Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 83: Starting the Second Loyalty Game

After about half an hour of exertion, the two women lay exhausted, embracing each other. Liu Fuping weakly held Tang Feifei close, her eyes barely able to stay open from exhaustion. However, Tang Feifei still seemed full of energy. Unbeknownst to Liu Fuping, her eyes continued to flicker with a faint orange glow for several minutes before the light slowly receded into the depths of her gaze.

Tang Feifei’s tan skin contrasted sharply with Liu Fuping’s fair complexion as they lay together. After savoring the moment, Tang Feifei looked down at Liu Fuping, her voice low and steady, with a hint of authority, "You seemed unusually forward tonight."

Her voice, a smooth contralto, lacked the high-pitched sharpness typical of most women, instead carrying a weight of command that was both calming and unexpectedly pleasant.

Liu Fuping, snuggling against her like a cat, replied softly, "Not really~~ My new boss is easy to get along with, so I saved some energy to spend on you~"

Tang Feifei hesitated at Liu Fuping’s words, then asked, "Your new boss is Qiu... Qiu Tu?"

Liu Fuping nodded and, feigning curiosity, asked, "Does Deputy Director Tang know him?"

Tang Feifei responded with a simple "Mhm," before elaborating, "I’ve only heard of him."

A glimmer of recollection appeared in Tang Feifei’s eyes as she continued, "I heard that he initially worked for Lao Bai, who thought highly of him."

"He’s quite talented, apparently. He started out doing Yan Chen’s dirty work without complaint."

"Then, when an opportunity arose, he proved his worth, not only protecting Yan Chen’s mistress during a shootout but also securing the Qin family’s support for Yan Chen."

"Because of this, he caught Jia Shu’s attention and was brought into the Political Division, where he’s currently being groomed."

Liu Fuping was surprised at how highly Tang Feifei regarded Qiu Tu. After a moment of stunned silence, she responded, "Is that so?"

"But... I get the feeling that Chief Qiu isn’t on good terms with Secretary Bai, the Director, or Minister Jia."

"And in the Political Division, he doesn’t seem to be someone receiving special attention."

Liu Fuping’s words piqued Tang Feifei’s curiosity. She looked at Liu Fuping with clear, sharp eyes and asked, "What do you mean? Did you notice something else?"

Liu Fuping, careful with her words, replied, "I’m not sure."

"It’s just that since Chief Qiu joined the Political Division, I’ve always been his subordinate."

"I’ve noticed he doesn’t seem very happy. Especially after taking on this current case, he’s been more anxious than usual."

"Today, after reviewing the case files and conducting the autopsy, he immediately started making phone calls for advice. After that, he just sat in an empty conference room, smoking quietly."

"And whenever he enters Minister Jia’s office, he’s visibly tense, as if he’s constantly worried about being set up."

As a trained spy, Liu Fuping knew how to gather intelligence and steer conversations. Instead of directly bringing up the Yin Caimei case, which might not interest Tang Feifei and could even raise suspicions, she dangled the hook of Qiu Tu, hoping to catch Tang Feifei’s interest and encourage her to investigate on her own, thus aligning with her and Qiu Tu’s plans.

Sure enough, after hearing Liu Fuping’s account, Tang Feifei, while casually patting Liu Fuping’s backside and playfully saying, "Alright, no work talk in bed. Now, let’s go again," couldn’t hide the flicker of contemplation in her eyes.

Liu Fuping, catching this subtle reaction, felt reassured and once again threw herself into their intimate activities...

The meal at the small restaurant went on until midnight. It wasn’t unusual for a group of young, single men with no girlfriends to drink and party until the early hours. In fact, if they hadn’t all found jobs or gained some status by following Qiu Tu, an all-night drinking session wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary.

As the gathering wound down, Fang Ming took the opportunity, while A Tai was occupied elsewhere, to quietly toast Qiu Tu.

Fang Ming wasn’t much of a drinker, but he... seemed to be completely overpowered by A Tai’s boisterous nature, unable to refuse him. Early in the evening, A Tai had kept pouring drink after drink into Fang Ming’s glass.

Luckily, Qiu Tu noticed Fang Ming’s predicament and intervened, saving him from getting completely drunk. Moreover, since Fang Ming’s visit had been unexpected and unannounced, which was somewhat impolite, he took the chance to make amends by personally offering Qiu Tu a drink before leaving.

"Chief Qiu, I apologize for tonight. And thank you for everything. I’m not good with words, so I’ll let the drink speak for me."

With that, Fang Ming downed his drink in one go.

Qiu Tu smiled and replied, "A Tai grew up with me. He’s not a bad guy; he’s just very enthusiastic about people he likes. Please bear with him."

"Now that he’s under your command, please look after him."

"Let the drink do the talking."

After finishing his drink, Qiu Tu downed his own glass.

They exchanged a glance, then both burst out laughing.

As the two men enjoyed their newfound camaraderie, A Tai suddenly appeared out of nowhere, sticking his face between them. "What are you laughing at?"

He glanced back and forth between them suspiciously. "Are you talking behind my back?"

Hearing this, Qiu Tu and Fang Ming exchanged another look and laughed even harder.

A Tai, being the jovial soul that he was, didn’t get upset. Instead, he scratched his head and laughed along with them.

