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

He Ying's expression remained unchanged.

"County Chief Fang, the audit is arranged by the province and has nothing to do with me. The annual audit plan of the Provincial Audit Office is not something I, as a county chief, can influence."

Fang Mingyuan's lips curved slightly, not in a smile, but in a knowing smile that came after confirming something.

"He Ying, you don't need to pretend with me."

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

In officialdom, a change in address often signifies a change in attitude—"County Chief He" means colleague, while "He Ying" means rival.

"You want to investigate Liuhe Town, and you want to investigate me? Fine. But have you thought about what you'll do after you're done?"

He Ying looked into his eyes.

"County Chief Fang, are you threatening me?"

Fang Mingyuan leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers twice on the table.

"It's not a threat, it's a reminder."

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

"The waters run deeper in the province than in the county. It won't do you any good to offend too many people, you're a thirty-year-old female county head."

The office was silent for a few seconds.

He Ying spoke up.

"County Chief Fang, from the very first day I arrived in Qingshun County, you haven't given me a single kind word. It's not because I'm incompetent, nor because our working styles clash, it's because you're afraid I'll investigate you."

Fang Mingyuan's fingers paused for a moment.

He Ying looked into his eyes, her voice not loud, but every word was clear.

"What are you afraid of? Are you afraid I'll find out where the 1160 million yuan in Liuhe Town went? Or are you afraid I'll find out about your friend surnamed Nie in the provincial capital?"

Fang Mingyuan's expression immediately changed.

"County Chief Fang, whether I can afford to investigate or not is not up to you." He Ying's voice remained calm. "I know you say the waters run deeper in the province than in the county. But have you ever considered—"

She paused for a moment.

"The deeper the water, the more people will drown. It's not certain who will drown."

Fang Mingyuan stared at her for a few seconds.

He stood up and picked up the unopened notebook on the table.

"He Ying, you'll regret this."

His voice was very soft, but each word was like a needlepoint.

The door was suddenly pulled open, slamming against the doorstop with a dull thud.

Fang Mingyuan strode out, his hurried footsteps echoing down the corridor, fading into the distance.

He Ying sat behind her desk, looking at the open door.

She reached out and picked up the teacup on the table, the teacup trembling slightly between her fingertips.

She said "the one surnamed Nie".

This was the first time she had revealed this card to Fang Mingyuan.

She had kept this card hidden for a long time. Ever since Chen Yang helped her find that clue in the provincial capital, she knew that this card would have to be played sooner or later.

But she never expected it to happen today, in this way—face to face, with no buffer and no room for maneuver.

A direct confrontation!

She saw fear in Fang Mingyuan's eyes.

That fleeting fear proved that the card she held was effective.

The words "surname Nie" struck a nerve with Fang Mingyuan.

He wanted to know how much she knew, how she knew it, and what else she had in her possession.

Fang Mingyuan's last words were still echoing in her mind—"You'll regret this."

This wasn't just said in anger; it was a promise.

He promised that she would pay the price for today's showdown.

What price?

He Ying didn't know.

But she knew that from this day forward, there was no turning back in this contest.

Fang Mingyuan will not let this go.

He will definitely retaliate, and he will do so in a way she never expects.

Perhaps it's publicly questioning her work at the Standing Committee meeting, perhaps it's creating obstacles in the projects she's working on, or perhaps it's using his connections in the provincial capital to suppress her.

And Chen Dapeng.

He Ying's fingers tightened slightly.

She remembered the scar on Chen Dapeng's lip.

Fang Mingyuan can't harm her, but he can harm the people around her.

He Ying stood up, walked to the door, and closed the open door.

The door lock clicked again.

She went back behind her desk, sat down, and picked up her phone.

I found Chen Dapeng's WeChat account.

Fang Mingyuan came to see me today.

After sending it, she stared at the screen.

The other party replied in less than ten seconds.

"What did he say?"

"He asked me if I had hired the audit team. I said no."

Does he believe it?

He doesn't believe it.

Chen Dapeng remained silent for a few seconds.

