Qiu Tu stated matter-of-factly, "Nonsense, if it weren't for you, why would I kill her?"
Qin Shuman's mind couldn't quite catch up, and she asked puzzledly, "But... what did she do to me?"
As he picked at his food, Qiu Tu explained slowly and methodically, "She was Yan Chen's person, following you around to keep watch over you."
"Yan Chen clearly didn't trust you as a 'mole' for the military, so he had her record your every word and deed to regularly report."
At this point, Qiu Tu countered, "Are you a 'mole' for the military?"
Qin Shuman hastily and blankly shook her head.
Qiu Tu said, "There you have it. She found something amiss with you and meticulously recorded all the details."
"Last night, when she was about to report to Yan Chen, I happened upon her, so I figured I might as well go all the way and killed her."
Qin Shuman's mouth fell open slightly, momentarily at a loss for words.
Meanwhile, Qiu Tu was smiling, contentedly eating a mouthful of meat.
People, after all, live their whole lives learning the art of passing the buck.
If you can shift the blame to others and gain their gratitude in the process, why bear it yourself?
Lay aside personal integrity, and enjoy the life of the shameless...
...
Perhaps truly persuaded by Qiu Tu, Qin Shuman seemed to be in much better spirits.
Although she was still muttering worriedly about Yan Chen's wrath, under Qiu Tu's "leave it all to me" reassurances, she gradually calmed down.
After dinner, to alleviate Qin Shuman's concerns, Qiu Tu took the initiative to bring her to the pond to feed the fish.
As one of Xinjie City's most powerful and influential families, the Qin Family's estate was broad in area and massive in architectural scale, ranking prominently within the entire city. Thus, the Qin Family Mansion not only boasted a well-arranged residence but also a meticulously designed garden with a distinctly oriental charm.
Sunlight filtered through the delicate leaves of the bamboo, dancing on the pebble-paved pathways in a mottled pattern,
Qin Shuman sat on a stool beside the path, her long legs stretched out in front. She pinched a handful of fine fish food and gently scattered it into the crystal-clear pond.
Suddenly, the previously peaceful waters came alive, as various mutant fish converged from all directions.
Watching the fish swim around her, a faint smile played on her lips, and her bright, star-like eyes sparkled with allure.
Qiu Tu stood not too far away, his gaze softly falling upon her. He felt this was the most leisurely moment he had in days.
Yet he also wondered how much longer he could enjoy such times.
With that thought, his gaze pierced through the Qin Family Mansion, the streets, and the buildings until it settled on the dark silhouette ensconced in the office atop the Investigation Bureau Office Building...
At the same time.
In the Xinjie City Investigation Bureau Office Building.
Yan Chen sat in the Bureau Chief's office, bowing his head as he worked through documents, listening to Secretary Bai's report.
After a while, he signed on a document and then looked up to ask, "So, in summary, Second Qin came to report to you today that Qiu Tu killed Cui Lan, correct?"
Secretary Bai respectfully replied, "Yes."
Yan Chen let out a light "hmm" from his nose, "Old Qin is really slippery, still unwilling to take a stand up until now."
"Alright, I've got it," he said, and returned to reviewing the documents before him.
Seeing that Yan Chen had no further instructions, Secretary Bai did not leave but cautiously inquired, "Bureau Chief, should we warn or discipline Qiu Tu in any way?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Chen paused in his actions.
He lifted his head, his gaze sharp as he looked at Secretary Bai, flipped his pen around, and tapped it heavily on the desk, saying sternly, "Bai Yu, I know you have high hopes for Qiu Tu, but don't try to play games with me!"
At that moment, Secretary Bai broke out in sweat, quickly straightening his back, "Yes."
Yan Chen's face turned cold, and she waved her hand, "Go out."
Secretary Bai saluted respectfully and turned to walk out of the office.
After leaving the office, Secretary Bai closed the door behind him. Then he let out a slight sigh and shook his head as he walked toward his own office.
...
The fact that Qiu Tu had killed Cui Lan was not exactly a secret. As such, many keen onlookers had also been watching how the situation progressed.
But after waiting a day, there was absolutely no response from Yan Chen.
No reprimand, no chastisement, and certainly no rewards. It was eerily quiet, as if she were completely unaware of the incident.
However, by evening, most people had caught on.
The lack of any reward meant the incident was not instigated by Yan Chen. Yan Chen was very dissatisfied with it.
The absence of reprimand or chastisement meant the issue was not yet resolved.
By intentionally not defining the situation, Yan Chen could, in the future, use the incident to incriminate Qiu Tu whenever she wished, be it in a major or minor way.
On the contrary, if there were reprimands or admonishments, it would mean the incident was over. Yan Chen, although not pleased, was not preparing to take any action against Qiu Tu.
'Just as I thought,' Qiu Tu felt greatly relieved after waiting an entire day with no resolution coming forth.
'Indeed... with my current value, Yan Chen wouldn't inconvenience me over some non-crucial matters.'
'Although she still harbors some wariness towards me, she has actually made concessions in practice.'
Thinking this way, Qiu Tu's gaze was filled with amusement...
Anyone familiar with scamming tactics would recognize this as the bait that conned parties bite, a common trick used by swindlers: testing the limits...
Once a person is hooked by their own greed, their bottom line will be gradually lowered by the swindler, until it's gone completely.
So the next step was quite simple...
'It's time to slowly increase Yan Chen's "sunk cost"...'
Thinking this, Qiu Tu didn't even hesitate, immediately sending up a report...
"Discovered significant clues, requesting backup of one team of Political Department Investigators for deployment, and an increase in operational funds: 399 Silver Yuan."
"[49:19:48 (able to produce Cataclysmic Potion)]"
...
In the evening, as Qiu Tu and Yan Chen were engaged in their strategic contest,
Shen Lingshuang sat blankly on the steps of the small courtyard, holding a short-legged tabby cat and looking up at the sky with her cheek in her palm.
A maid and a Special Service Detective stood next to her, keeping watch over her.
After a while, she turned to look at the Special Service Detective, "Hey, don't you think you should go check on your boss?
"Could he have choked to death on water? Otherwise, why hasn't he come to interrogate me all day?
"As a significant criminal, don't I deserve a bit of face?"
Having probably repeated this spiel all day, the Special Service Detective, upon hearing her, silently turned away, pretending not to have heard.
Seeing this, Shen Lingshuang glared at him indignantly, then, pouting, stroked the short-legged tabby cat a couple of times, almost yanking out its fur!
The maid looked on sympathetically and reached out to stop her but didn't dare to speak up...
And just then, Qiu Tu's voice came from outside the courtyard...