Chapter 164: Visit

At the border between Tama City and Fuchu City in Tokyo, there lies a forest untouched by urban development, filled with tall, dense trees.

Near this forest, a golf course and several tennis courts are under construction. The plans for a large leisure and entertainment center in the area have stirred mixed reactions among local residents. While small to medium-sized business owners in the service industry look forward to increased traffic boosting nearby shops, many residents worry that the development will damage the surrounding natural environment.

About a five-minute walk from the golf course towards the road stands a grand European-style garden mansion, the luxurious residence of Tokyo Governor Ikeyama Toshi.

Tonight, the mansion is hosting a lavish banquet to celebrate Ikeyama’s official candidacy for the upcoming House of Councillors election.

Although Ikeyama is one of the shareholders of an overseas oil development company, it doesn’t mean he’s willing to spend his own money on campaign promotion. Business guests familiar with dealing with politicians didn’t view tonight’s event as an ordinary celebration. After all, it was only a candidacy announcement—was such grandeur necessary? If one were to accidentally open the gifts brought by these guests, they would find checks tucked inside, ready to be cashed.

For this Tokyo governor, who had recently collected a significant sum during his birthday banquet and was now holding another event less than half a month later, many business executives at the event were quietly resentful of his insatiable greed. However, there was little they could do.

Despite his reprehensible character, one thing was undeniable: among all the candidates, Ikeyama had the best chance of winning the election.

To the general public, Ikeyama Toshi appeared to be a strong and patriotic official. He was not only anti-China but also strongly opposed to the U.S. American soldiers committing crimes in Japan, such as assaulting local women, were a frequent topic in the news. During such times, Ikeyama would deliver stern condemnations, earning the admiration of some Japanese citizens who saw him as a hero unafraid to speak out.

He had even authored a book titled Japan Can Say “No”, filled with coarse language, yet it became a bestseller in Japan and even inspired similar books in other countries.

This tough, nationalistic stance resonated with people, as citizens often found reassurance in leaders who appeared firm in their patriotism. Ikeyama, understanding human psychology deeply, used this to his advantage, which made him the most popular candidate among the public.

However, only those who had dealt with him personally knew that beneath the suit, he was a wolf in disguise. Like a leech that wouldn’t let go, he relentlessly drained others for his benefit.

By around 9 PM, most of the invited guests had arrived.

The hall was filled not only with politicians of various ranks but also prominent figures from the business world. A glance around revealed elegantly dressed ladies and gentlemen in formal attire. In the center of the hall, a large open space was reserved for dancing couples.

“Eiko, shall we dance?” Watanabe Muramasa, impeccably dressed in a suit, asked Ayano Eiko, who stood beside him in a sleek black evening gown.

Unfortunately, the police inspector didn’t hear his polite invitation. Her gaze was fixed on Ikeyama Toshi, who was conversing with several other guests.

“Eiko,” Watanabe called her again, lightly tapping her shoulder.

“What?” Eiko finally snapped out of her thoughts.

“Do you know Ikeyama?”

“No.” She quickly deflected, not wanting him to suspect anything. “What did you just say?”

“I asked if you’d like to dance.”

“Sorry, I’m not very good at dancing.”

“That’s fine. We can take it slow.”

“Alright, then,” Eiko agreed reluctantly. It was still early in the evening, and she didn’t want to draw attention by refusing further.

Watanabe led her to the dance floor, thrilled at the opportunity to dance with her.

He could hardly believe this moment was real.

In fact, he hadn’t initially planned on attending this banquet. But when she expressed her interest in attending Ikeyama’s event for the first time, he couldn’t refuse.

Although he found it a bit strange, the excitement coursing through Watanabe Muramasa prevented him from overthinking. He had eagerly asked his uncle for tonight’s invitation to attend in his place.

When he first saw Ayano Eiko dressed up elegantly, he couldn’t help but feel amazed by her beauty.

As the melodious music filled the hall, Watanabe Muramasa held her close, slowly swaying in the center of the dance floor. Feeling the supple curve of her slender waist under his hand, he found himself increasingly captivated by this woman.

When the song ended, Watanabe Muramasa wanted to ask her for another dance, but Ayano Eiko politely excused herself, saying she needed to touch up her makeup. She then made her way to the restroom.

Once she left the hall, Ayano Eiko discreetly entered an unoccupied room nearby.

After closing the door behind her, she immediately lifted the red carpet on the floor and carefully examined the flooring beneath.

Seeing nothing unusual, she moved on to push aside the sofa nearby and inspected the floor underneath it.

After thoroughly checking the room’s flooring, she turned her attention to the walls.

A while later, she exited the room quietly and used the same method to sneak into other rooms in the hallway, inspecting each one meticulously.

Aside from the kitchen, she quickly went through all the rooms but found no signs of any secret doors.

Her gaze then shifted to the garden outside.

Without hesitation, she climbed out through a hallway window in a decidedly unladylike manner.

Pretending to stroll, she wandered through the garden, carefully observing the ground and glancing around to ensure no one was watching her.

After inspecting the entire garden, she found nothing suspicious.

Could that person have lied to me? Doubts weighed heavily on her mind.

Returning to the hall through the main entrance, Ayano Eiko walked back to Watanabe Muramasa’s side, only to find him chatting with a stylishly dressed woman.

