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

At 7:40 a.m., at the entrance of the county government compound.

Chen Dapeng stood next to the guardhouse, holding a folder in his hand, his gaze fixed on the main street leading to the county town.

Today is the day the provincial audit team arrives.

He woke up at 6:30 in the morning, a full hour earlier than his alarm clock.

The wound at the corner of my mouth has mostly healed and is no longer noticeable unless you look closely.

I still occasionally experience a dull ache in my ribs, especially on cloudy days, but the doctor said this is normal and that the soft tissue needs time to heal.

A black Toyota Coaster drove out from the street corner and slowly made its way to the gate of the compound.

Chen Dapeng's heart skipped a beat.

"They're here."

The Coaster slowed down at the entrance of the compound, and the gatekeeper had already opened the electric gate in advance.

The car slowly drove in, and through the dark-tinted windows, Chen Dapeng could vaguely see more than a dozen people sitting inside, all wearing dark coats and looking neat and tidy.

The Coaster stopped at the bottom of the steps in front of the office building.

The car door opened, and the first person got off.

He looked to be in his early fifties, of medium build, with gray hair that was neatly combed.

He wore silver-rimmed glasses, and the eyes behind the lenses were calm, but not in a gentle way; rather, they were completely unperturbed—as if he had seen too much of the world and nothing could surprise him.

He was wearing a dark gray jacket over a white shirt, the collar buttoned up tightly.

Chen Dapeng guessed that this was the head of the audit team, surnamed Meng, the director of the Agriculture, Resources and Environmental Protection Audit Division of the Provincial Audit Office.

Before he came, He Ying had mentioned to him that this person was very capable and principled, and his nickname was "Iron Face Meng".

"Team Leader Meng, you must be tired from your journey."

Zhou Mingyuan came out of the office building to greet them, walking quickly with a big smile.

He wore a dark blue suit today, which was much more formal than usual.

He Ying was wearing a black suit jacket, her hair was tied in a low ponytail, and she had light makeup on.

Fang Mingyuan stood next to He Ying with a standard smile on his face; the curve of his lips and the light in his eyes were just right.

Team Leader Meng shook hands with Zhou Mingyuan, then with He Ying, and finally with Fang Mingyuan.

Fang Mingyuan shook hands with Team Leader Meng and said with a smile, "Team Leader Meng, welcome, welcome. The provincial audit of our county is a boost and help to our work, and we will definitely cooperate fully."

"You're too kind, County Chief Fang." Team Leader Meng's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear. "Auditing is a normal work procedure; there's no question of 'helping' or 'promoting' it. We'll just follow the rules and clarify the accounts."

Fang Mingyuan's smile faltered for a moment after he said that, but he quickly returned to normal.

Chen Dapeng stood next to the guardhouse and watched all of this unfold.

Team Leader Meng's words—"Just follow the rules and check the accounts"—sounded polite, but upon closer inspection, something felt off.

"Follow the rules" means they won't give you any face.

"Just make sure the accounts are clear" means I won't check anything else, but the accounts must be clear.

Fang Mingyuan understood as well. His smile remained, but his eyes changed.

Chen Dapeng suddenly felt a little more at ease.

This Team Leader Meng isn't just here for show.

He really came to check the accounts.

At 8:30 a.m., a meeting was held in the conference room on the third floor of the county government building for the audit team to coordinate.

The long table was filled with people on both sides.

The provincial audit team of 12 people sat on one side, while on the Qingshun County side—Zhou Mingyuan, He Ying, Fang Mingyuan, several deputy county heads, Cui Yongming from the government office, Du Jianguo from the finance bureau, Han Bing from the audit bureau, plus Chen Dapeng, the liaison officer, made up nearly 20 people.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was somewhat tense.

Some people were looking down at the documents, some were pretending to drink water from their teacups, and some were writing and drawing in their notebooks, but everyone knew that few of these people were really focused on doing these things—their ears were all perked up, waiting for Team Leader Meng to speak.

Team Leader Meng sat in the middle of the long table, with a folder in front of him containing thick materials.

He turned to the first page, his voice not loud, but every word was clear.

"Comrades, according to the Provincial Audit Office's work plan for this year, starting today, we will conduct a two-week special audit of Qingshun County. The audit scope includes—"

He paused for a moment, then turned the page.

