Official title: Refused to stay at the university, started his career in a rural town.

Yang Fan returned to Qingping from the county, and it was almost noon.

My head still hurts a little. I tossed and turned all night at the guesthouse, unable to sleep. My mind was filled with Fang Hang's kind face and his words of praise. I only managed to doze off for a while at dawn, and when I woke up, my pillow was soaked with sweat.

He parked his car in the township government courtyard, picked up his bag, and walked towards the office building. The old yellow dog lay under the locust tree, raised its eyelids slightly, wagged its tail, and then put it back down.

First, find Wu Xiang.

I need to talk to him about what happened last night. He's been thinking a lot about Fang Hang's drinking party, and there seems to be something fishy about it. If it really was aimed at him, then we need to be careful with Wu Xiang too.

Upon reaching the second floor, Wu Xiang's office door was locked.

Yang Fan glanced at his watch; it was 11:20. Where could he be at this hour?

He took out a cigarette, lit it, and leaned against the corridor railing to wait. Halfway through his cigarette, he heard hurried footsteps coming from downstairs.

Chen Ming ran up from the first-floor restroom, his forehead covered in sweat.

"Mayor Yang, you're finally back."

Yang Fan stubbed out his cigarette. "What's wrong?"

"Secretary Wu, he..." Chen Ming took a breath, "Around nine o'clock this morning, two people from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection came. They said they needed to verify some issues with Secretary Wu, and Secretary Wu went with them."

Yang Fan's fingers tightened.

"What issue are you verifying?"

"He didn't say." Chen Ming shook his head. "When Secretary Wu left, he asked me to tell you that this is a verification, not a summons, and it's impossible for you to be placed under investigation. He told us to put our minds at ease."

Yang Fan remained silent.

Verifying the issue, not summoning.

Wu Xiang said this to Chen Ming, but actually he was saying it to Chen Ming.

The problem is—when did the municipal discipline inspection commission become so idle? Why would a section-level cadre need the municipal discipline inspection commission to come down and "verify the problem"? Procedurally, the county discipline inspection commission should conduct a preliminary investigation first, and only report to the municipal discipline inspection commission if there are problems. Directly bypassing the county can only mean one thing.

Someone was pushing it from above.

An idea flashed through Yang Fan's mind.

Zhao Ruilong made his move!

Last night it was his own drinking party, and this morning it was Wu Xiang's municipal discipline inspection commission. Two lines were moving at the same time, one targeting him and the other targeting Wu Xiang.

Two key leaders in Qingping Township have faced consequences: one nearly got caught driving under the influence, and the other was taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission for "verification of issues." If he had indeed caused an accident last night, and Wu Xiang had been taken away today—the cooperative would have collapsed on its own without the Municipal Agricultural Commission even having to intervene.

It's not that the documents have turned yellow; it's that the people's hearts have turned yellow.

The township head has been arrested, the Party Secretary has been taken away, how can the cooperative continue? The common people don't understand procedures or verification, they only recognize one thing—if the leaders are all gone, this whole thing is definitely doomed.

Once people's hearts are scattered, how much effort will it take to bring them back together? You might not be able to salvage the situation even if you run yourself ragged.

Zhao Ruilong is fucking ruthless.

wrong.

Yang Fan lit another cigarette. Zhao Ruilong's temper was such that smashing ashtrays, slamming tables, and making threats were all too obvious.

This kind of subtle, layered wiring is not his work.

Du Bozhong.

In the original drama, Gao Yuliang had already climbed to the highest level, even reaching the vice-ministerial level, yet he still dared to keep private photos. It's no wonder Zhao Ruilong later broke off relations with him.

This person is cunning and ruthless in their actions, leaving no room for error and always ensuring they have a way out.

Taking action against him and Wu Xiang would be an option, allowing them to either be captured or have an explanation.

After all, they followed the rules, so no one can find fault with them.

