Then let them offer their loyalty!

Page 238

“Dongcheng District and New Territories City are still undeveloped areas, and anti-government armed groups have been holding out there for a long time.”

"We can't keep our every move a secret."

"Therefore, after learning that this Moonlight Lake was going to be formed, the Alliance has been spying on it from the sidelines."

"The day before yesterday, that grandson Yan Chen advanced to the fourth-tier Cataclysm, which led the New Territories City military to send several squads of soldiers to protect him, which immediately gave them an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

"The Alliance has secretly mobilized a regular army of nearly 10,000 men from the disaster zone in preparation for taking control of Moonlight Lake."

"And their spies in various cities went crazy, frantically gathering intelligence and assassinating officials."

At this point, Liu Xiongyuan reminded him, "You should also be careful these next few days. Your status in the New Territories City is not low now, and given your previous grudge against them, you may very well be on the list as well."

Upon hearing Liu Xiongyuan's reminder, Qiu Tu politely thanked him, "Thank you for your concern, Director Liu. I will pay attention."

At this point, Qiu Tu said thoughtfully, "I just started working today and I don't know the situation in the New Territories yet."

"It seems we need to make some preparations in advance to avoid being caught off guard."

After finishing this topic, Qiu Tu also took the opportunity to talk about the purpose of this phone call.

He paused for two seconds before saying softly, "Yan Chen's condition seems to have changed..."

Liu Xiong Yuan was clearly also very concerned about the progress of Yan Chen's devouring, so when he heard Qiu Tu's words, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and he asked in a deep voice, "What changes?"

......

Compared to the New Territories City, which was established just one year ago, Eastern City has been established for five years. Whether in terms of political stability or urban prosperity, it far surpasses the New Territories City.

The streets here are almost all smooth, and most of them are even paved with asphalt.

Streetlights were erected at equal intervals along every street, along with trash cans.

The people on the streets are neatly dressed and clean, which indicates that they have a stable and affordable water source.

Their emaciated appearance, unlike that of people in other cities, shows that they have already solved their basic needs for food and clothing.

Besides the occasional car passing by, rickshaws, horse-drawn carriages, and even bicycles are constantly shuttling back and forth on the road, indicating that the city's basic transportation and trade have recovered.

The detectives, dressed in temporary uniforms, patrolling the streets in twos and threes, showed that the city's security had stabilized.

In the very center of this city, far more prosperous than the New Territories, on the top floor of the 16-story Detective Agency office building, in the Director's office.

Liu Xiongyuan was standing by the window, frowning as he made a phone call while looking down at the bustling scenery of Dongcheng City.

His skin was dark, and his face was like an old pine tree sculpted by time, with deep wrinkles etched on it, each one seemingly recording the hardships and battles of the past.

Listening to Qiu Tu's words on the other end of the phone, his eyes were as black as ink, flashing with a cold and sharp light.

After Qiu Tu finished speaking, he said in a deep voice, "So, you mean Yan Chen actually left himself a lot of room for maneuver?"

"Now that he realizes something is wrong, he's willing to damage the foundation of his future to devour that evil god ahead of time?"

Qiu Tu on the other end of the phone hummed in agreement and then said, "He has clearly made thorough preparations and has backup plans. Even now, he still has room for maneuver."

"Otherwise, the rate of absorption wouldn't be able to change so naturally."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Liu Xiong Yuan asked, "Approximately how many more days will it take him to completely devour everything?"

Qiu Tu said, "Five days."

He paused for a moment, then added, "To be precise, it might only take 4.5 days."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiongyuan's thick, rugged eyebrows slowly rose, as if symbolizing his turbulent emotions.

His mouth was tightly closed, and the corners of his mouth turned down, forming a cold arc.

After a moment, his eyes slowly turned icy cold. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow night, I will make Moonlight Lake take shape ahead of schedule."

"Even if Yan Chen becomes a fourth-tier Cataclysm, it will be of no use."

Qiu Tu made this call specifically to get this answer.

So after receiving Liu Xiongyuan's reply, Qiu Tu felt a little relieved.

However, since it was a rare opportunity to make a phone call, he didn't just hang up; instead, he continued the conversation about the topic.

