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

He turned around and looked at Chen Dapeng.

"Dapeng".

"Um?"

"You need to be careful here too. He Ying is the county magistrate; Fang Mingyuan can't touch her. But you're different. You're just a junior staff member; if they want to get rid of you, they have plenty of ways to do it."

Chen Dapeng nodded.

"And one more thing," Lin Chen said, walking to the door, "stay away from Liu Zhiguo. He used to work in the Inspectorate; people like him are not easy to deal with."

How do you know about Liu Zhiguo?

Lin Chen smiled and said, "You think I've only been investigating Zhao Zhiyong these past few days? I've also looked into the people around you."

Chen Dapeng was stunned for a moment.

"Lin Chen, you..."

"Don't overthink it." Lin Chen patted his shoulder. "I'm just worried about you. Okay, I'm leaving."

He opened the door and went out.

Chen Dapeng stood at the door, watching his back.

Lin Chen took two steps, then stopped and turned around.

"Dapeng".

"Um?"

"Your county magistrate... He Ying."

Chen Dapeng's heart skipped a beat.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Chen looked at him and smiled meaningfully.

"It's nothing. I just feel that since you're willing to take such a big risk for her, she can't be just your sister's classmate, right? Do you like her? Maybe you've already slept together."

"Lin Chen, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Lin Chen looked smug, his smile widening.

"Look how anxious you are, you've practically confessed. Tell me, how did you hook up with her, or how did she hook up with you?"

Chen Dapeng's fingers tightened slightly.

"It's not what you think. I just think what she did was right."

He feigned composure, his expression remaining unchanged.

Lin Chen looked at him for a few seconds, as if confirming something.

"Alright, I'm done arguing with you. I have an appointment this afternoon, I'm leaving now."

After saying that, he turned and left.

The footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Chen Dapeng stood at the door, looking at the empty corridor, for a long time.

Then he closed the door, leaned against it, and let out a long sigh.

"Lin Chen noticed. But he didn't investigate further, perhaps waiting for me to tell him. Let's wait a while."

Chen Dapeng walked back to the sofa, sat down, picked up the unopened can of beer, pulled the tab, and took a sip.

It was cold, with a hint of bitterness.

He leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

Lin Chen said he had connections in the provincial capital.

Lin Chen said he could help investigate more thoroughly.

Lin Chen said, "You're willing to take such a big risk for her, she must be more than just your sister's classmate."

He did not admit it.

What exactly is He Ying to him?

Is he a leader? My sister's classmate? Or the stranger from that night?

Or... something else?

he does not know.

All he knew was that she was in trouble and he wanted to help her.

Not because of who she is, but because—he thinks what she did is right.

Is this reason sufficient?

Chen Dapeng didn't know.

But he knew that after Lin Chen arrived, he was no longer alone.

My phone vibrated.

He picked it up and saw that it was a WeChat message from Lin Chen.

"I've reached the highway. I'll contact you if there's any news about the materials. Take care of yourself."

Chen Dapeng replied, "Okay. Drive carefully."

After sending the message, he typed another line: "Lin Chen, thank you."

The other party replied quickly: "Stop talking nonsense. Treat me to dinner."

Chen Dapeng looked at the words and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Lin Chen didn't try to persuade him to quit; instead, she chose to help him.

He remembered this kindness.

But he also knew that from today onwards, Lin Chen had also been dragged into this.

He picked up his phone and sent a message to He Ying.

"A friend of mine, from the provincial capital, is helping to investigate Zhao Zhiyong's case. He found out the equity structure and supplier list of Hongda Trading, as well as some bank statements."

He Ying quickly replied: "Can you trust this friend of yours?"

"Trustworthy. College classmate, best friend."

"How much does he know?"

"He knows I'm helping you investigate things in Liuhe Town. I haven't told him anything else."

He Ying fell silent.

After waiting for about two minutes, she replied: "Tell him to be careful. Investigating is fine, but don't alert him."

"He knows."

"Also, don't tell anyone about your relationship with him. Not even Su Wanqing."

Looking at these words, Chen Dapeng suddenly understood something.

He Ying is protecting Lin Chen.

The fewer people who know, the safer Lin Chen will be.

"Understood," he replied.

After sending the message, he put down his phone, stood by the window, and looked into the distance.

My phone vibrated again.

He picked it up and saw that it was the last message He Ying had sent.

"Dapeng, thank you."

Chen Dapeng stared at the message and remained silent for a long time.

