noveltune Chapter 76: The Strange Book
Chapter 76: The Strange Book
Chapter 76: The Strange Book
Qiu Tu pointed to the remaining seven or eight agents and said, "They are under your command."
"My requirements are simple: make sure not to alert the big merchants. They must not detect any investigation."
Cao Dabiao's mouth slowly dropped open, "And they can’t detect it?"
At that moment, Cao Dabiao suddenly thought that being locked up in the holding room wasn’t so bad after all, at least compared to facing such an impossible task.
However, seeing Qiu Tu’s encouraging eyes and thinking about the pressure Qiu Tu had endured for his sake, Cao Dabiao gritted his teeth and resolutely said, "Don't worry, sir! I will complete the task!"
Qiu Tu smiled and patted Cao Dabiao's shoulder, continuing to motivate him, "Dabiao, you’re the person I trust the most in this investigation team. Don’t let me down."
Cao Dabiao nodded vigorously and then left energetically with the remaining agents.
Once everyone was assigned, Qiu Tu walked to the window of the empty conference room, gazing out and quietly contemplating.
Despite Jia Shu hinting that he could simply pin the crime on someone and close the case, Qiu Tu didn’t want to do that. While it might please Jia Shu, it was too risky. This high-profile case had the attention of many powerful figures. If his fabricated case wasn’t exposed, he’d be fine. But if it were, neither Jia Shu nor Yan Chen would protect him. He’d become a disposable pawn.
Therefore, after careful consideration, Qiu Tu decided the case needed to be thoroughly investigated. Only by finding the real culprit could he secure his position. The case involved significant factions, and discovering the truth would give him leverage over them. He could either trade for benefits or hand over the perpetrator to protect himself, placing him in an unbeatable position.
However, he felt uneasy about Jia Shu's unusual behavior today. As Yan Chen’s right-hand man, Jia Shu should be loyal to Yan Chen and the Investigation Bureau. But today, Jia Shu’s attitude was ambiguous, raising concerns about a deeper conspiracy behind the female spy's death and the possibility that the Political Division might be involved in covering it up. If that were true, he’d be in serious trouble.
As he pondered this, Qiu Tu's hands clenched behind his back.
Ten minutes later, groups of agents began returning, bringing more information about the case.
First, there was a medical report on Yin Caimei (the female spy) after her capture by the Interrogation Office. All indicators were normal, with no external injuries or hidden illnesses.
Next was the medical report after her interrogation, showing traces of various interrogation drugs in her system, a fractured right pinky, and multiple external injuries and bruises, but none were fatal.
Then came the surveillance footage from the Information Surveillance Office.
The footage showed that after her interrogation and medical check, Yin Caimei was sent back to the holding room. She behaved normally, and no unauthorized personnel approached her. She ate dinner at 6 PM, sat on her bed to rest, and even picked up a book to read. Around 9 PM, she suddenly collapsed to the floor. The guards, noticing something was wrong, opened the cell and found her dead.
Since Qiu Tu had taken over the case, all evidence, including the book Yin Caimei was reading and her leftover food, had been handed over to the investigation team.
Qiu Tu ignored the other items and focused on the book. It was a black-covered book that looked somewhat oppressive and eerie. The title on the cover read "Brave New World".
Qiu Tu opened the book to find a neat line of writing on the first page:
Suddenly, she felt Qiu Tu’s arms tighten around her like a vise, crushing her with immense force.
Panicking, she struggled, but her strength was nothing compared to Qiu Tu’s. She heard her bones creak under the pressure. Desperately, she looked up at Qiu Tu, only to see a pair of abyssal black eyes staring back at her.
In that moment, she felt the real terror of death.
"Please, please, please," she stammered, tears welling up in her eyes as she pleaded for her life.
Qiu Tu looked at her with deep, inscrutable eyes. As she teetered on the brink of despair, he suddenly released her.
Liu Fuping collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, her eyes wide with the relief of surviving.
Without a word, Qiu Tu stepped over her and walked to the window, coldly stating, "There won’t be a next time."
"You’re a spy. Killing you won’t bring me any consequences."
Liu Fuping gulped, her face pale with fear as she looked at Qiu Tu. She had thought their shared secrets and physical intimacy over the past few days meant Qiu Tu had at least some affection or pity for her. But she was wrong.
Just now, she had truly smelled the scent of death.
A sharp sound drew her attention, and she realized her gun was missing from her waist. Qiu Tu had taken it again, showing his deep mistrust. This realization filled her with a sense of defeat.
Qiu Tu spoke again, still facing the window. "I only guessed the truth this morning."
"This is all a trap."
"From the moment your superior contacted you last night and you started investigating, you both were caught in it."
"So, even if I had figured out the truth and told you, it wouldn’t have mattered. You were already being monitored, with no way to escape."
Liu Fuping’s expression kept changing as she processed Qiu Tu's words.
Qiu Tu continued, "Unfortunately, I think I might have fallen into the trap myself today."
He paused, then turned back to her, asking, "By the way, who is your superior?"
Liu Fuping looked at him, bewildered, as if unable to process everything at once.
Author's Note