Chapter 3: Thanks to the Police Chief’s Guidance, Xiu Xin’s Ambition

The police arrived swiftly. Within less than ten minutes, they reached the scene. As the door to the basement was pushed open, a squad of armed police streamed in, led by Shinjuku Police Station Chief Asai Youki. "Chief!" Aoyama Xiu Xin bowed deeply. Searᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Asai Youki paid him no attention, instead striding forward to place his hands on Asai Ayumi's shoulders, his face filled with tension and concern as he asked, "Ayumi, are you alright?" "Daddy, sob sob sob..." Ayumi Asai, on the verge of collapse from the day's intense trauma, clung tightly to her father and burst into heavy sobs. "It's okay now, everything's okay," Asai Youki, relieved to see his daughter unharmed, soothed her by gently patting her back, and only then did his gaze fall on Aoyama Xiu Xin. Aoyama Xiu Xin quickly bent even lower. "Detective Aoyama, I know you," Asai Youki began, before inquiring about the matter at hand, "Tell me exactly what happened." "Yes sir!" Aoyama Xiu Xin replied, then raised his head to speak solemnly: "Today, under the direct leadership of Chief Asai, we found the Sakura Formation's salt production hideout and infiltrated it to search and gather evidence. Unexpectedly, during our retreat, we were discovered by the cunning Chongtian Koji." "Outnumbered and outmatched, Chief Asai and I were kidnapped by them and taken here to be silenced. Later, by pretending to defect, we managed to let Chongtian Koji lower his guard, then seized the opportunity to snatch his gun. Ultimately, we cooperated to kill Chongtian Koji and his henchmen." With Aoyama Xiu Xin's calm narration, the other policemen in the basement looked at him and Asai Ayumi with spontaneously arising awe and admiration. This was a case of bare-handedly turning the tables in a greatly disadvantaged and outnumbered situation—how formidable! Yet, Asai Ayumi's cheeks were burning with embarrassment because she hadn't actually contributed, but the admiring gazes of her colleagues gave her a strong sense of satisfaction. Wasn't this exactly what she had always wanted? Hidden in her father's embrace, she looked at Aoyama Xiu Xin with complex emotions and bit her red lips without speaking. "That's the spirit! Very good," Asai Youki nodded with satisfaction, smiling as he said, "Mr. Aoyama, I will commend you for your actions. Those guys at the Police Headquarters were completely out of line to demote and reassign someone of your talent." Knowing his daughter better than anyone else, he was well aware of her capabilities, so he understood that Aoyama Xiu Xin was sharing credit with Asai Ayumi, and naturally, he was ready to return the favor. "Detective Aoyama dares not take all the credit; it is all thanks to the Chief's usual proper leadership," Aoyama Xiu Xin bowed and said. He reflected for a moment before he realized what Asai Youki meant by his demotion; the original bearer of his title had been a graduate of Tokyo University, passed the national civil service exam type I, and became an Assistant Inspector right at the beginning of his career, holding the position of Deputy Director of the second division in charge of robbery investigation at the Criminal Department of Police Headquarters. But at the beginning of the year, a superior pinned the blame for a failed arrest on him. He was made the scapegoat, demoted two ranks from Assistant Inspector to Patrol Captain and transferred to Shinjuku Police Station as an ordinary criminal detective. There are a total of ten ranks within the Japan Police. From highest to lowest, they are: Police Director General, Police Commissioner, Police Chief, Senior Police Director, Police Director, Police Inspector, Assistant Inspector, Patrol Chief, Patrol Captain, Patrol Officer. If one didn't graduate from a prestigious school and pass the national civil service exam type I, an ordinary police officer would need at least around twenty years of service to be promoted to Assistant Inspector. Being demoted two ranks seemed like a light punishment, but it essentially ruined the original bearer's future prospects. After all, in Japan, a late start could mean lagging forever. Asai Youki patted Aoyama Xiu Xin's shoulder admiringly and gestured with a wave of his hand, "Get to work." "Yes!" all the police officers responded in unison. After taking evidence at the scene and returning to the police station to complete their reports, Aoyama Xiu Xin was sent home. And of course, face-time with the media would be Asai Ayumi's duty. It was not Aoyama's responsibility, as she was the leader and had the advantage of youth and a powerful father to rely on. Leaving the police station, Aoyama Xiu Xin caught sight of Asai Ayumi at the entrance steps, surrounded by reporters like a star amidst the crowd, her expression radiant. Aoyama Xiu Xin chuckled lightly to himself, knowing he no longer needed to worry about Asai Ayumi reporting him. He then draped his bloodstained black suit over his shoulder, bowed his head to light a cigarette and waved down a taxi, heading for home. ............ Aoyama Xiu Xin's home was located in Matsutao 1-chome of Shibuya District, a detached and private villa. It was a villa, not just a standalone house. The Aoyama family belonged to the Imperial Family, which was the noble class in Japan before World War II, with ancestors who were Earls. Although like most noble families, the Aoyama family's wealth had declined, a thin camel is still bigger than a horse, and this small villa in Shibuya District was part of the Aoyama family's heritage. Aoyama Xiu Xin's parents had passed away a few years prior, the current family head was his elder brother, Aoyama Sosuke, a County Councilor in Saitama Prefecture. The family lived together but, from memory, the relationship between the two brothers wasn't good. Because Aoyama Sosuke was solely focused on restoring his ancestors' glory, while Aoyama Xiu Xin belonged to the "laid-back" faction, Aoyama Sosuke looked down on him everywhere, and over time, the brothers' conflict intensified. And Aoyama Xiu Xin's demotion was seen by Aoyama Sosuke as a disgrace to the family, to the extent that he even hit Aoyama Xiu Xin, further souring their relationship. However, the original protagonist had a very good relationship with his sister-in-law. A petite yet curvy, agreeable, and gentle-looking young woman appeared in Aoyama Xiu Xin's mind, and he thought to himself, who wouldn't get along with such a sister-in-law? "Sir, you've arrived," the taxi driver's reminder snapped Aoyama Xiu Xin out of his daydreams. He came back to reality and said, "Thank you." "Hey! No problem at all, have a safe walk." The rear door of the taxi opened automatically, and Aoyama Xiu Xin stepped out, steadied himself, straightened out his white shirt, pushed open the courtyard gate to enter, and then took out his keys to unlock the door. "I'm back." "Is that Xiu Xin who's back?" Along with a gentle response, a charming young woman in her mid-twenties stepped out with tiny steps from the Japanese-style room. The woman's black hair was coiled up, exposing her beautiful swan neck and a fair and lovely small face with a mole on the left side of her mouth. Her cherry lips were moist and delicate. She was dressed in a light yellow kimono with cherry blossom prints. Despite not being tall, her figure was proportionally seductive, with a full and rounded chest under the kimono moving gently with every step. Aoyama Haruko, the original protagonist's elder sister-in-law, originally named Azuma Haruko, had taken her husband's surname Aoyama after marrying Aoyama Suzumasa. "Ah! Blood! Xiu Xin, are you hurt? How could there be so much blood!" Aoyama Haruko only noticed the blood on Aoyama Xiu Xin's shirt as she approached and, pale with shock, exclaimed and quickly stepped forward to ask. Seeing her about to touch him, Aoyama Xiu Xin hurriedly stepped back and explained, "Hold on, sister-in-law, this is from apprehending a criminal, it's not my blood." "Is that so? Then that's a relief," Aoyama Haruko let out a sigh, patted her chest lightly, creating a wave of motion, and squatted down to get Aoyama Xiu Xin slippers, "You should go take a bath and change your clothes first." "Hey! Thanks, sister-in-law." As Aoyama Xiu Xin lowered his head, he caught a glimpse of an enchanting view down her neckline. He quickly averted his eyes; after all, she was not his wife but his sister-in-law, and he had to maintain respect. More than ten minutes later, Aoyama Xiu Xin had taken a bath and changed into a loose black kimono with a floral pattern. He turned in front of the mirror. With well-proportioned features, and at 1.8 meters tall—a rarity among Japanese—his physique wasn't bulky, and there were traces of bruises from being beaten, yet he could feel that his body was now incredibly strong. At least stronger than his former self. Aoyama Xiu Xin didn't know why this was the case. Nor did he want to know, much like there's no need to ask where the chicken comes from when eating it—just lie back and enjoy the service provided, why bother tracing the origins? When Aoyama Xiu Xin came downstairs, he saw Aoyama Haruko kneeling on the tatami mat to make tea, her shapely curves resting lightly on her folded and bent legs, her movements captivating with every gesture. "Sister-in-law's tea ceremony skills have improved again," Aoyama Xiu Xin walked over and knelt down opposite her, placing his hands on each leg for support as he bowed slightly to her. "You always know how to flatter me," Aoyama Haruko pursed her lips and smiled, then playfully scolded, "Xiu Xin, you're so eloquent; why can't you be calm and collected when talking to your brother? After all, you are brothers in the end." She always wanted to mend the relationship between the two brothers. "Maybe I'm just jealous that he married such a beautiful woman as you, sister-in-law," Xiu Xin joked with a laugh. Aoyama Haruko's cheeks turned slightly red, she gave him an embarrassed glance and pushed a cup of hot tea in front of him, saying, "I'll go cook. Today our Xiu Xin has worked hard—you deserve a good reward." With that, she got up and walked towards the kitchen. Aoyama Xiu Xin picked up the cup of tea, his thoughts wandering. That afternoon in the basement, he had indeed considered killing Asai Ayumi to silence her, but thinking about the trouble her father would surely investigate if she died, he dismissed the idea. Keeping Asai Ayumi alive, and through the killing of Mitsuo being able to tie himself to this superior who is also the son of an official, would be more beneficial for his future prospects. In his previous life, although he had made quite a bit of money, living always on the edge and in constant anxiety was far from peaceful. So this time around, he was determined to live differently. No more hiding in the shadows. He aimed to climb to the very top step by step, to seize power openly and nobly, to make everyone see him! He wanted to be an official, a high-ranking one! Aoyama Xiu Xin raised the teacup with a resolved look in his eyes and drank it all in one gulp, then his face contorted—damn, that's hot!