Chapter 53: Hanging Corpse Within the Wall (First Contribution!)

Bunkyo Ward, Yonezawa-Uesugi style Western-style mansion, the Uesugi Mansion.

The Uesugi family, gathered in a room with antique decorations and Western Baroque-style ceilings, was watching television.

Grandfather Uesugi Kuninori was rocking back and forth in his rocking chair, dozing off to the sound of the television, while father Uesugi Hironori and mother Uesugi Tomoko were fighting for the ownership of the remote control.

"What on earth is going on today? Why is everything a live broadcast? Just because someone went missing, they've even stopped airing the dramas!" Tomoko Uesugi complained.

"Stop making a fuss, the missing person is an alumna of our Keio University!" Hironori Uesugi had the latest news. The grandfather snatched the remote control: "It's useless no matter if you don't want to watch; every single channel is broadcasting this live!"

"But it's just the same old content back and forth, I'm sick of it." Tomoko snatched the remote control back, but to her disappointment, after flipping through several channels, all of them were live-streaming the lockdown incident at the Fuji TV Odaiba building.

The Fuji TV live broadcast had been going on for two hours, and they had run out of things to say.

"Hey! Wait!" Hironori switched a few channels and suddenly noticed a change in the Fuji TV feed, immediately switching back: "Look, look, they seem to have found the missing female anchor!"

"Really?" Grandfather Uesugi Kuninori woke up abruptly.

The family of three stared intently at the television screen.

On the screen, Inspector Megure picked up his cell phone.

"What did you say???!!!"

"The body has been found???"

This roar stopped everyone nearby, shifting the attention of two to three dozen people around, and even caused Fuji TV's upper management and President Kameyama at the entrance to subconsciously look toward Inspector Megure.

Who would have thought that instead of being happy, Inspector Megure shouted angrily into the phone, "Who asked you to do such unnecessary things, Uesugi-kun? Didn't the Metropolitan Police Department tell you and Ikeda to stay put and not wander around?"

"You are causing us a great deal of trouble!"

After a few stern reprimands and an apology from Sōsetsu Uesugi, Inspector Megure finally wore a surprised expression. "You said the body was found? Where?"

"Alright, alright, you stay right there, we are heading over immediately!"

Hanging up the phone, Inspector Megure found the surroundings dead silent, with dozens of eyes staring at him.

"Uesugi Sōsetsu from Tokyo Medical and Dental University says he has found the body of female anchor Mariko Hironoki! Right in a small room in the D4 area on the second basement level." Inspector Megure lowered his phone and said blankly to everyone.

"…………"

"…………"

"……………………"

The surrounding atmosphere first fell into an eerie silence, with everyone looking at each other.

Who is Sōsetsu Uesugi?

Fuji TV's reaction speed was both slow and fast. The slow part was that they didn't know Sōsetsu Uesugi yet, or only knew his name because of the JR East incident.

The fast part was that the female anchor had been found.

The first one to fully understand the meaning was President Kameyama. The Fuji TV president let out a weird scream and bolted.

As he ran, the nearby board directors and production bureau directors ran after him. These elderly men in their fifties and sixties acted as if they had taken drugs: their vision wasn't blurry anymore, their ears weren't deaf, and their legs suddenly had strength!

"Abiru!!!" President Kameyama shrieked desperately. Several Fuji TV executive directors and senior managing directors, along with security guards, directly formed a human wall, shielding a few members of the live broadcast team carrying camera equipment as they rushed out of the room first, reached the elevator lobby, and headed downstairs.

The second wave consisted of the Fuji TV senior executives. Headed by President Kameyama, the old men, full of spirit, flushed faces, and panting heavily, rushed into the second elevator.

The Metropolitan Police Department's reaction was a half-beat slower. Inspector Megure also hurriedly announced to everyone, "Special Unit, and everyone from Division 3."

"Sir!" Even after working all day, the elites of Investigation Division 1 forced themselves to perk up.

"South side of the second basement corridor, B2 tool room, everyone take your positions, move out!"

"Yes!" The exhausted detectives present also performed a standard Japanese drama run. Unfortunately, it was already too late for them to act; the elevators had been occupied by Fuji TV. Inspector Megure slapped the elevator buttons a few times in frustration and simply gave up: "Everyone, take the stairs!"

A large group of men in suits, mixed with a small squad of riot police holding submachine guards, directly pushed past the security guards at the door and rushed downwards through the stairwell in a rumble.

Fuji TV's live broadcast experienced a moment of extreme chaos for the first time. The director didn't have time to cut to commercials, and millions of people in the Kanto region watched as the female anchor, staff members, floor directors, and even a group of Fuji TV executives played old-man-running, laughing their heads off.

"President, ratings are rising rapidly!" Inside the elevator, someone among the crowded Fuji TV executives shouted, "We've broken 19%!"

"Good, keep investigating, report back!" President Kameyama's face lit up with joy.

