Conan: Rice Flower Spring

Chapter 385, page 379: Megure also has doubts. The younger brother's dilemma [4k]

"Ready? Kuroba, you'll be in charge of seeing Superintendent Matsumoto. I'll go find the other officers and ask them about Superintendent Matsumoto's recent situation."

Inside the Metropolitan Police Department building, Ryoma Hayashi spoke to the officer beside him who was actually "Takagi." This Takagi was clearly Kaito Kuroba in disguise.

As for the real Officer Takagi, due to months of intense overtime work, this "rookie" officer in the First Investigation Division hadn't yet learned how to steal a moment of leisure and self-regulate, and his body was already "overburdened."

However, this gave Kaito Kuroba an opportunity to disguise himself.

"Don't worry. I'll use the lines you and Officer Shiratori taught me to get close to Manager Matsumoto later."

Then observe carefully whether he used disguise techniques.

"OK, be careful." Ryoma Hayashi and Kaito Kuroba parted ways after walking to the First Investigation Division's office area.

Kaito Kuroba continued forward toward Kiyonaga Matsumoto's office, while Ryoma Hayashi planned to visit his "old friends" in the office area of ​​the 3rd Division of the Criminal Investigation Department.

"Oh, Inspector Megure, it's been a long time~" As soon as Ryoma Hayashi entered the office area of ​​the Violent Offenders 3 Division, he saw Inspector Megure who was extremely busy.

"Isn't this Brother Lin! Long time no see. Are you here to see Shiratori?" Upon seeing Lin Longma, Inspector Megure instinctively searched for Shiratori's figure in the office area.

When he realized that Shiratori was not in the office area, he said to Ryoma, "Brother Shiratori must be busy with something. Why don't you wait a while?"

"Okay, then I'll rest here for a bit?" Shiratori naturally wouldn't be in the office area; that was what they had agreed upon.

This was to give Lin Longma a reason to stay in the office area of ​​the Forced Crime 3rd Division.

Lin Longma found an empty job, pulled out a chair, sat down, and took the water glass that Bai Niao handed him, asking curiously:
"Everyone looks very busy. Are they busy with that serial murder case?"

"Yes, Brother Lin is also paying attention?" Inspector Megure nodded, not finding it strange.

Thanks to extensive media coverage, many citizens are now aware of a notorious serial killer.

Killing people "randomly" in different places. Such killers are most likely to cause social panic.

Unlike targeted killings, who knows when this kind of random killing will strike?
It's normal for everyone to feel insecure.

"The media has reported on it again and again. Even if you don't want to know, you're forced to know." Lin Longma complained about the Japanese media, which immediately resonated with Inspector Megure.

"These media outlets... sigh, we're used to it. But don't worry, Brother Lin, the case has made a breakthrough; we've identified the suspect."

All we need to do next is catch them.

Lin Longma is a real big shot in the water pipe industry. Although the serial murder case is currently under wraps, it is necessary to appease a big boss like Lin Longma.

Moreover, Inspector Megure didn't disclose any details of the case, which was entirely within the bounds of legal procedures. Even if it were reported to the Superintendent General of Police, they would still have to say that Inspector Megure did the right thing.

Lin Longma smiled and replied, "Of course I trust all the officers in the Metropolitan Police Department."

Oh, I heard that Manager Matsumoto is getting a promotion?

"Hmm." When Ryoma Lin mentioned Kiyonaga Matsumoto, Inspector Megure's expression suddenly became somewhat subtle.

Just a second or two later, Inspector Megure smiled and asked, "Has the news of Matsumoto's promotion reached Chairman Hayashi yet?"

Noticing Inspector Megure's unusual behavior, Ryoma Hayashi pretended to be completely oblivious.

"Haha, that's how it is. People in our line of work always get some inside information."

So this is true?

Inspector Megure instinctively looked up and, realizing his subordinates in the office area were still quite a distance away, whispered to Ryoma Hayashi:
"There were indeed rumors circulating internally that Matsumoto, the management officer, would take over the position of section chief after the section chief retired."

By the way, Brother Shiratori is also a strong contender for the management position.

Inspector Megure's words are quite interesting. The rumors about Matsumoto's promotion had been circulating for some time.

The officialdom and workplace are always places where there's no smoke without fire. Rumors about promotions, demotions, and transfers are generally 70-80% accurate.

In addition, Matsumoto Kiyonaga's performance in this incident, while not perfect, was certainly commendable.

Needless to say, he was diligent; ever since the joint investigation meeting was convened, Matsumoto Kiyonaga had not returned home.

His overtime hours during this period were definitely the most in the entire First Investigation Division.

