Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 464, Father and Son
Eiji Watanabe gave a complete report to Masahiro Okada, including the whole incident, including Miki Okada's long-term affair with bartender Ryosuke Koizumi, Ryuji Kurosaki's messy affairs and recognizing Miki, and what Muneyuki Uesugi vaguely revealed during his later interrogation, that it was highly likely that someone had revealed the apartment's exact location and taught Ryuji Kurosaki how to open the door with the hard card.

On the other end of the telephone line, Okada Masahiro's face showed bulging veins and trembling lips.

It was all my fault! It was my own media campaign and excessive exposure that led to my ex-boyfriend coming after me!
Did I, Jiang Yi, ruin Jiang Yi's life?
No, perhaps this isn't really harm. Now he's rid himself of that supermarket cashier, that ticking time bomb, isn't he? I'm doing this for his own good, I'm just…

The Financial Services Commissioner tried to convince himself. His breathing was a little heavy, but he managed to keep his face expressionless, maintaining a calm and dignified demeanor. Only an indescribable sense of regret and lingering fear kept pounding against his chest.

"Sir? Sir, are you listening?" After a long silence, Watanabe Eiji tentatively asked, "Or do you have a more constructive suggestion?"

"No, no, Director Watanabe, what could I possibly have against you?"

On the other end of the phone, Okada Masaaki's voice was no longer cold or tense as before, but rather carried a rare, almost "gentle" satisfaction. This "gentleness" in him was the highest form of praise.

"Commissioner Watanabe," Masaaki Okada began slowly, each word carrying a heavy weight, "The Metropolitan Police Department handled this incident...very appropriately. Especially at the crucial moment, they withstood public pressure, upheld the scientific spirit, investigated thoroughly, and quickly turned the situation around. In the end, they not only apprehended the real culprit but also...preserved the reputation of the Metropolitan Police Department and...related personnel. This decisiveness and execution deserve high praise."

He specifically emphasized "scientific spirit" and "rapid turnaround," which is the greatest recognition of Watanabe's decision to use Uesugi Muneyuki to find people and to make a decisive turn based on Kashiwagi Jin's judgment.

Watanabe Eiji felt a huge weight lifted from his heart and quickly replied humbly, "Sir, you flatter me. This was all within my duties, the result of the joint efforts of everyone in the Metropolitan Police Department, and also thanks to Uesugi's professionalism..."

“A merit is a merit; there’s no need for excessive modesty.” Okada Masaaki interrupted him, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable certainty. He paused, then shifted to a deeper meaning: “Watanabe-kun, your achievements as Superintendent General of Police over the years have been witnessed by the Cabinet and all parties. Your handling of such a complex and sensitive incident once again proves your ability and… loyalty. What more can we say about someone as capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities and prioritizing the overall situation as you are? If I were to evaluate you, that would be…”

"I don't worry about your work."

The words couldn't be clearer. Watanabe Eiji's heart pounded. He held his breath as Okada Masaaki continued in that calm yet powerful voice, "Regarding the matter you mentioned, I also think it's not that simple. Investigate it. Let the Public Security Bureau investigate. Maybe they'll find out who's targeting me. Please continue to focus on your current job and achieve even better results. Don't let down... the expectations of everyone."

"As for Jiang Yi, let him rest for a while longer."

"Yes! Thank you very much for your trust and guidance, sir! I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations!" Watanabe Eiji's voice trembled slightly with excitement, but he still maintained the utmost restraint and respect.

"Hmm," Okada Masaaki responded casually, as if they had only discussed a trivial matter, and then ended the call. But both people on either end of the line knew that an important political deal had been struck.

Eiji Watanabe handled this matter brilliantly. Even in the Japanese bureaucracy, known for its extreme subtlety, ambiguity, twists and turns, and riddles, Masaaki Okada's attitude was almost tantamount to a clear statement that he would fully support Okada's further advancement.

