Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 540, The Fox and the Hound!

The on-site explosives disposal team explained why they were unable to do anything.

The bomb on Shota Akimoto is similar to the bomb on Nen Horikawa in the Imperial Palace case. It is an explosive that is very easy to detonate on the spot when stimulated by external objects. Under normal circumstances, bomb disposal experts are capable of solving the problem within 2 minutes.

But the problem lies with that remote control collar!
The remote-controlled collar has sensors and induction devices. Anyone who gets within 10 meters will cause the indicator light to flash. Once it flashes more than 50 times in a row, it will detonate the explosive on the spot. Moreover, the explosive itself may be equipped with an extremely precise balance sensor. Any violent movement, fall, or even slight tilt caused by forced disassembly will immediately trigger the explosion.

"What about signal jamming?" Masayoshi Okada asked immediately.

“No, the collar has a wireless signal receiver. If we rashly try to jam the radio, the device might interpret it as ‘signal loss,’ which would also detonate the explosives.” The expert from the explosives disposal team said with a frown, “In other words, that young man himself is the most unstable detonator. We’re not dealing with a machine that can be calmly disassembled, but a walking bomb driven by fear. Unless we can make him instantly unconscious and absolutely still, any forced intervention is tantamount to pressing the detonation button.”

After listening, Minami Watanabe frowned, and the young lady subconsciously thought of the Imperial Palace case.

She immediately ordered: "Establish multiple security perimeters immediately! Clear the area within 50 meters, investigate any potential security cameras and nearby buildings, as there may be someone observing from the vicinity!"

"Establish an on-site command center immediately. The First Division, the Public Security Bureau, the SAT, and the Special Missions Department must coordinate their efforts!"

"Have the negotiation experts on standby!"

"Start information control, monitor the scene, and tell reporters to step back and stop spreading panic and anxiety!"

"Immediately begin investigating what happened to Shota Akimoto, when he lost contact, determine the time of his kidnapping, and begin investigating any suspicious individuals!"

"Yes!!!"

Miss Minami arranged everything, and the main force of the Metropolitan Police Department finally arrived.

Chief Sugishita Ukyo of the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division arrived with the Second, Third, and Fifth Divisions. Shiratori Sho, Kashiwagi Jin, and Itami Kenichi followed closely behind Sugishita Ukyo. After listening attentively to Watanabe Minami's report, he nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

The Fifth Department's head, Itami, ran to the railing. The area was heavily guarded; rings of mobile units, clad in heavy uniforms and helmets, were drenched in sweat in the sweltering heat. Itami, in his suit, was equally sweltering. "That kid! I've heard of him! Someone must be getting revenge on him!"

"It's hard to say. Anyone who can make this kind of explosive and detonating device is definitely not a good person!" Inspector Shiratori Sho felt a chill run down his spine when he saw the dense network of cables on the other person's body.

Kashiwagi Jin ran up to Uesugi Muneyuki and asked, "Uesugi, why are you just standing here watching?"

"Do I look like a bomb disposal expert to you?" Uesugi Muneyuki squinted. "I'm a forensic pathologist! Not Superman, Batman, or Iron Man!"

"Damn it!" Kashiwagi Jin slammed his fist on the railing in anger. "There must be something behind this, right? Minister Akimoto... the darkness behind the nation?"

"If I'm not mistaken, there should be." Uesugi Muneyuki stared intently at Akimoto Shota, who was kneeling on the ground.

Now what? Everyone's here, what are the people behind them waiting for?
There must be a reason why the other side didn't blow this guy up directly but arranged it this way.

Just then, Kashiwagi suddenly exclaimed, "Look, the police are here!"

In the distance, several cars and a Toyota Coaster stopped, and another large group of people in suits got out. Their demeanor and seriousness clearly indicated that they were public security police.

Uesugi Muneyuki walked in that direction almost without hesitation, and seeing Uesugi Muneyuki's actions, Ikeda Erena immediately followed.

The police officer in charge was Inspector Toru Kinoshita from the Security Planning Division of the National Police Agency's Security Department. He had just gotten out of the car and was about to say something when he saw Uesugi and Erina approaching. Kinoshita's dark face twitched slightly, but he still said, "You can stay here, but don't do anything unnecessary."

"What exactly happened at the Imperial Palace?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked. "Wasn't it all handed over to your Public Security Bureau to handle at the time?"

