Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes

"Wait, why haven't you packed anything yet?! You don't expect me to pack, do you? I'm an advisor, not a personal maid!"

Rushing back to the ward, Kurosaki was surprised to see Tatsumi Heimori sitting leisurely at the tea table by the window, seemingly admiring the city as it began to awaken in the morning.

He was immediately enraged.

"Anyway, I've already completed the formalities, and you can leave by yourself. If you keep dragging your feet, I'll just leave on my own." Kurosaki was itching to rush to Hibiya Station to investigate, so he couldn't stand Taira no Tatsumi's leisurely manner.

Ping Shenglong's head was still bandaged, and after a few days in the hospital, his face seemed to have become thinner.

He turned around and looked at Kurosaki, who was looking impatient: "Hibiya Station is less than 900 meters from the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters. With the Self-Defense Forces and the US military involved, the blockade is so tight that even special agents can't get in. Even if you don't go to Hibiya Station, it's quite difficult to get into Hibiya Park. The best way is to go in under an open identity."

"I would like to use my official position, but this level of advisor is definitely not enough, let alone an advisor to a suspended section chief."

“I admit you did bet right, but betting right doesn’t necessarily mean winning. Otherwise, the Superintendent General of Police would have contacted you yesterday. I watched your phone all day yesterday, and you didn’t receive a single call from higher-ups.”

Kurosaki Chimei couldn't understand the source of Heisei Ryu's confidence.

“Your bizarre thinking doesn’t apply to the bureaucratic system.” Ping Shenglong glanced at the time, got up and started packing his luggage. “My bet was on the next few years, but I never expected it to be realized in just a few days, and in a way I never dared to imagine.”

Kurosaki quickly helped pack, including some of his own belongings that he had been taking care of for the past few days: "I know your plan, which is to gamble on the ghost stories actually appearing in the police's sights, and then make the Superintendent General remember your past overstepping of authority report. What I don't understand is, what makes you so sure that he will definitely give you a promotion?"

Ping Shenglong shook his head: "A future that can be determined is not a gamble. But at least after yesterday, I can be sure that my report can give him some reason to shirk responsibility, and that's enough."

Kurosaki Chimei was skeptical. He could understand Heisei Ryu's thoughts, but he couldn't be as confident as he was.

Or is it that they weren't confident, but pretended to be? A ruse like the Empty City Stratagem?

But this empty city stratagem was meaningless to him.

Tuk-tuk-tuk.

After they finished packing their things, someone knocked on the ward door.

Kurosaki opened the door with an unfriendly expression.

Department Head Iwaki, who was wearing a professional fake smile, almost lost his composure in a second because of Kurosaki Chimei's slovenly face.

Her smile became very stiff at one point.

Iwaki looked into the ward, but Kurosaki's body moved horizontally to block his view, and he had a smug expression.

It's hard, the fist is hard.

"Who are you?" he asked patiently in a soft voice.

Kurosaki Chimei didn't reply, turning his body away with a tense expression.

How could he not know that the person in front of him was the Minister of Criminal Investigation? He had seen photos of all the important officials and forcibly memorized them.

He knew that Iwaki's "gentle" appearance here meant that Heisei Ryu had indeed won his gamble.

Could this be bureaucratic thinking?

“Minister.” Ping Shenglong’s expression was normal, as if the wound on his head was something he had accidentally fallen on flat ground.

"Ugh."

Iwaki's face quickly turned into one of guilt. He ignored Kurosaki, held the bouquet, walked up to Heisei Ryu, and suddenly bowed deeply at a perfect 90-degree angle.

"Ping Sang, please forgive my rashness back then. I am truly sorry!"

Kurosaki gestured with his hand in the corner, confirming that it was indeed a genuine ninety-degree angle.

At his age, he can still perform "proper etiquette" so perfectly. No wonder he's from the Metropolitan Police Department, which gets criticized every day. He's definitely trained for it.

The fact that he apologized in this manner suggests it wasn't voluntary on his part; it must have been due to pressure from his superiors.

Sources of stress.

Two hours later.

Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters.

Kurosaki Chimei tidied himself up and lay down on the sofa in Heisei Ryu's office, using the police system to search for relevant information from yesterday.

"Centipede train, knight, white-clad mask."

These are the official code names given to the three extraordinary individuals who appeared at the scene yesterday.

Now that Ping Shenglong has been reinstated, he went to the Superintendent General of Police immediately after being invited back by Minister Iwaki. It is unknown what they are discussing now.

Knowing that he couldn't enter the sealed-off area alone, and that his status as an advisor allowed him to share the same access as Heisei Ryu, Kurosaki decided to collect all the information he could first.

The database contains not only high-resolution images of the three extraordinary beings, but also detailed analyses of their manifested abilities, potential capabilities, and origins.

It incorporates a lot of occult knowledge, and at least Kurosaki agrees with some of the content.

The centipede train can at least be associated with giant centipede legends such as the "hundred-legged god" in Japanese folklore.