As for achievements, by the time of Matsumoto Kiyonaga, it was no longer about how many criminals he caught or how many people he sent to prison.

What we're looking at is his scheduling ability, management ability, and a range of other administrative skills.

He's only good at recklessly rushing to catch thieves; he'll be destined to be a frontline worker his whole life. However, with Shiratori's "assistance," Matsumoto Kiyonaga's score in this area should also be very high.

Knowing how to recognize and appoint capable people is also an excellent quality of a leader.

In any case, on the surface, Matsumoto Kiyonaga's promotion should have been a foregone conclusion.

How come it became "before" when it came to Inspector Megure?

It's obvious that Inspector Megure probably guessed something too.

As for Inspector Megure's goodwill towards Shiratori, it is essentially because the two have no conflict of interest.

For Inspector Megure, who is not a professional, the position of police inspector is basically the end of his career.

Perhaps before he retires, he will have the chance to try out the rank of Superintendent, which would be a way for the police force to give a respectable old man like Megure who has worked so hard without complaint.

However, at his current age, when he is in the prime of his life, a promotion is absolutely impossible.

This means that regardless of whether Matsumoto Kiyonaga gets promoted or not, the position of supervisor will not go to Inspector Megure.

Shiratori, as the number two in the Violent Crimes Division 3, is a former professional. When he joined the Violent Crimes Division 3, Inspector Megure knew they wouldn't be working together for long.

Who wouldn't do a favor when things are going smoothly? Especially a seasoned veteran like Inspector Megure, who has been immersed in the front lines of the police force for many years, would never make things difficult for Shiratori at a time like this.

Furthermore, their cooperation was already quite pleasant, so Inspector Megure had no reason to harbor any hostility towards Shiratori.

Most importantly, who in the Forced Crime 3rd Division doesn't know that Ryoma Hayashi and Shiratori have a good relationship?

Although they weren't exactly inseparable, they were undoubtedly quite close.

Inspector Megure must have lost his mind to speak ill of Shiratori in front of Ryoma Hayashi.

Brother Xia, how did you manage to secure your position as head of the 3rd Department through your own abilities?
He clearly relied on his skillful interpersonal relationships and high emotional intelligence.

If you want to have your own underlings all over Tokyo, the prerequisite is that Inspector Megure himself is very good at dealing with people.

Being a good brotherly hero isn't so easy.

"Does Inspector Megure not think much of Matsumoto's promotion?" Normally, even if Ryoma Hayashi understood Inspector Megure's implication, he wouldn't say it so directly.

There's a saying, "See through things but don't say them out loud," right? Some things are better left unsaid. But this time is different. Ryoma Hayashi and Kaito Kuroba came to the Metropolitan Police Department specifically to test Matsumoto Kiyonaga's identity.

Lin Longma also wanted to know how many people in the police force suspected Matsumoto Kiyoshi.

Inspector Megure had finally managed to let something slip, and Ryoma Hayashi certainly wouldn't let it go so easily.

"Hey, what do you mean by that? How can you tell me not to be optimistic?" Inspector Megure was a little embarrassed by Ryoma Hayashi's directness.

He didn't want to talk about these things in the office.

Ryoma Hayashi invited Inspector Megure, "Inspector Megure, how about we go outside for some fresh air?"

Upon hearing Ryoma's invitation, Inspector Megure realized something and immediately accepted.

Led by Inspector Megure, Ryoma Hayashi followed him to the rooftop of the Metropolitan Police Department building.

This was actually the first time Lin Longma had ever been on the rooftop of the Metropolitan Police Department building.

On the rooftop, Lin Longma casually took out a cigarette case and handed it to Inspector Megure: "Want one, Inspector Megure?"

Inspector Megure doesn't usually smoke, but he accepted the cigarette pack from Ryoma Hayashi without hesitation.

"Cough cough." Inspector Megure, who was not used to the taste of tobacco, took a deep breath and coughed twice before taking another puff.

"Did Brother Shiratori find out too?" Inspector Megure didn't pretend to be confused; in fact, he "guessed" the exact situation with remarkable accuracy.

"Is there really something wrong with Matsumoto, the manager?" Ryoma Hayashi revealed a look of surprise at just the right moment.

This surprised expression only made Inspector Megure even more "troubled".

“That’s the problem, Lin.” Inspector Megure stopped smoking, but he didn’t extinguish the cigarette either.

He simply held the cigarette between his fingers, letting the smoke curl upwards.

“When we police officers handle cases, we always emphasize evidence. Even Brother Shiratori could sense the abnormality of Manager Matsumoto.”

"Having worked with Manager Matsumoto for so many years, how could I not have noticed?"

