Me! A high-ranking official!

Zhou Qingyan sneered, her eyes growing even sharper: "I only had someone investigate you after I finished confessing, Zhao Jianguo, you're really something! Married! Just a few days ago, you tested positive for both HIV and syphilis during a company physical! And then you publicly accused your own mother-in-law of being a disciplinary committee member! You're a notorious ticking time bomb in this compound!"

Zhou Qingyan stood up, placing her hands on the tea table, her gaze piercingly menacing: "Do you know what this is called? This is called me, the dignified county party secretary, having an affair with a married subordinate suffering from a sexually transmitted disease! If the municipal discipline inspection commission digs deeper and finds out you're still married, what will they think? They'll think you reported Cao Wenting to clear the way for your affair with me! I'll be labeled a political thug who destroyed someone else's family and even manipulated the report! At that point, neither of us will survive!"

He was completely stunned. The Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection's methods were too ruthless. Following the clues, they were trying to destroy Zhou Qingyan!

"I need a solution, and now I'd like to hear your ideas." Zhou Qingyan sat back in her chair, looking at him coldly.

It felt like a million flies were buzzing in his head. Ideas? What ideas could he possibly have? He was over thirty years old and had suffered endless humiliation at the hands of Cao Wenting and her daughter in this compound. Just now, when he suddenly heard that he was pregnant, his instinctive bloodlust overwhelmed him.

He swallowed hard and blurted out, "Secretary... I want this child!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the air in the private room seemed to drop to freezing point.

Zhou Qingyan looked at him as if he were a mad, mangy dog, a mocking sneer curling her lips: "Zhao Jianguo, do you think you can use this little bit of leverage against me? Let me tell you, don't dream about it. I'll find a perfectly safe place to get rid of this kid in the next few days!"

These words pierced his heart like a needle. He forced himself to calm down, knowing that this matter was of great importance, even concerning the political lives of two people. Suppressing his disappointment, he asked in a hoarse voice, "Then... what are your thoughts on the investigation by the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection?"

Zhou Qingyan closed his eyes, let out a long sigh, and looked exhausted: "I've been thinking about this all afternoon. This is a dead end. There's only one way to break this deadlock. When the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection questions you, you must insist that you concealed your marital history from me and that you fabricated a single persona to deceive me."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jianguo fell silent for a moment. This was a classic case of sacrificing a pawn to save the king, taking all the blame and accusations upon himself, portraying him as a complete political swindler and a scumbag in love. In this way, Zhou Qingyan would become the deceived victim, at most bearing the responsibility of oversight.

He was just a lowly deputy section chief; let him be expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office. He'd had enough of being in the system anyway.

"Don't think you can get away unscathed just because you've lost your public office." Zhou Qingyan saw through his thoughts and said in a heavy tone, "Deceiving the organization and leading cadres has caused extremely bad political consequences. You will not only be expelled from the Party and removed from your post, but you should also be prepared to spend a few years in jail."

Zhao Jianguo suddenly raised his head and looked at her in disbelief.

"This fire won't be extinguished until you're locked up and nailed to the ground!" Zhou Qingyan's gaze turned extremely deep: "That night I broke into your room, it wasn't an accident. I was drugged unintentionally. I suspect their goal was to have someone ruin my reputation, take photos to blackmail me. I stumbled into your room by accident and escaped unscathed, but these people lurking in the shadows will definitely not let this go. They will seize on the loopholes of my premarital pregnancy and your marriage and relentlessly attack me!"

Zhao Jianguo was startled, and the words Zhang Jianhong had said to him at the Discipline Inspection Commission suddenly flashed through his mind.

"Secretary Zhou!" he said urgently, "A few days ago, when the county discipline inspection commission questioned me, they said someone witnessed a man and a woman leaving my room, and the hotel's surveillance cameras... just happened to be broken that day!"

Zhou Qingyan's brows furrowed sharply: "Are you sure?!"

"Absolutely true! Zhang Jianhong, deputy director of the First Office of the County Discipline Inspection Commission, said it himself!"

Zhou Qingyan's fingers tapped rapidly on the table, his face ashen: "It seems this net has been cast wider than I imagined. The broken surveillance cameras were their doing, and the witnesses were also their planted moles. These people are trying to drive us both to our doom..."

She suddenly stopped what she was doing, and looked deeply at Zhao Jianguo. Her eyes held less disgust and more a helpless sadness.

"To be honest, I don't blame you. What happened that night wasn't your fault. You even helped me. But Zhao Jianguo, I can't get over that hurdle in my heart."

Zhou Qingyan stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the night view of Qingshan County outside. His back looked thin and resolute.

"It's unfair to make you take the blame and go to jail. I'm not the kind of politician who would push someone to their death just to climb the ladder for myself. This is aimed at me."

She remained silent for a long time, then suddenly turned around and said, word by word, "In the next two days, I will submit my resignation to the municipal party committee, citing physical and mental reasons, and resign from my position as secretary of the Linshui County Party Committee."

Zhao Jianguo was completely stunned.

Resign from office?!

How could a promising, promising department-level official in his early thirties be so decisive in breaking this deadlock?! Once she leaves, even if the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection finds something, they will weigh the pros and cons and remain silent. After all, she has already resigned to take responsibility, and continuing to harp on her conduct would be a huge blow to the reputation of the Municipal Party Committee.

But the price was too high for Zhou Qingyan.

He gritted his teeth and remained silent, but his consciousness sank into the treasure trove deep in his mind. His gaze swept over the cause-and-effect options, and he had grasped the key to the matter: if he could change the state of his marriage with Xu Qingqing, everything would be solved!

A moment later, his eyes lit up. The Yi Shi Fu (易事符) could change the cause and effect of a certain matter. The greater the cause and effect involved, the greater the compensation would be, with the starting compensation ranging from one hundred million to ten billion.

Upon seeing this number, his heart sank instantly. A hundred million as the starting point? He hadn't even saved enough for medical treatment, where was he going to get a hundred million? If he couldn't repay the loan after the seven-day loan period, the money-making machine would definitely drain him dry!

Just as he was feeling disappointed, his cell phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.

He took it out and frowned. Du Yu!

That high-tech company CEO who represented a big shot in the city, who was threatening and bribing him just two days ago!

He hung up without hesitation.

Zhou Qingyan glanced at him, her tone indifferent: "It won't stop you from taking the call. You can leave if you have something to do."

"A harassing telemarketing call." He shook his head.

The phone vibrated again as soon as he finished speaking. It was Du Yu again!

His eyes narrowed. What was this bastard up to? He nodded apologetically to Zhou Qingyan: "Secretary, I'm going out to take a call."

Push open the door to the private room, walk to the ventilation vent at the far end of the corridor, and press the answer button.

"Mr. Zhao, is it convenient to talk now?" Du Yu's voice remained steady, but it carried a sense of pressure.

He sneered, "Convenient. What advice does Mr. Du have for me?"

"Tomorrow morning, the First Inspection and Supervision Office of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection will send someone to conduct a surprise interrogation of you." Du Yu spoke quickly: "The core issue is your true relationship with Zhou Qingyan; they want to investigate your marital status."

Zhao Jianguo's heart skipped a beat!

How could the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection act so quickly? And how did Du Yu know about the Commission's confidential case-handling information?!

"Why are you telling me this?" Zhao Jianguo lowered his voice, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

On the other end of the phone, Du Yu chuckled softly: "We mean you no harm. This news, and what happened next, is our way of making amends to you for what happened with Cao Wenting."