After being elected as the governor of Tokyo, he will debut as a band!

Make way for me: 046 Transaction

"Lord Qingshan, have you finished resolving your own matters?"

With her eyes fixed on the dish directly in front of her, Mikami asked in a nonchalant tone.

"Have you explained things to your female friends?"

"I've made arrangements. I just asked them to look after Toyokawa Kei's daughter. There's nothing else." Aoyama glanced up at the untouched cutlery in front of Mitsurugi. "Why did the prosecutor emphasize my 'female friends'?"

"Humph……"

Yu Jian snorted coldly.

"Sir, have you perhaps forgotten my identity? It's only natural for the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office to take notice of your 'friend of the opposite sex'."

"It's a matter of..."

As mentioned earlier, Japan's prosecutor's office system can be seen as an extension of Mi Lijian's power in Japan, and the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office is the main axis of this power.

A large part of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's duties are to conduct anti-corruption work against Japanese officials and members of parliament. In essence, it uses the pretext of "anti-corruption" to deal with politicians who are unfavorable to Milley. It is precisely because Milley has several such forces at his disposal that he has been able to win economic and diplomatic battles against Japan for decades.

It was precisely because of his previous experience as a prosecutor, where he had sent several high-ranking prosecutors, judges, and even chief prosecutors to prison, that he demonstrated a special talent for "attacking high-ranking officials." This led to his recognition by the CIA and his subsequent rise to the high position of deputy chief prosecutor of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office after further studies in the United States.

As for Aoyama, as long as his public support rate is high enough, neither his political enemies nor the opposition within the Shigure Party can pose a direct threat to him. However, if someone like Mitsurugi Reiji wants to do something to him, he will be in real trouble.

This is one of the reasons why he brought Yujian to this restaurant.

I came here specifically for the three female members of Sickhack. If they weren't here, Aoyama wouldn't have come at all.

If my political opponents found out about my music career, it would be like handing them a knife. But if the deputy chief prosecutor of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office found out, it would be to avoid a major scandal.

Even if Mikasa hadn't mistakenly entered the room where Hiroi and the others were having dinner, Aoyama would have created opportunities to bump into them later. In short, he wanted Mikasa to know about his band with several women of similar age.

As for Inspector Itokozaki... he's rather simple-minded; even if he sees something, he can't fathom its deeper meaning.

"I have nothing to hide about them. I just adopted the identity of a rock musician to investigate things in Yokohama Port, since it makes things easier to move around."

Qingshan said calmly.

"So, you knew all along that there was a problem at Yokohama Port?"

“I know some things, but not exactly… In fact, I suspected that Changgu Logistics was involved in the large-scale counterfeiting of currency just ten minutes before I called you, and even then, I didn’t have any concrete evidence.”

"Without evidence, just suspicion, you dare to enter the criminal organization's lair alone to conduct an investigation?" Reiji's brows furrowed. "If you fail in the process... and the Governor of Tokyo mysteriously disappears, with his last known location being Yokohama Port, do you know how huge an uproar that would cause in Japan?"

"...I am confident in my skills."

The green hills seemed to be smiling, yet not smiling.

"Was it of any use? If it weren't for Adachi... Itozaki firing the gun, you'd be in the ICU right now."

Miken's words brought Aoyama's thoughts back to an hour earlier.

At that moment, Hiroto Kawashima was aiming his gun at Muto Aoyama's heart, but behind him, a middle-aged man dressed as a detective was also aiming his gun at his head.

It was a close call, but fortunately the middle-aged man was much more decisive than Hiroto Kawashima in firing his gun. He took Hiroto's life almost as soon as he saw that the person holding the gun was Hiroto Kawashima.

The only problem was that Detective Adachi was 59 years old and nearing retirement age. He had long been transferred to a position where he was not armed. The gun he used to kill Hiroto Kawashima was stolen from Itokozuke. Therefore, when the report was submitted, it could only be said that this feat was done by Itokozuke.

In fact, if the situation hadn't been so urgent, Mitsurugi wouldn't have been able to wait for the Kanagawa Prefectural Police to gather all the frontline personnel, and Detective Adachi wouldn't have needed to participate in this operation.

"You might not believe me, but I actually had a way to protect myself at the time..."

Aoyama shrugged and said.

His so-called "method of self-defense" was actually the crossbow bolt fired by a drone sent by an unknown force, which he had already put in his mouth while taking out his bag to deflect the bullet.