"Director Liu, I've heard that a powerful evil god also resides in several cities near Dongcheng City?"

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Liu Xiongyuan on the other end of the phone let out a heavy "humph," "Zhao Ji!"

Qiu Tu replied, "Yes. It should be her."

Liu Xiongyuan was clearly very sensitive to the topic of Zhao Ji, and he pressed him in a deep voice, "Why are you asking about her?"

Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji had no personal relationship and nothing to hide, so he explained naturally, "The definite information I received is that the evil god that Yan Chen devoured may have some connection with Zhao Ji."

"She has been trying to get Zehime's help to get out of the current crisis."

Qiu Tu paused for a moment, then said, "I'm worried that she might affect our plans."

Qiu Tu's topic made Liu Xiongyuan silent for a few seconds, and also made him quietly ponder Qiu Tu's concern.

After a moment, he said slowly, "Zhao Ji is a cruel and powerful evil goddess. Her only flaw is her love of money."

"What she loves is not the gold and silver of the real world, but all kinds of catastrophic artifacts, the remains of catastrophic creatures, and even their souls."

"So if Larilu wants to get Zehime to act solely based on self-interest, the price she'll have to pay will be extremely high..."

Qiu Tu recalled the way La Ri Luo had asked him to invite Zhao Ji—lighting three incense sticks and softly chanting "My Lord La Ri Luo" three times.

This clearly doesn't involve any negotiation; it's more like a plea for help without any additional benefits: Larilu is in trouble and needs assistance.

This seems to contradict what Liu Xiongyuan said.

Thinking this, Qiu Tu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Could there be some other connection or relationship between La Riluo and Zhao Ji?"

When it came to the topic of Zehime, Liu Xiongyuan seemed to be extremely cautious.

He considered it for a moment before saying, "La Riluo and Zhao Ji are both evil gods who have existed for many years."

"Over the years, there has never been any intelligence indicating any relationship between them."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu gave a thoughtful "hmm".

Just then, Liu Xiongyuan suddenly spoke up, "Qiu Tu... don't associate too closely with evil gods."

Qiu Tu felt a chill run down his spine.

He wanted to explain, but Liu Xiongyuan said directly, "We've all been through what you went through."

"Some cases, some intelligence, some clues may indeed get more accurate answers from the evil god."

"But... evil gods are not easy to deal with."

"They are among the most intelligent of the catastrophic creatures, skilled in disguise, scheming, and manipulating people's minds."

“We have seen too many people who wanted to get information from them, but ended up being brainwashed by evil gods and falling into depravity.”

"Therefore, avoid close relationships and cooperation."

"I don't want to see you at the execution ground."

At this point, Liu Xiongyuan paused for a moment and added, "You see, methods like Yan Chen's are very suitable."

"Send trusted confidants to contact evil gods and carry out their tasks, while you remain an observer and encourage them."

"This way, we not only avoid the temptation of the evil god, but we can also sever ties with him. Even if the sanctuary comes to investigate, they won't be able to find him."

Hearing Liu Xiongyuan's heartfelt reminder, Qiu Tu felt a warmth in his heart and said softly, "Thank you for your guidance, Director Liu. I will definitely keep it in mind."

After their conversation, Qiu Tu took the initiative to say goodbye, preparing to hang up and patiently wait for Liu Xiong Yuan to launch his plan.

However, just as the call was about to end, Qiu Tu seemed to have thought of something and suddenly asked, "By the way, Director Liu, there's something else I'd like to ask you."

Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Liu Xiong Yuan showed no impatience. He asked, "What is it?"

Qiu Tu asked, "Do you know Rao Shou, the author of the book 'Existence'? Who is he?"

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Liu Xiongyuan on the other end of the phone remained silent for a full two seconds before saying, "You don't know him?"

Qiu Tu was completely confused. "Should I know him?"

Liu Xiongyuan on the other end of the phone shook his head slightly and said, "You... you should watch the news more and read the Shelter Daily more often."

“Rao Shou is the chairman of the highest council of our Eighth Shelter.”

Qiu Tu was stunned upon hearing this.

He had guessed that Rao Shou's identity might be that of a high-ranking official in the shelter, but he really didn't expect it to be this high.

