Let them offer their loyalty!

Chapter 74 The Pass to High Society (7k for Follow-up Reading!)

Meanwhile, as the head of the Logistics and Equipment Department was calling Secretary Bai.

Secretary Bai stood in his own office, staring blankly out the window at the scenery.

His hand was clenched tightly, filled with sweat.

Because only he knew what he had just experienced...

This morning, after meeting with Qiu Tu but receiving a cold shoulder, Secretary Bai felt something was amiss.

Having spent a month in close quarters with Qiu Tu, and having personally mentored him, he knew Qiu Tu extremely well.

The man had the cunning, calculations, and shrewdness that most possessed in the Cataclysmic era. Yet, he also had the kindness, enthusiasm, and gratitude that many lacked.

So, after taking such a huge risk to tip him off the night before, he couldn't have treated Secretary Bai with such coldness!

Hence, if he had suddenly turned so cold, it must mean that something had gone wrong!

And Qiu Tu's subtle shake of the head in the elevator later on confirmed Secretary Bai's guess.

At the time, Secretary Bai had not been able to figure out what exactly had happened. But his trust in Qiu Tu made him go along with it, cursing Qiu Tu a few times to continue the act.

Later, when he returned to his office to work, Secretary Bai had been pondering Qiu Tu's abnormal behavior that morning, yet he couldn't grasp the reasons.

All of this was until he unintentionally heard about a change in Qiu Tu after the interrogation of Cao Dabiao's team of political investigators.

When he learned that Jia Shu had given Qiu Tu such a great opportunity, Secretary Bai finally sensed something was wrong.

Being the right-hand man of Yan Chen, he knew how much prejudice Jia Shu had against Qiu Tu.

How could Jia Shu be so kind as to give this kind of opportunity to win people's hearts to Qiu Tu? It was 100% instructed by Yan Chen!

But why would Yan Chen give such an opportunity to Qiu Tu?

Following this train of thought, Secretary Bai finally pieced together the truth of the whole matter and finally guessed the message Qiu Tu was trying to convey: he had been exposed! He had aroused Yan Chen's suspicions!

After guessing the message Qiu Tu had passed on, Secretary Bai also instantly understood why Qiu Tu deliberately distanced himself in public that morning.

Qiu Tu was not self-preserving, but was putting on a show for others to see, letting others know that they had fallen out, giving Secretary Bai a chance to explain the whistleblower call from last night.

Seeing the situation clearly, Secretary Bai, who knew Yan Chen's personality well, immediately took action and made amends to Yan Chen.

He didn't blatantly go to explain the call to Qiu Tu from the night before but started speaking ill of Qiu Tu indirectly in front of Yan Chen.

This indeed aroused Yan Chen's curiosity.

Afterward, in Yan Chen's casual inquiry, Secretary Bai still didn't explain but deliberately spoke ambiguously.

He knew that no matter how much he explained, it would not be as effective as letting Yan Chen find out on his own.

As expected, it wasn't long before he saw political investigators from the Political Department coming to see Yan Chen, presumably to report on the conflict he had with Qiu Tu that morning.

Although it was a minor incident, it was enough to provoke Yan Chen's imagination, causing doubt about the real content of last night's call, thereby reducing Secretary Bai's own suspicion of betrayal.

However, Secretary Bai also knew that with such a significant mistake and Yan Chen's suspicious nature, it would be difficult to regain trust easily.

But... as long as he could stall, Secretary Bai would always have the chance to mend the rift.

And all of this was brought to Secretary Bai by Qiu Tu!

So, after coming out of Yan Chen's office and taking a deep breath, Secretary Bai also felt that he had indeed made the right judgment about Qiu Tu.

He wasn't the kind of opportunist who would abandon an alliance in times of peril but rather someone who would actively think of ways to help him out of trouble and plan everything for him!

After frantically making all the necessary remedies, Secretary Bai stood by the window for more than ten minutes, scared, with sweaty palms...