The crossbow bolts were sharp at the tip and their overall design was very much in line with fluid dynamics. Aoyama was capable of blowing them out while Kawashima Hiroto was loading the second shot and injuring his hand.

The skill of flicking "Paganini" with the tongue is no joke!

He only fired the crossbow bolt because he saw the Kanagawa Prefectural Police behind Kawashima.

"Humph……"

Yu Jian snorted coldly, clearly not believing his explanation.

"Alright, let's leave aside the question of whether my actions were reckless or not... What we need to talk about now is how to deal with Nagayasu Stream, and..." Aoyama's tone became a bit heavier, "...how to define the relationship between the Japan Purification Group and this matter. Is the subject of the counterfeit currency crime Nagayasu Stream or the Japan Purification Group?"

"According to Toyokawa Kei's confession, Haseguchi Logistics was a coerced person, while the planner and mastermind behind the criminal activities of the Neon Purification Group."

Yu Jian didn't delve into complicated legal definitions with Qing Shan Xiang; he simply offered his own opinion.

"However, the evidence is insufficient. So far, we can only confirm that Hiroto Kawashima is a member of the Neon Purification Group, and some contracts that are suspected to be between the Neon Purification Group and Hatsugu Logistics were also signed by Hiroto Kawashima... Now we can only hope that our investigators can find some strong evidence from Hiroto Kawashima's home and the insurance company where he works."

"My advice is not to get this too closely associated with neon purification groups..."

"What do you mean?"

Yu Jian's gaze turned somewhat cold.

"Are you going to make dirty deals with them in this matter, like other politicians?"

"Don't say that. The Neon Purification Group has been developing for more than ten years, evolving from a small community group into a large-scale organization spanning several regions... Such an organization cannot be crippled by legal means on the Japanese side alone."

Legal means are a struggle that must be brought to the forefront. Without sufficient evidence and years of investigation, it is impossible to expose the tentacles of such an organization hidden in the shadows.

Make way for me: 047 Let's solve the problem in a different way.

But what cannot be accomplished through legal means can be effectively achieved through Zheng Zhi's methods.

After all, Zheng Zhi's struggle doesn't require evidence; just a little bit of hearsay can put the opponent on the defensive.

"You want me to just let a group of criminals go so easily?"

"I can't believe it!" said Miken Reiji without hesitation.

He is, after all, a high-ranking official in the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, with his own behavioral logic and stance, and he will not be so easily persuaded by Aoyama.

"It's not that I'm asking you to let the criminals go, but that you don't have enough evidence. It would take a lot of time to investigate the higher-ups of the Neijing Group."

Aoyama wasn't in a hurry. He first ate something simple, then drank some tea to swallow the food in his mouth before continuing his explanation.

"So instead of wasting time on this, it would be better for me to take action first. If we can throw the Ni Jing Group into disarray, they might expose more flaws. At that time, it will be much easier for you to investigate, collect evidence, and interrogate suspects."

Indeed, punishing criminals through court trials is the right way, but the process from evidence collection, investigation, interrogation, judgment, and even execution requires a complex and lengthy procedure.

If there are obstacles during the evidence collection and investigation process, or if the adjudication is interfered with by external public opinion and internal factors, it will prolong the time for the judicial process to perform its functions.

In comparison, political means are much more efficient, and when it comes to persecuting people, no one is better at it than politicians.

Moreover, in Reiji's memory, Aoyama was a kind-hearted and shrewd person who was well-versed in the rules of the Japanese legal and judicial system. He knew what he should and shouldn't do, and he could make full use of the shamelessness of politicians while also having certain bottom lines. Although his training at the FBI had given him a prejudice against politicians, if he had to find a politician to cooperate with, he would choose Aoyama unconditionally.

“Lord Aoyama, if you insist, I can accept your suggestion, but I need you to give me a time limit. After that time limit is reached, I can push forward the investigation of the case without any scruples.”

As Yu Jian spoke, he picked up his cup of tea.

He actually accepted Aoyama's suggestion that since the real criminals could eventually be brought to justice, whether it was sooner or later was negotiable.

"Justice delayed is justice denied," but court pronouncements are not the only means of enforcing justice. If political exchanges can also punish "criminals," then it is not unacceptable for Yujian, who is now in a high position.