"Yes, but unfortunately, Horikawa Nen was just a pawn. He admitted that he and 'Red Canary' made regular handovers through secret locations. The bombs and detonators were transferred in batches to the Imperial Household Agency's Archives and Mausoleums Department office through physical handovers. To this day, we still don't understand how they got through security checks. It's as if they were invisible."

Invisible!

That shadow!

Uesugi Muneyuki said in a deep voice, "Does the Public Security Bureau have any further information?"

“No, but if the other party is being manipulated by an extremist organization, then this arrangement will definitely be used as an opportunity to make demands. So as long as we wait for them to make demands, we can investigate according to their conditions and we will definitely get results.” Inspector Kinoshita was also annoyed that the Public Security Bureau had not made any other progress: “Uesugi-san, we in the Public Security Bureau have no reason to lie to you, and we did not expect this to happen.”

The atmosphere at the scene was frozen solid. Police, SATs, bomb disposal experts... all forces were in place, but they were bound hand and foot by invisible chains, and could only watch helplessly as the human-shaped bomb on the verge of collapse stood in the center of the open space.

Just then, the screen of the phone strapped to Akimoto Shota's wrist suddenly lit up, the vibration particularly jarring in the deathly silence. Like a startled bird, Akimoto Shota trembled as he raised his hand to look at the message on the screen.

His eyes widened in fear, his lips trembled, as if he had seen an even more terrifying demon.

He raised his head, and with all his might, shouted the instructions he had just received at the top of his lungs towards the police outside the cordon, the dark mass of people further away, and the few scattered cameras that had already started broadcasting live:
“They…they said! Live broadcast! All live broadcasts must not be interrupted! Everyone must see! Everyone must hear!” His voice was choked with sobs, yet also carried a hint of coerced madness. “Seven o’clock tonight! It must be before seven o’clock tonight! My father…Foreign Minister Shinichiro Akimoto himself! must stand here personally, or announce through a nationwide live broadcast, all the crimes he and I have committed! All of them! Not a single one can be omitted!”

He almost collapsed, but managed to stand up again, adding desperately, "Otherwise... when the time comes, or the live broadcast signal is interrupted... they will... they will detonate the bomb!"

The news was like a meteorite crashing into the ocean, stirring up towering waves.

Section Chief Sugishita Ukyo, who was in charge on site, turned ashen-faced. He immediately contacted headquarters via radio, and after a moment, he silently nodded and gave his subordinates a humiliating order: "...Do as they say. Notify all media outlets that they can continue broadcasting, but they must maintain a safe distance, and the cameras must not zoom in too much to provoke the target."

Almost simultaneously, at the Metropolitan Police Department's highest command center, Eiji Watanabe's private encrypted phone rang shrilly.

Caller ID—Minister of Foreign Affairs Official Residence. Watanabe Eiji took a deep breath and pressed the answer button. Before he could even speak, Akimoto Shinichiro's familiar voice came through the receiver, but now lacked its usual composure, filled with suppressed anger and panic. The voice was shrill due to extreme anxiety:
"Commander Watanabe! What on earth is the Metropolitan Police Department doing?! Why have you allowed this situation to escalate to this point?! My son was right in front of so many cameras, with a bomb strapped to his body! Is this the kind of security you claim to have that's the best in Japan?!"

Watanabe listened expressionlessly until the questioning subsided slightly, at which point he responded in a calm, almost cold tone: "Minister Akimoto, the situation is critical, and we are doing everything we can to handle it."

"All out? I don't care about the process, I care about the result!" Shinichiro Akimoto's voice hardened, carrying an unquestionable command tone. "I'm telling you, Watanabe-kun, Shota must be rescued unharmed! Not a single hair can be missing! This is a death order! Moreover, those kidnappers' so-called 'crimes' are pure nonsense, slander and defamation! You must ensure that no false information is spread without provoking the kidnappers! My son's safety and the country's diplomatic reputation must be guaranteed! Do you understand what I mean?"

These words were perfectly worded, expressing the father's concerns while maintaining the politician's dignity, characterizing the "crime" as "defamation," and using "diplomatic reputation" as leverage for pressure.

However, Watanabe Eiji was not intimidated by this official tone. He remained silent for two seconds, and all that could be heard through the receiver was Akimoto Shinichiro's heavy breathing.

