After breaking up with my boyfriend, I made a fortune and rose rapidly in my career.

The news of the county mayor's office meeting quickly spread to every corner of the Qingyuan County government.

A simple canteen bill caused the county party secretary's confidant to suffer a huge loss, even allowing him to siphon money from the lighting project budget. This news circulated privately in various offices.

The way the cadres looked at Chen Pingfang's office completely changed.

Yesterday's gesture of making the workers back at the gate was the first demonstration of capability; today's meeting is the reveal of their true intentions. Previous disdain has now turned into shock and wariness.

This young man is incredibly shrewd.

The atmosphere in the county party secretary's office was very oppressive.

Ma Changsheng, his face pale, sat silently in his executive chair, tapping his fingers on the table. Finance Bureau Chief Zhao An stood before him, weeping as he recounted the events of the meeting, repeating every word Chen Pingfang had said, especially the last sentence requesting the Discipline Inspection Commission and the Audit Bureau to freeze Hengtong Company's accounts.

"Secretary, he... he came here for you," Zhao An said, crying.

Ma Changsheng's eyelids twitched, and a surge of anger rose within him.

Just then, the secretary, her face pale, strode in and handed the phone to Ma Changsheng.

"Secretary, look..."

On the phone screen was the popular post from the local forum. In the photo, Chen Pingfang was soaking wet, his feet covered in mud, and he was carrying a stack of soaking wet books.

The comments section below is now full of discussions, which, starting with the theme of "most beautiful volunteer," quickly turned into praise for the new county head under the guidance of some thoughtful individuals.

"This is a true official who serves the people."

"It's heartbreaking to see. The new county head mustn't be affected by the people and things in Qingyuan County."

Ma Changsheng's pupils contracted, and he immediately understood.

Yesterday's bike ride to the countryside, and today's attack at the meeting—this is a series of planned actions. The other side first gained the upper hand in public opinion with a single photograph, and then attacked their own people at the meeting.

She's incredibly cunning and ruthless.

"Ring ring..."

The office phone suddenly rang. The secretary answered and listened for a few minutes, his face turning even paler. He covered the receiver and said to Ma Changsheng in a trembling voice, "Secretary, it's a reporter from the provincial TV station. They said they saw the photos on the forum and want to come and do a special report..."

Ma Changsheng's anger quickly subsided, and his eyes turned gloomy.

Are you trying to put pressure on me through public opinion?

You're still too inexperienced.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips as he waved his hand at the stunned Zhao An and Li Wei: "What's the panic? The sky isn't going to fall."

He picked up the red phone on the table and dialed a city number directly.

When the call connected, Ma Changsheng's tone became very respectful, even tinged with grievance: "Secretary Zhou, this is Changsheng. I have something to report to you. Comrade Pingfang, who was sent by the city, is young and energetic, but his methods are too hasty."

He didn't mention the account book, but instead portrayed Chen Pingfang's behavior as that of someone who disregarded the county's development and liked to put on a show.

"...Now they're even contacting the provincial media, trying to make a big deal out of this. Secretary Zhou, if this gets reported and they say that Qingyuan County can't even afford to repair school buildings, it'll be a disgrace to all the cadres in Yunzhou City."

Ma Changsheng's words turned the conflict between the two into a matter of honor for the entire Yunzhou City.

Zhou Wenyuan, the municipal party secretary on the other end of the phone, remained silent for a while. He already had some reservations about Chen Pingfang, the person who had been forced into the position by the province, and he didn't want trouble to arise in his territory and affect him.

"I understand." Zhou Wenyuan's voice was calm. "I'll put in a good word with the provincial propaganda department. Changsheng, young people are immature, you older comrades should be more understanding and guide them well."

"Thank you, Secretary Zhou, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Ma Changsheng relaxed and regained his confidence.

He looked at Zhao An and Li Wei and confidently announced, "Secretary Zhou has personally intervened and smoothed things over with the provincial TV station. Just wait and see, his act won't last."

Zhao An and Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief, and their faces lit up with disdainful smiles.