"The county's fiscal revenue and expenditure over the past five years, the use of provincial and higher-level special funds, and extended audits of some key townships."

He didn't read out which specific towns were included in the "key towns" list, but everyone present knew that Liuhe Town was on the list.

Fang Mingyuan picked up his teacup and took a sip, his expression unchanged, but Chen Dapeng noticed that the tea in his cup swayed slightly.

Team Leader Meng continued, "During the audit, we request the county to cooperate by providing relevant financial vouchers, ledgers, reports, and project information. Specific requirements have been provided in writing. Our audit team's office is located in the county audit bureau, and we will also conduct on-site inspections in various townships and departments when necessary."

He's finished speaking.

There was a two-second silence in the conference room.

Fang Mingyuan put down his teacup, cleared his throat, and spoke.

"Team Leader Meng, I have a question."

Team Leader Meng turned to look at him, his expression unchanged: "County Chief Fang, please speak."

"Liuhe Town is a major economic center in the county, and its daily operations are already very busy. If the audit is too sudden, won't it disrupt their normal work?"

When he said "too sudden," there was a hint of disdain in his tone, as if to say, "It's good that the province is coming to audit, but we also need to consider the actual situation at the grassroots level."

Team Leader Meng glanced at him but did not answer immediately.

The atmosphere in the meeting room became even more tense.

Chen Dapeng stood in the back row, looking at the back of Fang Mingyuan's head, and sneered inwardly.

"It will affect normal work"—Fang Mingyuan was testing the waters.

He was testing Team Leader Meng's attitude, and also testing the audit team's bottom line.

He wanted to know whether this audit was serious or just a formality.

Team Leader Meng spoke up.

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail driven into the ground.

"County Chief Fang, the audit from the province is not 'sudden' at all. The audit plan was finalized at the beginning of the year, and the notification was sent to the county in advance. If you feel it's 'sudden,' it's probably because the county's preparations were inadequate."

The air in the conference room seemed to have been sucked out.

Fang Mingyuan tapped his fingers lightly on the table, but he didn't refute it. There was even a slight smile on his lips: "Team Leader Meng is right. I didn't think it through."

Zhou Mingyuan picked up his cup, drank some tea, put it down, and then spoke.

"Team Leader Meng, Qingshun County will fully cooperate with the audit work. Whatever materials are needed, the county will provide them as soon as possible; which township needs to be visited, the county will arrange the coordination. In short, we will try our best to meet all the reasonable requests of the audit team."

He said "as much as possible" rather than "full satisfaction," and Chen Dapeng noticed this wording.

Zhou Mingyuan, as expected of the county's top leader, spoke with perfect tact—the two words "as much as possible" both expressed his attitude and left himself room for maneuver.

Team Leader Meng nodded without saying anything more.

The matchmaking meeting lasted for an hour.

The members of the audit team introduced their respective responsibilities one by one, and the county also assigned corresponding personnel to handle the matter.

Chen Dapeng's task was to act as a liaison, responsible for communication and coordination between the audit team and the county government office—similar to his work in the Liuhe Town audit team, but this time at the county level.

After the meeting ended, people stood up and walked out one after another.

Fang Mingyuan was the first to walk out of the conference room, his steps were quick, much faster than usual.

Chen Dapeng noticed that when he went out, he took out his phone, put it to his ear, and was talking as he walked.

His voice was too soft to hear clearly, but his expression—the smile on his face had disappeared, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his lips were pressed into a line.

"He's getting anxious."

This thought popped into Chen Dapeng's mind.

Team Leader Meng's two sentences at the meeting—"Follow the rules" and "There is no such thing as 'suddenly'"—left Fang Mingyuan speechless.

He originally wanted to test the audit team's bottom line at the meeting, but he was immediately rebuffed by Team Leader Meng.

This shows that Team Leader Meng is not someone he can control, and this audit is not something he can interfere with.

Chen Dapeng walked out from the back row, holding the folder in his hand.

His task was to coordinate and connect, but what he wanted to do most right now was to send a message to He Ying.

He walked to the corner of the corridor and took out his phone.

"The two sentences that Team Leader Meng said to Fang Mingyuan at the meeting were so satisfying."

