Then let them offer their loyalty!

Upon hearing this, Atai scratched his head sheepishly and said, "I don't care! I'm going to save you!"

"From the moment you picked me up as a child, my life has belonged to you!"

Hearing Atai's words, Qiu Tu's eyes flickered, and he couldn't help but think of his past with Atai...

That day, what Qiu Tu and Fang Ming said was indeed half true and half false. It was true that Atai had indeed been involved in gangs and was blacklisted for rebelling against the military.

The truth is... it wasn't that Qiu Tu received care from Atai's parents, but rather that the two of them, or rather, the dozen or so of them, had always relied on each other for survival.

Qiu Tu was an orphan born in a chaotic world, surviving by scavenging for garbage as a child. At six, he found the dying Atai in a garbage dump; at eight, he found an eagle; and at ten, he found Akun…

In a time of disaster and chaos, where every day was uncertain, several children banded together for survival. Gradually, this small group grew, eventually reaching more than twenty members.

Later, as they grew up, they were gradually recruited and absorbed by local gangs, but their bond remained strong, and they continued to help each other.

Later, the shelter designated the New Territories as a planned development zone, and the military launched a sweep ahead of schedule. Various underground gangs were wiped out like bubbles.

Some of the teenagers in the small group were killed, some were blacklisted, and some ran away.

Finally, with the establishment of the New Territories City, Qiu Tu, due to his handsome appearance, good health, and no criminal record, coupled with the fact that he learned to drive while in the gang, successfully became a detective. He then went on to find his brothers one by one and make proper arrangements for them...

Therefore, he and Atai had a life-or-death bond, which is why Atai could say so sincerely: even if he were to be shot to death, he would save Qiu Tu...

Thinking of this, Qiu Tu gave Atai a deep look, and then patted him heavily on the shoulder.

Qiu Tu needs subordinates like Li Ke who gravitate towards him for personal gain; he needs brothers like Atai even more.

As a great man once said: To achieve great things, you must make many friends and few enemies.

Only by uniting all forces that can be united can we grow bigger and stronger and create brilliance!

......

After changing into his uniform and putting on his new epaulets, Qiu Tu received a call from Jia Shu.

In the communication, Jia Shu asked him to go to the garden villa, saying that there was a task to be assigned.

Qiu Tu guessed that Yan Chen had already made a decision.

So he briefly explained things to Atai and Eagle, then went downstairs, bought a steamed bun, ate it, and boarded a horse-powered city bus heading towards Yan Chen's villa.

As for Artest and Eagles, they weren't idle either. After tidying themselves up, they went to work at the Old Alley Street Police Station with their heads held high.

They were able to become temporary agents entirely because Qiu Tu had infiltrated Yan Chen's ranks. Initially, the station valued them highly and entrusted them with important tasks.

But later they discovered that Yan Chen didn't seem to care about them at all and never mentioned them, so the staff gradually realized what was going on.

As a result, they were gradually marginalized and relegated to the bottom of the institute.

But things are different now. Qiu Tu has been promoted to a first-class detective in the Political Department, and his brothers will also rise in rank and feel proud...

So they couldn't wait to go to the institute to announce the good news....

Wearing fine clothes in the dark? Forget about it! In this apocalyptic world, if you don't show your fists, everyone will dare to shit on you!

Only by becoming stronger and telling everyone that you are strong will others not dare to bully you!

【11:27:03 (Treasure Chest)】

...

After changing buses twice and walking for more than ten minutes, Qiu Tu finally arrived at the City Garden again.

After this long journey, Qiu Tu had only one thought in his mind: he still needed to get a car! Otherwise, it would take too much time!

Thinking this, Qiu Tu confirmed his identity with the sentry and then stepped into the garden.

Yan Chen is indeed a person with refined taste. This garden is beautiful at night, but even more beautiful during the day.

The well-arranged bushes, the neatly trimmed greenery, and the fountain shimmering in the sunlight—all these elements can make one temporarily forget that this is a cataclysmic world.

Indeed, in any world and any era, the lives of the upper class are always exceptionally privileged.

"Qiu Tu?"