The image of the "knight" is too Western fantasy, and the armor is full of personal design style, which is not entirely in line with actual combat. It seems that it has little to do with orthodox mysticism.

As for the white-robed mask, the official analysis suggests that he is a reclusive Onmyoji or cultivator. Based on the brief dialogue, it can be speculated that the centipede train is a monster or shikigami-like follower that he sealed away.

“If we want to start from the beginning, we can do two things at the same time. On the one hand, we can start with the legend of the Hibiya Line, and on the other hand, we can investigate the design and origin of that armor.”

"But if we really want to find the extraordinary, the Centipede Train is probably already dead. The white-clad mask's abilities are too powerful, and the fact that it didn't come out to stop them immediately shows that it doesn't care much about the lives of ordinary people. Therefore, the Knight who gave the Metropolitan Police Department a hint before is the best choice."

"But this also shows that knights are not a threat for the time being, while monsters are always the greatest threat to humans."

Following the clues, a clear path slowly unfolded before his eyes.

I thought that the real-life ghost story of Mr. Jiao Tan would be the only chance he would ever have.

But unexpectedly, there were even more experts, including demons and cultivators.

This is good, as it indirectly fulfills his desire to remind the world that strange tales lurk among people.

If all these things are like the Centipede Train, can they still be called ghost stories?

It's less of a ghost story and more of a monster story.

Chapter 123: Direction of the Investigation

The Superintendent of Police's office.

Yesterday, Director Takahashi was so busy he didn't have a moment to rest and didn't sleep all night. He specially took half an hour to listen to Tatsumi Taira explain how he identified the supernatural event in the Komagome Academy case.

"Therefore, although it is hard to believe, the existing evidence suggests that the intervention of supernatural forces is the most logically consistent explanation."

During Ping Shenglong's explanation, he positioned Kurosaki Chimei's role as a occult consultant, intentionally or unintentionally downplaying his role in the case.

"Um"

Director Takahashi nodded slightly. He had already reviewed the case details several times yesterday, and he asked Heisei Ryu to repeat them to see if his thinking was still clear and complete.

He glanced at the time; he had a press conference to attend later.

“Shenglong, we haven’t met many times. The last time we had a formal conversation was at the dinner after the Special Investigation Medal, wasn’t it? I’ve always had a high opinion of your investigative abilities. What happened a few days ago was Iwaki’s fault. He will receive the punishment he deserves. I hope you don’t mind and that you can continue to stay in the Metropolitan Police Department.”

Chief Inspector Takahashi's attitude was remarkably humble, a stark contrast to his reprimand of a group of high-ranking officials in the Metropolitan Police Department the day before.

"You flatter me, Commissioner. As long as the Metropolitan Police Department needs me, I have no intention of leaving." Heisei Ryu then revealed a nervous and apprehensive expression.

Takahashi nodded in satisfaction and continued.

"I think you know what happened yesterday. Time is of the essence, so I won't stand on ceremony with you."

“The supernatural phenomena have already bare their fangs to us without any attempt to conceal them. For the safety of Tokyo and all of Japan, even if the road ahead is fraught with difficulties, we must continue our investigation to gain sufficient initiative in the face of more supernatural phenomena that may occur in the future. We must not remain in a state of complete passivity and ignorance as we are today.”

"The Prime Minister has decided to establish the [Comprehensive Countermeasures Headquarters for Extraordinary Situations]. I am prepared to recommend you to join it in my name and lead an investigation team. Use your extraordinary and keen detective skills and experience to unravel the secrets of the supernatural."

"This is a task that cannot be refused, but you can make a request to me. As long as I can do it, even if it is difficult, I will do my best to do it without asking you for reasons or whether it is reasonable." Director Takahashi said meaningfully.

Ping Shenglong stood up solemnly and saluted Director Takahashi.

"Please grant me two requests, Director."

"Just say it. You don't need to be so polite in the future. You can call me anytime. Show me the same determination you had when you submitted the report to me that day." Takahashi wasn't afraid that Taira no Ryu had the conditions; he was afraid that Taira no Ryu didn't have the conditions and wouldn't be willing to put in his full effort.

"First, I need to transfer a few colleagues from the First Investigation Division to join us."

"Okay, give me the name and I'll arrange it."

"Secondly, I hope to have a position as a consultant in the field of mysticism, with the same salary and access to the database as me."

"Okay, that can be arranged."

Takahashi smiled, stood up, and patted Heisei Ryu on the shoulder forcefully: "I hope you can shine in the investigation team and live up to the country's expectations."

A few minutes later, Ping Shenglong left the director's office with a stack of paper documents.

After greeting his colleagues who were hurrying along the way, he returned to his office and found Kurosaki Chimei slumped over his desk, engrossed in writing something.

"How did it go? Did you qualify to join the investigation?" This was what Kurosaki was most concerned about.

"Have."

Ping Shenglong briefly explained the situation regarding the newly established department to him.

"What about the structure? Such departments are directly led by the cabinet, right? But who is responsible for the direction?" Kurosaki pressed.

