Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 587 Hijacking of Tokyo Tower

The manhunt lasted 17 hours. The encirclement was getting smaller and smaller. Guards had already spotted Fushimi Shika's figure. Instead of rushing into pursuit, they notified the main force to approach little by little. The scales of victory were gradually tipping in favor of the Metropolitan Police Department.

However, at that very moment, the Prime Minister's Office called Kujo Yui.

She had no choice but to answer the Prime Minister's call. She immediately reported the situation on the front lines: the encirclement had been narrowed to within two kilometers, located in a residential building. The situation was somewhat complicated, but the criminals would definitely be captured or killed before the 24-hour curfew ended!

"Commander Kujo, your efforts and the Metropolitan Police Department's contributions have been recognized by the entire cabinet. The 17-hour curfew has already significantly impacted people's daily lives, with businesses closing, transportation disrupted, and public opinion beginning to show signs of unease..."

He paused briefly, his tone growing somber: "Of course, maintaining public order is our primary responsibility, but the encirclement has now shrunk to two kilometers, making it impossible for the suspect to escape. If we continue with a citywide curfew, people might question whether we are overreacting or whether our response is appropriate."

"Do you know how much revenue businesses lost and how much tax revenue the country lost during those seventeen hours? Based on considerations of public interest, the Cabinet has ordered the Metropolitan Police Department to immediately lift martial law and switch to covert control."

Finally, his tone abruptly turned solemn: "Compared to the operation of the country, arresting a criminal is insignificant. This is an order, and it is also the bottom line."

Kujo Yui attempted a final defense: "He's not just a criminal, he is..."

"In the end, it's just one person, isn't it?" the Prime Minister said dismissively. "Strengthen security and patrols, and we'll catch him sooner or later."

Kujo had to emphasize: "This criminal has extremely outstanding counter-tracking abilities; without martial law, there's simply no way to catch him..."

"What do you mean you can't arrest anyone?" the Prime Minister interrupted. "Do you know what you're saying? You have command of the assault force and you've transferred the Special Vehicles Division—if you can't arrest a single criminal after lifting martial law, what use are you to me?"

Nine words were choked with emotion.

Having served as Superintendent of Police before, she knew that being in charge meant being good at accounting.

There's a national account, a tax account, an account of subordinates, an account of what can be used, and an account of what cannot be used... Being an official is nothing more than money and power, and neither can be lacking.

In the Prime Minister's view, the price of imposing martial law on the entire city just to arrest one person was far too high.

Ultimately, it's not worth using a cannon to kill a fly.

Kujo Yui dared not guarantee that she could capture Fushimi Shika after martial law was lifted; but she also couldn't reveal this fact, otherwise it would be a question of her abilities.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and could only repeat herself: "We are not trying to escalate the situation, but we must ensure that nothing goes wrong—this is both a responsibility to the safety of the people and a way to maintain the credibility of the Cabinet's decisions. I implore you to grant me another 12 hours, and I guarantee, as the Superintendent General of Police, that I will end this case at the lowest possible cost."

In Kujo Yui's eyes, Fushimi Shikasa is not a fly, but a vicious dragon, and it is only through concerted efforts, unity, and the mobilization of abundant resources that he can be completely eliminated.

Unfortunately, the Prime Minister did not think so.

He rejected Kujo's proposal and issued a notice to lift martial law.

Within half a day, patrol officers withdrew from the streets, traffic police took down their signs, and transportation such as trains, trams, highways, and airplanes resumed operation.

As evening fell, the command team tightened the encirclement but returned empty-handed, ultimately failing to capture the wanted criminal.

Fushimi Shikamaru did not lay a hand on her, and before leaving, he even said something like, "I will find a suitable judge for you"... Kujo Yui felt a lump in her throat about this. It's not that she was afraid of the thief stealing, but that she was afraid of the thief eyeing her. There is no reason to guard against thieves for a thousand days.

She requested a citywide search, which, unsurprisingly, was rejected by the Prime Minister once again.

Because the general election is coming soon.

The core of Japan's House of Representatives election system reform in 1994 was to change the "central constituency system" that had lasted for nearly half a century to a mixed system of "single constituencies + proportional representation", along with the reform of political funds.

Ultimately, it's because the government's money-for-power transactions have become too rampant in recent years. Councilors are essentially buying votes by securing funding for public works projects in exchange for local support.

Candidates rely on personal support groups to raise funds, while businesses and organizations exchange donations for policy favors.

Scandals such as the "Recruit Incident" in 1988 and the "Sagawa Express Incident" in 1991 exposed the ugly nature of collusion between politics and business.

In the early 1990s, members of parliament needed to raise an average of more than 200 million yen in political funds each year, 70% of which came from businesses and organizations.

