Let them offer their loyalty!

Hearing Lin Zuo's words, Qin Shuman sat in her chair and pondered, while twirling a pen with her slender fingers.

After a moment, her pen stopped moving, and she had already made up her mind. She said, "Take people now and keep watch near that bar. Tighten the net on our target without rousing their suspicion."

"I'll first give Qiu Tu a call to discuss this matter."

Upon hearing Qin Shuman's words, Lin Zuo did not immediately comply.

A slight twitch crossed his expressionless face before he looked at Qin Shuman and spoke bluntly,

"Section Chief, I might be overstepping by saying this. But... I still want to remind you. Your relationship with Qiu Tu could very well be affecting the normal operations of our department and section."

"Why do we have to consult the opinion of a section chief from the Investigation Bureau when we are supposed to be apprehending someone in the Security Department?"

"Don't you find it a bit ridiculous?"

As his words were spoken, the atmosphere in the office suddenly cooled.

Qin Shuman's expression gradually hardened. She set the pen down heavily on the desk, then looked up expressionlessly at Lin Zuo.

One second, two seconds...

Just as the atmosphere in the office grew heavier, Qin Shuman finally spoke slowly, "Lin Zuo, are you questioning my professionalism and my stance?"

Lin Zuo was as stubborn as a rock in a cesspool, both smelly and hard. He showed no fear of the pressure exerted by Qin Shuman and continued with a serious face, "Yes, Section Chief."

Qin Shuman exhaled sharply, then said expressionlessly, "To convince you wholeheartedly, I can explain my thoughts to you."

"But I must warn you, this is the first time, and the last! I don't want to hear anything similar in the future!"

Having said that, Qin Shuman stood up with a serious expression.

Dressed in a green military uniform and black boots, she looked gallant and commanding.

She took a couple of steps in the office with a "tap tap" of her boots, then continued expressionlessly, "First of all, Qiu Tu is not an outsider. You might have forgotten that although he is currently a section chief in the Investigation Bureau, he is also our Security Department's Captain!"

"As comrades on the same side, we need to consider his position and the environment he's in when dealing with certain affairs. We should coordinate as much as possible with him to avoid causing him any adverse effects by acting on our own."

"Second, the lead on this case was provided by Qiu Tu."

"Although we in the Security Department have the authority to take over a case involving Cataclysmic Creatures of this level, if the other party cooperates well with us and it does not affect the case, we can certainly continue this cooperation to avoid any unnecessary complications."

"Finally, and most importantly,"

Qin Shuman paced by the window with a serious face and said, "Have you ever considered why Qiu Tu has so much information that even our Investigation Department and Security Department, let alone the Investigation Bureau, doesn't have?"

Qin Shuman gave examples, "Old Master Qin's identity, Larilo, the Masked Man in Suit, the details of the bizarre ritual?"

If Lin Zuo had shown no reaction to Qin Shuman's previous explanations, upon hearing this, his gaze began to fluctuate slightly.

A look of realization appeared on his face, and then he tentatively asked, "You suspect... that he's actually an Evil God Cultist?"

Qin Shuman: "??"

Qin Shuman held her forehead, "After we finish talking, go run ten laps!"

Lin Zuo: ...

"Yes!" Lin Zuo saluted respectfully.

Qin Shuman glared at him, "I don't know if Qiu Tu is an Evil God Cultist. But what I do know is that he definitely has an information channel that doesn't overlap with ours in the Investigation Department, Security Department, or even the entire Investigation Bureau!"

Qin Shuman, hands clasped behind her back and with a serious face, said, "While the 'Larilo case' is important, the information channel he holds is equally significant!"

"If we really can continue to collaborate with him, the intelligence capabilities of our military in Xinjie City and even the Planning Area might be greatly enhanced."

"By then, no matter what case we handle, we might achieve twice the results with half the effort!"

After hearing Qin Shuman's explanation, Lin Zuo no longer had any doubts. He looked at Qin Shuman seriously and bowed slightly, "I was wrong, Section Chief!"

Qin Shuman looked at him expressionlessly, "You are punished to run another 10 laps. You may leave now."

"Yes!" Lin Zuo saluted respectfully again, and then turned and left Qin Shuman's office.

But after Lin Zuo left, Qin Shuman did not immediately call Qiu Tu.

She stood quietly by the window, her eyes somewhat distant.

As a skilled spy, acting, lying, and deceiving others were as easy for Qin Shuman as drinking water.

But... a lie might deceive others, yet it can't deceive oneself.

Although she had just rattled off many excuses when Lin Zuo questioned her, when she recalled the state she was in when she initially made the decision, it seemed that her first instinct was indeed to consider Qiu Tu...

'This isn't a good sign....'

With that thought, Qin Shuman looked at a "Promotion Notification" on her desk...

