Earlier when Qiu Tu came by, Fang Ming had already noticed Ah-Tai.
After all, in a world where the average height following the Catastrophe was around five-foot-three to five-foot-seven, the six-foot-three Ah-Tai stood out like a crane among chickens. Plus, with his broad shoulders and muscular build, it was hard not to draw attention.
So, hearing what Qiu Tu said, Fang Ming sized up Ah-Tai and showed a look of interest on his face.
But he didn't say much, simply nodding his head, "Okay. Then leave three or four to help maintain order here."
Hearing Fang Ming's words, Qiu Tu looked at the group of temporary detectives and after a moment of thought, called out, "Ah-Kun, Monkey, Ah-Shui. You three stay with Ah-Tai to maintain order here."
"The rest of you head back to the Public Security Office."
After speaking, Qiu Tu made a covert gesture towards the man with the aquiline nose standing next to Ah-Tai.
The man with the aquiline nose nodded subtly without a word, then led the other temporary detectives away from the scene…
......
After arranging for Ah-Tai, Qiu Tu and Fang Ming escorted Qin Shuman back to her townhouse in the city center, while the other Special Service detectives remained on standby at the scene, maintaining order and waiting for the Political Department personnel to arrive.
On the way back, Qin Shuman sat in the back seat of the old sedan, Fang Ming in the passenger seat, while Qiu Tu drove.
The predecessor managed to suck up to Yan Chen and become a detective chiefly because of the rare driving skills in the Planning Area. The modern-day Qiu Tu, having come from the contemporary era, naturally had no issues with his driving skills either.
So, watching Qiu Tu drive steadily, Fang Ming asked curiously,
"Agent Qiu, your driving is quite good. Do all from the Administrative Office have this skill?"
Hearing Fang Ming's question, Qiu Tu glanced at the rearview mirror and responded with a smile, "The Administrative Office is there to provide logistical support for various departments after all. We need to have a mix of random talents."
"Unlike you guys in the Special Service Department, with good treatment, better equipment, and greater power, you just need to train peacefully without worrying about anything else."
As he spoke, he feigned a sense of envy, "All departments envy you guys and would want to transfer there."
Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Fang Ming just grunted in assent, not bothering with pleasantries. Although Qiu Tu was somewhat flattering, what he said was true. As one of the two ace departments of the Investigation Bureau, the Special Service Department indeed was the division all detectives wished to join.
However, the entry threshold for the Special Service Department was high; even in its early stages, it required physical capabilities far above the ordinary people of this post-Cataclysm world. Ordinary detectives simply could not join.
With that thought, the image of Ah-Tai's muscular and robust stature suddenly popped into Fang Ming's mind, and he was involuntarily intrigued. Then, probing, he asked, "Agent Qiu, that Ah-Tai…"
Seeing Fang Ming taking the bait, a subtle smile crept across Qiu Tu's lips. However, he remained composed and, sticking to the plan, began to introduce Ah-Tai with a mix of truth and fiction,
"Oh, Ah-Tai. He's a distant cousin of mine. He's been daring and combative since childhood, with a hearty temperament, but… well, he's not the brightest bulb in the chandelier."
"Back when Xinjie City was still the Disaster Zone, he had joined a gang and got his hands bloodied."
"Later, when Xinjie City was about to be established, the military came in early to clear out the underground forces, their gang was eradicated, and he was marked for resisting the military, and he had to hide out even after Xinjie City was established."
"So later, when the Bureau Chief was recruiting detectives to establish the Investigation Bureau, he didn't participate in the selection."
"I received help from his parents when I was young. After I became a detective, he came to rely on me, and I couldn't very well refuse, so I pulled some strings to clean his record and introduced him as a temporary detective on Old Alley Street."
"Though he's a bit rough and simple-minded, he knows to repay a debt of gratitude. That's why when he heard I was attacked today, he didn't hesitate to bring his colleagues over to help."
In just a few sentences, Qiu Tu had laid out Ah-Tai's "history" and character, giving Fang Ming a general impression.
Yet he didn't say anything more, as if he was just asking casually.