.....

"Ring ring ring"

Hearing the crisp ringing of the desk phone, Secretary Bai slowly returned to his senses from his thoughts.

He took a deep breath, exhaled heavily, then turned around, walked to the desk, and picked up the handset.

As he lifted the handset, it transmitted the voice of his subordinate, the head of Logistics, "Chief, this is Huang Hong."

Secretary Bai uttered a grunt and inquired, "What is it, Chief Huang?"

The Logistics chief said with a chuckle, "It's like this, Chief Qiu from the Interrogation Section came over with an equipment request form, and he wants to apply for a batch... uh, a batch of equipment."

"But... these are kind of special, I'm not sure how he knows about them, and I'm not sure whether we should give them to him."

"Also... his approach seems to not follow the procedures."

"Chief Qiu?" Upon hearing the words of the Logistics chief, Secretary Bai froze for a moment, somewhat guessing Qiu Tu's purpose.

He said, "Read out the list of equipment to me."

Chief Huang read from the request form, "'Mist Index Book, Intangible Distortion Sensor, Void Dimension Surveyor, Retrospective Locator'..."

Hearing one Cataclysm Prop name after another from Chief Huang, Secretary Bai smiled silently.

Shortly after, he barked, "That's enough, give the phone to Qiu Tu!"

Hearing Secretary Bai's words, the Logistics chief quickly gave the phone to Qiu Tu.

Qiu Tu took the phone, and Secretary Bai's roar came through the handset, "Qiu Tu, have you lost your mind? Listing these items in the report!"

"Is this how Jia Shu taught you?!"

"Do you not know that matters of Catastrophe Power are not to be known by the common people! It's only because Chief Huang is a manager from the Sanctuary that if he were an ordinary person, do you realize you would have leaked secrets already!"

"I'm telling you! This is no small matter, and I will definitely report it to the Bureau Chief!"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu hurriedly said, "Sorry, sir. This is my first time dealing with such a case, and I didn't know I couldn't file the report this way."

"Sorry, truly sorry."

The handset's soundproofing wasn't good, so Chief Huang also heard Secretary Bai's roar.

He laughed awkwardly, then stepped aside to the water cooler to get water, leaving Qiu Tu to save face.

Seeing this, Qiu Tu cleared his throat softly.

On the other end of the phone, Secretary Bai immediately understood Qiu Tu's intention.

He softly "hmm..." in response.

Another second passed before Secretary Bai spoke up again, loudly, "You don't know the procedure, and you didn't think to ask?"

"Now, take this form to your minister for approval!"

"Those Cataclysmic treasures will be granted to you through a special process!"

With that, Secretary Bai hung up the phone with a "snap."

Qiu Tu, holding the phone, showed an awkward expression to Chief Huang and said, "Sorry for the trouble, Chief Huang."

"Secretary Bai said I followed the wrong procedure, I'll go back and start over."

Chief Huang smiled and shook his head, "No worries. It's all understandable."

"After all, cases like this are special, and it's normal to be a bit flustered the first time."

After saying that, he put down his cup and gently patted Qiu Tu's shoulder, "You know, Qiu Tu, we've met quite a few times."

"Back when you were working in the Administrative Office, I could tell you were different, destined to soar."

"And look, it hasn't been long, and you're already a Deputy Staff Chief."

After saying that, he smiled, "You came from the Administrative Office, so I'm somewhat like your kin."

"So, when you're free, let's communicate and exchange more."

Qiu Tu, hearing this, knew he was receiving positive feedback for the image he had crafted at the Investigation Bureau, so he climbed up the pole that was offered, "No problem, Brother Huang."

"Actually, I've been wanting to get in touch with you more, but... I thought you were busy, so I didn't dare to disturb you."

"Now that you've mentioned it, just name the time, and I'll be there, even if it means braving the storm of knives."

