Metropolitan Police Department.
Shirogane Takashi, who had just become acting superintendent and was still seeking formal appointment, asked the meeting participants with a grave expression:
"Why am I only receiving this information now?"
The senior officials of the Metropolitan Police Department attending the meeting remained silent, all lowering their heads.
Apart from Ryōko Yakushiji freely trimming her nails with a nail clipper, probably only Dogen Takayanagi, steady as an old dog, remained relatively composed among those seated below.
Seeing that no one below would speak, Shirogane's face darkened further.
Especially when he saw that scoundrel Yakushiji trimming her nails, his anger intensified:
"Director Yakushiji, don't you have anything to say?"
"Does Superintendent Shirogane want to ask me who instructed me to notify Oko Shinomiya and make him confess?"
Ryōko Yakushiji glanced at her nails, nodded, then looked at Shirogane Takashi and calmly said:
"It was the fourth young lady of the Shinomiya family. She asked me for a favour, to deliver a message to her eldest brother."
"I thought the girl was pitiful, so I delivered it for her. Is there a problem?"
Hearing this, Shirogane's face twitched.
The fourth young lady of the Shinomiya family? Kaguya Shinomiya? Since when does that illegitimate child have the right to ask you, the young lady of JACES, to deliver messages? Who are you trying to fool?
And are you admitting that you interfered with Oko Shinomiya's testimony, putting the Cabinet ministers in a passive position and allowing SDS to begin dismantling the Shinomiya conglomerate?
So it was you who got me severely reprimanded by the Cabinet!
If you weren't the young lady of JACES, I'd personally shoot you right now.
Shirogane was so angry he felt his lungs might explode, but he could only restrain himself, glaring at Ryōko Yakushiji through gritted teeth:
"That's not what we're discussing right now. It's about that invitation."
"The True Dragon Legacy?" A mocking smile appeared on Ryōko Yakushiji's face: "Is there any point in us discussing that here?"
Hearing this, Shirogane's face twitched again, then he said with unusual seriousness:
"Japan needs it."
To this, Ryōko Yakushiji calmly replied:
"Then you should explain that to the Five Great Powers, Superintendent. Go find Director Luo of the Hidden Management Department and ask them to withdraw from the competition, rather than discussing it with us here."
After she spoke, many senior Metropolitan Police Department officials nearby couldn't help but lower their heads.
'As expected of Ryōko Yakushiji, she's truly our best spokesperson!' xN
The senior police officials present weren't fools - or rather, those who relied entirely on family connections couldn't even enter this meeting room.
When Shirogane Takashi spoke, they understood his intentions, but what good did that do?
An essential item for advancing to Demigod - such an extraordinary thing was clearly forbidden territory for the Five Great Powers and even SDS.
If there were to be competition, it would be between those behemoths. What did it have to do with us from the Japanese Metropolitan Police Department?
And even if they did obtain this so-called Class, if the two sovereign states spoke up, wouldn't they still have to hand it over?
Why compete for something they could never truly possess?
Just as the senior officials were inwardly complaining, Shirogane Takashi calmed down and said with a composed expression:
"Did I say we must obtain this so-called legacy?"
Hearing this, Ryoko Yakushiji couldn't help but raise her head, looking at the white-haired senior official in surprise.
It was at this moment that the white-haired senior official said quietly:
"What I need is for the Cabinet to believe we are fully competing for the True Dragon Legacy."
"As long as they know we're competing and we fail without any ability to resist, then this matter becomes simple."
Upon hearing this, the senior officials of the Metropolitan Police Department all had twitching faces, yet they had to admit this seemed like a rather good approach.
After all, the competition for the True Dragon Legacy was happening in Japan, likely in Akihabara.
In such circumstances, their position as the local authorities would become extremely awkward.
And the Cabinet ministers would inevitably issue harsh orders demanding that they seize the True Dragon Legacy.
Since those above had given such orders, those below naturally had to devise countermeasures.
