Chapter 46: Treating to Drinks, Accepting Loyalty Like a Hound (Please Vote! Please Keep Reading!)

After being turned away at the Nohara residence, Hidenobu Aoyama finally managed to reach the police station before the lunch break ended.

He happened to run into Aya Asai in the corridor.

"Why didn't you just wait until after work to come in?" Aya Asai, already in a foul mood today, shot him a glare. Only in front of others could she put on the airs of a superior so loftily. "Come to my office."

"Yes, ma'am!" Though Aoyama was annoyed by her high-handed attitude, under so many watchful eyes, he had no choice but to feign humility and follow obediently behind her toward her office.

Once inside, the roles flipped. Aoyama casually dropped into her chair, picked up her coffee cup, and took a sip. He immediately wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Next time use less sugar, it's too sweet."

His life was already sweet enough as it was.

Now he just wanted a taste of bitterness.

"Yes, sir!" Aya Asai suppressed the urge to bite his head off and nodded demurely.

Aoyama put down the coffee, crossed his legs, and spoke unhurriedly. "So, what did you want?"

"Do you remember Yamamoto Ken mentioning someone bought a batch of guns from him?" Aya Asai asked, lifting her head. "The buyer is still missing—like a time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. I think before we’re transferred from the Shinjuku station, we have to root them out!"

"Chief Asai, do you know how many people live in Tokyo? We have no leads; this is like searching for a needle in a haystack." Aoyama had neither the time nor the inclination for such things. "If they bought guns, it means they're planning something. Sooner or later they'll reveal themselves. No need for us to go looking."

"But if we wait for them to commit a crime, who knows how much damage they'll cause—to the country, to the people, even to their lives!" Aya Asai became visibly agitated.

Aoyama blinked, then nodded in agreement. "Yes, you're absolutely right."

So what?

What does that have to do with me?

Aoyama had no lofty ideals of serving Japan or the Emperor. He just wanted promotion and wealth.

If those gun-buyers didn’t commit crimes, how could he earn merit?

He needed to give them the opportunity to break the law! If he caught them now, the most they'd get is illegal possession of firearms—not much credit there. But if he caught them after they committed a crime, the stakes and the reward would be much higher.

Besides, with zero clues, the time spent tracking them down could be better used solving several other cases, which could be closed much more efficiently. There was too little gain for too much effort.

Of course, that was just his thinking. He couldn't say it out loud.

"Chief Asai," Aoyama organized his words, then spoke earnestly, "you're being too narrow-minded."

"What?" Aya Asai was puzzled and a little indignant. "Then tell me, where exactly am I narrow-minded? I'd like to hear your esteemed opinion."

"Heh, still arguing." Aoyama shook his head, then clarified, "We have no leads right now. Finding these people would take enormous time, maybe with nothing to show for it in the end. So why not use that time to investigate cases where we do have leads? We might solve several that way!"

"Do you have any idea how many cases are piling up, waiting to be investigated? How many people are desperately waiting for the truth? What, are minor cases not cases? Are lesser offenders not criminals? Should we just let them go unpunished?"

"No, that's not..." Faced with Aoyama's accusations, Aya Asai instinctively wanted to defend herself.

"Enough!" Aoyama slapped the desk, cutting her off, his tone righteous and stern. "A police officer’s duty is to fight crime and uphold justice for the people! You can’t just chase major cases for glory and ignore all the small ones that affect ordinary citizens! Why did you become a police officer? For career advancement, or to defend justice?"

"Rather than wasting time on something with unknown results, why not do the work in front of you? If every officer thought like you, the public would be greatly disappointed in us, Chief Asai."

"I..." Aya Asai’s head buzzed with confusion.

Could it really be that she was in the wrong?

And Hidenobu Aoyama’s sense of duty was so high!

"I know my words have struck a chord in your soul. Take some time to reflect," Aoyama said, collecting himself, and stood to leave.

Just as Aoyama was about to open the door, Aya Asai turned and bowed deeply to him. "Your words were a timely wake-up call, Aoyama. You're right. I shouldn't ignore the cases piling up in front of me just to chase a leadless one."

"Thank you for your guidance, Aoyama!"

Aoyama paused, the corners of his mouth curling into a sly smile as he left without looking back.

Still as easy to fool as ever.

Aya Asai, you stupid woman.

"Where’s Sachiko?" When Aoyama returned to the office area, he noticed someone else had taken Sachiko’s spot.

Inoue stood and bowed. "She resigned."

Sachiko had resigned the day after Aoyama went to the investigation headquarters, saying her goodbyes only to Inoue.

"Resigned?" Aoyama was momentarily taken aback, then shook his head. "Young people are too impulsive. In this economy, it won’t be easy for her to find work."

