The minutes ticked by, one by one.
Soon, it was 7:25 PM.
Five minutes earlier than Qiu Tu had anticipated, Qin Heng, the head of the Qin family, left the Qin residence under the escort of a motorcade, heading toward the city villa where Yan Chen lived.
Watching Qin Heng depart from afar through his spirit vision, Qiu Tu pulled out his communicator and placed a call to Fourth Master Qin.
The call connected, and from the other end came Fourth Master Qin’s deliberately hushed voice. "Hello? What is it?"
Qiu Tu said impassively, "Director Qin has left. You can move now."
Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Fourth Master Qin's heart gave a sudden thump.
By reflex, he glanced at the wall clock. It was 7:26 PM—four minutes earlier than Qiu Tu's original schedule.
Though it was merely four minutes, it carried a vastly different implication: Qiu Tu had been tracking Qin Heng’s movements the entire time!
At this thought, Fourth Master Qin first felt a twinge of chagrin. He had underestimated Qiu Tu far too much, never imagining the young man possessed such formidable reach. But right on the heels of that came a wave of relief. After all, the greater Qiu Tu's capabilities, the safer he would be.
Composing himself, he asked, "So we start the plan now? Is there anything you need me to do?"
Qiu Tu adopted as gentle a tone as possible. "Fourth Master, the first thing you need to do is call your wife and two children. Have them pack up their valuables and stand by at all times.
"Oh, right. Remind them to collect all the property deeds and portable wealth in your household. Take whatever can be carried away, and hide whatever can't."
Fourth Master Qin was startled. He was a veteran who had fought in the underworld for years, so he immediately sensed something amiss.
Have his wife and children pack up the property deeds and money?
What was this...?
Fourth Master Qin asked tentatively, "Qiu Tu, why arrange it like this? Wouldn't it be more convenient for my wife and children to stay at the Qin residence?"
Qiu Tu replied in a voice dripping with sincerity, "Fourth Master, breaking away from the Qin family to join the Military Department’s faction means heading straight into a brutal clash with Section Chief Qin and the Investigation Bureau.
"This is a life-or-death struggle. It's not a polite dinner party.
"If your wife and children remain at the Qin residence when the others realize the situation is turning against them, what will you do if they use your family as leverage?"
Fourth Master Qin instinctively opened his mouth to argue, but as if anticipating his thoughts, Qiu Tu cut him off. "Even if your eldest and second brothers wouldn't stoop to threatening you with their sister-in-law and nephews, what about the Investigation Bureau? What about the Political Department?
"They aren't kin to you. Why would they care what you think?"
Qiu Tu added calmly, "Fourth Master, don't forget what I told you yesterday: there are never any wrongful convictions in the Political Department.
"Do you truly want to gamble with the lives of your wife and children?"
Fourth Master Qin's expression shifted drastically. After a moment, he said in a heavy voice, "I understand. I'll have them start packing immediately."
Hanging up the call, Qiu Tu stood quietly by the window, gazing into the distance.
He didn't care about Fourth Master Qin's distrust and suspicion. After all... he had never harbored good intentions in the first place.
To truly control someone, painting rosy pictures was useless. When life and death hung in the balance, the best leverage was their soft underbelly—their family.
Hostage princes in rival states, the families of suicide squads... from ancient times to the present, it had always been thus.
Therefore, Qiu Tu's first step was to seize Fourth Master Qin's soft underbelly.
Given their respective positions, Fourth Master Qin naturally wouldn't surrender it willingly. That was why Qiu Tu had to make him face reality before guiding him step by step...
And so, Qiu Tu waited patiently for half an hour.
At 8:00 PM.
Just as Qin Heng, the head of the Qin family, stepped into the City Garden and began his conversation with Yan Chen, Qiu Tu picked up his communicator and issued his second directive to Fourth Master Qin.
"Next, Fourth Master, please dispatch several trusted men to escort your wife and children away from the Qin residence to hide temporarily in a safe place until they can reunite with you."
Fishing was never about brute force alone; only by alternating between tension and slack could one successfully reel in a fish that took the bait.
Earlier, Qiu Tu had stoked Fourth Master Qin's anxiety over his family's safety, even planting a psychological hint that Qiu Tu might try to seize that leverage.
Now, Qiu Tu moved to dispel that suspicion and loosen his grip. By having Fourth Master Qin send his own trusted retainers and choose his own safe house without any outside interference, Qiu Tu was 'showing' Fourth Master Qin that he had no selfish motives.
Such a reversal would not only make Fourth Master Qin let down his guard in relief, but in a race against the clock, it would also leave him no time to wonder whether Qiu Tu had a hidden move prepared.
Sure enough, he agreed readily, arranging everything in less than ten minutes.
As for Qiu Tu...
He turned, stepped out of the room, summoned Lao Ying, and handed over his service pistol.
Taking the weapon, Lao Ying headed downstairs.
Waiting below were the temporary agents who had come to Qiu Tu's rescue before, along with A Tai—now a fully inducted member of the Special Service Department, clad in a formal agent's uniform, armed with his own service weapon, standing over six foot two with shoulders like a tiger and a back like a bear, formidable as a vajra warrior.
At 8:15 PM.
Escorted by six thugs, Fourth Master Qin's wife and children slipped out of the Qin residence, heading for one of Fourth Master Qin's safe houses.
Before they could enter the safe house, A Tai led his men and intercepted them.
Faced with two handguns, an agent of the Special Service Department, and over a dozen temporary agents wielding riot control gear, the six thugs stood no chance. They were disarmed almost instantly, with not a single man escaping.