"So what do we do next?"

He Ying's finger hovered above the screen.

"I called him 'friend surnamed Nie' to his face."

This time, Chen Dapeng remained silent for a long time.

"What was his reaction?"

"His expression changed. As he left, he said, 'You'll regret this.'"

He's threatening you.

"I know."

"So what do you plan to do?"

"There's not much we can do. The audit continues, the materials continue to be collected, and the evidence continues to be searched. The more he does this, the more it shows he's afraid."

"Be careful. Fang Mingyuan is capable of anything."

"I know. You do too."

He Ying put down her phone, leaned back in her chair, and her mind was racing.

Fang Mingyuan said, "The water is deeper in the province than in the county."

This sentence has two meanings:

On the first level, he was telling her that her connections in the provincial capital were nothing compared to his.

On a second level, he was implying that if he couldn't touch her, he would touch her people in the provincial capital.

Chen Yang —

He Ying sat up straight, picked up her phone, and scrolled to Chen Yang's WeChat.

"Chen Yang, Fang Mingyuan came to see me today. I told him about the Nie guy. When he left, he said, 'You'll regret this.' Be careful in the provincial capital lately."

After sending it, she waited for a while.

Chen Yang replied.

"I understand. Be careful over there too. Call me anytime if anything happens."

He Ying looked at the words and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

When she sent this message to Chen Yang, she hesitated for a moment—should she tell Chen Dapeng?

After thinking about it, I decided not to say anything, not wanting him to worry about my sister.

Fang Mingyuan was right when he said that the water in the province is deeper than that in the county.

But she also knew that she had to swim across the river.

Because the other side of the river was where she wanted to reach.

My phone vibrated again.

It was sent by Chen Dapeng.

"Sister Ying, no matter what Fang Mingyuan does, I'm on your side."

He Ying stared at the words, and her eyes suddenly felt a little sore.

Fang Mingyuan said, "You'll regret it."

Chen Dapeng said, "I'm on your side."

He Ying took a deep breath, opened the folder in front of her, and continued to look at the materials.

……

At this moment, in Fang Mingyuan's office.

The door was closed, and the blinds were drawn.

He sat behind his desk, with three or four cigarette butts already piled up in the ashtray in front of him.

How did she know the surname Nie?

No one else knew about this except him and Zheng Hai.

Even Fang Zhiwen didn't know Nie's full name; he only knew that there was a man in the provincial capital who could get things done.

But He Ying found out.

She not only knew that there was such a person in the provincial capital, but also knew his surname.

What does this tell us?

This shows that He Ying's connections in the provincial capital were deeper than he had imagined;

This also shows that someone was helping her investigate him, and they found out what he thought was the most deeply hidden thing.

Fang Mingyuan picked up his phone, found Zheng Hai's number, and pressed the call button.

It rang twice, then the call was connected.

"Zheng Hai, it's me."

"County Chief Fang."

"He Ying knows about the person surnamed Nie now."

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

"County Chief Fang, that's impossible. Only you and I know about the Nie affair. I've never mentioned it to anyone else."

"But she found out. Today in my office, she said it herself—'a friend surnamed Nie.'" Fang Mingyuan's voice turned serious. "Did you let anything slip?"

"Absolutely not." Zheng Hai's voice was firm. "County Chief Fang, I've followed you for so many years, when have I ever made a mistake?"

Fang Mingyuan remained silent for a few seconds.

"That means there's a problem in the provincial capital. Someone is investigating me, and they've traced it back to that line with the surname Nie."

"County Chief Fang, what should we do?"

"Could you arrange a meeting with Lao Nie for me? I need to see him as soon as possible."

"County Magistrate Fang, about the Nie family over there..."

"I know," Fang Mingyuan interrupted him, "but these are special times, and he needs to know."

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

"I'll give it a try. He might not be willing to meet."

"Tell him that if we don't meet, it will cause trouble for everyone."

Fang Mingyuan hung up the phone and threw it on the table.

He Ying made her move.

Now, he has to catch it.