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

Friday afternoon.

Fang Mingyuan was in his office approving documents, including a thick stack of reports on the allocation of funds for key projects across the county.

He turned to the third page, and his phone vibrated.

He glanced at it; it was a message from Liu Jianming:

"Someone from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is paying attention to the audit work in Qingshun County."

His pen paused.

I immediately picked up my phone, stared at the screen, and looked at it carefully again.

"Someone from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is paying attention to the audit work in Qingshun County."

There is no subject, no verb, only a cold, hard fact:

The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is paying attention and conducting an audit.

Fang Mingyuan's face turned pale instantly.

He sat behind his desk, motionless, his fingers still holding his phone, but his fingers had lost all strength.

The phone slowly slipped from my palm, making a soft "snap" sound.

Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection

He operated in Qingshun County for more than ten years, dealing with the county's discipline inspection commission countless times, and also encountering the municipal discipline inspection commission a few times.

But the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is a matter of another level.

The county discipline inspection commission investigates section-level cadres, the municipal discipline inspection commission investigates division-level cadres, and the provincial discipline inspection commission investigates bureau-level cadres.

He was just an executive deputy county head, at the deputy division level, and in principle, he wasn't qualified to be directly involved by the provincial discipline inspection commission.

The fact that the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is "paying attention" to the audit work in Qingshun County shows that they are not concerned about him, but about people of a higher rank.

Who could it be?

Fang Mingyuan dared not think any further.

He stood up, walked to the door, closed it, and locked it from the inside.

Then he went back behind his desk, sat down, picked up his phone, and read the messages again.

He didn't reply, just deleted it, and then placed his phone face down on the table.

He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and his mind raced.

The fact that the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is paying attention to the audit work indicates that what the audit team found in Liuhe Town has already attracted the attention of higher authorities.

It's not the county, it's not the city, it's the province.

The fact that the provincial discipline inspection commission is watching him means that what he did before—

Making Liu Jianming submit materials, Fang Zhiwen complete the formalities, and Qian Cheng abscond—not only did it not help him, but it may have become the reason why the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is targeting him.

The more you try to cover something up, the more your superiors will want to know what you're trying to hide.

Fang Mingyuan opened his eyes, picked up the cigarette case on the table, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

The smoke slowly dissipated in the office, blurring his vision.

He stared at the plume of smoke, pondering a question—

Why is the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection paying attention to Qingshun County?

Was it He Ying who stabbed him?

Or is it Meng Qingshan from the audit team?

Or someone else?

he does not know.

But he knew that once the provincial discipline inspection commission started to "pay attention," it wouldn't easily give up.

Today it's just "paying attention," tomorrow it might be "inquiring," the day after tomorrow it might be "intervening," and the day after that it might be "filing a case."

He was all too familiar with this chain of events; he had been navigating the officialdom for over twenty years.

He has seen too many people go from being "attentioned" to being "taken away," sometimes in less than a month.

Fang Mingyuan stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, picked up his phone, and found Lao Nie's number.

Without hesitation, he pressed the call button.

At this point, hesitation is pointless.

The provincial discipline inspection commission has already taken notice; if he hesitates any longer, he won't even have a chance to retaliate.

The phone rang three times before being answered.

"Old Nie, it's me."

"County Chief Fang."

Old Nie's voice came from the other end of the phone, as if he were taking the call in a very quiet place, his voice lowered.

"Someone from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is paying attention."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

Old Nie had been in the provincial capital for twenty years and knew the weight of the words "the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is paying attention to."

The silence lasted for five or six seconds.

Fang Mingyuan held his phone, his palms sweaty.

He could hear his own heartbeat, and he could also hear Lao Nie's breathing on the other end of the phone—rapid and suppressed.

"I see."

Old Nie finally spoke, his voice even lower than before.

"Stay calm on your end, don't panic. I'll figure something out."

"What method?"

Fang Mingyuan asked very directly.

He doesn't have time to beat around the bush; the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection won't give him that time.

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

"Don't worry about the method for now. Just remember one thing—don't hand over what you have."

Fang Mingyuan's fingers tightened slightly.

"Old Nie, what if the Discipline Inspection Commission calls me in for a talk?"

This is Fang Mingyuan's biggest concern.

The provincial discipline inspection commission has taken notice, and the next step is likely a "talk".

There are two types of "conversations":

One type is a conversation to understand the situation. They call you in and ask if you know anything about this or that. If you can answer them, they let you go back.

If you can't answer or your answer is incorrect, you will move on to the next stage.

Another type is the "walk-in" conversation, where you come in the morning and leave in the evening, but your cell phone, your communication tools, and your connection with the outside world are all cut off.