There was finally a lead, and it was right at the deadline given by Nippon Life Insurance!

Fuji TV is saved, and my position as president is saved!

However, no sooner had the joy arrived than deeper anxiety welled up in his heart.

Could this matter be related to the inside of the station? How did Mariko actually die? Won't that past relationship between her and me be uncovered? And won't this kid named Uesugi trick me?

Half joy, half worry, President Kameyama was almost numb from today's series of twists and turns.

No more trouble, please!

Five minutes later, the second basement level.

Sōsetsu Uesugi and Erina Ikeda stood waiting at the door of the small room. From far away, they heard rumbling footsteps, and ahead of them, dust filled the air as the ground shook. Fuji TV's entire live broadcast crew, carrying equipment and holding microphones, pressed forward in a dense mass with astonishing momentum.

Then came the Fuji TV senior executives, white-haired, panting, and out of breath: "Where is she? Where is she?"

"Wait!" Before Sōsetsu Uesugi could answer, new personnel appeared. The Metropolitan Police Department's suit-wearing brigade wedged themselves in, firmly blocking Fuji TV's people in the middle of the corridor: "No filming! That's enough! Please wait for us to confirm first!"

The scene before them was like a play, and Sōsetsu Uesugi found it amusing. Yet, thinking of what was to come, he收起了 smiles: "Inspector Megure, right here, right here."

"Uesugi-kun, I recall not asking you to assist in the investigation!" Upon seeing the figures of the two, Inspector Megure didn't show joy, but instead launched into a scathing critique: "And Ms. Ikeda!"

Sōsetsu Uesugi hurriedly pulled Erina Ikeda to bow slightly in apology: "I'm sorry, Inspector Megure, I was just... curious."

Erina Ikeda was annoyed at the sight of these panting, disheveled elites of the Metropolitan Police Department. Clearly, these were the people who had refused to let her participate in the investigation, yet now that Sōsetsu Uesugi and she had found the body and proactively contacted them, they still had to apologize!

There was no such logic under the sun!

Fortunately, Sōsetsu Uesugi had explained the difference between legal procedure and illegal search to Erina along the way, and she roughly understood that this step was the key to turning their illegal search into a legal one.

"Curiosity won't cut it either!" Inspector Megure predictably barked loudly and bit lightly: "Alright, let's set that aside for now. Where is she?"

"Inside the room."

Sōsetsu Uesugi reached out and pulled open the room door. The small room in the basement area was not large, and the dozen or so police officers who flooded in, plus Fuji TV's people, completely packed the small room, yet they couldn't see where the body was.

"Uesugi-kun, I hope you aren't playing a bad joke on me." Inspector Megure looked at the pipes inside the small room, the debris piled on the ground, the cleaning tool stacks, and some hollow bricks and plywood, but saw no sign of Mariko Hironoki.

"We don't have time to play riddles with you, Mr. Uesugi." The other detectives from Investigation Division 1 were also deeply disappointed.

Everyone's gaze toward Sōsetsu Uesugi gradually turned unkind.

"The body is right behind this wall," Sōsetsu Uesugi said calmly. "You must have all smelled the strange odor in the air, right? Because the body is right here."

"Strange odor?" Inspector Megure naturally smelled the stench of the corpse as well, and he started to believe it: "But... how did the victim get in?"

"Here." Sōsetsu Uesugi walked up to the wall of the small room and patted a spot near the bottom of the wall: "There is a pipe opening here, which leads inside the wall."

"It seems this pipe opening cannot be opened from this side, though." Sōsetsu Uesugi gestured: "Inspector Megure, break down the wall, she is inside."

A large group of police officers swarmed forward, half-believing until they noticed a very faint gap at the junction of a square shape on the wall.

This pipe opening was a small square window, painted and finished exactly like the wall. Its area was larger than the LCD screen of a desktop computer. If an adult male maneuvered properly, he could squeeze himself into the wall. It had been left for pipe maintenance, and if one didn't look very carefully, it was completely undetectable.

The troublesome part was that the pipe opening couldn't be opened; it seemed to be locked from the other side.

They could even discover this?

Was this kid's pair of eyes made by Canon?

How on earth did this kid find out there was a problem here? And how on earth did he manage to find the second basement level?

The personnel from the Metropolitan Police Department wore puzzled expressions one after another, but now was not the time to fuss over that.

The detectives of Investigation Division 1 had nothing to say to Sōsetsu Uesugi, but they all chose to believe him.

Because in the previous Bunkyo Ward arson-murder case, this kid had identified a homicide purely with his naked eyes! Today at noon, this kid had also demonstrated his miraculous autopsy skills in front of Investigation Division 1.

"Alright, Uesugi-kun, we believe you!" Inspector Megure patted Sōsetsu Uesugi heavily on the shoulder. Exhausted after a full day, he didn't waste any words and motioned to the arriving Special Unit of Investigation Division 1.

