Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 573 Real and Fake Lawyers
The young man's face appeared in Fushimi Shika's mind.

He still remembered what Abe Rokuro looked like: a slightly round face, a small mouth, and clear eyes when he looked at people, the kind of person who looked easy to fool.

Wasn't that guy just promoted?
Didn't you finally become a criminal investigator?

Fushimi Shika thought something had happened. He put down his phone and felt a pang of sadness... Rokuro had been keeping watch for him not long ago, how could he suddenly be dead?

Life is truly unpredictable.

He called Watanabe Shun, wanting to discuss the matter in detail, but Watanabe Shun didn't answer and didn't reply to his text messages.

Did you drink too much again?

Fushimi Shika sat on the toilet in the stall, shaking his leg, a bad feeling creeping into his heart.

He had a vague feeling that something was going to happen there when he left Tokyo. Now that the signs were showing, he didn't want to hear any bad news on his wedding night.

After hesitating for a long time, Fushimi Shika finally called Satake Gen.

The phone rang three times before the other party answered, speaking in a normal tone and asking Fushimi Shika what was wrong.

Instead of asking about Abe Rokuro directly, Fushimi Shika inquired about the progress of recovering the "Dog Head Man Special" videotape.

"It went smoothly. Nobody paid attention to the dog-headed man special videotape. The Metropolitan Police Department also has a priority system for destroying videotapes. For example, videotapes involving senators are prioritized for destruction..."

"Things have been pretty unsettled in Tokyo these past few days. Detectives have been raiding video rental stores every day, and a lot of people have been arrested for selling illegal videotapes. But the more you ban something, the more widely it spreads; everyone has a bit of a morbid curiosity..."

"Kei Horie? He's a big celebrity now. Newspapers and media are reporting on him every day, saying he's acting on behalf of God, assassinating a high-ranking official involved in the Cat Island incident, and the public is calling for his innocence..."

"I'll send you a photo via MMS later. It's a snapshot taken by a photographer at the scene of Horie Kei's court appearance. This photo has been published in a current affairs magazine, and people have even formed a fan club for him..."

"The Metropolitan Police Department definitely won't support an acquittal. Their official stance is consistent: they've determined this to be a terrorist attack, and they don't advocate against it; it must be severely punished..."

"Regarding the Cat Island incident, the Metropolitan Police Department has consistently failed to provide a direct response. Horie Kei's defense attorney questioned this in court, and the prosecutor's response has remained consistently that it is under investigation..."

"The official public relations skills are really bad. I don't know why they would use an excuse like 'the videotapes are being recalled for the sake of public mental health,' when hardcore adult videos can be sold normally..."

Satake Gen was quite talkative and kept talking non-stop.

It's probably because he has now successfully cleaned up his act and is able to sit back and relax, remaining indifferent to any disturbances in society.

By employing the cash flow strategy of reselling debt taught by Fushimi Shika, Gen Satake's company completed its initial capital accumulation.

Even if the Financial Services Agency subsequently enacts an anti-monopoly bill, Gen Satake can still continue operating through shell companies. If all else fails, he can invest in movies and TV series and become a film and television investment company.

It's better than living in constant fear and living in the underworld.

As for Takamasa Ishii, he remained the same, spending his days hanging out with his brothers. If gangsters came to collect protection money from the company, he would lead his men to fight them off.

After getting a general understanding of the situation in Tokyo, Fushimi Shika casually asked, "How's it going with the Metropolitan Police Department?"

"How is it?" Satake Gen asked.

"It's about whether anyone has died or something," Fushimi Shika said.

"Yes, there are a few video arcades that are Yamaguchi-gumi territory. In all my years, this is the first time I've ever seen a shootout between police and criminals over a few videotapes... I don't know how many people have died because of the higher-ups' reputation," Gen Satake remarked.

He said this with a strong sense of superiority.

Fushimi Shika understood immediately; it seemed that Abe Rokuro had been killed in the fighting.

If he died for his ideals, then he died a worthy death. Just like Minamoto no Tamako who resolutely drew her gun on the green train, willing to die in battle to protect the passengers and capture the criminal.

But to die over a few videotapes, what kind of nonsense is that?
Fushimi Shika felt sorry for him; he should know when to slack off, because being too serious about work never ends well.

“Oh right, I remember now,” Satake Gen suddenly changed the subject, “Do you know who captured Horie Kei?”

"I don't know," Fushimi Shika replied haphazardly.

"He was caught by a junior patrolman." The sound of Satake Gen eating pickled bamboo shoots came from the other end of the phone, making a crunching sound. "There's a lot of public pressure right now, and the head of the criminal investigation department is also suspected of involvement in Cat Island, so they're putting all the blame on that junior patrolman."

"How can we shirk this responsibility?" Fushimi Shika asked.

