Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 91: The Mastermind Appeared

Qin Shuman was stunned for a moment when she saw the name displayed on Qiu Tu's communicator screen. Then, she looked at Qiu Tu with a complex expression.

To be honest, Qiu Tu had given her many surprises today... and quite a few scares as well.

First, she had accidentally discovered through the Mist Index Book that Qiu Tu was a Cataclysm Awakened. Moreover, he was one who had successfully awakened after possessing someone else's body. This alone was enough to shatter her worldview.

Then, there was the incident where she hid in a morgue drawer and wasn't found by Zheng Tao.

Truth be told, when Zheng Tao opened the morgue drawer, Qin Shuman's heart almost leaped out of her throat. Her mind had already started racing, trying to figure out how to deal with the impending crisis.

But who would have thought that Zheng Tao would close the drawer as if he hadn't seen her at all?

At that moment, Qin Shuman was genuinely confused for a good ten seconds. It was only after she considered the mysterious power that had descended upon her earlier that she guessed Qiu Tu might have used a Cataclysm ability or artifact to help her dodge the crisis.

And now, Qiu Tu had already established a connection with Deputy Chairman Tian's son, Tian Xiaotian, asking him to provide information about his father.

But it seemed that Qiu Tu always had new surprises waiting for her. This only made him seem even more mysterious in her eyes.

At this moment, Qiu Tu had no idea what Qin Shuman was thinking. He simply showed her the communicator and smiled as he answered the call.

When the call connected, a slightly thick voice came from the receiver, "Chief Qiu?"

Qiu Tu replied with a smile, "Brother Xiaotian, we're off duty, so no need for formal titles."

Tian Xiaotian didn't care much about titles or formalities, so he quickly adapted, "Brother Tu."

Qiu Tu responded with an "Alright!" and then asked tentatively, "Brother Xiaotian, have you made a decision?"

Tian Xiaotian responded with a hum and said, "Yes."

"I went home and thought about it for a long time. I realized that working with you would indeed be the easiest way to clear my father's name."

"Besides, I want to do something for my father, so that's why I'm calling you."

After he finished, he paused before asking tentatively, "Brother Tu, you said earlier that all I need to do is provide my father's and Yin Caimei's travel records and gift exchange logs from the past year, and you'll be able to help him. Is that true?"

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Initially, Qiu Tu had mentioned that to Tian Xiaotian just to get him on board, but now that they had found the weapon and the most critical clue in the case, Qiu Tu only needed Yin Caimei's schedule and gift exchange logs from the past year to greatly narrow down the suspect pool.

So, without any hesitation, he said, "Yes."

Hearing this, Tian Xiaotian visibly relaxed and then said, "I've already got those two documents."

"I found them in my father's secretary's office."

"They contain all the travel records of my father and Yin Caimei from the past year. While there might be some missing information, it should still be fairly complete."

"So, how should I get them to you?"

Hearing this, Qiu Tu's eyes lit up. He quickly said, "Leave me an address. I'll head over now, and we can discuss it in person."

It seemed like Tian Xiaotian had just stolen something, as he quietly gave an address.

Based on the location, it appeared that the box of documents had just been taken from Deputy Chairman Tian's office.

Qiu Tu quickly memorized the address and then hung up the phone.

...

At the same time, in the secretary's office at Xintian Communications Company.

After hanging up the phone, Tian Xiaotian looked conflicted and confused. He wasn't sure if what he was doing was right.

But... based on Steward Shi's investigation of Qiu Tu, Qiu Tu hadn't lied to him in his introduction earlier today:

Qiu Tu was initially just an ordinary citizen of New Realm City. Later, during the recruitment by the Investigation Department, he was selected because he was literate and could drive, and he was assigned to the Administrative Office as a clerical agent.

Afterward, due to his excellent performance in the Administrative Office, Qiu Tu was noticed by Secretary Bai, who recommended him to Yan Chen. He was then promoted to a mid-level agent.

Later, Qiu Tu saved Yan Chen's mistress, which led to Yan Chen promoting him to a high-level agent. Jia Shu also took notice of him and assigned him to the Political Division to investigate the Qin family.

It was unclear what Qiu Tu did at the Qin family, but shortly after he arrived, the Qin family voluntarily aligned themselves with Yan Chen. As a result, Qiu Tu was promoted to Deputy Section Chief.

Every promotion Qiu Tu received had traces of Yan Chen's influence, with Secretary Bai and Jia Shu being his key supporters.

Thinking about this, Tian Xiaotian felt somewhat reassured: after all, if someone like Qiu Tu couldn't be trusted, who in the entire Investigation Department could be?

Surely, Qiu Tu, who had been promoted to Deputy Section Chief, wouldn't harbor any ill intentions toward Yan Chen and Jia Shu, right?

With this thought, Tian Xiaotian finally made up his mind. His gaze became resolute as he packed all the documents into his backpack. Then, he stealthily slipped out of the secretary's office and headed downstairs.

