The "Career Track" refers to police officers who have passed the corresponding civil service examination.
In the entire East Island Nation, only 10-15 people pass this exam annually! Most of them are graduates of Tokyo University, with the rest from other prestigious institutions. The difficulty surpasses even the judicial examination.
Such a low pass rate naturally corresponds to a "bright future."
Not only do these officers start as "Assistant Inspector" (a rank above Takagi Wataru's current "Senior Patrol Officer"), but after a few months to a year of field training, they can directly be promoted to "Inspector," the same rank as Inspector Megure.
Typically, Career Track Inspectors are likely to enter the National Police Agency directly. Even if they don't, they'll serve in desk jobs at the Metropolitan Police Department or other regional headquarters, rather than working on the front lines. The Metropolitan Police Department is the police headquarters for East Capital, while the National Police Agency oversees all police headquarters nationwide, including the Metropolitan Police.
Moreover, Career Track officers have a strong chance of being promoted to "Superintendent" before age 30, and with enough experience, they can rise to "Chief Superintendent"—ranks that non-Career Track frontline officers, the so-called "workhorses," might never achieve in their lifetimes.
Although part of the police system, Career Track officers are more akin to "senior civil servants" and are often mockingly called "bureaucrat cops" or "Gold Watch Group" by frontline officers.
Of course, Megure held no negative opinions about Hei Baishi...
Six years ago, when Baishi first joined and was assigned to the First Investigation Section's Third Unit for Violent Crimes for training, Megure initially had a headache. Was the First Investigation Section a place to train Gold Watch Group members? Could these desk-jockeys avoid causing trouble?
However, Baishi's outstanding performance quickly changed Megure's view of the "Gold Watch Group."...
In fact, just ten months later, Baishi's exceptional field performance, coupled with his imposing physique and seemingly innate intimidating presence, caught the eye of Minister Odagiri from the newly established Organized Crime Countermeasures Division. Baishi became a key member of the restructured and expanded division. (In this novel, the Organized Crime Countermeasures Division was established seven years later than in real-world Japan.)
Surprisingly, Baishi didn't mind "frontline work" at all. In the most frontline Third Section of the Organized Crime Countermeasures Division, he served as a unit head and, two years later, was promoted to section chief (while retaining his "Inspector" rank).
Hearing Inspector Megure's words...
"Gold Watch Group?" Takagi stared at Baishi in shock.
This guy looked like... his muscles had grown into his brain! And he was part of the Gold Watch Group?
Takagi's thoughts were written all over his face.
Megure: ...
Megure was speechless. He'd just stopped himself from blurting out "Gold Watch Group," and now Takagi had to say it out loud?
"Uh... Officer Takagi," Baishi said, looking at him seriously.
"Ah! No, I mean..." Takagi panicked—not just because of Baishi's rank or even his physique, but because Baishi seemed to exude an aura of raw intimidation!
"That won't do! Sometimes, people who don't look smart can be quite cunning... As a detective, you can't judge by appearances!" Baishi said solemnly.
"Yes! Thank you for the advice!" Takagi hurriedly gave a 90-degree bow, a gesture he hadn't used since attending Date Ko's funeral.
Meanwhile, Megure's gaze toward Baishi grew more serious. "Brother Baishi, I heard you've been investigating the Ministry of Justice... cough, that case. You're not here for that, are you?"
"Hahaha, I'm on vacation!" Baishi laughed, deflecting the question.
Seeing Baishi's smiling face, Megure grew even more uneasy—mostly for Baishi's sake. After all, the case Baishi was involved in was no small matter...
Megure had heard rumors that the Minister of Justice was secretly manipulating local yakuza groups and even colluding with foreign forces for money laundering! Of course, these were just "rumors," and, predictably, the case had been "halted" by higher-ups.
The case had initially been uncovered by the Third Section of the Organized Crime Countermeasures Division. Knowing Baishi, Megure doubted he'd obediently drop the matter just because "higher-ups" ordered him to.
But before Megure could press further, Shinichi, standing nearby, couldn't hold back. "Inspector Megure, there's still a dead person over there..."
"I know that! Honestly, we haven't ruled out homicide yet, and you messing around is causing trouble for the police!" Megure scolded.
"Sorry, Inspector Megure! This guy's got deduction fever..."
At that moment, a long-haired girl with high, slanted bangs—not horns—stepped forward to apologize to Megure.
"Hm? Ran-chan? You've grown so much... Wait, you two are..." Megure was shocked to see high schoolers traveling to the U.S. together as a couple.
"I didn't mess anything up! I had these flight attendants watching me the whole time. I didn't erase any traces or take anything. And it's not 'we haven't ruled out homicide'—it's definitely a homicide!
"There's a small puncture wound on the back of the victim's neck, likely from a spinal cord injury. Plus, there's a medicine bottle in the trash—probably used to knock them out before they were stabbed in the neck with a sharp object," Shinichi hurriedly explained.
"Huh?" Megure was taken aback, not expecting someone Shinichi's age to inspect so meticulously.
Still, he said, "But moving the body like that could interfere with determining the time of death. Without a forensic autopsy, we can only rely on rigor mortis in a basic examination..."
"Based on the livor mortis and jaw stiffness, the time of death is likely one to two hours ago," Shinichi replied, clearly prepared and showing off a bit.
Baishi didn't say anything, merely glancing at Kudo Shinichi and Mouri Ran... Yup, it's them!
That's right—Baishi had a secret...
Since childhood, he vaguely remembered things from his "past life," making him practically a legendary "transmigrator."
However, his "transmigration" was more like reincarnation, moving from Earth to this strange yet somewhat familiar parallel world.
And he had a direct "transmigrator" perk—he could add points!
By achieving certain milestones or accomplishments, he could earn a corresponding number of points.
Growing up in an orphanage—the Baishi Orphanage in Kamurocho, East Capital—Baishi once considered joining a yakuza group. Kamurocho was a hotspot for organized crime, home to the Tojo Clan, the largest yakuza group in Kanto.
So, before turning 18, Baishi invested nearly all the reward points he earned—from "little red flowers" in childhood to academic exams—into [Physique].
He maxed out [Physique] to Level 10!
Based on Baishi's understanding of the point-adding system over the years, Level 10 was roughly the "human limit."
Perhaps because he boosted his physique during his growth years, Baishi's body developed to an extraordinary degree!
However...
At 18, Baishi discovered that East Capital also had a [Mihua Town]!
It seemed this was the world of a certain grim-reaper elementary schooler!
So, starting at 18, Baishi abandoned martial pursuits for academics. With the help of his point-adding ability, he earned bachelor's degrees in [Psychology] and [Health Sciences] from Tokyo University, followed by master's degrees in [Law] and [Forensic Medicine]. During this time, he used his points to assist his studies while earning more points through exams and achievements, creating a virtuous cycle...
At 24, he passed the Career Track examination!
Now, seeing high schoolers Kudo Shinichi and Mouri Ran, Baishi suspected... the timeline of chaos was about to begin!
(End of Chapter)