Chapter 130: Aoyama Hideki: I am a righteous man, a righteous man!

Aoyama Hideki's intention to shield Shinichi Nakamura was practically written all over his face. Facing the interrogation, Hirofumi Asano glared at him angrily, but quickly averted his gaze, lowered his head, and bowed, saying, "I wouldn't dare, sir!"

"Wouldn't dare? Then you must have some opinions, is that it?" Aoyama Hideki wore a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He slammed the report heavily onto his desk and rebuked sternly, "Get out! Your signature is not required on this report; I will sign it!"

"Inspector Aoyama, I believe we should..." Hirofumi Asano still wanted to argue his case and attempt to persuade his superior.

However, Aoyama Hideki—who had already reached a shady consensus with Kimura—had no interest in reasoning. He cared only about managerial authority, pointed at the door, and snapped, "I don't care what you think, I care what I think! Out, now! Immediately! Right this second!"

Did I or did I not know whether what I was doing was right?

Do I really need you to lecture me?

Is right or wrong even important?

The crucial thing is what course of action benefits me.

"Understood!" Hirofumi Asano made no effort to conceal his ugly expression. He bowed stiffly and turned on his heel to leave.

Once outside, the more he thought about it, the more furious he became. His chest heaved violently, and his breathing grew increasingly rapid and heavy.

Such a vicious atmosphere must never be condoned.

The police officers of the Great Empire of Japan should not be like this!

Hirofumi Asano originally intended to go to Superintendent Hattori to report the situation, but the moment he recalled the attitude of the higher-ups at the Police Headquarters and Aoyama Hideki himself, he grew afraid that Superintendent Hattori might be cut from the same cloth. His trust in his superiors had plummeted to zero.

Therefore, he decided to investigate in secret. Even though the case had already been officially closed, he was determined to uncover the truth, bring the real murderer to justice, clear the name of the innocent, and purge the corrupted cops from the Metropolitan Police Department.

Aoyama Hideki had anticipated that Hirofumi Asano would not let the matter rest. Thus, the moment the man left, Aoyama immediately picked up the telephone and called Shinichi Nakamura. "Hirofumi Asano doesn't approve of your closing report and will definitely want to investigate privately. Tell the brothers in the section to ignore him completely. Whoever helps him is going against me."

A single man alone cannot command subordinates.

Let's see how long you can keep investigating.

"Understood!" Shinichi Nakamura immediately acknowledged the order.

As an ordinary officer, his relationship with the other cops in the section was much closer than Aoyama Hideki's. Having him pass the word along was the most appropriate arrangement possible.

After hanging up, Aoyama Hideki called Kazunori Kimura to offer a reminder. "Mr. Kimura, the investigative procedures for Ayase Mishima's murder case will soon conclude. However, my deputy, Hirofumi Asano, is a stubborn and inflexible fellow who might investigate you privately. You should be careful. Of course, he won't be able to command any manpower, and I will try to assign him plenty of other cases so he simply won't have the time to cause you trouble."

Throwing numerous cases at Hirofumi Asano would result in delayed progress, which would serve as grounds for criticism and accountability. Once he became consumed with solving those to save face, he would have no time left to tail Kazunori Kimura.

Tsk, why do I feel a bit like a villain?

No! I am the righteous one. I am doing this so I can quickly rise to high positions and bring greater benefits to the Japanese citizenry!

Anyone who stands in my way is obstructing national development and blocking the people from pursuing a happy life.

And toward such rebels, heavy blows must be dealt.

"Yoshi, thank you for the reminder, Aoyama-kun. My conscience is clear; as long as that Inspector Asano doesn't disrupt my work and life, I'll be fine." Although Kazunori Kimura had reached a deal with Aoyama Hideki regarding the Ayase Mishima case, he had never actually admitted to the murder.

Aoyama Hideki replied, "Understood!"

"As for the reward promised to Aoyama-kun, I will have my secretary deliver it. How would Aoyama-kun prefer to receive it?" Kazunori Kimura casually brought up the matter.

Handing over money was best done discreetly.

Since Kazunori Kimura was not going to show his face personally, Aoyama Hideki naturally wouldn't show up either. "I'll have Detective Nakamura receive it on my behalf. Just take down his phone number and have your secretary contact him directly to handle the handover."