Seeing how readily Qiu Tu took the bait, a glint appeared in Chief Huang's eyes, and after a moment's thought, he said with a smile, "Why put off until tomorrow what can be done today? How about this weekend?"

"Let's go to Emerald Fort together and watch a few horse races? It's an entertainment passed down from the Sanctuary. Many influential figures from Xinjie City participate."

"Big merchants from Xinjie City Chamber of Commerce, committee members from City Hall, directors, military officers, and chiefs and deputies from our Investigation Bureau will all be there."

At this point, he paused and gave a knowing look that all men understand, "And in the evening, I'll take you, my dear brother, to broaden your horizons."

"Let me tell you, since Xinjie City has been marked as a Planning Area, there are still plenty of fun things to do."

Hearing Chief Huang's words, Qiu Tu immediately responded with a laugh, "Then thank you, Brother Huang! I'll definitely keep the appointment!"

Chief Huang smiled, and patted Qiu Tu's shoulder again...

.....

After leaving the Logistics and Equipment Section, Qiu Tu contemplated what had just happened there.

He had deliberately listed some Cataclysm Props on the application form and came to the Logistics Section to request them, mainly to have a call with Secretary Bai.

After last night's attempt to startle the snake, he and Secretary Bai were sure to be under surveillance and wiretapping by Jia Shu.

The two couldn't meet, communicate, or have any contact whatsoever.

However, he needed to be sure that Secretary Bai had understood the message he sent and whether any remedial action had been taken.

Their safety depended on it.

Now that he had received a positive response from Secretary Bai, he felt relieved.

Secondly, there was the unexpected joy from Chief Huang...

As a weaker department within the Investigation Bureau, the Administrative Office didn't have much power and didn't rank high within the Bureau.

However, the Logistics Section was an exception within the Administrative Office.

In charge of all the logistics and equipment for the Investigation Bureau, the Logistics Section was one of the most coveted positions.

Procurement of equipment, disposal of retired equipment, daily wear and tear of equipment... each aspect could entice numerous forces.

Therefore, Chief Huang was a sought-after figure by various department heads and factions.

And Qiu Tu was no exception.

He wanted to handle the case of Yin Caimei and connect with various departments from Xinjie City Chamber of Commerce, City Hall, and the military to understand their true views on the Yin Caimei case, and Chief Huang's connections were the most convenient for this.

In plain terms, Chief Huang was the most suitable "upstairs pass" accessible to Qiu Tu.

Qiu Tu had two objectives in visiting the Logistics Section today, using the application for Cataclysm Props as an opportunity. Apart from briefly communicating with Secretary Bai, it was to let Chief Huang know he was already privy to highly confidential treasures and considered "one of their own," recognized by Yan Chen and Jia Shu.

He originally intended to hint at this to Chief Huang and then bide his time for the next move. Little did he expect that his efforts to build an image at the Investigation Bureau today would result in such a surprising development.

'Emerald Fort? Horse racing?'

'Big merchants from Xinjie Chamber of Commerce? Committee members, directors from City Hall? Military officers?'

'And special activities in the evening?'

Thinking of this, Qiu Tu looked forward to the weekend with increased anticipation...

[10 days (Yin Caimei case closure deadline)]

...

With the application form in hand, he returned to the Political Department.

Qiu Tu went straight to Jia Shu's office.

He knocked on the door and Jia Shu's voice came from inside, "Come in."

Qiu Tu entered and saw Jia Shu studying a document intently.

Qiu Tu saluted, "Sir! I've come to submit the equipment application form!"

"Equipment application form?" Jia Shu looked up, giving Qiu Tu a puzzled glance with his characteristic fake smile.

Qiu Tu walked over and placed the form on Jia Shu's desk.

Jia Shu picked up the document with a peculiar look, glanced over it, and the next second, his eyes bulged and he struggled to maintain his facade of a smile.

He read through the document quickly, then looked up with a half-smile at Qiu Tu, and asked,

"Qiu Tu... do you know what you're applying for with these items?"

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