Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty! Chapter 5 5 This is the Chaotic Era

Clutching the dagger, Qin Shuman looked up at Qiu Tu, her voice trembling as she asked, "You... you want me to use this to kill him if things are exposed?"

Qiu Tu shook his head, patting her chest and saying,

"If you discover that things have been revealed, pull it out and stab yourself right here. Twist it around, and you won't feel anything within two seconds."

"Believe me, death is far preferable to a life worse than death."

Qin Shuman: ....

Her expression shifted rapidly before her eyes welled up, and she struck Qiu Tu a few times with her fist, exclaiming, "You bastard!"

Her voice broke with sobs, "You tricked me into your bed, and now you expect me to do something so perilous."

"I should not have come out today; I truly shouldn't have."

Qiu Tu observed the raw emotion on her face, seeing her genuine fear and regret. He softened his demeanor, gently embracing her and patting her back to offer comfort.

However, unseen by Qin Shuman, behind her back, his gaze deepened, filled with an impenetrable darkness....

....

Women, truly, are creatures of water.

Qin Shuman's tears flowed freely, much like the other fluids he had observed.

It took Qiu Tu more than ten minutes to pacify her before Qin Shuman gradually ceased her crying.

After calming Qin Shuman, Qiu Tu guided her to the worn-out sofa. They reviewed their fabricated story once more, and he outlined the next steps requiring her cooperation. Ensuring she had memorized everything, he then ushered her out of his residence.

At that precise moment, merely 4 hours and 10 minutes remained until the scheduled life-or-death trial that evening....

...

Stepping out of the building, Qiu Tu inhaled the musty air of the corridor and gazed upwards.

The sky in this world was perpetually overcast, as if shrouded by a dense, oppressive miasma, heavy and dark.

According to the memories inherited from his predecessor, the sky had remained this way since the Cataclysm, a time when sunshine became a rare luxury.

The Cataclysm, occurring decades prior, had shattered the world's established Order, devastated human civilization, and irrevocably altered this entire realm....

"What... are you thinking about?" Seeing Qiu Tu lost in thought, Qin Shuman, standing beside him, cautiously inquired.

Perhaps due to the recent threat of the dagger, Qin Shuman exhibited a noticeable apprehension towards Qiu Tu.

Qiu Tu returned to the present, glanced at her, and shook his head. "It's nothing important."

He then added softly, "Don't wear that expression. It will get both of us killed."

Upon hearing his words, Qin Shuman offered him a crestfallen look. After taking a few deep breaths, she composed herself.

She then lightly slapped her own face, nodded at Qiu Tu, and carefully began to descend, gripping the rusted stair railing.

Qiu Tu followed at a discreet distance, maintaining a balance close enough to ensure her protection but not so close as to appear overly intimate.

Qiu Tu's dwelling was situated within a stark, tube-like structure on Old Alley Street. Despite being considered a relatively better district within Xinjie City, the building itself was exceedingly run-down:

The stairs bore numerous cracks and chips, and the corridors were strewn with discarded books, shattered glass, and filthy plastic bags, giving the impression of a slum.

—The designated Planning Area had been constructed directly upon the remnants of a destroyed city.

As they descended the decrepit staircase, Qiu Tu distinctly felt several hidden gazes lingering upon them.

'It must be Yan Chen's subordinates,' he mused.

The moment he had relayed the information to Yan Chen, Qiu Tu had anticipated this. Given Yan Chen's character, he would undoubtedly dispatch agents for surveillance.

Furthermore, he surmised that due to the delicate nature of the situation, Yan Chen would need to bring in trusted confidants from his personal team—which was precisely why Qiu Tu had dared to seize this brief moment to manipulate Qin Shuman.

As if summoned by his thoughts, an undercover officer emerged from the shadows.

He possessed a severe expression, unsmiling and appearing rather unapproachable.

Approaching Qiu Tu with long strides, he first subjected me to a scrutinizing glance. Then, producing a black identification card, he stated, "Agent Qiu, I am Fang Ming, a First-Level Detective from the Special Service Department."

"Under the Chief Bureau's directive, I am here to escort you and Miss Shuman to a villa within the city for temporary safekeeping. The Chief Bureau intends to speak with you this evening."

'The Special Service Department?' Qiu Tu studied the detective before him, a touch of sentimentality surfacing. "Yan Chen truly values my contribution."

The Investigation Bureau, one of Xinjie City's three dominant powers, operated with a complex and stringent organizational structure. Beyond its eleven directly managed departments, it also oversaw seven branches and a staggering seventy-nine Public Security Offices.

Of these numerous divisions, the most inferior in influence were the local Public Security Offices, while the Political Department and the Special Service Department, both under the direct purview of the eleven main departments, wielded the greatest authority.

