Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 86: The Use of the Potion

Upon seeing Qiu Tu's fierce expression, Tian Xiaotian didn’t get angry. Instead, he seemed excited, exclaiming, "No way! How could I possibly be on good terms with him!"

Tian Xiaotian spoke with firm conviction, "I have a grudge against him too!"

Pointing to the bruises on his face and arms, he added, "Look at this, this, and this—he’s the one who did all this!"

Hearing this, Qiu Tu feigned a look of shock. "Disrespecting a superior is bad enough, but he actually dared to fight you?"

He then glanced at the insignia on Tian Xiaotian's shoulder. "You’re a first-class agent! And he dared to attack a superior officer? He must think he’s above the law!"

Tian Xiaotian reflexively checked Qiu Tu’s shoulder insignia and uniform. Realizing that Qiu Tu was a Deputy Section Chief in the Political Division, he was momentarily surprised. However, perhaps due to his sheltered upbringing, he didn’t show much respect toward Qiu Tu. He casually saluted, "Sir," and continued, "Sir, if he dares to disrespect you, beating me up is nothing."

"I’m telling you, these lower-class types are unruly and lawless!"

His eyes then shifted mischievously as he whispered, "Sir, why don’t you have him arrested and brought to the Political Division? You could teach him a lesson!"

"The Special Operations Division is a major department, almost equal in power to the Political Division. If I arrested one of their agents over something like this, we’d be at each other’s throats in no time."

Hearing this, Tian Xiaotian merely responded with an "Oh," as if realizing that his suggestion was a bit far-fetched.

As the two continued walking and chatting, they quickly developed a "deep bond" within a few minutes.

Tian Xiaotian, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, found himself strangely drawn to Qiu Tu. Despite having just met, he felt an odd sense of camaraderie with this Political Division Deputy Section Chief, finding him particularly agreeable.

If it weren’t for the fact that he was sure of his own sexual orientation, he might have suspected that A Tai’s beating had messed him up.

Qiu Tu, on the other hand, realized that the Rosemary Love Potion was indeed very effective.

Although they had only just met under such coincidental circumstances, Tian Xiaotian didn’t show a hint of suspicion and answered all of Qiu Tu’s questions. Within minutes, the two were addressing each other as brothers.

"Brother Xiaotian, I had no idea you were Deputy Chairman Tian’s son! To be a first-class agent at such a young age—truly, a tiger father begets a tiger son!"

Tian Xiaotian shyly waved off the compliment. "Not at all. I didn’t earn this position through my own merits; my father arranged it for me."

"He said we needed to strengthen our ties with the Investigation Department, so he placed me in the Special Operations Division as a first-class agent."

Hearing this, Qiu Tu’s eyes flashed—his first important piece of intel had been obtained.

Curious, Tian Xiaotian then asked, "Brother Tu, I heard you mention earlier that you started out as the Director’s driver?"

"Are you close with the Director?"

Qiu Tu smiled and said, "Of course, we’re very close."

"I’ll tell you, the only reason I’ve risen so quickly is thanks to the Director and our Minister’s support."

"Otherwise, think about it—how could a guy like me, with no background and no money, rise to Deputy Section Chief in just a year in New Realm City?"

"And in the highly sensitive and important Political Division, no less."

Tian Xiaotian nodded in agreement, thinking that Qiu Tu made a lot of sense.

Seeing that Tian Xiaotian believed him, Qiu Tu continued, now with a tone of pride, "Let me tell you, I’m not just any Deputy Section Chief—I’ve protected the Director’s mistress, visited his villa, and even been in his private study as a trusted confidant!"

"That night, the only people in the study were the Director, Minister Jia, and me—just that alone shows how much they trust me."

"And Minister Jia, he values me highly too. Every time we meet, his eyes are filled with encouraging warmth."

"He even personally demonstrated how to dissect a criminal for me on my first day, to help me adjust to the Political Division."

"And now, he’s entrusted me with the most important case in the entire Political Division. If that’s not trust, then what is?"

Tian Xiaotian nodded along, feeling that everything this Deputy Section Chief said made perfect sense. He even found himself liking the way Qiu Tu talked, thinking that everything he said was spot on.

Since the conversation had naturally shifted to the topic of cases, Qiu Tu smoothly transitioned into the subject at hand.

"By the way, Xiaotian, this case seems to have some connection to your family."

"It involves your father... well..."

Qiu Tu deliberately trailed off as if realizing he had said too much, suddenly closing his mouth.

Tian Xiaotian couldn’t resist such a baited hook.

His curiosity piqued, he quickly asked, "Brother Tu, what did you mean? This big case involves my family?"

"But that can’t be right. My father and Minister Jia are on great terms—how could there be a case involving him?"

Qiu Tu’s eyes flickered slightly as he noted down his second piece of important intel.

Feigning hesitation, Qiu Tu looked around as if weighing his words carefully. Finally, under Tian Xiaotian’s eager prompting, he whispered, "Brother Xiaotian, this is actually classified information. Technically, I shouldn’t be telling you this."

"But... I don’t know why, even though this is our first meeting, I feel such a strong connection with you, like we’ve known each other for years."

"So, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else. You can’t even tell your father."

Hearing this, Tian Xiaotian was delighted and quickly reassured Qiu Tu, "Brother Tu, I feel the same way!"

"I don’t know why, but when I see you, it’s like seeing an old friend I’ve known for years."

"So don’t worry!" He patted his chubby chest confidently, "I won’t tell anyone!"

Seeing this, Qiu Tu pretended to breathe a sigh of relief before leaning in and whispering, "It’s about your father’s mistress."

