Tokyo Detective

Chapter 386 The Turmoil Begins with the Rice Shortage (Long Chapter)
Naoki Hanyu thought this was a woman who met his aesthetic standards, but of course, he only admired her and had no intention of seducing her today.

Naoki Hanyu extended his hand.

"My name is Naoki Hanyu. Beautiful lady, are you alone?"

“My name is Aya. I have long heard of Mr. Yuzuru’s great name.”

The two clasped hands, but the woman named Aya quickly withdrew her hand, making Naoki Yuzuru wonder if his hand was covered in excrement. If she didn't like it, she shouldn't have sat down next to him; it was extremely impolite.

Naoki Hanyu suddenly noticed that the woman in front of him was wearing flesh-colored gloves, which seemed strange for a woman in such hot weather.

"Miss, do you have a skin condition on your hands?"

"No, it's just that I often come into contact with toxic substances at work, and I'm afraid I might infect you."

"."

This is practically a description of herself as the bio-matrix; what a strange woman.

No, Naoki Hanyu finally remembered who the other person was from the key description: Aya Sakura, the legendary Black Widow.

No wonder I didn't recognize her. I'd seen her a few times through the Eagle, and she always wore glasses or dressed conservatively, unlike now, when she was stunningly beautiful, every move she made exuding a mature and captivating charm.

"So it's Ms. Sakura Aya. I've heard so much about you."

Sakura Aya wasn't too surprised to be recognized, after all, she had already sensed that someone was monitoring the remnants of the Sakura clan, probably related to the man in front of her.

"Mr. Yuzuru, please don't misunderstand. I just happened to come here for a drink, not to get revenge on you."

"I didn't misunderstand. Although it's a bit boastful, I could probably kill Miss Sakura in one move. Miss Sakura, what would you like to drink? It's on me."

Aya Sakura didn't even know how to respond.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Being polite to a trillion-dollar Japanese billionaire would be an insult.

Several bottles of fine wine were brought to the table, glasses clinked, and the two men drank and chatted.

Of course, it was just a brief mention; in any case, Naoki Hanyu didn't think the other party's connection was really such a coincidence.

Bottle after bottle, the entire table was covered in bottles. Sakura Aya touched her cheek and felt a little hot, finally realizing that she was getting a little drunk, which was quite unusual.

Knowing that his highly venomous constitution could neutralize alcohol and various venoms, even being bitten by a king cobra caused only slight discomfort, one can imagine how much alcohol he had consumed.

"We can't delay any longer," Aya Sakura said, revealing the purpose of their visit.

"Mr. Yuzuru, I heard that you are going to open an orphanage to take in the children of the Sakura family. Is that true?"

So they came for those orphans.

Naoki Hanyu only provided money, connections, and some of his own people; he left the work at the orphanage to Kana Sakura herself. Thinking about it this way, it wouldn't be good for him to ignore it for more than a month.

"Yes, those children are pitiful."

“Mr. Yuzuru, I want to buy the orphanage. They are all my people, and I have an obligation to take care of them as they grow up.”

This is Sakura Aya's reason. She visited the orphanage the day before yesterday. How could Sakura Hana, an inexperienced woman, be a good director? The orphanage's operation relies on the experienced vice director and some caregivers.

She also discovered something amiss: the entire orphanage was subtly instilling gratitude in the children towards Naoki Hanyu. The caregivers were teaching them things like being grateful and never forgetting Mr. Hanyu's kindness, implying that their happiness was all thanks to him.

After observing for two days, Sakura Aya felt a chill run down her spine. Was this out of kindness? No, it was a well-equipped educational program with physical education courses and teachers comparable to those in a private school. This was cultivating die-hard loyalists, or even suicide soldiers.

Knowing that these children's future would still be inescapable of their family's fate, she took the initiative to approach the man in front of her.

Naoki Hanyu stopped drinking. It turned out this woman wanted to take advantage of him, which he wouldn't allow. So his tone became very rude.

"No, you didn't stand up when those children were persecuted by your Sakura family. What's the point of saying this now? Besides, I'm not even sure if you're a good person. What if you use the children for experiments after they're handed over?"

"."

That makes perfect sense. Sakura Aya was speechless. In fact, she was also a victim like those children, but who would believe her if she said it? So she decided to settle for second best.

"I also want to contribute financially."

Naoki Hanyu interrupted.

"I've heard that Miss Sakura is covered in poison. Is that true?"

"It's true."