Unless it was a massive sum—enough to accomplish grand ambitions like tens of billions—a few hundred million or a couple of billion yen wasn't of much use to him. After all, his current funds already satisfied his daily needs.

He wasn't particularly interested in Kazunori Kimura's petty bribes.

He was far more interested in the bank funds under Kimura's control.

Once the automated loan machines were rolled out nationwide, borrowers would stream in endlessly, but recovering the loans took time. Therefore, to grow big and strong, one needed sufficient cash flow to lend out, and banks happened to have an abundance of cash.

"Very well." Kazunori Kimura hung up the phone.

Aoyama Hideki then dialed Shinichi Nakamura again to remind him to keep his phone line open.

*Ring-ling-ling~ Ring-ling-ling~*

Just as he hung up, his phone rang again.

He was simply that busy.

"Moshi-moshi, this is Aoyama Hideki."

"Inspector Aoyama, apologies for the intrusion. I am Chen Taizhi, president of the Fulong Chamber of Commerce. This morning, a few blind and reckless subordinates of mine offended you. I hope to host a banquet to express my apologies, and I sincerely hope you will grant me the honor."

A booming, confident voice speaking Mandarin came through the receiver.

"Yoshi, since President Chen extends such a sincere invitation, I naturally must give you some face. How about we meet at the Yang Ji Restaurant as before?" Aoyama Hideki said leisurely.

"Wonderful, Inspector Aoyama is a straightforward man. Then let's make it 9:30 tonight at Yang Ji. I shall respectfully await your arrival!"

"Understood! See you tonight." Aoyama Hideki hung up the phone, a thoughtful look flashing across his eyes.

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Fulong Gang, forty-something gang leader Chen Taizhi looked at his sworn brothers and cursed, "Damn it, what the hell? That little Japanese punk speaks Mandarin so well his accent is lighter than mine."

He even began to wonder who the actual Japanese person was.

"It seems this Inspector Aoyama has a deep interest in Chinese culture and holds favorable views of Chinese people. That makes tonight much easier to talk about—we just need to maintain a humble posture," said a thirty-something youth wearing a sleek black suit with his hair parted neatly to the side.

He was none other than the Fulong Gang's second-in-command, Zhao Qinghong.

Chen Taizhi rubbed his flat-top haircut, frowning as he muttered, "Damn it, just thinking about acting servile to a little Japanese tonight makes my blood boil."

The very reason they had formed a gang in the first place was precisely to avoid being bullied by the Japanese. Yet, who would have thought that after escaping the oppression of Japanese yakuza, they would now be subjected to the bullying of Japanese officials?

It was only the early 1990s, and the Fulong Gang had not yet attained the immense power it would later possess. They were still largely confined to the stage of relying on sheer muscle and violence, lacking official connections and political backing.

"Big Brother, Inspector Aoyama is a rising star in the Japanese police force. For him to be making such waves without powerful backing behind him is practically impossible. If he harbors a grudge against us, he won't even need to do anything drastic—just forcibly deporting our undocumented brothers would deal a devastating blow to our strength," Zhao Qinghong quickly urged Chen Taizhi to endure for the sake of the big picture and their brethren.

"That's right, Big Brother! If the brothers get deported, those local gangs we've made enemies with will definitely seize the opportunity to retaliate. The wonderful situation we fought so hard to build could collapse overnight!"

"Hmph! Now you lot are decked out in gold and silver and starting to fear this and that. Back when we were illegal laborers risking our worthless lives, we feared nothing at all! You've all just grown soft from having money!"

"Old Liu, you can't say it like that. Are we afraid of dying? I'm afraid of the brothers finally settling down only to be deported before they've even made money for a few years!"

The other senior members chimed in with their own opinions. Some supported Zhao Qinghong, while others expressed opposition. Voices overlapped, arguments grew fiercer, and the atmosphere became increasingly volatile.

"Enough!" Chen Taizhi interrupted the crowd with an impatient roar. He glared at them and snapped, "What are you all bickering about? Do you want me to clear out and let you take my place?!"

Everyone lowered their heads and sat back in their respective seats.