After sending the message, he stared at the screen, and He Ying replied a dozen seconds later.

"Team Leader Meng is notoriously difficult to deal with in the province. Fang Mingyuan ran into a snag today, but he'll figure something out later."

Chen Dapeng typed: "What other options can he come up with?"

"Make excuses to delay providing materials, create obstacles in the coordination, or..." He Ying paused in her reply, "try to find someone in the provincial capital to put in a good word for you."

Chen Dapeng's fingers tightened slightly.

Find someone in the provincial capital to put in a good word—Fang Mingyuan's network in the provincial capital.

"So what do you plan to do?"

"There's not much we can do." He Ying replied quickly. "The audit is a legal procedure. An audit from the province can't be stopped just by making a few connections. If Fang Mingyuan really dares to find people in the provincial capital, then so be it—let him do it. The more people he finds, the bigger the network of relationships will be exposed, and the clearer things will be for the higher-ups."

Looking at these words, Chen Dapeng suddenly understood something.

He Ying was waiting for Fang Mingyuan to make a move.

He remained still, and she couldn't find a flaw in his defenses;

If he makes a move, he will expose more of his network of relationships and more people.

She used the provincial audit team as a mirror, forcing Fang Mingyuan to reveal his true colors in front of it.

"I'm going to the audit team this afternoon. I'll let you know if anything comes up."

"Okay. Be careful."

Chen Dapeng put his phone in his pocket and turned to walk towards the stairwell.

At the other end of the corridor, Fang Mingyuan's office door was closed, with light shining through the crack.

He was inside, talking on the phone with someone, I don't know.

As Chen Dapeng passed through that door, he didn't stop, but he was thinking—who is Fang Mingyuan looking for in the provincial capital right now?

It was 11:00 AM in Fang Mingyuan's office.

The door was closed, and the curtains were half-drawn.

He was the only one in the office.

Fang Mingyuan sat behind his desk, the ashtray in front of him already piled high with cigarette butts—he didn't usually smoke much, but today he made an exception and smoked a lot.

The phone is on the table, the screen is lit, displaying an unmarked number from the contacts.

He knows whose number it is, but he can't save the name in his phone.

Fang Mingyuan picked up his phone and pressed the call button.

The phone rang three times before being answered.

"County Chief Fang."

The voice on the other end of the phone was low, with a deliberately calm tone.

"The audit team is here. They're from the province, surnamed Meng. Do you know them?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

"Meng Qingshan, Director of the Agriculture Division of the Provincial Audit Office. He's notoriously difficult to talk to."

"I know," Fang Mingyuan said in a low voice. "He embarrassed me in front of everyone at the meeting today."

"That's just how he is; he treats everyone the same, it's not targeting you."

"So, can you think of a way to handle this audit?" Fang Mingyuan tapped his fingers twice on the table. "Not to stop it, but to... delay it. Give the lower levels some time to prepare."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"County Chief Fang, I can't get involved in the Provincial Audit Office's affairs. Meng Qingshan is an unyielding person; he doesn't give face to anyone. I can't say anything to him."

Fang Mingyuan's fingers paused for a moment.

"Could you help me find out what the focus of this audit is? Do they have any relevant materials?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"I can try. But I might not be able to find out. The people Meng Qingshan brought are very tight-lipped."

"Then let's give it a try."

"County Chief Fang, let me remind you," the voice on the other end of the phone lowered further, "If this audit isn't just a routine one, then there might be someone behind it. Have you offended anyone recently?"

Fang Mingyuan's fingers tightened slightly.

"No. Who could I possibly offend?"

The person on the other end of the phone didn't ask any further questions.

"Okay, I'll inquire for you. I'll contact you if I get any information."

"it is good."

The phone hangs up.

Fang Mingyuan put his phone on the table, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling.

The thought that "there might be someone behind him" sent a chill down his spine.

Who is it? He Ying?

Or is it the person behind He Ying?

he does not know.

But he knew that this audit came too quickly, too suddenly, and too coincidentally.

This is not a regular routine audit.

Someone is pushing you from behind.

Fang Mingyuan picked up his phone, scrolled to another number, hesitated for a long time, and didn't dial it.

This person was his strongest connection in the provincial capital, and also his last trump card.

