Chapter Eleven: Shaking the Police Department for an Entire Year (Part One)

April passed, and May arrived. Tokyo had completely shaken off the bleakness of winter and the season of cherry blossoms, basking in brilliant spring sunshine.

Having resolved the Ishizaka couple’s murder-suicide case, Uesugi Sōsetsu found himself with a bit more leisure time. After all, the police station didn't require assistance with cases or corpses every single day. During this period, he focused his attention on professional forensic knowledge.

Having gone through this series of events, Uesugi gradually realized that while he could solve autopsies by relying on his psychic abilities, he would be exposed if he actually had to perform an autopsy himself, given his lack of medical expertise. If it were just a standard examination, he could rely on rote memorization combined with the accounts of the souls themselves to reconstruct a perfect sequence of events and theoretical foundation. However, if he were truly forced onto the autopsy table, he would be out of his depth.

Fortunately, it was unclear whether Professor Okochi felt he was too young and unreliable, or simply believed that having a novice participate directly in an autopsy was against protocol. For now, the autopsy work was still being handled by Professor Okochi and his small team, which largely spared Uesugi from the issue of his insufficient professional knowledge.

The arrival of a new month also brought something good.
It was payday!

The Japanese have an inexplicable obsession with this; although salaries can be paid directly via bank transfer, everyone still prefers to receive them in person. The solid, thick feeling of the salary enclosed in a heavy envelope is enough to excite any worker, especially low-level employees like Uesugi. For physicians and interns, the days when salary is distributed are the most exciting of the month.

Uesugi received his salary. A light squeeze of the envelope revealed the reassuring heft of the banknotes, bringing a smile to his face.

This is Tokyo; one cannot survive here without money!

Especially since he was still living in an apartment arranged by his family, he planned to, at the very least, work hard enough to achieve a middle-class lifestyle in Tokyo. He didn't ask for immense wealth, but he didn't want to spend his days waiting for supermarkets to slap 50%, 40%, 30%, or 20% off stickers on fresh food in the evenings before he could afford to check out.

At the very least, he wanted to be able to afford a Makunouchi bento every day and perhaps visit Jojoen for yakiniku on the weekends.

However, now that he had awakened his ability, Uesugi’s goals had shifted.
Donning the monk's robe was the true path forward.

Having received his salary envelope, the full-time doctors nearby were already discussing where to go for fun that evening. On the other side, the nurses, nursing assistants, and temporary agency staff were in a much more somber mood.

In Japan, salary consists of three components: position-based pay, seniority-based pay, and bonuses. Position-based pay and bonuses are easy to understand, but seniority-based pay requires a bit of explanation.

Seniority-based pay can be simply understood as extra wages based on the number of years served, which increases over time. A typical example was old man Tanaka. He told Uesugi that as an Assistant Inspector, his monthly salary was about 320,000 yen. Calculated with the "seventeen-month" salary system common in the police force, his annual take-home pay was around 5.4 million yen (roughly 7 million including taxes and welfare pension). Yet, many twenty-something career-track inspectors in the Metropolitan Police Department, despite being one rank higher, couldn't get a salary as high as old man Tanaka’s (generally around 4 million take-home). This was purely because the old man had seniority.

In his previous life, Uesugi had been critical of the seniority system, believing that while it might foster a sense of belonging, it also led to a large number of lazy employees and slackers, with money flowing to senior management while leaving young people without initiative.

There is a "66 Law" in Japan: 60% of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of people over 60, and 60% of senior management positions are held by people over 60.

However, he now held a neutral view of the seniority system. Because the whip only stings when it hits your own back, this system effectively guarantees employees' expectations for the future and a sense of belonging. No one fears being "optimized" (fired) at 35. Stability and a hopeful future allow people to focus on their work.

Yet, the seniority system is not for everyone. In hospitals, staff are divided into "regular employees" and "agency employees." The former have formal contracts with the hospital, while the latter are dispatched by staffing agencies. They not only miss out on seniority pay but are also the first to be laid off. Generally, these agency contracts are renewed every four or five years; if renewed twice, they are considered eligible for conversion to regular status. Therefore, hospitals always rotate agency staff, never giving them the chance to become permanent.

Even if they do the exact same work, agency employees cannot hold their heads high in front of regular employees, and they only receive 65%-70% of a regular employee's salary.

Whether one is a regular employee is one of the core competitive factors in the Japanese matchmaking market (along with whether one is the eldest son, whether one is tall, etc.).

Uesugi himself was a regular employee. Although his seniority pay was zero, he earned more than those agency staff and held a higher status.

The reason his family didn't have much to say about him becoming a forensic pathologist was precisely because he was a regular employee. Being the second son, he didn't need to inherit the family business, and from his family's perspective, securing a regular position was essentially fulfilling his life's mission.