Then, Eiji Watanabe spoke slowly in a calm yet powerful tone:
“Minister Akimoto.” His voice was not loud, but it was like a cold dagger, precisely piercing through the other party’s disguise: “During your tenure as Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, you should know better than this old man how many times you used your influence to suppress those suspected cases of forced intercourse involving your son that ultimately ended with ‘insufficient evidence’ or ‘mutual settlement’?”

There was an instant, deathly silence on the other end of the phone.

All that could be heard was Shinichiro Akimoto's breathing suddenly stop, then become extremely heavy, as if someone were choking him.

After a few suffocating seconds of silence, Shinichiro Akimoto's voice rang out again, still forceful, but upon closer listening, one could detect a subtle hint of weakness and wavering: "...Watanabe! Are you threatening me now?! I don't care what you think! Now! Immediately! Find a way to save my son! That's your duty as Superintendent General!"

“I am well aware of my responsibilities.” Watanabe Eiji’s tone remained flat. “Saving lives is the top priority. But the one who tied the knot must untie it, Minister. The kidnappers want the ‘truth’ and ‘repentance.’ Finding that impossible balance between meeting their demands to ‘save the prince’ and ‘not revealing anything’ is the ‘biggest’ problem we are currently facing.”

He deliberately emphasized the word "largest".

"I...I don't care! You have to find a way!" Shinichiro Akimoto almost roared, but his confidence was waning. "I will get the Chief Cabinet Secretary to take this matter into account! If anything happens to Shota, your Metropolitan Police Department will be held accountable!"

"Click." The phone was abruptly disconnected.

Eiji Watanabe slowly put down the receiver, his face expressionless.

Now, all the pressure is on the Metropolitan Police Department. They not only have to deal with a crazy bomber, but also political pressure from the top of power, as well as a ruthless and purposeful terrorist organization lurking in the shadows.

Time is flowing by, second by second.

After hearing the robbers' demands, the hundreds of police officers present, as well as the riot police surrounding the scene, all looked extremely grim.

The surrounding television stations went into a frenzy, focusing their live broadcasts on Shota Akimoto, who was kneeling on both knees.

What was the reason? What crime did he commit? Why was it broadcast nationwide? Who did it? What grudge did they have against the minister's son?

After hearing the robbers' demands, Uesugi Muneyuki suddenly made a puzzling move!
He climbed over the cordon alone and quickly walked up to Shota Akimoto!
Uesugi Muneyuki's speed was so fast that almost all the police officers on the scene couldn't react in time, but Uesugi Muneyuki didn't hesitate at all, because at this moment he was 100% certain.

Since the other party did not kill Akimoto Shota directly, since the other party set a time limit of 7 pm, and since the other party made a clear demand, it can only mean one thing!

The other party doesn't want to let this minister's son die on the spot immediately, at least not now!

So Uesugi Muneyuki acted quickly. He grabbed a bottle of Pocari Sweat from the Toyota Coaster of the Public Security Police, crossed the cordon and came to Akimoto Shota. He raised his hands to indicate that he had no ill intentions, and knelt down on one knee about 12 meters away, silently throwing the water from the ground to Akimoto Shota.

Shota Akimoto grabbed a Pocari Sweat and chug it down, a moment captured by all the cameras on set!
The two people were kept at a stable distance of about 12 meters, and the lights did not flicker.

The Special Missions Division's Chief Uesugi? Go catch the criminal! Catch the criminal!

The son of the Foreign Minister glared fiercely at Uesugi Muneyuki, his eyes signaling: Don't come near me! They, they're watching!
"Where?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked in a low voice.

It's amazing. Even though they were 12 meters apart and he couldn't hear it directly, Akimoto Shota could vaguely sense Uesugi Muneyuki's voice: "Where were you kidnapped?"

“…………My apartment parking lot.” Shota Akimoto was horrified to find that he could actually speak to Muneyuki Uesugi in an extremely faint voice.

"When? Yesterday?"

“Around 2:40 a.m. yesterday... I was kidnapped in the underground parking lot.”

"Can you guess who the culprit is?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked, using Murahana-dono's abilities.

"I……"

Just as Shota Akimoto was about to answer, the collar around his neck suddenly beeped.

"Ding Dong~Ding Dong~Ding Dong~"

Immediately afterwards, a text message was sent to his phone.

"Get Uesugi away! Now!"

"Also, don't be so arrogant. Even Uesugi Muneyuki can't save you!"

(End of this chapter)