Now is not the time to reveal this card.

Fang Mingyuan put down his phone, picked up the cigarette pack on the table, took out another cigarette, and lit it.

……

At 2 p.m., Chen Dapeng arrived at the county audit bureau.

The audit team's temporary office was located on the third floor. It used to be a small conference room, but the tables and chairs were moved out and the room was rearranged—a long table, a computer, a printer, and work rules and audit flowcharts were posted on the walls.

When Chen Dapeng arrived, the audit team had already started working.

The meeting room was quiet, with only the sounds of keyboards clicking, papers turning, and occasional whispers.

Team Leader Meng sat in the middle of the long table, with a thick stack of materials spread out in front of him.

He was wearing reading glasses and looking at a report from the Finance Bureau very carefully, spending a long time examining each line.

Chen Dapeng stood at the door, unsure whether he should go in.

Team Leader Meng looked up at him and asked, "Who are you?"

"Hello, Team Leader Meng. I'm Chen Dapeng, the liaison officer from the Information Section of the County Government Office. Please feel free to contact me anytime if you need any coordination."

Team Leader Meng looked him up and down, his gaze lingering on the scar on the corner of his mouth.

"You're Chen Dapeng?"

There was a hint of surprise in Team Leader Meng's voice.

"Yes."

Team Leader Meng nodded, asked no further questions, and lowered his head to continue reading the materials.

"Bring me the 2023 special fund allocation ledger," he said without looking up.

Chen Dapeng walked to the filing cabinet, found the folder labeled "2023 Special Funds", took it out, and placed it next to Team Leader Meng.

Team Leader Meng opened the ledger and continued reading.

Chen Dapeng stood beside him, watching his page-turning speed—not too fast, not too slow, pausing for tens of seconds on each page, sometimes stopping to stare at a particular line of numbers for a while before continuing to turn the page.

Chen Dapeng recalled what Han Bing had said: "A good auditor doesn't look at whether the numbers are asymmetrical, but whether there's a story behind the numbers."

Team Leader Meng is the kind of person who can see the "story behind the numbers".

He stood there, watching Team Leader Meng turn the pages, and suddenly felt a sense of peace in his heart.

The provincial audit team arrived; it was no longer a case of the county investigating itself, but rather an investigation by people from the province.

Fang Mingyuan's connections, relationships, and influence in the county were all useless in front of the provincial audit team.

Chen Dapeng's phone vibrated.

He took it out and saw that it was a WeChat message from He Ying.

"How's the audit going?"

Chen Dapeng walked into the corridor and replied, "Smoothly. Team Leader Meng has already started looking at the 2023 ledgers. He's looking at them very carefully."

"That's just the kind of person he is. I heard about him when I was working in the provincial department. He led an audit of a city and found problems. The mayor of that city asked someone to speak on his behalf, and he directly submitted the materials to the provincial discipline inspection commission."

As Chen Dapeng read this text, his respect for Team Leader Meng grew even stronger.

"Is there anything else I need to do?"

"Keep an eye on things. See what the audit team needs and coordinate accordingly. Also—see if anyone from Fang Mingyuan's side is loitering near the audit team."

Chen Dapeng was taken aback: "You mean Fang Mingyuan will send someone to monitor the audit team?"

"Just in case. He got criticized by Team Leader Meng at the meeting today, so he's probably upset. Who knows if he'll do anything rash? Just keep an eye on him, no need to do anything special."

"Understood."

Chen Dapeng put his phone in his pocket and walked back to the conference room.

He stood by the window, his gaze falling through the glass onto the parking lot below.

Several vehicles were parked there: the audit team's Coaster, the county audit bureau's car, and several private cars.

everything is normal.

But after scanning the parking lot, his gaze suddenly stopped.

A black sedan was parked in the far corner of the parking lot, with the windows closed, making it impossible to see inside.

He felt like he had seen that car before.

In the alley outside the "Old Place" teahouse, there was a black sedan parked there—at the time, he thought it was someone arranged by He Ying.

Thinking about it now, maybe not.

Chen Dapeng stared at the car for a few seconds.

The car windows were tinted dark, making it impossible to see inside from the outside.

But he could sense that someone was in the car, staring at the building.