As Qiu Tu was secretly reflecting, he suddenly heard Fang Ming's voice in his ear.

Qiu Tu looked up and saw Fang Ming leading a team, escorting a girl out.

The girl looked young, only fifteen or sixteen years old. Her face was painted with red, yellow, and blue paint, and her eyes were sharp yet slightly fierce, like a wolf cub ready to bite at any moment.

Qiu Tu glanced at the girl and asked curiously, "What did she do that requires your Special Operations Department to escort her personally?"

Fang Ming scoffed and said with a smile, "She's a black market pharmacist we caught yesterday in Xiafang Street. The higher-ups seem to take it very seriously; they specifically ordered us to bring her here for interrogation."

"We've just finished the interrogation, and we're about to take her away."

Chapter 16 The Young Pharmacist

"Pharmacist?" Upon hearing this title, Qiu Tu blinked, then his gaze fell on the girl.

Perhaps having overheard the two talking about her, the girl bared her teeth at Qiu Tu with a fierce expression.

Unfortunately... she was too young, and with two little tiger teeth, Qiu Tu only saw her cuteness.

“Xiafang Street…Xiafang Street…” Qiu Tu muttered the name “Xiafang Street” twice, then suddenly realized why it sounded so familiar.

This was the task Yan Chen had asked him to handle yesterday, but he had turned it down.

So, this girl is the prisoner they were originally going to take away?

Thinking about this, Qiu Tu couldn't help but feel a sense of fate, so he casually asked, "By the way, where is she being sent?"

Perhaps Qiu Tu's question was a bit sensitive, so Fang Ming didn't know how to answer it right away.

Just then, in this awkward moment, Fang Ming suddenly noticed Qiu Tu's new uniform.

He was taken aback for a moment, then pointed at Qiu Tu's new uniform and asked in surprise, "You've been transferred to the Political Department?"

Qiu Tu nodded lightly.

Fang Ming glanced at Qiu Tu's epaulets, and the next second, he was even more surprised, "Level 1 Detective? You got promoted?"

Qiu Tu nodded slightly again.

Fang Ming opened his mouth, wanting to say something but unable to. In the end, after several attempts, he only managed to utter one sentence: "Awesome."

After learning about Qiu Tu's new position, he stopped beating around the bush and answered Qiu Tu's question directly: "She will be sent to the Jiuxiang Street Police Station for temporary detention."

The Political Department has the right to oversee all departments, so his answer to Qiu Tu's question was entirely in accordance with regulations.

"Old alleyway...?" Upon hearing this answer, Qiu Tu paused for a moment, then seemed to ponder deeply...

After a few more casual words, the conversation ended with the girl yelling, "Are you guys leaving or not?!" "You guys are so unprofessional!" "Don't criminals have human rights?!"

After saying goodbye to Fang Ming, Qiu Tu entered the villa and, following the directions in Jia Shu's communication, quickly found a stone staircase after wandering around for a while.

Walking down the stone steps, you reach a huge oak door, inlaid with iron decorations, which looks ancient and solemn.

Qiu Tu stopped, raised his hand and knocked on the door with the doorbell. Jia Shu's voice came from inside very quickly, "Please come in."

Qiu Tu pushed open the door and went inside, only to find that it was a huge underground secret room.

The walls were made of rough stones, and in the center stood an oak workbench covered in dried blood and knife marks, surrounded by various knives and instruments of torture.

A young girl, covered in wounds and showing no signs of life, was tied to an oak table. Jia Shu, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, stood beside her, his left hand gloved and his right hand holding a sharp scalpel, dissecting her body.

The knife tip traced the bone, flesh folded back, exposing internal organs. His movements were precise to the point of reverence, as if performing a silent ritual...

The chandelier cast a weak and cold light, dividing light and shadow into a strange geometric pattern, while the air was filled with a faint smell of rust and the scent of undried blood.

Even Qiu Tu, who had seen many grand occasions in his previous life, almost couldn't withstand the hellish scene.

After a long while, a faint, inexplicable sigh echoed in the secret room from Jia Shu: "What a pity..."

