Then let them offer their loyalty!

Page 473

"Come on, let's talk."

He said, "I've been out arresting fugitives these past two days, so I'm a bit out of touch with the current situation in Dongye Prefecture."

"Has there been any recent change in the state?"

At this point, Qiu Tu paused for a moment, then said meaningfully, "For example... the Speaker seems to be paying close attention to my operation this time?"

Whether it was due to a lack of political sensitivity or some other hidden reason, Ellie sold Huang Shangzong without the slightest hesitation after hearing Qiu Tu's words.

She put on a bathrobe, wrapped herself up, turned around, sat on the bed, and crossed her straight legs.

"Yes. You went missing... no, I should say you went to hunt down the remnants of the anti-government movement, and the Speaker got the news not long after."

"We know you've almost wiped out the remaining anti-government forces. So we're waiting for your report."

"As it turned out, no matter how long we waited, it never came."

"In addition, Speaker Liu has been taking the opportunity to adjust some personnel work in various city investigation departments, and he finally couldn't sit still and took the initiative to contact you."

At this point, Ellie crossed her right leg over her left, creating a double leg position.

A pale pink velvet robe slid down her smooth, fair legs onto the bed, revealing most of her thighs.

Because her legs were crossed, Qiu Tu glanced at her several times without making a sound, but still couldn't see the scenery inside.

Ellie didn't notice Qiu Tu's little actions. Instead, she pouted and rolled her eyes at Qiu Tu, "But... you are cunning."

"Before leaving, I replaced the secretary with that...that one, oh right, Shen Lingshuang, to take the blame."

"Because she wasn't a professional secretary and had never done these things before, she knew nothing when the speaker asked her questions."

"If you ask her too many questions, she'll cry. Her crying is driving the speaker crazy."

"After hanging up the phone, the speaker originally wanted to punish her."

"When we checked her file, we found that she had only been with the Investigation Department for a little over a month and had only been your secretary for two or three days. She really didn't know anything and was just a scapegoat."

So... I gave up.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu smiled and nodded, then praised, "The Speaker is indeed an upright and honest person who is fair in rewarding and punishing."

"I won't hold a grudge against a junior agent who just joined the company."

Ellie:...

Although Qiu Tu was telling the truth, for some reason, Ellie felt that it sounded like a victor's boast.

After all, no matter how upright and fair Huang Shangzong was, he was still completely outmaneuvered by Qiu Tu.

A simple job transfer was enough to deflect all of Huang Shangzong's attacks and threats.

If Tao Yaoyao were still Qiu Tu's secretary, Huang Shangzong certainly wouldn't have let it go so easily.

After all, Tao Yaoyao had worked as a secretary for many years and should have corresponding countermeasures for various emergencies.

Even if Qiu Tu suddenly goes to apprehend a criminal, she should have prepared contingency plans. She should understand and coordinate the work of Qiu Tu's superiors and subordinates, and not be completely ignorant of any questions.

In addition, unlike Shen Lingshuang, she was not alone; she had her own uncle and her own family, making her easier to manipulate.

In contrast, Shen Lingshuang, who has nothing, is "orphaned" and seems to have sprung from a crack in a rock. She is so weak that people feel embarrassed to bully her.

Huang Shangzong was a man of pride; he couldn't bear the shame of arguing with a young girl who had just started working.

After mentally reviewing Qiu Tu's little scheme, Ellie played with her single ponytail, came back to her senses, and continued, "Actually, if things had ended here, it probably wouldn't have been a big deal. The Speaker can just continue waiting."

"But just yesterday, something big happened at the shelter."

"Something big?" Qiu Tu was taken aback. "What big thing?"

Ellie got up, went to the table, took out a piece of bubble gum and put it in her mouth. While chewing, she said, "Chairman Rao has been promoted to a pseudo-fifth-tier Cataclysm."

Qiu Tu:? !

Qiu Tu's eyes widened suddenly as he looked at Ellie with disbelief.

