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

The next morning.

He Ying sat behind her desk.

She looked at the screenshots Chen Dapeng sent her countless times.

"I need protection."

"If I stand up and testify, and Fang Zhiwen falls from grace, will his relatives and friends retaliate against me?"

"I'm also involved in this matter; will I be held accountable as well?"

He Ying put down her phone, leaned back in her chair, and stared at the ceiling.

Zhou Min is a key witness in the Fang Zhiwen case—she handled the transfer records, fake contracts, and fake acceptance reports, knew where the money went, who signed them, and which accounts were real and which were fake.

If she is willing to stand up and testify, Fang Zhiwen will not be able to escape.

But Zhou Min was right—she herself was in the bureau.

The person in charge, the signatory, and the executor.

Her name was on those transfer records, her signature on those fake contracts, and her name on those altered acceptance reports.

He Ying is neither a discipline inspection official nor a judge; she cannot make any promises to Zhou Min, because she cannot fulfill them—she has no such authority.

How the organization deals with Zhou Min is not something a county magistrate like her can control, nor is it something she can decide simply by opening her mouth.

But she knew that if Zhou Min didn't step forward, even if the audit team found problems, it would be difficult to determine the nature of the issue—because of the lack of testimony from the person in charge.

The contract can be interpreted as "poor management", the signature as "inadequate procedure", and the cement's date as "the manufacturer sent the wrong goods".

Every problem can be explained, and every explanation can be accepted.

But if the person in charge says it's fake, then there's no way to explain it.

He Ying sat up straight, picked up her phone, and found the number of Liu Zhiyuan, the secretary of the county discipline inspection commission.

My finger hovered above the screen, and I hesitated for a moment.

Liu Zhiyuan, secretary of the county discipline inspection commission and a cadre dispatched by the municipal discipline inspection commission, is an upright person who follows procedures.

After He Ying was transferred to Qingshun County, she had a few interactions with him—she met him at the Standing Committee meeting, chatted with him briefly during work coordination, but had no contact with him privately.

This person doesn't talk much, nor does he show much emotion. He always sits in the middle of meetings and always says "I agree" when he speaks, as if nothing can move him.

But He Ying knew that such a person was either truly indifferent or had a very deep-seated secret.

She hoped it was the former.

She dialed Liu Zhiyuan's number, it rang twice, and then it was answered.

"County Magistrate He?"

Liu Zhiyuan's voice came from the other end of the phone, neither warm nor cold.

"Secretary Liu, is this a convenient time to talk?"

"convenient."

He Ying carefully considered her words.

"Secretary Liu, I'd like to ask you about a business matter."

"What?"

"Regulations regarding voluntary confession and lenient treatment."

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

"County Chief He, is it a work-related matter or...?"

"It's work-related. I'm compiling some materials that involve potentially problematic funds. The person in charge isn't a decision-maker, but rather the one who actually carried it out. She wants to proactively confess, cooperate with the investigation, and is willing to testify. I'd like to know what the organization's policy is towards these people."

She didn't mention Zhou Min's name, nor did she mention Liuhe Town, nor did she provide any specific information.

She wanted to hear what Liu Zhiyuan had to say before deciding whether to tell him about Zhou Min.

Liu Zhiyuan did not ask any further questions.

He paused for two seconds, then spoke.

"Those who voluntarily confess, cooperate with the investigation, and perform meritorious service may receive a lighter or reduced punishment. Those whose circumstances are minor may even be exempted from punishment. The specifics depend on the amount of money involved, the circumstances of the case, and their attitude in admitting their wrongdoing."

He Ying tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

Lighter or reduced punishment – ​​lighter punishment means a less severe penalty, while reduced punishment means a lower level of severity.

"Secretary Liu, could you be more specific? For example, to what extent will it be 'reduced'?"

Liu Zhiyuan remained silent for two more seconds.

"That's right. If the amount involved is small, the circumstances are not serious, no one profited from it, the suspect voluntarily confesses, cooperates with the investigation, and is willing to testify, it's possible that only Party disciplinary action will be taken, and the case will not be transferred to the judiciary."

He Ying's heart skipped a beat.

Not to be transferred to the judiciary—this is what Zhou Min most wants to hear.

"Only giving her Party disciplinary action" means no criminal sentence, no jail time, and no criminal record—at least legally, it won't affect her future life.

However, the disciplinary action will be recorded, and he will have no hope of promotion within the system for the rest of his life. But compared to going to jail, it's the best outcome.

He Ying didn't want to ask too many questions over the phone, but there were some things she had to clarify.

"Secretary Liu, what judgment is your use of 'possibly' based on?"

"Each situation needs to be analyzed individually. County Chief He, if you have specific cases, you can bring the materials over, and we will assess them according to procedure. I haven't seen anything yet, so I can't make any promises to you."

"I understand. It's not about making a promise, it's about finding a direction."

Liu Zhiyuan's voice remained calm, but it had a slight warmth—not much, but He Ying could tell.

