Chapter 66: The New Home at Sakata Bridge

PostScript: I always keep my promise. The extra chapter will be posted on New Year's Day. I won't go home or go out to play on New Year's Day; I will just stay at home and type away furiously to give back to all the readers who support me!

"We can extract maternal DNA from mitochondria. Theoretically, the maternal mitochondrial DNA available today can be traced back 6,500 years."

Uesugi Sōsetsu was giving a lecture to Erena on the sofa. This was what they had agreed upon earlier: Erena would teach him martial arts, and he would teach her criminal investigation techniques.

"6,500 years goes far beyond anything modern criminal investigation requires. This means that everyone, regardless of gender, shares the same mitochondrial DNA as their mothers, aunts, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and so on. The difference is that a mother passes her mitochondria on to her children and grandchildren, while males lack this ability."

"In contrast, human nuclear DNA is completely different. A mother and an aunt might have identical mitochondrial DNA, but because their nuclear DNA differs, it is actually very difficult to determine their exact relationship. However, based on this principle, as long as one can obtain the DNA of their father, mother, and aunt, it becomes quite easy to distinguish them."

"Building further on this, in parentage testing, paternal half-siblings can be identified by a large amount of overlapping DNA and differing mitochondrial DNA to determine whether one of them is an illegitimate child," Uesugi Sōsetsu continued. "Although the specific identity of the illegitimate child's birth mother might not be known, once you reach this stage, you already have extremely strong evidence... Master Erena, are you listening?"

"Ah? Ah! Sorry, sorry!" Ikeda Erena snapped out of her daze upon realizing Uesugi Sōsetsu was calling her. She gave a start and hurriedly indicated she was paying attention. "I drifted off."

You didn't just drift off, you fell asleep, didn't you?

Uesugi Sōsetsu couldn't help muttering inwardly.

Neither of them had anything to do early in the morning, so Uesugi Sōsetsu had fried some eggs and bacon to make breakfast sandwiches for a casual bite with Erena, naturally segueing into a bit of knowledge about criminal investigation.

Whether it was because Erena had woken up too early and had blood rushing downward after eating, or simply because she wasn't cut out for studying, she had only heard Uesugi Sōsetsu say a couple of sentences before the tall beauty grew drowsy.

Faced with Uesugi Sōsetsu's look of disdain, Erena acutely sensed the man's feelings, and her pretty face instantly blushed bright red, even her delicate ears suffused with a tender crimson as she lowered her head in embarrassment.

She was never good at studying to begin with, and ever since she started seeking instruction, she found that the detective knowledge Uesugi Sōsetsu taught was completely different from what she had imagined.

The detective knowledge she had envisioned was like something out of a mystery novel—deducing a person's age, profession, standard of living, and region from an unconscious gesture. Yet Uesugi Sōsetsu spent the entire time talking about "surveillance, DNA, and forensic laboratory testing," at most throwing in a couple of remarks on the differences in identifying various surgical wounds.

This wasn't what she wanted, but she felt too embarrassed to interrupt the man, and as time went on, she began to doze off.

Caught by the man dozing off, Erena clenched her hands, squirmed her legs, and flushed crimson all over. Fortunately, it was him; if it had been anyone else, she would have flown into a fit of embarrassment and anger.

So uncomfortable... Erena subconsciously tugged at the waistband of the stockings around her waist, making a snap sound. "Sorry~ I just came to your place and..."

She wasn't a good student, but Uesugi Sōsetsu still felt this lesson was worth teaching.

She had specifically changed into stockings she usually disliked wearing to see him. How could he bear to blame such a simple, foolish woman?

A textbook clingy, obsessive girl had unconsciously been molded into this shape by him. Uesugi Sōsetsu suddenly felt a strange sense of accomplishment.

"All right, let's stop here for today. The moving company should be arriving soon," Uesugi Sōsetsu said with a smile, standing up.

"Mm." Erena was still deeply embarrassed. Clearly, Uesugi Sōsetsu had been so earnest when learning karate, yet she had fallen asleep during her study session. It was too impolite. So, she slowly shuffled over to Uesugi Sōsetsu's side, straightened her legs—making her slender, well-rounded legs wrapped in black silk look even more elongated—and displayed them directly to the man. "Can this count as an apology?"

"Pfft!" Uesugi Sōsetsu was amused by Erena's bizarre method of apology, though he was entirely susceptible to this exact tactic. "Fine, I'll let you off this time. Let's tidy up a bit; the movers are coming."

"Mm!" Erena bit her lower lip, nodded shyly, and couldn't help feeling a trace of smug triumph inside.

She hadn't worn her stockings in vain today.

By around nine o'clock in the morning, the moving company arrived, carrying Uesugi Sōsetsu's packed boxes downstairs one by one.

The two of them no longer had the intimate atmosphere from earlier and went about things with swift efficiency, handling every item properly. Uesugi Sōsetsu stood upright in front of his student apartment, straightened his posture, and finally gave a slight bow toward the interior: "Thank you for taking care of me over the past four years."

