La Riluo: Zheng Tao, Send Your Wife Over (Ten Thousand Characters—Please Subscribe!)

Zheng Tao sat quietly in thought for a while, then let out a deep breath.

He felt there was no point in continuing to guess. He might as well go talk to Qiu Tu directly.

Maybe things were not as he imagined. Perhaps Qiu Tu had never had designs on his wife at all?

Maybe, as long as he softened up, properly admitted defeat, and offered some compensation, this matter could be resolved?

With that in mind, Zheng Tao did not even bother eating. He got up at once, preparing to go to the 9th Floor and meet Qiu Tu.

But just then.

Someone suddenly knocked on his office door. Knock, knock, knock.

As a workaholic and an expert at outcompeting everyone around him, Zheng Tao could switch into work mode at almost any time.

So, even though he had been about to leave to see Qiu Tu, the moment he heard the knock, he immediately sat back down, quickly adjusted his expression, and only then answered in a low voice, "Come in."

At his words.

The office door was pushed open, and an investigator whose face seemed unfamiliar walked in.

Seeing the stranger, Zheng Tao asked in confusion, "You are?"

The investigator looked at Zheng Tao expressionlessly and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Director Zheng, a Superior wishes to see you."

"A Superior?" Zheng Tao froze upon hearing that.

There were many Superiors in the Investigation Department. Anyone from Deputy Section Chief upward could be addressed that way, but the only ones who could be called Superiors in front of a deputy director like Zheng Tao were the nine true Big Shots of the Investigation Department.

Instead of feeling enlightened, Zheng Tao became even more confused.

After all, those nine higher-ups all had dedicated secretaries. Whenever they summoned subordinates, they would have their secretaries deliver the notice.

Why had they sent an ordinary investigator to notify him this time?

With that thought in mind, Zheng Tao cautiously asked, "May I ask which Superior it is?"

The investigator said coolly, "Follow me, and you'll know."

"The Superior is waiting for you on the 12th Floor."

Although Zheng Tao still had many doubts after hearing that, it was the 12th Floor, so there was at least a measure of security.

Thus, Zheng Tao ultimately stood up, nodded, and said, "All right. I'll go right away."

He followed the investigator out of his office and into the elevator. Before long, Zheng Tao arrived on the 12th Floor.

After leaving the elevator and continuing onward behind the investigator, Zheng Tao soon reached the office of that "Superior."

He looked up at the nameplate outside the office, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

At that moment, the investigator familiarly pushed open the office door and gestured to Zheng Tao. "Director Zheng, please."

Zheng Tao hurriedly lowered his head to straighten his clothes before quickly walking inside.

As he entered the office, a familiar figure was already standing by the window, gazing out at the night while waiting for him.

The instant he saw that figure, Zheng Tao hurriedly tried to salute and offer a greeting. But the other person placed an index finger to his lips, making a gesture for silence.

Zheng Tao opened his mouth, but in the end, he did not call out the person's title.

The figure gestured for Zheng Tao to sit, then slowly said, "Zheng Tao. If I remember correctly, you are also one of the old hands who came down from the Shelter with the Director."

When Zheng Tao nodded, the figure continued, "I have read your file. Back in the Shelter, your abilities were already outstanding. After being assigned to New Realm City, you also performed exceptionally well."

"With your ability, if you spent a few more years accumulating merits and seniority, you would have had a good chance of moving up."

"What a pity. A few days ago, Qiu Tu set you up, and you lost all prestige before so many investigators in the department. Not only did you fail to complete the task the Director and I gave you, you even allowed Qiu Tu to expand his influence."

"That truly disappointed both me and the Director."

"After all, we elevated you to this position because we wanted you to restrain Qiu Tu, not because we wanted to watch you make a fool of yourself."

Hearing those words, Zheng Tao's face reddened, and his fists clenched tightly.

His failure a few days earlier truly was the greatest humiliation of his life.

Whenever he thought of how thoroughly Qiu Tu had played him, even using a young girl to slap him in the face, he wanted nothing more than to crawl into a crack in the ground.

Over the past few days, he had once again thrown himself into the grind, devoting his entire body and mind to the work of the Public Security Department. It was not as if he had no intention of numbing himself through work.

That was why this had truly become a thorn in his heart.

That was also why he had gotten so worked up today and made that bet with Qiu Tu.

Thinking of this, Zheng Tao felt even worse.

Just then, the figure slowly said, "However, the Director and I can give you another chance."

"This time, as long as you do well, the Director and I will still promote and make good use of you."

Zheng Tao was first stunned, then he looked up with delight.