Chen Dapeng withdrew his gaze, turned around, and walked back to Team Leader Meng's side.

He picked up a document from the table, pretending to organize it, but his eyes were constantly on the parking lot outside the window.

The car didn't move; it remained parked there.

It didn't leave silently until 5:30 p.m., when the audit team finished their work.

Chen Dapeng stood at the third-floor window, watching the car drive out of the courtyard gate, turn onto the main street, and disappear into the traffic.

He took out his phone and sent a message to He Ying.

"This afternoon, a black sedan was parked downstairs at the audit team's building all afternoon. The license plate number was illegible, and the windows were tinted. I suspect it belongs to Fang Mingyuan's people."

He Ying quickly replied, "I understand. Don't worry about it, I'll handle it."

Chen Dapeng stared at the message, his finger hovering above the screen.

"it is good."

After typing that word, he put his phone in his pocket, turned around, and left the meeting room.

The corridor was quiet; everyone from other departments had gone home.

He went downstairs and when he reached the front door, he saw a familiar car parked on the side of the road.

A black Passat.

The car window slowly rolled down, and He Ying sat in the driver's seat, looking at him.

"Get in the car."

Chen Dapeng paused for a moment, then walked around the front of the car, opened the passenger door, and got in.

The car drove onto the main road and headed towards his residence.

"Why are you here?"

"On the way."

Chen Dapeng glanced at her, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

The county government is in the city center, the audit bureau is in the east of the city, and he lives in the west of the city.

She couldn't possibly have found this place "on her way" from anywhere.

But he didn't expose her.

"Don't worry about that car," He Ying said, gripping the steering wheel and looking straight ahead. "I'll have someone investigate."

"it is good."

The two fell silent.

The car stopped at a red light at the intersection.

"Did you hear the two sentences that Team Leader Meng said at the meeting today?" He Ying suddenly asked.

"I heard you. 'There are no accidents,' 'Follow the rules.'"

What do you think Fang Mingyuan's reaction will be?

Chen Dapeng thought for a moment: "He's testing the waters."

He Ying's lips curved slightly.

"You're becoming more and more observant."

The light turned green, and the car continued driving forward.

We turned into the alley where Chen Dapeng lived and stopped downstairs.

Chen Dapeng unbuckled his seatbelt, preparing to open the door.

"Dapeng".

He stopped and turned to look at her.

He Ying didn't look at him; her gaze was fixed on the windshield in front of her, looking at the dimly lit alley.

"The provincial audit team is here, and things will get more and more complicated. Fang Mingyuan was testing Team Leader Meng today, and he'll test others in the future. In his eyes, you're 'He Ying's person.' He'll be keeping an eye on you."

"I know."

"So you need to be careful."

Chen Dapeng looked at her profile.

The light from the streetlights shone through the car window, falling on her face and bathing her features in a warm yellow glow.

She had long eyelashes, a straight nose, and slightly pursed lips.

He suddenly remembered that night in the hospital corridor when she gently touched the scar on his face.

My fingers trembled slightly.

"Sister Ying."

He called out.

He Ying turned her head and looked at him.

The two were less than half a meter apart.

"No matter what Fang Mingyuan does, I will not back down."

He Ying stared into his eyes.

There was so much in his eyes—worry, heartache, gratitude, and some other emotions that he himself might not be able to explain.

"I know you won't back down."

Her voice was very soft.

"But Dapeng—whether you retreat or not is your business. Whether I can protect you is my business."

Chen Dapeng opened his mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out.

He Ying turned around and gripped the steering wheel again.

"Go on upstairs. Get some rest."

Chen Dapeng pushed open the door and got out of the car.

He took a couple of steps and heard the sound of a car window rolling down behind him.

"Dapeng".

He stopped and turned around.

He Ying leaned against the car window, watching him.

"Don't tell your sister about the steamed buns."

Chen Dapeng paused for a moment, then laughed.

"it is good."

He turned and walked into the building.

As he entered the building, he glanced back.

The black Passat is still parked downstairs.

A few seconds later, the car slowly drove out of the alley, turned onto the main road, and disappeared into the night.

Chen Dapeng stood at the entrance of the building, looking in that direction, and stood there for a long time.

He smiled happily, then turned and went upstairs.