Me! A high-ranking official!

A gag order was issued for Zhou Qingyan's condition. At the hospital, the director personally oversaw the process, and all the doctors and nurses involved signed confidentiality agreements. At the county level, Han Baomin personally issued an order that anyone who leaked the information would be dealt with. Under normal circumstances, news of this level of secrecy would not even leave the hospital.

But now they've not only gone out, they've become this precise.

Penicillin, doxycycline, syphilis prevention.

The other party not only knew what medicine Zhou Qingyan used, but also what the combination of the two medicines meant. This was not the kind of knowledge a hospital nurse could have, nor was it information that ordinary people could find. The other party came prepared, did their homework, timed it perfectly, chose the right channel, and hit the mark in one fell swoop.

What is the purpose?

Zhou Qingyan was parachuted in as the county party secretary. The pie of Linshui County had already been divided up, but she, an outsider, suddenly barged in and sat in the middle seat. Some people were dissatisfied, some were envious, some were afraid that she would block their way, and there was another possibility: some people wanted to push her down before she could even gain a foothold.

How can a county party secretary who is exposed to have contracted syphilis on his very first day in office command respect? How can he carry out his work? What will the organization department write in his evaluation materials? Even if she can get through it, this matter will be like a scar that will be permanently stuck to her, and it will be brought up every time she is considered for promotion.

People in officialdom are most afraid of this kind of smear that is hard to explain. Even if you are innocent, others will look at you with strange eyes. What's more, this matter is true.

No one knew better than him that this was true.

Because the person who infected her was him.

He quickly got out of bed and continued scrolling through the messages. When he reached the very bottom, someone posted a link with the title "A newly appointed leader in Linshui County is suspected of being infected with syphilis." It was posted on a local news-related social media account. He clicked on it. The article was short, but it contained all the key information: the newly appointed leader was rushed to the hospital overnight, and was given two allergy medications to prevent syphilis infection.

The number of clicks has exceeded 1,000.

He exited the link and searched on another platform. The same content, with a different title, appeared on three different accounts. He switched to another platform and found two more results, one posted at 2 AM and the other at 4 AM, the times staggered, as if someone was timing it.

The number of reposts is still increasing.

He turned off his phone, grabbed his T-shirt, put it on, slipped on his shoes, and rushed outside.

The matter could no longer be covered up. In one night, hundreds of group messages were posted simultaneously on multiple platforms, and the number of reposts continued to climb. By the time he saw it, the news had spread throughout the entire county's institutional circle. Before noon, even the woman selling pancakes on the street would know that the new female secretary had contracted venereal disease.

It's too late to block it now.

He didn't know if Zhou Qingyan already knew about this, but Zhou Qingyan had to know. If he faced all of this unprepared... he dared not think any further.

He rushed out of the residential compound and ran towards the county hospital.

I ran all the way to the entrance of the county hospital, panting as I rushed through the gate, crossed the outpatient building, and just as I turned into the small square in front of the inpatient department, my feet suddenly stopped on the ground.

Zhou Qingyan was walking out of the hospital building. She was wearing dark casual clothes, her hair was simply tied back, her face was as pale as paper, and her steps were unsteady, as if she were walking on cotton. She even held onto the doorknob when she went out and took a couple of breaths to steady herself.

His gaze swept over, and his pupils suddenly contracted. He recognized the person walking to Zhou Qingyan's right rear: Chen Yongjun, the director of the First Supervision Office of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. He had attended the city's discipline inspection system exchange meeting last year with people from the county discipline inspection commission and had seen Chen Yongjun speak on stage. This man was in his early forties, with a square face, thick, black eyebrows, and spoke slowly and deliberately, but he was notoriously difficult to deal with in the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The other two people walked on either side of Zhou Qingyan. They were both unfamiliar faces, but judging from their positions and gaits, they were with Chen Yongjun.

