Let them offer their loyalty!

So, he had just been alone for a dozen or so seconds when a woman's voice, as pleasant as an oriole's, sounded by his ear, "Chief Qiu, may I have a chat with you?"

Upon hearing that voice, Qiu Tu looked up curiously and saw a somewhat familiar-looking young matron standing respectfully before him with a glass of wine in hand.

The young matron's appearance could only be considered slightly above average, but she had a unique air about her of a well-bred lady, which was quite memorable.

Qiu Tu hesitated for a second before recognizing the woman in front of him as Chief Bai from the Civil Affairs Bureau, introduced to him just a moment ago by Chief Huang.

It goes without saying that Qiu Tu would not refuse the request of a beautiful woman, so he smiled and nodded, "Of course, Chief Bai."

When the young matron heard Qiu Tu addressing her by her position, she appeared quite surprised.

She gave a soft smile, "Chief Qiu actually knows who I am?"

She pondered for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Was it Chief Huang who introduced me, perhaps?"

Although the woman was in her thirties, she might have been well-protected, hence even the vulnerability she exuded didn't seem uncomfortable despite appearing naive.

Qiu Tu became even more intrigued by the woman before him with her unique demeanor.

So he smiled, shaking his head, "No."

"Your husband is on my list of suspects."

As soon as Qiu Tu's words fell, the young matron's body stiffened, and she even struggled to control her expression.

She forced a laugh, "You're joking."

But Qiu Tu merely smiled, and although he didn't repeat himself, his expression could not have been clearer: he wasn't joking…

Actually, right after Chief Huang had introduced this young matron, mentioning that her father was a deputy commissioner at City Hall, and her husband was a wealthy transportation businessman, Qiu Tu had felt a sense of familiarity.

But since he was listening to Chief Huang at the time, he didn't have the chance to contemplate it further.

But when he later matched her with the list of names of transportation businessmen in his mind, he immediately knew her identity: Mrs. Bai Ru, wife of Qian Dafu.

And Bai Ru's father, Qian Dafu's father-in-law, was not someone else but the right-hand man of the Patriarch of the Qin Family, Commissioner Qin Heng of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Deputy Commissioner Bai Yongdong...

Once all these relationships were matched up, Qiu Tu had only one feeling: Xinjie City was really too small. So small that any random encounter could mean intertwined connections...

Meanwhile, Bai Ru also realized that Qiu Tu's expression was no pretense, so she stood there, the smile on her face growing more and more rigid.

Finally, after two seconds, she gave an awkward smile to Qiu Tu and said, "It seems I am intruding. Sorry to bother you, Chief Qiu."

Having said that, she turned around hastily to leave.

Seeing this, Qiu Tu suddenly called out to her, "Wait a minute. Chief Bai, you must have had something you wanted to discuss with me, right?"

"Since you've already brought it up, why not finish what you have to say before you go?"

At Qiu Tu's words, Bai Ru paused.

She turned around to look at Qiu Tu. Then she saw him pat the spot next to him, gesturing for her to sit down and chat...

Bai Ru's face was evidently conflicted, but after hesitating for a moment, she still walked over to where Qiu Tu was and sat down.

The viewing platform had only benches without individual seats, so after Bai Ru sat down, she found herself rather close to Qiu Tu.

She intended to shift her position slightly, but just then, Qiu Tu suddenly placed a hand on her fair thigh, asking nonchalantly, "What did Chief Bai want to talk to me about?"

Bai Ru was dressed in a casual short skirt that day, so the touch was slippery and soft.

Bai Ru hadn't expected Qiu Tu to be so bold and reckless; startled, she quickly moved her leg away.

Qiu Tu didn't seem to mind and naturally withdrew his hand, then casually broached a topic, "Are you familiar with Chief Huang, Chief Bai?"

Bai Ru was still in shock. Suddenly hearing Qiu Tu's question, she was momentarily confused. Her attention pulled back, she stuttered, "Just, just aware, from before..."

