Me! A high-ranking official!

Zhou Qingyan rushed to her car, opened the driver's side door and jumped in. He had just reached the passenger side and grabbed the door handle when, "Vroom!", Zhou Qingyan floored the accelerator, and the car shot off like an arrow, leaving him with a trail of exhaust fumes.

His hand was still frozen in mid-air, in the position of pulling the car door, and he was completely dumbfounded.

Watching the red taillights disappear into the hospital entrance, he laughed angrily and muttered:

"Damn, that's so heartless! This is a neighboring province, over a hundred kilometers away from the county! At least take me to a deserted county border before dumping me out........................................................................."

He sighed, took out a cigarette and lit it. Oh well, the safety accident was the fault of the Construction Bureau, the Safety Supervision Bureau, and the county leaders. It had nothing to do with him, a marginal figure in the Culture and Tourism Bureau, a government department with little influence. Today was the last day of the May Day holiday. Huai'an County was a well-known tourist county, and its ancient towns and scenic spots were quite popular. Since he was already here, he might as well take a stroll around and consider it a study tour.

He turned around and was about to walk out when he suddenly caught sight of the obstetrician from earlier, standing on the steps of the outpatient building, looking around and holding a cell phone with a black matte case in her hand.

When he saw the phone, his heart skipped a beat.

Holy crap! That's Zhou Qingyan's phone! I was in such a rush after that call that I left it in the operating room!

He felt a layer of white sweat instantly break out on his back, and he rushed up the steps, a hurried smile plastered on his face:

"Oh, doctor, I was just looking for my phone! My wife couldn't find it after she went out, and you found it! Thank you so much......................................................................"

The doctor gave him a wary look and didn't rush to give him anything.

"Is this your phone? Not your wife's? This phone kept ringing, and when I answered it, the person on the other end was very anxious, immediately looking for something called 'Secretary Zhou.' I was thinking that your wife's registered name was Zhou..."

His mind raced, a smile plastered on his face, and he immediately slapped his thigh with a laugh:

"What a coincidence! Doctor, my surname is also Zhou! My wife and I are from the same family, we both have the surname Zhou! This is my phone. A relative just called me urgently, probably calling me Uncle Zhou or Brother Zhou, you must have misheard me......................................................................"

Upon hearing this, the doctor suddenly realized:

"Oh, I see. I knew it! You'd better take it quickly, they're in a hurry..."

"Thank you so much, doctor. I'm sorry to have troubled you..."

He took the phone, and as he turned around, he let out a long sigh of relief. That was close! Although Huai'an County is in another province, it's still adjacent. If the doctor had said something and searched "Secretary Zhou" online, and then saw Zhou Qingyan's face... the news that an unmarried female county party secretary had a secret miscarriage in another province would have made Zhou Qingyan jump off a building.

Looking at this hot potato in his hand, Zhao Jianguo shook his head. This woman must be like a cat on a hot tin roof right now; how could she direct the rescue without a cell phone?

Just as he was wondering how to deliver it to her, his own phone rang in his pocket.

It's a local, unfamiliar number.

As soon as the call connected, Zhou Qingyan's voice was filled with obvious panic and suppressed anxiety:

"I left my phone in the operating room! You're still here, right? Please help me find it..."

"No need to look anymore, the doctor just took it out, I already have it," he said calmly.

Did the doctor answer the phone? Did he say anything.........................................................................

Zhou Qingyan's voice instantly rose eight octaves, clearly terrified.

"The phone kept ringing. The doctor answered, and the person on the other end called him Secretary Zhou. The doctor asked me, and I said, 'Coincidentally, my surname is also Zhou,' and that got me off the hook........................................................................."

His tone was indifferent, but it carried a hint of self-satisfaction.

There was a three-second silence on the other end of the phone, then Zhao Jianguo heard Zhou Qingyan let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Don't move at the hospital entrance, I'm turning around right away..."

Five minutes later, the familiar private car sped back and screeched to a halt in front of Zhao Jianguo.

He rolled down the car window, walked over, and handed his phone through the window.

Zhou Qingyan grabbed the phone, glanced at the screen, and then, without saying a word, pushed open the driver's side door, got out, opened the back door, and sat down.

He stood outside and couldn't help but roll his eyes dramatically. Well, they were using him as a personal driver.

Well, at least they didn't really leave him stranded in the next province. He opened the driver's side door, got in, adjusted the seat, stepped on the gas, and the car roared off towards the county.

The provincial highway stretches for over 100 kilometers, and the tires make a buzzing noise as they roll over the asphalt.

Zhou Qingyan sat in the back row, her phone never stopping; her voice was hoarse, but her tone was extremely fast:

"Lü Da, have you set up a cordon? Clear all unrelated personnel out! What about the Publicity Department? Keep a close eye on the Cyberspace Administration, and keep an eye on those filming short videos. We can't let our dirty laundry be aired at this critical juncture. Absolutely no one is allowed to speak out or give interviews privately..."

"Have the heads of the Safety Supervision Bureau and the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau arrived at the scene? If not, tell them that if they are not there within ten minutes, they shouldn't come to work tomorrow..."

"Do everything you can to save lives! The neighborhood committee and stability maintenance office must immediately intervene to comfort the families! Whoever's jurisdiction is responsible for the incident. If the families cause a mass incident, I will hold them accountable..."

Zhao Jianguo gripped the steering wheel with both hands, his eyes fixed straight ahead. Sweat had unknowingly seeped down his back. Listening to the rapid-fire instructions from the back seat, he clicked his tongue inwardly. The common people all thought that the top leader in this compound was incredibly powerful and walked with an air of authority, but behind power lay a deep pit. With such a major accident resulting in casualties, accountability notices from both the provincial and municipal levels could come down at any moment. Underneath that hat were nothing but ignited explosives. If something really happened, without some thunderous measures, it would be impossible to control the situation.

The phone call lasted for more than half an hour before Zhou Qingyan finally stopped. She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her temples wearily.

The car fell into a deathly silence, with only the whooshing sound of the air conditioning vents.

"That boundless ancient Chinese style experience project was your idea........................................................................."

A question suddenly came from the back seat, and his heart skipped a beat. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. This was a perfect opportunity to complain. If he exaggerated how Zhang Baocheng had betrayed him and seized the fruits of his labor, a powerful leader like Zhou Qingyan could easily make Zhang Baocheng suffer a terrible fate, if not death.

But the thought only lingered in his mind for half a second before he ruthlessly suppressed it.

Reporting to superiors without authorization is a major taboo in officialdom, especially in front of a powerful leader. Complaining like a resentful woman will only make you appear as a weak and incompetent person who only knows how to cry to superiors after being punished.

He glanced at the rearview mirror and said calmly:

"Secretary Zhou, I've only been in this position at the bureau for a few days, and my understanding of grassroots issues is still developing. My ideas are rather rough around the edges. This plan mainly draws on some old experiences left by Director Zhang in his previous work on construction, and it's been pieced together with some minor modifications..."

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