As for the method of assisting Qin Shuman, it was quite straightforward. The first was through "connections," and the second was through the "Golden Finger."
Regarding connections, Qiu Tu planned to find an opportunity to have a sidelong chat with Shen Lingshuang.
Shen Lingshuang's father was a high-ranking official in the Sanctuary, and she was a Pharmacist herself. It was very likely that she knew how to help Qin Shuman.
And if Shen Lingshuang didn't have a way to help Qin Shuman, then Qiu Tu still had his Golden Finger.
His current Golden Finger, "Crisis Intuition," would reward him each time he got through a crisis. Perhaps it contained an item that could solve Qin Shuman's predicament.
Even if "Crisis Intuition" couldn't aid Qin Shuman, Qiu Tu could also try to refresh other Golden Fingers to see if there was any way to help Qin Shuman.
Thinking this way, Qiu Tu suddenly had a goal in mind.
For this first woman he had met after crossing over, the first woman with whom he had shared a skin-to-skin bond, knowing her tragic fate, Qiu Tu didn't feel nobly obliged to be responsible for her life, but he still wanted to rescue her as much as he could...
Moreover, Qiu Tu knew that this was not just him being unilaterally sentimental—Qin Shuman was in fact also trying to find a way to save herself.
After learning about the real objectives of the Security Department, Qiu Tu immediately guessed that today's meeting with Lin Zuo was most likely an arrangement made by Qin Shuman on her own initiative.
The purpose was simple, to provide him with more information about the Qin Family, to prevent himself from being sold out by Master Qin Si.
Thinking of this, Qiu Tu exhaled deeply. Indeed, it's hard to repay a beautiful woman's favor...
...
Upon returning to the Security Team's base, Cao Dabiao and his two companions had already come back. They reeked of alcohol and had eaten until their bellies were round.
Seeing Qiu Tu, Cao Dabiao approached with a flattering smile and said softly, "Commander, I've taken care of the task you gave me."
"Oh? Is that so?" Hearing Cao Dabiao's words, Qiu Tu glanced at his drunken state and gestured, "Let's talk inside."
Cao Dabiao staggered and followed him in.
Inside the room, Qiu Tu brewed a pot of tea and poured a cup for Cao Dabiao.
Cao Dabiao, belly bulging, waved his hands repeatedly, "No more, no more, I've drunk my fill."
Qiu Tu looked at him and chided with a laugh, "You really don't hold back when it's on the public dime, do you?"
Cao Dabiao chuckled, "Well, the Investigation Bureau reimburses it, so why not spend it if it's there?"
Qiu Tu knew he was probing, so he offered reassurance, "As long as it helps solve the case, spend what must be spent. If the money's not enough, I'll apply for more!"
Hearing Qiu Tu's assertive words, Cao Dabiao genuinely smiled. He then took out an envelope and passed it to Qiu Tu with both hands, "Commander, here is what we've gathered tonight."
Qiu Tu responded with a "hmm," as he reached for the envelope and sat down.
He opened the envelope and started going through the documents inside, page by page.
It had to be said that Cao Dabiao, capable of becoming a First Level Detective of the Political Department, possessed certain skills. The documents not only detailed all the pertinent conversations from room 108 that night in text but also differentiated and marked the individuals involved in the dialogue.
For example, a total of seven people had entered room 108 that night, with the main conversation occurring between a crew-cut young man and an elderly man in black.
And on the first page of the file, simple sketches of the two men's faces were attached.
Though their identities weren't labeled... it was enough for Qiu Tu to get a rough idea of who these two men were.
In addition to the paper files, the archive bag also contained original audio tapes and undeveloped film rolls, so Qiu Tu was very satisfied with Cao Dabiao's work for tonight's mission.
With that in mind, Qiu Tu was not stingy with his praise. He glanced at Cao Dabiao and smiled, "Brother Biao has a knack for this. The information is very comprehensive."
After speaking, he continued to review the materials and asked, "Was there anything worth noting during tonight's surveillance? What are your thoughts?"
Cao Dabiao had clearly prepared in advance. Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, he pointed to his drunken face with a flattering smile and said, "Sir, while I was monitoring, I was busy eating and drinking, so I didn't really pay much attention."
"For the specifics, you'll need to take a look yourself."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu gave Cao Dabiao a look. Seeing that his expression remained unchanged, Qiu Tu immediately knew he was deliberately playing dumb.
Qiu Tu wasn't annoyed. He quickly sorted through the information and then understood why Cao Dabiao was playing fool...
It was simple—because Cao Dabiao had discovered that tonight's incident was a bit too sensitive, involving not only the middle ranks of the Investigation Bureau but also the Qin Family, a Major Clan.
He couldn't afford to offend the "Mystery" that was Qiu Tu, but neither could he afford to offend Qin Zhengguang and the Qin Family.
So, although he had recorded everything very meticulously tonight, he had deliberately drunk a lot of alcohol, using intoxication as an excuse to feign ignorance.
This was a common self-preservation tactic employed by the small folk in these chaotic times.
Therefore, Qiu Tu didn't make things difficult for him; he waved his hand and let him go to rest.
After carefully reviewing all the materials and playing back the audio tapes to listen to all the conversations in the private room, Qiu Tu sat in the chair with his eyes closed, his fingers gently tapping on the table.
The content of the materials and audio recordings was simple: representatives of two forces were negotiating.
From the way they addressed each other, one side was a captain from the United Front (a man with a buzz cut), and the other was a steward from the Qin Family (an elder in black clothes).
As for which branch of the family this steward belonged to, it was not clear from the recordings, but... the likelihood was that he was from the second branch.
The purpose of the negotiation between the two parties was also straightforward—it was about a drug trade.
In these chaotic times, besides gold, the most valuable and scarce commodities were drugs and weapons.
Therefore, in the face of the United Front, the Qin Family demanded a price far above the market rate and also made a series of other harsh demands.
For example, they required the United Front to cooperate with the Public Security Bureau's certain operations to help Director Qin gain merit; for another, they requested that part of the payment be made in young women or boys around two to three years old, and so on.
Although the Sanctuary controlled the Planning Area, most of the world was still a Disaster Zone. In the Disaster Zones, many ordinary people lived in dire straits. The Qin Family could not scour these Disaster Zones for people, but the United Front could.
The young women scavenged by them could be sent to the Qin Family's underground brothel, earning the Qin Family exorbitant profits; the young boys, on the other hand, were to be groomed from a young age as private soldiers or enforcers...
After listening to all the recordings, Qiu Tu's gaze became profound.
The Qin Family's filthy dealings reminded him of the days when he had been sold to Northern Myanmar in his past life.
In the eyes of the scamming groups and the Qin Family, people were never "people" but "goods."
"Truly despicable..."
Qiu Tu murmured softly and then his brain started to work rapidly, pondering how to deal with the Qin Family...
Soon, he reached a decision...