A personal recommendation letter from the Police Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Department!
The adults present knew exactly what this meant in the Japanese police world.
It wasn't just an admission ticket; it was a golden highway paved with gold bricks.
Sakurai Masami stared at the thin slip of paper, his hands trembling.
He had only wanted to show off like Phoenix Wright from the game, never imagining he would actually gain the approval of such a high-ranking official.
"I—I accept!" The boy bowed deeply, his voice ringing out like a bell. "I'll work hard! For justice!"
Normally, such an over-the-top, chuunibyou display would have drawn laughter, but in that moment, not a single person in the reception room could smile.
Takuya Nakayama stood to the side, watching the flushed-faced boy, and couldn't help but think: Good grief, we made games to make money, and now we've accidentally turned into a talent pipeline for the Metropolitan Police Department.
Should we rename Ace Attorney to "Police Academy Recruitment Guide" from now on?
"Executive Director Nakayama, Director Yoshikawa," Iwata said after dealing with the boy, turning to the two from Sega with genuine sincerity. "We're deeply indebted to Sega for your assistance this time. Without the channel you established, this crucial clue might have remained buried by that riverbank forever."
"Not at all. Cooperating with the police is a corporate citizen's duty," Director Yoshikawa said, bowing quickly with a broad smile.
This was a huge favor from the Metropolitan Police Department. It would give Sega considerable leverage in future dealings.
"This collaborative model is invaluable," Iwata said, glancing at the clock on the wall. Clearly, a major operation was imminent. "I hope we can continue this partnership. The Task Force's doors will always be open to Sega for any valuable leads."
"Of course," Takuya Nakayama replied with a smile. "We don't want players to only be able to uphold justice in games."
After seeing off the Sega representatives and Sakurai Masami, Tetsuo Toyama stood by the window, watching the black car gradually drive away below, clutching the lab report in his hand.
"The search warrant will be approved in ten minutes," Chief Inspector Iwata said, stepping up behind him, his voice as cold and hard as iron. "I'll contact Nagano Prefecture immediately. You'll arrange for your team to meet them there for joint surveillance and investigation."
"Understood," Tetsuo Toyama said, taking a deep breath, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.
Tetsuo Toyama didn't let Sakurai Masami take the train home by himself.
Joking aside, this kid is now the Metropolitan Police Department's golden goose. If anything goes wrong on the way, or if the suspect gets wind of anything, it'll be a disaster.
Two black Toyota Previa minivans, bearing local license plates, slipped silently out of the Metropolitan Police Department's gates.
The windows were tinted with dark, explosion-proof film, making it impossible to see the fully armed First Investigative Division elites inside.
Sakurai Masami sat in the middle of the back seat, sandwiched between two burly men.
In any other situation, he'd probably have wet himself by now.
But now, the kid sat ramrod straight, his hands resting neatly on his knees. Yet his eyes darted restlessly, glancing at the defined muscles in the left man's arm and then at the half-exposed radio antenna peeking out from under the front passenger seat.
"Kid, stop looking around," the plainclothes detective on the left, Takagi, said without opening his eyes, chewing gum. "Whatever you see, keep it to yourself."
Sakurai nodded vigorously, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Understood! Confidentiality agreement, I know—it's part of the game too!"
Takagi opened his eyes and glanced at him with amusement.
The world has truly changed. In the past, they relied on informants and door-to-door inquiries to solve cases. Now, they're getting clues from a bunch of middle schoolers who play video games.
Just now, Team Leader Tetsuo Toyama even muttered privately about buying the new recruits some copies of Ace Attorney to give them some experience.
The convoy sped along the Nagano Expressway, maintaining high speed.
Three hours later, the cars exited at the Matsumoto Interchange and slowly entered the city.
"Give directions," the team leader in the passenger seat ordered in a low voice.
Sakurai immediately snapped into action: "Left at the next intersection, past two traffic lights. After you see the Daikokuya izakaya, turn right into the alley. The target is at the end of that old residential area—house number 3-12, Matsumoto Town."
"Good memory."
"That's right. To memorize this route, I walked it several times."
Instead of driving directly in, the cars stopped in the shadows of the neighboring block.
Several plainclothes officers quickly got out, moving as quietly as cats.
Sakurai was about to follow when Takagi's large hand pressed him back into his seat.
"Your part is done," Takagi said, handing him a bottle of water. "The rest is for the adults."
Sakurai was reluctant to leave and pressed his face against the window crack to peer outside.
The drab two-story house stood quietly by the river, its overgrown yard indeed displaying the eerie, withered colors he had described.
Several men in electric company uniforms—Sakurai recognized them as the detectives from the car, now in disguise—were carrying a ladder and toolboxes, grumbling as they approached the utility pole.
"Damn it, why did this damn line break again?!" one of them complained loudly. While pretending to inspect the wiring, he expertly installed a miniature camera at the top of the pole, its lens aimed directly at the second-floor window of the house.
Meanwhile, another team had set up a telephoto lens and directional microphone on the high ground across the river.
A faint static crackled in their earphones, followed by clear reports: "Team 1 in position, surveillance feed normal."
"Team 2 in position, no activity at the back door."
"Alright, once the setup is complete, withdraw. We'll monitor for a while."
Sakurai Masami was then sent home.
Elsewhere, Takuya Nakayama emerged from the oppressive gray building of the Metropolitan Police Department. He let out a long sigh of relief and casually unbuttoned the top button of his suit.
Beside him, Director Yoshikawa was beaming, practically striding with a spring in his step. "Managing Director, that was a brilliant move! I know Chief Inspector Iwata—he's usually as stubborn as a mule. To think he'd actually offer us his business card today! This will give us a much stronger hand when dealing with matters in Chiyoda Ward."
"Just a coincidence," Takuya Nakayama said casually as he opened the car door.
He wasn't taking the matter very seriously.
In his view, the high school student named Sakurai, while clever, had only uncovered a case of illegal dumping or chemical trafficking. At best, they'd catch a few unscrupulous merchants and add a "based on a true story" gimmick to the Ace Attorney 4 marketing.
As for that methylphosphonic acid stuff, he wasn't a chemist and had already forgotten about it.
More pressing than catching criminals were getting Donald in Silicon Valley to squeeze a few more points out of Sequoia Capital, or ensuring the next quarterly report would silence those old men on the board.
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