Guide to Rising to Power as a Wife in Beijing's Elite Circle

February 19th. The door was a dark brown wooden door with no windows, no different from an ordinary house. But hanging on the wall was a piece of ugly calligraphy that read: "Honest and Dedicated to Public Service".

The inscription was signed by a former leader who embezzled nearly 10 billion yuan but retired unscathed. Why use those four characters? Probably to encourage everyone to take him as a role model. Without corruption, how can one become an official?

This calligraphy has hung here for twenty years, witnessing countless transactions. Some transactions have propelled people to great heights, while others have sent them to their doom.

When Chen Nuo arrived, Huang Zeshan was already there. He sat in the main seat, with a pot of tea in front of him. The tea soup was golden and clear, freshly brewed pre-Qingming Longjing.

Huang Jinwen sat next to him, dressed casually in a dark gray jacket over a white shirt. In front of him lay a stack of documents, densely covered with writing and forms.

Qin Yang sat on the far side, head down, not daring to look at Chen Nuo. In front of him was also a document, the cover blank except for a red stamp: Top Secret.

Chen Nuo sat down opposite them.

Huang Zeshan picked up the teapot and poured her a cup. "Xiao Chen, have a taste. It's freshly arrived pre-Qingming tea, brought by someone. We only get a few kilograms a year, we usually can't bear to drink it."

Chen Nuo did not pick up his cup. "Director Huang, you didn't just call me here for tea, did you?"

"Xiao Chen, you know about Jingxiu's matter, right?"

"Know."

"Then you should know that he left something for you."

Chen Nuo remained silent.

"I want your trump card. The trump card Fang Jingxiu left for you. The trump card about my son's promotion."

The tea room was quiet for a few seconds.

Chen Nuo looked at Huang Zeshan without looking away. Her gaze moved from his face to Huang Jinwen's face, then to Qin Yang, and finally back to Huang Zeshan's face.

"Huang Zeshan," she began, her voice soft, but each word like a nail. "What can you offer?"

This question was so direct, so blunt, that it didn't seem like something a woman in her twenties would ask. In officialdom, asking questions is an art.

Asking too directly makes one seem naive; asking too indirectly makes one seem insincere. Chen Nuo's question was neither direct nor indirect, but hit the nail on the head: You want my trump card? What about yours?

"I can eliminate the Bai and Liu families, the biggest obstacles to Fang Jingxiu's downfall. In exchange."

Chen Nuo neither nodded nor shook her head. She simply looked at him and waited. Waiting for him to reveal his hand. Waiting for him to place his chips on the table. Waiting for him to utter the words she had been waiting for three days.

Huang Jinwen pulled out a document from the stack and placed it on the table. "Director Chen, this is the result of my investigation. Victim testimonies, trafficking routes, and lists of buyers in the case of trafficking women. The Bai family's trafficking ring has trafficked more than 10,000 women over thirteen years."

He pulled out another document and placed it aside. "These are the financial statements of the Bai and Liu families. Thirteen years, twenty-three transactions, totaling 3.47 billion. And..."

He paused, then lightly tapped the document with his finger. "The Bai family transferred over 30 billion yuan in illicit funds for growth factors overseas through underground banks. Every single transaction is traceable. The recipient, payer, intermediary, time, place, and amount are all clearly documented."

Chen Nuo looked at the materials but didn't touch them. She didn't look through them or ask any questions; she simply nodded.

"Secretary Qin," she called out.

Qin Yang looked up at Chen Nuo, his eyes filled with guilt. He took the document, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Chen Nuo.

"Director Chen, this is the flow of funds for the digital transformation project in Zhongzhou Province that I have found. It includes the account details for Director Meng, Liu Changhe, and 372 other officials. They even embezzled the resettlement fees for the 556 workers at the original seed farm. Every penny, from the project command center to various accounts, from those accounts to overseas, and from overseas to real estate, stocks, and trust funds, is all documented."

Chen Nuo opened the document and read it page by page. Each page contained a name, a number, and a life.

Qin Yang's voice lowered, as if he were talking to himself. "Chief Meng only received 15 percent of the money. This includes, but is not limited to, 105 jin of property deeds, over 600 million in cash. And..."

He paused for a moment.

"He also kept 556 widows and children of workers under his control, and sent them to the beds of high-ranking officials as bargaining chips."

Chen Nuo's hand stopped. She looked up at Qin Yang. "What did you say?"

