Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 568, Revenge in Kind!
At the entrance of the Special Investigation Headquarters, Representative Tetsuro Kurokawa did not collapse; he stood frozen in place like a stone statue instantly weathered by time. His mouth was open, but no sound came out; only tears flowed silently and torrents from his empty eyes.

When I heard Chief Detective Nakazawa describe the horrific scene in the most concise and restrained (yet still incredibly cruel) language, especially the formaldehyde jar…

This man, who was powerful and resolute in the political arena, made a strange "gurgling" sound from his throat, like a dying beast, and then suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the front of his crisp suit jacket red.

He completely broke down, not by weeping, but by a profound collapse where his very soul was ripped away, leaving only endless emptiness and destructive images.

He roared, wanting to rush in and take Taguchi Junnosuke down with him, but with so many police officers present, it was clear that he couldn't succeed. All Uesugi Muneyuki could hear was the wailing of Representative Kurokawa, and he felt a little uneasy.

The origin of law is "retaliation in kind," as mentioned earlier, so I won't repeat it here.

However, retaliation in kind is inherently a behavior that is particularly prone to getting stuck in a vicious cycle.

For example, if A kills B's father, then B has the right to kill A to avenge his father—this has been the case throughout history and across the world, even when emperors were still ordinary people fishing in Asia Minor. This was recognized and encouraged during tribal periods.

But if A's son sees his father being killed, does he also have the right to avenge B? And then, does B's son also have the right to kill A's son, thus achieving retribution?
Oh dear, before we knew it, war had begun.

Moreover, the scope of "retaliation in kind" is very difficult to control precisely. For example, if B kills A, and A's son resists and is also killed by B—then next time, would A's grandson have to kill two members of B's ​​family for it to be considered retaliation in kind?
Now everyone's a Blood God Warrior! Khorne has won a great victory!

As a result, the whole society realized that this could not continue. In order to break this cycle of "revenge for revenge," the concept of law began to emerge. The state system replaced the people's retaliation, demanding that the murderer pay with his life on behalf of the victim. The state system took responsibility for the "cause and effect" and took the murderer's life. Individuals could not take revenge on the state (there was a very small probability that some people could achieve some results).

In this way, the state system prevented the "vicious cycle" of retaliation through law.

However, the moment the system and laws were established, "retaliation in kind" lost its legal basis. The law stipulates that the severity of the crime determines the severity of the punishment. The purpose of punishment is not revenge or venting, but to punish criminals. Similarly, the purpose of the system and laws is not to repay an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth, but to establish and manage an order so that everyone can be protected by the order and live happily.

Since it's about punishment, the death penalty doesn't seem worth advocating. Why not give someone a chance to reform rather than take their life?
This is the origin of the "abolition of the death penalty" theory, and objectively speaking, the logic of this law is sound, because revenge cannot be infinitely chained and looped to turn the entire society into a horrific arena.

Even a certain country across the sea that insists on retaining the death penalty has, in recent years, followed the principle of being cautious about killing people and not killing them, trying not to sentence them to death unless the crime is extremely heinous.

However, Uesugi Muneyuki favored cautious death sentences but did not advocate abolishing the death penalty; he insisted that it was still necessary to retain it.

Because, you know, some bastards just won't learn their lesson until they see the coffin. They're incorrigible and won't change their ways until they're really put to death. They just don't know fear. Without the death penalty as the ultimate deterrent, for some people, going to prison for life is like going home. Everyone speaks nicely to them, and the prison guards are friendly. I love it here!
Not to mention that some people would not repent even if they were executed.

Modern legal systems advocate forgiveness, but forgiveness often requires great moral courage, which is difficult to achieve in practice.

Furthermore, forgiveness requires the individual to choose to forgive, rather than someone else forgiving on your behalf.

Without the death penalty, the ultimate deterrent against crime is lost.

This is also why Uesugi Muneyuki doesn't like to act as a vigilante like Mai-senpai. He himself is already closely integrated with the powerful departments of the system and order, and if he were to act as a vigilante, it would be easy for him to overstep the line and lose control.

He's just a forensic doctor; his job is to clarify things, and how to prosecute and what the verdict is is not his business.

Unless, of course, the other party is targeting him and the people around him.

"The evidence is conclusive, and the Taguchi father and son will soon be sent to the prosecutor's office." As the three left, Sugishita Ukyo, the head of the First Investigation Division, said to Uesugi Muneyuki and Kashiwagi Jin, "Taguchi Shigetaka will be prosecuted for 'kidnapping resulting in death,' 'desecration of a corpse,' and 'aiding and abetting murder.' It's highly likely that Taguchi Shigetaka won't be sentenced to death; he'll most likely receive a life sentence. Considering he already has lung cancer, he'll probably die in prison soon."

"As for Junnosuke Taguchi, he is the key culprit in this case. The prosecution will bring all the most severe charges against him, including kidnapping resulting in death, murder, desecration of a corpse, illegal detention, and 'terrorist acts' that may involve the Anti-Subversive Activities Act!" Sugishita paused here.

