Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 365, The Final Battle at Sakurada Gate!

Uesugi Muneyuki stood with his hands behind his back, observing all the journalists and skeptics present. He paid particular attention to Takahashi Masato, the representative reporter from Weekly Bunshun.

Weekly Bunshun, formerly known as Bungei Shunju, is undoubtedly one of the most powerful gossip media outlets in Japanese history. Many people's impression of the newspaper is probably mainly of various entertainment gossip news.

But in reality, Weekly Bunshun is a terrifying force that can "bring down an emperor." Its influence extends far beyond the entertainment industry, reaching every sector of Japan, including politics. Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, I won't go into details, but as everyone knows, many high-ranking officials have been driven to desperation by Weekly Bunshun, either resigning or being imprisoned...

Moreover, Japan does have a very lenient approach to the news industry. Whenever public figures are involved, they must implicitly relinquish some of their privacy rights. The law also stipulates a wide range of "freedom of the press," especially for negative news. Even if it is based on hearsay, the courts are generally unwilling to set a precedent for punishment.

Uesugi Muneyuki didn't believe that the Bunshun cannon had hit him so quickly without anyone directing it from behind.

Therefore, he doesn't intend to play defensively; his plan is to take the initiative!
A single blow can prevent a hundred blows. If he wins the direct confrontation, no media outlet will dare to exploit his private life again. Moreover, a direct confrontation could very well uncover who orchestrated the weekly magazine Bunshun to attack him.

This is crucial for us, as we don't yet know who the enemy is!
"Hello, Mr. Uesugi, we understand your account. Faced with so much evidence, including surveillance footage, preserved by the Metropolitan Police Department, we have no choice but to accept it. However, we still have to ask: Was the entire adoption process legal? Why didn't you adopt yourself? And didn't you consider any other better options?" asked a reporter from the Asahi Shimbun.

“I can assure you that all my adoption procedures were legal.” Uesugi Muneyuki took out the documents.

The big screen displayed the "Family Court Adoption Permit" and the "Japan Child Counseling Center Assessment Record," each stamped by an official institution and each document kept in a logbook.

"As for the choice of adoptive parents, I did consider other people at the time," Uesugi Muneyuki continued. "You know, it's unreasonable for an unmarried man to adopt a minor who is seven years younger than him, and the court would not approve it."

Just then, Mai-senpai spoke up: "Yes, I have evidence to prove that when this happened, Uesugi came to me to discuss it immediately, but I declined. First, because I am a public figure and unmarried, it would be too troublesome to adopt her. Second, I am very busy and cannot really take care of her."

"Understood, but please allow us to raise a question. Uesugi-san and Shirakawa-san, as everyone knows, you are very close friends, upperclassmen and underclassmen..." the Asahi Shimbun reporter said rather tactfully.

"Understood." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded.

Thus, led by two staff members from the children's counseling center, Asuka Saito and her guardian, Mikoto Ishihara, made their official debut!
"Ohhhhhh!" The moment the chosen girl, dressed in a winter uniform, thick tights, and small leather shoes, exuding an ethereal, first-love charm, made her grand entrance, the entire audience gasped. Not because she dared to appear in person, but because…

Kawaii!!!
At this moment, not only the reporters on the scene, but even the government officials acting as third parties were incredulous at the sight of such a lovely girl.

That bastard Uesugi...

And the tens of millions of people watching on television were even more captivated, especially when they saw Saito Asuka's small face, which had an almost translucent, two-dimensional quality.

Kawaii!!!
Cute is justice! Looks determine one's stance!
Facing the camera, Saito Asuka was a little nervous, but she still said softly under the spotlight: "I am Saito Asuka, Saito Nanami's younger sister, also known as the underage girl A. I want to emphasize that what Mr. Uesugi said is true."

“My sister had mentioned Mr. Uesugi to me many times before she passed away, and after that incident, it was Mr. Uesugi who offered to take me in,” the girl said firmly.

"Wait, there's an error here!" Just then, a reporter from Weekly Bunshun spoke up: "Mr. Uesugi said earlier that he didn't know you had a younger sister! But here you're emphasizing that your older sister told you. Is this something you two conspired to do?"

“No!” Saito Asuka emphasized, “It’s because…it’s because my sister was afraid that my existence would affect her relationship with Uesugi-san! So Uesugi-san never knew! But I did!”

