Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 81: Cataclysmic Creature - Phantom Jellyfish

Qin Shuman hesitated after hearing Qiu Tu's question. It was clear that this subject touched on sensitive information within the Security Division, which made her pause for a full two seconds before she finally answered, "Yes."

She explained, "The material world and the immaterial world are not separate entities; they can influence each other."

"In the material world, the emotions, obsessions, and negative energies of living beings can cause various changes in the immaterial world."

"And if certain obsessions or negative impacts reach a critical threshold, the immaterial world may give birth to related cataclysmic creatures, or even worse, catastrophic events."

Qiu Tu, intrigued, asked tentatively, "And how do these cataclysmic creatures or 'catastrophes' affect the real world?"

Qin Shuman responded with a bitter smile, "In many ways. So many that you wouldn’t want to know."

"I’ll give you two simple examples..."

"For instance, the cataclysmic creature born from Brave New World once caused a disaster in the immaterial world that wiped out six or seven cities under the jurisdiction of the Third Shelter."

"Another example is a massive cataclysmic creature known as the Phantom Jellyfish. This creature is several kilometers long and drifts alone in the depths of the immaterial world."

"But once it moves toward the material world, it triggers a 'mental tide,' where the force of the catastrophe surges into the material world like a tidal wave."

"In the material world, ordinary creatures affected by this cataclysmic force rapidly evolve."

"But for higher life forms, the impact can cause anything from dizziness and vertigo to madness and schizophrenia."

Qiu Tu quietly absorbed this information. "So, matter influences the mind, and the mind, in turn, influences matter..."

This was the first time Qiu Tu fully grasped the implications of the information he had obtained from the world’s source.

The Boundless Mind Sea was not just the origin of cataclysmic power; it was the true source of the world-altering cataclysms...

With this new understanding, Qiu Tu began to consider the "Yin Caimei case" in a new light.

If the emotions of beings in the material world could give birth to cataclysmic creatures, and those creatures in the Boundless Mind Sea could, in turn, affect the beings in the material world, then this case might involve more than just the Investigation Department, the New Realm Chamber of Commerce, the anti-government forces, and the Municipal Council. There could be deeper, more complex layers involved.

With this thought, Qiu Tu became curious about another matter.

He looked at Qin Shuman and asked, "I’ve always been curious about something."

"Why do the military, the Investigation Department, and the Municipal Council plant spies in each other’s ranks?"

"Aren’t you all part of the shelters?"

"Isn’t this essentially starting a civil war?"

Qin Shuman pondered this for a moment before carefully replying, "First, I need to correct a misunderstanding. The shelters have never officially supported the three major power structures undermining each other."

"In fact, on the surface, the shelters have consistently condemned such behavior."

She paused before continuing, "But..."

"The shelters are a newly established government, a coalition of various forces, rather than a unified nation."

"Some powerful figures came together to try and change humanity’s fate and rebuild the cataclysmic world. They combined their resources, divided the benefits, and established a new social order."

"So, the Investigation Department, the military, and even the Municipal Council are all relatively independent entities."

Qin Shuman made a gesture with her hand. "While it appears that everyone is under the leadership of the shelters, the actual power structure is more like a collection of parallel hierarchies."

"If you join the Investigation Department, your career progression is within that hierarchy. The same applies to the military and the Municipal Council."

"This means that the three major power structures operate as independent kingdoms, each developing on its own. They only cooperate when faced with a crisis."

Qiu Tu was surprised. "Doesn’t that cause problems?"

Qin Shuman nodded. "It does. That’s why, after recognizing the issue, the leadership implemented two measures."

"One addresses the symptoms, and the other addresses the root cause."

Qiu Tu asked, "Symptoms and root causes?"

Qin Shuman nodded again. "Addressing the symptoms involves what you mentioned earlier. While the shelters publicly prohibit the three major power structures from targeting each other, they secretly encourage them to plant 'agents' in other organizations."

She corrected herself, "Actually, a more accurate term would be 'personnel.' The shelters encourage the placement of personnel in other organizations."

"These planted personnel are supposed to hide their identities as much as possible and, with the support of their original organization, gradually rise through the ranks until they reach high positions."

"For example, if you were one of our chosen operatives and became a deputy section chief in the Investigation Department, you’d be considered a spy."

"But if you were to take Yan Chen’s place and become the Director of the Investigation Department... with the entire department under your leadership, would you still be a spy?"

"No, you’d just be an Investigation Department official with close ties to the military."

Qiu Tu’s mouth hung open slightly.

It made a strange kind of sense.

Noticing Qiu Tu’s astonishment, Qin Shuman laughed softly and continued, "In fact, this approach has led to a significant increase in personnel movement between the three major power structures over the past two years. The connections between them have also become much closer."

