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

After the inspection, a symposium was held in the largest conference room of the High-tech Zone Management Committee.

The atmosphere around the long conference table was very serious. Governor Zhou Jiang sat at the head of the table, expressionless as he flipped through a document, while the municipal party secretary and mayor sat on either side, their breathing almost imperceptible.

Those present, besides provincial and municipal leaders, included a group of deputy directors from the High-tech Zone Management Committee. Everyone's gaze, intentionally or unintentionally, drifted towards the young man sitting at the end of the table.

Chen Pingfang.

Although he sat there calmly, he was the central figure in the current situation in Nanzhou.

"Let's all share our thoughts on the reform pilot program for the Chipfire Industrial Park." Governor Zhou Jiang closed the document, his voice not loud, and the temperature in the meeting room seemed to drop a few degrees.

The municipal party secretary cleared his throat and spoke first, offering only polite words of affirmation and support, praising the leadership team of the High-tech Zone, especially Comrade Chen Pingfang, for his courage and sense of responsibility.

Several deputy directors echoed this sentiment, clearly demonstrating their opportunistic attitude.

Chen Ping listened quietly without saying a word. He knew that the truly important things were yet to come.

Just as the meeting was about to come to a successful conclusion, the thick wooden door of the conference room was pushed open from the outside with a creak.

A figure, supported by his secretary, walked in with a sallow complexion.

Hu Jinshan.

The person who came was wearing an ill-fitting hospital gown with a coat over it. He looked much thinner, but his eyes were fixed on Chen Pingfang.

The meeting room fell silent instantly.

No one expected that he, who had been on sick leave, would appear in this way.

"Director Hu, you're not feeling well, why are you here?" The municipal party secretary frowned.

Hu Jinshan ignored him and walked straight to the conference table. He leaned on the edge of the table, panting heavily, his eyes fixed on Chen Pingfang.

"Governor Zhou, esteemed leaders," his voice was hoarse yet loud, carrying an unnatural intensity, "I'll crawl here today, even if I have to. Because someone is trying to sell out the state-owned assets of our High-tech Zone!"

This sentence stunned everyone.

"Director Hu, what do you mean by that?" Lin Yaodong, who had been keeping his eyes closed, finally opened them and looked at him calmly.

"What do you mean?" Hu Jinshan sneered, pulling a crumpled photocopy of a document from his pocket and slamming it on the table. "Let me ask Director Chen, was the letter of intent for cooperation you signed with Huaxin International reviewed by our management committee at a collective meeting? Did it comply with the approval procedures for the disposal of state-owned assets?"

Hu Jinshan turned to Zhou Jiang, looking pained: "Governor, you may not know this, but this Chipfire Industrial Park, although a mess, has net assets of at least 20 billion yuan including land and infrastructure. Yet Chen Pingfang, with a stroke of his pen, used a debt-to-equity swap of 12 billion yuan to allow Huaxin International to take away 30% of the shares out of thin air!"

"This is a typical violation of regulations; it's using state funds to pave the way for oneself, and it represents a serious loss of state-owned assets!"

Every word Hu Jinshan uttered sent a shiver down the spines of everyone in the conference room.

Those deputy directors who were just praising Chen Pingfang now lowered their heads, wishing they could become part of the table.

Zhang Chao stood behind Chen Pingfang, his palms sweating so much that his pants were soaked.

It’s over.

This is what everyone is thinking.

Hu Jinshan's move was ruthless. He didn't discuss whether the project was done well or not; he focused solely on the fatal flaw of procedural justice.

Within the system, avoiding mistakes is more important than doing things right. Chen Ping's actions of circumventing procedures, once deemed a violation, will turn all his previous achievements into evidence of wrongdoing.

Hu Jinshan looked at Chen Pingfang, whose expression remained unchanged, and sneered inwardly.

Kid, you're still too green. You think you can win just by bringing in the provincial governor and Huaxin International? I'll show you today that in Nanzhou, I set the rules!

What he wanted was to expose this matter in front of the governor. If the governor hesitated even slightly, the city would definitely halt the project and launch an investigation to avoid risks. At that point, he had plenty of ways to muddy the waters and completely ruin Chen Pingfang.

The entire conference room was deathly silent.

Governor Zhou Jiang's fingers tapped lightly on the table, each tap resonating in everyone's hearts. He didn't look at Hu Jinshan; instead, his gaze fell on Chen Pingfang, as if waiting for his explanation.

Chen Ping finally moved.

He didn't get up or look at Hu Jinshan, but calmly said, "What Director Hu said makes sense."

Everyone was stunned.

Hu Jinshan was also stunned, and all the words he had prepared stuck in his throat.

"Such a significant project should indeed be handled with caution," Chen Pingfang said calmly. "There are indeed flaws in the procedures."

Hu Jinshan smiled victoriously.

However, Chen Ping's next words instantly froze his smile.

"So," Chen Pingfang raised his head, looking directly at Hu Jinshan for the first time, his eyes frighteningly calm, "in order to be responsible to the country and the people, and in order to find out exactly how this 12 billion yuan mess of the Chipfire Industrial Park came about, I suggest that we cannot just investigate this letter of intent that has not yet taken effect."

Chen Ping stood up and slowly took out a brass key from his pocket.

The design is outdated, and there's a blurry number on it.

This is the key to the core archives room of the management committee, which Lin Yaodong gave him a few days ago.

Chen Ping gently placed the key on the table and pushed it towards the center of the conference table.

"I, Chen Pingfang, Director of the Management Committee of Nanzhou High-tech Zone, hereby formally submit this request to the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government—"

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"We request that the Provincial Party Committee Audit Team and the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection immediately form a joint investigation team to be stationed in the High-tech Zone to conduct a thorough audit of all accounts, contracts, bidding processes, and land approvals related to the Chipfire Industrial Park project from its inception!"

"No step can be overlooked, and not a single penny can be missed!"

"I'm willing to be the first one audited!"

The entire conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

If Hu Jinshan's words had shocked everyone, then Chen Ping's words caused an even bigger uproar in the conference room.

Chen Pingfang did not defend himself or shirk responsibility, but laid out the whole matter directly!

You said my program violated regulations? Fine, then let's start from the beginning and see just how much filth is hidden under this table!

Governor Zhou Jiang stopped tapping his fingers on the table. He looked at the brass key on the table, then at Chen Pingfang, whose eyes were calm, and for the first time, a hint of approval appeared in his eyes.

He turned his head and looked at Lin Yaodong beside him.

"Comrade Yaodong, you are the head of the management committee, what is your opinion?"

At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on the old Party Secretary who had been silent all along.

Lin Yaodong slowly picked up the teacup, blew on the steam, took a small sip, and then put it down with a soft sound.

He didn't speak, but simply nodded vigorously at Governor Zhou Jiang.

This nod carries great weight.

Hu Jinshan's face instantly went from flushed red to deathly pale, and finally to ashen.

Hu Jinshan suddenly understood.

He wanted to use procedural irregularities to frame Chen Pingfang, but Chen Pingfang's request for a thorough investigation ironically placed a label of dereliction of duty and embezzlement on his own head, a label that could have completely ruined him!