“Mr. Uesugi did ask me about Mai-sama’s adoption, but… I don’t want to! I only trust him! My sister has already entrusted me to him, and I don’t trust anyone except Mr. Uesugi! I agreed to be adopted by my mother! What’s it to you?”

The girl's anger was palpable.

"That doesn't prove you weren't induced or coerced..." While the Weekly Bunshun was still questioning the claims, an official from the Child Counseling Center spoke up: "Stop! The witness's testimony is very clear! Please do not induce or coerce minors!"

Only then did Weekly Bunshun shut up.

Afterwards, Mikoto Ishihara, as the guardian, also strongly opposed the unfounded attacks by Weekly Bunshun. Thus, with the double denial from the parties involved and the guardian, and the official documents from the Family Court and the Child Counseling Center, the possibility of illegality regarding the legality of the adoption and whether there was coercion or inducement in the process disappeared.

"Hello, Mr. Uesugi, this is the Yomiuri Shimbun." Another reporter spoke up: "Regarding the issue of live-in housekeepers, it is well known that 92% of housekeeping companies do not accept commissions from underage live-in housekeepers. Moreover, wouldn't there be controversy if someone were to cohabit with an underage live-in housekeeper of the opposite sex?"

"On this point, I'd like to ask this reporter from the Yomiuri Shimbun," Uesugi Muneyuki nodded to indicate he understood. "My question is, why can't there be underage live-in housekeepers? Which law stipulates that?"

"This..." The Yomiuri Shimbun reporter was speechless for a moment.

"Let me put it this way, although there may indeed be problems with underage live-in housekeepers, but... this is permitted by law." Uesugi Muneyuki showed the audience three documents.

The first document is a full authorization from the guardian.

The second document is a record of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Juvenile Labor Standards Office's filing and regular on-site inspections.

The third document is an employment contract, proving that the weekly working hours are ≤40 hours, the salary is higher than the minimum hourly wage standard in Tokyo (approximately 1000 yen/hour), and a permit prohibiting working late at night.

All documents are complete, legal, and compliant. The domestic service company, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and the child counseling center have also recognized the legality of the documents.

Among the large group of reporters at the scene were many who knew the law, but even after reading all the documents over and over again, they could not find any evidence that the underage domestic helper had violated the law.

Yes, everyone subconsciously feels that this thing is dangerous, but to be honest, as long as all the documents are complete, the guardian agrees, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare registers it and conducts regular home visits, it is legal!

To put it bluntly, if all the procedures are completely legal and it is still considered problematic, then who would dare to hire minors under the age of 18 in the future?

The Yomiuri Shimbun fell silent in approval, but the Weekly Bunshun began to get restless.

They hadn't expected Uesugi Muneyuki to be so well-prepared and so flawless.

"As far as we know, Mr. Uesugi, you paid a total of 500 million yen in salary to this housekeeper over two years, which is far higher than the salary of a normal housekeeper. Do we have reasonable grounds to suspect that there were other problems and transfer of benefits before this?" Weekly Bunshun continued to press on this point.

“We can explain that.” At that moment, the representative from Mitsubishi UFJ Bank raised his hand. On the big screen, all the funds in Saito Asuka’s account were displayed, each transaction clearly traceable. It was clear which money was for tuition and which was for living expenses. As for the money saved, Japan Life Insurance announced that the vast majority of the surplus had been invested by Uesugi Muneyuki into an “education fund” to be used for Saito Asuka’s university education in the future.

Subsequently, the representative from the University of Tsukuba Affiliated High School presented the girl's attendance sheet.

Aside from occasionally getting her period each month, Saito Asuka had almost perfect attendance at school, her grades were average, and her teachers and counselors at school said there was nothing unusual about her.

Then there's the tuition payment receipt.

Now everyone was speechless.

“This is the evidence. I have enough facts to show that all my actions and decisions are legal. Yes, I did live with a minor and I did hire her as a live-in housekeeper. Apart from the fact that Asuka suffered from inner trauma because she lost her sister and only trusted the people her sister entrusted to her, I also believe that the best choice at the moment is for me to protect her!”