"I heard that he was accused of making unauthorized arrests and surveillance operations, and of overstepping his authority. He was accused of disrupting the Special Investigation Division's plans because he was greedy for credit, which led to the failure of the operation and the inability to capture Horie Kei's accomplices."

Satake Gen paused for a moment, then concluded, "To put it bluntly, it's his fault for closing the net too early, causing the videotape to leak."

"And then?" Fushimi Shika wanted to know exactly how Abe Rokuro died.

"What's the 'then' part?" Gen Satake was baffled. "Such a big thing happened, someone should be held responsible, right?"

"Aren't those officials suspected of involvement in Cat Island going to be held accountable?" Fushimi Shika asked.

"You mean the Minister of Criminal Investigation? He denied it, saying the videotape content was all fake," said Gen Satake.

"What happened to that young patrolman afterward?" Fushimi Shika pressed for the key question.

"I think he was sentenced, but I don't know what happened after that." Satake Gen didn't pay much attention to this matter.

"How could this be judged?" Fushimi Shika really couldn't understand it.

“Negligence led to a serious mistake. You know more about the law than I do, so you should understand, right?” After finishing the pickled bamboo shoots, Satake Gen continued eating his noodles, making slurping noises.

"I know more about the law than you, that's why I can't understand."

Fushimi Shika gripped his phone tightly: "What kind of dereliction of duty is this? Did they question the superiors? Did they ask the person in charge of the operation? Who initiated the surveillance operation? Shouldn't that person bear full responsibility? Such a simple principle as separation of guilt and responsibility, how come it doesn't apply in court? What is the judge doing?!"

"Oh! Now that you mention it, I remember that Horie Kei killed a judge, right? It was probably out of spite, that's what the rumors say, but I don't know the specifics."

Gen Satake was just an observer; he didn't care about the matter at all and casually commented:

"But in the end, he only got what he deserved. Who told him not to report when he was enforcing the law? I used to be a criminal police officer, so I know the unspoken rules: arrest people first and then complete the formalities... But you can't do this kind of thing openly. If you get caught, you can only accept your bad luck."

Fushimi Shika had heard enough of this kind of talk.

Watanabe Shun received a suspended sentence for soliciting prostitution; who told him to suffer the consequences? No one appealed that the sentence was too harsh. Moriki Masahiro was suddenly fired; who told her to be so absent? No one complained that it violated labor laws. Even Kazama Takusai, who lost an arm and an eye and lost his job, who told him to raise such a daughter? No one cared what Kazama Takusai was really thinking…

——'Flies don't land on eggs without cracks; he can only blame his bad luck.'

A single, casual remark covered up the malicious accusation, the feud between men and women, and the injustice of the verdict.

They did make mistakes, but no one is perfect, therefore the law needs to be even more just.

Satake Gen continued rambling, "Reporting actions is basic common sense. Overstepping authority is a major taboo. The Criminal Investigation Department didn't wrongly accuse a junior officer. His name isn't in the Special Investigations Unit's personnel files; he's not even a member of the Special Investigations Unit. In the end, he was just meddling in other people's business, and his good intentions backfired, causing a huge mess..."

"Enough!" Fushimi Shika hissed. Every word Satake Gen uttered felt like a resounding slap in the face, and he instinctively retorted, "The law isn't a weapon for those bastards!!"

As soon as the words were spoken, Fushimi Shika was stunned.

He never expected to say such a thing.

“When did you become such a radical? Just settle down and get married. Enjoy your vacation in Hokkaido, and come back to Tokyo when things have calmed down… I’ve prepared a wedding gift for you, so you can look forward to it.” Satake Gen shook his head and sighed, “The social atmosphere in Tokyo is terrible now. It used to be so much better. Back then, there was only fighting and killing in the martial arts world, not so much trouble.”

Fushimi Shika gave a perfunctory reply and hung up the phone.

He flushed the toilet, got up and left the cubicle, returning to the makeshift restaurant tent.

Yuan Yuzi had finished licking her ice cream and was now writing and drawing in her notebook.

Fushimi Shika went over to watch and saw that the notebook was full of case analysis, detailing the entire process of Minamoto Tamako's shooting in the auditorium.

"I think we should still ask Mr. Ishizuka..."

Yuan Yuzi said, biting the end of her pen, "It's a pity that he has always refused to be visited in prison. I wish I could see him."

Fushimi Shika reached out and closed her notebook, then bent down and put his arm around her shoulder, saying, "Let those famous detectives investigate. We just need to focus on getting married."

“So this is part of the wedding,” Gen Tamako pouted. “I wanted to see how the famous detectives solve cases, but unfortunately they have to go out to investigate, and they all have partners…”

"You have ice cream on your lips."

Fushimi Shika pretended not to hear her complaint and reached out to wipe the ice cream crumbs off her lips.

"Did you wash your hands after using the toilet?" Yuan Yuzi leaned back.

"I washed up." Fushimi Shika didn't actually go to the toilet; he just went to make a phone call.

