Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 96: A Triple Countdown?

When Yan Chen posed the question, Qiu Tu's heart skipped a beat, knowing that the most critical moment had arrived. He quickly glanced at Jia Shu out of the corner of his eye. It seemed that Jia Shu hadn't expected Qiu Tu to uncover so many clues, or perhaps he hadn’t anticipated that Qiu Tu would dare to go against his earlier hints and seriously pursue the investigation. For the first time, Jia Shu's expression shifted from his usual calm demeanor to one of a faint, bemused smile.

Feeling the pressure of both powerful figures' gazes, Qiu Tu surprisingly didn’t feel overwhelmed. The reason he had dared to disclose so many clues and progress was that he had already formulated a plan to navigate this crisis.

Taking a deep breath, Qiu Tu looked directly at Yan Chen and suddenly pointed at Jia Shu. "Director, I suspect it was Minister Jia who orchestrated it!"

[14:58]

At Qiu Tu's words, the entire office fell into a stunned silence. Even Yan Chen, who typically maintained a stoic demeanor, appeared taken aback. Jia Shu, usually the epitome of composure, was visibly caught off guard, his bemused smile faltering.

For a moment, Jia Shu’s expression betrayed genuine surprise. He hadn't expected Qiu Tu to say so much, only to turn around and accuse him—especially when none of the clues Qiu Tu had mentioned pointed in his direction.

But knowing Qiu Tu’s reputation for calculated actions, Jia Shu’s mind raced as he tried to understand Qiu Tu's intentions.

Meanwhile, Yan Chen's brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing as he considered why Qiu Tu would make such a bold accusation. In the short time he had known Qiu Tu, Yan Chen had developed a strong impression of him. He didn’t believe that Qiu Tu genuinely thought Jia Shu was the culprit, especially not when making such an accusation in front of him.

As both men fell into deep thought, Qiu Tu held his breath, maintaining a calm exterior, waiting for feedback from the Loyalty Game and Crisis Sense.

Seconds ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity.

Finally, two notifications appeared before Qiu Tu:

[Yan Chen Suspicion -3, Satisfaction +4]

[Jia Shu Satisfaction +12]

Qiu Tu discreetly glanced at the two men. Yan Chen had returned to his impassive state, while Jia Shu’s faint smile had turned into a genuine, wide grin. More importantly, the Countdown Hourglass in Qiu Tu’s peripheral vision, which had been ticking down to [14:28], had now stopped.

Qiu Tu quietly exhaled, relieved that he had gambled correctly.

When Qiu Tu was assigning tasks to his subordinates earlier, his mind had been racing with one key question: Could the reason why Crisis Sense didn’t specify where the danger was coming from be because the crisis originated from both Yan Chen and Jia Shu? In other words, no matter which side he chose, he risked angering the other and putting himself in grave danger.

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This line of thought led Qiu Tu to a bolder hypothesis: What if no matter which side he chose, he would end up antagonizing both?

After all, Jia Shu wasn't just Yan Chen’s right-hand man; he was also one of the nine top figures in the Investigation Department, with voting power at high-level meetings. Despite any discontent Yan Chen might have with Jia Shu, would he really abandon such a valuable subordinate over a minor issue?

Qiu Tu doubted it.

As someone with his own subordinates, Qiu Tu considered how he would react if one of them, like Cao Dabiao or Chen Feng, did something against his wishes. Would he immediately discard them? No, he would likely reprimand them severely, then continue to monitor them. After all, developing a capable, loyal, and well-positioned subordinate wasn’t easy.

Having figured all this out, Qiu Tu realized his predicament. The moment he received the Crisis Alert, his initial instinct was correct: He was merely a pawn in the power play between Yan Chen and Jia Shu.

Thus, choosing a side would be a mistake. The only way to navigate the crisis was to stand with both, satisfying them both simultaneously.

With this in mind, Qiu Tu quickly analyzed their respective goals.

Yan Chen’s was straightforward: he was clearly angry and dissatisfied with Jia Shu's loss of control. Qiu Tu needed to reassure him, to make sure Yan Chen didn’t feel like things were spiraling further out of control. Given the increase in Yan Chen’s "satisfaction" and the cues from Crisis Sense, Qiu Tu knew that Yan Chen had begun to trust him again, viewing him as a loyal subordinate. To maintain this trust, Qiu Tu needed to distance himself from Jia Shu and make it clear to Yan Chen that he was firmly on his side, that Jia Shu’s schemes hadn’t fooled him, and that he was still working in line with Yan Chen’s intentions.

As for Jia Shu's goals, Qiu Tu had spent a long time analyzing them on the way to the office. He concluded that the reason Jia Shu was willing to risk Yan Chen’s ire to cover up this case was undoubtedly because of Deputy Chairman Tian. Whether it was due to some personal connection between Jia Shu and Tian or because of the communications surveillance system Tian had "donated" to the city, Qiu Tu wasn’t certain. But regardless, Jia Shu’s primary concern was ensuring that this case had no link to Deputy Chairman Tian.

As long as this condition was met, everything else would likely be negotiable for Jia Shu.

With both men’s priorities understood, Qiu Tu’s strategy for handling the crisis became clear:

He couldn’t dismiss the investigation or pin the blame on a scapegoat. He needed to honestly report the truth—but that truth couldn’t implicate Deputy Chairman Tian. If Tian was left out, then the Qin family and Shun Yun Communications couldn’t be mentioned either, as doing so would allow the cunning Yan Chen and Jia Shu to deduce Tian’s involvement, which would still put Tian at risk and anger Jia Shu.

