Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 415, Bulletproof Vest That Doesn't Protect Against Bullets?

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Scientific Investigation Institute, commonly known as the "Science Investigation Institute," uses advanced scientific technology to conduct forensic investigations.

It is said that Uesugi Muneyuki personally summoned him, and Hikawa Makoto, an expert in the equipment department of the forensic research department, came in person, wearing thick winter clothes and carrying a briefcase.

This brother is from Watanabe Eiji's faction and is trustworthy.

After hearing Uesugi Muneyuki's question, he immediately examined the bulletproof vests left behind by Kikuchi and Yamada, borrowed the equipment from the forensic department, and called in the forensic science team for help.

Half a day had passed, and Inspector Hikawa was drenched in sweat. He gestured for Uesugi Muneyuki to come with him.

The two slipped into a quiet room. Inspector Hikawa glanced at the door again, and Uesugi Muneyuki immediately locked it.

Experts from the equipment department of the scientific search and rescue research institute presented two contrasting test reports and X-ray scans.

Figure A shows a standard NIJ Level III bulletproof vest, which has a uniform and dense layered fiber structure.

Figure B shows the bulletproof vest worn by Fuma Kikuchi. According to the X-ray scan, the fibers in the critical heart area are sparse and uneven.

Even Uesugi Muneyuki, who knew little about police equipment and absolutely nothing about firearms, could understand this simple and straightforward diagram.

“This bulletproof vest does not meet the standards for Level 3 bulletproof vests; it has obvious holes and is made of cheap substitute materials!” Uesugi Muneyuki stared intently at the scanned image.

“Yes.” Bingchuan Cheng had long, black hair parted in the middle, small eyes, and a high nose—a classic Korean handsome man, though sweat beaded on his forehead. “This product is significantly below the procurement specifications (NIJ Level III) and is confirmed as a defective product. In particular, it lacks ballistic protection in the heart area. Ballistic reproduction testing revealed a fatal flaw: it can be penetrated by a .45 standard bullet!”

"A fatal flaw?! Didn't the Forensic Service check it?" Uesugi Muneyuki frowned.

“Impossible! Every time new bulletproof vests are delivered, we conduct live-fire inspections on the samples. Every single time, there are no problems…” Inspector Hikawa wiped the sweat from his brow and muttered to himself, “This shouldn’t be happening, this shouldn’t be happening!”

"No problem? You call this no problem???" Uesugi Muneyuki pointed to the scan images of the bulletproof vests of the two police officers who died in the line of duty, Kikuchi and Yamada. The scan images of these two bulletproof vests from different police stations and different units were basically the same!

“However…” Inspector Hikawa was already drenched in sweat. He looked up at Uesugi Muneyuki and found that the other was staring at him with extremely sharp eyes. He could only mutter, “However, the samples we inspect each time are all random samples sent by the Equipment Management Department of the General Affairs Department. As for how to conduct the inspection, what the random method is, and which batch to inspect, it’s not up to our Forensic Science Research Institute.”

General Affairs Department? Equipment Management Department?
"Anyway, please tell me what's going on. I'm a complete novice in this area and don't know much about it. Please explain it as clearly as possible," Uesugi Muneyuki said in a deep voice.

"Ah."

Inspector Hikawa Makoto of the Forensic Science Institute swallowed hard and began to explain why.

"Level 3 body armor is equipment that meets the US NIJ standard and can theoretically withstand 7.62mm full metal jacket rounds (such as AK-47). Its purpose is to provide protection in high-risk scenarios."

"Of course, if the other side is using armor-piercing AP rounds, then level 3 body armor will be penetrated."

"However, even if the .45 caliber M1911 pistol uses AP rounds, and even if the soft body armor is not equipped with hard bulletproof plates, as long as it is worn correctly, even if it is penetrated, it will at most only penetrate the flesh, or at most cause a deep bruise, and it is impossible to be penetrated. Not to mention that Ghost uses only standard bullets."

Hikawa Makoto explained the bulletproof principle of the bulletproof vest to Uesugi Muneyuki.

The design principle of bulletproof vests relies on high-strength layers of Kevlar or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers. The fibers absorb kinetic energy through tensile fracture, preventing the bullet from continuing to advance.

The layered structure blunts and fragments the warhead, reducing its penetration power.

By limiting the depth of the indentation, blunt force trauma can be prevented.
.
The bullets for .45 caliber pistols are low-velocity pistol bullets. Although the caliber is large, Level 3 body armor is more than enough to handle them.

"Where is the problem?" Uesugi Muneyuki roughly understood and pressed further, "What exactly is wrong with these two bulletproof vests?"

“There are many problems.” Inspector Glacier added, pointing to the layers: “The normal number of Kevlar fiber layers should be ≥30, but the heart area where these two bulletproof vests were penetrated only has 16 layers in one and 18 layers in the other. This means that the Kevlar layers did not fully absorb the kinetic energy of the bullet.”

"Meanwhile, compliance regulations stipulate that the fiber density should be ≥1500 denier..."

"Ah! I know that! Daniel is referring to the thickness!" Uesugi Muneyuki immediately answered; he understood that!
The density and thickness of stockings are measured in denier!