Just this morning, thanks to her excellent performance in the "Yin Caimei case" and uncovering the "Larilo case," her military rank was promoted from Captain to Major.

He had formally entered the middle ranks of the military.

In terms of position, the department had, to show their trust in her, put her in charge of both the Investigation Department and the Intelligence Section.

This level of attention was an affirmation of her intelligence work and also a reward for her efforts in pulling things back from the brink lately.

But only Qin Shuman and the head of the Security Department Dai Yukang knew that the smooth sailing of the department's work during this period was actually all thanks to Qiu Tu.

The only difference was, Qin Shuman knew that Qiu Tu was intentionally letting her take some of the credit.

Meanwhile, Dai Yukang believed that it was Qin Shuman's ability to have "won over" Qiu Tu and to have obtained so much important intelligence from him.

Thinking of this, Qin Shuman's feelings toward Qiu Tu grew even more complicated....

Gazing out the window, Qin Shuman's eyes seemed to penetrate layers of space, looking toward Qiu Tu....

After a moment, Qin Shuman sighed softly and muttered to herself, "No matter what, I still have to do my job well first."

Having said that, she turned her attention to the pile of information and clues about Larilo on the table, her gaze growing incredibly deep, "This Evil God seems a bit odd...."

"I hope it doesn't cause any major trouble...."

Finishing her thought, she took out her phone and started to call Qiu Tu....

...

The Planning Area was forever a place where order and chaos intertwined.

After officially coming under the control of the Sanctuary and becoming the economic center of the surrounding area of Xinjie City, bars, nightclubs, casinos, and brothels began to quietly spread throughout the city.

At 6 PM.

Qiu Tu, with dyed blue hair and dressed in leather clothing, wrapped his arm around Liu Fuping, who wore a red strappy dress and heavy makeup, as they entered the Fatty Fish Bar.

Two underlings followed him, one was Cao Dabiao and the other was Chen Feng.

The dress of the four men clearly showed they were wealthy young men from Longshan Road out for a good time.

Therefore, as soon as the four walked into the bar, a barmaid dressed in a low-cut short skirt hurried over with a smile to greet them.

Approaching Qiu Tu, the barmaid bent over and inquired, "Hello, how may I help you four?"

Qiu Tu size up the barmaid before him and deliberately flaunted a lecherous smile.

He reached into the barmaid's cleavage and groped around.

A squeal from the barmaid accompanied Qiu Tu's magical retrieval of a handful of Silver Yuan from "inside". Explore stories on empire

Initially, the barmaid's face was filled with embarrassment, but her eyes immediately lit up upon seeing the handful of Silver Yuan, and she quickly and gleefully said, "Thank you, sir! Thank you!"

Qiu Tu dodged her hands with a chuckle, stuffing the Silver Yuan directly into her deep neckline while fondling her and asked, "It's my first time at your bar, find us a good spot, will you?"

To tell the truth, although the barmaid was rather plain, her bosom was both large and soft.

The barmaid covered her chest to stop the Silver Yuan from falling out while tolerating Qiu Tu's wandering hands and replied with a smile, "Certainly, sir, this way please."

Watching Qiu Tu's smooth moves, Cao Dabiao and Chen Feng felt they paled in comparison.

They thought Qiu Tu's acting was incredibly refined; just a few simple actions had established the image of a hedonistic young master.

They scanned the interior of the bar.

As one of the largest bars in Xinjie City, the Fatty Fish Bar was spacious. The ground floor, covering two thousand square meters, featured a glittering stage at the center with fan-shaped seating and a bar area around it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The night life having already kicked off, many patrons were already indulging in pleasure-seeking.

When Qiu Tu had entered, several patrons glanced at him, but seeing Qiu Tu's unrestrained demeanor, they just shared a knowing smile and looked away.

And among them... was the target, the red-haired man in a suit.

'First step of the plan successful?'

While they were contemplating, Qiu Tu, one arm around Liu Fuping and the other around the barmaid, headed towards a luxurious booth at the center of the stage area.

Under flashing neon lights accompanied by a DJ beat that blended heavy metal and electronic music, and led by the barmaid, the four of them took their seats.

Perhaps because Qiu Tu had flaunted wealth upon entering the bar, it wasn't long before scantily clad and seductively poised women with enchanting eyes crowded around, eager to have a drink with him.

Qiu Tu, acting every bit the playboy, lounged with one leg crossed over the other while Liu Fuping massaged his leg. Smoking a cigar lit by Cao Dabiao, he casually welcomed all comers!

So, after a short while, the booth was surrounded by a flock of women, pushing even Liu Fuping to the outskirts....

But she didn't seem to mind and, following the plan, pretended to be angry and looked away from Qiu Tu!

However, unbeknownst to others, her turned head was facing precisely in the direction of the man in the suit.

Thus, she could easily monitor every move of the man in the suit without any other effort....

-----