5:00 PM, Hokkaido Police Headquarters.

Office of the Equipment Section, General Affairs Department.

It was the end of the workday, and apart from those who stayed on duty, everyone else was busy packing up to leave.

"I'm heading out now, see everyone tomorrow."

"Hey, take care, see you tomorrow."

Hashimoto Manami was also packing her things.

"Manami."

Hearing her name called, she turned around and saw Hashimoto Youko walking in, dressed in a black suit skirt, her face wearing a gentle and confident smile.

"Secretary Hashimoto."

Everyone stood up and bowed in greeting.

"I hope I'm not disturbing anyone," Youko responded with an unassuming bow, then walked over to Manami's desk and said with a grin, "Are you all packed up? Need some help? I'm already starving and can't wait to have a big meal."

The two had arranged to have dinner together that evening.

"No need, Senior Hashimoto," Manami shook her head repeatedly, grabbing her bag, "Let's go."

"I've told you, there's no need to call me senior, just call me Yangzi," Youko replied with a helpless yet doting smile, taking Manami's hand, "Let's head out."

"Hi!" Manami obediently replied.

The others watched the two leave, exchanging glances with schadenfreude smirks, sitting back to see if Youko would realize why they ostracized Manami.

Everyone had once been deceived by Manami's harmless appearance, but after spending more time with her, they realized how unpleasant she was.

Of course, Youko was completely unaware of this as they arrived at an izakaya and requested a private room.

"Senior, after you," Manami said, opening the Changzi Gate and bowing in an inviting gesture.

Youko felt a mix of helplessness and pity towards such polite respect, thinking that Manami must have been bullied and excluded so much in the past, which made her extra cautious not to lose someone kind to her.

This only fueled her urge to protect and care for Manami, and she also enjoyed the adoration and respect she received, especially since she had no friends in Hokkaido, and most normal people need human interactions—Manami filled that void.

"Alright, because if I don't go in first, you definitely won't go in," Youko said with a knowing look, shrugging helplessly.

Manami pursed her lips into a smile, her round face appearing innocently deceptive, "Hi!"

Youko, holding the door frame with her left hand and propping herself with her left foot, curled her right foot back, her toned calves accentuated by black nylons. She gently pulled at the heel of her high-heeled shoes with her right hand, releasing her slender jade feet from the confines of the heels. Her small feet were a perfect handful yet plumply rounded, the rose-red nail polish subtly visible through the thin stockings.

After removing one shoe, she placed it at the doorway and repeated the process with the other shoe, stepping barefoot into the private room, "Manami, quickly come in too."

After she sat down first, bending her knees and letting her full, round buttocks gently sink into the equally rounded heels, creating a just-right indent.

"Hi!" Manami replied, removing her shoes as well and closing the door behind her before sitting opposite Youko, "I've already ordered in advance. I often come here, the food is great; I hope you like it too."

"Our tastes and preferences are basically identical. If you find it delicious, I'm sure I will too," Youko smiled slightly, finding another reason to grow close to Manami.

The two shared many common interests.

And they even shared the last name.

So, she had already come to think of Manami as a younger sister.

Of course, she was unaware that this was just an act Manami put up to curry her favor—Manami did not really understand many of the things Youko liked, but she continuously crammed the knowledge to keep clinging to this influential figure.

Manami beamed, "Hi!"

"It's a bit warm," Youko fanned herself with her hand and then started to take off her jacket. The moment she unbuttoned her suit, the tightly stretched white blouse seemed to leap out, as if breaking free from restraint.

Manami couldn't help but admit the woman opposite her was indeed very attractive, no wonder she could inspire Aoyama Xiu Xin to harbor ill intentions towards her, then a surge of uncontrollable jealousy arose—being a woman just like her, sharing the same surname Hashimoto, why should Youko be superior to her in looks and job?

This was unfair!

"Manami, what are you thinking about?" Youko, having removed her jacket and noticing Manami staring blankly, asked curiously.

"Ah!" Manami snapped back to reality, chirping, "I was just thinking your fiancé is really lucky to have chased someone as stunning as you, he really hit the jackpot."

"Not really, he's outstanding too, I'm the one reaching up," Youko modestly demurred, but her heart swelled with joy.

Many thought it was her good fortune to be engaged to Zhongshan Taka, but only Manami said it was Taka's fortune, and that really pleased her.

Oh, right, Aoyama Xiu Xin had said something similar, but that guy doesn't count as a person.

The dishes and drinks were soon served, and the two women ate, chatted, and drank, quickly becoming tipsy.

Youko's normally neat bob haircut was now somewhat disheveled, her cheeks reddened, her eyes blurry, she slurred, "Manami, you still hold your liquor so well."

She was unguarded around Manami, so she kept drinking one glass after another, quickly intoxicating herself.

"You're not too bad yourself, Senior," Manami poured another glass for her, "Let me toast you again. Oh, Senior, what do you think of Minister Aoyama?"

"Him?" Habamoto Youko disdainfully curled her lips, picked up her glass, and downed it in one gulp, feeling even hotter she unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt, swallowed the wine, and continued, "He is nothing but a scoundrel."

"Ah?" Hashimoto Manami, who had asked casually, was surprised by the response and asked in astonishment, "Senior, why do you speak of him like that?"

"Every time he looks at me, his eyes are filled with undisguised desire, he even dares to flirt with me in front of Aunt Runmei, extremely vile!" Habamoto Youko heavily criticized Aoyama Xiu Xin, adding, "He even undermines Aunt Runmei. Once I find evidence of his corruption and wrongdoing, I'll pull him down from his pedestal and show the public his truly hideous face!"

