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

He smiled but did not reply.

It's not that I don't want to talk about it, it's that I can't.

He Ying is the county magistrate, and he is a staff member.

She was his older sister's classmate, and six years older than him.

What happened that night is a topic that cannot be touched upon; it would be bad for anyone if it were to be told.

Lin Chen was his best friend, but there were some things that even friends couldn't tell each other.

My phone vibrated again.

It wasn't Lin Chen who sent the message; it was He Ying: "Are you asleep?"

Chen Dapeng's heart skipped a beat.

She rarely initiates conversations to ask about such private matters.

It was past 11 p.m. when she asked, "Are you asleep?" This wasn't about work; she just wanted to chat about something.

He felt a surge of excitement and quickly typed two words: "No."

He added, "I just finished talking to Lin Chen. He found out about Lao Nie's network of connections."

The "typing" indicator flashed for about ten seconds, and then the message arrived.

"Is there someone behind Lao Nie?"

"Yes. Lin Chen said that Lao Nie is well-informed in the provincial capital and can get things done in crucial moments, so he must have a powerful backer. He's still investigating who it is."

He Ying was silent for a moment before replying:

"Okay. Tell Lin Chen to be careful during the investigation and not to alert them. If Lao Nie's backing is deeply entrenched in the provincial capital, their counterattack will be fierce once they realize someone is investigating them."

"Hmm... Lin Chen is very smart; he knows what he's doing."

Another silence followed.

Chen Dapeng watched as the "typing" notification flashed on and off repeatedly.

"Dapeng, you've worked hard these past few days."

Chen Dapeng looked at these words, typed "It's not hard work," and felt it was too perfunctory;

I typed "You too" again, but it felt too bland.

Finally, he sent a message: "Sister Ying, after the case is over, I'd like to treat you to a meal."

After sending it, he stared at the screen, feeling uneasy, his palms sweaty.

It wasn't a work report or a case update; he took the initiative to invite her to dinner—not "County Chief He," but "Sister Ying."

About a minute later, the other party replied with a single word: "Okay".

Chen Dapeng looked at the words, a slight smile playing on his lips, and then asked her another question: "Sister Ying, if Fang Mingyuan becomes desperate and does something rash, could it be detrimental to you?"

He Ying replied quickly: "He won't touch me. Touching me would be digging his own grave. But he might touch other people."

Chen Dapeng knew what "other people" meant.

He was beaten once. Zhou Min is now hiding in the county town and dares not return to Liuhe Town. As soon as Qian Cheng was arrested, a lawyer went to the Public Security Bureau to inquire about the news.

Fang Mingyuan might not dare to directly attack He Ying, but everyone around him could become a target.

"You should also be careful. Fang Mingyuan is capable of anything these days."

"I know."

Chen Dapeng typed another line: "Sister Ying, Fang Mingyuan's situation is more complex than we thought. Old Nie has powerful backers; will they exert pressure from the provincial level?"

"Possibly. But the audit is directly dispatched from the province, so putting pressure on them won't help. And once the audit report is released, all the evidence is verified, and it's sent to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, those people can't stop it even if they want to."

Chen Dapeng stared at the words and remained silent for a moment.

"Then let's wait. Once the audit is over and Fang Zhiwen is detained, Fang Mingyuan and the people behind him will naturally come to light."

"Hmm. It's getting late, you should get some rest."

"The same to you."

After sending the message, he put down his phone, turned off the light, and stared at the ceiling in the dark.

He Ying said "okay" —

She accepted his invitation to dinner.

It wasn't a work dinner; it was just the two of us having a meal alone.

What was she going to say to him?

He turned over and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders.

It'll be over soon, once the case is closed.

The day the Fang family falls may be the day their relationship breaks down.

……

Meanwhile, after returning home, Fang Mingyuan lay in bed unable to fall asleep.

Tonight, although Wang Tiejun agreed to have dinner with him, the old fox kept dodging the question and didn't say a single honest word.

"Secretary Wang, the main reason I invited you to dinner today is to hear your opinion. What are your thoughts on the Liuhe Town case?"

He didn't beat around the bush; he asked the question directly at the dinner table.

Wang Tiejun picked up his teacup, blew on it, took a slow sip, and then put it down.

