Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 552, The Metropolitan Police Department's Counterattack!

Uesugi Muneyuki never disappoints.

This is how everyone present felt after Uesugi Muneyuki made his judgment, especially Watanabe Eiji and Onoda Kimiaki!

After the Joint Special Investigation Headquarters was established, these two people were under the most pressure. First was Eiji Watanabe, who was the Superintendent General of Police. The incident happened in Tokyo, and as the Superintendent General, he had no choice but to take responsibility. Moreover, the bomb exploded right under the noses of the police organization, and a police mole was caught at the scene. Now, even if he was not responsible, he would still be responsible!
The other is Kimiaki Onoda, the Chief Cabinet Secretary of the National Police Agency. This Chief Cabinet Secretary, who has effectively sidelined the Commissioner of the National Police Agency, clearly does not intend to stop at the position of Chief Cabinet Secretary of the Inspector General of the National Police Agency. As the younger brother of the Chief Cabinet Secretary, Kimiaki Onoda will certainly continue to climb towards the position of Inspector General of the National Police Agency or even higher.

As mentioned earlier, advancing from civil servant to political officer is an almost insurmountable chasm. Unless one can achieve extraordinary feats like Eiji Watanabe, the civil servant's career path ends at the Superintendent General of Police or the Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Public Security.

With Uesugi Muneyuki here, it's impossible for Onoda not to develop even more ambitions. Moreover, just like the many second-generation heirs in the Special Missions system, Onoda Kimiaki's contributions are already being recognized and remembered.

Although Uesugi Muneyuki is still unable to find the culprit immediately, it is enough to address the current predicament faced by the Japanese police force!
"Very good. Immediately notify Togasaki Tomonobu to hold a press conference this afternoon to announce Chief Uesugi's investigation results and present the surveillance footage we have collected!" Watanabe Eiji couldn't help but show joy on his face, but considering that the case was not yet solved and that the police still needed to work hard, he held back. He patted Uesugi Muneyuki's shoulder hard, giving him a "Son, your father is counting on you again" look, and then quickly put his hand down and went to prepare.

After Watanabe Eiji finished his hint, Onoda Kimiaki approached Uesugi Muneyuki. He gazed intently at the young man and finally said in a low voice, "Uesugi-kun, the Cabinet has granted us the highest authority. If there is any need, including 'voluntary investigation,' 'emergency arrest,' or 'emergency search,' the Public Security Bureau is willing to cooperate at any time!"

"Thank you." Uesugi Muneyuki didn't say anything more.

Like Uesugi Muneyuki himself, the Public Security Police are a double-edged sword, possessing both attributes. By using the power of the Public Security Police, one can conduct searches and arrests without evidence, and also access the SAT and many special channels. However, this also means that one sometimes has to accept requests and designations from the Public Security Police.

Uesugi Muneyuki's attitude towards the public security police was: necessity, adequacy, and minimum.

Is it necessary to deploy the police (for example, if the other party escapes without an emergency response)? Is the relative strength of the other party comparable to that of the police? And can the problem be resolved with minimal intervention (for example, if the ghost in Ikebukuro necessitates seeking police assistance)?
Forensic doctors must have backbone!
But this time, Uesugi Muneyuki himself was not quite sure whether he needed the assistance of the public security police.

What is the background of this Sakikawa Restoration Army?
If the opponent really has strong abilities in the other world, then we'll bring out our sniper rifles to deal with them!
May the Bodhisattva Gatling help me! May my six senses be purified, like Apache!
........................

As expected, the news caused a huge uproar as soon as it was released in the afternoon!
Director Eiji Watanabe immediately convened an emergency press conference, solemnly but firmly announcing the investigation results.

He first expressed his condolences again for the deaths of Shota Akimoto and others, then changed the subject: "Based on conclusive evidence, the root cause of this deadly explosion lies in a major loophole in the security system targeting key national figures. The explosive device had already been planted in an area where the vehicle was parked and which was under the security of other departments, before the vehicle arrived at the scene. The Metropolitan Police Department's bomb disposal operation at the scene against the target (Shota Akimoto) was successful and responsible, but it cannot be held responsible for the deadly trap that was pre-planted from other security jurisdictions!"

The subtext is: "The responsibility doesn't lie with us, but with the Security Service (SS), which is responsible for the Minister's personal safety, and its management system. We, the Metropolitan Police Department, are here to put out a fire, but the arsonist started it in your own backyard!"

Subsequently, at a press conference, Watanabe Eiji presented all of Uesugi Muneyuki's judgments, along with reasonable chemical investigation results and the "clean layer" conclusion. As the Metropolitan Police Department displayed the blurry figure from the parking lot surveillance footage, public opinion instantly shifted!

"According to the final analysis by the Metropolitan Police Department's Scientific Police Research Institute and forensic experts, the explosive device that detonated the Foreign Minister's vehicle was indeed installed under the chassis while the vehicle was parked in the official residence's parking lot. A suspect posing as a mechanic has been identified, and the investigation is ongoing!"

Despite the careful wording, this "thunderbolt of truth" was instantly broadcast across the country via live stream.

NHK immediately ran the headline: "Major Security Breach! Terrorists Infiltrate Core National Area!"

Commentators on various civilian broadcasting stations nearly lost their composure in the studio: "Unbelievable! This means that the security at our minister's residence is practically non-existent!" "This is not a simple crime; it is a blatant violation of national sovereignty!"

