investigative progress. I'll start."

"Yamamoto Hiroshi did not lie about one thing; I asked some Yakuza who oversee gambling venues, and he did indeed gamble in casinos multiple times and borrowed money from several loan companies. However, there was no borrowing information from Nozawa Financial Corporation, although he said his loan agreement had been destroyed. Even if the agreement was destroyed, the borrowing information would still be retained."

"According to the report from the Forensic Department, Yeharadong's time of death was between 9 and 11 that night. At that time, Yamamoto Hiroshi indeed was not at home. His own statement claimed he went to meet Yeharadong, but a neighbor said he left home after seven o'clock, which doesn't match his statement, proving his statement has falsehoods!"

Fujimoto Ryosuke said all of this in one breath as if reciting something memorized, his mouth dry. He picked up a glass of water at his side, drank it in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and said, "There was an urgency, so we only found out this much. But these findings are not enough to prove that Zhongshan Akiyu is a murder suspect."

Although he spoke modestly, the amount of useful information uncovered in just one day made Xiu Xin view him differently; it seemed Fujimoto Ryosuke had quite the connections in that world, knowing people from all walks of life.

"I just happened to encounter Yukawa Jinichi from Criminal Affairs at the Yoshinaga house under the guise of investigating, running errands for Zhongshan Akiyu to find a so-called secret ledger of Yeharadong." As soon as Xiu Xin spoke, Fujimoto Ryosuke and Asai Ayumi perked up.

This suggested his investigative skill was indeed good.

Xiu Xin continued, "Moreover, according to Mrs. Yanahara, Yeharadong had dealings with Zhongshan Akiyu before his death. It's obviously a story of a usurer colluding with a corrupt cop, a tale of partners in crime."

"I also found out that Zhongshan Akiyu's wife is in the United States with their child, and the household's income relies solely on him, yet they live comfortably and have extra money to buy the hearts of colleagues and curry favor, likely having under-the-table dealings with Nozawa Finance."

"As for the motive for murder? The reasons could be plenty, maybe it was because Yeharadong threatened him with that ledger, or perhaps due to dissatisfaction with the profit distribution. Anyway, we can now be almost certain the behind-the-scenes criminal is him."

"But we currently have no evidence," Asai Ayumi bluntly pointed out the awkward predicament; unless Zhongshan Akiyu admitted to the crime himself, they had no grounds to arrest him.

Fujimoto Ryosuke, being an ambitious and driven person, and never one to be discouraged, said encouragingly, "With this information, we just need to investigate, and we will surely find evidence!"

"There's no time left," Asai Ayumi shook her head.

Xiu Xin and Fujimoto Ryosuke both paused, taken aback.

Leaning against the office desk, Asai Ayumi pressed her hips slightly against the edge, pursed her tender, dewy red lips, and said softly, "This afternoon, Police Headquarters inquired about this case, saying its nature is too severe. Since the criminal has already confessed and accepted his punishment, they suggested that my dad finalize and submit the case by tomorrow. Before public opinion escalates, the police department should announce the news themselves, creating an image of decisiveness and effectiveness in combating internal crime."

"Idiot!" Fujimoto Ryosuke punched the desk fiercely, his teeth clenched, "It must be Zhongshan Akiyu pulling strings!"

He hated those who relied on connections the most!

Because he didn't have the balls!

"So, let's arrest Zhongshan Akiyu tomorrow," Aoyama Xiu Xin stated with a calmness that belied the gravity of his words.

Fujimoto Ryosuke and Asai Ayumi both widened their eyes incredulously, wondering whether Xiu Xin misspoke or they had misheard.

Facing their gaze, Aoyama Xiu Xin reiterated nonchalantly, "We will arrest Zhongshan Akiyu tomorrow."

"Have you lost your mind?" blurted out Asai Ayumi, remembering how he had coerced her in the basement; she realized he really had the nerve and immediately grew anxious, confronting him and shouting, "Do you realize what you're saying? It's easy to arrest Zhongshan, but what will you do afterward?"

Without evidence to convict Zhongshan Akiyu, their unwarranted arrest would put them in a vulnerable position.

"The crazy one is Zhongshan Akiyu," Aoyama Xiu Xin said with a faint smile, his voice serene, "To deal with a madman, you have to out-crazy him. From now on, leave everything to me."

"No way!" Asai Ayumi objected without thinking.

Aoyama Xiu Xin's expression turned cold. "Understand your place. You're not in a position to tell me no."

Fujimoto Ryosuke was flabbergasted.

But what shocked him even more came next.

Asai Ayumi, clearly furious, could only bite her lip and seethe in silence, not daring to speak up.

Fujimoto Ryosuke felt utterly disheveled, realizing that while he intended to survive by taking the path of least resistance, Aoyama Xiu Xin was determined to blaze through regardless.

"Since there are no objections, it's decided," concluded Aoyama Xiu Xin.

Only then did Fujimoto Ryosuke come to his senses, his bravado gone in the face of a man daring to arrest a superior without any evidence. He weakly raised his hand and said, "Shouldn't my opinion be heard..."

"Do you have a father who's a police chief?" Aoyama Xiu Xin asked him earnestly.

Fujimoto Ryosuke shook his head, "No."

"That's why your opinion isn't important," Aoyama Xiu Xin said with a smile, gentle yet piercing.

Fujimoto Ryosuke's face turned red with frustration, inwardly wanting to retort: Don't be so proud, my father is trying his best.

...

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Zhongshan Akiyu, dressed in formal attire, arrived at the café with confusion to meet someone as arranged.

The café was deserted, without a customer in sight.

After mentioning Mrs. Yanahara's name, he was led by a waiter to a table by the window.

"Chief Zhongshan," Mrs. Yanahara, who had been waiting anxiously, stood up to greet him.

Zhongshan Akiyu noted her forced composure and sat down unperturbed, taking charge of the situation, "What's the reason for meeting me, Mrs. Yanahara? It seems we have had no involvement with each other."

"There may be no connection between us, but you and my husband certainly had frequent dealings," Yehua Yiren said.

Zhongshan Akiyu's eyes narrowed; he waved the waiter away and stared fixedly at Yehua Yiren.

As far as he knew, Yeharadong, being excessively fond of his wife, never involved her in his business matters, but now that seemed suspect.

Zhongshan Akiyu's gaze was oppressive, causing Yehua Yiren to stiffen. She lowered her head to stir her coffee, avoiding his stare, "I wasn't well-informed about our family's business affairs, but your actions today, Chief Zhongshan, coming to my house looking for account books, they reminded me. While sorting through my late husband's possessions, I found something of great interest to you."

Zhongshan Akiyu tensed up. Yehua Yiren's timid yet feigned composure didn't seem deceitful, and he was not willing to gamble on it.