Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner-Chapter 845 - 508: Hijacking Tokyo Tower

The manhunt had lasted for 17 hours, with the perimeter tightening gradually. Some of the guards had already spotted Fushimi Roku, but they hadn’t acted hastily, choosing instead to notify the main force to approach little by little. The scales of victory were slowly tipping in favor of the Police Department.

Yet, at this critical juncture, the Prime Minister’s Office called Kujo Yua.

The Prime Minister’s call was one that Kujo Yua could not ignore. She immediately reported the situation on the ground: the perimeter had shrunk to within two kilometers, located in residential buildings. The situation was somewhat complex, but before the 24-hour lockdown ended, the criminal would inevitably be captured or killed!

"Director Kujo, the entire Cabinet sees your efforts and those of the Police Department. The 17-hour lockdown has significantly affected the daily lives of the public, with businesses closed and traffic disrupted. Voices of disquiet have begun to surface in public opinion..."

He paused momentarily, his tone deepening: "Of course, maintaining public order is the primary responsibility, but now that the perimeter has shrunk to two kilometers, the suspect is virtually unable to escape. Continuing the citywide lockdown might lead some to question whether we are overreacting or responding appropriately."

"Do you know how much revenue businesses have lost in these seventeen hours, how much tax the state has missed out on? From a public interest standpoint, the Cabinet requests that the Police Department immediately lift the lockdown order and switch to undercover surveillance."

Finally, his tone suddenly turned stern: "Compared to the operation of the state, capturing one criminal is trivial. This is an order and a baseline."

Kujo Yua attempted one last argument: "He’s not just any criminal, he is..."

"Isn’t he just one person?" The Prime Minister remarked indifferently. "Strengthen patrol security, and we will catch him sooner or later."

Kujo Yua had to emphasize: "This criminal has extremely good counter-surveillance skills. Without a lockdown, there’s absolutely no way to catch him..."

"What do you mean there’s no way to catch him?" the Prime Minister interrupted. "Do you know what you’re saying? You hold the command of the rapid deployment forces, and have the special vehicle unit deployed as well—if lifting the lockdown means you can’t capture a single criminal, then what good are you?"

Kujo Yua was at a loss for words.

After all, she had sat in the position of Police Chief; she knew that being in charge requires accounting for everything.

The state has its accounts, taxation has its accounts, subordinates have their accounts, there are accounts for what can be used, and accounts for what cannot be used... Being an official is nothing more than balancing money and power, neither can be lacking.

To the Prime Minister, locking down the entire city to catch one person was too high a price to pay.

Ultimately, using a cannon to swat a fly is simply not worth it.

Kujo Yua dared not guarantee that lifting the lockdown would lead to Fushimi Roku’s capture, but neither could she spell it out, as that would call her competence into question.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, forced to resort to clichés: "We are not trying to escalate the situation but must ensure nothing goes wrong—this is a responsibility to public safety and a maintenance of the Cabinet’s decision-making credibility. I earnestly request another 12 hours. I guarantee on my position as Police Chief that we will conclude this case at the least cost."

In Kujo Yua’s eyes, Fushimi Roku was not a fly but an evil dragon that must be utterly destroyed by rallying people’s resolve and pooling abundant resources.

Unfortunately, the Prime Minister did not see it that way.

He rejected Kujo Yua’s proposal and issued an announcement to lift the lockdown.

Within half a day, patrol police withdrew from the streets, traffic police put away the barricades, and trains, streetcars, highways, and airplanes resumed operations.

By evening, the command group had gathered their encirclement, returning without success, ultimately failing to capture the fugitive.

Fushimi Roku had not taken her captive, and as he left, he said something like, ’I will find a suitable adjudicator for you’... To Kujo Yua, it felt like a bone in her throat—it’s not the thief you fear, but the thought of the thief; there’s no way to guard against thieves every day.

She requested a citywide search but was unsurprisingly denied once again by the Prime Minister.

Because the election was drawing near.

In 1994, Japan’s House of Representatives electoral system reform primarily involved changing the ’medium electoral districts’ system in place for nearly half a century to a ’single-member districts + proportional representation’ hybrid system, along with political funding reforms.

It boiled down to how rampant money and power dealings had become in recent years, with legislators exchanging public works funding for local support, essentially using money to buy votes.

Candidates relied on personal support groups to raise funds, while businesses and organizations used donations to garner policy favors.

The 1988 Recruit scandal and the 1991 Sagawa Express scandal exposed the sordid union between politics and business.

In the early 1990s, legislators needed to raise over 200 million yen annually in political funding, with 70% coming from corporations and organizations.

Even a minute of lockdown meant immeasurable losses for city businesses. Much like in Gotham City, even when supervillains battled Batman to the edge of destruction, they couldn’t blockade the city in the name of Mr. Verus making money.

Kujo Yua had to temporarily give up; she increased the armed security detail, insisted on lockdowns during her routine outings, and required at least six bodyguards to accompany her, in case of another terrorist attack.

The TV stations and newspapers launched an overwhelming electoral offensive, each candidate striving to promote their policies and ideals, hoping to capture voters’ attention.

"Restore order, revitalize the economy! Support the Cabinet’s rational decisions!"

"Balance price stability with regional development! Implement politics that protect the citizen’s livelihood!"

"Achieve a symbiotic society! Strengthen support for child-rearing and the elderly!"

That night, the streets were ablaze with lights; campaign vehicles paraded through, blaring candidates’ slogans through loudspeakers.

Lawmakers, donned in white sashes, stood on wooden crates on the street, passionately expounding their ideas. Staff nearby continuously handed out flyers, using various incentives and small gifts to draw passersby to stop and listen.