"After those workers died, their wives and children were left unattended. Chief Meng kept them under house arrest, teaching them the arts of prostitution, and then sent them to the beds of various high-ranking officials. Whoever did him a favor, he would give them a woman. Whoever gave him greater benefits, he would give them a younger woman. Some of the children were only ten years old."

Chen Nuo's hands began to tremble. She remembered the names written on the document. They hadn't frozen to death, starved to death, or committed suicide. They were alive, but their lives were worse than death.

Their husbands, whose resettlement funds were embezzled by Chief Meng, froze to death, starved to death, or committed suicide. They themselves were given as gifts by Chief Meng to the beds of high-ranking officials.

One hundred and five jin of property ownership certificates. Not one hundred and five certificates, but one hundred and five jin.

How many are that? Each property ownership certificate weighs about two ounces, or 105 kilograms, so that's over 2,600 certificates. Over 2,600 houses, scattered across the country. Each one is a blood-soaked bun (a metaphor for a single person's life).

And that's only 15%. There are even bigger fish above that, accounting for 85%. That could weigh 205 jin, 305 jin, 405 jin, or 505 jin. Tens of thousands of property deeds, tens of thousands of rooms, tens of thousands of blood-soaked buns.

She looked at the three pieces of evidence on the table. A case of trafficking in women, thirty years, more than 10,000 women, and 3.4 billion yuan in illicit funds.

The digital transformation project in Zhongzhou Province resulted in 556 lives, 105 kilograms of property certificates, and 372 officials. Chief Meng's illicit dealings involved widows and children being presented as gifts to high-ranking officials.

She suddenly realized that the world was dirtier than she had imagined. So dirty that she felt her little bit of cleverness was utterly insignificant.

She found it so dirty that she thought it was a miracle that Fang Jingxiu could remain sober after being in this industry for so many years.

Chen Nuo took a deep breath, suppressing the nausea. In the face of major events, one must not panic. Panic means defeat. Haste means mistakes. Complete trust means death.

"Huang Zeshan," she began, her voice as calm as if she were giving a work report, "I can give you the trump card that Fang Si left you. But not now."

Huang Zeshan's brow twitched. "When?"

"Once things are done, I will naturally hand them over to you." Chen Nuo looked at him calmly. "If you don't trust me, you can leave now. But you should know that if you leave, your son's career will be stuck here forever."

Huang Zeshan stared at her for a few seconds, then laughed. "You've learned about 50% of Fang Jingxiu's style. He used the same tone when he negotiated with me back then."

Chen Nuo turned to look at Huang Jinwen. "Huang Jinwen, regarding the case of trafficking women, you initiated a special crackdown within the public security system. The target is the trafficking ring under the Bai family. You have the evidence, testimonies, routes, and lists. How long will it take to file a case?"

"Three days. Three days at most. But I need a reason, a reason that the higher-ups can't refuse."

"I'll handle the reasons. I'll have Shen Rongchuan create pressure. With pressure from above, your application to file a case won't be suppressed."

She then looked at Qin Yang. "Secretary Qin, continue investigating the flow of funds for the digital transformation project in Zhongzhou Province. Report back to me directly whatever you find. Don't let it go through anyone else."

Qin Yang nodded. "Understood."

"Also," Chen Nuo paused, "you were a traitor before, which means there's something shady about you. From now on, you'll only contact me directly. Don't reply to any calls, texts, or emails. Meetings will only be held here."

Qin Yang's hands clenched slightly, but he didn't object. "Understood."

Chen Nuo finally looked at Huang Zeshan. "Huang Zeshan, the high-ranking officials need your intervention. You know the network of relationships between the Bai and Liu families better than anyone. Who should be attacked, who should be won over, and who should be protected—it's up to you."

"Don't worry. I've been on this path for thirty years, I know how to shut people up."

Chen Nuo stood up. "Then it's settled. Happy to cooperate."

She looked at the three of them, her gaze sweeping across each of their faces, unhurried and deliberate.

"Everyone, if this matter is accomplished, everyone will be happy. If it fails..." She paused, her voice lowering. "No one will escape. Fang Jingxiu is dead, and you will all be buried with him."

What they didn't know was that Chen Nuo had a backup plan; human nature is something that can't be explained all at once. People will always betray you for their own benefit. It's not that they don't trust them, it's that they don't trust human nature.

Fang Jingxiu, wait for me. I will definitely rescue you. I will let everyone know that I, Chen Nuo, walked into your house myself.