Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 30: Power

Chapter 30: Power

Once a person’s spine is forcibly broken, it’s hard for them to stand tall again.

So, when Cao Dabiao conceded, he was already in a state of resignation. He shouted, “Awaiting your orders, Sir!”

Qiu Tu smiled slightly, “Now, I order you to take two familiar agents and leave the Qin family estate. In half an hour, I’ll contact you with further instructions.”

“What?” Cao Dabiao was taken aback, not expecting such an order.

However, with the scene firmly controlled by Qiu Tu and his own authority shattered, he dared not question it.

Like a puppet, he chose two of his trusted men and left the Qin family, waiting for Qiu Tu’s next command.

As he stood at the gate of the Qin estate, staring at the bustling city streets, Cao Dabiao was confused for a few seconds before realization struck him.

Damn! I’ve been stripped of my “military command” just like that??

The next moment, seeing his two trusted subordinates beside him, he cursed again.

‘Damn! I even took my trusted men with me? Now I have no one left to relay information or give remote commands?’

Feeling a chill, he replayed Qiu Tu’s series of actions in his mind: asserting dominance, leveraging herd mentality, intimidating with authority, and finally, isolating him. Before he could react, he had been effectively removed from the game.

Cao Dabiao shivered, sensing a deep-seated fear. He considered going back to confront Qiu Tu but quickly dismissed the idea, knowing he lacked the courage after witnessing Qiu Tu’s tactics.

‘Better not mess with a ruthless person like him. I’ll just treat this as a vacation. Once this mission is over, I’ll bribe my superior and transfer to another team.’

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Cao Dabiao waved to his two men, “Let’s go, I’m treating you to barbecue.”

Meanwhile, in the guard team’s courtyard, Qiu Tu looked at Chen Feng and the remaining nine agents with satisfaction.

After eliminating Cao Dabiao, all the agents present were now his subordinates, unable to challenge his authority.

However, Qiu Tu knew that to truly win their loyalty, he needed to use other means.

He turned to Fang Ming and asked, “Agent Fang, has the funding I requested arrived?”

Fang Ming, who had been in a daze, snapped back to reality. The past few minutes had shocked him more than years of family education. Watching Qiu Tu effortlessly expel Cao Dabiao made him recall his father’s teaching:

“The essence of power is not about doing what you want, but making others do what they don’t want to do.”

For the first time, Fang Ming understood this concept and truly recognized Qiu Tu.

Hearing Qiu Tu’s question, he looked at him deeply before respectfully replying, “Yes, Sir. It has arrived.”

He then retrieved a small box with the Investigation Department’s insignia and handed it to Qiu Tu.

Qiu Tu opened the box and found it filled with silver coins. He grabbed a handful, about thirty or forty coins, and threw them to the agents.

Seeing the silver coins in the air, the agents' eyes lit up. Instinctively, they wanted to grab them.

But Qiu Tu shouted, “Do not touch!”

“You are agents! You are a disciplined force! If your superior hasn’t ordered you to move, I dare anyone to do so!”

Hearing Qiu Tu’s command, the agents wavered but remained still, their desire evident in their eyes. Silver coins had strong purchasing power in the planning areas, buying significant amounts of food, fabric, and other essentials.

One silver dollar can buy 80 catties of high-quality rice, 10 to 20 catties of meat, or 30 feet of cotton cloth. Its purchasing power is roughly equivalent to 800 yuan from Qiu Tu’s previous life. In New Realm City, such silver dollars are generally not used for daily transactions by ordinary citizens.

Therefore, for agents whose monthly salary is only about “3 silver dollars,” having three or four dozen silver dollars is truly a significant sum.

Satisfied with their obedience, Qiu Tu returned the box to Fang Ming and paced in front of the agents, saying, “You are my subordinates. Follow me diligently, and promotions and silver coins will be yours!”

“Now, Chen Feng, take five silver coins. Everyone else, take three. The remaining coins, pick them up and return them to me!”

“Chen Feng will supervise!”

“Dismissed!”

At his command, the agents excitedly but orderly picked up the silver coins, ensuring not to take more than allocated.

Soon, each held their coins, and the rest were handed to Chen Feng, who returned them to Qiu Tu.

Handing over the coins, Chen Feng looked at Qiu Tu with a complex expression and sincerely said, “Sir, you... are impressive.”

Qiu Tu glanced at the other agents, seeing respect and fervor in their eyes.

He knew these ten men were now his.

“Nominal power comes from above, but real power comes from below.”

Calling the agents into the room, Qiu Tu paired them into groups and handed out leads copied from Fourth Master Qin’s booklet, instructing them to verify the information.

Soon, the five groups were formed and set off, exchanging contact numbers with Qiu Tu and agreeing to report any findings without alerting others.

After the effective combination of reward and discipline, the agents were cooperative.

Finishing his instructions, Qiu Tu watched them leave, then took out his communicator and called Cao Dabiao.

Author's Note