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

In the afternoon, in the conference room on the third floor of Liuhe Town.

The other members of the audit team were sent to the finance office by Team Leader Meng to continue reviewing the accounts, leaving only him and Fang Zhiwen.

The door closed, and the blinds were pulled down halfway.

Fang Zhiwen sat opposite Team Leader Meng, with a large conference table between them.

The documents on the table were arranged in a row—

A contract with a one-time payment of 300 million, an acceptance report signed with the wrong ink, documents with irregular bidding periods, and a supply list with cement production dates that don't match.

Each copy was folded to the page containing the problem, circled in red pencil in the blank space, and had a brief annotation written next to it.

Fang Zhiwen glanced at the documents, but didn't reach for them or ask, "What are these?"

But he knew that he had signed every contract, instructed that every acceptance report be supplemented, and personally handled every project.

Team Leader Meng didn't rush to speak. He picked up the teacup in front of him, blew away the foam, took a sip, and then put it down.

His movements were slow, but the slower he moved, the faster Fang Zhiwen's heart beat.

"Secretary Fang," Team Leader Meng finally spoke, "please take a look at these four documents."

Fang Zhiwen reached out and picked up the top one—a contract for a one-time payment of 300 million yuan.

He turned to the page with the folded corner and his gaze fell on the area circled in red by Team Leader Meng: "One-time payment", "No installment payment approval record", "No meeting minutes".

He looked at it for two seconds, put it down, and then picked up the second one—an acceptance report with the wrong ink for the signature.

The "signature date" and "ink color" were circled in red, and next to them it was written "In 2022, the county uniformly required the use of blue-black ink. This report was written in black ballpoint pen and appears to have been added later."

The third document is the tender document for the wastewater treatment project.

The "Date of Issuance of Tender Announcement" and "Date of Submission of Tender" are circled in red, and it is written next to them that "the interval is 7 days, which violates the Tender Law's provision that 'it shall not be less than 20 days'."

The fourth document – ​​Cement supply list.

红笔圈出了每一批水泥的生产日期，旁边列了一个简表：「合同签订：2023年3月；合同约定供货：2023年3月；实际供货水泥生产日期：2024年9月、10月。时间差：18个月以上。」

Fang Zhiwen put down the fourth document, his fingers pausing on the table for a moment.

He didn't look up; his gaze fell on the areas circled in red—each one pointing to the same problem: violation.

"Secretary Fang, could you explain these issues?"

Fang Zhiwen's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

He looked up at Team Leader Meng.

"Team Leader Meng, these projects..." Fang Zhiwen's voice was somewhat hoarse, "Some are legacy issues, and some are oversights at the operational level. I need to arrange for relevant personnel to explain the specifics to you."

"Relevant personnel?"

Team Leader Meng leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together on the table.

"Secretary Fang, you presided over the bidding for the sewage treatment project in Liuhe Town Economic Development Zone, and you signed the contract. The 300 million yuan one-time payment has your name in the signature column. On the acceptance report, the column for the head of the acceptance team is signed 'Fang Zhiwen'."

He paused for a moment.

"You approved the project, you signed the contract, and you signed the acceptance document. And you're telling me to arrange for relevant personnel to explain?"

The air in the conference room seemed to freeze instantly, and Fang Zhiwen's hands slowly clenched under the table.

His face was expressionless, with even a slight curve at the corner of his mouth—not a smile, but a muscle memory honed from years of officialdom; no matter how turbulent his mind was, his facial expression could not falter.

"Team Leader Meng, I'm not trying to shirk responsibility. What I mean is..."

"What do you mean?"

Fang Zhiwen opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Secretary Fang, it's not that I'm pressuring you. It's these materials that are asking you questions."

Everything you've done, every word you've signed, and every penny you've approved is in this pile of documents.

If you can explain it clearly, then explain it; if you can't, then don't. But don't tell me to "arrange for relevant personnel"—that "relevant personnel" refers to you.

Fang Zhiwen's Adam's apple bobbed again.

"Team Leader Meng," Fang Zhiwen's voice trembled slightly, "some procedures were indeed incomplete. At the time, the construction period was tight, and the project's progress was demanding, so there might have been some procedural issues..."

"What kind of things?"

"There are some areas that are not quite right."

Team Leader Meng looked at him, his gaze darkening.

"Secretary Fang, 'somewhat inadequate' and 'completely inadequate' are not the same thing."

Fang Zhiwen shut his mouth.

"Is there any written approval process for the 300 million one-time payment?"

"no."

Was the bidding process for the wastewater treatment project publicized as required?

"no."

Why is it necessary to retroactively sign the acceptance report?

Fang Zhiwen fell silent.

He can't say, "Because the original acceptance report was fabricated by me," he can't say, "That money wasn't used to buy that many building materials," and he can't say, "The 500 million was transferred but the goods weren't delivered."

All he could say was, "Team Leader Meng, I need time to sort out these issues."

Team Leader Meng stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded.

"it is good."

He took a piece of paper out of his briefcase, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Fang Zhiwen.

It was a blank work contact letter with the words "Agriculture and Resources Environmental Protection Audit Division of Provincial Audit Office" printed at the top, in bright red, very eye-catching.

"Secretary Fang, I'll give you three days."

Please explain these issues one by one—why should the contract require full payment in one lump sum?

Where are the approval procedures?

Why wasn't the normal procedure followed?

Is the bidding process for wastewater treatment projects organized in accordance with regulations, or is it just a formality?

Why doesn't the cement in the warehouse match the contract?

