Then let them offer their loyalty!

Qin Zhengguang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, bowed his head, and accepted the order, saying, "Yes."

With the two in agreement, the rest was easy. Qiu Tu reported all the other evidence and clues, even revealing that Master Qin had bribed him earlier that day.

However, according to Qiu Tu, the bribe Qin Siye gave him today was not something he asked for, but rather something Qin Siye offered him voluntarily, with the aim of stopping Qiu Tu's investigation of him.

Thus, a complex political deal was reached in just over half an hour of reporting.

Qiu Tu successfully completed his mission, the Qin family averted the crisis, and Yan Chen gained the Qin family's allegiance. As for Secretary Bai... he also got a piece of the story.

So, when they left the office, everyone's expressions were fairly good.

Leave Yan Chen's office.

As the door slowly closed behind him, Qin Zhengguang looked at Qiu Tu with a complicated expression. He ignored Secretary Bai, who was still with him, and simply said softly, "Thank you."

Qiu Tu replied with a smile, "If Director Qin only expresses his gratitude verbally, it would be rather insincere."

Qin Zhengguang hadn't expected Qiu Tu to be so direct, and was momentarily speechless. So he looked at Qiu Tu with a wry smile and said, "Don't worry, it won't just be a verbal thank you."

Qiu Tu smiled and saluted, "Then I thank Director Qin in advance."

Qin Zhengguang didn't say much. He shook his head with a wry smile and then took the elevator away from the 12th floor.

Although he reached a verbal agreement with Yan Chen, the Qin family's crisis was not truly over.

—Before everything is finalized, a verbal agreement is worthless, even if it's just a piece of paper. Therefore, he must return to the Qin family as soon as possible to discuss the matter with his elder brother and then persuade Fourth Master Qin to sacrifice himself...

After watching Qin Zhengguang's elevator doors close, Secretary Bai gave Qiu Tu a slight nod, and Qiu Tu, understanding the signal, followed Secretary Bai into the office.

As she entered the office, Secretary Bai casually closed the door behind her and said softly, "You really gave me a fright just now."

"I thought you really... had been used as a pawn."

His face was filled with lingering fear. "The Qin family is not to be trifled with. They are one of the biggest local bullies in the New Territories. Even the Commissioner has to be careful around them."

"Moreover, the New Territories City is in its early stages and needs the strong support of various forces. The shelter also needs to spend a lot of money to set an example for other undeveloped disaster areas."

"Therefore, the Qin family will not fall, nor can it fall. This is a political necessity."

"So when I heard that you had uncovered evidence of the Qin family's collusion, I was really on edge."

"Fortunately, you were clever. Although you raised the issue high, you lowered it gently. You not only presented your evidence to the Qin family but also left the opportunity to handle the matter to them. Most importantly, you saved Qin Zhengguang."

At this point, Secretary Bai looked at Qiu Tu with a gratified expression.

"If it weren't for your story about turning the tide, the Qin family would have 100% sacrificed Qin Zhengguang."

"At that time, the Qin family, who have suffered heavy losses, will definitely hold a grudge against you. Once they catch their breath, they will not let you off easily."

"But now that you've saved Qin Zhengguang, things are different. You've done Qin Zhengguang a favor, so even if the Qin family is dissatisfied with you, Qin Zhengguang can help you withstand some of the pressure."

"He is the number two person in the Qin family, and his position in the Qin family is very important."

"Furthermore, by taking advantage of this opportunity, the Qin family can completely eradicate all their black and gray industries, launder their money, and have no more worries."

"Who knows... the Qin family might even be grateful to you after surviving this ordeal."

"So you..." Secretary Bai gave Qiu Tu a deep look and commented, "You did a pretty good job. You've improved."

After listening to Secretary Bai's analysis, Qiu Tu chuckled twice and said modestly, "Sir, you flatter me. I was just reporting the facts. I didn't think that much about it."

Secretary Bai pointed at Qiu Tu and said with a laugh, "You, you just can't stand being praised."