After hanging up the phone for a while, Okada Masahiro thought for a moment and then picked up the phone again.

"Let's revise tonight's schedule..."

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

That night, at the University of Tokyo Hospital, in a VIP ward.

Masayoshi Okada, the head of the Special Missions Division, lay on the bed. Having just experienced a huge blow, he spoke very little. His body may have recovered, but the trauma to his heart was far from healed.

Two Metropolitan Police Department guards were standing at the entrance; clearly, the Metropolitan Police Department could not allow Okada to get into trouble again.

Okada lay alone on the bed, looking desolate. He had already learned about the case from Minami. The wound on his back hurt, but the wound in his heart hurt even more. Although Miki had betrayed him, there were still some good times in the past. But when he recalled those good times, the pain of betrayal would overwhelm him.

He believed he hadn't done anything wrong. In the two and a half years since joining the Special Missions Department, he had handed over a staggering 1800 million yen in various bonuses, benefits, overtime pay, subsidies, and money his mother had secretly given him.

Unexpectedly, Miki managed to save 1800 million yen out of the 1000 million yen, which she used to go on a shopping spree in Europe, indulge in extravagant lifestyles, and keep a bartender as a mistress.

As the train of time slowly passed through Sakurada Gate.

30-year-old Masayoshi Okada lay there, his affectionate gaze reflecting the image of himself at 25, newly married.

In this field, no one can rival him for first place; even Heath Ledger could only rank second.

"Hehe, hehehehehehe~hi~hihihihihi~" Okada Masayoshi laughed loudly, his laughter tinged with tears, and his tears filled with laughter.

Just then, the ward door suddenly opened, and surrounded by two security police officers, a secretary, and an old butler, Okada Masahiro appeared at the door.

Father, did you come here to laugh at me?
Okada Masayoshi was filled with mixed feelings, but he still managed to get up and stand opposite his father.

Everyone tacitly withdrew, leaving only the father and son staring at each other.

In the huge, desolate, and somewhat deathly quiet VIP ward, there were only the father and son. The long tea table created a physical and emotional distance between them, and the atmosphere was so silent that it was suffocating. The only sounds were the instruments and the faint noise of cars passing by in the distance and ambulances.

No one spoke; a fierce flame condensed in the hearts of both father and son, condensing, condensing...
"........."

"…………………………" Okada Masahiro stood with his hands behind his back, looking at his son's much thinner face, the shadows that hadn't completely faded from his eyes, and those once sharp and bright eyes that now held too much pain and weariness. A complex emotion—heartache, regret, and a barely perceptible sense of guilt—simmered in his hardened heart.

Finally, he sat down at the coffee table next to him, skillfully brewing tea. His gaze wasn't on his son, but fixed on the ordinary tea leaves in front of him, as if he were talking to thin air. His voice was low and restrained: "You've lost weight."

He paused, seemingly searching for a more suitable word, and finally, with great difficulty and almost indistinctly, said, "...he also suffered injustice."

These words, spoken by Masahiro Okada, were tantamount to the most straightforward apology and the deepest heartache. He didn't mention Miki's name at all, nor did he say "I told you so," but simply acknowledged the "suffering" and "grievances" his son had endured.

Okada Masayoshi's hand suddenly stiffened. He lowered his head, his eyes instantly welling up with tears. His father's extremely awkward and subtle words were like a key, instantly unlocking all the bitterness and...regret that had been building up in his heart.

Yes, if I had listened to my father back then... if I hadn't been so stubborn in believing in that illusory "warmth"... wouldn't there have been no betrayal, framing, and this heart-wrenching pain later on?

He lowered his head, his voice equally deep and slightly hoarse: "Father, you... are indeed very knowledgeable."

This statement is tantamount to indirectly admitting that his father's initial opposition was correct and that his own choice back then was wrong.

The air fell silent again, but this time it was no longer a cold, suffocating silence; instead, it was filled with a heavy and complex flow of emotion.