“Ah, Eiko, you’re back! Let me introduce you. This is my senior from university. I didn’t expect to meet her here,” Watanabe Muramasa quickly explained, concerned she might misunderstand.

“Oh, your girlfriend? She’s gorgeous. Hello, I’m Meishitsu Rie,” the woman said with a smile.

“Hello, I’m Ayano Eiko, a colleague of Mr. Watanabe,” Eiko replied casually, making her position clear.

Seeing the awkward look on Watanabe Muramasa’s face, Meishitsu Rie laughed. “I won’t disturb you two. My boyfriend is over there. Watanabe-kun, you’d better work hard!” With that, she walked off with a sly grin.

“Eiko, Meishitsu-senpai loves to joke, haha,” Watanabe Muramasa said with an awkward chuckle.

“Mr. Watanabe, thank you so much for your help,” Eiko said.

“Why the sudden formality? I haven’t really done anything to help,” he replied, puzzled by her words.

For someone like Ayano Eiko, who rarely sought assistance from others, she genuinely felt indebted to him.

Glancing around, she didn’t see Ikeyama Toshi anywhere. “Mr. Watanabe, did you see where Governor Ikeyama went?” she asked.

“Uh, let me think… I believe I saw him heading upstairs earlier. Do you need to talk to him?”

“Not really, just asking out of curiosity since he’s hosting the party.”

Hearing this, Watanabe Muramasa didn’t think much of it and continued chatting with her.

After a while, Ayano Eiko said, “I need to make a call. Please excuse me.”

As she left again, Watanabe Muramasa felt a bit disappointed.

Since there were guest lounges on the second floor, her going upstairs didn’t raise any suspicions.

After glancing into a few open lounges and not finding Ikeyama Toshi, she asked a second-floor attendant and learned that he had gone to the third-floor study with another man.

Seizing a moment when no one was watching, she quietly ascended to the third floor.

Compared to the hall and the second floor, the third floor was much quieter. She approached the only room with a light on and pressed her ear to the door, trying to catch any sounds inside.

After a while, she indeed heard voices, but the door muffled them too much to make out the conversation.

She immediately pulled up her long skirt to her thighs, revealing on her snow-white left thigh a German-made P5 pistol she had bought from the black market just a few days ago. On her right thigh was something that looked like a stethoscope.

She pressed the flat end of the stethoscope-like device against the door and the other end to her ear.

Slowly, she could finally hear the conversation inside. She couldn’t help but feel grateful for buying this device when she purchased the gun.

“I’ve told you, these are critical times. Why are you inviting so many people here?” It was the voice of a middle-aged man.

“Relax, it’s just a simple cocktail party. No one will notice anything,” Ikeyama Toshi said nonchalantly.

“We can’t afford any risks. This was specifically instructed by that lord. The last incident already put us on the defensive; I don’t want any more unfavorable situations.”

“Sigh, I actually don’t want to do this either. It’s just that the other candidates pose a significant threat to me, so I had no choice but to hold this party to raise more campaign funds. You know, I’m determined to win this election.”

“Are you trying to force us to support you?” The man sneered.

“Please don’t misunderstand; I have no such intention. I’ve taken such great risks for you; I just think you should reflect my wishes to the lord.”

“Alright, I’ll convey your message. But I need your assurance that no one else comes here until those items are moved.”

“No problem. Please convey my regards to the lord.”

“You’re considerate.”

Feeling that the man was about to leave, Ayano Eiko quickly packed up her device and hurried upstairs.

After returning to the hall without incident, the female police chief took a deep breath to compose herself.

She wondered if what the man mentioned was what she thought. But this was the residence of the Governor of Tokyo. If she acted on his words and found nothing, it would be troublesome.

After some thought, she made a decision.

“Eiko, have you finished your call?” Seeing her return, Watanabe Muramasa smiled.

“Mr. Watanabe, what time is it?” She asked, rubbing her forehead deliberately.

“It’s past ten. Are you feeling unwell?”

“Yes, I’ve had a headache since earlier.”

“Do you want me to take you to the hospital?”

“No need, I’ll just go home and rest.”

“Then let me drive you back.”

“No need, I’ll take a taxi back.”

After some insistence, Watanabe Muramasa reluctantly called a taxi for her at the door.

“If anything happens, please call me; I’ll rush over immediately.”

“Thank you.”

Watching the taxi drive away, Watanabe Muramasa felt somewhat disappointed. Sometimes, he really couldn’t guess what she was thinking.

“Driver, please turn back; I forgot something.” After about fifteen minutes, Ayano Eiko told the driver.

Upon returning to the mansion, the female police chief got out near the entrance and called Watanabe Muramasa to confirm he had left.

She then pretended to be a guest and returned to the hall where the party was held.

While walking down the corridor, she hid in an empty room when no one was looking.

Her plan now was to wait until everyone left and then search the house thoroughly. If she found evidence, she could immediately call the police and make arrests.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to act as the man suggested, but she felt that approach was too reckless. Moreover, until now, she still harbored doubts about the mysterious informant who provided her with information. After all, someone she had never seen, yet knew all her secrets, could be an enemy pretending to be close to her, which would be extremely dangerous. *

* This stupid bitch