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

After hanging up the phone, Fang Mingyuan found Lao Nie's number.

Without hesitation, he pressed the call button.

the phone is ringing.

One sound, two sounds, three sounds...

Lao Nie did not answer the phone.

He thought Lao Nie wouldn't accept the offer—

When we met at the hotel last time, Lao Nie made his point very clear:

"From today onwards, this is the end of our business."

The call was answered on the seventh ring.

"Fang Mingyuan, what are you planning to do now?"

Old Nie's voice came from the other end of the phone; it was very cold.

There was no address of "County Chief Fang," no small talk, no preamble; the questioning went straight to the point.

Fang Mingyuan gripped his phone, his fingers tightening slightly.

"Old Nie, I'd like to see you. There are some things I'd like to discuss in person."

"There's nothing more to talk about between us."

Old Nie was very determined.

"Old Nie, listen to me."

Fang Mingyuan's voice turned somber.

"I'm not here to ask you for anything. I'm here to inform you."

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

"What did you want me to be notified of?"

"If something happens to me, the things I have won't rot in my hands."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

This time the silence lasted even longer.

Fang Mingyuan knew that Lao Nie was weighing the options, calculating, and thinking about how to proceed in this round.

Old Nie had been in the provincial capital for twenty years and was never someone who could be threatened, but what Fang Mingyuan had in his hands was no ordinary leverage.

Those things could get Lao Nie in, and they could also get the people behind Lao Nie in.

The silence lasted for nearly ten seconds.

"The usual place. Tomorrow at 3 PM."

The phone hangs up.

Fang Mingyuan had only one thought in his mind—this was the last time.

If this negotiation fails, he will truly have no way out.

……

The next day, at 3 p.m., Fang Mingyuan arrived at Guanlan Pavilion on time.

It was the same private room, and the same round table.

When he pushed the door open, Lao Nie was already there.

Fang Mingyuan sat down opposite him.

Old Nie looked at him, his gaze as cold as ice.

"Speak."

Fang Mingyuan didn't beat around the bush.

He knew he had neither the time nor the right to beat around the bush.

"Old Nie, I now face two choices. First, confess. Second, run."

Old Nie's fingers tightened slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.

"If you were to confess voluntarily, what would you say?"

"Tell me everything."

Fang Mingyuan's voice was calm, but every word was like a nail driven into the table.

"Those projects in Liuhe Town, that 300 million yuan special fund from the province, the contract with Hongda Trading—which one of them isn't related to you?"

Old Nie's expression suddenly changed.

Looking at his face, Fang Mingyuan felt a surge of indescribable emotion.

It wasn't joy, it wasn't triumph, it was a kind of sorrow.

They were once partners, a community of shared interests, and inseparable.

Now, he's sitting at one end of this rope, and Lao Nie is sitting at the other end.

He was pulling, and Lao Nie was pulling too; whoever let go would fall.

"Fang Mingyuan, are you threatening me?"

"It's not a threat."

Fang Mingyuan shook his head.

"It's a notification. The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection has taken notice, and Fang Zhiwen is preparing to turn himself in. I've reached a dead end."

Old Nie stared at him, his gaze as if he wanted to devour him.

"Fang Mingyuan, do you know what you're saying?"

"I know."

"When we formed our alliance, we agreed that if you didn't bite me, I wouldn't bite you. Now you're going back on your word? And you're trying to threaten me?"

"It's not a change of heart. Nor is it a threat."

Fang Mingyuan's voice turned somber.

There's no other way.

Old Nie leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, and remained silent for a long time.

Fang Mingyuan did not urge him.

He knew what Lao Nie was thinking—

I'm wondering if, if Fang Mingyuan really goes to jail, I might betray him;

I'm wondering if he can withstand the consequences if Fang Mingyuan exposes him;

I'm wondering if he can't hold on any longer, will he also expose the people behind him?

Old Nie knew these accounts clearly.

Fang Mingyuan.

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

"Let me think about it."

Fang Mingyuan looked at him.

"How long do you want to think about it?"

I'll contact you once I've made up my mind.

Fang Mingyuan paused for a moment.

"Old Nie, I don't have time."

Fang Zhiwen may turn himself in at any time.

I told him to stay calm, but I don't know how long he can stay calm.

Once he turned himself in, I couldn't keep it a secret anymore.

It's the same on your end.

Old Nie stared at him for a few seconds, then stood up.

"I told you, I've made up my mind to contact you."

He didn't wait for Fang Mingyuan's reply and turned to leave.

Fang Mingyuan sat alone in the private room, staring at the two untouched cups of tea on the table.