Although Sachiko was only average in ability and never tried to curry favor with him, Aoyama had quite liked her sincerity. In a world full of people like him, Sachiko’s innocence was rare.

"Uh… Deputy Chief, Sachiko went back to work at her family's company," Inoue replied, his expression awkward.

He had only learned when Sachiko said goodbye that she was actually a rich girl. She’d joined the police out of a sense of justice, but when the illusion shattered and she refused to play the sycophant like Nakamura Shinichi, she simply quit and went home.

Aoyama paused, a little surprised. So she was a second-generation heiress—well, no problem then. Let her go. He waved Inoue back to work and sat down at his own desk to idle away the rest of the day.

A salary is earned through work.

But only when you slack off and still get paid are you truly winning.

He would reclaim, little by little, the compensation Empress Dowager Cixi once paid Japan, in this fashion!

...

At ten o’clock that night, Tokyo was ablaze with neon.

After dinner with his sister-in-law, Aoyama drove to an izakaya, found the private room Fujimoto Ryoichi had mentioned, and entered. Two men were inside.

One, of course, was Fujimoto Ryoichi.

The other was a plump, harmless-looking man in his early thirties, dressed in a gray kimono.

"Aoyama!"

Both men stood and bowed in greeting.

Aoyama nodded slightly and took the seat of honor. "No need to be so formal, please sit."

Only then did the other two take their seats.

"Yamakawa, this is Detective Aoyama I mentioned. He’s currently Deputy Chief of the Shinjuku Gun and Explosives Unit, and will soon be returning to headquarters," Fujimoto said warmly.

"Yes, sir!" Yamakawa Kazuki bowed deeply. Then he looked up and flattered, "I’ve long admired you, Deputy Chief Aoyama. The image of you stepping over Ichiro Takeda is vivid in my mind. Meeting you today is truly the good fortune of my life."

"You're too kind, Yamakawa. I haven’t even thanked you for your help last time." Aoyama raised his glass.

Yamakawa, flustered, quickly lifted his own glass and bowed repeatedly. "It’s my honor to be of service to Detective Aoyama."

"Business is business. I never treat those who work for me unfairly," Aoyama said, draining his cup and setting it down. "I own a lending company. Until recently, the Noguchi Group managed collections for me, but Noguchi Matsuo got greedy and paid the price. Now I need someone to take over the business. I wonder if you—"

"Thank you for your trust!" Yamakawa interrupted, already so excited he slid back and kowtowed, his chubby cheeks quivering with obvious joy.

Who could blame him? Aoyama was giving him a lucrative and respectable job, as well as a chance for his organization to break into Tokyo—a miracle for a core member of a low-ranking rural gang.

Aoyama frowned and said flatly, "Don't interrupt me when I’m speaking."

"Yes, I was wrong!" Yamakawa immediately sat up, slapped himself twice, hard enough to split his lip and draw blood, then dropped back into a kowtow.

Aoyama continued, "You and your boss can negotiate the profit split. As long as you don’t repeat Noguchi Matsuo’s mistakes, the job will always be yours."

"Rest assured, Aoyama, I am not so short-sighted as to be ungrateful," Yamakawa replied, word by word, with utmost sincerity.

Aoyama nodded indifferently.

"All right, that wraps up business. Time for a drink!" Fujimoto brightened the mood and slid open the shoji door. "Let the ladies in!"

"Yes, sir!"

Shortly, three young women in flowered kimonos entered and bowed to the group.

Though Aoyama had little interest in such ordinary beauties, he still picked one to pull into his lap.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Besides, if he didn't choose, how could Fujimoto and Yamakawa feel comfortable choosing for themselves?

Suddenly, the shoji door slid open.

The three men looked up.

At the entrance stood an unremarkable young man in sportswear, with shoulder-length hair.

"Sorry, wrong room," Noda apologized after glancing at the room name, then closed the door.

None of the three paid it any mind—mistaking a room was nothing unusual.

Noda opened the room next door, and this time, sure enough, saw his friend inside. "Kobayashi!"

"Noda! Hahaha, I finally see you again!" Kobayashi, who was pouring drinks, put down the bottle and came over to embrace Noda tightly.

After a long hug, they sat down.

Noda sighed, "When did you get out? Why didn’t you call earlier?"

"I wanted to make a name for myself before reaching out," Kobayashi replied, handing Noda a drink and shaking his head with a wry smile. "But nowadays, you need people to do anything. After all those years inside, my old crew is either dead, in jail, or gone."

He perked up again. "But luckily, I still have some connections. In fact, I have a sure-fire way to make money right now—guaranteed success!"

"There’s no such thing as a sure thing, especially a get-rich-quick one," Noda said skeptically.

Kobayashi smiled cryptically and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Just listen, and you’ll see."