Yang Fan stubbed out his cigarette in a flowerpot in the corridor.

Back in his office, he sat for a while and poured himself a glass of water from his enamel mug.

With Wu Xiang gone, he is the most important pillar of Qingping Township.

The most important thing now is not to guess what the municipal discipline inspection commission is investigating, but to keep the people in the village at ease.

He picked up the phone and dialed the Party and Government Office.

"Xiao Liu, notify the Party Committee members and deputy township heads who are at home that there will be a meeting in the conference room at 2 PM."

After hanging up, he dialed another number.

"Dayong, are you free at noon? Sure, let's meet up at the cafeteria."

When Zhao Dayong arrived at the cafeteria, Yang Fan had already gotten two meals and was sitting in a corner. Zhao Dayong brought over his enamel bowl, sat down, and didn't touch his chopsticks.

"Mayor Yang, about Secretary Wu—"

"I've heard about it." Yang Fan picked up a piece of potato. "It's about verifying the issue, not about being placed under investigation. That's what Secretary Wu said before he left."

Zhao Dayong breathed a sigh of relief, but his brows were still furrowed.

"The Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection has come directly down to handle this matter—"

"Dayong!" Yang Fan put down his chopsticks. "Secretary Wu has been in Qingping for over a year. You handled the accounts, oversaw the cooperative's articles of association, and participated in the profit-sharing plan. Tell me, has Secretary Wu had any problems?"

Zhao Dayong was stunned for a moment.

"No, right?"

"That settles it then." Yang Fan picked up his enamel mug and took a sip. "No problem, we'll be back once we've verified everything. Let's go back to what we were doing."

Zhao Dayong stared at him for two seconds, then picked up his chopsticks and started eating his rice.

2 PM, in the conference room.

As people gradually arrived, Sun Xiaohong, the organization committee member, sat by the window, her pen spinning in and out of control.

Propaganda Committee Member Zhou Dequan held an enamel mug with tea leaves floating on the surface, but didn't drink it.

Han Zheng, the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on his knees.

Deputy Township Head Zhao Dayong sat upright, his face expressionless.

Yang Fan was the last to come in and put his notebook on the table.

"Secretary Wu was not in the township this morning, as he was assisting the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection with some verifications. During this time, the township's work will continue as usual."

He scanned the area.

"I know everyone has questions. Why is the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection here? What are they investigating? Will something bad happen?"

No one spoke.

"I can't answer these questions! But there's one thing I can answer—we've all seen every account Secretary Wu handled, every signature he made, and every project he promoted during his year-long stay in Qingping."

Sun Xiaohong stopped writing.

"It is the municipal discipline inspection commission's duty to verify issues. It is our obligation to cooperate with the verification. But verification is not the same as determining the nature of the crime, and cooperation is not a confession."

Yang Fan paused for a moment.

"The cooperative is at a critical juncture. The municipal agricultural commission's review has not yet been approved, the village's shareholder roster has just been signed, and the construction of Hengtong's factory and the management of the tea gardens cannot be stopped for even a day. With Secretary Wu not here, we need to pay even more attention to these matters."

He looked at Sun Xiaohong. "Committee Member Zhou, please pay more attention to publicity. There are rumors circulating in the village about the cooperative. Take some people down to each village and explain. Write down anything that's unclear, and we'll discuss it together when we get back."

Zhou Dequan nodded.

He then looked at Zhao Dayong. "Mayor Zhao, keep an eye on the tea garden and the mountain delicacies' shipments. Make sure you make a few extra trips; the quality can't be compromised."

"clear."

"Secretary Han," Yang Fan turned to Han Zheng, "pay close attention to the conduct and discipline of the township. Especially at times like these, we must not allow any trouble to occur. If anyone takes the opportunity to muddy the waters, summon them for talks or issue warnings as appropriate. Uphold high standards in enforcing Party discipline!"

Han Zheng nodded and stopped tapping.

Yang Fan took a sip of water.