News flashes flooded the internet: "The target is straight at the core of power!" "Who can still feel safe? — A huge question for the people."

On social media, panic and anger were palpable: "This is terrifying! Even a minister's car could be bombed!" "What are the SPs (security police) doing?"

"We demand an apology from the entire cabinet!"

"Damn it, we pay so much tax every year, and each minister spends over a hundred million on security every year, and this is all we get?"

Public opinion shifted dramatically from "the Metropolitan Police Department's incompetence" to "the collapse of the Cabinet's security measures."

Inside the official residence, Minister Shinichiro Akimoto watched the live broadcast, his face first flushed red, then turned deathly pale. All his previous rebukes and attempts to shift blame onto the Metropolitan Police Department now sounded like the most jarring mockery echoing in his ears.

The bomb had been planted in his own "absolutely safe zone"! He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to his secretary, but ultimately couldn't utter a single word. He could only slump into his chair, wiping away the cold sweat that had instantly beaded on his skin with a handkerchief. A tremendous sense of embarrassment and a deeper fear overwhelmed him—not only because of the pain of losing his son, but also because he himself might already be the next target on Sakikawa's Restoration Army's list.

In other words, my son, my most beloved Shota, died in my place? Shota, my Shota! Father, thank you!

Shinichiro Akimoto, thinking of his son who was killed in the bombing, his trusted secretary who was also killed, and his driver of twenty years, was overcome with grief and tears streamed down his face.

They are all my beloved relatives and friends, my brothers and sisters!

Sakikawa Restoration Army, I'm not done with you! Not done with you!!!

However, when Minister Shinichiro Akimoto informed the cabinet about this, both to gain more political capital by playing the victim and to show that he would stand with Prime Minister Owada at all costs, little did he know that the cabinet was already in complete chaos upon hearing the news!

The entire town of Nagata was in an uproar!
Oh no, it didn't actually explode, but rather a super bomb was dropped on them, and everyone is on edge!
The Foreign Secretary's car was bombed! His own son's first secretary, personal driver, and bodyguard have all gone on manned spaceflights, so how far behind are we?
Finance Minister Hanzawa and Chief Cabinet Secretary Onoda, who remained in the cabinet, were starting to lose control of the situation!

Cabinet ministers immediately summoned their respective SP (Special Purpose Vehicle) supervisors, demanding a thorough, bomb-proof inspection of their vehicles, offices, and residences. The black official cars, once symbols of status, now seemed like potential mobile coffins!
Members of parliament followed suit, contacting private security companies, and suddenly, high-end bomb detection equipment and personnel became extremely scarce in Tokyo!

Prime Minister Ōwada was forced to appear from his official residence to reassure his cabinet members, promising an immediate and comprehensive review and upgrade of security protocols for all VIPs. However, the atmosphere of fear and insecurity that permeated the air could not be easily dispelled.

A profound security trust crisis has plunged the entire core of Japanese power into a state of panic and confusion.

Unable to secure cabinet support and faced with overwhelming evidence from the Metropolitan Police Department, Shinichiro Akimoto's previous rage instantly subsided. He could no longer accuse the Metropolitan Police Department, because the bomb had been planted on his own "territory." This, in turn, exposed the extremely high threat he faced and the serious dereliction of duty by his personal security team.

His attitude had to undergo a 180-degree turn, shifting from high-profile accountability to low-key avoidance. He no longer publicly criticized the Metropolitan Police Department, but instead expressed through his secretary that he "trusted the investigation results of the relevant departments" and emphasized that "the current focus is on finding the real culprit and safeguarding national security."

He found himself in an extremely awkward situation: he was heartbroken by his son's death, and he had lost face because of the tragedy caused by his own security lapses. He might even face attacks from his political opponents for "management incompetence."

But the Foreign Secretary still announced that he would not resign and that he would fight to the end against enemies who oppose the national system and against such far-left terrorist organizations!
However, the exhilarating atmosphere of the initial breakthrough did not last long that evening at the Metropolitan Police Department's Special Investigation Headquarters.

The Ministry of Public Security deployed top-of-the-line facial recognition technology and a large amount of manpower to enhance and compare the image of the "repairman".

But the result was disappointing—the other party had clearly gone to great lengths to disguise themselves, and the uniform they used was a replica. No definite identity could be found in the existing database and internal personnel checks.

He was like a true ghost, leaving a fleeting glimpse on the official residence's surveillance cameras before disappearing without a trace into the crowd.

Another ghost?

Sakuma Kaito II?
The First Investigation Division and the police forces throughout the Kanto region have once again found themselves mired in a quagmire.

On the large screen in the command center, the blurry and suspicious masked face was frozen there, as if silently mocking the police's efforts.

Uesugi Muneyuki frowned, his hands resting on the command platform as he stared at the face hidden behind the mask. He knew that simply pinpointing the installation method and approximate time was not enough; without finding this person, the trail would go cold.

Hmm... what should we do next?

The following content will cover the blind spots that Soul Contract and Death Flashback cannot reach.

However, by now, Uesugi Muneyuki is no longer the novice who only knows how to solve cases by telling stories from the dead.

The weak person I used to be is dead!

The current me is a weaker version of myself! (Just kidding) Cough cough, the current me is a well-rounded version of myself!
Now that the Soul Contract route has been broken, Uesugi has decided to shift the focus of his investigation to a more scientific one.

Flowers, trees, sky, breeze, clouds, sun, rainbow, ocean, beach, forest, pebbles, gravel, earth!
(End of this chapter)