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

"Lin Chen, help me investigate someone. Fang Zhiqiang, from Liuhe Town, is Fang Zhiwen's cousin. Check if he has registered land contract management rights, real estate, shops, or other assets in Liuhe Town."

Lin Chen quickly replied: "Here we go again? Are you going to investigate the entire Fang family?"

Stop joking. Are you going to help or not?

"Please help! Wait for my message."

Chen Dapeng put down his phone and lay down on the bed.

What he discovered today was more important than he had anticipated.

The record of the land expropriation compensation payment is written evidence. Fang Zhiqiang's name, the area, the amount, and the signature of the person in charge are all on it.

Fang Zhiwen wanted to explain the 17.5 mu of land clearly, but it wasn't that easy.

Because those lands didn't belong to Fang Zhiqiang at all.

He Ying said, "Trust me."

Chen Dapeng closed his eyes and smiled slightly.

"I trust you."

……

the next day.

Nine o'clock in the morning, in the Standing Committee meeting room on the third floor of the County Party Committee building.

The meeting room was packed with over twenty people, including members of the county party committee standing committee sitting on both sides of the long table, along with heads of relevant departments who were also present.

County Party Secretary Zhou Mingyuan sat in the main seat, with an agenda spread out in front of him and a freshly brewed cup of tea beside him. The tea was golden in color, and the tea leaves were slowly unfurling in the cup.

The first few agenda items went relatively smoothly.

The first agenda item was to convey the spirit of the superior's document. Zhou Mingyuan read out a few key points, and no one had much to say.

The second agenda item was to hear a report on the economic performance in the third quarter. Huang Xin, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, spoke for more than ten minutes. The data was detailed and there was little controversy.

The third agenda item was to study the land use issue for a key project. Wu Decai, director of the Natural Resources Bureau, reported on the situation, several standing committee members discussed it briefly, and Zhou Mingyuan made the final decision.

When it came to the fourth item on the agenda, He Ying spoke up.

"I'd like to add a question."

The people in the conference room looked up at her.

He Ying opened the folder in front of her, her voice not loud, but every word was clear.

"The county audit bureau has been conducting a special audit of Liuhe Town for six days and has discovered some problems. I suggest that the Standing Committee hold a special meeting to study this issue after the audit report is officially released."

She had barely finished speaking when Fang Mingyuan's voice rang out.

"County Magistrate He."

He Ying turned her head and looked at him.

Fang Mingyuan leaned back in his chair and tapped his finger lightly on the table.

"The audit team has been in Liuhe Town for almost a week now. When will they finish their investigation?"

The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly changed.

Several standing committee members put down their pens, their eyes scanning back and forth between He Ying and Fang Mingyuan.

Zhou Mingyuan picked up his teacup, blew on it, and slowly took a sip, his expression unchanged.

He Ying looked at Fang Mingyuan, her expression calm.

"Continue until there are no problems."

Fang Mingyuan's lips twitched slightly, as if he were smiling, but not quite.

"What if we still can't find the problem?"

"If no problem can be found, it means there's no problem in Liuhe Town. Isn't that even better?"

Fang Mingyuan paused for a moment, staring at He Ying with a deep look in his eyes.

"County Chief He, you're new here, there are some things you don't understand. Liuhe Town is the economic lifeline of the entire county, if you continue this investigation, it will affect development."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried weight.

"Will it affect development?"

He Ying's voice remained calm, but her tone was a bit harsher than before.

"County Chief Fang, if even a normal audit can 'affect development,' then there's something wrong with the development itself. My investigation of Liuhe Town isn't to affect development, but to make development healthier and more sustainable."

Fang Mingyuan's expression changed slightly.

Zhou Mingyuan put down his teacup, glanced at He Ying, then at Fang Mingyuan, but remained silent.

"County Chief He," Fang Mingyuan sat up straight, his voice turning serious, "An audit is a normal work procedure, and I didn't object to it. But there should be limits to auditing. So many officials in Liuhe Town work normally every day. The audit team spent a week going through the accounts in the finance office—what did they find?"

He paused for a moment.

"So far, the audit team has not reported any substantive issues to the Standing Committee. If there are no problems, why continue the investigation?"

He Ying did not answer immediately. She took out a document from the folder and placed it on the table.

"County Chief Fang, the audit is not over yet. The formal report will not be released until the audit is completed. Before the report is released, I cannot report 'substantive' issues to the Standing Committee. This is a basic procedure in auditing work."

Fang Mingyuan looked at the documents and his gaze turned cold.

"County Magistrate He, what are you holding in your hand?"

"The audit team's daily work reports to me."

