"Angely i demony kruzhili nado mnoj, rassykhali ternii i vechnye puti." "Ne znaet shast'je tol'ko tot, kto jevo zova ponjat' ne smog." "Naljubuites', naljubuites'." "Aeria gloris, aeria gloris." "Naljubuites', naljubuites'." "Aeria gloris, aeria gloris." "I am calling, calling now, spirits rise and falling." "Soboj ostat'sja dol'she." "Calling, calling, in the depths of longing." "Soboj ostat'sja dol'she." "Naljubuites', aeria gloris." "Niihama Prefectural Police" "Laughing Man Incident Special Investigations Unit" "This one, too...!" "What's going on here?" "Yamaguchi!" "Chief Nibu?" "What're you doing here so late?" "Talk about rude..." "I was working." "You know, working?" "You still at it, too?" "Yes, sir." "How about a drink?" "We never hang out." "Ah, no thanks..." "I think I'll call it a day." "The Visual Elements Will Laugh" "Hello?" "Hey, this is Yamaguchi." "We worked at HQ together." "Remember me?" "Yamaguchi?" "Hey, how have you been?" "It's been a long time." "Sorry for calling you out of the blue at this time of night, but I have to get your opinion on something." "Can I see you right away?" "Now?" "Sure, I guess." "Something happen?" "Do you remember the Laughing Man Incident?" "The Laughing Man?" "Oh, that corporate terrorist who kidnapped the president of a micromachine manufacturer and held him for ransom six years ago." "I'm on the special investigations unit for that case now, but I've been noticing some suspicious activity among my own people." "Are you into a turf war with another detective?" "No, it probably goes further up than that." "Please, I'll tell you more when I see you." "I'll be there in about an hour." "All right, I'll wait for you." "Thanks." "They put Interceptors into my eyes, too?" "!" "As the area of precipitation along the Sea of Japan spreads to the east, it will gradually change to snow as it moves along the mountains." "What's with Togusa?" "Was he here all night?" "Yeah." "Something about waiting for somebody." "What's in the box?" "This?" "Batou's new weight training equipment." "He bought more?" "I have no idea what part a cyborg like him works out..." "No kidding." "Doesn't he have anything better to spend his money on?" "Hey, you finally awake?" ""Police officer burned beyond recognition on highway at night"?" "Lost control at 160kph "Police officer burned beyond recognition on highway at night"?" "Are you certain?" "You were contacted by the detective who died in that accident last night?" "Yes, sir." "He said he wanted to talk to me about suspicious activity in the top ranks at HQ." "And you think that's connected to his death?" "I don't have any hard evidence, but the timing's awfully convenient." "What did the crime lab say?" "That it was probably an accident as a result of poor visibility." "So there's a pretty good chance that it was just a simple accident." "But..." "Hear him out before making any conclusions." "Even if that's the case, if your old colleague did catch wind of something, we need to check it out." "You have three days." "Go find something in that time." "Thank you, sir." "The Laughing Man Incident..." "What do you think?" "I'd completely forgotten about it until now." "That special investigations unit still hasn't been disbanded, huh?" "That's because, just looking at the number of companies who were blackmailed, it's the largest act of corporate terrorism on record since the war." "HQ can't back away from it easily because of public opinion." "Still, they've been taking their sweet time." "I'm told that opinions on the culprit are still split among the top brass." "Some say it's extremists who are violently opposed to multinational enterprises that promote cyberization or prosthetic body technology." "One theory says it's a conspiracy brought about by corporate competition." "Laughing Man" "Laughing Man And some say it's just about the ransom money." "The theories are all over the map." "Laughing Man" "Laughing Man They haven't even determined if it's a single party or a group behind it," "They haven't even determined if it's a single party or a group behind it, much less the suspect's nationality, sex, or age." "The only opinion shared by all of them is that the suspect is a super-class-A hacker." "He was only super-class-A at the beginning." "After that, his work turned completely mediocre." "Frankly, I don't like anything about that case, including the criminal profile." "Right." "But if it turns out that the top brass at police HQ are involved, it'll be time for us to step in, don't you think?" "Mr. Togusa?" "How do you do." "I'm Yamaguchi's wife." "I'm sorry for your loss." "How do you know who I am?" "My husband told me about you." "Actually, I thought I should give this to you." "It arrived from my husband this morning." "A letter was inside, asking me to give it to you." "To me?" "I'll take a look." "Um, are you sure this is it?" "Yes." "I think so, anyway..." "Next." "Next." "Next." "Next." "Enlarge, 22 to 56." "Next." "Next." "Enlarge, 35 to 28." "Next." "Next." "Next." "What is all this?" "What did Yamaguchi want to show me?" "My wife does stuff like this sometimes, too." "Right, I'd better call home." "Hi, it's me." "Looks