Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 85: Two of The Twelve Types of Women

Upon hearing the words of the attractive assistant before him, Qiu Tu was even more convinced that Liu Fuping had done her job well. He suspected that Liu Fuping had likely hinted to Tang Feifei about his situation and the problems surrounding the "Yin Caimei case" the previous night. This must have piqued Tang Feifei’s curiosity.

Qiu Tu guessed that after Tang Feifei received this information, she might have had someone conduct a brief investigation into the case. As a Deputy Director of the Investigation Department, Tang Feifei’s influence in the planning area was considerable. What might be exceedingly difficult for Qiu Tu to uncover could be transparent to her. In just one night, she likely discovered some irregularities in the case, confirming the truth of the information Liu Fuping had provided.

This would explain why Tang Feifei had sent her assistant to intercept him early in the morning, hoping to collaborate with him—or perhaps even recruit him.

With the situation running through his mind, Qiu Tu had already devised a strategy. He smiled at Tang Feifei’s assistant and said, "Thank you for Deputy Director Tang’s kind offer. However, I must decline, as my loyalty lies with my current superiors."

With that, Qiu Tu didn’t even bother to close the car window. He simply stepped on the gas and drove away, leaving the assistant in stunned silence.

The assistant was completely taken aback by Qiu Tu’s blunt refusal. As the assistant of one of the four highest-ranking officials in the Investigation Department, she was used to seeing everyone in New Realm City give Tang Feifei the utmost respect. Even though Yan Chen secretly suppressed Tang Feifei, he still maintained a polite front, wary of being seen as overstepping his authority by the shelters.

Given her experience, the assistant had become accustomed to people warmly welcoming any opportunity to work with Tang Feifei. Yet, here was Qiu Tu, who not only refused but did so with such indifference that he simply drove away without a second thought.

This left the assistant in disbelief. She watched Qiu Tu’s car disappear down the road, then took out her communicator to call Tang Feifei.

When the call connected, Tang Feifei’s distinctive contralto came through the receiver, carrying a hint of authority, "Did you complete the task?"

Hearing Tang Feifei’s authoritative tone, the assistant swallowed nervously before cautiously replying, "Director... Qiu Tu refused."

"Refused?" Tang Feifei confirmed, then suddenly laughed.

Mistaking the laughter for frustration, the assistant hurried to express her loyalty, "Director, I think that Qiu Tu is simply ungrateful!"

"You extended a personal invitation, and he dared to refuse—it’s as if he doesn’t respect you at all."

"In my opinion, we should investigate him, find any weaknesses, and get rid of him!"

"Enough," Tang Feifei interrupted, her tone cold. "Stop guessing my intentions with that pig brain of yours."

Despite her apparent annoyance, Tang Feifei seemed to be in a good mood and offered a rare explanation. "When I received that intel last night, I had a feeling something was off—everything seemed too coincidental."

"However, a brief investigation into the case revealed some inconsistencies, which I wasn’t willing to overlook."

"That’s why I had you extend the invitation today. The truth is, the invitation was just a ruse; the real purpose was to test him."

"You have to remember his position."

"He’s Yan Chen’s confidant, Secretary Bai’s protégé, and one of Jia Shu’s valued subordinates."

"Although it appears he’s had a falling out with Secretary Bai recently, and the case he’s handling has hit a snag, the fact remains that he’s reached his current position through their support."

"So, how likely is it that he would abandon his backers just because a higher-up approached him?"

"If he had accepted my invitation, that would have been a clear sign that this whole situation was a trap."

"The fact that he refused is actually a good thing."

The assistant’s expression turned to one of realization as she listened to Tang Feifei’s reasoning.

She quickly began showering Tang Feifei with praise, "Director, you’re brilliant! You thought of everything!"

After praising her, the assistant lowered her voice and tentatively asked, "But Director, even though we’ve confirmed it’s not a trap, Qiu Tu still turned us down. How will we proceed with contacting him?"

Tang Feifei’s response was calm and assured, "It’s not a problem. Although he rejected the invitation, he knows that I’ve extended an olive branch."

"Given his intelligence, he’ll start asking about me once he gets back to the office, weighing the pros and cons carefully."

"If there’s indeed something wrong with the case, and if he’s at risk of taking the fall, he won’t let go of this lifeline."

"So, let’s give him some time. We’ll reach out again tonight or tomorrow."

"Trust me, this fish will take the bait."

With that, Tang Feifei added in her characteristic contralto, "Alright, come back. Don’t embarrass yourself out there."

"Yes, Director," the assistant replied immediately.

Meanwhile, as Qiu Tu drove towards the Investigation Department, he was also refining his own "fishing plan."

However, unlike Tang Feifei, who was fishing for information about the case, Qiu Tu was aiming to catch Tang Feifei herself.

As Tang Feifei had analyzed, Qiu Tu knew that her first invitation was indeed a test.

As someone closely associated with Yan Chen and Jia Shu, he couldn’t afford to accept it.

Not only would accepting the invitation have been out of character, but it would have also hindered his efforts to ensnare Tang Feifei...

Despite being the Deputy Director of the Investigation Department, Tang Feifei was still a woman.

And as a woman, Qiu Tu believed he could rely on his "12 Types of Women, 36 Strategies for Dealing with Them, and 108 Ways to Deepen Relationships" from his past life’s "Emotional Fraud Handbook."

According to Qiu Tu’s analysis, Tang Feifei likely belonged to one of two types from the handbook: the "Action-Oriented" type or the "Rational Planner."

These two types shared a common trait: they were both ambitious and driven, often fitting the "strong woman" archetype.

The difference was that the "Action-Oriented" type was more confident, resilient, and passionate about their work and career.