"Could we take a look?"

He Ying remained silent for two seconds.

She was wondering—should she give it to him?

If given the information, Fang Mingyuan will know in advance what the audit team has found and will be able to prepare accordingly.

If she doesn't give it to him, Fang Mingyuan will accuse her of "hiding" something and create more questions at the Standing Committee meeting.

"County Chief Fang."

It wasn't He Ying who spoke, but Zhou Mingyuan.

He put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and glanced between the two men.

"The audit report hasn't been officially released yet, and the current work records don't seem to follow procedures. Once the audit is complete, the audit bureau will formally report to the Standing Committee. At that time, everyone will be able to see what they need to see."

Fang Mingyuan turned his head and looked at Zhou Mingyuan.

Zhou Mingyuan's face was expressionless, but his eyes—eyes that had witnessed more than a decade of trials and tribulations in Qingshun County—were staring at him unhurriedly.

Fang Mingyuan's gaze lingered on Zhou Mingyuan's face for two seconds before he looked away.

"Secretary Zhou is right. Then let's wait for the official audit report to be released."

He didn't say anything more, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

The meeting continued.

The fifth agenda item is to discuss a project that benefits people's livelihoods; the sixth agenda item is personnel adjustments; and the seventh agenda item is other matters.

Fang Mingyuan didn't speak again, sitting there with his expression returning to calm.

But He Ying noticed that his fingers were tapping lightly on the table—not heavily, but at a faster frequency than usual.

He was holding back.

The meeting adjourned at 10:30.

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

He Ying closed the folder and stood up.

"County Magistrate He."

Fang Mingyuan's voice came from behind.

He Ying stopped and turned around.

Fang Mingyuan stood behind her, holding the unopened notebook in his hand, a smile on his face, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Shall we talk in private?"

He Ying looked at him and nodded.

The two walked to the end of the corridor, to the window.

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

"County Chief He, you don't need to be so confrontational with me at the Standing Committee meeting."

He Ying stood next to him, her gaze also fixed on the view outside the window.

"County Chief Fang, I am simply stating the facts."

"State the facts?" Fang Mingyuan turned to look at her. "You said, 'If even normal audits can affect development, then there is a problem with this development itself'—this is not stating the facts, this is questioning the development achievements of Liuhe Town over the past ten years."

He Ying also turned her head and looked into his eyes.

"County Chief Fang, I have never questioned the development achievements of Liuhe Town. What I question is—behind those achievements, are there any undue costs?"

Fang Mingyuan stared at her for a few seconds.

"He Ying".

He didn't call him "County Chief He," but called him by his name directly.

"What exactly do you want?"

He Ying looked at him without flinching.

"I want to get things done well in Qingshun County. County Chief Fang, what about you? What are your plans?"

The two looked at each other.

The sunlight streaming in through the window fell between the two of them, like an invisible boundary.

Fang Mingyuan looked away first.

He turned around and looked out the window.

"He Ying, I'm warning you."

His voice was so low that only two people could hear it.

"There are some things you can't afford to investigate."

He Ying's fingers tightened slightly, but her expression remained unchanged.

"County Chief Fang, whether I can afford to investigate is not up to you."

Fang Mingyuan did not speak again.

He turned and left, his footsteps fading into the distance in the corridor.

He Ying stood by the window, watching his figure disappear at the top of the stairs.

She turned around and left.

Su Wanqing was waiting for her at the other end of the corridor. When she saw her coming, she took a step forward to greet her.

"County Magistrate, what did County Magistrate Fang say?"

He Ying lowered her voice: "He's warning me."

"What warning?"

"There are some things I can't afford to investigate."

Su Wanqing's expression changed slightly.

"County Chief, County Chief Fang is a man of his word. He's been in the county for so many years, and he's had his share of rivals, but he's always come out on top."

He Ying gave a cold laugh: "I know."

"So, do you want to continue the investigation?"

He Ying looked at her.

"Director Su, if he stops now, I can still give him some leeway. But he's not just warning me—he's destroying evidence and stalling for time. The more he does this, the more serious the problem becomes."

Su Wanqing remained silent for a few seconds.

"County Chief, is there any news from the Provincial Audit Office?"

He Ying shook her head.

"No. Director Gu said it takes time to go through the procedures."

"The audit team in Liuhe Town will finish tomorrow. What if…?"

"There's no 'what if'."

He Ying interrupted her.

"The audit team has finished, but the audit report hasn't been released yet. Once the report is released, if there are any problems, those that need to be transferred will be transferred, and those that need to be held accountable will be held accountable. Fang Mingyuan can't stop it."

