Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 84: Cataclysmic Potion: Rosemary Love Potion

As soon as Qiu Tu clicked on Eagle’s name, a description of the second-tier game popped up before him:

[As a superior, each night you may assign one subordinate with a loyalty level above 90 to "work overtime."]

[The "overtime" subordinate will enter the "Boundless Mind Sea" for a fishing expedition.]

[The area they fish in will correspond to their location in the real world.]

[Each fishing expedition carries a chance to obtain rewards such as "cataclysmic potions," "cataclysmic artifacts," or "cataclysmic creatures" from the area.]

[However, there is also a risk that the subordinate will be exposed to cataclysmic forces, increasing the likelihood of their cataclysmic awakening.]

[Note 1: There is no guarantee of loyalty from any cataclysmic creatures fished out. Ensure you can handle them before releasing them.]

[Note 2: Non-cataclysmic subordinates can only perform one fishing expedition per week. Attempting multiple expeditions increases the risk of falling, mutation, or other cataclysmic consequences.]

After reading the introduction, Qiu Tu blinked a few times, his mind quickly drawing a comparison: Was this like an otherworldly version of "Gold Miner"?

His subordinates would work during the day and then, like gold miners, work hard at night, fishing for cataclysmic potions, artifacts, or even creatures for him?

It seemed so... unfair... so utterly exploitative!

Would he really not end up strung up on a lamppost for this?

Even as he entertained these thoughts, Qiu Tu rationalized to himself: Well, if it’s in a dream, it shouldn’t count as actual overtime, right?

With that thought in mind, Qiu Tu didn’t hesitate. He selected Eagle and initiated the second-tier game.

As soon as Qiu Tu confirmed his choice, a small screen appeared in front of him.

The screen displayed a chibi-style top-down view of New Realm City, with a pixelated figure of Eagle standing atop the tallest building in the city, casting a large fishing net over the entire area.

The net was enormous, large enough to cover the whole of New Realm City.

However, perhaps due to the net's size, after a few minutes of laboriously pulling the net back up, it came up empty.

Frustrated, the pixelated Eagle stomped his feet and resumed casting the net, beginning the cycle of casting and retrieving over and over.

Qiu Tu watched for a while, realizing it would take some time before any results came in. He decided to close the game and check on the first-tier "Combat Game" instead.

Just like the previous night, Qiu Tu selected A Tai and Wang Xi.

The memory fragments he had gathered in the morning had revealed a side of Wang Xi that Qiu Tu hadn’t known, and he was eager to learn more about this "daytime pharmacist, nighttime biker gang leader" of a subordinate.

He wanted to see what kind of organization Wang Xi was involved in and what they did.

With both loyalty games set up, Qiu Tu’s tasks for the day were finally complete.

He yawned and cuddled up to the small, soft, and fragrant Shen Lingshuang, gradually drifting off to sleep...

The blue moon hung high in the night sky, casting a gauzy light that gently illuminated the newly established city of New Realm City.

But for some reason, tonight, the city seemed to be experiencing some mysterious fluctuations. The pulses were rhythmic, occurring every few minutes, and were completely imperceptible to ordinary beings. Even those with cataclysmic powers or creatures of the cataclysm might have dismissed it as just the usual waves of the Boundless Mind Sea...

But if someone had been able to see the Loyalty Game screen, they would have noticed that the pulses perfectly matched Eagle’s rhythm of casting and retrieving the net.

It was as if someone from a higher dimension was truly fishing for something across the entirety of New Realm City...

The night passed uneventfully, and the next morning, Qiu Tu was awakened by a gentle nudge.

He opened his sleepy eyes to see Shen Lingshuang poking at his lower body...

Qiu Tu looked at her, bewildered, and asked, "What are you doing?"

Shen Lingshuang’s ears turned a bit red as she quietly replied, "You’re... hard."

Qiu Tu rolled over, grumbling, "That just means I’ve been dead for 12-16 hours."

"Leave me alone, let me be dead a little longer."

Shen Lingshuang blinked, confused. Her mouth hung open, shocked at Qiu Tu’s words.

It took her a moment to realize he was joking about "rigor mortis."

She huffed, picking up a pillow and playfully whacking him a few times. "You’re so annoying! You’re really annoying!"

Qiu Tu ignored her.

She pouted, puffing out her cheeks, and muttered under her breath, "Such a buzzkill." Then, she jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

With her gone, Qiu Tu found it hard to go back to sleep. He rolled over, staring at the ceiling for a while.

Then he summoned the Loyalty Game panel to check the results of the previous night’s activities.

When the Loyalty Game screen appeared, the first thing he saw was the results of the "Combat Game."

As expected, A Tai had once again crushed Wang Xi.

However, perhaps because A Tai had been drinking the night before, his pixelated character also had a black eye, making his victory look a bit less clean.

The results screen showed A Tai, drunk and hiccuping, holding a hammer as he stood over Wang Xi.

Wang Xi, on the other hand, was lying on the ground, clutching a brick and "crying" in the pixelated style.

‘The results screen can change?’

‘And it seems to reflect the real-life state of the subordinates?’

Surprised, Qiu Tu checked the game’s rewards.

The night’s yield was modest, just 2 points of loyalty, with no additional bonuses.

Qiu Tu felt a bit cheated...

