The pushover offended a top-tier boss

Everyone was present in the district committee meeting room.

The long table was filled with heads of various departments, but everyone's eyes were drawn to the head of the table.

Zhou Huaijin arrived late, walked to the head seat with a calm expression, and began to speak. His voice was as steady as ever, and his pace was neither fast nor slow. But everyone noticed the scratch on his chin.

Some people silently looked away, some lowered their heads and pretended to take notes, and some picked up their teacups and took a big gulp to hide the twitching at the corners of their mouths.

Has the leader just returned from the battlefield?

Of course, no one dared to show it on their faces. Zhou Huaijin remained calm and composed, saying whatever came to mind, as if the mark didn't exist.

After the meeting ended, several bureau chiefs waited at the door, holding documents and preparing to give a report.

As Zhou Huaijin walked out of the conference room, he glanced at his watch and instructed Lin Rui, who was following behind him:

"Let them focus on the key points and crucial data, instead of reading from a script."

Lin Rui nodded. "Okay. It should be finished around 11:30."

Zhou Huaijin frowned. "Eleven o'clock."

Lin Rui was taken aback. "Is there something urgent? Why don't you have them come again this afternoon?"

"It's nothing."

Zhou Huaijin glanced at his watch again.

"I'm going home to steam some buns later."

If he gets back late, Ye Zhenzhen will definitely nag and complain about him again.

Lin Rui paused for a moment, his mind racing. How did the words "steamed buns" get associated with the boss? He wanted to say that the cafeteria had them, the kitchen had them, and it was easy to buy them outside, but after thinking about it, he remained silent.

The steamed buns that the leader eats at home are definitely not ordinary buns.

When Zhou Huaijin returned to Yuyuan, it was not yet eleven o'clock.

Ye Zhenzhen was standing in front of the kitchen counter, head down, her hands buried in a lump of white dough, kneading it vigorously. A thin layer of powder covered the counter, and a small speck rubbed onto the tip of her nose. Stray hairs fell from behind her ears, hanging down her face.

Hearing the door open, she looked up and saw him return; her eyes lit up.

"Old Zhou, you're finally back. Come and pick the vegetables." Her hands were still covered in flour, so she couldn't point easily. She gestured with her chin towards the sink.

A pile of vegetables—bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, onions, and carrots—was waiting to be prepared by the sink.

Zhou Huaijin took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, walked to the pool, and began to pick vegetables.

His movements were unhurried and deliberate, like an operator diligently following procedures.

Ye Zhenzhen had already kneaded the dough and covered it with a damp cloth to let it rest. She walked over and saw that he had already picked all the vegetables and peeled the onions, arranging them neatly on a plate. She couldn't help but praise him, "Hmm, you're quite efficient."

The two of them got busy in the kitchen again, using a food processor to grind vegetables into filling. They chopped carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and wood ear mushrooms together, chopped onions, blanched bok choy, squeezed it dry, and chopped it.

Ye Zhenzhen video-called her mother, pointing the camera at the cutting board, and asked for advice on the spot. "Mom, what other seasonings should I add?"

Mother Ye peered out from behind the screen, giving her instructions. "Salt, thirteen-spice powder, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, minced ginger. Oh, and sesame oil. For the minced meat, make some Sichuan peppercorn water, and fry the scallions, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns in oil before pouring it over the meat for extra aroma."

Ye Zhenzhen followed the on-site instructions, placing each ingredient one by one, while Zhou Huaijin assisted her, handing over seasonings, fetching bowls, and pouring water. The two worked together surprisingly well.

The meat filling is ready, the vegetable filling is mixed, and the dough has risen.

The two of them started wrapping buns around the worktable. Ye Zhenzhen didn't usually wrap buns, so she was clumsy and the pleats she made were crooked. Zhou Huaijin was an even bigger novice, and the buns she made were all different shapes, but they weren't too picky; they just wanted them to stay intact.

The steamed buns made by the two of them were ready more than two hours later. When the steamer was opened, white steam rose up, carrying the aroma of dough and meat, filling the entire kitchen. Although the buns were not pretty—some were big, some were small, and some had pleats like twisted dough sticks—they were steaming hot and looked very appetizing.

Ye Zhenzhen cooked another pot of millet porridge, which was good for the stomach. It was golden yellow, thick, and had a layer of rice oil floating on top.

The two sat at the dining table, and the autumn sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the tabletop.

"Mmm, it smells so good!" Ye Zhenzhen took a bite of the beef-filled bun and couldn't help but exclaim, "It tastes even better than the ones sold outside, doesn't it?"

Zhou Huaijin also took a bite, chewed it twice, and nodded. "Mmm."

Ye Zhenzhen placed another vegetarian filling into his bowl. "Old Zhou, eat less meat, it's bad for your stomach."

"it is good."

Zhou Huaijin lowered his head and ate the vegetarian bun.

Today's meal was indeed much tastier than the one from a while ago. Food made at home is definitely different from what you buy outside.

After finishing their meal, he cleared the dishes, while Ye Zhenzhen went to clean the litter box for Xiao Zhou. A gust of wind picked up outside, scattering fallen sycamore leaves across the ground, which swirled and danced in the breeze.

He stood by the window for a long time, and suddenly thought, how could life be the same no matter who you live with?

He has no regrets about his choice.

Binzhou City, Inspection Team Office.

Xu Shihan sat on the sofa in the reception room, opposite a middle-aged man in a dark jacket. The tea in front of her had gone cold. Today, she was wearing a black suit, her hair was neatly styled, and she looked capable and dignified, a stark contrast to her disheveled appearance in front of Zhou's mother.

"Director Wu, I am Xu Shihan from the Organization Department of District X, Beijing." She bowed slightly and took out a letter from her bag. "I have long admired your name."

Director Wu glanced at the letter of introduction, his expression becoming more polite. "Minister Xu, what brings you here today?"

"The recent cleanup campaign in Binzhou has attracted attention from all over the country. My unit has come here specifically to understand the situation and convey the relevant directives to our grassroots units." Her smile was polite and gentle, without a single flaw. "I would like to know about the current progress of the case."

Director Wu hesitated for a moment, then gave a brief overview of the case. "Most of the people involved have been convicted, but the cross-border part involving Dingxin Group is not yet fully closed and is still in the judicial process."

Xu Shihan listened attentively to every single sentence.

Upon hearing that Li Chenghao had arranged for his secretariat staff to seduce Zhou Huaijin, she remarked with emotion:

"This Wei Zixuan is actually an informant. She's even extended her reach into the secretariat. She's really very cunning."

"Yes, these people have informants everywhere," Director Wu explained. "However, Wei Zixuan was quite cooperative and showed a good attitude in admitting her guilt, so she was given a one-year suspended sentence and dismissed from her public office."

Xu Shihan's eyes flickered for a moment. An employee of the district committee secretariat—then she knew a lot.

She didn't ask anything more, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then got up to take her leave.

Because Wei Zixuan is on probation, she must undergo community corrections and is unable to find a proper job.

All her former connections vanished; no one replied to her messages anymore, and no company wanted to hire her. She had no choice but to take on odd jobs to make ends meet and lived in a cramped rented room in an urban village.

Xu Shihan hesitated for a moment as she stepped into the room. There was a damp, musty smell in the air. The cement floor, coated with a layer of green epoxy paint, was worn and uneven. Wei Zixuan sat at a folding table, on which lay half-finished handmade jewelry. She looked up and saw a woman in a black suit, with exquisite makeup, standing in the doorway.

"Are you Wei Zixuan?" Xu Shihan looked at her with a condescending disdain.

"What else do you know about Ye Zhenzhen and Zhou Huaijin?"