Clearly, she had accumulated a lot of negative emotions towards Aoyama Xiu Xin, but Zhongshan Runmei wouldn't allow her to express them, so now, fueled by alcohol and the topic just coming up, she poured all her feelings out to Hashimoto Manami.

Hashimoto Manami was shocked. Habamoto Youko and Zhongshan Runmei actually wanted to deal with Minister Aoyama. If she reported this to him, wouldn't she be credited for it?

Thinking this, she quickly poured another glass of alcohol for Habamoto Youko, "Come, senior, let's have another drink."

"No… no more, I can't drink anymore, maybe next time," Habamoto Youko hazily refused.

"It's okay," Hashimoto Manami stood up, walked around to Habamoto Youko and tried to pour the drink into her mouth, coaxing, "Drink up, my house is nearby, if it comes to it, you can stay at my place tonight, senior, quickly, have another drink."

Habamoto Youko passively opened her mouth, a little bit of the alcohol spilled from the corner of her mouth, trickling down her chin to her collarbone.

"Senior, Minister Aoyama is deeply respected by his colleagues in Hokkaido, how do you plan to pull him down from his pedestal?" Hashimoto Manami continued probing for information.

Habamoto Youko burped, drunk and almost falling asleep, now nestled in Hashimoto Manami's arms, she intermittently spoke, "With… a beauty trap, once I gain his trust, I can grasp his secrets."

Hashimoto Manami was taken aback, so you and Minister Aoyama are in a sort of mutual pursuit.

She wanted to ask more, but Habamoto Youko had already fallen deep into sleep in her arms.

"Don't blame me, I'm just trying to live a better life," Hashimoto Manami whispered.

.........

At this moment, Aoyama Xiu Xin was still at work.

As Nakamura Shinichi was reporting.

"According to Jack, the containers they retrieved were filled with tobacco, suspecting that the batch of firearms belongs to the owner of this tobacco batch. Due to some reasons, both parties mixed up each other's goods."

"So, you mean to say that Miyashita Naoyuki might be involved in tobacco smuggling?" Aoyama Xiu Xin mused to himself.

Nakamura Shinichi nodded, "If it's as Jack deduced, the tobacco that was mistakenly taken belongs to Miyashita Naoyuki, then that's the only explanation, then Miyashita Naoyuki, to compensate for the loss caused by the missing batch of tobacco, sold the wrongly taken guns to Yatada Haojie."

"Hehe, interesting, Miyashita Naoyuki is really ambitious, venturing into the business of smuggling tobacco. Mayor Miyashita would be so pleased if he knew," Aoyama Xiu Xin said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

For a family like the Miyashitas, money was never an issue. They had enough to spend without worry, and if they wanted to make money, they just had to spend some time on legitimate business related to government projects and they would definitely make a profit.

If they didn't want to invest time and effort, they could make less by subcontracting the projects out.

But Miyashita Naoyuki was different, he didn't want to spend time and effort, but he also didn't want to earn less, so he didn't do legitimate business and instead took improper shortcuts.

Nakamura Shinichi was speechless, "This man must have had his brain squeezed by a door, he's a short-sighted rat."

"Find a way to leak this information to the Tobacco Industry Corporation." Aoyama Xiu Xin instructed.

This was a company controlled by the Japanese Government.

Responsible for managing the national tobacco production and sales, and highly monopolized matters such as tobacco varieties, cultivation, procurement, processing, cigarette production, materials production, and related exports and imports. The earnings were high and, therefore, so was the power.

This enterprise was one of the national cash cows.

And indeed, a cash cow for many high-ranking officials and nobles.

They despised tobacco smuggling that touched upon their interests, preferring to err by punishing a thousand rather than letting one slip. Once they knew about Miyashita Naoyuki's tobacco smuggling, they definitely wouldn't sit idly by.

Also, they tended to exert more force on smugglers with a background than those without, because the former couldn't scale up, but the latter might.

The Tobacco Industry Corporation definitely wouldn't deal with Miyashita Naoyuki directly nor approach him, but would go straight to Miyashita Hidekatsu to discuss the issue.

Miyashita Naoyuki had just made Miyashita Hidekatsu furious today due to a suspected involvement in arms trafficking. Once the Tobacco Industry Corporation approached Miyashita Hidekatsu, he would certainly grow even more disgusted and repelled by Miyashita Naoyuki.

Then, with a bit more provocation from him, Miyashita Naoyuki's relationship with his father could be exhausted completely, turning him into an unstable factor that could affect the Miyashita family's future, and then it would be feasible to move against him.

Nakamura Shinichi nodded and responded, "Yes, sir!"

"Off work!" Aoyama Xiu Xin said relievedly as he got up and stretched lazily.

"Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"

Just then, his phone rang.

Seeing this, Nakamura Shinichi, bowed deeply and silently left the office, closing the door behind him.

"Moshi moshi," Aoyama Xiu Xin answered.

"Minister Aoyama, this is Hashimoto Manami, I have very important information to tell you, and a gift to offer you," Hashimoto Manami said, sounding nervous and excited, her breath somewhat hurried.

Aoyama Xiu Xin, intrigued, glanced at his watch, "Where are you? I'll come now."

He guessed it must be related to Habamoto Youko.

Hashimoto Manami gave the name of a coffee shop near her home. She had already reached home; the unconscious Habamoto Youko was lying soundly asleep in the guest room.

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