After speaking, his expression returned to calm. Then he gave Qiu Tu a deep look and softly reminded him, "However... Qiu Tu, you can't let your guard down..."

"While the director is very satisfied with your mission this time, there's an irreparable rift between you two..."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu's expression also turned serious.

Secretary Bai didn't finish her sentence, but both of them knew what was going on...

However, Qiu Tu's expression softened in an instant.

After all... his plan wasn't over yet.

Using the internal strife within the Qin family to accomplish his mission was merely the first step in his plan. He had even bigger plans in store...

......

Meanwhile, in Yan Chen's dimly lit office...

Yan Chen leaned back in the chair, his figure appearing and disappearing in the darkness, with only his face slightly outlined under the light.

He crossed his arms over his lower abdomen, looked at Jia Shu with a neutral gaze, and asked softly, "What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Shu chuckled and said, "A brilliant plan to kill several birds with one stone."

He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and analyzed, "If I'm not mistaken, the person who told Qiu Tu this information and clues should be the fourth son of the Qin family."

"These intelligence reports and clues point to Qin Zhengguang."

"It was through his cooperation with the fourth son of the Qin family that Qiu Tu was able to grasp Qin Zhengguang's various problems so quickly."

"But after figuring out Qin Zhengguang's problems, he found that he had reached a dead end."

"If he supports Qin Laosi in trying to bring down Qin Zhengguang, it will not only take a long time, but also... he will likely suffer various forms of retaliation from the Qin family."

"So, he cleverly changed his approach. He threw out the bait, letting the Qin family fight amongst themselves and choose a scapegoat. That way, no matter who wins, he wins."

"In this way, he not only greatly reduced the hatred he had for the Qin family, but also caused the Qin family to fall apart and become unable to form a united force. He even... won the favor of some members of the Qin family."

"Most importantly, he deliberately asked for your opinion in front of Qin Zhengguang."

"This may seem like a show of respect, but it's actually a further attempt to shift the blame."

"If you agree to let the Qin family resolve this internally, then the Qin family will owe you a debt of gratitude, as will their debt to him. If you disagree, then the Qin family's hatred will fall on you."

"After all, he spared the Qin family, but you are unwilling to do so. Therefore, the Qin family hates you the most."

Yan Chen chuckled twice after hearing this, then said in a low voice, "It's not just that..."

"This Qiu Tu really sees things very clearly."

At this point, Yan Chen said with a complicated expression, "The reason he sold Qin Lao Si to save Qin Zheng Guang was because he knew I would definitely protect Qin Zheng Guang."

"Outsiders only know that the Qin family cannot fall when the New Territories are newly established. But... can my Investigation Department fall?"

"Qin Zhengguang is the director of my Investigation Bureau. If he is colluding with the Alliance, what will outsiders think of the Investigation Bureau and me?"

"Will the city hall take this opportunity to cause trouble?"

"There are just too many unknown possibilities..."

"Therefore, the Qin family can be in trouble, but Qin Zhengguang cannot be in trouble."

"If Qin Zhengguang hadn't gotten into trouble, the Investigation Bureau would have discovered the Qin family's problems; the Investigation Bureau deserves credit for that."

"If Qin Zhengguang gets into trouble, even if the Investigation Bureau uncovers problems with the Qin family, at most their merits and demerits will offset each other?"

After finishing, he paused, then concluded, "You have to understand that in this sensitive period, the Qin family can be in trouble, but the Investigation Bureau and the City Hall cannot make mistakes! The selection of those to provide shelter also cannot be flawed..."

Upon hearing this, Jia Shu smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "The Director is wise."

Yan Chen ignored Jia Shu's flattery. His throat felt a little sore after speaking so much. So he picked up the tea on the table and took a sip.

After clearing his throat, he asked again, "What do you think of Qiu Tu?"

Jia Shu commented with a half-smile, "Talented. Ambitious."

As he spoke, he glanced at Yan Chen, "If she weren't entangled with Qin Shuman, perhaps we could have recruited her."

Yan Chen remained silent, his eyes unfathomable.

