He sealed the bank's front and back doors.
He gathered the hostages in the lobby outside the counters. Including Tai Hideo, there were twenty in total: three ordinary residents withdrawing money and sixteen bank employees.
Shiraishi sat on the counter and reassured them with a broad smile. "Don't be afraid. This is Tai Hideo, the big boss of the Tai Conglomerate. With him here, the police wouldn't dare act rashly."
Boom.
An explosion came from the back room, startling the hostages.
Soi Fon walked out looking perfectly calm. "The vault door is open."
A Gigai could use Kidō, and although it wasn't as powerful as a Shinigami's spirit body, destroying a vault door was still easy.
"Thanks for the effort. Hey, you strapping young fellows, sorry for the trouble, but come to the vault with me and carry out the cash."
Shiraishi picked a few hostages to go in and move the money with him, then added, "Soi Fon, watch them."
"Mm."
Soi Fon gave a brief reply.
Shiraishi led the hostages to the vault. The door had been destroyed, and piles of cash lay on the tables, though the cabinets were still locked.
He didn't pry them open. Each person carried a huge stack back to the bank lobby, where they could hear piercing sirens and the roar of helicopters outside.
Several burly men lay unconscious beside Soi Fon. Clearly, they had seen how petite she was and tried to knock her down and escape, only for her to take them out with ease.
The remaining hostages grew even more obedient.
Shiraishi threw the money onto the lobby floor, and the others followed suit. They returned to the vault, and it took four trips in all to move the cash.
The police called out from beyond the rolling shutter. "People inside, listen up! You're surrounded! Don't put up a futile resistance. Release the hostages peacefully."
If Shiraishi went out for a look, he would surely see a huge scene straight out of a movie.
Several streets outside the bank were blocked off by police cars, cordons had been set up, and officers armed with guns and live ammunition had split into teams.
More than a dozen snipers occupied the highest positions.
Tanimoto Takayuki, chief of the Metropolitan Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division One, had come to the scene in person because the big shots above were all paying close attention to the case.
The man being held hostage was Tai Hideo, the man at the helm of the Tai Conglomerate, which controlled over a hundred subsidiaries and possessed assets worth more than ten trillion.
To be frank, if something happened to the prime minister, another could be elected. If something happened to Tai Hideo, the Tai Conglomerate would be rocked by a massive upheaval, and the already stagnant economy could very well take a turn for the worse.
The superintendent general, the governor of Tokyo, and the prime minister had all called to make it clear that the situation must be handled properly and the hostages' lives must not be endangered under any circumstances.
Otherwise, what awaited him wouldn't be a bow and resignation, but a bow and a stint in prison.
Tanimoto Takayuki bore an enormous burden of pressure, but it hadn't crushed him. Instead, he was more fired up than ever, because this was where life's pleasures and challenges lay.
If he could overcome this crisis, he would become the youngest superintendent general in history.
"Spare them the formalities." Tanimoto Takayuki pushed aside the officer making the announcement and looked back. "Keiichi, it's time for you, our negotiating expert, to make your entrance."
"Oh." A listless response came as a man with messy, curly hair slowly stepped out of a car. Holding a chocolate bar, he took a bite with every step, his back hunched as though each step exhausted him.
"Is he really going to be all right?" The chief of the Karakura Town Police Station couldn't help asking. This major case also concerned his future.
"Keiichi only spends his energy where it's needed. His sloppy appearance is better at winning criminals over."
At that, a hint of mockery appeared on Tanimoto Takayuki's face. "People like them are always saying how much they despise those in power, but they're actually full of prejudice against others. When they see someone worse off than themselves, they take a liking to them."
Keiichi walked up to the rolling shutter, gradually straightening his back. He called inside in a strong voice, "Hello, my name is Kimura Keiichi. I'm a negotiating expert. I don't have any weapons on me. Could you let me in so we can talk?"
The rolling shutter rose slowly. It didn't stop at a height that would force someone to duck under it, but rose all the way to the top of the doorway.
The hostages, the robbers, and the piles of cash in the lobby were now clearly visible.
This was interesting.
Kimura Keiichi's interest was piqued. In his ten years on the job, he had handled many difficult cases and encountered all kinds of criminals. Those who pursued nothing but money were the most boring.
Only criminals and cases that weren't simply about money interested him most.
"Come in."
Shiraishi beckoned him over.
Kimura Keiichi strode into the bank lobby, and the rolling shutter slowly descended.
"May I ask your name, sir?" Rather than getting down to business, Kimura Keiichi first asked his name to create a relaxed atmosphere.
"Shiraishi, and this is my girlfriend, Soi Fon."
He didn't forget to introduce Soi Fon. "And the stray cat she happened to pick up."
"I envy you, Shiraishi-san, having such a beautiful girlfriend. I'm almost thirty, and I'm still a single virgin."
Kimura Keiichi scratched the back of his head and complained, "Sometimes I keep wondering what's wrong with this society. Rich men have plenty of beautiful women, while men without money can barely get to touch a woman's hand."
Shiraishi found this negotiating expert a little interesting, but he had no intention of chatting. He smiled and said, "Let's get straight to business. Right now, I have just one demand for the police: let the people from TV Tokyo come in and interview me live."
Right now... Kimura Keiichi understood that he had more demands to come. Looking exasperated, he said, "Could you tell us all your demands at once?"
Shiraishi answered honestly, "I want to ride the Ferris wheel at Maji Amusement Park tonight and watch the fireworks. Finally, with the TV station broadcasting live, I want to jump from the top of the Ferris wheel with my girlfriend. Don't worry, we won't take the hostages with us."
A trace of surprise appeared on Kimura Keiichi's face. He stared at Shiraishi for a while, confirmed that he wasn't lying, and suddenly burst out laughing. "Haha, you've given Tokyo's big shots such a headache, and this is your reason for kidnapping Tai Hideo? If you told them, they probably wouldn't believe it."
"Isn't it interesting?"
"Yeah, it's incredibly interesting," Kimura Keiichi replied. This case was definitely the biggest and most ridiculous he had ever taken on.
"Please persuade them to agree. Otherwise, I can't guarantee the hostages' safety."
"Mm." Kimura Keiichi nodded and turned toward the door.
Shiraishi raised the rolling shutter to let him leave, then said, "Mr. Tai, if you don't want to die, you'd better use all your connections to pressure the government into agreeing."
"I'll do my best." Tai Hideo knew full well that the government cared about saving face. The Ferris wheel was a minor matter, but a live TV broadcast was a major one.
It would be in front of a nationwide audience. Who knew what Shiraishi wanted to say?
But his own life was at stake, so he had to get the government to agree. He quickly called his eldest son, then his second son and his subordinates.
About ten minutes later, Kimura Keiichi's voice came from outside. "The higher-ups have agreed to your demands, Mr. Shiraishi. The TV people are here."
Shiraishi pressed the rolling shutter switch and took out Tai Hideo's limited-edition lighter. He flipped it open and lit it, then casually tossed it onto the pile of money in front of the camera.