"A woman named Yin Caimei. She’s involved in a major case..."

Qiu Tu then proceeded to tell Tian Xiaotian the entire story of the Yin Caimei case in great detail. He explained how Yin Caimei was a spy for the coalition, how she had installed various listening devices, and how she was silenced within the Political Division.

The only difference was that Qiu Tu placed all the blame on Deputy Chairman Tian instead of the actual culprits.

Qiu Tu leaned in and whispered to Tian Xiaotian, “I’m telling you, all of this was orchestrated by your father.”

“Minister Jia assigned this case to me specifically to clean up your father’s mess.”

He then gave Tian Xiaotian a sly wink. The shocking nature of Qiu Tu’s words left Tian Xiaotian rooted to the spot, his chubby face displaying utter disbelief. After a moment, he glared at Qiu Tu and protested, “That’s impossible! My dad would never do such a thing!”

Qiu Tu remained composed, pressing his point, “Think about it. If your dad didn’t do it, why has he suddenly gotten so close with our Minister? And why would he suddenly cooperate with the Investigation Department and send you here?”

Tian Xiaotian’s expression kept shifting as he processed Qiu Tu’s words. As a recently sheltered rich kid, he wasn’t yet used to the cutthroat nature of the world. His inexperience made it easy for Qiu Tu to manipulate the conversation.

After a long internal struggle, Tian Xiaotian stubbornly insisted, “No matter what, my dad would never do something like that!”

Seeing this reaction, Qiu Tu knew he had pushed enough and decided it was time to offer some reassurance. He softened his tone, “Xiaotian, you’re right. Maybe I jumped to conclusions.”

“I was just following orders from the Minister to investigate this case as quickly as possible and to clear your father of any suspicion. I might have been too hasty in assuming your father was involved.”

“Actually, thinking about it now, it’s more likely that the Minister was simply worried about the impact this case could have on your father’s business.”

Hearing this more reasonable explanation, Tian Xiaotian quickly latched onto it, “Yes, that’s probably what it is!”

With this, Qiu Tu revealed his true intentions. He suggested, “Xiaotian, I know you don’t believe your father would do something like this. So, how about we work together to clear his name?”

Despite being influenced by the Rosemary Love Potion, Tian Xiaotian wasn’t completely devoid of reason. The sensitivity of the topic made him hesitate, and he cautiously asked, “What do you want me to do?”

Qiu Tu leaned in and whispered his plan into Tian Xiaotian’s ear.

Tian Xiaotian looked surprised at the simplicity of the request and confirmed, “That’s it?”

Qiu Tu nodded with a smile, “Yes, that’s it.”

Tian Xiaotian hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’ll think about it. Once I’ve made up my mind, I’ll contact you.”

Qiu Tu didn’t push further. He exchanged contact information with Tian Xiaotian and noted that there were only a few minutes left before the potion’s effects would wear off. To avoid tarnishing the good impression he had just created, he quickly excused himself.

After Qiu Tu left, Tian Xiaotian stood there for a long time, deeply shaken by what he had heard. The information left him both surprised and wary. As the potion’s effects faded, his rational thinking began to return. He realized he had no concrete knowledge of whether his father was involved in the case.

What if his father really was involved? Would helping Qiu Tu end up harming his father?

And... was Qiu Tu really as close to Yan Chen and Jia Shu as he claimed, or did he have another agenda in getting close to him?

These doubts plagued Tian Xiaotian as he made a call to his family’s butler. In a hushed voice, he asked, “Butler Shi, could you look into someone for me? His name is Qiu Tu, the Deputy Section Chief of the Interrogation Office of the Political Division’s Interrogation Department.”

“I want to know more about his relationship with Director Yan and Minister Jia.”

After ending the call, Tian Xiaotian looked once more in the direction Qiu Tu had gone, deep in thought.

If Qiu Tu really was Yan Chen’s and Jia Shu’s confidant, then working with him wouldn’t be a problem. Even if they uncovered evidence incriminating his father, Qiu Tu would be able to help handle it discreetly.

But if Qiu Tu wasn’t as loyal to Yan Chen and Jia Shu as he claimed, then his approach might have another purpose, one that Tian Xiaotian needed to warn his father about to prevent any issues.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Tian Xiaotian found himself too distracted to bother with A Tai anymore. He waddled off toward another training ground instead...

Meanwhile, after parting ways with Tian Xiaotian, Qiu Tu returned to the Investigation Department, took the elevator up to the ninth floor, and made his way to the temporary office assigned to his investigation team. As he reached the door, he ran into Liu Fuping.

Today, Liu Fuping wasn’t wearing her usual uniform but a form-fitting sweater that clung to her curves, highlighting her impressive figure. Just the sight of her was enough to get anyone’s blood pumping.

Seeing Qiu Tu, Liu Fuping smiled and started to greet him, but as she approached within two meters of him, her eyes momentarily glazed over. She paused, as if something had changed within her.

Qiu Tu noticed the subtle shift in her demeanor and suddenly remembered that the Rosemary Love Potion still had two minutes left before it wore off. He thought about walking away from the alluring woman before him.

But before he could act, Liu Fuping’s cheeks flushed slightly as she hurried over to him, closed her eyes, and leaned in to sniff his scent.

The soft, warm breath of the mature woman tickled Qiu Tu’s senses.

And it didn’t stop there. After taking a deep breath, Liu Fuping stood on her tiptoes, brought her lips close to Qiu Tu’s ear, and whispered in a sultry voice, “Chief... you smell so good...”​.

Author's Note