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

Interrogation room on the second floor of Baizhou City Public Security Bureau.

The room was small, about fifteen square meters. There was a dark metal table, two chairs, and recording equipment and notes on the table. The walls were upholstered in gray to prevent the suspect from self-harming. A camera was embedded high in the corner, its red indicator light flashing.

When Wang Longjie was brought in, he didn't struggle at all. Two police officers held his arms on either side, and he didn't resist, just kept his head down, looking at his toes. He was pressed into a chair, and the handcuffs on his wrists were locked to the metal rings on the table.

Chen Nuo stood behind the one-way glass. She could see everything happening inside, but those inside couldn't see outside. Her right hand gripped the recording pen tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Chen Wei stood to her left, Ning Zetong to her right, and Luo Zhendong leaned against the doorframe, holding a walkie-talkie. None of the four spoke; they were all waiting.

The interrogation room door opened. Two young police officers entered, one with a notepad and the other with tea. They placed the notes on the table and then stood behind Wang Longjie, acting as guards, or perhaps more accurately, watchmen.

Wang Longjie looked up, glanced at the police officer who had brought the tea, and his lips twitched slightly. The officer avoided his gaze, lowered his head, and quickly walked out.

He's been running Baizhou for over a decade, and it wasn't for nothing. Nobody knows how many people in that building have taken advantage of him, eaten under his wing, received gifts from him, or gained favors from him.

Within five minutes of Wang Longjie being brought into the interrogation room, the news would spread throughout the entire building. The faster the news spread, the greater his influence.

The presiding police officer finally arrived. His surname was Ma, and he was the deputy captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Baizhou City Public Security Bureau. He sat down opposite Wang Longjie, opened the record sheet, and picked up a pen.

"Wang Longjie, this afternoon, Chen Nuo, deputy director of the final review department of the Zhongzhou City Film and Television System, filed a formal complaint against you, alleging rape, illegal detention, and abuse of a minor. Do you have anything to say about these accusations?"

"Captain Ma, I've been with Baizhou Film and Television for so many years, and I've sponsored hundreds of impoverished girls. Everyone in Baizhou knows who I am. That Director Chen, she's only been here for five days, talked to a child for a few minutes, and concluded that I'm guilty. I don't blame her; she's been misled too."

His voice was steady, as if he were reading a prepared script. "But I request the organization to thoroughly investigate this matter. I, Wang Longjie, have done nothing wrong and am not afraid of investigation."

"If you're upright, you'll be able to sit up straight." People who say this aren't truly unafraid of being investigated; they know no one can find them. They've already laid the groundwork, made arrangements, and prepared their escape routes.

He's sitting here not being interrogated, but waiting for a phone call.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor. The leather shoes clattered crisply and rapidly on the terrazzo floor, like the urgent beat of a drum.

When Chen Nuo heard that sound in the observation room, a bad premonition suddenly welled up in his heart.

The interrogation room door was pushed open. A middle-aged man in a dark jacket entered, carrying a manila envelope. Behind him were two young men, both in plainclothes, but their demeanor clearly indicated they were not ordinary staff members.

When Wang Longjie saw the middle-aged man, the corners of his mouth curved slightly. It wasn't the joy of being rescued, but a certainty that it was indeed true. He knew someone would come. He had been waiting.

The middle-aged man walked up to the horse team leader and whispered a few words in his ear. The horse team leader put down his pen, closed the record paper, and stood up. "Wang Longjie, you can go now."

Wang Longjie didn't stand up immediately. He remained seated, looking up at the horse team leader. "Horse team leader, are you not taking my statement anymore? Not investigating me? Hurry up and investigate me!"

The horseman didn't answer. He stuffed the note paper into the drawer, turned, and walked out.

The two plainclothes officers stepped forward; one unlocked Wang Longjie's handcuffs, while the other pulled the chair back slightly. Their movements were much gentler than before, even a little cautious.

Wang Longjie stretched his wrists and stood up. He didn't rush to leave, but turned around to face the one-way mirror. He knew Chen Nuo was standing there.

He laughed. It was a big laugh, so big that his whole face relaxed. I told you long ago, you're not as good as me.

The document arrived before Wang Longjie.

Chen Wei and her group were summoned to an office in the Baizhou Municipal Party Committee. Sitting behind the desk was He, the deputy secretary of the Baizhou Municipal Party Committee in charge of political and legal affairs.

Sitting next to him was the director of the petition office, a middle-aged woman wearing glasses, with a stack of documents spread out in front of her.

A group of people stood in front of the desk. They dared not sit down until the leader gave the order.

Deputy Secretary He put down the pen and took a manila envelope from the drawer. "Chief of Staff Chen, you've worked hard these past few days in Baizhou. But…"

He pulled a document from the file folder and slammed it on the table. "Take a look."

The document was thin, only two pages long. The cover bore the red seal of the Baizhou Municipal Party Committee, and was dated today. Chen Wei picked it up and quickly glanced through it.

The document contains two parts.

First document: Decision to withdraw the case against Wang Longjie for alleged rape, illegal detention, and abuse of minors.