Meanwhile, the "Rational Planner" was more composed, independent, and inclined towards logic rather than emotion.

But regardless of which type Tang Feifei fell into, Qiu Tu knew that both could be swayed by the "play hard to get" strategy from the handbook’s 36 strategies.

Put simply, powerful women like Tang Feifei, who held authority and were highly career-driven, were unlikely to be easily impressed by ordinary men.

To successfully captivate women like Tang Feifei, who were driven and ambitious, Qiu Tu knew that he needed to ignite their competitive spirit and desire for conquest. The strategy involved making them feel like they were close to achieving their goals but always just out of reach. This cycle of near-success followed by failure would frustrate them, heightening their determination to succeed and gradually drawing them deeper into an emotional trap.

Though the handbook he had from his previous life was intended for romantic manipulation, Qiu Tu believed its principles could be just as effective in professional dealings.

Thus, his strategy for dealing with Tang Feifei was to "play hard to get." He would cooperate with her, but always on his terms, ensuring she never felt in full control. He planned to give her small victories, only to pull back immediately after, keeping her on edge and feeding her competitive drive. This would lure her deeper into the turbulent situation he was orchestrating.

With this plan in mind, Qiu Tu continued driving toward the Investigation Department.

As he parked his car and sat there reflecting, he recalled the cataclysmic potion, the "Rosemary Love Potion," he had acquired that morning. To ensure his plan succeeded, Qiu Tu intended to use the potion on Tang Feifei—but not yet. He needed to proceed cautiously, as Tang Feifei was likely a cataclysmic being herself. Using such a potion on a high-ranking, mysterious cataclysmic being carried risks he couldn’t yet measure.

So, he decided to conduct two preliminary tests first.

And he had already selected his first test subject...

The target was inside the Investigation Department.

With this plan in mind, Qiu Tu wasted no time. He exited his car, locked it, and headed straight to the Special Operations Division.

The Special Operations Division was located on the first floor of the Investigation Department. Despite being on a low floor, this wasn’t a sign of low status; it was actually for convenience. The division had seven or eight training grounds behind the department building, and being on the first floor made it easier to access them.

Upon entering the Special Operations Division, Qiu Tu pretended to be looking for someone while covertly searching for his target. After wandering around for over half an hour, almost drawing the attention of the agents, he finally spotted his target—Tian Xiaotian.

Yes, after acquiring the Rosemary Love Potion, Qiu Tu’s first thought wasn’t to use it on Tang Feifei but on Tian Xiaotian.

After all, there was no rule that said such a potion couldn’t be used on someone of the same gender...

As for why he chose Tian Xiaotian as his first test subject, the reason was simple: compared to the cunning Tang Feifei, Tian Xiaotian, who could be easily provoked into fighting with someone like A Tai, was much easier to deal with and served as a perfect test subject.

Moreover, Tian Xiaotian was the son of Deputy Chairman Tian, and Qiu Tu, publicly perceived as Yan Chen and Jia Shu’s "trusted subordinate," naturally had a foundation for establishing a good relationship with him.

Additionally, since Yin Caimei was Tian Xiaotian’s stepmother and Deputy Chairman Tian was a key suspect, using Tian Xiaotian as a test subject could potentially yield valuable information.

The only thing that surprised Qiu Tu was that even though he had arrived just on time, Tian Xiaotian had managed to be late, making Qiu Tu wait for over half an hour.

Having finally found his first target, Qiu Tu stood at a distance, observing him closely.

Tian Xiaotian looked exactly like Qiu Tu’s stereotypical image of a wealthy merchant’s son: chubby and round, weighing around 200 pounds. His physique suggested a good relationship with his father—after all, without a strong bond, it would be hard to maintain such a weight in a world plagued by scarcity. Tian Xiaotian didn’t show any signs of lacking affection, and he even carried a pile of snacks, luxurious items imported from the shelters. In New Realm City, a single bag of these snacks could be traded for a sack of rice.

Even though he was half an hour late, Tian Xiaotian didn’t seem concerned. He waddled into the Special Operations Division, clocked in, and then headed toward the training ground, still lazily munching on his snacks.

Qiu Tu followed him and, when the moment was right, discreetly took out the Rosemary Love Potion. He applied a single drop to his neck.

As soon as the potion touched his skin, Qiu Tu felt a mysterious force from the void enveloping him. But just as he tried to sense it more clearly, the sensation vanished, as if it had been a mere illusion.

Knowing the effect would only last for 30 minutes, Qiu Tu wasted no time. He jogged around a side path to get ahead of Tian Xiaotian and then started walking toward him.

As soon as Qiu Tu saw Tian Xiaotian approaching, he channeled his inner actor and began muttering angrily under his breath, "Damn it, who does he think he is? A third-level agent acting all high and mighty! Screw that guy!"

"Calls himself A Tai? More like A Idiot!"

Qiu Tu’s acting was fueled by his frustration with the poor results of the previous night’s Loyalty Game, so his performance was particularly convincing.

This immediately caught Tian Xiaotian’s attention.

Especially when he heard the name "A Tai," his ears perked up.

Tian Xiaotian blocked Qiu Tu’s path and asked in a loud, brash tone, "Hey, buddy. You got beef with A Tai too?"

As a first-level agent, it was incredibly disrespectful for Tian Xiaotian to behave this way towards a section chief. However, Qiu Tu pretended not to notice and instead played along, "Yeah? I’ve got a score to settle with A Tai!"

"So what? You good buddies with him?"

At this point, Qiu Tu’s performance was so intense that his eyes turned red, glaring at Tian Xiaotian as if he were seeing an enemy.

Author's Note