He didn't know how much longer he could wait, or whether Lao Nie would actually contact him.

All he knew was that this was his last chance.

If Lao Nie doesn't help him.

He really had nowhere else to go.

……

When Lao Nie got home, it was already dark.

He didn't turn on the light, but walked into the study in the dark and closed the door.

He sat motionless in the chair behind the desk.

Fang Mingyuan's words were still echoing in his mind—

"The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is paying attention."

Fang Zhiwen is going to turn himself in.

"I've reached a dead end."

He sat for a long time before finally reaching out and turning on the table lamp.

He took out a pack of cigarettes from the drawer, pulled one out, and lit it.

Fang Mingyuan has gone mad.

But Fang Mingyuan wasn't his biggest problem.

Fang Mingyuan was just a pawn.

You can discard pieces, but you can't let the board overturn when a piece falls.

The one who truly cannot move on the chessboard is Gu Huaiyuan.

Old Nie took a deep drag of his cigarette, the smoke swirling in his lungs before exhaling through his nostrils.

His mind was racing.

Fang Mingyuan has his things, but none of those things point to Lao Nie himself.

There are several layers of companies in between, and the legal representatives of each layer are unrelated people.

The money changed hands four or five times, from Hongda Trading to a shell company in the provincial capital, from the shell company to another account, and then from that account it was transferred out again. After several detours, it finally reached him.

He designed this financial chain precisely to prevent this situation from happening today.

Each layer is independent, and there is no direct legal connection between each layer.

But Fang Mingyuan knew that he was the actual controller behind these companies.

Fang Mingyuan spoke up, and the Discipline Inspection Commission followed this lead, peeling back the layers, until it eventually reached him.

This is not a technical problem, it's a matter of time.

Therefore, he had to keep Fang Mingyuan from speaking.

But how do you shut up a madman?

Threaten him?

Should I beg him?

Old Nie took another drag of his cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray.

He didn't want Fang Mingyuan to shut up; he wanted Fang Mingyuan to know that the price of speaking out is greater than the price of remaining silent.

Old Nie picked up his phone and found a number that wasn't saved in his contacts.

The owner of this number is surnamed Liu, and he is a friend of his in the political and legal system. He is a deputy director-level official who has worked in the provincial public security department for more than 20 years.

Old Nie had known him for eight years and had never asked him to do anything illegal—they just ate meals, drank tea, and chatted about things in the provincial capital, nothing more.

But Lao Nie knew that some relationships didn't require doing anything; all you needed to do was pass on a word at a crucial moment.

The phone rang twice and was answered.

"Old Nie?"

"Old Liu, is it a convenient time to talk?"

"you say."

Old Nie carefully considered his words.

"I'd like to ask you to find a way to pass on a message."

"to whom?"

Fang Mingyuan, Executive Deputy County Head of Qingshun County.

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

"What did you say?"

Old Nie's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

He knew that once those words were spoken, the nature of the statement would change.

Previously, his relationship with Lao Liu was limited to meals and tea. But after he said that, they started having real interactions.

But he can't care about that now.

"Find a reliable person to tell him for me—if he goes in, I'll take care of the Fang family. If he makes baseless accusations, the Fang family can figure it out themselves."

There was another silence on the other end of the phone, this time for even longer.

"Old Nie, do you know what you're saying?"

"I know."

"If he records this conversation—"

silence.

"Old Nie, I've taken care of this for you. But from today onwards, we shouldn't have any more contact."

Old Nie's fingers tightened slightly.

"Old Liu—"

"I'm not cutting ties with you. I'm telling you that after this incident, we need to avoid each other. You've been in the provincial capital for so many years; you should understand this principle."

Old Nie remained silent for a moment.

"Understood."

"Also, you'd better not have any direct contact with Fang Mingyuan anymore. Your phone, your WeChat, and your call logs are all evidence."

"I know."

The phone hangs up.

Old Nie put his phone on the table and stared at the table lamp.

Old Liu was willing to help this not because of a close friendship, but because the statement itself was not a threat, but a transaction.

Go inside, I'll take care of your family;

If you keep making baseless accusations, your family will suffer.

Fang Mingyuan has been operating in Qingshun County for so many years. He cares about his official position, but he cares even more about the Fang family.

Fang Zhiwen is his cousin, and Fang Zhiqiang is another cousin of his. He built the Fang family's foundation in Liuhe Town.

He went inside, and the Fang family dispersed.

Fang Mingyuan understood what he was saying.

Old Nie lit another cigarette.

Fang Mingyuan's matter has been temporarily put on hold.

But the real problem isn't Fang Mingyuan, it's Gu Huaiyuan.