He tried his best to suppress the excitement in his heart, but the burning look in his eyes exposed his true thoughts. "I still have a chance?"

He cautiously asked, "Can I still become a director in the future?"

The figure laughed heartily twice before saying earnestly, "A director?"

"You are thinking too small."

"If you handle this matter well, we can follow the Investigation Department's core talent development process: transfer you back to the Shelter for some polishing, then once East Industry State is established, parachute you into a post in the state government."

"At that time, let alone a director, even becoming the head of a city's Investigation Department or a state legislator would not be impossible."

Hearing the pie the figure had drawn for him, Zheng Tao's breathing grew rapid.

The Investigation Department's core talent development track was this: first obtain a basic identity in the Shelter, then be assigned to the To-be-Planned Zone for rapid promotion, afterward return to the Shelter for further polishing, and finally be assigned out again for another promotion.

This allowed exceptional promotion without having to wait for those above to vacate their positions.

It was the advancement route reserved for the true core talents of the Investigation Department.

And now, they could give that to him?

To be honest, Zheng Tao wanted to remain rational and not casually believe the pie his Superior was drawing. But this very promotion of his had been personally arranged by this higher-up!

The other party was not merely drawing a pie. He was openly handing out benefits!

How could Zheng Tao not be tempted?

Still, Zheng Tao knew that to gain something, he had to give something.

The greater the reward, the greater the price he would have to pay.

So he did his best to restrain his desire. Restrain it, and restrain it again.

Then he failed to restrain himself.

He looked at the figure before him with blazing eyes and asked, "Superior, what do you want me to do?"

Seeing Zheng Tao take the bait, the figure could not help but reveal an almost imperceptible smile.

He turned around to face Zheng Tao, idly playing with an ancient coin in his hand as he softly asked, "I heard you made a bet with Qiu Tu?"

Zheng Tao's gaze was involuntarily drawn to that coin.

The figure said, "The wager was that you would lend him your secretary for two days?"

At those words, Zheng Tao's heart skipped a beat, and a faint sense of foreboding suddenly arose within him.

Sure enough, while continuing to play with the ancient coin, the figure said with a smile, "And if I remember correctly, your secretary seems to be your wife, doesn't she?"

"As per Investigation Department regulations, relatives cannot hold that post. Although you made many preparations beforehand so that you and your wife could work in the same department, and did not record your marital relationship in New Realm City's files."

"In the Shelter's records, however, the two of you are undeniably husband and wife."

"Your little tricks may work on others, but to us, they are as transparent as glass."

Zheng Tao swallowed, feeling cold all over. His clenched knuckles had turned white.

Seeing this, the figure gave Zheng Tao two seconds to relax before continuing unhurriedly, "So, my task for you is to keep this wager going. Send your wife to Qiu Tu's side and have her monitor him."

"I will have someone deliberately delay arranging a secretary for Qiu Tu, leaving him temporarily without anyone else to use, so he can only use your wife."

"And what your wife needs to do is gain his trust over the next few days, preferably becoming his real secretary."

"That way, we can know Qiu Tu's movements and all his arrangements in real time. When necessary, we can even give him some... little gifts."

Hearing this, Zheng Tao clearly still wanted to struggle.

He said bitterly, "Superior, can't you choose someone else?"

"For example, when I fulfill the wager, I could send someone else to serve as Qiu Tu's secretary; or you could directly arrange a more suitable spy to be his secretary."

The figure rebuked him, "Nonsense!"

"You know perfectly well how alert Qiu Tu is."

"If I directly arrange a new secretary for him, do you think he would trust her so easily? If you suddenly replace her with someone else, do you think he would not become suspicious?"

"Only a sudden wager like yours, with terms he himself proposed, would make him believe that the secretary had not been arranged by anyone."

"And all secretaries are uniformly trained and assigned by the Administrative Office. Your 'secretary' was only just selected by you, and in his eyes, she has not yet developed any loyalty to you. She is a blank slate."

"Only such uniquely favorable conditions of trust can lure him in!"

"Otherwise, why do you think I came looking for you?"

Hearing the words of the Big Shot before him, Zheng Tao lowered his head and said nothing more.

Perhaps sensing Zheng Tao's inner resistance, the figure sighed faintly.

He strolled over to Zheng Tao, pinched the ancient coin in his hand, held it before Zheng Tao's eyes, and softly said, "Zheng Tao, what if I told you this was an arrangement made by La Riluo Your Highness?"

"What if she was the one who wanted your wife to go?"

Still three chapters and Ten Thousand Characters. I'll keep up the daily ten thousand tomorrow! Please vote with your monthly passes!