Ping Shenglong pointed to the documents in his hand: "For now, we are divided into the headquarters investigation team and nine subordinate investigation teams. Each subordinate investigation team needs to submit a reasonable investigation direction and plan to the headquarters, and then carry out its own investigation. They will not interfere with each other, but they can cooperate with each other. The investigation data must also be shared with the headquarters."

"The most basic information, such as the situation of the victims, the situation of the survivors, and the situation at the scene, will be fully shared after the headquarters investigation team completes the investigation. If the subordinate investigation teams find any doubts, they can request an investigation."

"Oh, a saturation survey? Well, that makes sense. If you want to find some useful information in a short time, this method is quite good." Kurosaki didn't have much to say about this method of throwing bricks with great force. "It seems that not all the higher-ups are idiots who can only bow their heads in obeisance."

The headquarters investigation team serves as the brain, but it does not forcibly intervene; it only plays a coordinating and integrating role, giving full play to the initiative of each investigation team.

"What did you find in the data?" Heisei Ryu glanced at Kurosaki's full notebook.

Kurosaki snapped his fingers and turned the notebook around: "Two directions, namely the Centipede Train and the Knight."

Kurosaki's plan was to split his forces into two groups: he would investigate the origins of the Centipede Train, while Taira no Ryu would investigate the identity of the Knight.

“No.” Heisei Ryu rejected the idea outright. “Investigate only the Knights, abandon the Centipede Train.”

Kurosaki was not satisfied: "This is a monster! Judging from the situation, the knight is unlikely to be the kind of villain who kills indiscriminately. He's more like a vigilante superhero, posing very little threat to society. But through the Centipede Train, we might be able to find traces of other monsters, and those things are the real scourge to human society!"

Heisei Ryu listened calmly as he finished speaking: "I've been assigned to lead an investigation team. I need to produce results first to gain a voice, and only with a voice can I reduce future obstacles. Believe me, monsters aren't easy to find, but this knight... if I'm not mistaken, he should be from Tokyo."

"And based on his behavioral model, the scope can be further narrowed down."

Kurosaki frowned: "Isn't this a bit too calculating?"

"Our goal isn't to find out where the other monsters are as quickly as possible, but to make initial contact with these extraordinary beings as soon as possible. Among them, the knights are the most promising, aren't they? If we can recruit them into the investigation team, wouldn't that be a great help in finding the monsters?"

Ping Shenglong's words seem to be reasonable and well-founded no matter how you look at them.

After a moment's thought, Kurosaki realized that it was indeed true.

But his inability to investigate the monsters made him restless and uneasy.

“It’s not that we’re completely giving up on the Centipede Train. We still need to see the site at Hibiya Station. You can work around with it within a reasonable scope. Also, I’ve applied for an advisory position for you on the investigation team, with the same compensation as me.” After waiting for him to hesitate for a while, Taira no Ryu pulled out his trump card.

Kurosaki immediately became solemn and nodded earnestly.

"I think you're absolutely right! We'll proceed according to your plan. I'll do my job as an advisor. By the way, how much is your monthly salary?"

Chapter 124: Formal Investigation

At this critical juncture, I hereby announce the immediate establishment of the "Comprehensive Countermeasures Headquarters for Extraordinary Situations," a cabinet-affiliated agency, to respond to this unprecedented event. This agency will combine science and secrecy, comprising multiple departments from the Self-Defense Forces, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the National Police Agency, to coordinate our most powerful combat forces.

Putting away the identity card of the head of the fifth investigation team, Ping Shenglong looked at the people in front of him.

Shingo Nakajima, a key member of the First Investigation Division, has strong coordination skills. He may not excel at everything, but he is the most reliable and dependable subordinate.

Takagi Sara, Taira no Ryu's assistant in the First Investigation Division for a long time, is efficient and capable, skilled in data integration and analysis, and has considerable insight into solving cases.

There's no need to go into too much detail about Kurosaki Chimi.

The three individuals mentioned above are key members of the Fifth Investigation Team at the Extraordinary Measures Headquarters of Heisei Ryu.

There were also three investigators assigned by Director Takahashi, who were also placed under the command of Moritaka Hira.

There were seven people in total, which was the smallest number in the investigation team. Director Takahashi even asked if they should send more people, but Heisei Ryu refused.

He had reviewed the investigation team's authority, which allowed them to dispatch nearby officers when necessary, with the officers required to cooperate unconditionally.

If the situation becomes uncontrollable, an application can be made to the investigation headquarters, which will dispatch additional specially trained Self-Defense Forces and SAT assault troops for support.

With this authority, he has enough henchmen, and he doesn't need to brainstorm too much. He and Kurosaki Chimei can basically control the overall direction.

"Section Chief, Team Leader." Shingo Nakajima was somewhat unaccustomed to his new identity. This morning he was a detective in the First Investigation Division, and before noon even arrived, he had suddenly transformed into an investigator. He was a little worried about how the handover of his work would go.