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

Monday, noon.

Chen Dapeng is eating in the cafeteria.

Liu Zhiguo carried the plate, walked to his table, and sat down.

Chen Dapeng looked up at Liu Zhiguo and thought to himself that this guy was like a mosquito.

Wherever he went, Liu Zhiguo followed...

Liu Zhiguo kept his head down, shoveling rice into his mouth, occasionally glancing at his phone, without saying much.

Chen Dapeng didn't have much of an appetite either. He poked around in his plate with his chopsticks, thinking about the three approvals.

His phone vibrated, and when he looked down, it was Lin Chen.

He put down his chopsticks, picked up his phone, walked to the corridor outside the cafeteria, and answered the call.

"Dapeng".

Lin Chen's voice came from the other end of the phone, very low, unlike his usual carefree manner, carrying a caution that Chen Dapeng had never heard before.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't look into that project you asked me to check anymore."

Chen Dapeng was stunned for a moment.

Why?

Lin Chen did not answer immediately.

It was quiet on the other end of the phone; Chen Dapeng could hear Lin Chen's breathing.

It was heavier than usual, as if it was trying to control something.

Chen Dapeng had known Lin Chen for four years, and he had never seen him like this before.

During his university years, Lin Chen was fearless. He wasn't afraid of failing exams, being called out by teachers, or getting into fights.

What could make Lin Chen lower his voice and become more cautious in his tone? It couldn't be a small matter.

My dad called me today.

Lin Chen's voice lowered even further.

"What did he ask you?"

He asked me what I'd been researching lately.

Chen Dapeng's fingers tightened slightly.

"I said no. I said what could I possibly check? I go to get off work and come home, just like before."

Did he believe it?

"He didn't believe me. He said—someone is asking about you, be careful."

Chen Dapeng's heart sank.

Someone is asking about Lin Chen.

Lin Chen helped him check Hongda Trading's accounts, Zhao Zhiyong's background, and the flow of funds for those projects in the provincial capital.

If anyone has noticed these things, it means that the other party is no longer just keeping an eye on Liuhe Town.

They are watching everyone involved in this matter—

He Ying, Chen Dapeng, and Chen Dapeng's relationships in the provincial capital.

"Who's asking?"

"My dad didn't say anything. But he did say one thing—'The other side has powerful connections; don't get involved.'"

It has quite a background.

Chen Dapeng held his phone, his mind racing.

In the provincial capital, there aren't many people who can be described as having "important connections".

Lao Nie is one, but Lao Nie is a businessman; he doesn't have that kind of influence.

The person who would specifically inquire about Lin Chen and warn others "not to get involved" is not Lao Nie, but the person behind Lao Nie.

Gu Huaiyuan.

When the name popped into Chen Dapeng's mind, a chill ran down his spine.

What would a vice governor do if he knew that someone was investigating a project related to him?

They won't personally show up, or even send their subordinates to do so.

He only needs to make one phone call and say "take a look," and someone will take care of it.

The person who inquired about Lin Chen might just be an acquaintance from a certain department, or perhaps just an intermediary arranged by Lao Nie.

But their purpose is the same—to issue a warning.

"Dapeng, is something wrong on your end?"

Lin Chen's voice pulled him back to reality.

"No," Chen Dapeng's voice was a little hoarse. "Everything is normal."

"You're lying to me. Every time you say 'everything is normal,' it's not normal."

"Dapeng, I'm being serious—are the things you asked me to investigate related to people in the province?"

Chen Dapeng fell silent.

He didn't want to lie to Lin Chen.

Lin Chen is his best friend. From college until now, he tells Lin Chen everything.

But he couldn't tell Lin Chen about this.

It wasn't because of distrust, but because telling Lin Chen would put him in even greater danger.

"Lin Chen, listen to me."

"you say."

"I'm not investigating that project anymore. You should also stop there. Delete everything you found, don't leave any copies."

"Great Roc—"

"Let me finish. The fact that someone is asking about you means they've noticed you. If you keep investigating, they won't just be 'asking' anymore. Your dad's right, don't get involved."

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

"And what about you? You're still inside. You want me to come out?"

Chen Dapeng's throat tightened slightly.

"I can't get out. But you're different. You're in the provincial capital, you're in the open, they're in the shadows. If you keep investigating, you'll only get yourself implicated."

"And what about you? Aren't you afraid of getting yourself involved?"

Chen Dapeng paused for a moment.

"I'm scared. But some things just have to be done."

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

Lin Chen's breathing came from the other end of the phone; it was rapid, suppressed, and he was trying hard to control his emotions.

Chen Dapeng had known Lin Chen for four years and had never heard him speak like that before.

"Dapeng, I have something to tell you."

"What?"

"When my dad said 'the other party has powerful connections,' it wasn't something he heard from someone else. Someone contacted him directly."

Chen Dapeng's fingers tightened suddenly.

"Who is it?"

"I don't know. My dad didn't go into details. But when he told me, he looked very upset."

Dapeng, my dad has lived in the provincial capital for so many years and knows a lot of people. He's seen all sorts of situations.

The person who could make him look so pale must be no ordinary person.

Chen Dapeng remained silent for a long time.

Someone went directly to Lin Chen's father.