Uesugi Muneyuki sternly addressed the representative of Weekly Bunshun: "All my actions have undergone triple review by the Family Court, the Child Counseling Center, and the Labor Standards Inspection Agency. The document numbers can be publicly verified (showing the permit number) – Did your company fulfill its obligation to confirm facts under Article 3 of the Broadcasting Law before publishing this report?"

"My ex-girlfriend's last wish was to entrust me with protecting her younger sister from further harm by the welfare system and ensuring her continued education. I offered her a salary 30% higher than the market rate to guarantee her right to education (showing tuition receipts) - Your company has distorted humanitarian intervention into exploitation. Are you prepared to bear responsibility for defamation?"

After saying that, Attorney Kunihira from Nishimura Asahi Office stepped forward: "Our office has accepted Uesugi-san's commission and, in accordance with Article 230 of the Criminal Code concerning defamation, will soon file a formal lawsuit against your company!"

Upon hearing this, the staff of Weekly Bunshun turned pale.

As one of Japan's most influential weekly magazines, "Bunshun" is known for its investigative reporting, but it also frequently sparks controversy due to its reporting methods and content. If such a serious accusation were to occur and be substantiated, Bunshun's credibility would suffer a devastating blow. Readers, advertisers, and information sources would all develop a severe distrust of the magazine, almost inevitably leading to a sharp decline in sales and a significant reduction in advertising revenue.

They never expected that Uesugi Muneyuki would be so well-prepared! To the point that several of the biggest points of contention were flawless!
However, they, Weekly Bunshun, are not to be trifled with!
They cannot fail here! They will not, and cannot, fail here!

They've staked everything on the "Bunshun Cannon," but they still have an ace up their sleeve!
“Even so! Uesugi-san! We can believe your statement for now, and we can verify the credibility of these documents later, but there is one most fatal problem! Please explain!” Takahashi Katsuto, the representative reporter of Weekly Bunshun, said under pressure: “That is, you still cannot prove the most crucial issue!”

"As a minor living with you! Did she have an affair with you? Otherwise, this is blatant crime!"

Weekly Bunshun has finally dropped its biggest bombshell!

Yes, this is a question that everyone has doubts about but no one dares to say outright.

Yes, Uesugi Muneyuki can explain why he adopted a minor girl, that the adoption was legal, that hiring a minor as a live-in housekeeper was legal, and that all the funds flowed legally.

But he just couldn't explain whether he had an affair with Saito Asuka.
However, if there is a financial relationship or an employment relationship, consent from someone under the age of 18 is invalid, and the charge of sexually assaulting a minor can easily destroy him completely!

The scene and the entire Kanto region were as if a fat man and a little boy had fallen from the sky. Weekly Bunshun's questions were suffocating, and everyone turned their suspicious eyes to Uesugi Muneyuki.

Yeah, you need to figure out... otherwise everything before was just bullshit and doesn't count!
However, when faced with the question, Uesugi Muneyuki simply smiled and raised his hand to indicate that a few people had come in.

Americans!
"Please allow me to introduce Mr. Smith and Ms. Judy. They are from a third-party agency at St. Mary's Hospital in the United States and are also intermediaries responsible for FBI investigations."

"At my request, they just conducted a gynecological examination on Asuka. As for the results..."

Uesugi Muneyuki gestured for everyone to look at the big screen.

The examination records on the big screen showed that Asuka Saito's DNA test was negative, she had no scars, and was even... a virgin.

In other words, Uesugi Muneyuki never touched this girl! Not even a little bit!

incredible!

"This is impossible!" This time, Weekly Bunshun was completely panicked: "This is impossible!"

Impossible! Uesugi is a notorious pervert in the Sakurada Gate, how could he not have touched this super beautiful girl?
This is impossible!

Weekly Bunshun clearly didn't expect its trump card to fail. Masato Takahashi lost his composure on the spot. He was originally poised to win and become a national hero, but suddenly realized that he was going to lose, and Weekly Bunshun was going to lose too.

This is impossible!

In a moment of desperation, Takahashi Katsuto blurted out, "That's impossible! I don't believe it! Besides, it's not like it can only be used there!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Metropolitan Police Department: "?"

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: "?"

Local court: "?"

District Attorney: "?"

Children's Counseling Center: "???"

Fujitai: "???"

The entire Kanto region, watching the live broadcast: "??????"

(End of this chapter)