like I won't be coming home tonight, either." "Yeah." "Sure." "Oh, okay." "Make sure the doors are closed tight, okay?" "Sure." "I'll do my best." "Okay, good night." "Guess I'll wash up and take it again from the top." "Will two more days be enough?" "Wait a minute..." "Load C97." "Enlarge 35 to 28." "There's no..." "Load C98." "That's gotta be it..." "Load C96." "This one, too!" "C92." "Enlarge, 4 to 13." "Enlarge, 42 to 30." "This one, too..." "And this one..." "In each of these pictures, there's no camera...!" "So..." "What can I do for one of the elite of Public Security Section 9?" "You didn't stop by Yamaguchi's wake, did you?" "I thought I might run into you there." "It's been a while." "Well, I got held up with a few things." "Did you meet his wife?" "Yeah." "What an idiot..." "I can't believe he left behind such a young, beautiful wife." "I hear things are hectic over at Special Investigations." "You mean the Laughing Man Incident?" "We've been working that case day and night." "Think you'll solve it?" "What is this, an interrogation?" "No, if it's a problem, you don't have to answer." "No, it's no big deal." "Besides, you'd probably be able to find out for yourself even if I didn't tell you." "The truth is, a new material witness just turned up." "Haven't you already had hundreds of those?" "This one's different." "No doubt about it." "He even has a beef against Serano." "Serano?" "Serano Genomics." "They were the first micromachine manufacturer hit by the Laughing Man." "Are you close to arresting your suspect?" "No." "The top brass are still on the fence about making an arrest." "But we've got all kinds of circumstantial evidence this time." "All that's left now is to catch him in the act." "How?" "Interceptors." "Interceptors?" "You mean those audiovisual elements introduced three months ago as part of the revisions to the Sensory Perception Wiretapping Act?" "Right." "Plant those in a suspect, and you'll be able to catch him in the act for sure." "Plus, they're good for three months without us even having to tail him." "If he shows up at any kind of medical institution, we can implant him there." "Then he'll never have a moment of privacy." "We'll even be able to measure the arc when he takes a piss." "What did you say just now?" "The arc of his piss." "That's it!" "Now I understand." "Interceptors, huh?" "Yes, sir." "I've determined that all of Yamaguchi's photos are from the point of view of detectives on the Laughing Man SIU who had been implanted with Interceptors." "You believe that this is the suspicious activity among the top brass at HQ that Yamaguchi learned about?" "Yes, sir." "But Interceptors aren't illegal in and of themselves." "Submit the proper paperwork, and any law enforcement officer can use them." "Yes, but I wasn't able to verify that the paperwork was ever submitted." "And of course, there was no third-party observer as required by law, either." "From what Fukami tells me, Special Investigations was waiting for a chance to implant their Laughing Man suspect with Interceptors, but based on department records, I believe that the SIU detectives themselves were implanted for some reason during a medical checkup at the precinct." "That's going a little too far to monitor on-the-job performance." "Besides, isn't it Serano Genomics that sells Interceptors to the police?" "The police officially adopted a product of one of the victim companies..." "There has to be something behind this." "Plus, Interceptors had also been planted in Fukami, who's been assigned to the security detail of Serano's president." "Serano's people and the detectives have no idea they're in there." "For friends, they sure seem to be on bad terms." "We have the pieces of the puzzle now." "Wait a minute." "Wouldn't that mean that they know what Togusa's been up to?" "I'd like to move on this as soon as possible, but I suppose we don't have enough to confront them to their faces." "What say we shake them up a bit?" "Sorry, we're not open yet." "Hm?" "Who's there?" "It's me." "Oh, it's you, miss." "Don't scare me like that." "You're always such a scaredy-cat." "You'll make your prosthetic body cry in shame." "Did you come all the way down here to make sarcastic remarks at my expense?" "Hardly." "I want you to leak this info to the reporters who pass through here." "Not the ones in the government's pocket, if you follow me." "Sorry, but I don't see many classy customers like that these days." "Oh, you don't say?" "In that case, I'll just have to tell the Cybercops that you tipped me off that this place is a server for info-terrorists." "You still go for those subtle jokes, I see." "I'm so glad we have an understanding." "I'll pay you in cash, same way as always." "Always a pleasure." "Hm?" "I'll leave you to it, then." "Leaving already?" "Why not stay for a drink?" "Do you have anything that isn't watered down?" "That was uncalled for..." "Mr. Nibu!" "Is it true that Interceptors, which were introduced through a legal amendment, are being used illegally within the police department?" "Huh?" "What are you talking about?" "Rumor has it that the eyes of SIU detectives are being bugged." "Who's saying