What does the Speaker of the Supreme Council mean? ... He is the highest-ranking official in the entire shelter, and his orders are practically law within the Eighth Shelter. Every word, action, or even a sneeze can unleash a massive storm within the Eighth Shelter.

'It's actually the Speaker of the Supreme Council....'

With these thoughts in mind, Qiu Tu sincerely thanked Liu Xiong Yuan and then explained, "Director Liu, I was only recently promoted, and I had no way of reading news and newspapers about the shelter before."

"I'll apply to the department today and see if they can help me order an extra copy."

Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Liu Xiongyuan expressed his understanding, "It's really not your fault. Your foundation is too shallow, and you don't know many common sense things."

At this point, he changed the subject, "So come to Dongcheng City and come to me. I'll teach you step by step."

Qiu Tu hadn't expected Liu Xiongyuan to circle back to recruitment again. He couldn't help but chuckle.

After exchanging a few words, the two ended the call.

Put the earphone back into the small black box, and the small black box will automatically close and store the communicator.

After putting the small black box back into the "Gold-Obsessed Wallet," Qiu Tu looked at the "Gold-Obsessed Wallet" and analyzed the information he had obtained from Liu Xiong Yuan.

There are actually only three pieces of intelligence.

First, the Allied Forces dispatched a large force to seize the soon-to-be-born Moonlight Lake.

Secondly, Moonlight Lake will be fully formed by tomorrow night.

Thirdly... to cover for the majority of the coalition, its secret agents are assassinating officials and creating chaos in various cities...

Thinking of this, Qiu Tu was startled: Wait a minute! Tan Huimin hasn't come to work yet. Could she have been attacked or kidnapped?

Despite her low rank, Tan Huimin is Qiu Tu's secretary and has access to a lot of intelligence and high-level information about the Investigation Department, making her valuable for assassination.

Thinking this, Qiu Tu, who hadn't really taken Tan Huimin's disappearance to heart, quickly walked out of the lounge and opened the door to his office.

He planned to call a few trusted confidants to search for clues or traces of Tan Huimin along the route to her home address.

To his surprise, as soon as he opened his office door, he saw Tan Huimin squatting by the door, holding several files that looked completely torn apart...

This beautiful young woman seems to have not changed her clothes for the past two days; she's still wearing the same slightly seductive professional short skirt that Qiu Tu wore the second time he saw her.

—A light, sheer shirt, a short skirt that hugs the body, paired with a gentle, married woman's bun hairstyle, and dried tear stains on her face.

To be honest... Tan Huimin looked more attractive when she was distracted and downcast than usual.

Seeing Tan Huimin squatting there unharmed, Qiu Tu breathed a sigh of relief—it seemed that Tan Huimin had not been attacked.

However... seeing Tan Huimin's dejected appearance, Qiu Tu blinked, feeling a little sorry for Tan Huimin.

Thinking this, he couldn't help but lower his head and ask softly, "Huimin, are you alright?"

Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Tan Huimin looked up blankly.

Upon seeing that it was Qiu Tu, she seemed to remember something, quickly stood up, and handed the documents in her hand to Qiu Tu.

"Minister, this is the six-month work summary for the three departments—Intelligence, Interrogation, and Inspection—that you assigned the day before yesterday."

"After I got to work this morning, I went to collect the items from their three classrooms. When I came back, I found the office door closed."

Upon hearing Tan Huimin's words, Qiu Tu raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting that Tan Huimin would not forget her work even under these circumstances.

This is much more dedicated than yesterday's unauthorized departure from his post and running up to the 12th floor to find Tang Feifei to plead for Zheng Tao.

Thinking this through, Qiu Tu nodded and said, "Okay. I'll take a look."

At this point, Qiu Tu added, "Come in with me."

After saying that, he turned and went back to his office.

Behind him, Tan Huimin walked into the office like a walking corpse.

Qiu Tu sat down at his desk, opened the summary documents in his hand, and casually said to Tan Huimin, "How many days has it been since you changed your clothes, took a shower, or rested?"

"Go to my lounge, take a shower, and get some sleep."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qiu Tu regretted it a little. After all... given his relationship with Tan Huimin, saying such a thing was a bit too abrupt.

To his surprise, Tan Huimin actually nodded and said in a low voice, "Thank you, Minister."