He did not reply.

Because he didn't know what to say.

All he knew was that the weight of the message sent from He Ying was different.

……

It was 7:30 p.m. at Fang Mingyuan's house.

The living room was dimly lit, and several home-style dishes were laid out on the long table: braised pork, steamed sea bass, water spinach with garlic, and a pot of pork rib soup.

There were no delicacies; it looked like the kind of meal a typical family would host.

But none of the people present were ordinary people.

Fang Mingyuan sat in the main seat, with half a glass of baijiu (Chinese liquor) in front of him. He didn't usually drink much, but he made an exception today.

Fang Zhiwen sat to his right; he was the Party Secretary of Liuhe Town and Fang Mingyuan's cousin.

The wine glass in front of him had already been emptied once.

Qian Cheng sat next to Fang Zhiwen, his chubby face bearing his usual smile, but the smile seemed forced, as if he were putting on a brave face.

Liu Zhiguo sat to Fang Mingyuan's left, wearing his thick glasses, his head down, seemingly lost in thought.

There was also a young man, in his early thirties, sitting next to Qian Cheng.

He was wearing a white shirt, and his hair was neatly combed, making him look capable and efficient.

His name is Zheng Hai. He is Fang Mingyuan's secretary and has been with him for five years. He is one of the people Fang Mingyuan trusts the most.

"Eat up, eat up, don't be shy." Fang Mingyuan picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork, and put it in Fang Zhiwen's bowl. "Zhiwen, you've lost weight recently."

Fang Zhiwen smiled and said, "I've been busy lately and haven't had much of an appetite."

"No matter how busy you are, you still have to eat." Fang Mingyuan picked up another piece of fish with his chopsticks, put it in his bowl, and ate it slowly.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat somber.

Each of them was preoccupied with their own thoughts, so they ate slowly and spoke little.

Fang Mingyuan put down his chopsticks, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip. Then he leaned back in his chair and glanced around.

"I didn't call you all here today just for a meal," he said, his voice not loud, but the table immediately fell silent. "There's something I need to discuss with you."

Everyone put down their chopsticks and looked at him.

"He Ying is investigating matters in Liuhe Town."

As soon as those words were spoken, it was as if the air at the dinner table had been sucked away.

Fang Zhiwen's expression changed, Qian Cheng's face turned even uglier, and Liu Zhiguo's head was lowered, so his expression was not visible.

Only Zheng Hai remained calm, as if he had known all along.

"How far have you gotten from the investigation?" Fang Zhiwen asked.

"Su Wanqing took the receipts from the Finance Bureau," Fang Mingyuan said calmly. "That kid surnamed Chen also looked through the typical case study from the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau."

Qian Cheng's hand trembled, and his chopsticks fell to the table with a crisp sound.

He quickly picked it up, forcing a smile: "My hand slipped, my hand slipped."

Fang Mingyuan glanced at him but didn't say anything.

"County Chief Fang," Qian Cheng said in a low voice, "that 810 million..."

"It's not 810 million," Fang Mingyuan interrupted him, "it's 960 million."

Qian Cheng's face turned pale instantly.

Fang Zhiwen tightened his grip on the wine glass.

Fang Mingyuan picked up his wine glass, took another sip, and put it down.

"They can't trace the 960 million matter back to me."

Fang Zhiwen looked at him: "Brother, that kid surnamed Chen, should we...?"

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone at the table understood what he meant.

Fang Mingyuan glanced at him, his gaze darkening.

"Don't touch him."

Fang Zhiwen was taken aback: "Why?"

"If they move, it confirms that we're afraid." Fang Mingyuan picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of food, and chewed slowly. "If a junior staff member who's only been with the company for less than two months suddenly gets into trouble, everyone will think it's us behind it. At that point, even without He Ying investigating, people from above will come."

Fang Zhiwen fell silent.

"Moreover," Fang Mingyuan put down his chopsticks and looked at Fang Zhiwen, "that guy surnamed Chen isn't just He Ying's man. He's also the younger brother of He Ying's best friend. If you mess with him, He Ying won't let it go, and neither will her best friend."

"Who is her best friend?" Qian Cheng asked.

"Management at a provincial state-owned enterprise. Not a high-ranking official, but with deep connections." Fang Mingyuan leaned back in his chair. "No need to cause that trouble."

Qian Cheng nodded and said nothing more.

Liu Zhiguo has not spoken a word since he entered the room.

He sat there like a statue, his presence was minimal, but no one dared to ignore him.

