Testing the Limits

Qiu Tu said with complete matter-of-factness, "Nonsense. If it wasn't for you, why would I kill her?" Qin Shuman's head felt a bit slow to turn. She asked, puzzled, "But... what did she do to me?" Qiu Tu picked up some food with his chopsticks and explained unhurriedly, "She was Yan Chen's person, kept by your side specifically to monitor you. "Yan Chen clearly doesn't believe you're a mole for the Military Department, so he assigned her to record your every word and action, reporting back regularly." At that point, Qiu Tu asked, "Are you a mole for the Military Department?" Qin Shuman blankly shook her head at once. Qiu Tu said, "There you have it. She thought there was something wrong with you, and she wrote down every single detail. "Last night, just as she was about to report to Yan Chen, I happened to catch her. So, having come this far, I didn't hold back and simply killed her." Qin Shuman's mouth parted slightly, leaving her at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Qiu Tu curled his lips into a smile, took a bite of meat, and ate with deep satisfaction. A person's life, after all, was about learning how to shift blame. If you could pass the blame to someone else and even earn their gratitude in return, why shoulder it yourself? Drop your moral standards and enjoy a shameless life... Perhaps genuinely persuaded by Qiu Tu, Qin Shuman's mood improved considerably. Though she continued to mutter anxiously about Yan Chen's wrath, she gradually settled her heart under Qiu Tu's reassuring "Leave everything to me." After finishing the meal, Qiu Tu took the initiative to lead her to the pond to feed the fish and dispel her worries. As one of the leading powerful families in Xinjie City, the Qin family compound covered an expansive area on a scale matched by few in the entire city. It was not merely a series of layered courtyards, but also boasted meticulously designed gardens rich with eastern charm. Sunlight filtered through the staggered leaves of green bamboo, casting dappled patterns across the pebble-paved path. Qin Shuman sat on a folding stool beside the path, her long, slender legs extended forward. Pinching a handful of fine fish food, she tossed it lightly into the crystal-clear pond. In an instant, the tranquil water came alive as small mutated fish of every color swam in from all directions. Watching the little fish swarm around her, she curved her lips in a faint smile, her star-bright eyes brimming with endless charm. Qiu Tu stood not far away, his gaze resting gently on her. He felt this was the most leisurely moment he had enjoyed in the past two days. Yet he did not know how much longer such days would last. With that thought, his gaze seemed to pierce through the Qin family compound, through street after street and building after building, toward that dark figure seated in the office at the top of the Investigation Bureau building... *** Meanwhile. At the Investigation Bureau headquarters of Xinjie City. Yan Chen sat upright in the Director's office, head down as he processed documents while listening to Secretary Bai's report. After a moment, he signed a document, looked up, and asked, "So, to sum it up, Second Master Qin came to report to you today that Qiu Tu killed Cui Lan, is that right?" Secretary Bai said respectfully, "Yes." Yan Chen let out a soft snort through his nose. "Eldest Master Qin truly is a slick one, still unwilling to take a side even now. "Fine. I'm aware of the matter." With that, he lowered his head and resumed reviewing the papers. Seeing that Yan Chen had no further instructions, Secretary Bai did not leave. He probed, "Director, should we rein in or warn Qiu Tu?" Hearing that, Yan Chen paused what he was doing. He raised his head, his sharp gaze fixing on Secretary Bai. Flipping his pen around, he tapped it heavily on the desk several times and said in a grave tone, "Bai Yu, I know you think highly of Qiu Tu, but do not play petty tricks in front of me!" In that instant, cold sweat broke out across Secretary Bai's back. He snapped to attention. "Yes, sir." Yan Chen's expression turned cold, and he waved a hand. "Get out." Secretary Bai saluted, turned, and walked out of the office. Outside, Secretary Bai pulled the office door shut behind him. He let out a soft sigh, shook his head, and headed toward his own office. Qiu Tu killing Cui Lan was hardly a secret, so many interested parties had been closely watching how things would develop. Yet after a full day of waiting, there was no reaction whatsoever from Yan Chen. No reprimand, no warning, and certainly no praise. It was eerily quiet, as if he knew nothing about it at all. By evening, however, most people had caught on. No praise meant the act had not been carried out on Yan Chen's orders. Yan Chen was very displeased. No reprimand or warning meant the matter was far from over. Yan Chen was deliberately refusing to define the incident for now, which meant he could bring it up at any time in the future to convict Qiu Tu, making it as grave or trivial as he pleased. Conversely, had there been a reprimand or warning, it would have shown that the matter was behind them—that while Yan Chen was dissatisfied, he did not intend to do anything to Qiu Tu. *Just as I guessed.* After waiting a whole day without any fallout, Qiu Tu felt completely reassured. *Sure enough... with my current value, Yan Chen won't make things difficult for me over non-critical matters anymore.* *Although he still maintains some vigilance toward me, he has effectively conceded ground.* With that thought, amusement flickered in Qiu Tu's eyes... Anyone familiar with the mechanics of a scam would recognize this as a common tactic once a target took the bait: testing the limits. Once a person was hooked by their own inner greed, their bottom line would be gradually lowered by the swindler until it ceased to exist altogether. Therefore, the next step was quite simple. *Time to steadily drive up Yan Chen's sunk costs...* Without the slightest hesitation, Qiu Tu submitted a report directly upward. "Major leads discovered. Requesting the deployment of a squad of Political Department agents for assignment, along with an increase in operational funds: 399 silver dollars." [49:19:48 (Cataclysm potion can be crafted)] *** At dusk, while Qiu Tu and Yan Chen were playing their game of wits. Shen Lingshuang sat blankly on the steps of the small courtyard, cradling a short-legged kitten in her arms, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed up at the sky. A maid and a Special Service Department agent stood beside her, keeping watch over her. After a long while, she turned to the Special Service Department agent. "Hey, don't you really need to go check on your superior? "Could he have choked on water and died? Otherwise, why hasn't he come to interrogate me all day? "As an important prisoner, don't I get any dignity?!" She had likely been repeating these same lines all day, so the agent merely looked away, pretending not to hear. Seeing this, Shen Lingshuang glared at him indignantly. Pouting her cheeks, she stroked the short-legged yellow cat twice with such force that she nearly stripped off its fur! The maid beside her watched with an aching heart, reaching out to stop her, but lacked the courage to speak up... Just then, Qiu Tu's voice drifted in from outside the courtyard.