Old Nie picked up his phone and scrolled to a number in his contacts labeled "Tang".

This is Gu Huaiyuan's secretary's number. Her surname is Tang. She has been with Gu Huaiyuan for five years and is the person Gu Huaiyuan trusts the most.

Old Nie never called Gu Huaiyuan directly; everything was relayed through Secretary Tang.

This is Gu Huaiyuan's rule—no direct contact, no leaving a trace, and no one can find any fault with him.

Old Nie stared at the number for a long time.

He has to make this call.

It wasn't a cry for help, it was a report.

He wanted Gu Huaiyuan to know that Fang Mingyuan might be in trouble, that the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection was paying attention to the audit work in Qingshun County, and that the fire might spread.

This is not shirking responsibility, but fulfilling one's "duty".

Gu Huaiyuan's rule is: "I don't care if you make money; I don't take responsibility if you get into trouble."

But you must let him know before anything happens.

It was his responsibility that he didn't know;

He knew that not taking action was his choice.

What Lao Nie had to do was to pass the information up.

He pressed the call button.

The phone rang three times before being answered.

"President Nie."

Secretary Tang's voice came from the other end of the phone; it was low and flat, devoid of any emotion.

This person has been with Gu Huaiyuan for five years. His greatest skill is being expressionless, toneless, and attitudeless, like a perfect mouthpiece.

"Secretary Tang, is it a convenient time to talk?"

"you say."

Old Nie took a deep breath.

"Something's happened in Qingshun County. The provincial audit team's report is coming out soon, and Fang Mingyuan might not be able to handle it. The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is paying attention to this matter."

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

"How far has it gotten?"

"The audit team is still writing the report, which will take at least three days. Fang Mingyuan's cousin, Fang Zhiwen, is preparing to turn himself in. Fang Mingyuan came to see me today and said he has no way out."

Silence again.

"Mr. Nie, do you have any records of these matters between you and Fang Mingyuan?"

Old Nie's fingers tightened slightly.

"Yes. We have the transfer records, contracts, and call logs."

"Has it been dealt with?"

"It can't be dealt with. He has copies and bank transfer records."

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

"I see."

Secretary Tang hung up the phone.

Old Nie took the phone away from his ear and stared at the screen.

The call lasted less than a minute.

"I understand" - what does this sentence mean?

Does it mean they know how to handle it, or they don't?

Old Nie didn't know.

But he had already done what he was supposed to do—he passed the information up.

As for how Gu Huaiyuan reacts, that's beyond his control.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

I went through all the possible escape routes in my mind.

As for Fang Mingyuan, Lao Liu will have someone pass on a message.

Fang Mingyuan is a smart man; he knows how to choose.

On Gu Huaiyuan's side, Secretary Tang said, "I understand."

If Gu Huaiyuan is willing to protect him, someone will contact him;

If Gu Huaiyuan is unwilling to protect him, he will not sit idly by and wait for his death.

He has one other option—to confess voluntarily.

Old Nie opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

If Fang Mingyuan really speaks up, and if Gu Huaiyuan really doesn't care anymore, he can explain the situation himself before the Discipline Inspection Commission comes to him.

Confess proactively and strive for leniency.

It wasn't because he wanted to go to jail, but because voluntarily confessing and being verified are completely different things.

Confessing proactively might save some of your assets;

Once it was confirmed, everything was gone.

But that was the last resort.

He still has time.

Old Nie stood up, walked to the safe, squatted down, and turned the combination lock a few times.

He opened the cabinet door and took out a file folder containing all the records of his interactions with Gu Huaiyuan over the past ten years.

It's not direct evidence, but material that can be pieced together to form a complete chain.

Project approval documents, fund disbursement records, and the time, place, and participants of several private meetings.

He stared at the file folder for a long time.

These things were his last bargaining chips.

It wasn't meant to threaten Gu Huaiyuan—he wouldn't dare.

It's for saving lives.

If one day the Discipline Inspection Commission really finds him.

He can use these things to explain the situation and prove that he "actively cooperated".

Whether Gu Huaiyuan would be implicated or not, he couldn't care less.

He put the document bag back in the safe, closed the door, and turned the combination lock a few times.

Then, he went back to his desk, sat down, picked up his phone, and went to Fang Mingyuan's WeChat.

If Lao Liu's message is delivered, what will Fang Mingyuan choose?

Old Nie didn't know.

But he knew that Fang Mingyuan was a smart man.

Smart people will make the right choices...

He put down his phone and turned off the desk lamp.

At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind—he had done everything he could.

The rest is up to time and fate.