Chapter 33 The Fish That Took the Hook
Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Cao Dabiao's gaze flickered ceaselessly as if analyzing whether the information Qiu Tu had divulged was real or fake.
Seeing this, Qiu Tu didn't rush him; he simply took out a cloth bag, counted out 80 Silver Yuan from the box full of them, and tossed it to Cao Dabiao.
"Ding ding ding~" As the cloth bag landed in his hands, it discharged a symphony of intoxicating coin clinks.
Cao Dabiao accepted it blankly, then looked at Qiu Tu in surprise.
Qiu Tu said, "This is 80 Silver Yuan, yours."
Feeling the hefty weight in his hands, Cao Dabiao swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing the greed in his heart, then tentatively asked, "Officer, this seems to be operational funds, isn't it? This...."
Qiu Tu waved his hand to interrupt him, "As long as I dare let you take it, I can ensure your safety."
"If I'm not afraid, what are you afraid of?"
"If the sky falls, won't I be here to hold it up for you!"
"Make your choice now. If you are willing to follow me, take the money, and I'll keep you in mind when it's time for promotions and wealth!"
"If you're unwilling, just put it down, then find a place to stay for a few days. After I complete my mission, you can come back, and I absolutely won't make things difficult for you!"
Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Cao Dabiao's expression changed rapidly.
After a moment, as if coming to a realization, he bent over. Grinning up at Qiu Tu, he said obsequiously, "You jest, Officer."
"Actually, from the first time I met you today, I felt an instant connection, eager to serve before and behind your saddle."
"It's just that you seemed to have some misunderstandings about me, not giving me a chance."
"Now that you are willing to accept me, I couldn't be happier."
As he spoke, he tucked the cloth bag into his chest, with an ingratiating smile he said, "From now on, just command me for anything, Officer. I assure you, I will go through fire and water and not shirk from death!"
Listening to the obsequious words, Qiu Tu looked at him deeply and then burst out laughing, "Haha."
Cao Dabiao also laughed along, his demeanor resembling that of a fawning dog...
Half an hour later, Cao Dabiao nodded and bowed as he backed out of the room. Once he turned around, his hand touching the weighty Silver Yuan in his chest, his face brimmed with excitement.
Meanwhile, Qiu Tu watched his retreating figure, his eyes filled with amusement...
See, greed is always the most powerful weapon.
Without avarice, it would have been difficult to find the opportunity to drag Cao Dabiao and the entire Political Department squad into the mire.
Now that the entire squad had taken misappropriated public funds, especially with Cao Dabiao taking so much, they were truly tied to the same string of grasshoppers.
They would be safe while everything went smoothly for me, but if I were to encounter danger... they would have to protect me in turn to save themselves.
Used properly, these people could achieve some unexpected effects...
With that in mind, Qiu Tu took out the communicator and dialed Eagle's number.
On the communicator, Qiu Tu arranged for Shen Lingshuang to purchase the herbs and ordered him to have Ah-Kun, Monkey, and a few other brothers go to different pharmacies and the black market to buy them in batches.
After giving instructions on what to pay attention to, Qiu Tu said to Eagle, "Eagle, I'm preparing to transfer you and Ah-Kun to the Political Department to help me."
Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Eagle replied steadily, "Alright, Brother Tu. Then I'll go to the Political Department to submit my report tomorrow and prepare for the assessment."
Qiu Tu said, "Hmm, but don't put my name as your recommender."
Eagle asked, "Then whose name should I write?"
Qiu Tu, "Cao Dabiao."
"I'll give you his contact information in a bit; you get in touch with him."
"Okay," Eagle responded, then thoughtfully added, "Brother Ted received a notification from the Special Service Department today and has gone for the assessment."
"I heard that apart from failing in the shooting, he got grade As in all the other subjects. There won't be any problem with him passing the assessment."
This was a matter agreed upon by Fang Ming and Qiu Tu, so Qiu Tu merely responded with a noncommittal "Hmm" and did not offer any further comment....
With that, the communication was ended, and Qiu Tu sat on a chair, quietly gazing at the night outside for a while.
He felt like he was a frail ghost face spider in the Amazon Rainforest, silently weaving his own dark, extensive web that sprawled across the entire Xinjie City, then patiently waiting for the moment to hunt....
----
[5 days (the latest deadline to obtain evidence against the Qin Family)]
[31:12:11 (time remaining to create the Cataclysmic Potion)]
The night passed uneventfully.
The next day, before Qiu Tu could receive contact from the forces behind Qin Shuman, another fish took the bait first.
"Fourth Master? I didn't expect you would communicate with me."
Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Master Qin Si chuckled over the communicator, "Hahaha. Agent Qiu, you know I don't visit without good reason."
"Oh?" Upon hearing Fourth Master's words, Qiu Tu, while sipping tea, casually asked, "What matter brought me to Fourth Master's mind?"
Master Qin Si said, "It's still about my good-for-nothing Second Brother, of course."
Continuing, Master Qin Si said, "Tonight, I would like to invite Agent Qiu to watch a play."
Qiu Tu, "A play?"
Master Qin Si affirmed, "Yes, a play."
"To let you witness firsthand my Second Brother's confidant getting in contact with the anti-government organization."
At Master Qin Si's words, Qiu Tu paused.
His interest piqued, he asked, "Actually, Fourth Master, more than Director Qin colluding with the anti-government organization, I'm curious about... why you are targeting Director Qin so specifically."
"What benefit would Director Qin's fall have for you?"
Upon hearing this, Master Qin Si declared unequivocally, "No benefit!"
He expressed a sort of exasperation, saying, "But I just can't stand by and watch him destroy the family business my father worked so hard to build from scratch!"
With a hint of nostalgia, he continued, "Back in the day, my father started with nothing, battled through hardships, and established the vast Qin family wealth! Besides my grandfather's 100 jin of gold, a tech company, and a few dozen trustworthy lieutenants, he relied on no one!"
"So I will not allow anyone to destroy what he spent his lifetime building!"
Qiu Tu:....
"Understood."
Master Qin Si grunted, then went on, "That's why, when I found out what my Second Brother had done, I knew only by condemning my own kin could I save the Qin family from ruin."
"The reason I left that document last time was because I wanted to see if you, Agent Qiu, truly dared to investigate this matter."
"And yesterday, when you deployed a team of Political Department Investigators to start looking into it, you convinced me of your sincerity, so I am also willing to show you even more of mine."
After listening to Master Qin Si, Qiu Tu fell silent for a moment, then said, "Okay, then I'll trouble Fourth Master to send the address and time to my communicator."
Master Qin Si laughed heartily a few times and then ended the communication.
Sure enough, before long, Qiu Tu's communicator received an address from an unfamiliar number: Zhizhen Grand Hotel, Room 108, 8 p.m.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"Zhizhen Grand Hotel?"
Murmuring the name, before Qiu Tu could make a decision, his communicator rang again the very next second.
This time too, it was a message from an unfamiliar number.