Then let them offer their loyalty!

The meeting concluded, and the results were quickly announced. So, only two or three hours after Mr. Tang left, the New Territories received news that Qiu Tu had been officially appointed as a member of the Tung Yip State Assembly.

The investigation department was, of course, extremely excited.

But the military headquarters and the city hall are different...

.....

City Hall, Committee Member Jiang's office.

Committee Member Jiang stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the light snowflakes drifting down outside, his expression somewhat grim...

To be fair, he actually quite liked Qiu Tu.

After all... he had "invested" in Qiu Tu when Qiu Tu was still a section chief.

Among the three giants of the New Territories at the time, he was the first to discover Qiu Tu's abilities and talents.

After that, he continued to have his secretary, Tao Yaoyao, maintain contact with Qiu Tu intermittently and provide Qiu Tu with some assistance.

Originally, he wanted to turn Qiu Tu into a weapon to counterbalance Yan Chen!

As it turned out... this weapon was so sharp that it actually "killed" Yan Chen!

This unexpected turn of events surprised Jiang Zhenpeng, but it also brought him great joy.

After all... Tang Feifei is obviously much easier to deal with than Yan Chen.

Moreover, without the status of a legislator, Tang Feifei will always be inferior to Jiang Zhenpeng.

Based on the experience of other states, when a city has only one councilor, the power of other city agencies will naturally be transferred to that councilor.

That councilor will gradually become the de facto ruler of the entire city.

As a result, before Jiang Zhenpeng could even savor the taste of absolute power, Tang Feifei was promoted, and even rose to the top in one fell swoop, becoming the vice speaker, while Qiu Tu became the de facto controller of the Investigation Bureau.

This unexpected turn of events left Jiang Zhenpeng somewhat overwhelmed, but... it brought him double joy!

Qiu Tu is indeed extraordinary, but... after all, he has a shallow background, little experience, and a low position.

Let alone the deputy director, even the director, given Qiu Tu's qualifications and background, would definitely be the weakest of the three highest-ranking officials.

Qiu Tu then only had two choices: "ally with Liu Bei against Cao Cao" or directly defect to himself, who was "Cao Cao".

To prevent Qiu Tu from colluding with the military, Jiang Zhenpeng also arranged for his cousins, Lin Chuan and Lin Ting, to speak ill of Qiu Tu.

In particular, Jiang Zhenpeng knew from Lin Ting that Lin Ting was Yan Chen's sycophant and simple-minded.

So he bribed people around Lin Ting and told Lin Ting many times that Qiu Tu betrayed Yan Chen, stabbed Yan Chen in the back, and climbed to power by clinging to women's thighs, and that he didn't actually have much real ability.

His actions were indeed very effective. The Lin brothers, Ting and Chuan, had a fierce conflict with Qiu Tu, and their relationship completely soured.

Now, one of them is being reprimanded by the state government, and the other has been transferred.

From then on, Lin Chuan and Qiu Tu became sworn enemies, making it difficult for them to unite in the future.

So, Jiang Zhenpeng finally breathed a sigh of relief. He felt that his day of turning the tables and taking control of the New Territories was finally here! He would finally be in charge of the city!

As a result, at this time... Qiu Tuxian successfully became the director of the New Territories City Investigation Department.

He then gained the favor and praise of Mr. Tang.

And now... he's risen even higher, becoming a state assemblyman for East Asia, a position equal to his own.

This unexpected turn of events really left Jiang Zhenpeng feeling quite depressed...

'A member of the Dongye State Legislative Assembly...'

As he silently muttered the title to himself, Jiang Zhenpeng's expression grew increasingly grim.

Think about all those years he's worked diligently and climbed the ladder, and it took him so many years of hard work to finally reach the position of state legislator.

As a result, Qiu Tu... became a state legislator in just two years, challenging his own position.

But when he thought of Qiu Tu's unparalleled strategic skills and his ruthless nature in showing no mercy to his enemies, he couldn't help but feel a chill.

'That's unfair! It's so unfair!'

Thinking this, Committee Member Jiang muttered resentfully...

.....

Meanwhile, in the New Territories, at the military headquarters.

Compared to Committee Member Jiang, Lin Chuan was clearly much more irritable.

When Lin Chuan learned that Qiu Tu had gained Tang Lao's favor and had been added as a councilor, he was so angry that he smashed a whole room of furniture!

Finally, he kicked a stool away, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace...

...

Of course... apart from these two people who have interests or grudges with Qiu Tu.

Most of the other important figures in Dongyezhou did not have much ill will towards Qiu Tu's appointment as a member of parliament.

On the contrary, many legislators were very interested in Qiu Tu, a rising star who had won the favor of Tang Lao.

In fact, many councilors were looking forward to Qiu Tu's first "regular council meeting" after learning that "three speakers openly opposed Huang Shangzong and then spoke in support of Qiu Tu at the recent meeting".

They guessed that something funny would definitely happen then...

And so, Qiu Tu's appointment as a member of parliament gradually began to exert a unique influence in Dongye Prefecture....

More and more influential figures in the state are beginning to anticipate the extent of the trouble Qiu Tu will cause in Dongye Prefecture...

......

Meanwhile, at the same time, while the situation was causing a great uproar in the state...

Yan Chen's Garden Villa in the New Territories.

Ellie lay flat on Yan Yan's bed, looking utterly dejected.

She swayed her pink and green pigtails, then said dejectedly, "Yan Yan, what should we do?"

"Qiu Tu has now gained Tang Lao's favor, and our plan has failed miserably, with no hope of turning things around."

She stared blankly at the ceiling, then said, "And the most troublesome thing is... we still don't even know what merit Qiu Tu has made."

"I now suspect that the Speaker already knows what merit Qiu Tu has made."

