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

After hanging up with Team Leader Meng, He Ying's mind kept replaying the words he had said—

"Liu Jianming is a distant relative of Fang Mingyuan's wife."

"The request for access was sent three days ago, but I still haven't received the materials."

"He's stalling."

Three days.

It has been a full three days since the request for access was sent.

Three days is not a long time in normal administrative procedures, but at this critical juncture, each day feels like it has been stretched tenfold.

The audit team can only hold on for another week; after that, the report must be released.

Three days have already used up nearly half of the buffer time.

He Ying leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

She went through the case in Liuhe Town from beginning to end.

From the moment Chen Dapeng first discovered the data discrepancy to Zhou Min's defection and handing over the materials;

From Qian Cheng's arrest and confession to the audit team's discovery of falsified cement dates in the warehouse.

At every step, the Fang family tried to block, delay, and conceal the truth.

If you can't stop it, delay it; if you can't delay it any longer, cover it up.

Now, they've taken their methods to the provincial level.

Liu Jianming—a distant relative of Fang Mingyuan's wife—is the deputy director of the Finance Department of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

He was able to sit in that position perhaps because Fang Mingyuan's network of connections in the provincial capital was helping him.

This shows that his network of connections in the provincial capital is much deeper than He Ying had anticipated.

Who is putting pressure on the provincial government?

Huang Shide?

Or was it Liu Jianming's personal behavior that Huang Shide was unaware of?

If it were Huang Shide, his connections, resources, and influence would be far beyond what Fang Mingyuan could match.

If he really intervenes to help Fang Mingyuan, it means that the person behind Fang Mingyuan is of a higher rank than she thought.

If this was Liu Jianming's personal behavior—a deputy director abusing his position to obstruct the audit team's materials and help a distant relative delay the process—then it's likely that he acted alone.

This possibility exists, but He Ying doesn't think it's very likely.

Liu Jianming was just a deputy director; he didn't have the guts to obstruct the provincial audit team's materials. He wouldn't dare do that without the tacit approval of those above.

Who is the one who tacitly approves of him?

Huang Shide?

Or is he someone even more accomplished than Huang Shide?

He Ying tapped her fingers lightly twice on the table.

She recalled what Chen Dapeng had said—"Old Nie has connections behind him."

Lao Nie is a businessman; his influence comes from the people behind him.

That person must have deep roots in the provincial capital and be able to help Fang Mingyuan get things done and pass on messages, so his rank must be quite high.

These people, when connected together, form a network.

Fang Mingyuan is the network's tentacles in the county, Lao Nie is the network's hub in the provincial capital, and the person behind Lao Nie is the core of this network.

He Ying sat up straight and picked up her phone.

She scrolled to a number in her contacts that had no name.

This was one of her former superiors, who had retired to a less important position in the provincial People's Congress.

But this former leader had a wider range of sources of information than many of those currently in office.

The last time someone inquired about her maternal grandfather's background, it was this former leader who reminded her.

He Ying's finger hovered above the screen for a moment, then she pressed the call button.

The phone rang twice and was answered.

"Xiao He?"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded somewhat aged, but remained calm and composed, carrying the composure honed through years of official career.

"Old boss, it's me. Xiao He. Sorry to bother you."

"It's nothing. Go ahead and say it."

He Ying didn't beat around the bush.

"Old boss, there's something I'd like to ask you."

The audit team from the Provincial Audit Office stationed in Qingshun County encountered resistance when retrieving materials.

Someone from the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs is stalling.

We checked and found that the person in charge was a distant relative of Fang Mingyuan's wife, who was the deputy director of the Finance Department of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The request for access was sent three days ago, but I still haven't received the materials.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Whom do you suspect?

He Ying relayed the situation that Team Leader Meng had described in detail—Liu Jianming's identity, the process of the access request being blocked, Fang Mingyuan's network of connections in the provincial capital, and Lao Nie's connection.

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

The old leader spoke, his voice a bit deeper than before.

"Xiao He, listen to me. Don't investigate this matter anymore."

He Ying was stunned for a moment.

"Former boss—"

"Just focus on doing your audit work well. I'll handle the materials with the provincial department. But don't investigate any further. The people behind Fang Mingyuan have been operating in the provincial capital for decades; you, as a county head, can't touch them."