Active participation, earnest competition, and ultimately 'accidental' failure.
This was the tone set by the white-haired senior official, and he wasn't afraid that these people before him would leak secrets to the Cabinet, because leaking wouldn't matter anyway.
The current administration was still busy dealing with financial deficits, trying to target some conglomerates.
Even if they wanted to trouble him, they would have to resolve the financial issues first. And if they couldn't solve the financial problems, there would be a new Cabinet.
By then, his perfunctory treatment of the current Cabinet would have nothing to do with the next one - he hadn't been perfunctory with the next Prime Minister.
Hearing the white-haired senior official's thoughts, Ryoko Yakushiji took out her cigarette case, lit one for herself and said:
"So, Director, what are your current thoughts?"
Hearing this, the white-haired senior official glanced at Ryoko Yakushiji, then at Dogen Takayanagi, who had remained silent:
"Director Yakushiji, Police Superintendent Takayanagi, can I entrust the True Dragon Legacy matter to you?"
Hearing this, Ryoko Yakushiji's mouth twitched involuntarily. Was this payback for secretly contacting Oko Shinomiya?
"I understand, Director!"
With clear displeasure, Ryoko Yakushiji accepted the task and immediately stood up to leave.
As for Dogen Takayanagi, that old fox only promised to dispatch elite personnel - he never got personally involved in matters, so there was no need to pay him any mind.
...
While the Metropolitan Police Department was holding its secret meeting.
At the Hidden Management Department headquarters.
In Luo Shu's office.
Luo Shu asked Megumi Kato, who was helping organise documents:
"Has there been any message from Lacus?"
Megumi Kato aligned the documents while thinking:
"Well... it seems the only message was that the Central Intelligence Agency's operation wasn't authorised by the White House..."
Hearing this, Luo Shu's expression became awkward:
"So the White House's position is that this was an independent action by the intelligence agency?"
"Director, don't you believe it?" Megumi Kato looked over curiously.
"Of course I believe it."
Luo Shu sighed, then said:
"After all, this is precisely when Lacus is negotiating with the Five Great Powers, deciding the relationship between SDS and the Union."
"At such a time, even the White House wouldn't be foolish enough to take actions that would provoke us."
"Then what does the Director mean?"
Megumi Kato looked over with curiosity. If he believed the White House's explanation, then why did Luo Shu have that expression?
Seeing Megumi Kato's confusion, Luo Shu immediately sighed:
"Because the gains from the CIA acting independently versus acting under the White House's directives are not on the same level."
"Knowing full well that the CIA's loss of control is already a fact, yet being unable to secure greater concessions from the American Union – if you think about it carefully, it's somewhat of a loss, isn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Megumi's expression turned somewhat subtle: "Earning less means it's a loss? Director's logic is really quite strange."
"That's normal business logic." Luo Shu didn't explain further at this point, because the phone in front of him had already started ringing.
He picked up the phone in front of him, listened for a while, then said with understanding:
"I see, let them come up."
Seeing this, Megumi asked curiously: "Is someone coming to visit?"
"It's the Nura Clan, and of course, the group of marine yokai that Kotoko brought along."
Luo Shu explained briefly, then frowned as he recalled the message Iwanaga Kotoko had sent before returning, feeling puzzled:
"The True Dragon Legacy has even affected the seas? Why make the scope so broad?"
Amid his confusion, Luo Shu stood up and prepared to head to the meeting room.
Regardless of what those Central Investigation Agency spies were plotting, he still had to meet these yokai.
After all, in a way, the yokai were peripheral forces aligning themselves with the Hidden Management Department. As their superior benefiting from the convenience, Luo Shu naturally had an obligation to resolve their issues.
"Still, these hyenas... their movements seem to be growing more brazen."
'Indeed, I'll need to find an opportunity to eliminate the dogs in one fell swoop...'
Luo Shu thought indifferently as he stepped out the door.