Su Wanqing looked at her, feeling a mix of emotions.

He Ying is right—there are no problems with the procedures or the system.

The problem is that Fang Mingyuan is not someone who plays by the rules.

He was able to operate in Qingshun County for more than ten years not by following the procedures, but by circumventing them.

"County Magistrate."

"Um?"

"Be careful. What County Chief Fang said at the Standing Committee meeting today wasn't just empty talk."

He Ying nodded.

"I know."

After the two went downstairs, He Ying kept thinking about what Fang Mingyuan had said—"There are some things you can't afford to investigate."

This is not a warning, it's a threat.

He was telling her that if she continued investigating, he would make her pay the price.

What price?

He Ying didn't know.

But she knew that from today onwards, this contest was no longer on the table.

Under the countertop, in a place that cannot be seen.

She picked up her phone and scrolled to Chen Dapeng's WeChat.

"At today's Standing Committee meeting, Fang Mingyuan publicly questioned the work of the audit team. I had a falling out with him at the meeting."

After sending it, she waited for a while.

Chen Dapeng quickly replied: "He's getting anxious, isn't he?"

"Yes. He's scared."

"Afraid you'll find something out?"

"I'm afraid I'll find out something that will let him in."

Chen Dapeng remained silent for a few seconds.

"County Chief He, is Fang Mingyuan aware of Fang Zhiqiang's matter?"

He Ying thought for a moment.

"He may not know the details. But he definitely knows there's a problem in Liuhe Town. He's been operating in Qingshun County for so many years; he couldn't possibly be unaware of everything Fang Zhiwen has done."

"Then he's an accomplice."

He Ying looked at the line of text but did not reply.

She had thought about the word "accomplice" but didn't say it aloud.

Because saying it aloud implies a definitive conclusion.

Once the matter is settled, there's no turning back.

"County Chief He," Chen Dapeng sent another message, "No matter what Fang Mingyuan does, I will not back down."

He Ying stared at the line of text for a long time before replying, "I know."

Then she added, "But you have to be careful. Fang Mingyuan said at the Standing Committee meeting today, 'There are some things you can't afford to investigate,' not to me, but to all of us."

Chen Dapeng replied with a single word: "Okay".

……

Meanwhile, in Fang Mingyuan's office.

He sat behind his desk, the ashtray in front of him already piled high with cigarette butts.

Zheng Hai sat opposite him, holding a notebook in his hand, looking somewhat nervous.

"Any news from the provincial capital?" Fang Mingyuan asked.

Zheng Hai shook his head.

"Old Li is still investigating. He Ying's maternal grandfather is keeping a tight rein on things. The Shen family is very well hidden in the provincial capital; it's not so easy to find them."

Fang Mingyuan stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

"Let's put that aside for now. Investigate something else."

"Investigate what?"

"When He Ying was in the provincial department, what projects did she handle? Were there any irregularities in the approval process? Was there any transfer of benefits? We investigated each and every one of them."

Zheng Hai nodded and wrote it down in his notebook.

"And another thing," Fang Mingyuan looked at him, "what is Zhiwen doing in Liuhe Town?"

"Secretary Fang said the audit team will finish tomorrow. He told Zhou Deming to hide everything that needed to be hidden and to supplement the materials that needed to be supplemented. The audit team won't find anything."

Fang Mingyuan remained silent for a few seconds.

"Tell him not to let his guard down. He Ying won't give up so easily."

"Secretary Fang said he knew."

Fang Mingyuan nodded and said nothing more.

Zheng Hai stood up and turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Fang Mingyuan called out to him.

Zheng Hai stopped and turned around.

"Is that kid surnamed Chen still in the audit team?"

"Yes. Han Bing didn't let him leave."

Fang Mingyuan tapped his fingers twice on the table.

"Keep a close eye on him. After the audit team leaves, he goes back to the IT department. Have Liu Zhiguo continue to keep an eye on him; I need to know his every move."

"clear."

Zheng Hai went out the door.

Fang Mingyuan leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

He was thinking about a question—what exactly did He Ying get?

She said at the Standing Committee meeting today that "some problems have been discovered," but she could not provide any specific evidence.

Is it that they really can't afford it, or are they waiting?

Fang Mingyuan didn't know.

But he knew he couldn't let He Ying continue investigating like this.

He picked up his phone, scrolled to an unmarked number in his contacts, hesitated for a long time, and didn't dial it.

Now is not the time.

He put down his phone, stood up, and walked to the window.

The sunlight was lovely in the courtyard outside the window.

But his mood was completely out of sync with the weather.

"He Ying".

He repeated the name in his mind.

You'll regret it.