After a long while, Okada Masaaki suddenly sighed very softly, so softly that it was almost inaudible. He picked up the teapot on the table, poured the tea he had brewed into a teacup, then picked up the teacup and placed it in front of his son. He then immediately stood up, turning his back to his son: "Looking back, it has truly been a long and arduous journey."

"..." Okada Masayoshi silently picked up his teacup, blowing on the steam. How long had it been since he had drunk tea brewed by his father? He couldn't remember.

"I started my political career in the Showa era, working my way up from city councilor to prefectural councilor, then to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Cabinet Secretariat, and finally to the Director-General of the Financial Services Agency. I have witnessed and learned this path firsthand, and I have coerced, deceived, belittled, and betrayed others along the way. The political world is an incredibly bloody and cruel battlefield, where people sometimes use sweet words to distort the truth and sometimes resort to any means to harm others."

"That's how history is; ruthlessness always triumphs over incompetence."

“A person who puts himself above others in righteousness will inevitably harbor evil spirits in his heart.”

"Raising, evil spirits?" Okada Masayoshi's face turned pale.

“The evil in human nature must be countered by the evil of necessity. Everyone has a demon in their heart. We may not actively hurt others, but we cannot be without one.” Okada Masahiro’s graying temples were facing Okada Masayoshi’s face: “You have never gotten your hands dirty, and you have had a smooth life at such a young age. People around you have been accommodating and flattering you. But in my opinion, you are like a little chick, and you are still far from being a good person.”

“If you hadn’t been born as Okada Masahiro’s son, you wouldn’t have to suffer like this, would you?” Okada Masahiro finally turned his head and looked directly at his son, a mocking smile on his face.

“Absolutely not, Father… Although I am your son, it was I who chose to save people, and it was I who chose to marry Miki. These were all my own choices, although… the outcome was not good.” Okada Masayoshi said in a low voice, “But how can you get your hands dirty if you don’t reach out and do it?”

"Is that so?" Okada Masaaki did not answer directly. He just narrowed his eyes: "Then, Inspector, the national hero who has suffered an injustice, could you please pour me a cup of tea?"

"Yes!" Tears instantly filled Okada Masayoshi's eyes. He picked up the teapot on the table and, unusually, leaned forward slightly to slowly pour some dark brown tea into the still empty teacup in front of his father.

As Okada Masaaki watched the tea gradually fill his cup, he looked up at his son. His son's gaze still did not fully meet his eyes. The Financial Services Agency Commissioner remained turned to the side, maintaining his dignified posture, but his slightly trembling lips and somewhat stiff movements betrayed his inner turmoil.

Masayoshi Okada didn't speak. He silently and solemnly stretched out his hands and steadily picked up the teacup, as if he were holding an extremely precious and fragile item and placing it in front of his father.

Okada Masayuki did not drink it immediately, but nodded slightly, using this gesture to indicate his acceptance of this "gift".

The father and son stood there, one silently turned to the side, the other holding a cup and bowing his head.

They looked at each other speechlessly.

After a long while, Okada Masaaki finally spoke with difficulty: "The reason I'm keeping you in the Special Missions Division is because, after my evaluation, Watanabe Minami and Uesugi Muneyuki are both good people. Working for them is suitable for you, and it's safe for you..."

"Try to trust Watanabe Minami a little more, and when handling cases, consider and ask Uesugi Muneyuki's opinions more often. Remember that, remember that."

"Yes."

Okada Masahiro nodded, drank the tea in one gulp, and turned to leave.

As Okada Masayoshi watched his father's departing figure, he tried his best to control himself, frantically rubbing his face with his hands, closing his eyes, and clenching his teeth tightly. Finally, he couldn't help but sob, whimpering, "Baka!"

At the same time, Okada Masayuki also stood alone in the corridor, his dignified eyes also filled with tears. After a long while, he finally uttered a sentence.

"Ba...Gah!"

(End of this chapter)