Chapter 12 Promotion! Transfer!

In fact, from the moment he obtained the "Aurora Stone," Qiu Tu had considered how to handle this cataclysm material.

Despite just reading the introduction, he knew it was very valuable. But... no matter how valuable, Qiu Tu could not use it now.

Looking at the introduction of the Aurora Stone, with phrases like "one of the cataclysm materials," "used in potion formulations," "for creating cataclysmic items"—were these things that Qiu Tu could currently achieve?

It simply wasn't realistic.

For someone with Qiu Tu's carefree character, something that wasn't immediately useful was just waste.

And coincidentally, this "waste" was also of high value, so naturally, Qiu Tu considered using it as "bait"...

The person he intended to fish for, of course, was Yan Chen, who was now in control of Qiu Tu's fate...

Offering the Aurora Stone to Yan Chen would make it easier to gain his trust.

After all, with Qiu Tu's current status, it was utterly impossible for him to have obtained an Aurora Stone. Where could it have come from then?

Looking into the people he could have come into contact with these past few days, the only suspect could be the unidentified Qin Shuman.

This way, Qin Shuman would completely cement the identity that Qiu Tu had concocted for her, and Qiu Tu's crisis would be neatly resolved.

Secondly, one must be willing to sacrifice something small to gain something greater.

During his previous life "working" within a fraud syndicate, Qiu Tu had seen plenty of such fishing tactics.

First, throw out some sweeteners, arouse the target's greed, then step by step lure the person deeper into the abyss.

Now, the same strategy worked on Yan Chen.

As long as he coveted the Aurora Stone, desiring more of them or wanting to unearth the channels where they could be obtained, he would need to maintain Qiu Tu as a connection...

When that time came, Qiu Tu would slowly reel him in, allowing him to taste the sweetness but never letting him be fully satisfied, leading him step by step into the trap...

And during this process, Qiu Tu would also continue to grow until he completely turned the tables...

While Qiu Tu was pondering over this, Yan Chen, who had finished examining the Aurora Stone, also spoke up.

His expression had clearly softened a lot, and he wasn't so stern anymore.

He fondled the Aurora Stone in his hand, his voice hoarse as he said, "Qiu Tu. Don't blame me for not trusting you enough before..."

"After all, Shuman is my closest confidante, it's hard for me to believe that she would betray me without seeing irrefutable evidence..."

Qiu Tu nodded, expressing understanding, his expression open and honest.

Yan Chen fell silent for a while upon seeing this. After a moment, he turned his gaze to Qiu Tu, slightly puzzled, and asked,

"However, even though I now believe what you have told me, there's still something I don't quite understand."

Qiu Tu, "Please speak, Bureau Chief."

Yan Chen neatly aligned the Silver Yuan, Little Goldfish, and the Aurora Stone on the table, then gestured with his hand, "The conditions offered by Qin Shuman were quite generous, why didn't you accept them, and instead chose to report to me?"

"Moreover, from where did you get the courage to suspect and investigate my closest confidante? Were you not afraid I would secretly execute you to keep it quiet?"

Before his words fell, a trace of invisible killing intent quietly spread out.

But Qiu Tu was not frightened in the least.

'Intimidate someone else... If he wanted to kill me, he would have done it long ago. Keeping me now means he's interested...'

Thinking this, he looked straight at Yan Chen, his face serious as he replied, "Bureau Chief... because I desperately want to make progress!"

"Even though I am already a Second-Class Investigator, I am not satisfied!"

"I want to be a First Level Detective, an Investigator Chief, an Office Head, or even a Deputy Director!"

"Also, I don't want to be confined to departments like the Administrative Office anymore, I want to transfer to the Special Service Department, the Political Department, the Security Section, or even... I'd be willing to work at a grassroots Public Security Office!"

"So, I had to take a gamble!"

"Otherwise, I would be filled with regret!"

Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Jia Shu beside Yan Chen adjusted the gold-framed glasses on the bridge of his nose and responded with a half-smile, "Agent Qiu is quite frank indeed."

"I thought you were going to say it was all because of your loyalty to the Bureau Chief."

Qiu Tu followed with a laugh, "That would have been too hypocritical."

Listening to their conversation, Yan Chen quietly contemplated while fiddling with the Aurora Stone.

After a moment, he raised his eyes to look at Qiu Tu and said expressionlessly, "Since you have such ambition, I am willing to give you an opportunity."

"Do you not want to advance? Then I will let you advance."

"Starting today, you will be transferred to work in the Political Department, promoted to the position of First Level Detective."

Hearing Yan Chen's words, Qiu Tu's pupils contracted slightly.

While he had anticipated that Yan Chen would offer him something sweet, he had not expected it to be so substantial...

It seemed that his rank was only raised by one level, but being transferred from the weaker Administrative Office to the most powerful Political Department meant his actual power had increased by more than tenfold.

Moreover... don't think that there's only a small difference between a First Level Detective and a Second-Class Investigator; a First Level Detective is already qualified to lead a team, to be a team captain.

The captain of the Political Department...

Thinking of this, Qiu Tu couldn't help but take a sharp breath.

Yan Chen seemed to have given a bit too much, how did it feel like he was the one being hooked?

Thinking this way, he couldn't help but glance at Jia Shu, the head of the Political Department, but at that moment, Jia Shu's expression remained unchanged, his smile even brighter than before.

Seeing Jia Shu's reaction, Qiu Tu had an ominous premonition. His past life experience with the fraud group taught him:

Pies don't just fall from the sky for no reason. If a pie does fall, it's likely laced with a potion—when you are coveting someone else's pie, they may well be coveting your behind...

Indeed, after handing Qiu Tu such a big pie, Yan Chen spoke up.

He looked at Qiu Tu with an unfazed demeanor and slowly said, "But, this position is not given to you for nothing. You have to do something for me."

Qiu Tu thought to himself: Here it comes, here it comes, it's happening.

He rallied his full attention, eager to know what Yan Chen intended to have him do.

Then he heard Yan Chen say, "Since Qin Shuman is a thorn planted by the City Hall by my side, it seems the Qin Family must have already betrayed me."

"So... go and pluck it out for me."

"Within 7 days, I want to see evidence sufficient to destroy the Qin Family laid out on my desk."

Qiu Tu: ??

At that moment, upon hearing Yan Chen's words, the only thought in Qiu Tu's mind was: What? Me?

He felt like the flabbergasted Bumbler in Journey to the West.

What is the Qin Family? One of the top three Major Clans in Xinjie City! Their family business spans across numerous domains, from illegal medical practices to underground brothels, from casinos to usury—all in the gray area.

Well before Xinjie City was designated as a Planning Area, the Qin Family was already one of the dominant forces, not only nurturing over a thousand underlings but also armed to the teeth with gunmen and well-trained private soldiers...

What kind of evidence could possibly bring down such high-level forces in the nascent, stabilizing Xinjie City?

Murder? Arson?

Stop kidding... In this Cataclysm-ridden chaos, which clan hasn't killed some people? Which hasn't lit a few fires for entertainment?

How could they possibly be brought down!

Thinking this, Qiu Tu felt utterly bewildered.

Meanwhile, Jia Shu, who had been standing beside Yan Chen, adjusted his gold-framed glasses and began to speak...