Break the wall!

At this moment, President Kameyama finally squeezed to the door of the small room. Because there were too many people inside, he couldn't squeeze in at all, until someone asked him, "President Kameyama, shall we proceed?"

President Kameyama, standing outside the door, nodded doubtfully.

Is Mariko Hironoki really here?

The Special Unit's reaction was also swift. A battering ram was immediately arranged, and two special police officers grabbed the handles with both hands and slammed the battering ram hard against the wall.

The scene before them shocked everyone inside the room.

There hung Fuji TV's female anchor, Keio University graduate Mariko Hironoki, suspended by a rope on the pipes within the narrow wall gap. She was still wearing her anchor uniform, with a high heel on one foot and no shoe on the other.

"Found... found her." Everyone at the scene was dumbfounded, except for Erina Ikeda, who looked at the man standing beside her with his hands behind his back with an "as expected" expression.

Everything was just as he had judged!

The person really was still in the Odaiba building, the person really was in the basement, and the person really was inside the wall!

Simply miraculous! How did he discover it, how did he pull it off?

This phrase echoed in the minds of everyone present.

Inspector Megure thought that if Sōsetsu Uesugi hadn't had a perfect alibi and stayed with the police the entire time for days, they would have suspected Sōsetsu Uesugi was the murderer!

And at the very moment of seeing the body, the Metropolitan Police Department and Fuji TV felt an immense sense of relief.

The body had finally been found; otherwise, this building lockdown would have turned into a massive farce with no idea how it could possibly end.

However, this relaxed feeling lasted only a few seconds before an even greater pressure weighed down upon the Metropolitan Police Department and Fuji TV.

Why did the female anchor go missing, and how did she die? Was it suicide or murder?

The moment Inspector Megure saw the body, he immediately pulled out his walkie-talkie.

"The body has been found. I repeat, this is Investigation Division 1, District 13. We have found the body of Ms. Mariko Hironoki on the second basement level."

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Please stop the search operation now, gather at the Special Investigation Headquarters on the first floor, and await further orders."

"Over."

"Block them! Block the cameras!"

The special police unit was still smashing the wall, while the suit-wearing brigade outside had already blocked the doorway.

The body had been found, but before obtaining permission from superiors and the family, the Metropolitan Police Department would never allow the live broadcast crew to see the body, otherwise it would trigger massive social issues.

The scene was chaotic. Putting down his walkie-talkie, Inspector Megure pondered for a moment and decided not to waste resources.

"Uesugi-kun, we'll have to trouble you with the on-site autopsy!"

Sōsetsu Uesugi raised his head.

"Understood."

Outside the door, Fuji TV's senior executives witnessed Mariko Hironoki's corpse with their own eyes. None of them knew whether to be happy or worried, and they immediately began urgently discussing what to do next.

"Continue the live broadcast!" President Kameyama's face twisted savagely, and he stomped his feet hard: "Immediately, have Abiru come over!"

"Tell someone to record all the details of the scene, listen to what the coroner says, find a female anchor with a similar figure to Mariko, and have her imitate Mariko's manner of death for all of Japan to see!"

"Yes!"

"Production team, immediately create a 3D dynamic model of the scene. I want the entire Kanto region to know the situation of the scene within ten minutes, go right now!"

"Understood!"

Fuji TV's side was in chaos, scattering in all directions.

Meanwhile, the live broadcast program crew was broadcasting live outside the door, and the female anchor held a microphone: "Breaking news! The body of Mariko Hironoki has been found! The body of Mariko Hironoki has been found, right inside the room. Investigation Division 1 of the Metropolitan Police Department is still investigating! Please do not change the channel; preliminary autopsy conclusions and investigations will be brought to you shortly!"

"President! Ratings have broken 25%!" a staff member shouted, and this sentence was even captured into the live broadcast.

"Good, keep investigating, report back!"

Half of President Kameyama's face beamed with joy, while the other half was tangled and in pain—a true reincarnation of DC's Two-Face.

It was truly a bitter day for this president.

Just as Fuji TV announced that the body of the missing person had been found, inside the Uesugi Hall in Bunkyo Ward.

Hironori Uesugi and Tomoko Uesugi stared fixedly, their mouths wide open.

"Isn't this... Sōsetsu?" Hironori Uesugi watched his younger son appear on the camera.

"Grandfather, Grandfather, wake up!" Tomoko Uesugi, on the other hand, frantically pushed the grandfather awake: "Look, Sōsetsu is on TV!"

"Ah? What?" Uesugi Kuninori barely woke up, unhappy that his sleep had been disturbed. He fetched his reading glasses, and after just one glance, his eyes widened, completely banishing any sleepiness.

"Sōsetsu!" Hironori Uesugi's loud voice echoed through the mansion.

"Come quickly! Come over here!"

"Your younger brother is on TV!"

The release speech will be added after the five-chapter release. That is all desu~