Minister Zhang, named Zhang Jian, was a man in his thirties, with a long face, a hawkish nose, a bit gaunt and gloomy in appearance.
Perhaps due to his long-term work in espionage and counter-espionage, his expression was always cold, giving off an unapproachable vibe.
And in fact, upon interacting with him... one would indeed find him very difficult to approach.
Just like how Qiu Tu was clearly having an "enthusiastic" conversation with Cai Peiyuan, but the atmosphere turned chilly the moment Zhang Jian arrived.
After greeting Cai Peiyuan, Zhang Jian nodded at Qiu Tu and then said, "Minister Xiao Qiu."
Among the hierarchy of middle and senior officials in the Investigation Bureau, Qiu Tu was the youngest, just over twenty years old.
So being called "Minister Xiao Qiu" was not really an exaggeration.
However, generally speaking, such a term of address would be more appropriate coming from someone close to him or from a superior.