Opening the envelope, Uesugi counted the banknotes and raised an eyebrow.
Why were there an extra 30,000 yen?

Before he could ask, a staff member trotted over: "Dr. Uesugi, Director Ukai wants to see you."

Director Ukai, the current Dean of the Medical Department at Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, was a round-headed, middle-aged man who always carried a smile. His slightly squinted, triangular eyes occasionally betrayed a hint of shrewdness. He was slightly stooped, with broad shoulders.

When Uesugi knocked on the door of the Dean's office, Director Ukai, who had been standing behind his desk with his back to the door and his hands behind him, turned around amidst the display cabinets filled with trophies and certificates. "Please, come in."

"Dean!" Uesugi bowed slightly. "Did you want to see me?"

"Oh! Uesugi, long time no see!" The moment Director Ukai saw him, his face filled with smiles, deepening the wrinkles. "How is it? Are you getting used to the transfer to the Department of Forensic Pathology?"

It had only been a month, but Uesugi’s demeanor had changed significantly. His posture had become more upright. While his features hadn't changed much, a few subtle adjustments to his expressions made him appear colder and more handsome, even radiating a sense of sacred authority. That pair of eyes seemed like scalpels on an operating table—precise, sharp, and seemingly capable of peering into the human heart.

Uesugi’s tone and manner of speaking had also changed slightly; he now exuded a strong sense of confidence.

*How did performing an autopsy make this guy so confident?* Director Ukai wondered, though it didn't show on his face.

"I'm getting used to it. Professor Okochi takes good care of me, and this new environment has helped me find a new goal," Uesugi paused slightly before continuing, "For now, I am quite satisfied."

"Satisfied is good, satisfied is good." Director Ukai clapped his hands. "You've done well; you've made a contribution. The Otsuka Precinct has nothing but praise for you... However, you aren't used to dealing with corpses all the time, right? So, I’ve allocated an extra 30,000 yen as a special allowance from my discretionary medical fund. Everyone gets it—you get it, and Professor Okochi gets it too."

"I am deeply grateful!" Uesugi understood; his father must have spoken to Director Ukai.

Normally, a Dean of Medicine would not interact directly with an intern like him unless his father, Uesugi Hironori, had personally reached out to Director Ukai.

"Since you're doing it, do it the best you can. Keep it up, Uesugi-kun, I have high hopes for you!" Director Ukai patted Uesugi on the shoulder, signaling that he could leave.

After Uesugi left, Director Ukai stood by the window for a long time, then slowly picked up the autopsy report again.

"A genius, or a heaven-sent talent? A reckless man who likes to guess, or a hot-blooded ambitionist?" Director Ukai narrowed his eyes slightly. "I'll spend some more time observing him carefully!"

————

"So, I drove to work this morning, and I even saw a Corolla on the way!"
"Oh, hahahaha~"
"Then I stopped to buy a Costa coffee!"
"Ahehehehehe~"
"But then I realized Starbucks is better~"
"Ohohohohohoho~"

In the evening, as Uesugi was preparing to leave work, the female nurses walked past him, giggling and chatting about nonsensical topics with bizarre, forced laughter.

*This is exactly why I don't plan on finding a girlfriend here.*

Uesugi was speechless at this strange, awkward small talk and the collective, forced laughter that Japanese women used to blend into their environment. Yet, in Japanese schools and workplaces, one *had* to join such small groups, or else they would be isolated and bullied. For the Japanese, the most terrifying thing was being unable to find a group during class activities, which was equivalent to telling everyone you had no friends and were fair game for abuse.

"Look, it's Uesugi! Wow, he's so handsome!"
"Why does it feel like Uesugi-kun has become even more handsome since he went to the forensic department?"
"What a pity. Since he went to a place like that, Uesugi-kun is 'down'! Not interested. I think instead of being a forensic pathologist, he should go audition for Johnny's! Don't you think?"
"That's for sure~~~"

Drawing out the last syllable, the nurses left happily. It was payday, and they were going to the host clubs in Shinjuku's Kabukicho to live it up.

Uesugi also planned to go out and live it up a little that night.
*What kind of aristocrat hasn't been to Yoshiwara?*

Ever since he awakened his new ability, he felt like he was playing *Princess Connect!* every time he finished an autopsy. It had almost become a habit.
*Should I find a steady girlfriend?*

Uesugi’s previous casual partners were always young women who had come to the capital alone, following the principle of mutual benefit—physical, not emotional. Usually, he covered the costs of meals, rooms, and gifts.

He was young, good-looking, well-spoken, and gentle. Many women had hinted that they were willing to take things further, but perhaps because Uesugi lacked a sense of immersion in this world, he kept his romantic relationships at a shallow level.

But now, things were different. First, there was the intense connection brought about by the contract; second, he had started to feel a real sense of belonging to this world.