His mind raced as he rapidly pieced together fragments of intelligence.

After a moment, he had his answer.

He muttered to himself with a look of sudden realization.

'To become a Tier 5 Cataclysm, the prerequisite is to possess a 'region' of your own.' (Chapter 48)

'With the strength of the Eighth Sanctuary, acquiring a "region" should be a very simple matter.'

"But Speaker Rao is the pillar of the entire Eighth Sanctuary; he cannot afford the slightest mishap. If something were to happen to him, the entire Eighth Sanctuary would likely descend into chaos."

'That's why he's kept his strength at the peak of the fourth tier for so many years, and hasn't advanced yet.'

"And in the past two months, Tang Feifei and I have thoroughly figured out how to become the 'Regional Lord' and personally verified it. We've paved the way for him."

"Furthermore, I also solved the mystery of the 'Yellow Demon,' which completely relieved him of his worries."

'Therefore, he probably tried to advance to become a fifth-tier Cataclysm.'

Thinking of this, Qiu Tu felt a surge of emotion.

Indeed... an individual's strength can never compare to that of a collective.

A quick sweep through the cracks in the ground of the Eighth Shelter would be enough to feed Qiu Tu for many years.

Qiu Tu worked tirelessly, racking his brains, piecing together resources, and scheming against the evil god, finally becoming the "Lord of the Region."

As a result, for Speaker Rao Shou, it was almost just a matter of talking.

Even more... thinking about this, Qiu Tu thought of even more things.

Could it be that Qin Shuman and his team's dangerous "pioneer experiment" was also providing Rao Shou with relevant data and verification?

Or rather, this experiment was both testing the reactions of the evil gods and preparing Rao Shou for promotion.

After all, only in this way can we explain why the shelter would go to any lengths to help Qin Shuman reach the mid-stage of the third rank, and then go to any lengths to help her become the "Lord of the Region" and advance to the fourth rank!

Thinking about this, Qiu Tu felt that some of the intelligence he had gathered recently had come together.

While Qiu Tu was deep in thought, Ellie chewed bubble gum, propped her chin on her hand, and watched him curiously. Her big, bright eyes were incredibly lively.

When Qiu Tu finished his contemplation and slowly came back to his senses, Ellie sat down by the bed and continued, "So Speaker Huang is even more anxious."

"After all, Elder Rao's advancement to the fifth rank is a great joy, and he will definitely rush back to congratulate him."

"Bringing a gift to this kind of occasion would be too tacky. So the best thing to do is to showcase your achievements in your local work..."

Upon realizing this, Qiu Tu instantly understood.

To put it bluntly, his current achievement is Huang Shangzong's greatest accomplishment recently.

Without his own presence, the case cannot be closed, and the files will not be transferred. According to official records, Dongye Prefecture is now a mess, with remnants of the anti-government forces scattered and running around, and investigation agencies in various places constantly conducting exercises and training.

Huang Shangzong's "Infiltration Disaster Zone Plan" is a broken plan that has no effect for the time being and has a lot of problems.

Once I show up, close the case, and transfer the files, this plan will conveniently become a very good plan—because half of the goal has already been achieved in a very short time.

Thinking this, Qiu Tu unconsciously touched his cheek, feeling... that he could be sold again at a higher price.

At this moment, seeing Qiu Tu start scheming again, Ellie coughed, deliberately trying to attract Qiu Tu's attention.

Then she spoke, "Qiu Tu...was the information I provided to you this time very useful?"

Hearing Ellie's words, Qiu Tu snapped out of his reverie, raised an eyebrow, and then said quite frankly, "It is indeed very good."

Ellie chuckled and then said, "Well... can we talk about something? Could my 'contract of servitude' be... shortened by a few years?"

Hearing Ellie's words, Qiu Tu was stunned for a moment, then reflexively said, "Slaves provide information to their masters and expect to be paid?"

Ellie: ? ? !