"County Chief Fang, the case in Liuhe Town was uncovered by the audit team. The audit team was sent down from the province, not led by the county. From this perspective, there's not much the county can do."

Hearing this answer, his heart sank, knowing that Old Wang could not be relied on, but he still asked another question unwillingly.

"You're the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and the public security system is under your jurisdiction. Zhao Gang bypassed Wu Tiejun and reported directly to He Ying. Are you going to handle this?"

Wang Tiejun glanced at him, his gaze darkening.

"County Chief Fang, who Zhao Gang reports to is a procedural matter. He Ying is the county chief, so it's reasonable and logical for her to inquire about important cases. I can't say anything about it."

"Secretary Wang, you're speaking differently today than you used to."

Wang Tiejun smiled faintly.

"County Chief Fang, the past is the past, and the present is the present. You know better than I how many problems the audit team uncovered in Liuhe Town. Qian Cheng, Liu Jun, and Wang Lei have confessed, but Zhou Min is hiding. How am I supposed to handle these matters?"

His face darkened; Wang Tiejun was about to cut ties.

"Secretary Wang, are you scared?"

Wang Tiejun paused for a moment: "County Chief Fang, I'm not afraid. I'm just reminding you. The case in Liuhe Town is no longer just a county issue. The provincial audit team is watching, and He Ying is watching. If you continue with your underhanded tactics, you'll only get yourself into trouble."

He held the teacup, his fingers slowly tightening their grip.

"So tell me, what should I do now?"

"wait."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Wait until the audit team leaves. Once they're gone and things have calmed down, we'll figure out a solution."

He stared at Wang Tiejun for several seconds before finally seeing him clearly.

Wang Tiejun wasn't trying to help him, nor was he trying to cut ties; he was simply observing.

Once the audit team leaves and He Ying's momentum has subsided, then we'll decide which side to stand on.

If he can hold on, Wang Tiejun will continue to be an ally; if he can't hold on, Wang Tiejun can turn back at any time.

The meal lasted less than an hour.

He barely touched his chopsticks, and Wang Tiejun only took a few symbolic bites.

The two chatted about trivial matters, and the case was not mentioned again.

After dinner, he said something.

"Secretary Wang, I'll be going now."

Wang Tiejun nodded but did not get up to see him off.

He walked out of the restaurant, stood at the door, and lit a cigarette.

Zheng Hai got out of the car and walked to his side.

"County Chief Fang, what did Secretary Wang say?"

He didn't say anything, finished his cigarette, and put it out.

"They can't be relied on anymore."

Zheng Hai's expression changed: "Then what do we do?"

He opened the car door and got in.

"We'll talk about it when we get back."

……

He was very agitated and couldn't sleep.

"Mingyuan, what's wrong with you today? Why are you tossing and turning?"

The wife asked, puzzled.

"No, it's nothing. It's probably just work stress."

After saying that, he simply got up and went to his study.

I sat down at my desk, opened the drawer, took out the USB drive, and held it in my hand.

Qian Cheng has been arrested. If he hands over those things, Fang Zhiwen won't be able to escape.

If Fang Zhiwen can't hold out any longer and exposes him, he won't be able to escape either.

Old Nie has cut ties, Wang Tiejun is no longer reliable, and Wu Tiejun has been sidelined.

The USB drive in my hand is like a drowning person grabbing at a straw.

He recalled Fang Zhiwen's words: "Brother, I've always remembered how you fought for me when we were kids."

They were brothers back then.

Now, is he going to push Fang Zhiwen out as a scapegoat, or will he shoulder the burden with Fang Zhiwen?

He put the USB drive back in the drawer, picked up his phone, and found Lao Nie's number.

Old Nie doesn't answer the phone, doesn't reply to messages, and doesn't meet with people. He cuts ties completely, as if he's never known Old Nie. But Old Nie also has something in his possession. If he hands it over, Old Nie won't be able to escape either.

He stared at the number for a long time, but didn't dial it.

It's hard to explain over the phone; he has to go to the provincial capital to talk in person.

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

He wanted to go to the provincial capital to find Lao Nie and force him to take action before the audit report was released, before the disciplinary committee took action, and before Fang Zhiwen could withstand the pressure.

This is the last chance.

He picked up his phone and sent Zheng Hai a message: "Come with me to the provincial capital first thing tomorrow morning."