"In that case, our ability to get things done will definitely disappoint the Speaker."

Yan Yan was seething with hatred as she watched Ellie, who had been coming to her room for four consecutive days and leaving her no space at all, gnashed her teeth in anger...

She didn't leave herself any space. The space she left for Qiu Tu below was completely unusable!

Ellie doesn't have an owner, but she does!

Why can't Ellie be more understanding of her?

Moreover, not only is she inconsiderate, but Ellie also mentions Qiu Tu in her ear every day?!

What's the difference between this and drawing fish every day in front of a cat that can't steal any fish?

However, Yan Yan is now an informant, so she can only keep all of this to herself and pretend to care about Ellie.

A hint of distress appeared on her angelic face at the opportune moment, then she said sincerely, "This does seem like a difficult situation..."

Ellie was just making a casual comment. So when she heard Yan Yan's words, Ellie responded with a sigh, "Everything is difficult at the beginning, then difficult in the middle, and then difficult at the end."

"Who would have thought that I was just ordered to investigate Qiu Tu, but I ended up getting myself into this mess."

Seeing Ellie so distressed, Yan Yan looked at her with her clear, doe-like eyes and then blinked gently.

After a moment, as if she had thought of something, a thought struck her. Then she said, "Ellie... have you considered asking Qiu Tu directly?"

"Go ask Qiu Tu directly?" Ellie was taken aback for a moment, then quickly waved her hand. "What kind of suggestion is that? Qiu Tu isn't stupid, how could he possibly tell me if I ask him?"

Yan Yan said, "That's right. He wouldn't tell you just because you asked."

"But... you can make a bet with him."

Upon hearing about the bet, Ellie immediately became interested.

She rolled over, sat up in bed, and asked, "What bet?"

A sweet smile appeared on Yan Yan's innocent face. "It's very simple... Take out something that interests him, lure him in, and make a bet with him."

"If we win the bet, can't we get information from him?"

Hearing Yan Yan's words, Ellie's heart stirred slightly, finding it somewhat interesting. She lowered her head and murmured softly, "So what is he interested in...?"

Halfway through her sentence, Ellie seemed to remember something and looked up at Yan Yan...

Yan Yan clearly noticed Ellie's gaze. For a moment, her breathing quickened.

Just then, Ellie frantically shook her head, "No, no, no. How can I use you as a bet?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Yan also became a little anxious.

But she was afraid of arousing Ellie's suspicion. So... she thought for a moment and said directly, "Ellie, are you afraid of losing to Qiu Tu?"

These words hit Ellie's sore spot almost perfectly! She jumped up abruptly and retorted defiantly, "Me, the God of Gamblers Ellie, losing?! That's a joke!"

"Since you've put it that way, fine, then I'll go and bet with Qiu Tu!" After saying that, she paused, then reiterated her stance, "But, Yan Yan, don't worry. Even if I lose my underwear to Qiu Tu, I won't put you at the betting table!"

Yan Yan: ? ? ?

After saying that, Ellie got up, took Yan Yan's hand, and drove towards Qiu Tu's villa...

--------

Two chapters, 10,000 words each. Please vote with monthly tickets!

Chapter 419 Ellie Arrives. (10,000 words, please vote!)

at the same time.

Qiu Tu's villa.

As one of the new three giants of the New Territories, Qiu Tu's current treatment can be described as top-notch.

Whether it's food, accommodation, or transportation, everything is provided to the highest standards for the area under development.

Not only was it equipped with a dedicated security team, but it also had everything from maids to butlers.

Although Chen Feng was transferred to the administrative department midway through his career, he was quite capable.

In addition, he is calm and composed, and meticulous and thorough in his work. Every arrangement he made was handled very appropriately.

Therefore, Qiu Tu was very satisfied with the decision he made back then.

Of course, most importantly, Chen Feng is Qiu Tu's absolute confidant and trustworthy enough.

In the arrangement of such close personal and security personnel, loyalty is more important than anything else.

Many powerful figures are not killed by enemies or outsiders, but rather by their closest confidants...

Although Qiu Tu possesses two powerful tools—a "crisis instinct" and a "loyalty game"—selecting reliable individuals beforehand can always reduce a lot of trouble.

Meanwhile, amidst the heavy guard, Qiu Tu had a black cat on his lap, gently stroking it while chatting with the person opposite him.

Having firmly secured his position as Director of the Investigation Bureau, Qiu Tu's demeanor became even more refined, giving off an aura of authority without needing to be angry.

"Director Guan, I'm very happy that you came to see me tonight... but I'm not entirely happy either."

Having said that, Qiu Tu slowly stopped, then stroked the black cat and said nothing more.

The dimly lit reception room had a 7-meter-high ceiling, with a crystal chandelier hanging overhead like a giant sword.

The oppressive scene made Guan Weihua, who was sitting opposite Qiu Tu, feel increasingly pressured, and sweat poured down his forehead.

Perhaps because he couldn't figure out what Qiu Tu meant, Guan Weihua didn't even dare to wipe his sweat. He could only look at Qiu Tu awkwardly, thinking about how to respond.

He was somewhat quick-witted, so after a few seconds of his mind racing, he tentatively said, "Chief, I'm sorry to have disappointed you by coming to see you so late."

"But... as you know, I come from an 'academic' background, and I'm quite hesitant about changing schools."

"I hope you can forgive me."

Guan Weihua wasn't making excuses. On the contrary, he was simply explaining his motivation for coming to Qiu Tu's aid so late, which made him seem very sincere.

Upon hearing his words, Qiu Tu looked at him with eyes devoid of joy or sorrow, gently placing his hands on the black cat and slowly stroking its body with his slender fingertips.

The imposing presence of that person in a high position, along with their composed demeanor, immediately made Guan Weihua feel as if a weight was pressing down on him.