Naoki Hanyu suddenly reached out his hand.

“Miss Sakura, you can try to poison me. If you do, I’ll let you pay half the cost, and the orphanage will give you half. If not, don’t bring it up again. Of course, I won’t stop you from becoming a teacher or caregiver at the orphanage.”

Sakura Aya frowned; this man was recklessly risking his life.

"Mr. Yuzuru hopes you won't."

“I could kill your clan leader.”

"."

Is this human language?

Finally, Aya Sakura took off her gloves, revealing a pair of delicate yet fleshy arms.

Their hands clasped together again, and this time no one let go. Second by second, the seconds passed.

As time passed, Aya Sakura's eyes gradually widened in surprise; this was the first time she had ever touched someone without them dying from the poison.

She has a special hybrid virus in her body that can infect others, but they will all die and disappear as soon as they leave her body within 5 minutes.

Theoretically, it should take effect within 20 seconds of contact. The victim will first experience difficulty breathing, then suffer organ failure and die. After death, the virus will disappear, making it an absolute deadly weapon for assassination.

This is a virus unique to her; no one has been immune to it since she was 16.

But the curse was broken today. This man shook my hand for several minutes and nothing happened. It's unbelievable. Besides, how many years has it been since I shook hands with a man?

Naoki Hanyu didn't think too much about it. He just felt a warm sensation when he held the other person's hand, like being bathed in the morning light. Was this Black Widow's ability?
"Does Miss Sakura have any other tricks up her sleeve? If not, then you lose."

"I don't want to disappoint Mr. Yuzuru either."

Sakura Aya scratched her palm with her fingernails, and then, with blood still on her face, she grasped the other person's hand again.

Naoki Hanyu felt the temperature of the other person's palm rise, like the sunlight around 10 a.m., but that was all.

"Are there any other means?"

"this."

Sakura Aya was indeed shocked. Her blood could make plants wither quickly, but now it was completely useless. It was unbelievable.

"If you don't have any other means, then you've lost."

"."

After hesitating for a moment, Aya Sakura admitted defeat.

"I lost."

Actually, she has an even more toxic method: saliva.

Since the age of 16, he has had a poison sac in his throat, which he can spray out whenever he wants, a deadly poison that is even more terrifying than blood.

But she couldn't spit in front of a man; the thought of spitting into his hand made her feel disgusted.

Furthermore, although she lost, she was actually happy to discover for the first time that someone was immune to her venom.

Naoki Hanyu had no idea what the other person was thinking. After the bet was over, he left immediately, leaving Aya Sakura staring blankly at her palm.

"I never knew a man's hands could be so warm."

Just as Aya Sakura was in a daze, a drunk man, lustful at first sight, stepped forward and patted her shoulder, his hand brushing against her exposed skin.

"Hey beautiful, are you all alone? Do you want me to keep you company?"

Sakura Aya glanced at the other person and left. A few dozen seconds later, the drunk man suddenly clutched his heart and knelt on the ground, his face turning purple and blue.

The man was quickly rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Fortunately, the skin contact lasted less than a second, so he was saved.

Sakura Aya ignored this, knowing she could dodge everyone with her skills, but she wouldn't stop some people from courting death.

Since the collapse of the Sakura family business, she has been doing what she loves. She used to do biological research, but now she has switched to plant technology projects.

She plans to create new rice varieties, such as heat-resistant rice to cope with increasingly hot extreme weather in recent years, and rice with high-resistant starch.

The next day at noon, in the Metropolitan Police Department's Criminal Division, Fujiwara Mai was talking to a minor girl.

"Ms. Hirose, the police have dropped the charges against you. However, for the sake of your child's health, I will arrange for a social worker to follow up with you. I hope you can take good care of your child."

The girl named Hirose Kaede nodded, then shyly made a request.

"Officer Fujiwara, may I have your phone number?"

"Of course, you can call me if you encounter any problems." Fujiwara Mai smiled, wrote down her number, and gave the girl a big hug.

“Take good care of yourself and your child. I’ve already helped you apply for child support allowance, single-parent housing subsidy, single-parent medical expense subsidy, child allowance, employment support and vocational training subsidy, etc. Life will get better.”

Hearing Fujiwara Mai's caring words, Hirose Kaede finally hugged her again with tears in her eyes. She was the only person who cared about her during this confusing time.

Hirose Kaede also grew up in a single-parent family. She was supposed to graduate from high school this year, but her older boyfriend got her pregnant, and then he disappeared.