Seeing this, Jia Shu further commented, "But it's still fine for making a knife."

Upon hearing this, Yan Chen said in a low voice, "Be careful not to hurt someone with a knife..."

Jia Shu laughed, "Indeed. His ambitions are too great."

"Having just started working independently on cases, he dared to use the case-handling funds to buy people's hearts, and even dragged a first-level detective into the mess."

"If it's not controlled, who knows what kind of trouble will arise."

Yan Chen hummed in agreement. "So what are you planning to do next?"

Jia Shu adjusted his glasses, his eyes gleaming behind the lenses. "It's simple. Just go with the flow."

"Didn't he find evidence of the Qin family's crimes? That also confirms Qin Shuman's guilt."

"The Political Department should, of course, imprison and thoroughly interrogate any spies planted by the Alliance around you."

"As for Qiu Tu..."

"The Investigation Bureau was newly established, and many positions were vacant. He made such a great contribution, so of course he should be promoted."

“I think he should leave the grassroots team and be promoted to the office as a deputy section chief so that he can give full play to his talents.”

"For example...the interrogation section of the political department."

The room was shrouded in darkness, as if swallowing up all traces of light. Only a few faint rays of sunlight pierced through the curtains, outlining the eerie silhouettes of the furniture...

........

Leaving Yan Chen's office, Jia Shu had a smile on his face, as if he had encountered something extremely happy.

However, this good mood vanished after meeting Secretary Bai.

"You were waiting for me?" Jia Shu looked at Secretary Bai, who was standing at the door of his office, with a half-smile.

Secretary Bai coldly took out two slips of paper and handed them to him, "This is Qiu Tu's funding application. Please sign it and file it."

Jia Shu took the note, glanced at it, and smiled.

The note contained Qiu Tu's approval to convert Qin Siye's bribe into a personal bonus.

This was what Qiu Tu had requested from Yan Chen when he mentioned in the office that Master Qin had bribed him.

Yan Chen certainly didn't care about such a small amount of money, and since it was a crucial time for reporting, he nodded in agreement.

Unexpectedly, Qiu Tu not only received verbal approval, but also wrote a paper application.

Jia Shu casually picked up a pen, signed his name, handed one copy to Secretary Bai for filing, and kept one for himself. Then he looked at Secretary Bai with a scrutinizing gaze and said with a half-smile, "You seem to have a special feeling for Qiu Tu."

Secretary Bai calmly took back the note and then turned and went back to her office.

The office door was closed, and Jia Shu was the only one left in the empty corridor.

"Hehehe..." Jia Shu chuckled twice, a strange light flashing in his eyes, "Still the same bad temper."

As he spoke, his eyes seemed to turn bloodshot. But he quickly suppressed it.

Then he glanced once more at Secretary Bai's door, shrugged indifferently, hummed a little tune, and walked back to his office.

Upon arriving at the office, he filed the application form, then opened a drawer, took out the document, and signed a promotion order.

The promotion order was simple: Detective Qiu Tu was promoted to deputy head of the interrogation department and ordered to take office the next day.

After writing the promotion order, Jia Shu immediately signed another document, the contents of which were... the arrest of Qin Shuman.

After signing the two documents, Jia Shu did not issue them immediately.

He stood up, walked to the window, put his hands in his pockets, and gazed out the window through his glasses with his narrow eyes.

For some reason... he always felt uneasy, as if something was about to happen.

Chapter 45 Promotion! Envious Crowds (7000 words, please continue reading!)

Thinking this, Jia Shu stood by the window for a while, going over the whole thing in his mind again.

After a moment, he returned to his desk and revised Qiu Tu's appointment, changing "to take office tomorrow" to "to take office immediately".

Then the arrest warrant for Qin Shuman was temporarily shelved, to be issued after the Qin family had dealt with their own affairs...

Ultimately, he opted for a more cautious approach...

........

"My God! Another promotion?"

"Who?"

"Who else could it be but Commander Qiu?"

"Huh? Commander Qiu got promoted again?"

In the era of radio and vehicles, commands could be transmitted very quickly.