CHAPTER 494: CHAPTER 492 CHITOSE WANTS TO STAY CALM BUT THE WIND KEEPS BLOWING_1

This night was destined to be restless, but many of the events were silenced by the cover of darkness.

When the sun rose in the early morning, the silvery sky gradually took on a faint golden hue, as if a painter used the softest brushstrokes to depict a peaceful and warm picture on the horizon.

Those without jobs continued to sleep in a house somewhere in Tokyo, drained physically and mentally from the online criticisms of the previous night, needing the day to recuperate and gather strength.

Those with jobs had already gotten up to prepare for a new day of work.

The vast amount of repetitive and meaningless work perhaps found some value at this moment, numbing the workers to the events taking place around the world.

The Different World, monsters, Kumazo Yasuda’s death, the subtle probing between the three great nations, and revelations from informed sources.

The conspiracy unraveled by the Takamagahara Plan and the first female Prime Minister in history, among others.

They had no energy to pay attention to these things, their minds preoccupied with how to complete the day’s work.

Of course, for Morimoto Chiyoda, who worked at the Metropolitan Police Department, these matters were precisely what she had to face at work.

She got out of bed and stretched, taking off her printed camisole nightgown, and walked briskly to the door, sliding it open.

Cool air brushed against her skin, and a corridor stretched before her like a racetrack.

The sliding door on the other side was closed.

Unless they slept together, Aozawa seldom woke up before she called him, allowing Morimoto Chiyoda to dress without worrying about an ambush from him.

She strode down the corridor to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Considering last night’s leftovers, her breakfast of choice was seafood congee.

It wasn’t easy to come up with different kinds of breakfast every day.

Her breakfast was fairly routine.

While the congee cooked, she also had time to do some yoga, stirring her body awake.

She accomplished poses that seemed incredible to the average person, some of which contained memories that left a lasting impression.

She hadn’t unlocked all the advanced yoga poses for Aozawa yet, only a part of them, using them as rewards.

Such as the Peacock Type, Handstand Type, and Pigeon Flying Style, among others.

After practicing a whole set of challenging poses, Morimoto Chiyoda’s forehead glistened with a slight sweat.

The pressure cooker on the gas stove let out a loud whistling noise.

She judged the time, turned off the stove when it was about ready, then stepped out of the kitchen.

First, she went back to the bedroom and changed into the Police Director’s uniform, as she still had to continue the investigation into the individuals related to Kumazo Yasuda’s death today.

As soon as she started work, there would probably be a pile of documents waiting for her.

She thought for a moment, then took another look at herself in the mirror and raised her hand to lift the black hair at her temples.

Today, it might be better to go with a single ponytail hairstyle.

After tying up her long hair, Morimoto Chiyoda turned and left the bedroom. She knocked on Aozawa’s door and called out, "Hey, lazy pig, time to get up."

"Hey."

A voice as light as clouds floated through the door to her ears.

Morimoto Chiyoda walked briskly back to the kitchen.

「...」

After breakfast, Morimoto Chiyoda left the empty dishes for Aozawa to deal with and sent a voice message, instructing him on what groceries to buy for the day.

She continued to instruct him to clean the villa.

Because it was summer, Morimoto Chiyoda didn’t like walking on the floor in slippers; she preferred to step directly on the floorboards, and this behavior demanded that the floor be kept clean.

She didn’t want to take a step and have her stockings covered in dust.

"Don’t worry, leave it to me."

Hearing his response, Morimoto Chiyoda glanced over with some doubt, saying, "You’re actually being obedient? Don’t you usually argue a bit?"

"Chitose, I’ve thought it through. As the only man in this house, I naturally have to take cleaning seriously."

Aozawa’s face was the picture of determination.

Tasks like household chores could easily be left to the Shadow Soldiers. They were laborers who could work around the clock, so it wouldn’t matter if the villa was cleaned hourly or even every ten minutes.

He had no complaints.

"Oh..." Morimoto Chiyoda was somewhat baffled by his statement and not fully convinced that he could change his mind so easily.

Could it be he was adopting this attitude in hopes of increasing his batting average?

The suspicion flashed through her mind, and she thought it quite possible.

"Well done."

Morimoto Chiyoda’s lips curved into a smile, warm and bright like the spring sun, "Next time, I must properly reward you..."

"Oh!"

Aozawa immediately perked up, tapped her chest, and said earnestly, "Next time, wear that uniform, and put on shiny stockings—black, white, grey—we should try every color."

"That will depend on my mood."

Morimoto Chiyoda turned and walked away.

The morning sun penetrated the thin clouds, shining upon the land, the brightness indicating just how scorching the noon would be.

She went out to the front yard, glanced at the three different colored cool sports cars, and chose to drive the Bugatti Veyron.

As the music played, she started the car and left the villa.

When she arrived at the Metropolitan Police Department, Morimoto Chiyoda, as the Police Director, naturally had a designated parking spot.