"But if you really want to say that Matsumoto, the manager, has a problem, where is the evidence? Without evidence, that's slander, that's false accusation."

But if evidence is found, then Matsumoto's management career will be over.

It was not Matsumoto Kiyonaga's oversight that the head of the department was replaced for several days.

But the problem is that the timing is wrong.

A criminal has taken over the duties of Superintendent Matsumoto, not only presiding over the First Investigation Division but also convening a joint investigation meeting within the police force.
The bigwigs at this meeting are all watching; if this scandal is exposed, Matsumoto Kiyonaga might not be held accountable.

But his path to promotion clearly ended there.

Although the management officer is a management position in the police force, it is only an entry-level management position.

There are countless managers like Kiyoshi Matsumoto in the entire police force; even if he weren't promoted, there would be plenty of others who could be.

Whether or not to expose this matter is a recent dilemma for Inspector Megure.

If Matsumoto Kiyonaga was "replaced," where is he now? Is he in danger, or even still alive?
Then Inspector Megure had to consider whether Matsumoto Kiyonaga would blame him for "meddling" if this matter were exposed and caused his old superior's career to be ruined, and if Matsumoto Kiyonaga really returned unharmed.

Matsumoto Kiyonaga was already in a difficult position, but this wasn't the end of it.

If Matsumoto Kiyonaga fails to get promoted, the impact on the entire system of forced 3rd Division will be far-reaching.

The section chief position that originally belonged to Matsumoto Kiyonaga was not taken by him, so naturally someone else would take it.

Furthermore, Matsumoto Kiyonaga's mistake was not his own, so the higher-ups will not adjust his position.

In other words, the vacancy for the Chief Investigator of the First Investigation Division is now closed.

All that effort from the white bird, was it all for nothing? How will the white bird view itself when the vacancy is filled?

Can the three systems, which are forced to commit crimes, still maintain their harmonious relationship, with each member fulfilling their duties and cooperating seamlessly?

Even though Inspector Megure noticed Matsumoto Kiyono's unusual behavior earlier than Shiratori, he simply kept it to himself.

Compared to a scion of a powerful family like Shiratori, a prodigy from a professional background, Inspector Megure's margin for error is far too low.

To put it bluntly, it's incredibly difficult for Inspector Megure to get promoted, but getting demoted or transferred to a low-level department is a piece of cake.

It's just a matter of a big shot saying a word, or even just casually submitting a document.

Inspector Megure couldn't and didn't dare to confide in Shiratori, which is where Ryoma Hayashi's role became apparent.

"Inspector Megure, don't worry. Although Shiratori also noticed Matsumoto's unusual behavior, he is not an impulsive person."

Our most important task now is to determine whether the person in charge, Matsumoto, is indeed the actual manager. If not, we need to find him.

Directly revealing the identity of the manager, Matsumoto, would not be in Lin Longma's interest. Before the storage card containing the undercover agent list is recovered, Lin Longma needs Binga to oversee the investigation department and "urge" the detectives to hurry up and find the people.

Inspector Megure needs Matsumoto Kiyonaga to return to the Metropolitan Police Department safely, and preferably without causing any trouble.

Shiratori needs Matsumoto Kiyonaga to be promoted smoothly, so that the management position can be vacated for him.

In this way, the interests of Ryoma Hayashi, Inspector Megure, and Shiratori were aligned, and no one wanted Matsumoto Kiyonaga to really get into trouble.

No one wants this fake Matsumoto Kiyoshi to be exposed in public.

"It's so great to have your help, Brother Shiratori and Chairman Hayashi!" Inspector Megure was relieved that both sides were on the same page.

In particular, Shiratori and Ryoma Hayashi are both people who can mobilize a lot of "resources".

Thanks to Shiratori's excellent "investigative reports," he was in charge of arresting the suspect in the serial murder case.

Under the guise of a joint investigation meeting, Shiratori was able to mobilize a significant amount of police resources beyond his authority.

Ryoma Hayashi is the chairman of a large company and has good relations with the Suzuki Group and the Shiratori Group, so he can mobilize a considerable number of people.

As for his unit, the 3rd Division, it was originally a large division of the First Investigation Division, and naturally had many subordinates.

"Rinzaburo is currently investigating when the Matsumoto manager might have been switched, and I have also asked experts to help determine the situation of the Matsumoto manager."

Inspector Megure, you now need to take responsibility for finding the suspect to mislead this Superintendent Matsumoto.

"Don't worry, leave it to me! It's my job, isn't it?" Inspector Megure readily agreed.

It's just catching a suspect; we'll scrape the culprit out of him even if we have to use a human to do it!

(End of this chapter)