Then let them offer their loyalty!

"Qiu Tu is clearly retaliating against what he did to my cousin!"

Upon hearing this, the adjutant quickly explained, "Colonel, no. This operation has nothing to do with Director Qiu."

"It has nothing to do with Qiu Tu?" Lin Chuan looked puzzled. "Then who else could it be?"

The adjutant explained in a low voice, "The high-ranking officers in this operation are from the 'academic' background. The leader is Ellie, formerly the head of the Third Division of Speaker Huang's Office, now the Deputy Director of the Investigation Bureau."

Upon hearing his adjutant's words, Lin Chuan's brows furrowed into a vertical "川" shape.

He gradually quieted down, as if he were thinking.

After a moment, he asked, "What is the purpose of the 'academics' doing this?"

The adjutant analyzed, "I suspect... it's related to Speaker Hwang's 'infiltration of the disaster zone' operation."

"Today, the shelter's leadership approved Speaker Huang's action. Speaker Huang is currently consolidating his power and beginning to carry out the mission."

"At this time, Ellie and her team did things ahead of time, which was a public political statement."

"Moreover, the New Territories is indeed quite important and sensitive, so clearing out any potential threats in advance can help maintain stability in the New Territories during the subsequent operations."

Hearing his adjutant's words, Lin Chuan nodded slightly and then affirmed, "That makes sense."

"However..." Lin Chuan changed the subject, then said with a gloomy expression, "The Investigation Bureau is really going against me right now."

"We've already offended Qiu Tu. The matter hasn't been resolved yet."

"I didn't expect Ellie and the others to provoke me again. If only I could teach them a lesson..."

.......

Meanwhile, similar conversations were also taking place at Committee Member Jiang's villa.

The two people talking this time were now Committee Member Jiang and his secretary, Tao Yaoyao.

However, Committee Member Jiang clearly had a different opinion.

After listening to Tao Yaoyao's report, his brows furrowed deeply.

He closed his eyes, pondered quietly for a while, then opened them and slowly shook his head. "Something's not right."

"Something's not right?" Tao Yaoyao asked curiously. "What's wrong?"

Jiang Zhenpeng said, "It's very simple...profit."

"This operation can indeed be considered a political statement. However... the cost is extremely high."

"Just by making a statement, you've offended both me and Lin Chuan. The 'academic faction' wouldn't do something so unprofitable."

"And what kind of person is Speaker Huang? He's a master who fought against three evil gods."

"Does he need to care about the supportive statement from a department in a small city?"

"Moreover, what qualifications do the two deputy directors, Ellie and her colleague, have to speak on behalf of Director Qiu Tu?"

The more Jiang Zhenpeng spoke, the smoother things felt.

He said, "So... this is clearly a conspiracy."

"If I'm not mistaken, this is very likely Qiu Tu deliberately setting a trap to make us fight each other."

"As for himself, he simply reaped the benefits without lifting a finger."

Upon hearing Jiang Zhenpeng's analysis, Tao Yaoyao's face showed a hint of realization.

She said, "Uncle, I understand. This is what you meant by... when you encounter a scheme, don't rush, first see who benefits."

"Then the person who benefits is very likely the mastermind behind it all."

She analyzed, "This purge has caused a three-way conflict among you, while Qiu Tu has remained unperturbed and reaped the benefits."

"After the cleanup, the New Territories will enjoy a period of peace for a short time."

"Then, Qiu Tu also benefits. As the director of the investigation department, his biggest responsibility is to maintain the city's security."

Listening to Tao Yaoyao's analysis, Jiang Zhenpeng nodded slightly in agreement.

However, after agreeing, he suddenly seemed to realize something and then scolded, "How many times have I told you? Use your job title when you're at work."

"Do you still want a promotion or not?"

Upon hearing this, Tao Yaoyao quickly lowered her head and said, "Yes, Committee Member Jiang."

Seeing that Jiang Zhenpeng's expression had softened slightly, she asked, "Then, Committee Member... how should this matter be handled next?"

"Are we just going to stand by and watch the investigation department arrest everyone?"

She said, "There are definitely anti-government spies here... who deserve to die."

"But there are definitely some... who are just a little less firm in their stance."

"This is actually quite normal in areas awaiting planning."

"It's the dead of winter now, and that's when we need manpower. If we lose so many people, things could easily go wrong."

Upon hearing Tao Yaoyao's words, Jiang Zhenpeng leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and fell into deep thought.

After a moment, as if he had thought of something, he smiled and said, "You're right. It's the dead of winter now, and with so many officials suddenly gone, it's easy for trouble to break out."

"Then... let's make this mess bigger."

"Qiu Tu and the others want to cause trouble, right? Then let them cause trouble. Let's make trouble all the way to the prefecture and the shelter."

"I remember that two or three section chiefs from the Civil Affairs Department were arrested, right?"

"Let's stop distributing welfare grain to the people in winter."

“When people come to ask, we tell them that because the official has been arrested, the Civil Affairs Department is in a state of chaos and we can’t find anyone to sign off on things or coordinate with. This batch of welfare grain will have to be delayed.”

Upon hearing Jiang Zhenpeng's words, Tao Yaoyao was startled and then said, "Uncle, winter is already hard to endure. People are saving every penny to store up some food for the winter."

"Stopping the welfare food program could lead to deaths."

Hearing Tao Yaoyao's words, Jiang Zhenpeng picked up his teacup without a care, took a small sip, and said, "Let people die. Let the common people suffer. As for the blame... let Qiu Tu take it."

"As for us? So many section chiefs, division chiefs, and department heads have been arrested, can't we even cause a little chaos?"

Jiang Zhenpeng drawled, "It'll be paid off in two or three weeks...not many people will die."