If she had a mother who could understand her, she wouldn't have ended up in such a state. But she only had a father who felt ashamed of his daughter and kicked her out of the house after finding out she was pregnant.

In this situation, Hirose Kaede was at a loss, wondering whether to abort the child or what. By the time she decided to abort the child, five months had passed. According to Japan's Maternal Protection Law, abortion is not allowed after five months unless there is a problem with the child.

The girl eventually gave birth to her child in the dormitory and fell into a coma. The landlord found her and took the mother and child to the hospital.

It's been six months since I gave birth, and no one has come to visit me. It's not my father, that scumbag, or even a former friend. It feels like I've been cut off from everything. Not to mention my studies, I've only managed to get by on that meager stipend.

Ultimately, she neglected to care for her child due to depression, which was seen by a neighbor who called the police. This led to the initial charge of intentional injury for infant abuse, but the charges were later dropped after Fujiwara Mai investigated and clarified the situation.

Fujiwara Mai patted the girl's back and reminded her.

“I will arrange for a social worker to contact you. If you encounter any problems or feel particularly uncomfortable, please remember to contact us. We will help you. If you really feel that you cannot take care of the child, I can also arrange for the child to enter an orphanage. So please don’t hurt the child, okay?”

"Okay, I understand, Mama-chan."

Fujiwara Mai watched the girl leave and sighed. She knew that in the eyes of some veteran police officers, what she was doing was meddling in other people's business, and that giving the other party the phone number would cause a lot of trouble.

In a police career, you won't only encounter one pitiful person. Are you going to have to take care of them all in the future? One or two, dozens or hundreds, I can't handle them all.

Just then, Naoki Hanyu's voice came from behind.

"You gave your phone number to Hirose Kaede?"

"Senior, I'm so sorry."

Instead of criticizing his disciple who bowed and apologized, Naoki Hanyu asked him a question.

Why are you apologizing to me?

"Because of you, you taught me not to meddle in other people's business. The police are not gods and cannot manage everything."

Do you think you did something wrong?

Fujiwara Mai was taken aback by the question, then shook her head.

“I don’t know if I’m wrong, but when I learned that the suicide rate in similar cases is as high as 13 percent and the chance of child abuse is 51 percent, I felt that I couldn’t just sit idly by.”

Yes, single mothers who are not even 18 years old, especially cases like Hirose Kaede's, in Hanyu Naoki's view, the suicide rate is not just 13%, but one-third.

This girl has a rather timid personality. If she were to endure more negative pressure, it would be almost certain that she would abuse the child. In the end, she would go to jail, and the child would be sent to a welfare institution. If she were a strong woman, she might have been able to survive this dangerous period.

Naoki Hanyu patted Mai Fujiwara's head.

"If you believe you've done nothing wrong, then keep doing it. You are not me, you are yourself, a criminal investigator with your own principles for handling cases."

"Yes."

Naoki Hanyu tapped his apprentice on the head.

"Go make me a cup of coffee."

"Miyuki should be the one making the coffee."

Although Fujiwara Mai verbally refused, she still obediently went to make coffee.

When Fujiwara Mai returned, Hanyu Naoki was watching the news on the screen, which was the response of the chairman of the agricultural cooperative (agricultural association) to the rise in rice prices.

The rice price problem began last year and has now reached its peak, at 4400 Japanese yen for 5 kilograms.

Last month it was 800 Japanese yen per kilogram, but now it has increased by 50 yen, which is equivalent to 5.87 US dollars. Naoki Hanyu doesn't know what the agricultural cooperatives are thinking.

The nearly 60-year-old chairman, Hikaru Yamano, appeared very humble, but he was not so humble when faced with questions from reporters.

I don't think the current price of rice is expensive.

Upon hearing this, Naoki Hanyu felt that the words on the backdrop at the press conference were quite ironic: "Domestic products, Chinese-made," which was rather amusing.

The average Japanese person consumes about 6 kilograms of rice per month, which is close to 6000 yen at current prices. Families of three or more would have to spend 2 to 4 yen on rice each month, which is one-tenth of an average person's salary, making it an extremely heavy burden.

Hikaru Yamano seems to ignore the anger of the Chinese people and continues to speak out.

What we meant to convey was, "This is an appropriate price."

The reporter asked another question.

"Aren't the current prices too high? Should they be lowered a little?"