Chen Taizhi still held considerable authority; after all, the Fulong Gang's current standing was entirely a result of his efforts.

"Big Brother, if you truly don't want to face that Japanese punk, Qinghong is willing to go in your place," Zhao Qinghong said, looking calmly at Chen Taizhi with a sincere tone. "After all, regardless of everything, you are the leader of our Fulong Gang. If the talks fall through tonight, there will be no room for maneuver left. Let me go first. Furthermore, I'm not afraid of losing face. If I fail to reach an agreement, Big Brother can still step in."

"Since that is the case, I will trouble Qinghong to make this trip," Chen Taizhi agreed after a moment of contemplation.

He was afraid that his own violent temper might not only fail to appease Aoyama Hideki but further provoke him, which would bode ill for the Fulong Gang.

Sending Zhao Qinghong to test Aoyama Hideki's stance first was a prudent move. If negotiations collapsed, it wouldn't be too late for him to step in personally.

Zhao Qinghong let out a hearty laugh at those words, glanced around the room nonchalantly, and said, "Big Brother, what trouble is there to speak of? We're all doing this for the gang, for our compatriots trying to scrape a living in Japan. For Qinghong to contribute a fraction of my strength is my absolute honor!"

***

Metropolitan Police Department, Murder Investigation Section Office.

"Muto," Hirofumi Asano called out.

A young police officer immediately stood up, walked over to his desk, and bowed. "Inspector Asano, please give your orders."

"Go keep an eye on Kazunori Kimura and report his movements to me at any time," Hirofumi Asano instructed, staring straight at him.

"This..." The young police officer surnamed Muto showed a troubled expression. Gritting his teeth, he bowed and said, "I'm very sorry, Inspector. Without Inspector Aoyama's instructions, I must decline. I still have cases of my own to handle."

Hirofumi Asano frowned and fixed his gaze on the man's face.

Muto lowered his head guiltily. Although Hirofumi Asano had treated him quite well recently, even so, he dared not defy Aoyama Hideki's direct order.

Otherwise, he would undoubtedly be ostracized by all his colleagues.

"Dismissed," Hirofumi Asano sighed.

Though intensely angry, he knew the root of the problem lay with Aoyama Hideki, and venting his frustration on Muto would achieve nothing.

"I am truly sorry, Inspector," Muto said, bowing deeply with a look of shame before turning away to return to his desk, silently bearing the condemnation of his conscience.

Ryosai Sakai walked in carrying a stack of case files, placed them on Hirofumi Asano's desk, bowed respectfully, and said, "Deputy Asano, these are the cases Inspector Aoyama specifically designated for you to handle. He said he holds high hopes for you and hopes you can make rapid progress."

Hirofumi Asano's face turned dark as he looked at the tall pile of documents. He asked, "How many cases are in here?"

Judging by the height of the stack, it was definitely more than one.

"Four cases," Ryosai Sakai replied, offering a sympathetic look at the same time. *Who on earth picks a fight with Inspector Aoyama of all people? How foolish!*

Upon hearing this, Hirofumi Asano turned livid with rage.

Noticing his volatile mood, Ryosai Sakai hurriedly bowed and scurried away to avoid becoming a punching bag.

"Bastard!"

Hirofumi Asano squeezed the two words through clenched teeth.

He could guess Aoyama Hideki's scheme even with his eyes closed: nothing more than draining his energy so he wouldn't have time to investigate Kazunori Kimura.

And if he ignored these cases and focused solely on Kazunori Kimura, Aoyama Hideki could smoothly petition above to have him transferred or suspended.

"However, you hateful wretch, do you really think you can make me submit like this? In your dreams."

Hirofumi Asano's rebellious spirit had been thoroughly ignited.

Furthermore, the harder Aoyama Hideki tried to obstruct him, the more it proved that Kazunori Kimura was the killer. He would never allow a miscarriage of justice to unfold right before his eyes, nor would he permit a murderer and a corrupted cop to roam free without punishment.

Hirofumi Asano ignored the case files entirely.

He grabbed his coat, stood up, and strode out of the office.

The men in his section wouldn't listen to him, but he could seek help from friends. There was one friend who would definitely aid him.

As he walked out, he pulled out his mobile phone and dialed a number. "Junko-chan..."