His mind went blank. The people from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection had arrived. It seemed that their methods were faster, more ruthless, and more precise than he had imagined.

Spreading the news was only the first step, ruining Zhou Qingyan's reputation and letting the whole county and even the whole city know that the new female secretary had contracted a venereal disease. This was a propaganda war. The second step was the real killer move: filing a real-name report with the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. According to the discipline inspection regulations, a real-name report must be accepted and investigated. When the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection came, it wasn't as simple as "inviting someone for tea." It meant that a formal investigation process had been initiated.

He stood at the edge of the small square, watching helplessly as Zhou Qingyan was sandwiched between three people and walked towards the parking lot. A black sedan was parked in the parking lot; it didn't have a county license plate, but a city one.

He immediately understood the other party's entire scheme: first, to smear her reputation through public opinion, then to destroy her through investigation. Once the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection intervened, they would inevitably conduct relevant examinations. Although syphilis symptoms are not obvious in the early stages, and ordinary serological tests may not be able to detect it during the window period, if the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection was determined to investigate, they had plenty of ways to do so. PCR testing and dark-field microscopy could detect spirochetes in the early stages. Once the test results came back positive, Zhou Qingyan's life would be completely over. She would lose not only her position as county party secretary, but also her public office.

He didn't have time to think about it anymore. He quickly retreated to the wall on the side of the inpatient department, summoned the treasure basin, and the bottom of the bowl lit up. His consciousness slid into the bottom of the basin, directly skipping over the classification labels, finding the pill interface, and fixing his gaze on the three words "Rejuvenation Pill".

Name of the pill: Rejuvenating Pill.

Efficacy: It can cure hundreds of diseases such as venereal diseases, boils, syphilis, venereal diseases, tuberculosis, bloating, diabetes, and other serious illnesses. Within twelve hours after taking it, the medicinal power will gradually enter the meridians, cleansing the evil toxins from the five internal organs. After recovery, no disease will occur, and the body will be stronger than before.

Loan period: seven days.

Compensation: Twenty million coins.

His finger hovered over the word "borrow" for a moment.

If he can't repay 20 million within seven days, the Treasure Bowl will randomly take things from him: property, limbs, lifespan, memories, name. He won't know what it takes or how much. Looking up at Zhou Qingyan again, he saw that they had already arrived in front of a car. Time was of the essence, and there was no time to waste. This matter originated from him, and he couldn't run away! He gritted his teeth and pointed his finger down.

The bottom of the bowl shone brightly, and a line of dark golden ancient seal script appeared: The contract is complete, with a seven-day deadline.

After the light faded, the interface of the Sumeru Mustard Seed automatically popped up. In the first compartment, there was an antique wooden box, about the size of a palm, completely black, with patterns he didn't recognize carved on the lid, faintly glowing with a dark light.

With a thought, the wooden box appeared in his palm. He opened the lid, revealing a layer of dark red velvet inside. In the center of the velvet lay a pill the size of a longan. The pill was a deep, dark gold color, with a faint shimmering light on its surface. A rich medicinal fragrance wafted out, not the bitter smell found in traditional Chinese medicine shops, but an indescribable, refreshing aroma that made one feel much clearer and more refreshed.

He closed the lid, took the pills out of the box and held them in his palm, put the wooden box back into the Sumeru Mustard Seed Box, and emerged from behind the wall.

In the parking lot, Zhou Qingyan had already walked to the front of the black sedan. Chen Yongjun opened the back door, and Zhou Qingyan bent down to get in.

He clenched the pill in his hand, took a deep breath, and strode over.

"Secretary Zhou! Wait a minute!"

His voice boomed through the parking lot, and everyone turned to look. Zhou Qingyan paused, slowly straightened up, and looked at him.

His eyes were filled with disgust and hatred, even more intense than they had been in the hospital room the day before. His lips twitched as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing. He expressionlessly withdrew his gaze, bent down, and got into the car.