In any case, in a society governed by the rule of law, the final blow to criminals will ultimately be dealt with by the courts and procuratorates.

"I can't give you a specific time right now, but I can tell you within three days, that should be fine," Qingshan said.

"Alright, I'll wait for you for three days."

Without saying anything more, Yu Jian put his hands together and said, "I'm starting to eat," before beginning his meal.

Seeing this, Inspector Itokozaki, who was standing to the side, breathed a sigh of relief and began to eat heartily.

"It's a pity I have to work overtime tonight to hear this case, otherwise I would have done the same as those ladies earlier and bought a few bottles of good wine to drink."

"Hmph! Inspector Itokozori, it seems you're having a good time in Kanagawa. Just an hour ago, your subordinate, who's about to collect his pension, took your service weapon, and now you're in the mood for drinking."

Yu Jian said sarcastically in a cold voice.

"Well... as you know, Chief Prosecutor, I'm better at on-site investigation, but when it comes to gunfights, Adachi-kun is definitely more skilled..."

Itoko didn't feel embarrassed by the sarcasm; he just scratched his head and grinned foolishly.

Aoyama knew about the relationship between Ito-giri and Mitsuki.

When Mitsurugi was still a front-line prosecutor, Itokuro was the detective he worked with the most.

Although the relationship between the two seemed lukewarm to outsiders, Aoyama knew that Mitsurugi still trusted Itogaku.

Unfortunately, Itoko is not from an "elite" background, nor is he a graduate of a prestigious university, so it is difficult for him to cross the chasm between a police inspector and a police superintendent. Even with Mitsurugi's help, he can only serve as a police inspector in Kanagawa Prefecture, which is next to Tokyo. There may be a story of him being promoted out of turn. He may need to accumulate more experience to be transferred to Tokyo.

"You're being modest... but since you have excellent subordinates who can help you with the workload, shouldn't you also share some of your salary with them?"

"This...this isn't necessary!"

"Hmph, I'll talk to Inspector Miura about this... You can look forward to your next salary assessment."

"Woo..."

Aoyama Township found it quite amusing that Inspector Itokawa, a burly, unshaven middle-aged man, looked so mournful.

"Alright, Chief Prosecutor Yujian, let's leave the matter of the Neon Sect for today. Now let's talk about Toyokawa Kei's problem."

“Toyokawa Kei… well, that guy who got beaten up badly,” Miken pondered for a moment and asked, “Do you want to protect him? According to him, he was coerced and deceived into participating in the counterfeit money gang’s activities, but the existing evidence is very unfavorable to him.”

As mentioned earlier, Toyokawa Kei was a figurehead deliberately chosen by the Nekyo Group to shield them, and he was the signatory of many documents related to the circulation of counterfeit currency and money laundering.

In addition, according to the ledgers in Hiroto Kawashima's office, the amount of counterfeit money that circulated through Kei Toyokawa was also over 100 million yen.

If those documents are deemed valid by the prosecutor's office and the court, he will bear a very heavy responsibility, at least ten years in prison.

"The most suspicious point is the amount of counterfeit money that passed through his hands... Toyokawa Kei said that Kawashima asked him to give these counterfeit money to a man called 'Old Ma', but he didn't know what Old Ma looked like. When asked to identify him, he said he didn't know where those people were. With this attitude, it's unlikely that he can even be considered to have surrendered himself, and the possibility of a reduced sentence is even lower."

“This only shows that Hiroto Kawashima is very cautious,” Aoyama said helplessly. “Every time he delivers a package, he discusses it with ‘Old Ma’ before notifying Toyokawa. And the recipients never meet with Toyokawa directly. In addition, your operation tonight was quite high-profile. Those people must have fled first after hearing the news. As long as you can’t catch those ‘recipients,’ it’s meaningless even if you get the surveillance footage of the delivery location.”

This doesn't even include another partner of the Nebula Group, an organization that can hack into multiple surveillance cameras in Yokohama Port.

If these people were to exert their efforts and cause the Kanagawa Prefectural Police to encounter a situation where "the cameras suddenly malfunction," the investigation would become even more stalled.

"So, without any favorable evidence, it's just a pipe dream to try and reduce Toyokawa Kei's punishment."

Yu Jian's words were somewhat blunt, but they were also undeniable facts.

Make way for me: 048 Let Toyokawa Shoko stand and collect the money.