Meanwhile, Qiu Tu's third directive reached Fourth Master Qin: have a maid accompany Qin Shuman to the garden of the main residence for a stroll, and position a squad of trusted men around the perimeter for protection.
At 8:35 PM.
Following the plan, Qin Shuman arrived at the garden of the main residence, strolling near the pond where she and Qiu Tu had gone fishing. Fourth Master Qin's trusted men quietly moved into position.
At 8:45 PM.
Just as the conversation between Qin Heng and Yan Chen was hitting its stride...
Qiu Tu finally tore off his mask and delivered his fourth directive to Fourth Master Qin: within twenty minutes, have his trusted men gather as much firewood, gasoline, fuel, and other accelerants as possible.
This time, Fourth Master Qin clearly sensed something was wrong. With a cold expression, he demanded to know what Qiu Tu was planning.
Qiu Tu merely said indifferently, "Fourth Master, just do it."
After the call ended, Fourth Master Qin's face twisted through a storm of emotions.
Firewood, gasoline, and fuel were all flammables. Gathering them together made Qiu Tu's intention obvious: he intended to start a fire.
Yet where that fire was set, and what it consumed, carried vastly different ramifications.
Fourth Master Qin desperately wanted to press for clarity, but Qiu Tu had already hung up.
Coupled with everything he had already carried out and the tight twenty-minute deadline...
Fourth Master Qin gritted his teeth, clinging to wishful thinking. Picking up his communicator, he dialed several numbers.
Qiu Tu was not in the least surprised by Fourth Master Qin's choice.
The reason he hadn't revealed the entire night's plan in advance, aside from preventing leaks, was to deny Fourth Master Qin any chance to refuse.
If the whole scheme had been laid bare from the start, Fourth Master Qin would likely have balked or hesitated because it was too outrageous or because some part displeased him.
Yet by guiding him step by step, without knowing the full picture, Fourth Master Qin found himself left with no retreat by the time he realized something was amiss.
Could he pull his trusted men back now? Bring his wife and children back to the Qin residence? Return all the money and property deeds?
He couldn't. The crushing weight of sunk costs would force him to keep moving forward.
Thus, when Qiu Tu called twenty minutes later, Fourth Master Qin's tone was sour, but everything was ready.
And at that moment, Qiu Tu revealed his ultimate objective.
He issued his final directive to Fourth Master Qin:
Set fire to the Qin family main residence, slaughter the on-duty agents and maids guarding Qin Shuman amid the chaos, and flee the Qin residence together with Qin Shuman.
Upon learning Qiu Tu's true goal, Fourth Master Qin nearly lost his mind.
He thought he was crazy enough, but Qiu Tu was utterly deranged!
He roared into the communicator, "Do you have any idea what you're doing?! Setting fire to the main residence of one of the greatest clans in Xinjie City! Murdering government-appointed agents!
"Are you trying to get me to commit treason?!
"If I do this, who can possibly protect me?!
"If you want to play games, count me out!"
Hearing Fourth Master Qin's hysterical fury, Qiu Tu chuckled.
Then he said nonchalantly, "Fourth Master, if you have a moment, why don't you give sister-in-law and the boy a call?
"I'm sure they'd love to see you."
Fourth Master Qin's mind went completely blank.
He suddenly realized what he had overlooked!
Qiu Tu had acted so harmless and upright that it had made him forget this was a schemer who played with human hearts and took pleasure in betraying others!
Qiu Tu had painted an enticing picture, drawing him into his rhythm step by step. Adding the constant pressure of tight countdowns, Qiu Tu had left him no breathing room to notice the trap being laid.
Now that he had cooled down, he finally saw through the deception: if Qiu Tu could monitor Qin Heng, he could certainly keep tabs on Fourth Master Qin and his family!
Even though he had sent trusted retainers to guard them, his men had been out in the open while Qiu Tu was in the shadows. Qiu Tu could easily muster more people than his retainers and take his family hostage!
So... he had personally handed over half his fortune along with his wife and children straight into Qiu Tu's grasp?!
Perhaps sensing Fourth Master Qin's disbelief and fury, Qiu Tu spoke again in a measured tone.
"Fourth Master, don't misunderstand. The only reason I sent people to protect sister-in-law and the boy is that the Military Department deals only with me and doesn't permit third-party contact.
"So as long as you carry out the mission properly, once you reach the Military Department's safe house, you'll still be reunited with your wife and son.
"As for... burning down the Qin residence and killing those agents, haha... isn't that just a muddled mess of an account?
"As long as we win, we toss out a few scapegoats, let the Military Department step in to mediate, and what problem can't be brushed aside?"
Hearing this, Fourth Master Qin looked ready to tear him apart with his bare eyes. He didn't believe a single word coming out of Qiu Tu's mouth!
Yet... he had no other choice!
Half his fortune, his wife, and his children were in Qiu Tu's hands. His trusted men were already deployed, and the accelerants were ready!
What could he do? Back out now?!
With that in mind, Fourth Master Qin spat out sinisterly, "You better keep your word. If you dare cross me... even if it costs me my old life, I won't let you get away with it!"
Qiu Tu chuckled. "You jest, Fourth Master. We are dear family, flesh-and-blood brothers.
"How could I ever cross you?"
Fourth Master Qin gave a cold snort and hung up!
Ten minutes later, at 9:20 PM.
Raging flames erupted across the Qin family main residence! Like an infuriated beast, the blaze tore through the compound, devouring one set of eaves after another!
Meanwhile, in the city villa, Qin Heng had finally finalized his cooperation agreement with Yan Chen. Both men rose to their feet and shook hands, easy smiles gracing their faces.
They remained completely oblivious to the catastrophic upheaval tearing through the Qin residence at that very moment...
Chapter 50