He didn't know how the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection would treat him.

But he knew that, whichever way, he had to be prepared.

"Say what you should say, and don't say a single word that you shouldn't say."

Old Nie's voice was deep, and each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"What you know about Liuhe Town is all from Fang Zhiwen's reports."

You don't know the specifics of how it works.

Qian Cheng is Fang Zhiwen's man; you can't remember what he said to you.

Those contracts, those acceptance reports, those fund disbursements—all of that was handled by subordinates according to procedure. You were just the supervisor in charge, not the person in charge.

Fang Mingyuan listened without interrupting.

"As the executive deputy county head, your responsibility is macro-management, not micro-operation."

If problems arise in Liuhe Town, you can take leadership responsibility, but you cannot admit to having participated in those specific operations.

"If you admit it, you're finished."

Fang Mingyuan was aware of these words.

Having spent so many years in officialdom, he knew exactly how to handle interviews with the disciplinary committee.

But knowing something is one thing, hearing it from someone else is another.

When Lao Nie said it, it was as if he was giving him a heads-up, or as if he was giving him his final instructions.

"Old Nie, what if Fang Zhiwen betrays me?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

This time the silence lasted even longer.

He could hear Lao Nie's breathing on the other end of the phone, rapid and irregular, as if he was trying to control something.

"Fang Zhiwen will not provide for you."

Old Nie finally spoke.

How did you know?

"Because providing for you would not benefit him."

Fang Mingyuan paused for a moment.

Old Nie is right.

Fang Zhiwen betrayed him, so he can't escape either.

If they don't provide for him, Fang Zhiwen can shoulder the burden alone and perhaps still save his family.

If they were to be sacrificed, both of them would be imprisoned, and neither could save the other; the entire family would be doomed as well.

Fang Zhiwen understood this perfectly.

"Also, don't touch He Ying anymore."

Old Nie's voice carried a hint of warning.

"Treating that Chen guy last time was already a bad move. If you touch He Ying again, no one can protect you."

"I'm not that stupid."

"You're not stupid, but you're panicking right now. When you're panicked, you're more likely to do stupid things."

Fang Mingyuan remained silent.

Old Nie was right, he panicked.

He panicked the moment he heard the words "Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection".

"County Chief Fang."

"Um."

"Let me tell you the truth."

Fang Mingyuan's fingers tightened slightly.

"you say."

"Once the provincial discipline inspection commission takes notice, this matter will be very difficult to resolve."

I am not a god, nor is the person behind me a god.

All we can do is stall.

Drag it out until the audit team leaves, until the storm passes, until the higher-ups shift their attention elsewhere.

But if you can't handle it yourself, nothing I say will help.

Fang Mingyuan remained silent for a long time.

"Old Nie, what are you talking to me about?"

"I'm telling you the truth."

Fang Mingyuan held his phone, his hands trembling slightly.

Old Nie said, "What we can do is drag it out"—not "settle" or "get it done," but "drag it out."

Drag it out until the audit team leaves, until the storm passes, until the higher-ups shift their attention elsewhere.

This isn't solving the problem; it's waiting to die.

"Okay. I understand."

Fang Mingyuan's voice returned to calm.

It wasn't that he was truly calm; he had to make himself sound calm.

Showing panic on the phone was tantamount to telling Lao Nie that he couldn't hold on any longer.

If Lao Nie knew he couldn't hold on any longer, would he take any special measures against him?

This is not entirely impossible.

In the final step, Lao Nie acted to protect himself and those behind him.

Who knows what heinous things he might do?

he does not know.

But he didn't want to gamble.

"Remember, don't hand over what you have in your hands."

Old Nie gave one last piece of advice.

"I know."

The phone hangs up.

Fang Mingyuan looked at the screen.

The call lasted a little over two minutes, during which he entrusted his life to Lao Nie.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is paying close attention to auditing work.

Old Nie said, "Delay it."

Fang Zhiwen said, "I can't hold on any longer."

Fang Mingyuan closed his eyes, his mind a complete mess.

He picked up the cigarette case on the table, took out another cigarette, and lit it.

The smoke slowly dissipated in the office. He stared at the cloud of smoke, with only one thought in his mind—the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection had arrived. What should he do?

Should we proactively explain the situation?

Should we wait for the disciplinary committee to come looking for him?

Going there voluntarily is considered turning yourself in, and you might get a lighter sentence.

Waiting for the disciplinary committee to come to you is a passive investigation, which is different in nature.

But turning himself in means he admits he has a problem, and once he admits it, there's no going back.

If we don't admit it, we might be able to get through it.

Finally, he said to himself:

"Never admit it until the very end."