“Yes, as expected of Inspector Uesugi, you are indeed very knowledgeable!” Inspector Hikawa nodded in agreement. “However, according to my inspection, at least 800 deniers of cheap nylon were mixed into the 1500 deniers! This caused the tensile strength to plummet, making the fibers prone to breakage! Furthermore, the fiber layers should be orthogonally overlapped, but look here, Uesugi-san, the fiber orientation between the bulletproof vests is chaotic! It cannot effectively disperse the impact force!”

"Furthermore, the fiber layers, which should have been evenly covered by resin bonding, were mostly missing resin adhesive, resulting in incomplete bonding of the fiber layers!"

"It's obvious," Inspector Glacier said through gritted teeth. "They cut corners! They used inferior materials!"

"Furthermore, Uesugi-san, according to what you said, these two bulletproof vests not only come from two different departments, but also from two different batches based on their serial numbers..." Inspector Hikawa added, but dared not continue.

Bulletproof vests purchased from different locations and in different batches have all shown remarkably similar problems!

Doesn't this mean...?

"Which company did the Metropolitan Police Department purchase bulletproof vests from?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked in a deep voice.

"Yamato Armor Co., Ltd. has been the company from which our agency has been purchasing police equipment for the past ten years. The most recent batch was purchased three years ago."

“Okay, very good.” Uesugi Muneyuki nodded and instructed, “Don’t tell anyone about what happened here. I’m going to find Director Watanabe now!”

"Yes, sir!" Inspector Glacier swallowed hard, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

He couldn't even imagine what kind of storm the entire Metropolitan Police Department... no, the entire Japanese police force would experience if this issue were exposed! But... this key technical member of the Forensic Science Research Institute also felt genuine anger.

This is a bulletproof vest made entirely of paper! It's armor made of paper glued together!
This is the Metropolitan Police Department's betrayal of every police officer!

........................

Meanwhile, in a special conference room on the top floor of the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters building.

Superintendent General Eiji Watanabe, Deputy Superintendent General Ren Oyama, Chief of Criminal Investigation Kanji Uchimura, Chief of Security, Chief of Public Security, Chief of General Affairs, Chief of Transportation, Chief of the Public Relations Division of the General Affairs Department, Chief of the First Investigation Division, and the Special Missions Division Administrator were all included.

Among them, Minami Watanabe, the Special Commissioner, had no voting rights and was invited to attend.

A sense of relief and the warmth of victory lingered at the scene. Praise and criticism poured in from the outside world, but a victory is a victory. The solving of the 15-year-old cold case brought the Metropolitan Police Department great prestige and honor. Under such circumstances, the deaths of the two police officers and the hard-fought battle with the ghost were minor flaws that did not overshadow the merits.

The Superintendent General's face was refreshed; the dark cloud that had weighed on his heart for 15 years had finally dissipated, yet his authority remained. He began in a deep voice: "Gentlemen, first of all, I dedicate this historic achievement of arresting Kaito Sakuma to the tireless efforts of our police organization, the Traffic Police Unit, and the SAT, especially to Forensic Officer Muneyuki Uesugi and the Special Missions Unit for their selfless actions, to Inspector Masayoshi Okada for his courageous act, and... to the noble sacrifices of Inspector Yuki Yamada and Inspector Fuma Kikuchi, who died in the line of duty. The Metropolitan Police Department extends its deepest respect and gratitude to them!"

He led the way in standing up, and all the senior officials stood solemnly up, observing a moment of silence and bowing in the direction of Mei Bo, the Minister of Security, and the Minister of Public Security.

Minami immediately stood up and bowed to the police leaders to express her dissatisfaction. Miss Minami was overjoyed but kept a straight face, even showing some sadness, after all, two police officers had died in the line of duty.

After a few routine words, Togasaki Tomonobu, head of the Public Relations Section of the General Affairs Department, immediately spoke, his voice filled with urgency: "We must restore the public's trust as soon as possible! Focus on the heroic story of Uesugi Forensic Officer of the Special Missions Unit, and the indomitable spirit of our police organization in our relentless pursuit, and broadcast the edited footage nationwide! Kikuchi Yamada, who died in the line of duty, should be glorified as a 'symbol of protection,' and Inspector Okada as a 'shield of life'... no, I mean honored! Minimize the tragic elements and emphasize the victory and unity of our police organization..."

Before he could finish speaking, Sugishita Ukyo, the head of the First Investigation Division, abruptly interrupted him: "We must face reality! What the citizens see is the reality that the armored vehicles failed to protect the kindergarten! Hero stories alone cannot erase Kikuchi's blood on the riot shields!"

Sugishita Ukyo's voice was calm, yet filled with an indescribable power and stubbornness: "The release must be based on facts. The SAT operation, the initial chaos, the kindergarten tragedy... and, why Yamada Kikuchi died!"