“I have no intention of helping Toyokawa Kei get a reduced sentence. On the contrary, it’s more beneficial for someone like him to stay in prison than to stay outside,” Aoyama said. “But he has a daughter who just started high school. I don’t want to see that child’s life ruined by a group of counterfeiters.”

"So, what do you think?"

“We can hold Toyokawa Kei accountable, but since he’s been identified as one of the masterminds behind the counterfeit currency case, he should also possess the status and wealth commensurate with this charge,” Aoyama explained his thoughts. “Didn’t the president of Hasegu Logistics say that he was forced to provide the venue for the counterfeit currency because Hasegu Logistics’ labor force, supply channels, and financial services were controlled by the companies behind Kawashima Hiroto and Toyokawa Kei? Toyokawa Kei was the apparent person in charge of the counterfeit currency operation, and many agreements between the two parties were signed by him. So the question is, did the company he represented pay Toyokawa Kei enough compensation?”

There are two answers to this question.

First, they did not pay enough. Toyokawa Kei was just a nobody they hired at a low price or semi-hired and semi-coerced to act as an actor and swindler. But this means that the conclusion that "he was the mastermind of the incident" is no longer valid, and the case will have major doubts. Even if the prosecutor's office wanted to "stop it," it could not do so and could only continue to investigate. The best outcome would be for the Nekyo Group to put forward one or more influential figures to take responsibility.

This may not be a major blow to the Nijang group, but it is an undeserved disaster for those who might be made scapegoats.

Secondly, the fact that sufficient compensation was paid does provide evidence that Toyokawa Kei was the mastermind behind the case, but Toyokawa Kei's quality of life and income level are clearly questionable.

If everything is below the horizontal line, then for this situation to be valid, the real mastermind would need to make up the difference in money for Toyokawa Kei.

Of course, Toyokawa Kei won't have the chance to spend the money. If he is identified as the mastermind, he will face more than ten years in prison. Even if the situation changes and the real mastermind is caught, he, as an accomplice who was not coerced to a high degree but had a strong subjective criminal intent, will still serve more than three years in prison.

However, this money will be a great help to Toyokawa Kei's daughter, Toyokawa Shoko. At least she won't have to worry about tuition and living expenses for the three years of high school, and if she's lucky, it will even cover her university tuition.

“I see,” Yujian quickly understood. “The higher-ups of the Nijing Clan should be happy to pay for this. But why are you so concerned about Toyokawa Kei? Is it because he once ran for a seat in the Metropolitan Assembly, and you feel a sense of kinship?”

"I already said, I just want to leave some financial security for Toyokawa Kei's daughter."

"Why don't you just pay for it yourself? With the income of the Governor of Tokyo, you shouldn't be short of money."

"These are two different things. This is money that the child rightfully deserves. Why should we let it go? Besides, she's a child raised by the Toyokawa family. She should have a strong sense of self-respect. Even if I were willing to give her money to help her, she might not accept it. Chief Prosecutor Mikami, when you were a child and in trouble, would you have gladly accepted the pity from a stranger?"

"..."

He did not answer while riding his sword.

It's right not to answer, because when Mikasa was young, he was also a child with extremely strong self-esteem. After his father's death, he refused the pity of others and instead devoted himself to becoming an apprentice of the renowned prosecutor Karamaru family, who had been undefeated for forty years, vowing to bring all evil in the world to justice!

Of course, all of that is in the past. Later, with the help of a certain wind-elemental mage, Reiji realized that Karma Gou was the culprit behind his father's death. Since then, his understanding of justice and evil has become less rigid and more in line with the professional requirements of a senior prosecutor.

"In short, how you do good deeds is your own business... but I don't recommend that you let Toyokawa Kei's daughter take legal action to get this money back. Once the prosecutor's announcement is released tomorrow morning, the counterfeit currency case will definitely attract attention from all sectors. If Toyokawa Kei's daughter hires a lawyer to file a lawsuit, the court will definitely merge the two cases for trial, which will increase the variables."

“How can something like this, where people have to pay to exploit legal loopholes, be resolved in a courtroom, a place supposed to uphold ‘fairness and justice’? Of course, it’s best to go through private mediation.” Aoyama suddenly glanced at Itoko and then laughed. “And coincidentally, there’s someone all three of us know who’s very good at getting money back for the parties involved through mediation.”