"The key point is—active and passive are completely different in nature. Those who confess voluntarily will be treated leniently by the organization; those whose confessions are verified will be dealt with severely."

"To what extent should it be lenient? To what extent should it be strict?"

"Lenient treatment might result in probation within the Party or administrative demotion. Severe treatment could lead to expulsion from the Party, dismissal from public office, or referral to the judiciary. County Chief He, you can calculate the difference yourself."

He Ying did the math.

Being placed on probation within the Party means retaining Party membership; being removed from administrative post means retaining public office. Although the position is gone, retirement benefits and social security are still retained.

Expelled from the Party, dismissed from public office, and transferred to the judiciary—he lost everything, and now he has to go to jail.

This gap represents the rest of a person's life.

"Secretary Liu, there's one more thing."

"you say."

"If the person in charge is willing to testify but is worried about retaliation, can the organization provide protection?"

Liu Zhiyuan remained silent for two seconds.

"Protecting witnesses is the responsibility of the Discipline Inspection Commission, the Supervisory Commission, and the public security organs. If she is willing to cooperate with the investigation and testify, we will take protective measures according to procedures. The specific protection measures will depend on the details of the case."

He Ying nodded.

"Secretary Liu, someone from my side might come to explain the situation soon. Should I have her contact you directly, or through some other channel?"

"Have her write a statement, sign it, attach evidence, and submit it to me. After reviewing the statement, if it meets the requirements, I will initiate an investigation according to procedure. Witness protection will be arranged at that time."

"it is good."

He Ying hung up the phone and placed it on the table.

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a while.

What Liu Zhiyuan said was better than she had expected.

"Those who voluntarily confess, cooperate with the investigation, and perform meritorious service may be given a lighter or reduced punishment."

"For minor offenses, punishment may even be waived."

"It's possible that they will only receive Party disciplinary action and will not be transferred to the judiciary."

"Active and passive are completely different in nature."

These words, each one a reassuring presence—though not a promise, at least provided direction.

He Ying opened her eyes, picked up her phone, and scrolled to Chen Dapeng's WeChat.

She summarized what Liu Zhiyuan had said, but omitted the name "Liu Zhiyuan" and did not mention the Discipline Inspection Commission. She simply relayed the policy direction and work procedures.

"I've inquired. The policy regarding voluntary confession and handling is as follows: those who voluntarily confess, cooperate with the investigation, and perform meritorious service may receive a lighter or reduced punishment. Those with minor offenses may be exempted from punishment."

She typed these few lines, then added another paragraph.

"In Zhou Min's case specifically—she was the person in charge, not the decision-maker, and did not profit from it. If she voluntarily confesses, cooperates with the investigation, and is willing to testify, she will most likely only be subject to Party disciplinary action and will not be transferred to the judiciary."

After sending it, she stared at the screen, thought for a moment, and then added another message.

"Also, regarding the issue of protection—the organization has procedures for protecting witnesses. It's not about someone patting their chest and saying, 'I guarantee you'll be fine,' it's about following proper procedures and rules. She doesn't need to worry about retaliation."

She gave a special reminder in the last sentence.

"Tell her: coming forward to testify is not only helping us, but also helping herself. The audit team has already found problems. Even if she doesn't speak up, the disciplinary committee and supervisory commission will intervene in the investigation after the audit report is released. At that time, it won't be 'voluntary confession,' but 'being verified.' Voluntary confession and being verified are different in nature and have different results."

After sending the message, she stared at the screen, waiting for Chen Dapeng's reply.

About two minutes later, Chen Dapeng sent a message.

"I'll pass these words on to her. She's coming over tonight, you can talk to her in person."

He Ying replied with a single word: "Okay".

……

at the same time.

Chen Dapeng sat at the table with his laptop open in front of him and his phone beside him.

He read the message He Ying sent him several times.

He felt that He Ying had made herself very clear—it was not a promise, but it was more powerful than a promise because it was a policy, not a personal "I guarantee".

He copied these words and prepared to send them to Zhou Min. After thinking for a moment, he added a few of his own words.

"Zhou Min, County Chief He asked me to tell you: She can't make any promises about the questions you raised, because any promises she makes wouldn't count."

But she asked professionals, and the policy stipulates that those who voluntarily confess, cooperate with the investigation, and have meritorious service can be given a lighter or reduced punishment.

As the person in charge, not the decision-maker, and having not profited from the matter, you will most likely only receive disciplinary action from the Party and will not be transferred to the judiciary.

"Also, the organization has procedures to protect witnesses. You don't need to worry about retaliation."

"If you're willing to step forward, go see County Chief He tonight. She'll talk to you in person."

After sending the message, he stared at the screen, waiting for Zhou Min's reply.

After waiting for about five minutes, Zhou Min's message came through.

I'll go over tonight.

"What time is it?"

"Seven o'clock."

"I'll send you the address. Don't tell anyone."

"I know."

Chen Dapeng put down his phone and leaned back in his chair.

Finally, Zhou Min took this step.

It wasn't "wait a little longer," nor "let me think about it," but rather "I'll come over tonight."