"What brand is the toilet dryer?" Yuan Yuzi squinted.

"The toilet doesn't have a hand dryer." Fushimi Shika reacted quickly.

"Then what do you use to wipe your hands?" Yuan Yuzi pressed.

"Okay, I didn't wash my hands." Fushimi Shika felt that continuing to argue would only lead to an endless argument.

"That's so unhygienic!" Yuan Yuzi quickly broke free, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and muttered complaints, even her ahoge (cowlick) seemed to join in the disgust.

Fushimi Shika sat down to the side, looking completely shameless, and suddenly asked, "By the way, I don't think I've ever asked this before... what do you think the law is?"

"The law is a weapon to protect justice."

Yuan Yuzi replied casually, then wiped her mouth and asked in confusion, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

“Oh, I was just thinking, what should we do if we really catch the real culprit of the Heavenly Punishment?” Fushimi Shika leaned close to Minamoto Tamako’s ear and lowered his voice: “You’d better think it through. If we hand him over to the law, that person might not be sentenced to death. If he behaves well in prison, he might be released in ten or twenty years.”

Before Minamoto no Tamako could speak, he continued, "So many innocent people died because of divine punishment. Think of Kawai, she should have had a wonderful life, but the people who killed her didn't have to pay with their lives. Not only did they live, they were also able to start their lives anew..."

Is handing it over to the law really a good option?

……

Genji was silent for a moment, then looked Fushimi Shika up and down: "Are you done?"

This was the first time Fushimi Shika had ever heard her say something like this, and it was also the first time she had ever felt guilty.

He used to be the one making the decisions, and he could fool Yuan Yuzi as if she were a fool.

But when it comes to matters of principle, Gen Tamako suddenly becomes clear-headed.

“If everyone thinks like that, then what’s the point of having lawyers?” Gen Tamako retorted. “When you were a lawyer, did you think the same way?”

This question has stumped Fushimi Shika.

"Of course not, right? When you first became a lawyer, you must have wanted to make the law more just, right?" Minamoto Tamako stood up, went to the ice cream machine, got a scoop of ice cream, and handed it to Fushimi Shika: "Don't be too angry, lest you let anger cloud your judgment. Have some ice cream to cool down."

Fushimi Shika took the ice cream, licked it, and found it to be a delicious combination of vanilla and strawberry flavors.

“I know you’re still upset about Kawai and Yukimura Aoi. You were so angry you even fired a gun back then…” Gen Tamako paused, patted Fushimi Shika’s shoulder, and said earnestly, “But we can’t become like those bad people.”

Fushimi Shika hummed in agreement, focused on eating her ice cream scoop, and pretended nothing had happened, changing the subject to what would be served at the wedding banquet.

……

Meanwhile, Kensaka Kotaro and Mori Nai changed their clothes and were sitting in the isolation meeting room of the Hokkaido prison.

"W-Is this really okay?" Mouri Nai trembled with nervousness, occasionally covering her eyebrows with her hand. "Can I let my bangs down? It feels weird to have my forehead showing..."

Her original sportswear was gone, replaced by a long suit dress with black stockings, and her hair was tied up at the back of her head, making her look like a capable professional assistant.

The only flaw is her small, beady eyebrows, which look like a Shiba Inu's eyebrows, adding a touch of humor to her face.

“Trust me, just keep doing this,” said Kotaro Kanesaka.

He changed into a suit, sat in a chair with his legs crossed, a fake lawyer's badge pinned to his chest, and casually placed his briefcase on the desk, pretending to organize documents.

That's right, he disguised himself as a lawyer and went to the prison to see Kazuo Ishizuka.

According to Article 39 of the Criminal Procedure Law, even if the prisoner refuses, the lawyer can still request a meeting to protect their right to defense.

However, this provision only applies to those not yet convicted, so Kotaro Kanesaka also forged a prosecution document claiming that Kazuo Ishizuka was involved in another murder case—as the plaintiff's lawyer in that other case, he had the right to visit the suspects involved.

To expedite the process, Kotaro Kanesaka spent a little money to bribe officials and grease palms, which allowed him to sit here and wait for the meeting.

"But, forgery is a crime, isn't it?" Mouri Nai felt like she had been tricked.

“If it’s not legally binding, it’s not a crime. I didn’t submit it to the court, so it has no legal effect,” said Kotaro Kanesaka, who is quite familiar with the gray areas of the law. “We’re just pretending to be lawyers, not police officers or civil servants, so it’s not a big problem. At most, it’s considered fraud.”

Just as Mouri was about to say a few more words of advice, the isolation door on the other side of the viewing glass suddenly opened.

A prison guard led in a middle-aged man in prison clothes and gestured for him to sit down in a chair.

The two sides were separated by sealed glass and could only communicate via a telephone mounted on the wall.

An announcement came over the loudspeaker: "You have thirty minutes."

(End of this chapter)