Let them offer their loyalty!

Compared to Yan Chen, Huang Shangzong obviously felt much more unfamiliar with Qiu Tu.

So when he heard Yan Chen mention that he wanted to hinder Qiu Tu's progress, his first reaction was confusion.

After all, the gap between him and Qiu Tu was like the bright moon in the sky compared to the fireflies on the ground.

A minor Deputy Chief of the Political Department was truly unable to catch his eye, nor did he deem him worth targeting.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have simply sent an advisor from his side to handle the situation when he suspected Qiu Tu was related to the assassination of Jia Shu.

Therefore, he asked hesitantly, "Is a minor Deputy Chief of the Political Department worth such attention?"

Hearing Huang Shangzong's words, Yan Chen's murky eyes grew even deeper.

He squeezed out a smile, then explained, "Elder Huang... You might be underestimating this little fellow."

"What I need to remind you is that although Qiu Tu is currently just a deputy chief, a year ago he was merely a commoner living at the bottom of the Disaster Zone."

"And two months ago, he was only a Second-Class Investigator."

"In the course of two months, he was consecutively promoted to First Level Detective, Deputy Staff, Principal Staff, Deputy Division Chief."

"And now, he's even aiming to become the Chief of the Political Department. Once successful, he will completely open the pathway to rise higher, soaring to the sky."

After introducing Qiu Tu's situation, Yan Chen continued with a deep tone,

"Moreover... he is indeed crafty, cunning, and ruthless."

"First, one of my maids was secretly killed by him, then the opposed Jia Shu was trapped and murdered, and finally, even Wu Zhi, whom you sent, was mysteriously assassinated."

"One incident could be a coincidence, but the probability of them all being coincidences is too small."

"Although there are no clues pointing directly to him as the backstage culprit, it further proves his skillfulness, proficiency, and the cleanliness and decisiveness of his methods."

Pausing for a moment, Yan Chen added, "Such craftiness and ruthlessness will only cause greater destruction once promoted to higher levels."

"So, all this is not for my personal interest, but for justice."

Yan Chen was clearly very familiar with Huang Shangzong and understood his character well.

Therefore, after his remarks, Huang Shangzong on the other end of the phone started to seriously consider the matter concerning Qiu Tu.

Sensing the shift in Huang Shangzong's emotions, Yan Chen slowly added, "And... Elder Huang, Qiu Tu's promotion does not meet the standards."

"His promotion has been too rapid recently. According to convention, he should not be promoted again."

"Furthermore, all officials above division chief level are required to undergo training in the Sanctuary, and he has never undergone it, which does not comply with the regulations."

By plainly stating that Qiu Tu did not meet the requirements, Yan Chen was in effect supplying Huang Shangzong with ammunition. He was pointing out the weaknesses in Qiu Tu's promotion to Huang Shangzong.

So after listening to Yan Chen's words, Huang Shangzong, after a moment's consideration, said carefully, "If that's the case then, I'll mention it when I review the personnel arrangements of Xinjie City Investigation Bureau."

After speaking, as if something occurred to him, he inquired, "By the way, has he joined the 'Iron-Blood Faction'?"

"Otherwise, why would the military's plan include him?"
Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire

Hearing Huang Shangzong's words, Yan Chen took a deep drag on his cigarette, then, narrowing his aged eyes, he pondered a moment before saying, "He should not have."

"He seems to have some kind of connection with Dai Yukang, but probably not to the extent of joining the Iron-Blood Faction."

Continuing, Yan Chen added, "The man is very good at cultivating relationships. Not only Dai Yukang, but even Jiang Zhenpeng, and Tang family's Tang Feifei, are closely associated with him."

"Plus, Liu Xiongyuan has had dealings with him in the past."

"He truly knows how to dance with long sleeves."

Since Wu Zhi was killed, Huang Shangzong obviously hadn't received any information about Qiu Tu, so now, hearing Yan Chen's description,

he finally understood the unique aspects of Qiu Tu.

This time, he commented thoughtfully, "If a person is of unrighteous mind, the more capable they are, the more destructive they become."

Yan Chen exhaled a puff of smoke, putting out the cigarette butt in the ashtray and nodded, "Precisely."

Yan Chen continued, "So, while he hasn't fully developed yet, we should press him down."

Huang Shangzong "hmm"ed and then followed up with a question, "What is his relationship like with Jiang Zhenpeng, Liu Xiongyuan, and Tang Feifei?"

"Will these factions potentially come to his aid when the time comes?"

Yan Chen thought for another two seconds before answering, "He owes Liu Xiongyuan a favor, so Liu is the most likely to help him."

"But Liu Xiongyuan's retreat was very sudden, and he probably didn't have the time or prior arrangements to contact the top echelons of the Reformist Faction on his behalf."

"Jiang Zhenpeng has a good relationship with him, but not to the extent that he would use or introduce his connections.

"The only variable is Tang Feifei."

"The Tang family is now extremely powerful, with influence spanning across military, political, and commercial sectors, possessing deep connections within the Investigation Bureau and being the current head of the Fengtian Faction."

"However, because of this, the internal competition within the Tang family is also very fierce. As the daughter of the Tang family's main branch, Tang Feifei, although greatly favored by Elder Tang, also faces brutal competition."

"Moreover, as a daughter of the Tang family, her marriage can only be a political alliance. Qiu Tu, as her clandestine lover, can't be brought to the forefront."

"That woman is very astute and calm. She won't give other competitors any handle at such a crucial time."

Hearing Yan Chen's words, Huang Shangzong "hmm"ed, then spoke, "Alright, I'll make some arrangements tomorrow..."

Finally securing Huang Shangzong's promise, Yan Chen couldn't help but reveal a smile on his face.