Why did I receive cement from 2024 when I bought it in 2023?

Every time he said "why," he would tap the table lightly with his finger, each tap feeling like a blow to Fang Zhiwen's heart.

Fang Zhiwen sat there, looking at the blank contact letter.

What can he do in three days?

Need to complete the necessary procedures?

There isn't enough time.

destroy evidence?

It's too late.

Find someone to take the blame?

Who should I contact?

"Secretary Fang," Team Leader Meng's voice softened, "our audit team didn't come to Qingshun County to cause trouble."

Fang Zhiwen raised his head and looked into Team Leader Meng's eyes.

"Our goal is to identify problems and correct them. Identifying problems is not the goal; correcting them is."

Team Leader Meng's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.

"If you find a problem, write it clearly in the audit report; if you rectify the problem, the audit work is considered complete. But if the problem is not clearly explained, rectification is out of the question; if it is not clearly explained, it is not a 'problem,' but a 'case.'"

"Problem" and "case" are completely different.

Problems can be rectified, but cases must be transferred.

Where will it be transferred to?

—The Discipline Inspection Commission and the Supervisory Commission.

Fang Zhiwen knew what Team Leader Meng was talking about—he was giving him a way out, but there were only three steps.

The first level involves clearly stating the problem, writing "there are problems with management irregularities" in the audit report, and then making rectifications.

The second level involves those who are unclear about the details but have a good attitude. If the audit report states "there are suspected violations, and further investigation is recommended," the matter will be transferred to the county discipline inspection and supervision commission.

At the third level, if the attitude is poor and the situation is unclear, the audit report will simply state "serious violations exist," and the case will be transferred to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision.

The first level is criticism and education, the second level is filing a case for investigation, and the third level is direct arrest.

Fang Zhiwen looked at the blank work contact form on the table, reached out and picked it up, placing it in front of him.

"Team Leader Meng, is three days enough?"

"Whether it's enough or not is up to you."

Fang Zhiwen remained silent for a few seconds.

"Okay. I'll provide the audit team with a written explanation within three days."

Team Leader Meng nodded, picked up a pen, and wrote a line on the working liaison letter: "Please provide a written explanation of the relevant issues discovered in the audit within 3 days." He then signed his name and handed the pen to Fang Zhiwen.

Fang Zhiwen took the pen and wrote his name in the "Signature" column.

"Secretary Fang," Team Leader Meng stood up, "it would be best if you could explain these issues clearly. If you can't, the audit report will say 'failed to provide a reasonable explanation.'"

Fang Zhiwen also stood up.

"Team Leader Meng, I will explain clearly."

Team Leader Meng glanced at him, said nothing, picked up his briefcase from the table, and walked out of the meeting room.

Fang Zhiwen picked up the work contact letter and looked at his own signed name.

The three characters "Fang Zhiwen" were signed for ten years.

The three characters I signed today are different from those I signed before.

In the past, signing was a matter of power.

Signing today is acknowledging the debt.

He acknowledged that the problems existed and promised to provide an explanation within three days.

But he couldn't offer an explanation.

Some things simply cannot be explained; they can only be made up.

How to write it?

His mind went completely blank...

Just then, my phone vibrated; it was a message from Fang Yuanming.

What did the audit team do today?

Fang Zhiwen stared at the line of text, his finger hovering above the screen, and typed a few words: "Team Leader Meng talked to me."

It was deleted again.

I typed "Given me a three-day deadline," then deleted it.

In the end, he didn't send anything and just placed his phone face down on the table.

What can you do in three days, seventy-two hours?

He picked up the work contact letter, read it again, put it in his briefcase, and walked out of the meeting room.

As I passed the finance office, the door opened a crack, and I could hear the sound of papers being turned over inside—the audit team was still checking the accounts.

He didn't stop, but walked downstairs, got into his car, lit a cigarette, took a few deep drags, and then dialed Fang Yuanming's number.

It rang three times before being answered.

"elder brother."

"Zhiwen, what's wrong?"

"The audit team gave me three days to explain all the issues. If I couldn't explain them clearly after three days, the audit report would say 'failed to provide a reasonable explanation.'"

Can you explain it clearly?

"Brother, some things are just impossible to explain."

"Zhiwen, listen to me. First, clarify what you can say clearly, and for what you can't say clearly, just say 'further verification is needed.' Let it drag on until the audit team leaves, and we'll figure out what to do later."

Fang Zhiwen remained silent, while Fang Yuanming uttered a nonsensical remark.

"Brother, tell me the truth. Is there some problem back in the provincial capital?"

"What?"

"The one surnamed Nie. Is he not answering your calls?"

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

"Zhiwen, don't worry about these things. Just deal with the audit team first."

"How am I supposed to handle this? Team Leader Meng has already laid the problems out in front of me: the contract, the acceptance report, the bidding documents, the cement—everything is solidly documented. How am I supposed to deal with this?"

"Zhiwen..."

"Brother, I can't take it anymore."

Fang Mingyuan did not answer the phone.

"Brother," Fang Zhiwen's voice lowered, "if I really go in, will you...?"

He didn't finish speaking.

What he wanted to ask was, "Will you come to rescue me?", but he already knew the answer.

Fang Mingyuan can't even protect himself, how can he save him?

"Zhiwen, don't overthink it. We have three days, let's figure something out together. Listen to me, calm down first. If you stay calm, we'll have a chance."

Upon hearing this, Fang Zhiwen fell silent.

He was unsure whether he could maintain the stability.