He Ying's fingers tightened slightly.

"Old boss, I know I'm not alone."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"I know you have a connection with your maternal grandfather. But he's been retired for so many years, and there are some things he can't do himself. Don't push everything onto him. His reputation can't withstand this kind of erosion."

He Ying opened her mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out.

"Xiao He, I'm not trying to discourage you. I'm just reminding you. Proceed with Fang Mingyuan's case to the best of your ability. Don't push it too far. In the end, Fang Mingyuan might not be the one who suffers."

"Then who suffers the loss?"

The former leader did not answer this question.

"I'll handle things at the provincial department. Once the audit report is released, those cases that need to be transferred will be transferred, and those who need to be held accountable will be held accountable. Taking down Fang Mingyuan is already a huge victory; as for the people behind him—"

He paused for a moment.

"That's not within your job scope."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

He Ying knew that what her former leader said made sense.

Fang Mingyuan is the executive deputy county head; taking him down is the limit of what she can do.

Going further back, all the way to the provincial capital, to those people whose names she couldn't even recall, was not something a county magistrate like her should or could handle.

But she was not willing to give up.

Fang Mingyuan has been operating in Qingshun County for more than ten years.

His problem is not just his own problem.

Without the protection of higher-ups, he couldn't have run rampant in the county for so many years.

Those people were in the provincial capital, in the shadows, in places He Ying couldn't reach.

They can help Fang Mingyuan today, and they can help others tomorrow.

If we don't bring them to justice today, they will continue to harm people tomorrow.

"Xiao He?"

The old leader's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"I am here."

"Did you remember what I said?"

He Ying was silent for a second.

"I've got it."

"That's good. I'll keep an eye on things at the provincial department. You focus on doing a good job with the audit. Don't worry about anything else."

The phone hangs up.

He Ying looked at the screen.

Her former boss told her: Don't try to catch up.

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

Her former boss told her "not to chase after him," not because she couldn't catch up, but because even if she did, she wouldn't be able to move forward.

Those people are too high-ranking and have too deep a relationship; she, as a county magistrate, cannot shake them.

If she insists on pursuing him, not only will she not get anywhere, but she will also get herself into trouble.

But the old leader also said—

"I'll handle things with the provincial department."

He didn't refuse to help, but he told her not to investigate any further.

He Ying didn't know how her former boss would handle the matter, but since he had spoken, she trusted him.

She picked up her phone, scrolled to Team Leader Meng's WeChat, and typed a line:

"Team Leader Meng, I've already spoken to a senior leader in the province about the matter with the provincial department. He'll be paying attention. Send out the expedited letter first, and leave the rest for now."

After sending it, she stared at the screen.

Team Leader Meng replied quickly: "Received. The follow-up letter will be sent out first thing tomorrow morning."

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

Fang Mingyuan's network in the provincial capital was larger than she had anticipated.

Liu Jianming, Lao Nie, and the people behind Lao Nie—these people, when linked together, form an invisible net that hangs over Qingshun County.

She thought she was investigating a case in a county, but now she realizes that the case leads to the provincial capital, to places she can't reach.

But she won't stop.

It wasn't because the former leader said "I'll handle it," but because she had promised Chen Dapeng—

"I won't let anything happen to you again."

She had also promised Chen Yang—

"As long as I'm in Qingshun County, I won't let Dapeng get into trouble."

These promises are not just empty words.

My phone vibrated again.

He Ying picked it up and saw that it was a message from Chen Dapeng.

"Sister Ying, I heard that someone at the provincial department is holding back the application materials? Is the situation serious?"

He Ying stared at the line of text, thought for a moment, and replied, "There is resistance, but someone is handling it. Don't worry."

Chen Dapeng quickly replied: "Fang Mingyuan's people?"

"Yes. His wife is a distant relative who is the deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs."

"Fang Mingyuan's true nature is more complex than we thought."

He Ying looked at the words and her heart sank.

"Sister Ying."

"Um?"

"No matter how deep it is, I will be with you."

He Ying stared at the line of text for a long time, typed a few words, then deleted them, typed them again, and deleted them again.

In the end, she only replied with one word: "Mm".