Drinking really does mess things up, he decided. Next time, he wouldn’t let A Tai drink at gatherings.

Feeling slightly bitter, Qiu Tu closed the "Combat Game" and turned to the "Fishing Game."

The results of the fishing game were simpler. The pixelated Eagle was shown lying on the ground, exhausted and out of breath, with nothing else of note in the scene.

At first, Qiu Tu thought this meant the fishing had been unsuccessful.

But just as he was about to close the results screen in disappointment, he noticed a tiny pink bottle standing next to the pixelated Eagle.

The image was so small that if Qiu Tu hadn’t been sharp-eyed, he might have missed it entirely.

He clicked on it, and a message popped up:

[You have obtained a Cataclysmic Potion: Rosemary Love Potion]

Qiu Tu: ??

‘What the heck is this?’

Qiu Tu examined the bottle and accessed its description:

[Cataclysmic Potion: Rosemary Love Potion]

[Description: A cataclysmic potion created by a cataclysmic being using materials such as rosemary and enchantress water.]

[Effect: Apply a small amount to the neck, and for the next 30 minutes, you will exude a charm effect. Anyone near you will naturally lower their guard and develop a certain level of affection towards you.]

Reading the potion's effects, Qiu Tu’s mouth hung open in surprise.

This... stuff was pretty terrifying.

It felt disturbingly similar to some banned substances he’d heard about.

As he pondered this, Qiu Tu recalled the description from the "Fishing Game." The items fished out weren’t created from thin air—they actually existed in the real world...

So, was there a cataclysmic being in New Realm City secretly crafting this potion?

Given the potential identity of these cataclysmic beings, Qiu Tu furrowed his brow. Most cataclysmic beings in New Realm City were high-ranking officials. What were they planning by creating such a potion?

Qiu Tu couldn’t shake the feeling that something strange was happening in New Realm City, as if something big was about to unfold...

After mulling it over, Qiu Tu decided to store the cataclysmic potion for now, without using it immediately. It seemed like the potion could only be used 20-30 times, so he didn’t want to waste it. He would wait for the right moment and the right person to test it on...

[9 Days Until Yin Caimei Case Deadline]

After breakfast with Shen Lingshuang, Qiu Tu assigned her a simple task: go to the black market.

Now that he had money, Qiu Tu needed to both invest it and convert it into power as efficiently as possible. Besides himself, Shen Lingshuang was the only person in his small team who understood potions and artifacts.

Therefore, Qiu Tu decided to have A Shui and Big Head accompany Shen Lingshuang to the black market, where they could purchase cataclysmic materials, potions, or artifacts.

Even if they couldn’t find these rare items, Shen Lingshuang could still buy ordinary herbs and refine them into potions at home.

In chaotic times, nothing was in higher demand than weapons and medicine. As long as the quality wasn’t too poor, everything she produced would be snapped up by various factions.

An alchemist was essentially a walking money-printing machine... provided they had enough materials.

Shen Lingshuang wasn’t surprised by Qiu Tu’s request. Since the night she decided to stay, she had anticipated the kind of work she would be doing.

What did surprise her was that Qiu Tu gave her 15 small gold ingots as shopping money.

To give 15 small gold ingots so casually was a significant amount—equivalent to over 3 million in purchasing power. It was enough to hire a private force of about a hundred people, let alone provide a comfortable life for an ordinary person.

Was Qiu Tu really trusting her with this much?

This unexpected trust left Shen Lingshuang feeling deeply touched, and her loyalty surged by 3 points!

Qiu Tu, seeing the spike in loyalty, relaxed and handed over the gold ingots. He had been prepared to retract the offer if her loyalty had plummeted, indicating she might run off with the money.

Although the Loyalty Game couldn’t lock a subordinate’s loyalty, it did allow Qiu Tu to monitor real-time loyalty changes, giving him insights into their thoughts. If Shen Lingshuang’s loyalty had dropped suddenly, signaling an intent to flee with the gold, Qiu Tu would have quickly revoked the offer.

After assigning Shen Lingshuang her task and finishing breakfast, Qiu Tu hugged her, spun a few dreams about their future, and then drove to the Investigation Department.

The discoveries from the previous night had opened up new avenues in the Yin Caimei case, and Qiu Tu was eager to dig deeper and disrupt Yan Chen and Jia Shu’s plans.

But before he could reach the Investigation Department, a woman in an agent’s uniform flagged him down on the road.

In both of his lives, Qiu Tu had never encountered a beautiful woman stopping his car in the middle of the road, especially not an agent.

Curious, he rolled down his window and asked, "Can I help you, miss? Need a ride?"

The woman shook her head slightly and replied, "Chief Qiu, I’m Deputy Director Tang’s personal secretary."

"I’ve been waiting here because Deputy Director Tang has a message for you."

Qiu Tu was taken aback.

Deputy Director Tang?

Tang Feifei...?

His mind raced. Could it be that Tang Feifei had taken the bait?

It seemed Liu Fuping had done her job well last night. Otherwise, Tang Feifei wouldn’t have been so eager to contact him first thing in the morning.

With this in mind, Qiu Tu asked, "What message does the Deputy Director have for me?"

The secretary smiled and said, "Deputy Director Tang wants to talk with you. She believes there may be another way to resolve your current predicament."

Author's Note