noveltune Chapter 67: Yan Chen's Satisfaction +9
Chapter 67: Yan Chen's Satisfaction +9
Chapter 67: Yan Chen's Satisfaction +9
Upon hearing Yan Chen's inquiry, Jia Shu hesitated for a moment. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and said somewhat ambiguously, “Director, I think... how that woman died is not important. What's important is what her death brings us.”
He paused and then continued, “For example, her death can bring peace of mind to many. Don’t be fooled by the harsh criticism from the Municipal Council towards our Investigation Department. Who knows how many council members had a good night's sleep last night because of it. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for our Investigation Department or for you.”
Yan Chen fell into deep thought upon hearing this. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he glanced at Jia Shu with a faint smile. “It seems you have a lot of thoughts about this case?”
Jia Shu smiled back. “Director, the recent cases I’ve handled have shown me how important a good information monitoring system and a city-wide surveillance network are. And... only Deputy Chairman Tian can provide that.”
Yan Chen pondered silently for another moment. Then, tapping his finger lightly on the armrest of his chair, he said softly, “You handle it. But, close the case. Don’t let it become a cold case.”
Jia Shu quickly smiled and bowed slightly. “Director, rest assured, I’ll take care of it.”
After this topic, Jia Shu thought the conversation was over and straightened up, ready to leave. But at that moment, Yan Chen spoke again.
“By the way, the team of Political Division agents sent to the Qin residence the other day—isn’t it still detained?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Jia Shu paused for a moment and then nodded, “Yes. The Special Operations Division agents were demoted for their incompetence and sent back for retraining. The Political Division agents are still in the detention room, waiting for punishment as a lesson.”
Yan Chen responded with a neutral "Hmm" and then added, “Since Qiu Tu is no longer a suspect, we should continue to groom him. He was the leader of that operation and is now the Deputy Section Chief of the Interrogation Division. Let him handle the review and punishment of this team.”
Jia Shu was stunned for a second before looking at Yan Chen. Yan Chen’s expression was calm, as if this was just an ordinary arrangement. Seeing this, Jia Shu immediately broke into a bright smile. “Understood, Director.”
Yan Chen smiled slightly, then took a sip of tea. Jia Shu took the hint and retreated to the office door before turning to leave.
Meanwhile, Qiu Tu, who was eating soup dumplings with Shen Lingshuang, suddenly received two notifications:
[Yan Chen’s Suspicion -4, Satisfaction +9]
[Jia Shu’s Suspicion -0, Satisfaction +0]
Qiu Tu’s movements paused slightly as he processed this, a question mark slowly appearing above his head: ?
He was utterly puzzled.
Shen Lingshuang was indeed a good girl. Though a bit proud, she was very good at taking care of people and quite diligent. While Qiu Tu was in bed reviewing last night's "Loyalty Game" gains, she had already finished in the bathroom and then, with her slender legs, hurried downstairs.
Could it be about his meeting with Qin Shuman? the Investigation Department and the Security Department wouldn't risk a direct confrontation, and Jia Shu wouldn't have infiltrated his room to eavesdrop. So, there was no need for surveillance there either.
The only significant event around Qiu Tu last night was the death of Deputy Chairman Tian's mistress. Once he pinpointed this, everything else fell into place.
Qiu Tu hadn't run away after receiving Bai’s call, nor had he conducted any private investigations. He had met with Liu Fuping without collaborating or following her. These non-actions reduced Yan Chen's suspicion and increased his satisfaction.
It all made sense now. Last night's situation was a setup! The news about the spy's death was likely planted by Yan Chen and Jia Shu to test the loyalty and reactions of everyone involved, identifying those who might have ulterior motives against Yan Chen or the Investigation Department.
Qiu Tu now understood Liu Fuping's source of information. He had been suspicious last night since he had learned about the spy's death from Secretary Bai, Yan Chen’s trusted aide and a high-ranking official. How could Liu Fuping have received the same information? The answer was that Jia Shu had leaked the information along multiple lines, ensuring it reached all the spies of various factions.
Anyone who showed any movement upon receiving this information was likely monitored by Jia Shu. Qiu Tu's face darkened at the realization of the ruthless tactics employed.
‘Such vicious methods,’ he thought. ‘One piece of news, and several spies are exposed! Last night, who knows how many operatives were compromised because of this.’
Despite understanding everything, Qiu Tu wasn't pleased. The harsh truth was that while he had "passed the test" and gained Yan Chen's favor, it meant that Secretary Bai and Liu Fuping had failed. Liu Fuping’s fate wasn’t a major concern, but Bai was his ally within the Investigation Department. If anything happened to Bai, Qiu Tu would lose his only reliable informant and guide.
Determined to prevent this, Qiu Tu’s expression grew colder. ‘I can’t let anything happen to Secretary Bai!’
With this resolve, he started the car again, driving and thinking of ways to save Secretary Bai. By the time he neared the Investigation Department, he had a rough plan in mind.
Gazing at the scenery passing by the car window, Qiu Tu took a deep breath, silently hoping for the right opportunity. ‘I hope I’m not too late.’
With these thoughts running through his mind, Qiu Tu drove to the Investigation Department. Upon arriving in the parking lot, he stopped the car and was about to get out when he encountered Qin Zhengguang, the Deputy Director of the Security Department from the second branch of the Qin family, who had just stepped out of his car.
In just two days, Qin Zhengguang seemed to have aged significantly. His face was lined with new wrinkles, and dark circles shadowed his eyes, clear signs of anxiety and sleepless nights.
Seeing Qiu Tu, Qin Zhengguang's expression grew complicated. After all, Qiu Tu was both his "savior" and the "enemy" of the entire Qin family. Without Qiu Tu's investigation, the four Qin brothers wouldn't have turned against each other, the main house wouldn't have burned down, and the Qin family wouldn't have been forced to seek refuge under Yan Chen.
He stood dazed for a moment before managing a strained smile. "Agent Qiu—oh, I mean Deputy Chief Qiu. How are you settling into the Interrogation Division?"
Qiu Tu was also taken aback upon seeing Qin Zhengguang. His thoughts immediately turned to Fourth Master Qin's wife and children. While they were safely under the watch of the Security Department, the valuables they had were now in the hands of Qiu Tu's own men. He made a mental note to find an opportunity to inventory the wealth accumulated by that old schemer over the years.
Author's Note