I've Already Solved the Case!

Secretary Bai looked at Qiu Tu, his gaze lingering. After a moment, he let out a faint sigh and picked up the landline phone on his desk. Before long, the call connected. Secretary Bai exchanged a few brief words with Yan Chen, then stood up and said to Qiu Tu, "Follow me. The Director is waiting for you." Qiu Tu gave Secretary Bai a heartfelt response. "Thank you, sir." At those words, Secretary Bai patted Qiu Tu lightly on the shoulder. Though he didn't say anything, everything was understood without words. Secretary Bai served as both chief of the Administrative Office and Yan Chen's secretary, so their offices were adjacent. Qiu Tu followed Secretary Bai just a few steps to the door of Yan Chen's office. Arriving at the entrance, Secretary Bai raised his hand, just about to knock, when suddenly—ding-dong!—the chime of an incoming message echoed through the corridor. Secretary Bai halted mid-motion and looked at Qiu Tu. Qiu Tu quickly offered an apologetic smile, pulled out his communicator, and glanced at it. The message was from Fang Ming, short and direct: "Fourth Master Qin's items have arrived." A smile crossed Qiu Tu's face. He muted the communicator, slid it back into his pocket, and only then whispered to Secretary Bai, "Everything is taken care of." Secretary Bai nodded and knocked on the office door. "Enter." At Yan Chen's low, raspy voice, Secretary Bai pushed the door open and led Qiu Tu into the office that represented the highest authority in the Investigation Bureau. Much like his study, Yan Chen's office was draped with heavy curtains. Even in the early morning, the room was shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by the faint glow of the desk lamp. Qiu Tu was genuinely curious how Yan Chen could review documents in such an environment. "Director, Agent Qiu is here." "Greetings, Director!" Hearing their greetings, Yan Chen—his entire figure concealed in the darkness behind the desk lamp—let out a soft "Mm." With an expression devoid of joy or sorrow, his eyes fixed on Qiu Tu, and he spoke slowly: "I hear you have a situation to report?" Qiu Tu nodded. "Yes, Director." "I've uncovered leads and evidence of the Qin family colluding with the Reform United Front. I'm here to report it to you!" Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Yan Chen's expression didn't shift at all. Beside him, however, Secretary Bai looked at Qiu Tu in astonishment. Qiu Tu pretended not to notice Secretary Bai's reaction, quietly keeping his eyes on Yan Chen. Yan Chen remained silent for a moment before asking flatly, "You found evidence in just three days?" "Yes," Qiu Tu replied. Then, he added, "If you have doubts, you can summon Section Chief Qin Zhengguang up here to confront me." At those words, Yan Chen's interest visibly piqued. Turning his gaze to Secretary Bai, he asked, "What's on my schedule next?" Secretary Bai bowed slightly. "Director, you have a regular mid-level meeting in ten minutes. In an hour, the Special Service Department is scheduled to give you a debriefing." Yan Chen pondered for a moment, then said, "Cancel that regular meeting." "Also, call Qin Zhengguang up here." Secretary Bai bowed. "Understood." With that, he turned to leave. Just then, Yan Chen spoke up again: "Right, bring Jia Shu up as well. After all, this falls under his Political Department." Secretary Bai nodded again. "Understood." Once Secretary Bai stepped out, only Qiu Tu and Yan Chen remained in the office. Qiu Tu looked at Yan Chen, his mind drifting to the intelligence Qin Shuman had leaked to him the night before while drunk. According to Qin Shuman, Yan Chen was indeed a Cataclysm-user who had undergone Cataclysm Awakening—and at least a Tier 2 Cataclysm-user at that. No one knew his specific Cataclysm Path, but judging by his usual behavior and habits, it was likely Life or Immortality. His personal abilities, on the other hand, were very likely tied to darkness and death. Paths and abilities of these types were the most dangerous, and the most prone to "corruption." That was why the Security Bureau had secretly placed Yan Chen under surveillance and investigation. Learning this hadn't surprised Qiu Tu; instead, he suspected Qin Shuman had to be hiding something else from him. After all, covertly investigating an executive solely on a "suspicion of corruption" seemed a bit excessive. Qiu Tu suspected it likely had to do with the Security Bureau's special authority, or perhaps certain traits unique to Cataclysm-users. Time ticked away. Two minutes soon passed, and a knock sounded at the office door. At Yan Chen's low "Enter," Secretary Bai, Jia Shu, and Qin Zhengguang filed in from outside. They greeted Yan Chen first, then turned their gazes upon Qiu Tu. Jia Shu seemed composed enough, looking on with mild amusement, a faint, knowing smirk playing in his eyes. Qin Zhengguang, on the other hand, glared directly at Qiu Tu, his eyes practically spitting fire. Evidently, both men already knew why they had been summoned. Seeing that everyone had arrived, Yan Chen leaned back in his chair, turned his eyes upon Qiu Tu, and said in a raspy voice, "Make your report." "Yes, sir!" Qiu Tu responded. He glanced first at Qin Zhengguang, then at Jia Shu, and finally pulled several documents from his folder. "Director, a few days ago, I was ordered to protect Miss Shuman when she returned to the Qin residence to visit her family." "To my surprise, that evening I received an anonymous tip." "The accusation detailed collusion between the Qin family and anti-government organizations." "Among the details, it not only recorded the Qin family secretly funneling controlled resources such as pharmaceuticals and weapons to anti-government organizations, but also documented how those anti-government forces cooperated with the Qin family to fabricate achievements and help the family expand its influence in Xinjie City." Hearing such grave accusations from Qiu Tu, Qin Zhengguang's face turned livid. Eyes blazing with rage, he glared at Qiu Tu and roared, "You're spouting slander! Who ordered you to frame the Qin family?!" His voice boomed so loudly that the office practically buzzed. Qiu Tu was about to offer a rebuttal, but before he could speak, Jia Shu chuckled and interceded on his behalf. "No need to get agitated, Section Chief Qin. There's no rush to speak until Qiu Tu finishes his report." "We're all on the same side here—would we ever falsely accuse you?" Jia Shu was both Yan Chen's right-hand man and one of the nine top executives in the Investigation Bureau, as well as a privileged mid-level administrator sent down from the sanctuary. While Qin Zhengguang dared to lash out at Qiu Tu, he dared not cross Jia Shu in the slightest, leaving him no choice but to press his lips together and keep quiet. Yet even as his mouth shut, the look he directed at Qiu Tu remained dripping with raw murderous intent. The Qin family was no minor faction, but an entrenched, deep-rooted clan spanning all of Xinjie City. For an organization of such stature, not only would vague rumors be dismissed, but even with ironclad proof, taking action would be exceedingly troublesome and intricate—a single move would affect the entire board. Thus, even if Qiu Tu had ample evidence, the Qin family was very unlikely to be brought down entirely. Once the Qin family weathered the blow, what awaited Qiu Tu would be an unrelenting, fight-to-the-death vendetta...