With that, Uesugi Sōsetsu bid farewell to the student apartment where he had lived for four years, and in a sense, truly bade farewell to his identity as a student at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University. He had already obtained his medical license and completed his residency training; all he lacked now was his graduation thesis and the formal commencement ceremony.

Japanese moving companies are quite professional; unless the customer initiates a conversation, the employees rarely speak up on their own initiative. After packing everything away, the moving company set off, taking Uesugi Sōsetsu and Ikeda Erena along in the truck.

Uesugi Sōsetsu's new home was at Sakatabashi in Bunkyō Ward.

As the moving truck drove along the highway, a towering giant skyscraper pierced the sky. The low-rise detached houses and street-side commercial buildings surrounding it appeared very tiny before this massive structure, and its floor-to-ceiling windows reflecting the sunlight beneath the sky looked as dazzling as the Plasma Spark Tower of the Land of Light.

This was Uesugi Sōsetsu's new home.

A "tower mansion" refers to a super-high-rise residential building, typically over 30 stories tall. Although major Japanese cities are densely populated, they do not have super-high-rise buildings sprouting up everywhere.

This is because Japan's rail transit is well-developed, and cities can expand outward without causing traffic problems. For example, Chiba City, located several dozen kilometers from Tokyo, takes only about an hour to reach Minato Ward by train, making commuting completely unproblematic.

Many people working in Tokyo live in Chiba Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Saitama Prefecture, so the city center does not need to build a massive number of tower mansions to provide enough housing. As a result, mid-rise apartments under 15 stories dominate Tokyo, while tower mansions over 30 stories are relatively rare.

Due to this characteristic, Japan can position tower mansions as scarce luxury residences. Japanese tower mansions are equipped with hotel-like front desk services, gyms, activity rooms, and other facilities. These features clearly distinguish tower mansions from ordinary apartments, making the tower mansion a symbol of high status.

Moreover, because most residential buildings in Tokyo (excluding numerous high-rise office buildings) are under 15 stories, tower mansions stand out from the crowd. Especially on the upper floors, the view is exceptionally good—Tokyo Bay and Tokyo Tower can be seen at a glance, and the sunlight is superb, which appears particularly precious in a place like Tokyo where buildings are dense and per capita resources are scarce.

Aside from garden houses like the Uesugi family estate, the wealthiest people in Tokyo love living in tower mansions the most.

Superb views, a superior location, tight security, star-rated hotel public facilities and services, and tax savings to boot.

"The moving address is the tower mansion beside Sakatabashi. Is that the customer's new home? Isn't the land price around Sakatabashi super expensive?" Sure enough, seeing their destination for the day, the moving company employee driving the truck couldn't help saying, "Customer, you're truly amazing. To be able to live in such a nice place at such a young age."

"No, it has nothing to do with my age; I'm just fully relying on my father," Uesugi Sōsetsu replied casually.

Amidst this casual back-and-forth, the rule against unprovoked chatter was broken, and the mover naturally continued with a sigh of admiration: "Ooh, it must be nice to be rich. How much does a tower mansion here cost? At least a hundred million yen, right?"

"I'm not entirely sure about the exact price," Uesugi Sōsetsu shook his head. "My friend, do you know the land prices around here?"

"In this area, and a tower mansion to boot... the customer is on the eighteenth floor, right? That's about one hundred million," the mover judged based on experience. "Around one hundred and twenty million. The economy is sluggish right now; if you're lucky, you can snag one for a hundred million."

The prices of apartments within a tower mansion vary drastically. Lower-floor units suffer from poor lighting and narrow views, and their prices can differ by up to 60% compared to upper-floor units. That is, a 4th-floor unit might be worth 80 million yen, while a 40th-floor unit could easily head toward 150 million.

"Madam, you're blessed to be able to live in such a tower mansion with your husband," the mover then said to Ikeda Erena, who had remained silent all along.

As soon as the word "madam" came out, Erena, who was sitting beside Uesugi Sōsetsu, was startled at first, then realized the mover was speaking to her.

The tall beauty's face instantly blossomed with a rosy flush of shyness, and she half-angrily, half-urgently explained, "No, I'm just his—"

"She is my partner," Uesugi Sōsetsu cut in, explaining very naturally, "accompanying me to look at the new place."

"Oh, oh, oh, sorry, my mistake," the mover apologized hurriedly. Sensing Erena's unfriendly glare, he was startled and immediately shut his mouth.

However, Erena fell silent because of that remark.

She was satisfied with Uesugi Sōsetsu's answer.

Erena knew she was a stubborn and awkward person. If Uesugi Sōsetsu had answered that she was merely a colleague or friend, Erena would have felt uncomfortable because their relationship went beyond that.

Yet if Uesugi Sōsetsu had genuinely acquiesced or called her his girlfriend, Erena would have felt it was going a bit too far, as strictly speaking, nothing had actually happened between them yet.

The word "partner" hit the exact sweet spot: more than friends, not quite lovers.

Having put his foot in his mouth, the mover dared not say any more. Under the autumn sunshine, the moving work officially began.