As Qiu Tu drove, he kept stealing glances at Fang Ming from the corner of his eye. Seeing Fang Ming deep in thought, Qiu Tu felt assured that things were likely settled.
He had steered the topic towards the Special Service Department precisely to tempt Fang Ming.
Being a First Level Detective in the Special Service Department, Fang Ming had the power to recommend regular detectives into the Special Service Department.
These recommended detectives naturally carried the label of their sponsors and became the direct subordinates of the latter.
Therefore, in a situation where the Special Service Department is not yet fully staffed, every team leader will do their utmost to scout for talent and claim it for their own use.
That's why Qiu Tu deliberately showed off Ah-Tai in front of Fang Ming and casually steered the conversation towards "joining the Special Service Department". He was tempting Fang Ming...
Once Fang Ming was interested and recommended Ah-Tai to the Special Service Department, it would be as though Qiu Tu had planted a spy in the strongest department of the Investigation Bureau, which would make many operations much more convenient.
His past life experiences in a fraud syndicate taught Qiu Tu that "greed" is humanity's greatest original sin, and that wisely exploiting "the enemy's greed" is the most powerful weapon in the world...
This was the case with Fang Ming, as it was with Yan Chen tonight...
....
Xinjie City was designated a Planning Area just a short year ago. Therefore, many parts were still in disarray and ruin. However... this did not include the districts of the privileged.
As the military had come in advance to clean up the underground forces in Xinjie City, the future mid to high-level managers had already sent people to construct their residences in Xinjie City early on.
Thus, when Qiu Tu drove to Yan Chen's townhouse in the city, a vast garden greeted his eyes.
In the garden, a plethora of precious flowers were meticulously planted: mutated Dendrobium nobile, mutated Allium, and mutated Chrysanthemum all vied for bloom, their fragrance overwhelming, like a vibrant oil painting.
Along the winding paths, the shrubs were trimmed to perfection. The last rays of the setting sun cast a dreamy glow upon the path, stunningly beautiful.
Through the rearview mirror, Qiu Tu glanced back at the dilapidated, old residential buildings and the potholed streets behind him, as if he was looking at two different worlds...
Driving through the garden gate and under the scrutinous gaze of the Security Section agents at the gatehouse, Qiu Tu drove up to the villa's entrance.
Upon arriving, Fang Ming got out of the car first to open the door for Qin Shuman. However, Qin Shuman hesitated, seemingly reluctant to disembark.
Seeing her like this, Qiu Tu fell silent for a moment before persuasively hinting, "Miss Shuman, rest assured. The Bureau Chief won't be angry just because you sneaked out to have fun."
"I'll explain it to him properly tonight."
Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Qin Shuman paused for a moment before sighing in relief as if she had understood, and then gingerly stepped out of the car, holding her dress and bowing her head.
As he watched Qin Shuman and Fang Ming step by step enter the dark villa, Qiu Tu's gaze became profound, his eyes unflustered...
Then he drove to the backyard, handed over the car to a servant, and also stepped into the villa...
[2:53:51]
...
Three hours flew by in the blink of an eye.
At 18:15 in the evening, the door to the guest room where Qiu Tu was temporarily resting was gently knocked.
When Qiu Tu opened the door, standing outside was a maid in her thirties, barrel-waisted and dark-skinned.
At the sight of the maid, Qiu Tu's eyes flickered. She was Qin Shuman's personal maid and the key witness who had testified to Qiu Tu's affair with Qin Shuman: Cui Lan.
"Agent Qiu, the Bureau Chief requests your presence," Cui Lan said.
Upon hearing Cui Lan's words, Qiu Tu's face remained as calm as a lake's surface.
He glanced at the countdown timer in the upper left corner of his vision.
[00:18]
There's no denying it, the Golden Finger is indeed precise. When it says five hours, it means exactly five hours.
Thinking thus, he took a deep, silent breath, then straightened the collar of his uniform slightly before speaking in a low voice, "Thank you."
Cui Lan nodded respectfully but couldn't suppress the schadenfreude smile curling at the corners of her mouth as she turned away to lead the way.
Qiu Tu sharply captured the change in her expression but said nothing. His gaze, however, grew ever more intense...