"Secretary, you are truly wise."

"A mere brat dares to challenge you? He's utterly ignorant and arrogant."

The atmosphere in the office relaxed again, as if one could already see the troubled look on Chen Ping's face after his plan failed.

That evening, the provincial radio station broadcast its evening news on time.

Ma Changsheng specially instructed his secretary to turn on the large television in the office and also invited several trusted confidants to watch the young man's defeat together.

The news broadcast lasted for more than ten minutes, all about major events in the province. Ma Changsheng leaned back in his chair with a slight smile on his lips.

However, right after a news report finished airing, the scene suddenly changed, music started playing, and a bold headline appeared on the screen—

The Most Beautiful Figure in the Rainstorm: A Profile of Chen Pingfang, the Newly Appointed County Head of Qingyuan County, as He Goes Deep into the Grassroots.

The smile on Ma Changsheng's face froze.

He sat up abruptly in his chair, his eyes fixed on the television screen.

The report not only included the photo of carrying books in the rain, but also in-depth interviews with the parent who took the photo, school teachers, and students. The footage showed Chen Pingfang refusing a welcome banquet, buying his own bicycle to travel to the countryside, and eating ordinary canteen meals with the teachers… Every detail was magnified by the camera, accompanied by the host's narration, presenting the image of a new-era cadre on television.

This is a remarkable political achievement supported by a provincial television station.

Ma Changsheng's mind went blank.

He finally understood. What Chen Pingfang wanted from the very beginning was a positive role model from the provincial level, a guarantee that no one could touch him.

What he painstakingly asked the municipal party secretary to suppress was actually a political achievement delivered to his doorstep.

"Ring ring..."

The red telephone in the office rang shrilly.

Ma Changsheng's body trembled, and on instinct, he shakily picked up the microphone.

"Ma Changsheng, what the hell are you up to?"

On the other end of the phone came Zhou Wenyuan's voice, his anger barely contained.

"The leaders of the Provincial Party Committee Office just called me, specifically praising a good cadre from Yunzhou City, and asked me to immediately organize the whole city to learn from his advanced deeds. You want me to suppress a model cadre named by the Provincial Party Committee? Are you trying to kill me, or are you trying to kill yourself?"

"Smack."

The phone was abruptly slammed shut, the loud noise making Ma Changsheng's heart sink.

He slumped weakly into the chair, his shirt soaked with cold sweat.

What he thought was a fatal blow failed to harm his opponent; instead, it did his opponent a great favor, forcing both himself and his patron Zhou Wenyuan into a situation where they had to publicly support Chen Pingfang.

Meanwhile, in the Yunzhou Municipal Party Committee building, a hundred miles away, Zhou Wenyuan hung up the phone, his face flushed with anger. He grabbed his beloved purple clay teacup from the table and smashed it to the ground.

With a "bang," shards of glass flew everywhere.

The next morning, both documents were simultaneously issued to Qingyuan County.

One document was a news report from the provincial television station, and the other was a notice from the Yunzhou Municipal Party Committee Office bearing a bright red seal, entitled "Notice on Organizing the Study of Comrade Chen Pingfang's Advanced Work Deeds Throughout the City."

The entire county government compound fell silent.

After all the cadres looked at the two documents, no one dared to discuss them privately anymore.

Chen Pingfang struck while the iron was hot and immediately notified all cadres in the county to convene a meeting.

At the meeting, facing hundreds of cadres with complex expressions, he calmly announced the first decision.

"In order to ensure that the funds for the renovation of primary and secondary school buildings in the county are used where they are needed, I propose that the Qingyuan County School Building Renovation Project Supervision Committee be established immediately."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room, and then said something that shocked everyone.

"All members of the committee will not be selected from among those present here."

"All candidates will be selected through open competition from student and parent representatives from various schools, and the entire process will be supervised."

Everyone present was shocked when these words were spoken.

All the cadres below the stage looked at the calm young man on the podium with nothing but awe in their eyes.

They knew that from this moment on, the world in Qingyuan County had truly changed.