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

Dark as ink.

The lights in Chen Ping's office were off, and only the cold light from the computer screen illuminated his eyes.

The old cardboard box sat quietly in the corner, and what was inside was enough to cause a dramatic change in the power structure of the entire Qingyuan County.

Chen Pingfang had already reviewed the contents of the USB drive. Every transaction and every photocopy of every receipt was meticulously organized, with a complete logical chain. Liu Wenhai, the seemingly taciturn finance bureau chief, was a shrewd and calculating individual.

This is a scalpel, a scalpel that can precisely remove tumors without damaging the body as much as possible.

Chen Ping picked up the old Nokia phone, his fingers tracing the keypad for a moment. He didn't reply, but simply turned it off, removed the SIM card, and locked it, along with the phone, in the deepest part of the drawer.

Chen Ping stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the window on the fifth floor of the county committee office building, where the light was still on.

Ma Changsheng will also be sleepless tonight.

Rather than letting the prey suffer in fear, it's better to personally send him on his final journey.

Chen Ping walked out of the office without taking anything with him, walked through the quiet corridor, down the stairs, and then through the empty county government compound.

The lights on the fifth floor looked particularly lonely in the night.

Chen Ping walked to the door of Ma Changsheng's office, and without knocking, pushed it open.

The door wasn't locked.

Ma Changsheng sat behind his desk, his hands clasped together, resting on his chin, his eyes gazing out the window, his back revealing exhaustion. Several documents were scattered on the desk, along with a half-smoked pack of cigarettes. The ashtray was piled high with cigarette butts.

Hearing the door open, Ma Changsheng turned around abruptly and saw Chen Pingfang standing in the doorway. His body stiffened. Ma Changsheng didn't speak, but stared intently at Chen Pingfang, his eyes filled with complex emotions—warning, resentment, and above all, despair.

Chen Ping didn't go inside; he just stood at the doorway, letting the night breeze blow into the office from the corridor.

"Secretary Ma," Chen Pingfang's voice was soft, yet clear.

Ma Changsheng remained silent, his body tense.

"The people of Qingyuan need a stable environment for development." Chen Ping took two steps forward, stopped in front of the desk, his gaze falling on the documents on Ma Changsheng's desk, then moving to Ma Changsheng's bloodshot eyes. "I think you should know how to cooperate with the work ahead."

These words are not threatening, yet they are more penetrating than any threat.

It points to Qingyuan County, and to all the people who may be affected by it.

Chen Ping didn't mention the account book, Wang Heng, or even the arrest last night.

He was simply presenting Ma Changsheng with the fact that he had already grasped the overall situation, and Ma Changsheng was merely a pawn in this game about to be captured.

Ma Changsheng felt as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant.

He leaned back in his chair, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Ma Changsheng knew what Chen Pingfang was referring to.

Those densely packed accounts, those shady transactions, those secrets that Ma Changsheng thought he had buried deep enough, were now hanging over his head.

Ma Changsheng knew even better that Chen Ping's words were pointing out the last path for him.

He looked up at Chen Pingfang, his young face showing no smugness, only a calm. This calmness chilled Ma Changsheng.

He lost. He lost miserably.

Ma Changsheng wanted to struggle and refute, but all his thoughts seemed pale and powerless in the face of Chen Pingfang's statement that "the people of Qingyuan need a stable environment for development." If Ma Changsheng persisted, Chen Pingfang could easily expose the evidence. In that case, Ma Changsheng would not only lose his official position, but also the reputation he had built up throughout his life, and his entire family would be completely destroyed. And Qingyuan County would be plunged into a new round of turmoil.

Chen Ping didn't urge him, but just quietly watched Ma Changsheng.

Inside the office, only the howling wind outside the window could be heard.

After a long while, Ma Changsheng slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, all the struggle and resentment in his eyes had disappeared, leaving only a weary resignation.

Ma Changsheng picked up the pen on the table, his hand trembling, and wrote a few words on a blank sheet of paper.

"Comrade Pingfang," Ma Changsheng's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping, "I...I haven't been feeling well lately. High blood pressure, and my heart isn't feeling well either. It's time for me to retire and take a proper rest."

Ma Changsheng pushed the paper in front of Chen Pingfang. It read: "Due to health reasons, I am applying to retire to the second line."

Chen Ping picked up the paper, glanced at it, and then put it back on the table.

"The development of Qingyuan County is inseparable from the foundation laid by Secretary Ma in the past," Chen Pingfang said in a more conciliatory tone. "We will need Secretary Ma's continued support for the work ahead."

"Support, definitely support." Ma Changsheng sat up abruptly, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "The province has already set the tone for the sand and gravel company matter; it will be based on the Qingyuan experience. As for this funding, I... I will fully cooperate to get it implemented as soon as possible. Teachers' salaries and some infrastructure construction are major issues concerning people's livelihoods, and I will definitely urge the relevant departments to prioritize them."

Ma Changsheng's initiative in bringing up the whereabouts of the sand and gravel company's funds was undoubtedly a statement of intent. Ma Changsheng understood that Chen Pingfang wanted stability in Qingyuan County. And this money was key to stabilizing morale.

Chen Pingfang looked at Ma Changsheng and nodded slightly.

"That's good," Chen Pingfang said. "The people of Qingyuan County will remember Secretary Ma's contributions."

These words completely relaxed Ma Changsheng's tense nerves. Ma Changsheng knew that he had preserved the last bit of his dignity.

Chen Ping turned and walked out of the office without looking back.

Ma Changsheng slumped into his chair, watching Chen Pingfang's figure disappear at the end of the corridor. He picked up a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. In the swirling smoke, Ma Changsheng seemed to see the end of his political career.

……

Three days later, at an enlarged meeting of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee, Ma Changsheng officially announced that he was applying to step down from his post due to health reasons, and expressed his full support for the county government's work, especially the sand and gravel resource integration and livelihood improvement projects led by County Mayor Chen Pingfang.

The news caused a stir in Qingyuan County.

No one knows exactly what happened, but everyone understands that the landscape of Qingyuan County has changed.

A week later, the profits from the first batch of sand and gravel companies were transferred to the accounts of schools in various townships throughout the county through the Finance Bureau.

The sun was shining brightly that day.

A large crowd gathered at the entrance of Qingyuan County No. 1 Middle School.

Staff from the county finance bureau delivered stacks of new pay slips to each teacher. These were their wages, which had been owed for nearly six months, along with a substantial bonus.

"County Magistrate Chen is truly a good official."

"That's right, now we feel much more at ease knowing the children are going to school."

"Finally, I can live with my head held high."

The teachers held their pay slips in their hands, their faces beaming with long-lost smiles. They spontaneously unfurled several bright red banners that read:

"Thank you to the county government for their dedication to education."

"Concerned about the people and working for their benefit."

"County Chief Chen is wise; Qingyuan is fortunate."

The banner fluttered in the wind, reflecting the teachers' excited faces.

Chen Pingfang's office is on the fifth floor of the county government building.

Chen Pingfang stood by the window, looking down at the bustling scene below. Sunlight shone on Chen Pingfang's face, outlining a resolute profile.

Chen Ping didn't go down; he just watched and listened quietly to the heartfelt cheers.

The silence of the office was suddenly shattered by the ringing of a cell phone.

Chen Ping picked up his personal cell phone from the windowsill and glanced at the caller ID.

An unfamiliar number, the location displayed is: provincial capital.

Chen Ping answered the phone.

"Hello, is this Comrade Chen Pingfang?" A gentle and steady voice came from the receiver. "This is Li Ming from the Second Cadre Division of the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department."

Chen Ping's heart skipped a beat.