Even a minute of martial law would be an incalculable loss for businesses in the city. Just like in Gotham City, even when supervillains and Batman are locked in a fierce battle, they can't blockade the city and stop Mr. Varus from making money.

Kujo had no choice but to give up for the time being. She increased the number of armed guards, imposed martial law on her daily outings, and always had at least six bodyguards with her to prevent another terrorist attack.

Television stations and newspapers launched an overwhelming vote-getting campaign, and each candidate worked hard to promote their policies and ideas in hopes of attracting voters' attention.

"Restore order and revitalize the economy! Support the Cabinet's rational decision-making!"

"Balancing price stability with local revitalization! Promoting a political system that safeguards the lives of the people!"

"Achieving a symbiotic society! Strengthening support for childcare and the elderly!"

That night, the streets were brightly lit, campaign vehicles paraded through the city, and loudspeakers continuously broadcast the candidates' slogans.

The legislator, wearing a white banner, stood on a wooden crate in the street, passionately proclaiming his ideas. Staff members nearby handed out flyers, using various perks and small gifts to entice passersby to listen.

Sakata Atsushi stood in the crowd, listened for a while, and thought it was all nonsense.

Several years ago, when he was still a student, he participated in an election and volunteered to be a member of parliament, handing out flyers and shouting on the street. He sincerely felt that the member of parliament was thinking about the society.

Unfortunately, none of the policies promised by that legislator after he was elected were implemented.

Sakata Atsushi lowered his head and squeezed forward to the staff's table to collect the complimentary daifuku sweet.

Compared to politicians' empty promises, the strawberry-flavored daifuku in front of me is much more substantial.

"Sir, would you like to vote for Mr. Ashikaga?" the staff member asked with a smile, holding the daifuku package.

There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Holding the other end of the daifuku, Sakata Atsushi said vaguely, "I'll think about it some more..."

"Alright, I hope you can listen to Mr. Ashikaga's speech. It will surely move you and make you change your mind." The staff member said, forcefully pulling back the daifuku.

Sakata Atsushi was displeased. He had finally managed to squeeze in, so how could he just go back like this? He immediately pulled Daifuku closer to him with even more force: "I have always supported Mr. Ashikaga, so I will gladly accept this small gift."

"Since you support it, why not cast a vote..."

Just as the staff were about to persuade them again, a drop of water suddenly fell from the sky, followed by a downpour. The torrential rain came suddenly, and the passersby hurriedly scattered to find shelter from the rain.

The councilor cursed the bad weather and went back to his RV to rest. The staff had no choice but to let go, allowing Sakata Atsushi to get his wish and receive the free daifuku.

"God help me too."

Sakata Atsushi, carrying a daifuku (a type of Japanese steamed bun), hurriedly ran into a convenience store, bought an umbrella, and walked to his workplace.

He works for TV Tokyo, on the night shift, and is on duty at Tokyo Tower.

With Dafu by my side tonight, nothing beats a little snack while on night shift.

Sakata Atsushi hummed a song as he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor.

When Tokyo Tower was first built, the analog signal transmission station was located on the fifth floor, and for security reasons, this area was not open to the public. Furthermore, the radio transmitting antenna area on the tower is also not open to the public.

The equipment requires professional operation, therefore tourists are strictly prohibited from entering. These areas are the heart of the entire building, housing radio transmitting antennas for seven Tokyo television stations, twenty-one television repeaters, and radio stations, used to transmit radio waves and various special radio waves.

The elevator doors slowly closed, and suddenly a hand reached in. The iron doors were blocked with a muffled bang, and then slowly opened to both sides.

Sakata Atsushi felt pain just looking at it and involuntarily hissed.

The newcomer was a young man wearing a baseball cap, a windbreaker, hiking boots, and carrying a heavy travel backpack. He appeared to be a hiking enthusiast.

People mostly come to Tokyo Tower for sightseeing, and Sakata Atsushi has seen tourists from all over the world, so he's not surprised.

A young man stepped into the elevator, his body steaming with moisture, and stood beside him.

The elevator doors closed again, but he didn't press a floor button.

Sakata Atsushi could only remind them, "For sightseeing, it's best to go to the main observation deck or the top observation deck. The fifth floor is not open to the public."

"I see, thank you." The young man smiled and nodded, then pressed the top-floor button.

Perhaps it was because of his friendly smile that Sakata Atsushi felt an inexplicable sense of goodwill towards him, and greeted him by asking, "Are you here for tourism?"

“Yes,” the young man said.

"Where are you from?" Sakata Atsushi said, "Judging from your accent, you seem to be from Hokkaido."

"Further than Hokkaido, from China," the young man said.

“Eh…” Sakata Atsushi drawled out, having lost interest in the conversation.

The Japanese of this era had a special sense of superiority. During the years of Japan's economic boom, it was recognized as the number one economy in Asia.