that?" "Mr. Nibu, please answer the question!" "I have no idea what you're talking about!" "If you keep bothering me, I'll haul you in, you hear?" "!" "Mr. Nibu, my camera!" "Go away!" "Aren't you going to drive to work?" "Shut the hell up!" "Mr. Nibu!" "Niihama PD Chief of Detectives Suspected of Illegal Sensory Wiretapping" "Niihama PD Chief of Detectives Suspected of Illegal Sensory Wiretapping It looks like that hardheaded Aramaki is pulling the strings on this one." "It looks like that hardheaded Aramaki is pulling the strings on this one." "I've taken measures, of course." "Yes, I suppose it can't be helped." "Not at all, it was just the price of a police captain's pension." "I'm glad to hear you say that." "The truth is, my wife has expressed displeasure in the Holland property." "Yes, I agree wholeheartedly." "All right, then." "I'll handle tomorrow's press conference." "In response to the story reported in some newspapers  suspecting the illegal use of sensory wiretapping devices  within the Special Investigations Unit of the Niihama Prefectural Police..." "The Superintendent-General himself called a press conference?" "Looks like we got a bigger reaction than we ever imagined." "He was prefectural police chief at the time of the Laughing Man Incident." "It looks like there's something that the police want to keep hidden in-house no matter what." "Very well, let's begin the press conference." "After learning of the allegations made in certain publications the other day that Interceptors were used in violation of the Sensory Perception Wiretapping Act, an internal investigation was immediately conducted, and Captain Kunihiko Nibu, Prefectural Police Special Investigations Unit Chief," "made an admission that he participated in the incident." "We believe that after the Laughing Man investigation hit a dead end," "Captain Nibu planted Interceptors in the cyberbrains of his detectives  in an attempt to gather more information." "He regrets having taken these actions as a result of losing his sound judgment  due to the strain of repeated disappointments in the case." "In the end, I am nevertheless compelled to say  that his actions deviated from his professional duties." "As of today, Captain Nibu has been given a disciplinary dismissal, and we offer those investigators assigned to this case, as well as their families, our deepest apologies." "What about the accountability of top police officials?" "I believe the Commissioner will be issuing a statement shortly." "There are also suspicions of collusion between top police officials and Serano." "I believe that their adoption was within the bounds of the law, and it's my understanding that they were adopted through a formal bid system." "What kind of answer is that?" "Wasn't it you guys who asked for the amendment to the wiretapping act?" "!" "Superintendent-General, I'm told that you'll relocate to Holland after you retire." "And speaking of Holland, isn't Serano's parent company located there?" "Could there be some sort of connection there?" "I'm under no obligation to answer such personal questions!" "What's that supposed to mean?" "Oh, man..." "Hm?" "Hey, isn't that camera moving kinda funny?" "You haven't changed a bit, Superintendent-General Daido." "Pleased to meet you." "But you already know who I am, don't you?" "That's..." "What's wrong with this thing?" "H-Hey...!" "What's wrong, Takekawa?" "You know, Mr. Daido, I thought I shouldn't involve myself in your world anymore." "I was honestly fed up with you people and your rubbish heap of a world." "And so, I haven't interfered with your little farce since that incident, you see?" "Even though I knew everything." "In a word, I was exhausted from my fruitless exertions, unfortunately." "Hey, are you watching this?" "!" "That guy's cyberbrain is being..." "But the thing is..." "Well, this show today is terrible." "It's just too awful." "It's a farce, but it hasn't made me laugh even once." "And so, albeit with the utmost reluctance, I must challenge you once again." "You and the alumni of the comedy troupe are having a reunion in three days, right?" "When you're there, do tell the truth this time, won't you?" "If you put on another performance that rings as false as this one," "I'll be forced to remove you from the stage." "Hey, Takekawa!" "An ambulance!" "Call an ambulance!" "We interrupt the press conference and return now to the studio." "Let's go to Mr. Sakurai at the press conference..." "Is he the real deal?" "Major." "Get me verification ASAP." "Roger." "Tachikoma..." "Tachikomatic Days!" "One, two, three, four!" "One, two, three, four!" "One, two, three, four!" "One, two, three, four!" "We get flattened by tanks!" "We get fried by viruses!" "It's nothing but embarrassment for us!" "Today, I say it's time to amaze them with our incredible maneuverability once and for all!" "I'm not so sure about this "we" stuff." "Yeah, it seems like he's the only one who got flattened or infected." "Oh, let's set those trivial matters aside, and let's roll, gentlemen!" "Oh, okay..." "Right!" "Left!" "Forward!" "Ready!" "Three!" "Two!" "One!" "Are you kidding me?" "!" "There are Interceptors in my eye, too!"