As the two most formidable departments within the Investigation Bureau:

The Political Department held immense sway, being responsible for intelligence gathering, espionage, counter-intelligence operations, internal oversight, and a myriad of other critical functions.

Conversely, the Special Service Department was tasked with combating anti-government armed forces, suppressing riots, and conducting armed patrols during sensitive times and in crucial territories, establishing itself as the Bureau's preeminent military might.

This specific division of responsibilities not only granted the Special Service Department an operational capacity independent of the broader Investigation Bureau but also equipped it with luxuriously provisioned forces capable of rivaling military strength.

This formidable force was exclusively loyal to Yan Chen's faction, and it served as the crucial trump card that solidified his standing as one of Xinjie City's Three Giants.

Consequently, even as Yan Chen's subordinate, Qiu Tu was compelled to adhere strictly to the directives issued by the Special Service Department.

'It seems Yan Chen intends to restrict both Qin Shuman's and my movements before proceeding with a directed interrogation,' Qiu Tu mused internally.

'Fortunately, I have already established a contingency plan.'

With this assurance, Qiu Tu, maintaining a poker face, turned to Qin Shuman beside him and stated, "Miss Shuman, you have heard the Bureau Chief's directive. From this moment forward, your security will be entrusted to Agent Fang."

At Qiu Tu's words, Qin Shuman's eyes flickered.

She feigned disappointment, cast a glance at Fang Ming with her exquisite, peach-like eyes, and then turned back to Qiu Tu, voicing her discontent, "But... I had rather hoped you would accompany me for a stroll down to Street Crossing."

Following her statement, she looked pleadingly at Fang Ming, "Agent Fang..."

As a trusted associate of Yan Chen, Fang Ming was well-acquainted with Qin Shuman and understood the nature of her relationship with Yan Chen.

Given that Qiu Tu and Qin Shuman's clandestine affair had yet to be revealed, and Yan Chen would certainly not confide in a subordinate about being deceived, Fang Ming was led into a miscalculation.

He paused momentarily, checked the time, and after a brief deliberation, informed Qin Shuman, "Miss Shuman, the Bureau Chief is scheduled to return to the downtown villa before 18:00. I can only allocate one and a half hours for your outing."

Qin Shuman obediently nodded her head in agreement.

Qiu Tu remained at the side, hands in his pockets, observing the proceedings with a detached, almost indifferent demeanor, like a mere bystander.

Once an understanding was reached, Qin Shuman's protection was swiftly transferred.

A detective from the Special Service Department assumed Qiu Tu's former role, positioning himself near Qin Shuman, while Qiu Tu and Fang Ming conducted a perimeter sweep. The group then proceeded with a conspicuous march towards the street corner.

Perhaps due to the striking appearance of such a formally attired contingent in the grimy street, the impoverished citizens lurking in dilapidated structures dared not stir, their gazes reflecting fear, apathy, or a vacant dullness as they watched the procession move past on the filth-laden road, too intimidated to draw the attention of these evidently influential figures.

To the majority of the city's common folk, individuals like Qiu Tu and Fang Ming were powerful figures capable of deciding their very existence with a whim.

Little did they realize that in the presence of the true power players, Qiu Tu and Fang Ming were no more significant than mere insects...

Such was the brutal reality, a merciless, dog-eat-dog world forged in the crucible of the Cataclysm...

The detectives on duty were already desensitized to such stares, their expressions remaining impassive as they quietly escorted Qin Shuman past rows of rundown, low-rise buildings toward an antiquated sedan.

This vehicle had been specially provided by Yan Chen for Qin Shuman's use.

Upon sighting the vintage automobile, Fang Ming promptly approached, extended his hand to open the rear passenger door, and offered Qin Shuman a formal salute, saying, "Miss Shuman, if you please."

Qin Shuman turned her head to glance back at Qiu Tu. Receiving no signal from him, she bit her lip, her expression a mask of resentful longing, and moved to step into the car.

Just as she reached the car door and bent to enter, a man's teasing voice echoed from above her, "Heh heh, how embarrassing~"

A confused murmur swept through the crowd as they scanned their surroundings, searching for the source of the voice. Suddenly, a swift blur appeared, followed by a deafening 'bang!' A figure crashed violently onto the roof of the antique sedan!

The impact instantly crushed the car's roof, leaving a deep indentation. Blood sprayed, limbs scattered, and the broken body plunged the scene into utter pandemonium!

Piercing screams mingled with wild laughter, echoing through the narrow confines of Old Alley Street...

This sudden and shocking event left everyone's minds reeling.

Only Qiu Tu, maintaining a surprising level of calm, rushed forward. He shielded the shrieking Qin Shuman, pulling her to safety on the side.

Simultaneously, the detectives from the Special Service Department snapped out of their stupor. Like a swarm of unleashed arrows, they converged, surrounding the pair. Guns were raised instantly, and a barrage of gunfire erupted, aimed directly at the rooftop...