It wasn't a phone call, nor was it asking someone to pass on a message; it was finding them directly.

This shows that the other party not only has "a powerful background" but is also very resourceful.

They were able to find out in a short time that Lin Chen was helping Chen Dapeng investigate things, including who his father was, where he worked, and how they could contact him.

This kind of energy is not something that ordinary people possess.

"Lin Chen, listen to me."

"you say."

"From now on, you are not to investigate anything."

Delete all our chat history and destroy all the information we found.

If anyone contacts you again, just say you don't know anything, that I asked you to help me look it up, but you don't know what I'm looking for.

"Dapeng, are you going to shoulder this all by yourself?"

"I'm not alone. There's also County Magistrate He."

Lin Chen sighed on the other end of the phone.

"Dapeng, tell me the truth—what exactly is your relationship with that female county magistrate?"

Chen Dapeng was stunned for a moment.

"What's the connection?"

"Don't pretend. You investigated data from Liuhe Town for her sake, got beaten up there, and now you're investigating the vice governor. You're telling me you're just superior and subordinate?"

Chen Dapeng remained silent.

"Dapeng, I'm not gossiping about you. I'm worried about you. You've done so much for her, does she know? Does she appreciate it?"

"She knows."

"That's good."

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

"Dapeng, I won't investigate that project anymore. But you have to promise me one thing."

"What?"

"If anything happens to you, tell me immediately. Don't try to handle it all alone."

Chen Dapeng's nose felt a little sore.

"it is good."

"Alright. I'm hanging up. Be careful."

The phone was disconnected.

Chen Dapeng put away his phone, stood in the corridor, and looked out at the courtyard.

He stood there for a long time until his phone vibrated again.

It was a WeChat message from Lin Chen: "Chat history deleted. Data deleted too. Take care of yourself."

Chen Dapeng stared at the line of text for a few seconds, then typed two words:

"Take care of yourself."

He put his phone in his pocket, turned around, and walked back to the cafeteria.

The plates were still on the table, but the food had gone cold.

He stopped eating, picked up his tray, walked to the recycling area, threw away the remaining food, put the tray away, and left the cafeteria.

Liu Zhiguo was standing in the corridor, holding a water glass in his hand. When he saw him come out, his gaze lingered on his face for a moment.

"What's wrong? You don't look well."

"I'm fine. I'm just feeling a little unwell."

Chen Dapeng walked past him without saying anything.

He returned to the IT department, sat in his seat, stared at the computer screen, but couldn't concentrate on a single word.

Someone is asking about Lin Chen.

Someone went directly to Lin Chen's father.

The other party had already noticed that Lin Chen was helping Chen Dapeng look things up.

This indicates that the other party is not only keeping an eye on the case in Liuhe Town.

They are still keeping an eye on everyone involved in this case.

He Ying, him, Su Wanqing, Zhao Gang, Zhou Min, Qian Cheng, Lin Chen—everyone was in their sight.

Chen Dapeng's palms began to sweat.

He picked up his phone, opened He Ying's WeChat, and typed a line of text:

"Sister Ying, Lin Chen just called. Someone is asking about him, and someone even went directly to his father. The person in question is someone important. Lin Chen said his father looked very unwell."

After sending the message, he stared at the screen, waiting for a reply.

Less than ten seconds later, my phone vibrated.

He Ying's reply was only one line: "I understand. Tell him not to investigate anything anymore."

Chen Dapeng typed: "I've already told him. He deleted the chat history and all the data."

"Okay. Be careful on your end too. If they can find Lin Chen, they can find you too."

"I know."

He Ying sent another message: "Dapeng, this matter is bigger than you and I thought. I may need to reconsider my next move. You stay put and don't make any rash moves."

Chen Dapeng stared at the words and paused his finger on the screen for a moment.

He typed a few words—

Are you going to give up?

It was deleted again.

He knew He Ying wouldn't give up; she just needed time to reassess the situation.

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

He put his phone in his pocket, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling.

The fact that someone is inquiring about Lin Chen indicates that the other party has already noticed this lead.

Lin Chen stopped, but Chen Dapeng is still around.

He had photos of those approvals, the data Lin Chen had found for him, Fang Zhiqiang's asset information, and copies of the materials Zhou Min had submitted.

These things were his only bargaining chips.

But if the other party has already noticed Lin Chen, will they also notice him?

Could someone already be watching him?

As Chen Dapeng thought about this, a chill ran down his spine.

He recalled the night he was beaten in Liuhe Town, when the two men rushed out of the darkness, punched him in the stomach, and then punched him in the face.

He still remembers that pain.

This time, if the other party attacks again, it won't just be a few punches.

Chen Dapeng took a deep breath, sat up straight, turned on his computer, and continued to organize the information briefings.

His fingers were typing on the keyboard, and everything seemed normal.

But in his mind, Lin Chen's words kept replaying in his mind—

"The other party has powerful connections; you shouldn't get involved."

He's already involved.

From the day He Ying asked him to check the data of Liuhe Town.

He had already gotten involved.

From the day he was beaten in the hotel in Liuhe Town.

There was no turning back for him.

After thinking for a moment, he sent He Ying another message:

"Sister Ying, you're not alone."