Me! A high-ranking official!

"What do you mean?"

"If this matter isn't handled properly, you and Zhou Qingyan will likely face expulsion from both the party and public office, or even worse." Du Yu paused, his voice suddenly becoming extremely eerie, as if stating a given fact: "So, we investigated for you."

"Investigate what?"

"We found out that you and Xu Qingqing actually secretly divorced six months ago."

hum!

Zhao Jianguo felt a surge of electricity shoot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. What did this mean?

Du Yu's voice came slowly from the receiver, as if he were reading a pre-written script: "You two registered your divorce at the Civil Affairs Bureau six months ago, but Cao Wenting, concerned about her political influence, forced you to keep it a secret for the time being. So, you are divorced but still living together."

"Oh, right," Du Yu added, "that divorce certificate that was printed six months ago and has the official seal was put in your mailbox ten minutes ago. Remember to pick it up when you get back."

His breathing quickened. The nationwide network of civil affairs systems, the top-secret files of the Civil Affairs Bureau—how could they have so secretly altered the data and fabricated a divorce from six months ago?!

Just how vast is the energy behind this, this invisible giant hand?!

"Who exactly is behind you? Why are you helping me?!" he asked in a deep voice.

Du Yu simply chuckled, without uttering a single word, and the call ended with a beep.

He leaned against the wall by the vent, the night wind blowing on his face, but he felt his hands and feet were ice cold.

The powerful figure behind Du Yu would never do good deeds for no reason. Just a few days ago, he made a report to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and today the other party has delivered such a huge get-out-of-jail-free card.

This isn't compensation; it's flexing its muscles! It's blatantly telling him, "You can tear the sky apart, but we can patch it up; we can save your life with a single word, or crush you with another!"

But right now, he had no other choice. This was the only way to save himself and Zhou Qingyan. As long as he had this divorce certificate from six months ago, he and Zhou Qingyan would be in a normal relationship as single men and women. Pregnancy would at most be considered a matter of improper conduct, and would absolutely not rise to the political red line of violating discipline and laws!

As for the debts and scheming that have been left unpaid, we can only try to plug this hole when we have the strength to do so in the future.

Zhao Jianguo took a deep breath, rubbed his stiff cheeks, pushed open the door of VIP room number 6, and went back inside.

Zhou Qingyan remained in the same posture, looking out the window, exuding a heavy, gloomy aura.

"Secretary Zhou!" He walked to the tea table, poured a cup of hot tea, and pushed it to her side: "There's something I must confess to you."

Zhou Qingyan frowned, turned around and looked at him coldly: "Things have come to this point, what other mess do you have to clean up?"

He gave a bitter smile, looked into her eyes, and said slowly and deliberately, "Actually, Xu Qingqing and I divorced six months ago. Legally, I've been single for six months."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingyan was startled, freezing in place. Then, a bright light flashed in her lifeless eyes, but her inherent suspicion as the top leader immediately alerted her: "Since you divorced half a year ago, why didn't you say so before?!"

He sighed: "You know what kind of person Cao Wenting is. She is extremely concerned about her reputation and is afraid that her daughter's divorce will affect her political reputation. So, behind my back, she used her special means to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to complete the divorce procedures, but forced Xu Qingqing to keep it from me and let me continue to work for her family even after the divorce."

"That call was from a friend of mine at the Public Security Bureau. He checked the files after Cao Wenting's incident and found out about it. He just notified me!"

Upon hearing these words, Zhou Qingyan's tense shoulders instantly relaxed. He slowly sat back down in his chair, let out a long breath, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

If this is true, then it's a decisive blow! All deadlocks have instantly become a rekindled flame of life! Single men and women freely dating and living together is neither encouraged nor opposed. Even if someone uses this to attack him, it's at most a minor issue with his conduct, not a major problem!

"I never expected..." Zhou Qingyan picked up the cup of hot tea, took a big gulp, and made a joke for the first time ever: "Cao Wenting has committed many evils, but in the end, she actually did a great deed by accident."

Seeing Zhou Qingyan's visibly improved mood, he chuckled twice, his heart heavy. That fabricated divorce certificate was like an invisible leash, tightly fastened around his neck. What exactly was Du Yu's unfathomable web of interests plotting against him?

"Alright, now that the biggest problem is solved, you know what to say about tomorrow's questioning by the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection." Zhou Qingyan stood up, put his black trench coat back on, and resumed his usual decisive manner: "As long as we get through this hurdle, I can make this game in Linshui County a success!"

The two discussed the details again, then walked out of the teahouse one after the other and went their separate ways.

After getting out of the taxi, Zhao Jianguo didn't go back to the Yuepeng Hotel, but went straight to his home that had been sealed off.

Ronghui Xiuyuan.

A row of stainless steel mailboxes stood downstairs in the apartment complex, covered with a thin layer of dust. He took out his key and turned the corresponding small door.

With a soft "snap," the small iron gate popped open.

Inside lay a plain brown paper envelope without any markings.

His heart skipped a beat. He took it out and saw that the envelope was not sealed. Inside was a dark red plastic-covered notebook with slightly curled, worn edges.

Upon opening it, the words "Divorce Certificate" were printed on the cover.

Certificate holders: Zhao Jianguo and Xu Qingqing.

The registration date was clearly printed six months ago, and the stamp on it was crystal clear.

Holding this light little red book, he felt a chill run down his spine. What kind of power and connections would it take to slip this incredibly realistic file into the Civil Affairs Bureau's top-secret system without anyone noticing?

Who exactly is the powerful figure behind Du Yu? Why is he specifically targeting a lowly clerk like him?

He put the divorce certificate in his inner pocket. Although he couldn't understand it, he could only take it one step at a time for now. At worst, when he really reached the end of his rope, he would still have the treasure bowl as a safety net. If he couldn't meet the other party's demands, or if they were immoral or unreasonable, and he really couldn't take it anymore, he would use the treasure bowl to take the other party down with him!

Back at the hotel, he slammed himself onto the bed, staring at the yellowish water stain on the ceiling, but Zhou Qingyan's icy face kept flashing through his mind.

I'm pregnant...

Xu Qingqing had been pregnant with his child before, but she secretly had an abortion for that adulterer surnamed Sun, leaving him no trace of her child. Now Zhou Qingyan is pregnant again, and in the end, she still has to have an abortion.

Is Zhao Jianguo destined to be childless for life?!

He gave a bitter laugh, abruptly turned over, buried his face in the pillow, and wondered what he was thinking. This man was a county party secretary at the full-fledged division level, in the prime of his life in his early thirties. Why should he let a divorced deputy section chief riddled with illnesses have his child?

That's wishful thinking!