The fifth floor was reached quickly. The elevator doors slowly opened, and Sakata Atsushi, with Daifuku tucked under his arm, walked toward the second security checkpoint.

The young man followed closely behind, as if he wanted to go in as well.

"What are you doing?" Sakata Atsushi turned around warily. "This place is not open to the public! Please leave!"

The young man pulled a pistol from his backpack and pressed it against the man's waist: "I bought a ticket, why can't I come in?"

Sakata Atsushi was stunned for five seconds.

He glanced at the pistol, then at the young man, unsure whether to reason with him or obediently move aside.

“Uh… the area you can enter with a ticket is the tourist area…” Sakata Atsushi still chose to do his duty.

"Will you let me in or not?" The young man pried open the safety latch.

Sakata Atsushi remained silent, obediently swiping his electronic card and opening the second security gate. The young man, as if haunted, clung tightly to his back, pressing a pistol against his waist.

Sakata Atsushi could only blink frantically at the monitor. Such an important communication facility must have cost a lot of money to install surveillance cameras, and security guards would sit in the monitoring room to monitor it in real time to prevent any abnormalities.

Unfortunately, the security guards were either blind or slacking off, and no one noticed anything amiss, so the alarm didn't go off.

The two entered the room one after the other. The young man looked around. Narrow metal passageways surrounded the floor, providing space for engineers to inspect equipment.

The passageway floor features a grid design for easy observation of the cable routing underneath. Due to the high temperatures generated during equipment operation, large air conditioning units are installed throughout the floor to maintain the ambient temperature at approximately 25°C.

This facility houses analog signal transmitters from major television networks such as NHK, TBS, and Fuji Television. These massive devices, consisting of metal cabinets and complex wiring, transmit signals across the Kanto region via antennas.

The young man forced Sakata to lead him into the central control center, where several technicians were on duty. They immediately noticed something was wrong and tried to press the alarm, but the young man was faster at raising his gun.

"I'll kill anyone who touches me."

The technicians looked at each other, raised their hands in surrender, and wondered what was happening outside.

Is this some kind of coup attempt? Why would someone hijack a cell tower...?

The young man was clearly prepared. He pulled out duct tape and handcuffs from his backpack, handcuffed the men, gagged them with duct tape, and then took out a laptop from his bag.

That's right. Japan launched the world's first laptop computer in 1985, and manufacturers have accumulated nearly ten years of R&D experience since then.

The young man connected the computer to the central control console and forced the technician to reveal the key and administrator password with a gun, thus gaining complete control of the giant loudspeaker that could resonate throughout Japan.

Sakata Atsushi was also handcuffed, but his mouth wasn't gagged. He couldn't help but ask, "Who are you? What do you want...?"

The young man did not answer. He took out a bottle of makeup remover, wiped off his makeup, and revealed a rather familiar face.

Sakata Atsushi recalled for a moment, then suddenly remembered that this man was the perpetrator of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department terrorist attack a week earlier!

Fushimi Shika pressed the CD drive button on the laptop, inserted a disc, and slowly pushed it back: "Don't be nervous. Just stay put and no one will get hurt. I just want to show you some good stuff for free."

Sakata Atsushi had a bad feeling and pressed, "What do you want to play aloud?"

"you guess."

Fushimi Shika tapped his index finger lightly and pressed the Enter key.

……

Councilor campaign speeches have moved indoors, television stations are broadcasting news on a loop, and media companies have chosen to support different parties in recent days.

To enhance credibility, several televisions were placed in the venue, allowing the audience to see the legislator's past achievements simply by looking up.

"In a few years, Japan's aging population will become increasingly serious..."

The legislator, microphone in hand, spoke with fervor, his voice echoing through the loudspeakers. Whenever he spoke of his vision for the future, the audience was deeply moved, and thunderous applause erupted.

"I will lower the retirement age and strive to free up more jobs for young people!"

The senator pumped his fist and shouted, but the expected applause did not erupt. All the audience members looked up at what was behind him; the audience was completely silent.

The senator slowly turned his head. The television screen was not showing the news, but rather a bloody video of the New World.

This scene was playing out simultaneously across Japan: auditoriums, schools, hospitals, residential buildings... wherever there was a television, wherever NHK, TBS, and Fuji TV could be received, one could see the bloody truth that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was trying its best to cover up.

The administrative officer rushed into the Metropolitan Police Department office, about to report to his superior, when he saw Kujo Yui with a pale face, looking up at the television screen hanging on the wall.

It seems the superior already knew.

At this moment, Kujo Yui finally understood who Fushimi Shika was referring to as the 'suitable judge'.

He wants to drag the entire society into the abyss.

He wants the collective will to judge.

(End of this chapter)