"Sometimes, spies serve so long that they forget which side they’re on, ending up helping both the military and the Investigation Department."

"This back-and-forth has indeed broken down the old 'independent kingdom' dynamic."

Qiu Tu hesitated before voicing another question, "What about the ordinary spies you send to monitor high-ranking officials? They’re not meant to rise through the ranks, right?"

Qin Shuman shook her head. "No, those spies have three main purposes."

"First, to gather intelligence and stay informed about what other organizations are doing, so we don’t make mistakes due to lack of information."

"Second, to assist our people in climbing the ranks. If our operatives want to advance, there needs to be a vacancy. If we find evidence of wrongdoing by the other side, we can both create an opening for our operatives and root out a corrupt official from the shelters."

Qin Shuman continued, "The third purpose is... supervision."

Her expression grew more complex. "Generally speaking, most mid-to-high-ranking officials assigned to the planning area are Cataclysm Awakened."

"Cataclysm Awakened are highly unpredictable. No one knows when they might 'fall' or experience 'mental mutations.'"

"So, our three institutions monitor each other to minimize the chances of such uncontrollable events occurring."

She then gave Qiu Tu a deep look and added, "Someone like Yan Chen is one of our high-priority targets."

After hearing Qin Shuman’s explanation, Qiu Tu finally had a clearer understanding of the intricate game of espionage between the three major power structures. It was no wonder he had sensed intense internal strife within the government—it stemmed from fundamental issues in the government's structure, which was now going through a painful adjustment phase.

According to Qin Shuman’s insights, it would likely take several years, or even decades, for these factions to gradually merge and form a cohesive whole.

This led Qiu Tu to recall Qin Shuman’s mention of another method aimed at addressing the root cause of these conflicts. Since they had already delved this deep into the conversation, he decided to ask about it.

Qin Shuman became more serious as she discussed this topic. "The method to address the root cause involves pushing for political reform at the highest levels."

"Originally, the highest authority in each shelter was just a round table where a few key figures from various factions negotiated and divided the spoils."

"But now, the shelters have begun establishing a Supreme Council, consolidating power within the council. The Supreme Council holds ultimate decision-making power over all matters concerning the shelters and the planning area."

"If anyone defies an order issued by the council, they will be charged with anti-government crimes."

"In the cities, the Supreme Council is also pushing for the establishment of Municipal Councils, aiming to make these councils the highest authority in each city."

"In the future, the heads of the military and the Investigation Department will become members of the Municipal Council, just like any other ordinary committee member."

"Decisions on matters big and small, including the appointment of mid-level officials, will be made by the council members."

"However, this initiative faces significant resistance and is still largely in the propaganda phase."

After hearing Qin Shuman’s explanation, Qiu Tu finally gained a comprehensive understanding of the power structure within New Realm City and the shelters as a whole.

This was an era transitioning from chaos to order, filled with opportunities.

If he could seize these opportunities, he might truly reach the pinnacle of power!

Moreover...

Reflecting on his path of supernatural power—Order and Politics—and considering the cataclysmic creatures invading the real world from the Boundless Mind Sea, Qiu Tu knew he had to climb the ranks, ascending step by step to the top. Only then could he become stronger and ultimately take control of his own destiny in this strange, cataclysmic world.

With this resolve, Qiu Tu’s gaze grew more determined...

Afterward, Qin Shuman discussed a few additional details about the "Yin Caimei case."

As the Chief of the Security Division’s Investigation Office, Qin Shuman had extensive experience handling supernatural cases, and many of her insights provided valuable inspiration for Qiu Tu.

For instance, she pointed out that many cataclysmic abilities or artifacts didn’t require close contact with the victim, meaning the killer could have committed the murder from a distance.

She also mentioned that the holding cells in the Political Division and Security Division were typically designed to block external cataclysmic forces. Unless the cell door was opened, it would be extremely difficult for any external cataclysmic influence to penetrate.

Furthermore, ordinary items in the victim’s possession or even within the victim’s body could have been "seeded" with cataclysmic abilities, set to trigger automatically under certain conditions...

Overall, after speaking with Qin Shuman, Qiu Tu felt he had gained a new perspective on the case.

Perhaps... the Political Division wasn’t necessarily behind the murder?

After all, if the Political Division had orchestrated it, wouldn’t their methods have been more sophisticated?

This line of thinking gave Qiu Tu a glimmer of hope in cracking the case.

More importantly, after they finished discussing the case, Qin Shuman made an unexpected offer. "If you’d like, I can join you tomorrow night at the Investigation Department to check the body for any traces of cataclysmic influence."

"Maybe we’ll find new clues or insights."

Qiu Tu was surprised by her offer. "Would that really be convenient for you?"

"Don’t both of your identities make it difficult to access the Investigation Department?"

Author's Note