The reason given was that there was insufficient evidence and the victim had withdrawn the charges.

Second document: Explanation regarding the real-name report filed by Meimei, a student of Baizhou City Assistance College, against Chen Nuo, deputy director of the final review office of the Zhongzhou City Film and Television System, for inducing confessions, fabricating evidence, and falsely accusing a municipal-level outstanding entrepreneur.

Chen Wei handed the document to Chen Nuo. Chen Nuo took it and read it page by page. Her hands didn't tremble, her eyes didn't blur, and her heart didn't race. She simply finished reading it and then put the document back on the table.

Deputy Secretary He looked at her. "Director Chen, Meimei gave a statement at the petition office, saying that you instructed her to say those things in the recording, and that the injuries on her body were from when she was a child and was beaten by relatives in her hometown, and had nothing to do with Wang Longjie. She wants to sue you, accuse you of inducing a confession, accuse you of framing her, and accuse you of destroying her reputation."

Chen Nuo stood there, looking at the document.

She suddenly understood everything. It wasn't that Meimei had betrayed her; it was that Meimei had never been on her side. Meimei was deliberately released by Wang Longjie; it was a trap he had set.

From the very beginning, from the moment she turned around in the corridor and saw Meimei tugging at her sleeve, she had already stepped into this trap. Wang Longjie knew that she had become suspicious of Yueyue last time, knew that she was investigating, and knew that she wouldn't let any clue slip by.

So he laid out his plan in advance, choosing the child he trusted most, crafting a compelling story for her, and having her appear at the most crucial moment, making Chen Nuo believe he was the hunter.

Once he's taken away, once everything proceeds according to procedure, once all the evidence is secured, then he can recant his confession. By then, all the evidence in Chen Nuo's hands will have become the product of induced confession; she herself will have gone from witness to suspect, while Wang Longjie will have gone from suspect to victim.

He anticipated your predictions. You thought you were the hunter, but in reality, you were the prey he had been raising for a long time.

Deputy Secretary He looked at her, his tone softening. "Director Chen, what you see is only Wang Longjie; what you don't see are how many people are standing behind him." He paused, "Those girls at the student aid college, do you think Wang Longjie is just keeping them around for fun? Do you even know what 'Yangzhou slender horses' are?"

"Skinny horse" doesn't refer to a horse, but to a person. It refers to girls who are trained from a young age to be proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, specifically chosen by wealthy men to be their concubines.

Yangzhou's "slender horses" (a euphemism for prostitutes) flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties and have continued to this day. They've simply changed their name, their methods, and their facade of benevolence.

Deputy Secretary He didn't look at her; his gaze was fixed on the gray sky outside the window. "Those girls he's grooming aren't for him. They're for the higher-ups. Now that you've touched someone from above, you won't even know how you died."

She remembered the wound on Meimei's back, Yueyue's words about the unstoppable bleeding, and the blankness in the eyes of those girls that shouldn't belong to their age. They were domesticated. They were tamed.

Their food, clothing, and daily necessities weren't charity; they were an investment. Every penny was recorded in an account, waiting to be recouped with interest in the future. And she almost opened that account book. Just a hair's breadth away.

Deputy Secretary He looked at Chen Nuo, his tone softening. "Director Chen, you're still young. Some things aren't what they seem. And some people are beyond your control. The higher-ups mean this matter should end here. We'll appease Meimei. Go back and focus on your work; don't bring it up again."

"Secretary He, the contents of that recording are real. Just because she voluntarily withdrew it doesn't mean it never happened."

"Director Chen, do you think we don't know? Do you think the Baizhou Municipal Party Committee doesn't know who Wang Longjie is? Do you think the higher-ups don't know?"

He paused. "I know. Everyone knows. But what can you do about it? How many jobs does he create for Baizhou every year? Who will support the 120 children in his scholarship program without him? Would you support them? How would you support them? How many could you support with your salary?"

Chen Nuo remained silent.

Deputy Secretary He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. "Director Chen, you're still young. What you see is just a scumbag, but we see the livelihoods of 120 children, the livelihoods of hundreds of families, and the stability of this region. If you let Wang Longjie go, who will take over the student aid college? Who will pay those children's salaries? Who will ensure their safety? You?"

Chen Nuo's fingers slowly tightened. She wanted to say that those children weren't just a source of income for her, but living, breathing human beings. But it was no use saying it.

Deputy Secretary He is right; she can't support 120 children. Her salary isn't even enough to cover the electricity bill for one dormitory building.

Deputy Secretary He took out another document from the drawer. "This is the order from above. You are being suspended from your duties for falsely accusing a municipal-level outstanding entrepreneur. The disciplinary decision will be issued within three days. Go back and prepare to hand over your work to your subordinates."

Chen Wei stepped forward. "Secretary He, Chen Nuo has always been diligent and conscientious in her work, and has never made a mistake. In this matter, she was also acting out of..."

Deputy Secretary He raised his hand to stop her. "Chief of Staff Chen, I will relay your words to the higher-ups. But the decision is not something I can change."

He stood up. "Alright, you can all go back. Don't investigate Baizhou's affairs anymore."