Chapter 247 - Light That Illuminates the Darkness × 2
But if I entered the venue without any countermeasures like this, my entertainment career could be over.
Gondo aside, it would be difficult to silence all the other attendees.
After all, it’s a party where the scum of society gather. It’s entirely possible they’ll try to blackmail me using the fact that I participated.
So then, would I have to go around threatening everyone in the venue?
...It’s not impossible, but it lacks certainty and is a pain.
If someone uploaded footage filmed on the spot to social media, I’d be done for in an instant.
I was racking my brain, wondering if there was some quick countermeasure... when I felt a tug on my sleeve.
It was Rio.
"What was that call just now? It had a kind of ominous vibe."
Damn, I messed up.
It seems I caused her unnecessary worry by taking the call in front of her.
I gently stroked Rio’s hair and said, "It’s fine."
"It’s Gondo. He brought in some troublesome info, but it’s nothing major."
"Ugh. Is that guy still hassling Nakamoto-san?"
"Well, you know, it’s some mysterious, persistent connection."
"...You’re not being threatened, are you?"
"No, this time Gondo is a collaborator."
"What do you mean?"
"Simply put, he’s an informant now."
"Hmm. Sounds like something out of a crime drama."
Indeed.
Rescuing a helpless girl based on a tip from a yakuza member is just like the plot of a crime drama.
"—Huh?"
Crime drama?
The moment that word flashed through my mind, an idea came to me.
That’s right. There’s one way to turn a shady operation into a legitimate act.
I immediately operated my smartphone and called a woman.
‘...What is it?’
"Hello, officer?"
Sugitani-san’s trusted subordinate—Megumi Hayasaka, twenty-five years old.
Her status is that of a police officer.
"Could you lend me a hand? I need your power."
‘Do you want to turn yourself in? Fine, I’ll come pick you up right away. It’s probably something like having indecent relations with a minor, right?’
"No, it’s not me who’s about to have indecent relations with a minor this time. It’s a yakuza."
‘Huh?’
"I got a tip from a yakuza acquaintance. If things go on like this, a middle school girl will be forced into sexual entertainment this Saturday. Her real father is trying to sell his daughter at a gangster gathering."
‘...Is this information from a reliable source?’
"Without a doubt."
I could sense her breath catching on the other end of the line.
‘Why are you relying on me? You could destroy the gangsters on your own, couldn’t you?’
Well, that’s because.
If I attended the yakuza party alone, it would be an unauthorized gig, but if I infiltrated it with a plainclothes officer, it would be a sting operation.
If I can settle into the position of a meritorious contributor who cooperated with a police undercover investigation, even if footage leaks, I’ll take no damage.
On the contrary, wouldn’t my stock skyrocket?
...Hiding such dirty ulterior motives, I spoke in a tone brimming with a sense of justice.
"If I take down the yakuza, it’s just a personal feud. They have to be judged by the law. That’s why I need your help as a police officer."
‘Why me of all people? You could just go with Investigator Sugitani.’
Are you serious about that?
Sugitani-san is pointlessly well-built, has sharp eyes, and on top of that, has a movie-star face that radiates a positive aura—he doesn’t look like an underworld figure at all.
If I brought someone like him, he’d be mistaken for a plainclothes detective or something, and they’d be on guard instantly.
Can’t a stiff bureaucrat understand even that? I also kept that rude thought hidden.
"It has to be you."
‘...Huh!? W-Why...?’
"We’re going to save a girl who’s about to become a victim of sexual assault. It’s obviously better to have a female officer there."
‘That is certainly... true.’
"If it were a man, she might be too scared to talk. I need your power."
‘...Very well. I’ll also speak with Investigator Sugitani and arrange for this to be handled as an official undercover investigation.’
"I appreciate it. I owe you one."
‘I’ve slightly revised my opinion of you.’
"Huh?"
‘So you’re not just a womanizer after all. Well then, I’ll see you another day.’
The latter part of the conversation got a bit weird, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.
Can I consider this a success?
"Well, well... alright, let’s go for the next one."
And so I made an identical call to another female officer, Misaki Kato-san.
After a similar exchange that ended on a good note, and after pulling the scumbag move of setting up flags with two of Sugitani-san’s subordinates, I ended the call.
"How strange, with Kato-san it even turned into a 'let's go on a date after this undercover investigation' kind of flow. Oh, that's right, doesn't this person have the same name as Rio's mother? Man, what a funny coincidence."
"You're the worst! But that ruthless, devilish side of yours tickles my heart...!"
I patted Rio’s pouting head and refined my plans for Saturday.
All that’s left is to wait for the main event.