She parked the car, got out, closed the door behind her, and walked towards the Metropolitan Police Department with strong, confident steps.

Entering the imposing building of the Metropolitan Police Department, which stood next to the Police Agency, every officer who saw her bowed and greeted her.

Morimoto Chiyoda nodded nonchalantly in response and entered the elevator, heading straight to her office on the top floor.

As the door opened, a large office space awaited her, with the task force already having arrived before her.

"Good morning, Morimoto."

Okayama Buji raised his hand in greeting and said, "Mr. Miyaji told me that all the materials from last night’s night shift investigation have been organized on your desk."

"Did he catch anyone?" Morimoto Chiyoda asked.

Okayama Buji shook his head. "Mr. Miyaji said that there might be a force behind the scenes interfering. The three people who provided Number Nine and those others with a place to stay were all shot dead by the same model of sniper rifle.

"There’s currently no lead on who did it. It seems the Public Security Bureau has found some information. They conducted surprise arrests of over a hundred people nationwide last night."

Morimoto Chiyoda stopped in her tracks, a look of astonishment flickering across her delicate features. "Are that many people involved?"

Okayama Buji said with a bitter smile, "It’s said that people from Public Security Section One found evidence of some legislators’ involvement in the assassination of Kumazo Yasuda, as well as their secret funding of illegal human experiments.

"The inhumane experiments on clone humans and modified humans—they plan to prosecute them."

Morimoto Chiyoda grew increasingly surprised. "The Takamagahara Plan is something that Kumazo Yasuda, the six conglomerates, and the Phoenix Academy family head are steering. Do they really need to cause such a commotion?"

Okayama Buji added, "There’s a rumor that every legislator who didn’t vote for Kochou to succeed as the Prime Minister has been imprisoned without exception, and even their parties have been implicated."

"Heh, our new Prime Minister really has some ruthless tricks up her sleeve, knowing how to exploit the situation," Morimoto Chiyoda complained. No wonder so many people are being arrested. They’re trying to pull off a Japanese-style political frame-up!

It’s like we’re returning to the era before World War II.

Such tyranny inevitably made people wonder what kind of backing she had to act this way. Was the United States involved?

Of course not.

Morimoto Chiyoda knew this better than anyone; their intelligence department had been monitoring Kochou’s communications, and all her calls were being monitored.

Her actions now had no connection with the other side of the Pacific. However, while Morimoto Chiyoda could think like this, others who saw Kochou’s fierce campaign were probably scared into silence.

At least for the time being, they were unable to fight back.

"Indeed," Okayama Buji said, his face a mask of helplessness, unsure whether the sudden rise of such a powerful woman was a good or bad thing for the country.

Different from Kumazo Yasuda, Kochou was obviously a very capable person, and it was this very fact that worried Okayama Buji.

History had taught him.

An incompetent person becoming Prime Minister might not achieve much.

But a capable person in that position could either steer the country in a good direction...

...or they could slam the accelerator on a downhill path.

"This is really a headache. I hope it doesn’t affect me," Morimoto Chiyoda muttered, thinking it unlikely, but she refrained from further idle chat and went into the smaller office inside.

She sat down and began looking through the materials on her desk, reading each file.

If Public Security Section One had people to catch, the Metropolitan Police Department had its own targets as well.

She was looking through the materials arranged by Miyaji Yosuke when she found a case where the leader of the Shiwatari Group had disappeared from his residence without a trace, leaving only barren land behind.

Was this the work of a monster? Or was it related to Dio’s ability, or perhaps another Angel Envoy?

Since it happened when not many people were around, there were no eyewitnesses. It was only after ten at night that a passerby discovered the house that once stood there had vanished.

The passerby posted about it online, which got the attention of the task force.

Morimoto Chiyoda tapped her fingers on the desk. The file she had just read indicated that Shiwatari was on the Metropolitan Police Department’s suspect list for providing firearms to Number Nine.

Was his disappearance a coincidence?

She frowned, recalling that a related case had happened in Osaka, and began searching for more information.

The two cases were identical.

Morimoto Chiyoda decided to call the local police station in Osaka to get the background on the person who had disappeared.

After a moment’s thought, she decided against having the local police investigate and instead planned to have Okayama Buji look into it, to avoid any potential cover-ups.

Just as Morimoto Chiyoda stood up, a call came through to her landline. "Hello?"

"Director Morimoto, this is Ueoka, the Prime Minister’s Aide. The Prime Minister would like to see you. Please come to the official residence immediately."

"Okay."

Morimoto Chiyoda replied with a single word and hung up, sighing inwardly.

Although she had become the Police Director, she had no interest in these power struggles.

Especially choosing sides in the political arena—it was such a hassle.

Kochou wanting to see her at this time could mean one of two things: either she was trying to win her over, or she was looking for an excuse to replace her and install a confidant as the Police Director.

"No choice," Morimoto Chiyoda grumbled to herself, deciding to make the trip to the official residence to meet the Prime Minister.