Qiu Tu didn't wait for her to elaborate and simply nodded, then asked offhandedly, "Are you acquainted with Section Chief Kong from the Education Bureau, Chief Bai?"

Bai Ru was taken aback by the abruptness of Qiu Tu's question, pausing for a second, "I've just seen him a few times, since we are, after all, in the same building..."

Qiu Tu interrupted her, "By the way, does Chief Bai know Chief Xin?"

Bai Ru, "Yes, I know him... I and he..."

The several contacts Qiu Tu mentioned were all the "new friends" that Chief Huang had introduced to him.

While Qiu Tu and Bai Ru were having casual conversation, they were near the floor-to-ceiling windows not far from the observation deck, cheering for the racehorses they each supported.

So, every time Qiu Tu asked about someone, Bai Ru couldn't help but glance at that person before answering Qiu Tu's question.

And because Qiu Tu's questions were quick, and he frequently interrupted Bai Ru, her answers became increasingly rapid, to the point where she had almost no time to think.

After four or five rounds of rapid-fire questioning, that's how it went.

Qiu Tu suddenly asked, "What's the relationship between Chief Bai and Commissioner Qin?"

Almost without thinking, Bai Ru reflexively responded swiftly, "Commissioner Qin is my father's boss."

"My father has always been grateful for the kindness he received from Old Master Qin in the past, so he often pays visits during holidays to the Qin family."

"I've also been a few times and met Commissioner Qin on several occasions."

"Before Xinjie City was established, Old Master Qin had already arranged for Commissioner Qin to take over, and then he approached my father, saying he could help him seek a position, but he needed him to..."

Halting halfway through her sentence, Bai Ru finally realized that she might have let a major secret slip. She quickly covered her mouth, looking at Qiu Tu with a panicked expression.

Qiu Tu's expression, however, hadn't changed much.

Having learned about Bai Ru's family and after talking to Bai Ru, Qiu Tu quickly realized that Bai Ru was one of the 12 types of women recorded in the "Emotional Fraud Manual" as a typical "Inner Protector."

Such women, entirely different from the "Action-Oriented Person" like Tang Feifei, have distinguishing characteristics: they're weak, compliant, and easily subdued by the strong.

They mostly come from privileged family backgrounds, have been overprotected since childhood, and coupled with their parents' dominant personalities, they gradually develop this tender character.

The "Emotional Handbook" also outlines how to deal with such women. The simplest method is: be assertive, assertive, and then more assertive.

That's why Qiu Tu took control:

Once he confirmed that Bai Ru needed something from him, he assertively made physical contact; he assertively controlled the conversation with rapid questions and answers and directly intimidated Bai Ru.

And sure enough, under such assertive pressure from Qiu Tu, Bai Ru was utterly disarmed, barely able to muster any defense.

In just a few words, Qiu Tu fished out a lot of information from her.

—Not only the relationship between the Bai family and the Qin family but also Bai Ru's connections with Chief Huang and those "new friends."

If Qiu Tu wasn't wrong, they must be "a group."

And at that moment, while Qiu Tu was analyzing Bai Ru's weaknesses,

Bai Ru, realizing her slip of the tongue, finally couldn't hold back. She recognized that she was no match for the man in front of her and, frightened, tried to leave.

But just then, Qiu Tu patted her tender thigh again, chuckling, "Madam, you wouldn't want your husband and father to be taken away, would you?"

Qiu Tu's words successfully froze Bai Ru's movement.

Her complexion changed rapidly, as if she remembered all the rumors she had heard about Qiu Tu lately, and recalled the "Authorization Letter" and "Special Arrest Warrant" he currently held.

So, after hesitating for a moment, she ultimately... slowly sat back down.

Seeing this, Qiu Tu smirked.

Indeed, "Inner Protector" women are so easy to manipulate.

Thinking this, Qiu Tu kept his hand firmly on Bai Ru's leg.

While gently caressing her, he asked, "Madam, you must have something you want to talk to me about today, right?"

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Today 3 chapters, 10k words; published 2 chapters, with 1 chapter still being written. Everyone can look forward to it tomorrow at noon.