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

It was very late at night, and the entire Qingyuan County was pitch black.

In a room on the third floor of the county government guesthouse, Chen Ping stood by the window, the light from his phone screen reflecting on his calm face.

On the screen were short, real-time videos sent by Zheng Hao, the acting director of the Land and Resources Bureau.

The video footage is somewhat shaky, showing the green hue from a night vision camera, but the content is clear. A dozen excavators and hundreds of heavy trucks are quietly gathering at an abandoned ferry crossing downstream on the Qingyi River from various corners around the county town.

"County Chief, the drone reconnaissance indicates there are at least seventy or eighty people on the other side, all armed with steel pipes and machetes. They look like desperados." Zheng Hao's voice came through the receiver, low and tense.

"The Black Shark that Wang Heng contacted is a notorious river bandit in Yunzhou City, specializing in this kind of violent business. They want to steal all the sand they've hidden over the years, as well as any that can be dug, in the middle of the night."

Chen Pingfang's eyes were calm.

He had long anticipated that Wang Heng would do this. He just hadn't expected the other party to be so greedy and so audacious.

"Zheng Hao, remember, your mission is to monitor, not to make arrests." Chen Pingfang's tone was very calm. "Have the brothers from the river protection team keep a close watch on all the small paths outside, not even a fly can get out. But you are not allowed to have a direct confrontation with them."

"Understood," Zheng Hao replied. "But... County Chief, if we don't take action and they manage to transport the sand away, the losses will be enormous."

"How can you catch sharks if the fish aren't big?" Chen Ping said casually and hung up the phone.

Chen Ping put down his phone, took off his coat, changed into a plain dark jacket, and walked out of the guesthouse.

The county government compound was very quiet late at night, with only a few streetlights casting a yellow glow. Chen Pingfang's target was clear—the county government office building directly opposite.

On the fifth floor, the light in the secretary's office was still on.

Ma Changsheng was clearly also unable to sleep.

Boom, boom, boom.

The knocking sounded sudden in the quiet corridor.

Ma Changsheng, clearly startled, asked warily from inside the office, "Who?"

"Secretary Ma, it's me, Chen Pingfang."

The door opened, and Ma Changsheng, dressed in his pajamas, stared at Chen Pingfang in the doorway with a look of astonishment and confusion.

"County Chief Chen, it's so late, is there something you need?"

"I couldn't sleep, and seeing that the light was still on in the secretary's office, I thought I'd come over and have a chat with you."

Chen Pingfang had a smile on his face, and was carrying a chess set in his hand.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with the research team's situation during the day, Secretary. I was thinking of playing a game of chess with you to ease the tension."

Ma Changsheng stared at Chen Pingfang.

Playing chess? At this time?

He thought to himself that Chen Pingfang was definitely not up to any good at this moment.

But he couldn't find any reason to refuse. He was outwardly supporting Chen Pingfang's reforms; he couldn't just abandon the overall picture.

"Alright, Comrade Pingfang, if you're in the mood, I'll keep you company." Ma Changsheng stepped aside, a cold smile playing on his lips. He wanted to see what Chen Pingfang was really up to.

The chessboard was laid out on the coffee table, with the Chu River and Han border clearly marked.

The two sat facing each other, the only sound in the office being the sound of chess pieces falling onto the wooden chessboard.

Ma Changsheng was in a state of confusion and just wanted to finish the game as soon as possible. He started with a powerful attack, each move exuding ruthlessness.

Chen Ping remained calm and composed, executing his signature vaulting and flying elephant moves with excellent defense.

"Secretary Ma, your chess moves are quite aggressive," Chen Ping said casually as he placed a piece.

"You have to be decisive. Dragging things out will only lead to problems." Ma Changsheng snorted coldly, and his car crossed the river directly, heading towards Chen Pingfang's bottom line.

Just then, Chen Ping's phone, which was in his pocket, vibrated very slightly.

He glanced at the screen, then looked up, smiled, and moved his car to block Ma Changsheng's attack.

"Secretary is right, some things really can't be delayed." Chen Ping placed his chess piece down, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching Ma Changsheng's ears. "Take the tributary of the Qingyi River in Dongwan, for example, at coordinates 118.35°E, 30.16°N. I heard that recently people have been dumping construction waste there, blocking the river. I've already sent the newly established river protection team to clean it up, but I don't know if it's completely cleaned up yet."

Ma Changsheng's hand froze in mid-air.

The East Bay tributary was the only route that Wang Heng had arranged for the first convoy to leave the city!

He suddenly looked up at Chen Pingfang, who still had a faint smile on his face, as if he were just talking about a trivial matter.

Was it a coincidence? Ma Changsheng's heart skipped a beat, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on his forehead.

"It's time to clean it up." He forced himself to remain calm and slammed the chess piece heavily onto the board.

The game continues.

Ma Changsheng's offensive became clearly disorganized, and he made frequent mistakes.

A few minutes later, Chen Ping's phone vibrated again.

He glanced at it, then raised his hand and ate one of Ma Changsheng's horses.

"Secretary Ma, this horse has crossed the line and is breaking the rules; it can't be kept." Chen Ping played with the chess piece between his fingers for a moment, then changed the subject, "It's strange, really. Just now, Comrade Zheng Hao from the Land and Resources Bureau sent me a message saying that the provincial highway leading to Zhangjia Village, at coordinates 118.42°E, 30.09°N, suddenly experienced a landslide in the middle of the night. Several huge rocks blocked the road, and it seems that a few sand trucks are stuck there, unable to move forward or backward. It's really strange."

pat.

Ma Changsheng lost his grip on the other knight piece and dropped it to the ground.

Zhangjiacun Provincial Highway was Wang Heng's second backup route!

If the first time was a coincidence, what about the second time?

Ma Changsheng's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat. He stared intently at Chen Pingfang, trying to read something from his face, but the young man's face remained calm.

He knew; he knew everything.

Ma Changsheng felt like a mouse being toyed with by a cat, every move orchestrated by Chen Pingfang. This game was a matter of life and death for him.

"County Chief Chen... what exactly do you want to say?" Ma Changsheng's voice was already trembling.

Chen Ping smiled but did not answer.

He slowly raised his hand, placing his cannon across a piece, aiming it at Ma Changsheng's king.

"General."

Chen Pingfang's voice was very soft.

"Secretary Ma, the old ferry crossing on the Qingyi River, located at 118.28°E and 30.11°N, has a beautiful view. Unfortunately, just now a fishing boat's engine broke down, and it landed right in the middle of the river, completely blocking the waterway."

"Land routes, water routes, all routes are gone."

"Do you think this game should end?"

Ma Changsheng's mind went blank for a moment.

All his plans and all his escape routes were revealed by Chen Pingfang and sealed off in advance.

This isn't playing chess; this is clearly humiliating him!

His hands, which were resting on his knees, began to tremble violently. At that moment, his cell phone in his pocket started ringing frantically, the shrill ringtone sending shivers down his spine.

Ma Changsheng glanced at the caller ID; it was a trusted confidant he had placed by Wang Heng's side.

He lost.

They lost completely.

Chen Ping stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.

A cool breeze carrying moisture blew in, along with the increasingly clear sound of a police siren as it approached.

The sharp screech pierced the night sky over Qingyuan County, dispelling the last vestiges of darkness.

At exactly three o'clock in the morning, the banks of the Qingyi River were brightly lit.

Thirty-seven criminal suspects, led by Wang Heng and Black Shark, were caught red-handed at the scene of an organized illegal mining and transportation of national mineral resources.

The perpetrator was caught red-handed.