So, after considering all the factors, Qiu Tu decided to put the blame on Jia Shu himself.

It was a clever move, signaling to Yan Chen that Qiu Tu was not allied with Jia Shu and was even willing to challenge his authority openly. At the same time, it assured Jia Shu that Qiu Tu had discovered Tian’s involvement but had chosen not to report it, following Jia Shu’s implicit command.

Qiu Tu admitted that this solution was a gamble. However, with only two minutes between receiving the assignment and facing Yan Chen, he had no time to devise a more perfect plan.

Fortunately, Qiu Tu's gamble had paid off.

As Qiu Tu silently reflected on his plan, Yan Chen let out a hoarse chuckle, a sound as dry and raspy as an ominous night owl’s cry. "Qiu Tu, your theory is quite interesting."

He glanced at Jia Shu, the cold atmosphere that had filled the room when he first entered now replaced with something more amiable. Yan Chen's voice, still rough, asked, "Minister Jia, what do you think of your subordinate’s theory?"

Clearly, Yan Chen was using Qiu Tu's accusation to subtly pressure Jia Shu.

However, Jia Shu, unconcerned, maintained his bright smile. Deputy Chairman Tian’s involvement hadn’t been revealed, which reassured him that Qiu Tu was still loyal to him. So, Jia Shu bowed slightly to Yan Chen and said, "Director, I believe Investigator Qiu is just joking."

Yan Chen turned back to Qiu Tu with a questioning look, "Oh? Is that so?"

Qiu Tu knew that he needed to firmly align himself with Yan Chen at this moment. He quickly shook his head and replied, "Director, I’m not joking."

He continued, "Minister Jia is indeed at the top of my list of suspects for three main reasons."

"First, the murder weapon, that book-shaped Cataclysm artifact, was specifically authorized by Minister Jia for the deceased to bring into the holding cell."

"Second, last night while I was investigating the case using the Mist Index Book, my superior, Interrogation Department Chief Zheng Tao, intentionally visited the morgue. The only person who knew I would be there was Minister Jia. I suspect Zheng Tao was sent by him to gather information."

"Third, and most importantly..." Qiu Tu paused, giving Jia Shu a pointed look before continuing, "When Minister Jia assigned this case to me, he hinted several times that I should find a scapegoat and close the case quickly."

[Yan Chen Satisfaction +5]

Hearing this, Yan Chen couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh, the kind that signaled a man who felt he had regained control over a situation.

But more importantly, Qiu Tu had been watching Jia Shu's reaction closely. There was no hint of malice or anger in his eyes—only intense curiosity. Clearly, as long as Qiu Tu didn’t drag Deputy Chairman Tian into this, Jia Shu didn’t care how much dirt was thrown his way. After all, Yan Chen was unlikely to take the accusations seriously.

Feeling more secure, Qiu Tu's confidence grew.

[Jia Shu Satisfaction +3]

After a few moments of laughter, Yan Chen's expression turned serious again. He resumed his stern, authoritative demeanor as the head of the Investigation Department, someone whose words carried weight.

"Qiu Tu, I recognize your abilities as an investigator, but your reasoning is entirely flawed!" he scolded in a low voice. "This time, I’ll forgive you on Minister Jia’s behalf, but don’t let there be a next time!"

He paused for emphasis before adding, "No matter the circumstances, you must never question or oppose your superiors! That would only lead to chaos within the Investigation Department!"

Despite the stern tone, Qiu Tu could tell that the reprimand carried little real weight. Understanding that it was time to shift the conversation back, he obediently lowered his head and replied, "Yes, Director. It was my lack of experience that led me astray."

Yan Chen nodded in satisfaction and said, "Good. Recognizing your mistakes is important."

His gaze deepened as he continued, "I initially thought this case might be too challenging for someone of your capabilities, and I was considering reassigning it. But seeing the progress you’ve made, I’ll leave it in your hands. However, this case has the Municipal Council's full attention, so you must find the culprit and close it quickly!"

After a moment's thought, he set a deadline. "I want results by next Wednesday at the latest!"

As Yan Chen finished speaking, the first countdown hourglass in Qiu Tu's vision transformed into a small treasure chest. But then, a second countdown hourglass began to appear.

Qiu Tu: ??

He glanced at Jia Shu, who was watching him with a knowing smile, and then at Yan Chen, who wore a stern expression.

Qiu Tu: ...

At that moment, Qiu Tu felt as though a thousand curses were racing through his mind.

Why are these two playing their twisted games at my expense? What did I ever do to deserve this?

‘One crisis wasn’t enough; now there’s a second?’

‘I managed to meet both of their demands this time thanks to the information gap, but how will I handle it next time?’

For a brief moment, Qiu Tu considered refusing the task outright. But before he could speak, a third countdown hourglass suddenly appeared beside the other two, its notification jumping out:

[Through your brilliant performance, Yan Chen has regained trust in you.]

[And with your 'help,' he successfully reprimanded Jia Shu, reclaiming his sense of control.]

[So, do not anger him or defy him at this moment of his greatest satisfaction.]

[You don’t want to find out what he might do to you in his wrath…]

Qiu Tu: ???

Alright, fine. If this is how you want to play, don’t blame me for what happens next!

Taking a deep breath, Qiu Tu looked at Yan Chen and spoke earnestly, "Director, I believe I can complete this task!"

"But... the timeline is tight, so I request authorization to use unrestricted special methods!"

Author's Note