Then, he put the scalpel aside, took off his gloves, and washed his hands in the sink next to him.

The clear water gradually turned red, resembling a basin of blood...

He said calmly, "This girl's parents used to be low-level administrators at the city hall. She could have had a bright future, going to school and playing with the other administrators' children..."

"Then, after growing up, I'll have a sweet romance, get married, have children, and live a simple but happy life..."

"But yesterday's investigation revealed that her parents had been secretly in contact with and providing assistance to anti-government forces."

"And so, a once vibrant flower withered and died..."

Although Jia Shu's words were full of regret, combined with his calm tone and the chilling methods he used to torture and execute the girl, Qiu Tu felt a chill creep into his heart.

After coldly introducing the girl's situation, Jia Shu picked up a towel, wiped his hands, and then folded it and put it away.

Then he walked to the wall, opened the cabinet, took out a familiar cloth bag, and tossed it to Qiu Tu.

"Did you see that pharmacist when you came over?"

Qiu Tu paused for a moment, then nodded. "I saw him."

A meaningful smile appeared on Jia Shu's lips. "The director has approved your plan, but made a small change."

"Cataclysmic materials are controlled items and cannot be used to help you with your missions. That's why the black market pharmacist is giving them to you."

"She not only knows how to make the Cataclysmic Potion, but also has connections in the black market. Her value far exceeds that of simple Cataclysmic materials. That's enough to satisfy the Qin family."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu's heart skipped a beat.

Apothecaries are indeed more valuable than Cataclysmic Materials, but... they're not as convenient as Cataclysmic Materials either.

With the disaster relief materials in hand, one can simply run away if things go wrong.

But if you take a living person, especially a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, it will undoubtedly greatly increase the difficulty and risk of escaping.

Did Yan Chen guess that he might run away, so he deliberately arranged for a burden to accompany him?

While Qiu Tu's mind raced, he didn't forget to continue acting with Jia Shu, "Catastrophe potion? Pharmacist? What are these?"

Jia Shu adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and said nonchalantly, "These questions are all answered in the documents in the cloth bag. You can take your time to look at them."

"By the way, remember to destroy and keep it a secret after you've finished reading."

After saying that, he gave Qiu Tu a deep look and said calmly, "You don't want to know the consequences of leaking information..."

Qiu Tu: ....

After warning Qiu Tu, Jia Shu waved his hand to see the guest out, "Alright, go out and look at the documents."

"After you finish reading, remember to go find Qin Shuman and persuade her to return to the Qin family."

"The director's patience is limited."

"Yes, sir!" Qiu Tu stood at attention and gave a standard salute.

After saluting, Qiu Tu walked out of the underground chamber with the cloth bag in his hand.

Unbeknownst to him, Jia Shu's gaze followed his departing figure intently, the desire hidden behind his glasses almost overflowing from his eyes...

【9:03:18 (Treasure Chest)】

.....

Stepping out of the basement, the fresh scent of earth and fallen leaves wafted towards me, a stark contrast to the suffocating stench of blood inside.

Qiu Tu took a deep breath of the crisp, cool air, looked up at the gray sky, and stepped into the villa.

Guided by the servant, he sat down in a reception room, intending to first examine the information about the extraordinary powers of this world that Jia Shu had provided him.

This will determine his next plans...

Chapter 17 Cataclysmic Awakening

Sitting on the sofa, Qiu Tu opened the cloth bag.

The first thing that catches the eye is a document that is so thin it's only two pages long.

He put the documents aside and then checked the other items in the cloth bag.

One aurora stone, three small goldfish, and twelve silver coins. These were all given to Yan Chen by Qiu Tu yesterday, and now they have been returned to their rightful owner.

Satisfied, Qiu Tu put the assets that his dozen or so brothers had pooled together into his pocket, and then picked up the documents that were placed aside to read.

The information was limited and very simple and rudimentary, but it was enough for Qiu Tu to glimpse a corner of the extraordinary power in this world...

However, the more Qiu Tu looked at the documents, the more his brows furrowed. By the time he finally put the documents down, his face was so serious it could drip water.

'If this information is true, then I've encountered the worst-case scenario...'