"Zhiguo." Fang Mingyuan looked at him.

Liu Zhiguo looked up and stared at him through his thick glasses.

"What's that guy surnamed Chen up to lately?"

"Working as usual. Organizing materials and writing reports." Liu Zhiguo's voice was flat, without any extra emotion. "But he carries all his things with him, and there's nothing in his drawer."

Fang Mingyuan frowned slightly.

"Have you looked through all those documents he went through?"

"I checked. Nothing was missing, and there were no traces left." Liu Zhiguo paused for a moment, "But he must have written something down. His notebook isn't in his office; he must have it with him at all times."

Fang Mingyuan tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.

"Keep an eye on them. Don't alert them."

"clear."

Fang Zhiwen picked up his wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, and then slammed the glass down on the table.

"Brother, are we just going to wait like this?"

Fang Mingyuan looked at him and remained silent for a few seconds.

"No."

He picked up the glass, slowly swirling it, watching the wine gleam with an amber light under the lamp.

"We took the initiative."

Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"He Ying is investigating us, so we can investigate her too." Fang Mingyuan put down his wine glass. "Isn't she from the provincial government? She's been in the provincial department for so many years, I don't believe she has no problems at all."

Zheng Hai spoke up at this moment, his voice not loud but clear: "County Chief Fang, I've already made arrangements with the provincial department. I've contacted a few old connections to inquire about He Ying's situation during her time at the provincial department."

"Any news?"

"Not yet. Her file is clean, and there's nothing to criticize about her work." Zheng Hai paused for a moment, "But there's one thing that I feel is a bit off."

"explain."

"When He Ying was in the provincial department, she was very close to people in the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Department of Finance. Before she was transferred to Qingshun County, she had several private contacts with people from these two departments."

Fang Mingyuan frowned slightly.

"When did this happen?"

"At the beginning of this year, about two or three months before her transfer order came down."

Fang Mingyuan remained silent for a few seconds.

Before He Ying was transferred to Qingshun County, she had private contact with people from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Department of Finance.

These two halls are directly related to the 300 million yuan special fund for rural revitalization.

Was it a coincidence? Or did she already know something before she was transferred here?

"Continue the investigation," Fang Mingyuan said. "Find out what her relationship is with the people in those two departments, who she has met, and what they have talked about."

"Understood." Zheng Hai nodded.

Fang Zhiwen listened from the side, his expression remaining grim.

He poured himself another glass of wine, picked it up, and took a sip.

"Brother, I'm still worried about that kid surnamed Chen." He put down his wine glass. "We don't know what he has. We don't know what he's found out. It feels like a knife is hanging over our heads, and we don't know when it will fall."

Fang Mingyuan looked at him, his gaze deep and intense.

"Zhiwen, how many years have you been working in Liuhe Town?"

Fang Zhiwen paused for a moment, then said, "Ten years."

"Ten years." Fang Mingyuan repeated. "Ten years have passed. You know better than I do about what happened in Liuhe Town. How much of that 960 million did you handle?"

Fang Zhiwen's expression changed.

"Brother, what do you mean by this?"

"I'm asking you, how much of that 960 million did you handle?" Fang Mingyuan's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail driven into the ground. "Did you sign it, or did you instruct it?"

The atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly became tense.

Qian Cheng kept his head down, not daring to look at anyone.

Liu Zhiguo picked up his teacup and sipped slowly, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Zheng Hai's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes swept back and forth between Fang Mingyuan and Fang Zhiwen.

Fang Zhiwen stared at Fang Mingyuan for a few seconds, then lowered his head.

"I signed most of them."

Fang Mingyuan fell silent.

The living room was quiet, with only the ticking of the clock on the wall.

"Zhiwen," Fang Mingyuan finally spoke, his voice gentler than before, "You're my cousin. You've contributed a lot to my success today. But—"

He paused for a moment.

"You've done some things too sloppily."

Fang Zhiwen did not speak.

"That 960 million was transferred to Hongda Trading, your brother-in-law's company. This money went out of the finance office's account, handled by your people, signed by you, and approved by Du Jianguo." Fang Mingyuan listed the items one by one. "You think changing the account will make it go unchecked?"

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Fang Zhiwen's forehead.

"Brother, I..."

"I'm not blaming you," Fang Mingyuan interrupted him. "I'm telling you, things have already come to this point, and being afraid is useless. What we need to do is find a way to smooth things over."

"How do you make it round?"