“Although there is a possibility that a psychiatric evaluation might indicate a mental disorder, given the planned nature, cruelty, political motives, and serious challenge to the social foundations of his crime, the court will almost certainly sentence him to death,” Uesugi Muneyuki continued. “Hmm.” Sugishita Ukyo nodded. This kind of case is extremely serious, with extremely cruel consequences and involving terrorism. Even in Japan, he would be sentenced to death, but it is estimated that it will be difficult to carry out quickly. He will be detained in a death row detention center, waiting for years or even decades, until he is finally executed quietly.

"Tsk!" Kashiwagi Jin slapped his thigh angrily, feeling that this was too lenient on the Taguchi father and son.

"That's all for this case for now, Uesugi and Kashiwagi. I'm talking to you two." Sugishita Ukyo stared intently at his two subordinates. "First of all, without a doubt, this agency will classify this case as a 'successfully solved case,' a 'major victory.'"

Uesugi Muneyuki twitched the corner of his mouth. It's like turning a funeral into a celebration; those who know, know.

“Kashiwagi, you’ll become a hero in the news, but unfortunately, I suggest you take a leave of absence immediately.” Sugishita Ukyo turned his gaze to Kashiwagi Jin: “First of all, the extremely cruel details of the scene will never be disclosed to the public, nor will the political demands and ransom requests of the Red Canary be made public. And you are the one who knows the inside story and orchestrated all the actions. If you don’t want to cause social panic and ruin your reputation, you have to learn to keep quiet. So, go back to the Metropolitan Police Department now and immediately apply for psychological counseling for mental health issues and long-term leave!”

"Section Chief! But..." Kashiwagi Jin was anxious.

“This is an order!” Sugishita Ukyo said calmly, his words filled with severity and an unyielding tone: “Don’t you want to go from the First Investigation Division to becoming an instructor at the police academy?!”

"..." Of course, Kashiwagi Jin wanted to continue working in the First Investigation Division, but he knew that this "completely failed but successful case-solving" would be a lifelong pain for him. He wanted to argue his case, but the case was already solved and the person would be sent to the prosecutor's office. What could he argue for? How to prosecute and how to make a judgment were matters for the district prosecutor and the court.

He found that he seemed to have no reason to refuse!
"As for you, Uesugi, you'd better stay out of the way as well." Seeing that Kashiwagi Jin was silent, Sugishita Ukyo turned to Uesugi Muneyuki: "The bombing incident involves negotiations with that Osumi-gawa. Once Osumi-gawa reveals the inside story, you will inevitably face retaliation from the Foreign Minister's faction. Are you prepared?"

“I’m ready.” Uesugi Muneyuki forced a smile. “I’m already preparing to apply for annual leave because Maeda, the head of the Imperial Household Agency, sent me a message inviting me to Karuizawa for a summer retreat and to stay next door to His Majesty’s family.”

"!!!" Sugishita Ukyo's pupils contracted slightly when he heard Uesugi Muneyuki say that, but he was relieved immediately.

That's true, this kid has a powerful background, so there's no need for him to worry.

Moreover, the Imperial Household Agency's initiative to invite him to Karuizawa for a summer retreat sends an extremely strong and clear signal!
This is tantamount to the Imperial Household Agency (through the Imperial Household Agency) declaring to the public: "This person is a national role model whom we admire and wish to be close to."

Attacking Uesugi Sōsetsu is, to some extent, a challenge to the vision and authority of the Imperial Family that made this approval. In the Japanese social context, this is almost unimaginable disrespect. As a high-ranking government official, Minister Akimoto would never dare to defy public opinion and touch this forbidden zone.

The royal family does not interfere in politics, but precisely because of this, no political force should ever bring the flames of struggle to the periphery of the royal family!
“Very good. The following matters involve far-left organizations and terrorists, so they will be handled entirely by the public security police. This part is beyond the scope of our criminal police duties, so you should not ask about it or mention it again.”

“Junnosuke Taguchi is not a ‘martyr’ or ‘revolutionary’; he’s just a shameless ‘murderer.’ But if this matter is repeatedly brought up, Taguchi will become the ‘ideological warrior’ he wants to be, and it will attract other extremists to imitate him. You know, Uesugi, Kashiwagi, and Kurokawa are good people, but the general public may not have that much extra energy to understand him. Their reaction to this matter is more likely to be…” Sugishita Ukyo was somewhat worried.

"Good riddance, I'll pop some champagne." Uesugi Muneyuki said with a hint of sarcasm, "Today a member of parliament's daughter dies, and everyone pops champagne and shouts that she deserved it. Tomorrow a minister falls, and everyone will still pop champagne and shout that she deserved it. I understand."

This is Japan, according to Toyota Vivi.

However, the Japanese cannot be entirely blamed. After Japanese society became highly atomized and fragmented, it was compounded by a repressive atmosphere and enormous social pressure. The people needed a outlet for their anger, and this kind of incident was one of them. No matter what it was, their first reaction was habitual anger plus habitual popping champagne.

But this will cause even more cruel secondary harm to Representative Kurokawa and his family.

"You understand, that's good. Then enjoy your holiday," Sugishita Ukyo said politely. "Have a nice holiday!"

Uesugi Muneyuki raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, wondering whether his vacation was enjoyable or not.

But he knew that the Foreign Minister himself, who was waiting for the results in his official residence, and that Kansai Shinjin Kishibe Masaomi, must be very "pleasant" right now.

(End of this chapter)