Ellie's mind started conjuring up Qiu Tu's inner demons again: You're the slave! Your whole family are slaves!

After getting her treatment done, she composed herself and wanted to try and negotiate the price a bit more.

But then, Qiu Tu changed the subject and said, "It's not impossible..."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Ellie's eyes lit up.

Then she heard Qiu Tu say, "But... I'll be the one to judge the value of the intelligence."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Ellie's expression changed rapidly.

The reason she wasn't angry when Qiu Tu saw her naked this time, and even took the initiative to reveal information to Qiu Tu, was mainly to change the relationship between herself and Qiu Tu.

She has now lost to Qiu Tu in a bet, and theoretically, she now belongs to Qiu Tu.

But she didn't want to spend her whole life as Qiu Tu's plaything.

So she wanted to "work" for Qiu Tu to pay off his debts until she could redeem herself.

The biggest hurdle is whether Qiu Tu is willing to release the person.

If Qiu Tu is willing to release the person, then her relationship with Qiu Tu will change.

From "owner" to "debtor".

Nothing she does for Qiu Tu is taken for granted; it has its own value.

To put it more broadly, she successfully transitioned from a "slave society" to a "capitalist society"!

Although it is still essentially "exploitation," and although it is actually "a new kind of slavery," at least there is something to look forward to...

So, thinking of this, Ellie nodded vigorously, "Okay!"

Hearing Ellie's words, Qiu Tu couldn't help but smile...

Having lived two lives, is there anyone in this world who understands capitalist exploitation better than him?

Thinking this through, he began to ask, "So... how many years is your indenture? How many years do you think you can live?"

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Ellie coughed, avoided Qiu Tu's gaze, and lied through her teeth, "I feel... I can only live for another 40 years."

Qiu Tu: 6.

Ellie is a Tier 2 Cataclysm, and both her parents died because of the Eighth Sanctuary, plus she has the background of the Sixth Sanctuary. So even if the Eighth Sanctuary is just putting on a show, it will definitely provide her with the best resources.

The reason she was promoted to director at the age of seventeen or eighteen with almost no controversy is this: to put it bluntly, it was both compensation for the Eighth Shelter, a way to buy a horse's bones with a thousand pieces of gold, and a political statement to the Sixth Shelter.

So, even though Huang Shangzong is dead, Ellie will probably live a good life.

However, Qiu Tu didn't pay attention to Ellie's little scheme.

Without the slightest hesitation, he nodded. "Okay. Let's calculate it as 40 years then!"

"Your intelligence is quite valuable. We'll deduct two years from that, leaving you with 38 years!"

Upon hearing this, Ellie breathed a sigh of relief, and her gaze towards Qiu Tu softened considerably.

She felt that... Qiu Tu wasn't actually a bad person...

Even though he knew he was being unreasonable again, he still agreed to his request.

Just then, Qiu Tu suddenly said, "By the way, Ellie, would you like to reduce your weight for a few more years?"

Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Ellie's eyes lit up, and she said, "Can it be reduced for a few more years?"

After enduring a whole night of restraint, Qiu Tu finally revealed his true colors.

He walked over to Ellie, reached out and exposed her shoulder, leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I have some snacks here that I'd like you to try."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Ellie was initially puzzled, asking in confusion, "Snacks? Eating snacks can reduce the time?"

After saying that, she followed Qiu Tu's gaze downwards, and then downwards...

The next second, her face flushed red instantly, and she finally realized what had happened!

Ellie, looking embarrassed and annoyed, tried to get up and rebuke her for not being that kind of person!

Just then, Qiu Tu exerted a little force and leaned closer to her ear, whispering, "Ellie... I'm not disrespecting you. Nor am I trying to make a deal with you."

"But... think back to our bet that day."

"Yan Yan and you both lost so badly, I've been drooling over it for so long."

"Now you've agreed to let me redeem you."

"I've really done enough..."

"But...you said I could have eaten both of you, but now I can't eat either of you..."

"I'm not reconciled..."