"Section Chief! The headquarters caught that man! They didn't let him escape! This is a huge honor, so why are you bringing this up now? I'm telling you, the Yamato people number 1.4 million, so many selflessly dedicate themselves, so many risk their lives for the country... Why don't you report on that, but only on this? Which country doesn't have shootings? There are shootings every day in the United States..." Section Chief Togasaki said impatiently, "Why do you insist on leading our people to believe that there are problems with our organization?"

"If you don't tell me, does that mean our organization doesn't have any problems?" Sugishita Ukyo said calmly.

"You..." Section Chief Togasaki blushed, thinking to himself, "No wonder you, a dignified professional, are only 57 years old and have only become a section chief! You really are an idiot!"
“Enough. There’s no need to argue about this. Transparency is the foundation of the people’s trust in us. If we always deny our defeats, there will always be another Kikuchi or another Yamada. On the contrary, appropriately admitting our mistakes and shortcomings will make our victory all the more precious and hard-won.” Watanabe Eiji said in a deep voice, “That’s more authentic.”

Upon hearing the Superintendent General of Police speak, the higher-ups all responded in hushed tones.

Afterwards, everyone discussed how to handle the ghost, Kaito Sakuma, and unanimously agreed to send him to the prosecutor's office and requested that the prosecutor's office prosecute him on the highest level of charges—multiple death penalty charges!
The death penalty! The death penalty is a must!
This point was also unanimously approved without a doubt. The police organization hated this person, and if he wasn't punished as a counter-example, the entire police organization would rebel!
Then came the discussion on compensation for the deceased, which was addressed by Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Department, Ren Oyama.

"Inspector Kikuchi Fuma is posthumously awarded the rank of Inspector, the Order of the Blue Paulownia Leaf, Seventh Class, the highest amount of compensation, lifelong support from his family, and a police funeral!"

"Inspector Yuki Yamada is posthumously awarded the rank of Inspector, the Order of the Blue Paulownia Leaf, 7th Class, the highest amount of compensation, lifelong support from his family, and a police funeral! Along with Inspector Kikuchi... I remember Inspector Yamada just got married not long ago, right?"

“Yes, Inspector Yamada has a wife named Yamada Nanase, who is a full-time housewife…and has no fixed income.” The police chief below nodded.

"Then let's try to arrange a position for her in the office, a leisurely administrative post will do," Deputy Director Dashan nodded.

The newlywed husband sacrificed his life for the country, and the wife, a housewife without a stable job, should be held accountable by our police organization. Otherwise, how can other police officers be willing to risk their lives in the future? What will the people think of us?
This part is meaningless; all passed.

"Special Missions Division Inspector Reina Ikeda has been officially promoted to Assistant Inspector for her meritorious service and awarded the Superintendent General Award and a bonus of 200 million yen."

"Special Mission Inspector Kai Takashi has been officially promoted to Inspector-in-Chief and awarded the Superintendent General Award and a bonus of 200 million yen."

"...Igarashi Hayabusa, a patrol officer, was promoted to patrol chief, and received a reward and bonus from the Superintendent General of Police."

"...Inspector Date Chomatsu has been an inspector for less than six months and has not yet reached the required term. He is only awarded the Superintendent General Award and bonus, and is not considered for promotion."

"As for Uesugi Muneyuki, Watanabe Minami, and Okada Masayoshi, this agency needs to report to the National Public Safety Commission and the National Police Agency for further discussion. Considering that Watanabe has been a superintendent for less than six months, we will not consider promotion this time, but will focus on awarding medals and honors. Uesugi-kun needs to be discussed separately by this agency and the University of Tokyo. As for Inspector Okada and Watanabe, does Inspector Okada intend to serve as the superintendent of the Cybercrime Countermeasures Division of the Department of Life Safety?" Deputy Commissioner Ōyama Ren asked.

Both Watanabe Eiji and Watanabe Minami felt a jolt in their hearts.

Is someone trying to take this opportunity to transfer Masayoshi Okada away?

Which bigwig wants to send his child into the Special Missions Division?

“Inspector Okada isn’t considering transferring out of the Special Missions Division for the time being,” Minami Watanabe said politely. “He’s very determined to continue shining in the Otaku Division. He (his father, a big shot who’s at least one or two levels above all of you) told me that himself.”

“But the Special Missions Unit already has an administrator, so we won’t consider promotion!” Ōyama Ren didn’t seem surprised by the result. “Then Inspector Okada’s reward will be full-funded, state-of-the-art treatment and rehabilitation, as well as a lifetime salary. As for the medal, this agency needs to discuss it separately with the Imperial Household Agency.”

Everyone agreed with the proposed plan, and it was quickly approved.

Just then, someone came in from outside. The Superintendent General's personal mechanic jogged over to Watanabe Eiji and leaned down to whisper something.

Forensic investigator Uesugi has something urgent to discuss with you and says he has a surprise for you!
Oh? Watanabe Eiji was a little annoyed at first, but when he heard Uesugi Muneyuki's name, his expression relaxed even more.

What kind of surprise will my lovely, all-powerful, handsome, and towering adopted son, who is like a white jade pillar supporting the sky and a purple gold beam supporting the sea, give me this time?

"That's all for today, meeting adjourned!"

Looking forward to it!
(End of this chapter)