Upon hearing Jiang Zhenpeng's words, Tao Yaoyao stood there, stunned.

This plan is absolutely vicious, even against the natural order.

But... the person in front of her was her uncle, and also her boss, so she had no room to argue.

He could only lower his head slightly and say, "Yes, Committee Member Jiang..."

.......

Meanwhile, Qiu Tu was unaware that his two rivals in the New Territories were preparing to cause him trouble.

At this moment, he was "hunting" the evil god.

"The whale shark has never left since it arrived here?"

Qiu Tu looked at the "captain" kneeling in front of him and asked.

"Captain" was Wu Yun, the captain of the Allied Special Forces, and a late-stage Tier 3 Cataclysm.

Even though he lost some of his strength due to the resurrection, he still maintained the strength of the mid-stage of the third tier thanks to Qiu Tu's willingness to sacrifice.

His cataclysmic path is "destruction," and his ability is called "Blood Boiling."

The effect is that he can burn the blood in his body, turning it into blood mist, which directly enhances his strength! He can also turn that blood mist into armor and mist, increasing his defense and attack power!

Although he has now become an immortal dark soldier, and his abilities have changed somewhat, it's just that he has transformed his burning blood into mental power.

To put it bluntly, the core strategy is still to burn one's life force to increase strength, a path that results in significant self-inflicted damage while harming the enemy.

Although the ability is simple, Wu Yun's hand-to-hand combat skills and martial arts prowess during his lifetime made it so that, despite its simplicity, it could unleash a powerful effect because it suited him perfectly.

This also led to... even though he was transformed into a dark soldier and his strength decreased somewhat, Wu Yun was still the strongest among all of Qiu Tu's confidants.

As for the other four members of the special forces team: "Blonde Hair," "Mirror Girl," "Earring," and "Old Man," their abilities are roughly the same as when they were alive.

"Yellow Hair" has "Mental Gatling Gun," which causes his hands to fall off his wrists and his arms to become two Gatling guns with unlimited ammo, allowing him to fight at will.

The "Earring" ability is "Demon Possession". Once his body is covered in tattoos, he can summon a "demon" from the "Boundless Heart Sea - Core Area" to possess him and fight in his place.

As for the abilities of the "Mirror Woman" and the "Old Man," they are relatively simpler.

The "Mirror Woman" can summon large puppets from the ground or ruins to fight for her. The "Old Man," on the other hand, can teleport people.

The five members of the special forces team greatly enhanced Qiu Tu's hidden strength, bringing the Dark Legion to a usable level.

At that moment, just as Qiu Tu was pondering the "Special Forces Five," the "Captain" spoke up.

He lowered his head and said to Qiu Tu, "Master, I'm certain that the whale shark has dived into this small lake. It hasn't come out yet."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu looked at La Riluo beside him and asked, "Your Highness, what do you think?"

"Why did the whale shark dive into this lake after marking all the leyline nodes?"

What exactly is he doing?

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, La Riluo hesitated for a moment, then rested her chin on her hand and silently recalled the events.

After a moment, a hint of hesitation appeared on her face, and then she said uncertainly, "I might have guessed a little. But I'm not entirely sure."

"Oh? What is it?" Qiu Tu asked.

Larilu said succinctly, "Regional passage."

"Regional passage?" Qiu Tu asked, puzzled.

Larilu explained, "As you know, within the 'Boundless Sea of ​​the Heart,' the regions move between each other."

"Once you step into the fog, you have no idea which area you'll enter next."

"Furthermore, even if the two regional lords have a good relationship and want to help each other, they cannot find each other quickly due to the interference of the fog."

"At that time, someone invented something called 'regional passage.'"

"Once the leyline nodes of the two 'regions' are marked and fixed with an array, a 'regional passage' that can traverse the two regions can be obtained."

"At that time, if one regional lord is in danger, the other can come to help immediately."

At this point, Lariluo, sitting atop the tree and looking down at Qiu Tu, gently swung her delicate little feet. After a pause, she added, "Of course... besides being used for mutual support, 'Area Passages' can also be used for surprise attacks."

"The method usually involves feigning weakness to lure the enemy in, then summoning reinforcements directly through the 'area portal.'"

"Of course, if things get suspicious, these 'area passages' can also be used for escape."

"It can be said that it has multiple functions."

After listening to Lariluo's explanation, Qiu Tu's face showed a hint of realization. He then asked, "Then, if I kill them, can I directly seize this passage and control both 'Boundless Heart Sea Regions'?"

Upon hearing this, La Riluo rolled her eyes at Qiu Tu, "You're still thinking about the area controlled by the whale shark."

"If it were me... I would just run away and lay low for a while."

He said, "Since the whale dares to come back for revenge, it means he has made thorough preparations."

"He might have found some accomplices and is planning to ambush you."

Hearing this, Qiu Tu smiled and shook his head. Then he said, "It's still uncertain who will ambush whom."

"Have you forgotten why we came here?"

"Hunting the gods."

"Just like you said, the whale shark has likely found other helpers. So instead of waiting until he's gathered all the helpers before making a move, it's better to kill him while he's preparing!"

Upon hearing this, La Riluo couldn't help but want to offer Qiu Tu a few more words of advice.

After all, the whale shark's strength is considerable, probably at the late fourth tier. At least Lariluo is no match for him. Qiu Tu, an ordinary Cataclysmic being who has just entered the fourth tier, even if he has some other means to deal with him, it won't be easy.

And then, at that very moment...

Suddenly, "glug glug..." a few bubbles rose from the crystal-clear lake.

The next second, the whale shark appeared at the bottom of the lake with an excited expression.

His tall figure emerged step by step from the bottom of the lake, bringing with it waves of moisture...

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Two chapters, 10,000 words each. Requesting monthly votes!