*Who should I choose?* Uesugi thought, first excluding women who had come to the capital alone from the countryside.
Unless it was his Senpai Mai, whom he might consider.

*Hmm, I must choose someone who likes wearing stockings. Black, white, flesh-toned, gray, colored, long stockings, garters, tights—I'll try them all! The budget will come from the extra 30,000 yen Director Ukai gave me!*

While he was still scrolling through his contacts, he saw old man Tanaka and Inspector Kuwabara standing in front of a police car in their suit jackets under the setting sun.

Seeing Uesugi come out, old man Tanaka wore an awkward but polite smile. "Little brother Uesugi, we were just looking for you."

"Please, Tanaka-san, Kuwabara-san, it's payday!" Uesugi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You aren't here to take me to an izakaya for skewers, are you?"

The Japanese have a tradition of having an izakaya party on payday. Many salarymen get drunk and go home late on this day because it is the only day of the month they have control over their own salary before handing it over to their wives for household expenses.

"We have a situation, little brother Uesugi. We need to trouble you and Professor Okochi again." Assistant Inspector Tanaka gestured for Uesugi to get in the car.

After a while, Inspector Kuwabara brought Professor Okochi out, and the group drove off into the distance under the golden sunset.

In the car, Professor Okochi was resting with his eyes closed. Uesugi took the initiative to ask, "What kind of case is it this time?"

"The renovation project at Eipei Bridge in Bunkyo Ward is halfway through; the workers found a body under the bridge arch!" Assistant Inspector Tanaka said seriously. "The body is completely dehydrated, and the victim's expression looks very painful. We suspect this is a criminal case, so we need you to take a look."

"Found a body under the bridge arch?" Uesugi thought for a moment and asked, "Is it an elderly person or..."
"It's a middle-aged man."

Uesugi frowned. If it were an elderly corpse, the scope of the investigation would be greatly reduced, but if it were a middle-aged man, the possibilities were much broader.

Outside the window, the golden sunset gradually sank. Smoke rose from the detached houses on both sides of the road. Uesugi could faintly smell the scent of dinner mixed with exhaust fumes. As the sun completely dipped below the rooftops, for a brief moment, darkness descended, signaling the arrival of the night.

Before Uesugi could enjoy a moment of tranquility, the streetlights turned on, and Tokyo under the sunset immediately transformed into a world of colorful neon. As if in a single heartbeat, the city came back to life. The glitz and glamour, the sorrow of the masses—fading the beauty of the sunset, the brilliant, flashy world was even more alluring. The shops, the gates, and the halo of the skyscrapers were even more eye-catching, as if the heart of the entire nation were beating right here.

What a fascinating city. It is half a paradise for pleasure-seekers and half a hell for workers. But regardless, it is frantically sucking the soul and flesh of young people from all over Japan, nourishing the soil here, and allowing this place to continue to grow.

*Interesting.*

Soon, they arrived.
The arched bridge pier was surrounded by police cars. At least ten officers were lined up in two rows to protect the scene. Yellow tape was set up, police sirens blared, and the crowd was chattering about what had happened. Several construction workers were being questioned.

"Thank you for your hard work!" Assistant Inspector Tanaka was the first to get out of the car. He tugged at his suit jacket and said with an imposing air to the officers maintaining order at the scene: "I've brought the person."

"Thank you for your hard work!" The surrounding patrol officers bowed immediately.

*Does this old man think he looks cool?* Uesugi thought to himself from behind.
*What kind of bird-brained official is an Assistant Inspector anyway? There are more fish in Tokyo Bay than people of that rank.*

Carrying his kit, Uesugi saw a body under the bridge pier.

The body was about 170cm long, covered in a thick layer of yellowish-brown. There were many dark brown wounds on the surface, and the body was completely dehydrated, but even so, the middle-aged man's face was still vaguely recognizable.

Uesugi began the autopsy. Old man Tanaka and Inspector Kuwabara exchanged a look, their hearts settling slightly.

Dragging someone out for overtime on payday was indeed not great, but their KPI was definitely more important! They would just have to report a bit more overtime pay for little brother Uesugi... and for themselves.

"We have to trouble you again, little brother Uesugi. Do you think it's suicide or murder? Is it possible he just lost his footing..." Before old man Tanaka could finish his sentence, Uesugi had already spoken.

His voice was sharp and fast, carrying an unquestionable certainty.

"This is not a recent corpse. This person has been dead for several years!"

"Immediately check the historical weather records for this area. Check which years had particularly little rainfall during the winter from the time the bridge was last repaired until now! Especially the windy years."

"Then, immediately investigate the surrounding communities. See if there are any family members who went missing during those years—male, 30-35 years old, with intellectual disabilities, who liked narrow, dark places, and went missing in the winter! Someone who was still wearing pajamas!"

"Go now!"