"When someone asks about Secretary Wu, I just say one thing—I've gone to verify the issue. It's not about the cooperative, and it's certainly not related to being placed under investigation. I'm telling the truth; there's no need to hide anything."

He stood up.

"Right now, stability is paramount! The cooperatives must not shut down, the tea gardens must not be abandoned, and the people's hearts must not be broken. When Secretary Wu returns, we must let him see that Qingping is still Qingping, and all the work that needs to be done has been done."

After the meeting, Yang Fan returned to his office.

On the table lay the cooperative's articles of association, the page of which was open to the words "government guidance," which he had revised more than a dozen times. Next to it was the tea garden management record that Lao Geng had brought yesterday, densely filled with notes on fertilization times and pruning points.

He picked up the pen, signed the maintenance record, and paused for a moment.

Du Bozhong's move involved simultaneous action on two fronts, with precise timing.

We took him down last night, and then we took Wu Xiang away this morning.

If both succeed, Qingping Township will be leaderless, and the cooperative will collapse on its own.

He's escaped now, but Wu Xiang has been taken away for verification—the result, though somewhat diminished, is still quite ruthless.

At least the people in the village, though they didn't say it, were all worried.

Yang Fan put down his pen and walked to the window.

In the courtyard, Zhou Dequan was loading promotional materials onto the vehicle.

Zhao Dayong rode his motorcycle out of the gate, a canvas bag hanging from the handlebars containing sampling bags from the tea garden. The old yellow dog chased after him for a few steps, then lay back down.

In the distance, the mountains of Qingping glowed green under the sun, and rows of tea bushes in the tea gardens sprouted tender buds.

Yang Fan watched for a while, then turned back to the table and dialed Lao Geng's number.

"Secretary Geng, how's the tea plantation going? Okay, I'll go there tomorrow."

After hanging up the phone, the sound of Zhou Dequan's beat-up van starting up and sputtering out of the yard came from outside the window. Zhao Dayong's motorcycle had long since disappeared, leaving only a cloud of yellow dust rising in the air and slowly falling down.

Yang Fan picked up the enamel mug and refilled it with hot water. The tea leaves swirled at the bottom of the cup before settling down.

In this round, Du Bozhong escaped drunk driving, while Wu Xiang was taken away for verification—one of the two leads failed, and the other is still hanging in the balance. What will Du do next?

He took a sip of tea.

No matter what happens, the cooperatives in Qingping cannot stop.

This is the bottom line! And no matter how much we threaten or entice, we must stick to this bottom line. I told Qi Tongwei this before, and I told myself this too!

Yang Fan sat in his office until dark.

As long as he sits here peacefully, everyone can feel at ease, and the work can proceed smoothly.

the phone is ringing.

He answered the call.

"Mayor Yang, this is Lao Zhou." The voice on the other end of the phone was very low. "This afternoon, two people came from Wangjiaping, going door-to-door asking about the cooperative. They asked if the investment was voluntary, whether the dividends had been paid out, and whether the township had forced anyone."

Yang Fan's fingers tightened around the microphone.

"Who is it?"

"They said it was some kind of research team from the city. Wang Defa blocked them at the village entrance and scolded them, saying that the cooperative was something we wanted to set up ourselves, and the township hadn't forced anyone. The two men took notes and left."

Yang Fan remained silent.

Old Zhou paused for a moment: "Mayor Yang, what about Secretary Wu...?"

"Wait," Yang Fan said.

He hung up the phone and sat back down in his chair. The chirping of insects outside the window continued intermittently.

Du Bozhong's move wasn't just targeting him and Wu Xiang. The drinking party was targeting him, the disciplinary committee was targeting Wu Xiang, and the investigation team was targeting the cooperative—three lines were being worked on simultaneously. If one couldn't be taken down, there were two. If two couldn't be taken down, there was a third. There was bound to be one that could break through.

This passive defense is really tough!