"Based on current observations, prices are already low. However, like last year, the continued high temperatures have led to crop failures, and the Hokkaido grain-producing region has also been hit by floods. Before the second season of new grain hits the market in October, grain prices are expected to rise for some time."

Hokkaido is a region with only one season per year, so if it is affected by a disaster, it will indeed have a significant impact.

In contrast, areas south of the Kanto region, where Tokyo is located, have two seasons a year. Of course, mountainous areas, which are not affected by the maritime climate, may not also have two seasons a year.

The reporter continued to ask questions.

"Why is rice exporting still the same price as in previous years, or even cheaper than domestic rice, when domestic rice prices are rising?"

Hikaru Yamano had a compassionate and sympathetic look on his face.

“These are contracts signed a few years ago. If we had known that Japan would suffer from disasters at the time, we wouldn’t have signed them. Now that the damage is done, the cost of breaching the contract is too heavy. Moreover, this also represents Japan’s international image. Do the people of Japan want the other side to see Japan as a country that breaches contracts?”

"."

Finally, the reporter asked a concluding question.

"So you're saying you hope the price of rice won't drop?"

Instead of answering the question directly, Hikaru Yamano gave a speechless reply.

"I believe that a reasonable price is one that is acceptable to both producers and consumers."

Naoki Hanyu, who was drinking coffee, almost spat it out. What did this old man mean by that? Was he saying that consumers had already accepted the current price, and that the producers had also accepted it, so it was a reasonable price? Did he plan to maintain a similar price in the future?
Naoki Hanyu was just watching it as a joke; why would a wealthy man and policeman like him care about such things?

However, the tables turned quickly when Shiratori Ten'ei issued a bizarre notice.

"What? More than 50,000 protesters have appeared on the streets of Tokyo, and they want our Criminal Investigation Department to help maintain order? What about the Regional Police and Security Department?"

Shiratori Ten'ei's anxious words indicate that he was also in a state of great distress.

"You know there are two large events in Tokyo today. The regional police department and the security department are busy. We didn't know that those farmers suddenly marched and protested. They didn't report it at all. They even drove all kinds of agricultural vehicles into the streets. We need to move out quickly, otherwise it will be troublesome if violence occurs."

What could Naoki Hanyu do? He couldn't refuse the orders from above.

"Notify all detectives without cases to change into their police uniforms and put on their case identification uniforms (sleeveless red shirts with the words 'Metropolitan Police Department' written on them), and depart in 5 minutes."

Of the more than 2000 officers in the Criminal Investigation Department, only 500 were available. They would join other police officers to form a security force of more than 1300 to follow the protesters.

Since the rice shortage, Tokyo has seen two protests this year, but neither has been on this scale.

Japan imports rice in two ways. The first is a duty-free, rationed import, limited to a certain amount per year, and managed by the government. The second is imported by private companies, with a total tax rate as high as 362.3%. This is the barrier that the Japanese Agricultural Cooperative uses to restrict imported rice.

The first protest this year was triggered by the government's increase of the duty-free quota for imported rice by 10 tons. This displeased the farmers' association, which wished there were no foreign rice left in the country. So they organized a farmers' protest, arguing that farmers' incomes were already low and they absolutely could not tolerate the impact of foreign rice causing their incomes to drop even lower. This made them the target of the farmers' association's protest.

The second protest was organized by ordinary citizens from a former member of Congress, who protested against the continued rise in rice prices and the unethical profiteering of agricultural cooperatives.

Both times the number was less than 10,000, but now it seems there are more than 50,000, even 60,000, which is very rare in Japan.

Naoki Hanyu watched as tractors and harvesters drove by on the highway. Fortunately, the people knew to stay to the side of the road and did not block the traffic.

Just as Naoki Hanyu was about to arrange for someone to follow the protest march, Miyuki Kobayakawa came running up, panting.

"Minister, something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!"

Naoki Hanyu patted the other person on the back.

"Take your time, what's wrong?"

Miyuki Kobayakawa's expression froze. She felt her boss pat her back a few times, and her bra strap seemed to come loose, but she couldn't care less about that now.

"The two protest groups are about to meet."

Naoki Hanyu was taken aback.

"Two?"

"Yes, one is a group of farmers organized by the agricultural cooperative, and the other is a protest group organized by former councilor Bai Chuan. They are about to meet."

"Holy shit."

Why didn't anyone say there were two teams? Damn it, is this the level of intelligence work the Metropolitan Police Department can do?

(End of this chapter)