Soon, the courtyard was filled with laughter, and the small gathering ended on a joyful note...

Since there were no laws against drunk driving in this world, and the streets were deserted at this hour, Qiu Tu offered to drive Fang Ming, who lived the farthest away, back home.

Following Fang Ming’s half-asleep directions, Qiu Tu twisted and turned down dark, narrow roads for over half an hour before finally arriving at Fang Ming’s residence.

To his surprise, Fang Ming lived on Longshan Road.

The street name alone, "Longshan Road," highlighted its unique status in New Realm City—compared to the "Old Lane Street," "Xiafang Street," and "South Alley Street" where Qiu Tu and his peers lived. Longshan Road was home to the city’s wealthiest villa district, a remnant of the old power structure before New Realm City was established, where influential figures of the past still resided.

Though their influence had waned since the city's formation, Longshan Road remained a symbol of significant power in New Realm City. The area was populated by large, prestigious families, wealthy merchants involved in various industries, and gang leaders with thousands of followers.

As Qiu Tu drove to the entrance of Longshan Road, he noticed armed private security patrols, a clear indication of the area’s importance. Rather than driving further, he stopped the car.

In the passenger seat, Fang Ming had sobered up a bit. He turned to Qiu Tu, smiling faintly as he said, "Thank you, Chief Qiu, for tonight. I’ll head home now."

"If you have time, you should visit my home sometime. My father is quite interested in meeting you."

Qiu Tu smiled back and nodded. "I’ll definitely take you up on that when I get the chance."

Fang Ming nodded, got out of the car, and walked towards Longshan Road. The patrolling security, clearly familiar with him, greeted him with a smile and allowed him to pass.

As Fang Ming walked along the brightly lit streets of Longshan Road, heading home, Qiu Tu lit a cigarette and watched him go before driving back into the darkness.

The dim car headlights illuminated the bumpy road as Qiu Tu smoothly navigated the uneven terrain. When he finally returned to Old Lane Street, he parked the car and walked back to his small, rundown home.

The lights were still on.

Upon opening the door, Qiu Tu found Shen Lingshuang asleep on the sofa, looking adorably peaceful. Two dishes were laid out on the table, but they had long since gone cold.

Seeing this, Qiu Tu's expression softened slightly. He gently lifted Shen Lingshuang and carried her to the bedroom.

Shen Lingshuang’s body tensed for a moment, but then she caught a whiff of Qiu Tu’s familiar scent and relaxed, snuggling into his arms as she drifted back to sleep.

After placing her on the bed and tucking her in, Qiu Tu undressed, washed up, turned off the lights, and got into bed. He wrapped his arms around Shen Lingshuang, who instinctively cuddled closer, finding a comfortable spot before falling back asleep.

But Qiu Tu didn’t sleep. Holding Shen Lingshuang, he lay there, reflecting on the long day he had just experienced.

Today had been overwhelming, with too many events unfolding too quickly. It started with discovering that the "Yin Caimei case" was a trap, prompting him to rush to Secretary Bai’s aid. Then came the interrogation of Cao Dabiao and Chen Feng, during which he won their loyalty and brought them into his team.

Later, he uncovered the likely involvement of Yan Chen, the Political Division, and Jia Shu in Yin Caimei’s death, realizing he might be a scapegoat. Finally, he had learned from A Tai about the cooperation between Deputy Chairman Tian and the Investigation Department, filling in the last missing piece of the puzzle.

The day’s twists and turns had left Qiu Tu mentally exhausted.

But even so, he couldn’t rest just yet. He had one last task to complete: starting the Loyalty Game.

Incremental progress was the key to great achievements. By accumulating loyalty and clues daily, he knew that within weeks or months, these small gains could lead to significant breakthroughs.

Despite his fatigue, Qiu Tu didn’t forget about his powerful golden finger.

With this in mind, he summoned the Loyalty Game panel.

As he did, he noticed several changes from the previous night. Not only had A Xiong and A Kun’s loyalty levels surpassed 90, making them the third and fourth subordinates to reach that milestone after A Tai and Eagle, but many members of Cao Dabiao’s team had also surpassed 60 loyalty, earning them a spot on the Loyalty Game panel.

Looking at the more than twenty names on the panel, Qiu Tu felt a deep sense of accomplishment.

Though the number of names might seem small, these individuals formed the first core group under his command in this world.

And Qiu Tu believed that as his power and influence grew, so too would the number of names on this list. Eventually, he would have many followers throughout New Realm City, the planning area, the shelters, and the entire cataclysmic world! His every word and action would have a profound impact on this world!

After quietly contemplating the future for a while, Qiu Tu refocused and examined the Loyalty Game.

Last night, Qiu Tu had discovered that the Loyalty Game had two tiers. The first tier unlocked at 60 loyalty, and the second at 90 loyalty.

The first-tier game, which Qiu Tu had tried last night, allowed him to arrange "combat games" between subordinates with loyalty over 60, offering various rewards.

Tonight, he planned to test the second-tier game.

He was eager to see how the game would evolve once a subordinate’s loyalty reached 90.

With that in mind, Qiu Tu clicked on Eagle’s name and selected the second-tier loyalty game...

Author's Note