Entering the lobby of the Sakatabashi building, one was greeted by a rustic Harajuku-style interior. Both the ceiling and walls featured natural wood finishes, patterned color blocks of mosaic tiles were scattered across the floor, and giant floor-to-ceiling windows were framed by tall landscaped greenery. Star-rated hotel-style front desk staff wore standard uniforms, and the security guards were tall and formidable, looking far more alert than ordinary police box patrolmen.

"President, welcome home!"

Amidst the revolving door's rotation, a female front desk clerk in an OL uniform proactively stepped forward in high heels to greet them: "Are you Mr. Uesugi Sōsetsu with an appointment?"

"Yes... Do you know me?"

"Of course, how could I not... You were super handsome during your live broadcast the night before last, Uesugi-san!" the front desk clerk said excitedly. "And is this the beautiful female police officer who showed off those amazing judo skills? What should I call you?"

"Ikeda..." Erena replied with a trace of displeasure.

"Alright, this way please." No one working the front desk of a luxury tower mansion lacked social perception; seeing Erena's displeasure, she immediately switched back to professional mode.

First, she processed the owner's card for Uesugi Sōsetsu. The tower mansion's security facilities were exceptionally complete—security guards, surveillance, automatic locks, smart elevators, and alarm systems were all present. Moreover, the interior amenities were extremely comprehensive, even featuring a dedicated cafeteria and restaurant—one on the second floor and another in the basement—where lunch and dinner were provided for a monthly meal fee of just 36,000 yen.

Ikeda Erena felt as though a whole new world was unfolding before her eyes.

Upon reaching the eighteenth floor, the thick carpets, wall paintings, and the vase at the end of the hallway made the tall beauty feel as though she had truly entered a four-star hotel. And when the front desk clerk opened the door to "1802" for Uesugi Sōsetsu, the flood of light rushing in caused Erena to involuntarily squint her eyes.

So big!

To one side of the entryway stood a large built-in shoe cabinet; on the left side, right near the entrance, was a guest room. This guest room was around twelve square meters—fully equipped with all essentials—and featured a small sliding window and bay window, from which one could directly overlook the scenery of the tower mansion's entrance below and the surrounding Tokyo streetscape.

This was Uesugi's new home?

Guided inside, Ikeda Erena slipped off her newly purchased pearl-accented low-heeled pumps and stepped click-clack into the apartment.

Past the shoe cabinet on the right of the entryway and the small guest room on the left, her vision opened up to an exceptionally spacious living room stretching horizontally before her. Tall floor-to-ceiling windows let in an abundance of sunlight, and the space spanning over twenty meters horizontally was bright and open. On the left side was a huge reception area, and on the right was an open kitchen with a double-burner gas stove.

All facilities were fully equipped: a GE refrigerator from the US, a complete set of kitchen appliances from the veteran German brand Miele, a full washer-dryer set, and complete bathroom fixtures.

Leading out from the reception area was a twenty-square-meter balcony planted with greenery and equipped with an emergency escape ladder. From here, one could once again overlook the scenery of Tokyo, and there was even a barbecue grill placed by the wall.

Walking further inward led to a long hallway. The apartment contained two toilets and one bathroom; the larger toilet and bathroom were combined next to the kitchen, featuring a 1.7-meter large bathtub located on the right side of the hallway. On the left side was the second bedroom, which was larger than the guest room outside.

The largest was the master bedroom at the far end. Not only did it exceed twenty square meters, but it was also equipped with a small half-bathroom and a walk-in closet.

It is worth mentioning that the master bedroom also boasted a curved semicircular bay window. Pulling back the curtains and looking through the glass, Tokyo Tower was faintly visible in the distance.

"Is this a king's suite?" Erena couldn't help blurting out. "So luxurious?"

However, upon hearing this, Uesugi Sōsetsu merely smiled and directed the moving company employees to start setting up his home.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Erena felt a bit constrained. Seeing everyone busy around the house, she stood in place alone, suddenly unable to find her footing, which felt rather awkward.

Someone noticed this scene.

The soul of the female announcer Nakamori Mariko flashed into view. She marveled at Uesugi Sōsetsu's new home and then complained: [Has this partner of yours never eaten anything good? You call this a king's suite? What would you call that 400-square-meter penthouse old toad Kameyama lives in?]

[Uh, the Shogun's inner chambers?]

[Hahahahahaha! You might as well call it the toad's Yoshiwara!] Nakamori Mariko laughed out loud, then cast a sideways glance at the somewhat restrained Ikeda: [Is this one from the countryside?]

[Seemingly from Fukuoka, North Kyushu.]

[No wonder, a hick is a hick. But you, brat, you really know your stuff!] Nakamori Mariko laughed wildly. [Generally speaking, as long as you bring a country girl who came to Tokyo with dreams in her eyes to tour your new tower apartment, you can score by tonight!]

[Don't tell me you're plotting that too, kid?]

Thank you everyone for supporting Tianshi in 2024! In the new year, wishing you all the best~

The third chapter for New Year's Day; the first chapter will be posted shortly after 12 midnight. Please continue to look after me in the new year!