I slept with my sister's classmate, and she turned out to be my boss.

County Government Executive Meeting Room, 9:00 AM

The long table was filled with people on both sides—members of the county party committee, deputy county heads, and heads of various bureaus and offices, more than twenty people in total, filling the meeting room to capacity.

He Ying sat in the main seat, with an agenda spread out in front of her and a freshly brewed cup of tea beside her.

This was the third county government executive meeting she chaired since taking office.

The first two issues were routine and uncontroversial; what needed to be passed was passed, and what needed to be discussed was discussed.

But today is different.

One item on today's agenda that she had already reviewed was the additional funding for the expansion project of the Liuhe Town Economic Development Zone.

It was proposed by Fang Mingyuan.

An additional 2000 million.

He Ying picked up her teacup, blew on it, took a sip, and glanced at the people on both sides of the long table.

Fang Mingyuan sat in the first seat to her left, with a stack of documents spread out in front of him, and was whispering something to Du Jianguo, the director of the Finance Bureau next to him.

Du Jianguo nodded, his expression unreadable.

The other deputy county heads each had their own thoughts—Song Xiaofeng was looking down at the documents, Chen Lihua was holding a teacup and staring at the table, Ma Jianguo was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, and Zhou Tao was writing and drawing in his notebook.

"Comrades, the meeting is starting."

He Ying put down her teacup, her voice not loud, but the meeting room immediately fell silent.

Fang Mingyuan stopped talking to Du Jianguo and sat up straight.

"Today's agenda has seven items in total. The first six will be discussed in order, and the last item is a motion." He Ying opened the agenda in front of her. "The first item is for the Development and Reform Bureau to report on the progress of key projects in the second half of the year."

Huang Xin, director of the Development and Reform Commission, opened the folder and began his report.

He Ying listened, occasionally jotting down a few words in her notebook.

The first six agenda items proceeded relatively smoothly, although there were some debates, but they were all within the normal range.

When it came to the seventh item, Fang Mingyuan cleared his throat.

"County Chief He, let me address the seventh item."

He Ying nodded: "County Chief Fang, please."

Fang Mingyuan opened the materials in front of him, his voice not loud, but every word carried weight.

"Liuhe Town Economic Development Zone is a key industrial park in our county. Several projects introduced last year have been put into production and are generating good profits. However, due to the market environment, raw material prices have risen and labor costs have also increased, resulting in a significant funding gap for several projects under construction."

He paused for a moment, then glanced around.

"According to calculations by Liuhe Town and the Economic Development Zone Management Committee, an additional 2000 million yuan is needed, mainly for three aspects: factory construction, equipment procurement, and infrastructure support. The details are in the materials, which you can take a look at."

The sound of turning pages filled the conference room.

He Ying didn't look at the materials—she had already read them last night.

She waited a few seconds, until everyone had finished flipping through the pages, before speaking.

"County Chief Fang, I have a few questions."

Fang Mingyuan leaned back in his chair and made a "please" gesture.

"I have some data on the project progress in the Economic Development Zone last year." He Ying opened the folder in front of her. "Last year, there were 12 projects under construction in the Economic Development Zone. According to the plan, the investment should have reached 2.4 million yuan, but the actual investment reached only 1.44 million yuan, which is only 60% of the target."

The meeting room fell silent.

Fang Mingyuan's expression didn't change much, but he tapped his finger lightly on the table.

"Now that an additional 2000 million has been added, I'd like to ask—why was last year's project only 60% complete? Was it a funding issue, a management issue, or some other reason?"

Fang Mingyuan smiled and said, "County Chief He, that's a good question. Last year's delays were mainly due to the overall economic environment, the sluggish market, and the decline in corporate investment. But the situation is improving this year, and several projects have already been restarted."

"What is the basis for the additional 2000 million?"

He Ying pressed further: "The materials state that 'raw material prices have risen and labor costs have increased,' but no specific price comparison data or cost calculations have been provided."

I'd like to know how much raw material prices have increased compared to last year?

How much have labor costs increased?

How was this 2000 million calculated?

The atmosphere in the meeting room became subtle.

Several bureau chiefs lowered their heads, pretending to be looking at documents.

Song Xiaofeng's lips twitched slightly, as if he was trying to suppress a laugh.

Chen Lihua put down her teacup, glanced at He Ying, and then at Fang Mingyuan.

Fang Mingyuan's smile was still there, but his eyes had changed.

"County Chief He, the specific calculation data is detailed in the materials from Liuhe Town and the Economic Development Zone. If you need it, I can have them sent over."

"Then send it over." He Ying's tone was calm. "We'll postpone this topic for today. We'll discuss it again at the next meeting after we provide a complete explanation of the budget adjustments and the calculated data."

Fang Mingyuan tapped his finger on the table again.

"County Chief He, the expansion project of Liuhe Town Economic Development Zone is time-sensitive and has a heavy workload. If it is delayed any longer, it may affect the progress of the project."

"County Chief Fang, 2000 million is no small sum," He Ying said, looking at him. "It's not that I disagree with the additional funding, but I want a reasonable explanation. An explanation of the budget adjustment and the calculated data are the most basic requirements. Isn't that a reasonable request?"

Fang Mingyuan stared at He Ying for two seconds, and the smile on his face finally disappeared.

"That makes perfect sense." He closed the documents in front of him. "Then we'll discuss it again at the next meeting."

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

He Ying picked up a pen, wrote a few lines on the agenda, and then looked up.

Are there any other issues?

No one speaks.

"That concludes today's meeting. Meeting adjourned."

The sound of chairs being moved could be heard, and people gradually stood up and walked out.

Fang Mingyuan stood up, picked up the materials, and without looking at He Ying, strode out of the conference room.

He Ying sat down and slowly closed the folder.

Su Wanqing walked over and lowered her voice: "County Chief, County Chief Fang doesn't look well."

He Ying's lips twitched slightly: "I know."

She stood up, took the folder, and walked out.

As I reached the door, I heard footsteps behind me.

"County Magistrate He."

He Ying stopped and turned around.

Fang Mingyuan stood in the corridor, holding the stack of materials in his hand, a smile on his face, but it looked somewhat forced.

"County Magistrate He, may I have a word with you in private?"

He Ying nodded and followed him to the end of the corridor.

Fang Mingyuan stood by the window, looking down at the courtyard, and remained silent for a few seconds.

"County Chief He, Liuhe Town is the economic lifeline of the entire county. If we restrict it too much, it will hinder development."

He Ying stood next to him, her gaze also falling on the courtyard downstairs.

"County Chief Fang, I'm not blocking the way, I just want an explanation."

Fang Mingyuan turned his head to look at her.

"County Chief He, you've worked in the provincial department, so you should know that budget adjustments are common during project implementation. 2000 million is not a small amount for the county, but it could be a critical juncture for the success or failure of the entire project."