However, he didn't notice that just as he turned the corner, Deputy Chairman Tian's secretary happened to walk by on the other side of the corridor.

The secretary caught a glimpse of a broad figure flashing around the corner and hesitated.

'Was that Young Master Tian?'

She glanced at her office, then at the empty corner, shook her head slightly, and paid it no mind.

...

Qiu Tu and Qin Shuman drove to the building of Deputy Chairman Tian's communications company. Qiu Tu met Tian Xiaotian alone in a nearby alley and received the travel records and gift exchange logs of Deputy Chairman Tian and Yin Caimei.

Before handing over the documents, Tian Xiaotian still seemed a bit uneasy. He clutched his backpack and looked at Qiu Tu with small, anxious eyes, "Brother Tu, swear it! Swear that you're really trying to clear my father's name!"

Seeing this, Qiu Tu didn't hesitate at all. He swore, "Rest assured. I swear on my benefactor Minister Jia Shu, if I intend to harm your father, may he die a terrible death!"

Tian Xiaotian, however, keenly noticed a flaw in that oath:

Jia Shu was indeed Qiu Tu's superior, but... Qiu Tu's multiple promotions had relied more on Yan Chen!

Tian Xiaotian quickly clutched his backpack and shook his head. "No! Swear on Director Yan!"

Qiu Tu was speechless. ‘Director Yan, this guy really won't let you off the hook... but that's not on me,’ he thought silently. With no other choice, Qiu Tu made another oath, this time swearing on Yan Chen's life.

Finally, Tian Xiaotian seemed reassured and handed over the backpack to Qiu Tu.

As Qiu Tu took the backpack and looked at this "naive son of a wealthy family," he couldn't help but feel a slight pang of guilt. So, he kindly and subtly suggested, "Xiaotian, maybe you should eat a little less. Being overweight can affect blood flow to your brain."

To his surprise, Tian Xiaotian looked at him in astonishment and said, "How am I overweight? My dad says I'm just a bit out of shape because there's not enough space at home for exercise!"

As he spoke, he even patted his belly and muttered quietly, "Now that you mention it, I'm actually feeling a bit hungry. I should find something to eat later."

Qiu Tu was left speechless. Yep, he's definitely hungry. He's talking nonsense...

After saying goodbye to Tian Xiaotian, Qiu Tu returned to the car with the travel records and gift exchange logs. Qin Shuman had been waiting there for a while, and the two of them began sorting through the box of documents.

As they worked, Qiu Tu curiously asked, "It seems like Assistant Su hasn't spoken in a while?"

Qin Shuman chuckled softly. "She's asleep."

"This girl doesn't have many flaws, but she sure does love to sleep."

Qiu Tu smiled and remarked, "In these times, being able to sleep well is actually a blessing."

Qin Shuman smiled and shook her head. As she continued to go through the documents, she commented, "You chose a good approach."

"Deputy Chairman Tian is different from ordinary people. He's busy with work, and he's always chauffeured around."

"In the planning areas, private cars are rare, and fuel costs are exorbitant. So, every time he travels, his secretary has to log it and regularly cross-check the fuel expenses with the driver and finance department."

"Furthermore, with his frequent business interactions and the numerous gifts he receives and gives, the secretary also has to keep a detailed record of the gift exchanges for future reference."

"With these two sets of documents, we can quickly map out Deputy Chairman Tian's social circle, network, and even identify his travel routes, secret hideouts, and safe houses."

Qiu Tu nodded in agreement as he quickly flipped through the gift exchange logs.

Both of them were Cataclysm Awakened, so their physical and mental abilities were far superior to ordinary people. Within minutes, Qiu Tu suddenly pulled out a particular gift list.

He examined it closely, his brows furrowing slightly as he murmured, "How could it be them?"

Sensing something unusual, Qin Shuman paused her search and looked up at Qiu Tu.

Seeing him engrossed in the document, she leaned over to take a look as well. Upon seeing the content, she was equally surprised. "The Qin family?"

She turned to look at Qiu Tu, and he happened to glance at her at the same time.

The space in the car was already cramped, and with them leaning so close, their noses touched, and a faint, electric current seemed to pass between their lips.

Catching a whiff of Su Xiaowan's fragrance, and looking at that face—different from Qin Shuman's, yet with a trace of innocence and naivety—Qiu Tu felt his lips dry. The contrast of the unfamiliar mixed with the familiar was dangerously tempting...

Qin Shuman clearly sensed Qiu Tu's change. She cleared her throat, took a step back, and softly reminded him, "Don't be silly. This is weird."

She then pointed to the name on the gift list, steering the conversation back on track. "So, that forbidden book is related to the Qin family?"

Qiu Tu adjusted his mood slightly and refocused on the task.

Indeed, the gift list was connected to the Qin family. It detailed a small dinner party hosted by the Qin family.

The gathering was quite exclusive. Apart from the Qin family head, Qin Heng, and the third branch member, Qin Shu, only a few others attended, most of whom were prominent businessmen with ties to the Qin family.

Author's Note