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

Chen Ping got up from the noisy office by the elevator. The elevator announcement outside the window was still noisy, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

He opened the drawer, placed the audit authorization letter signed by Wang Weidong deep inside, and locked it. It wasn't time to reveal this yet.

Chen Ping turned to look at Zhang Chao, who was burying himself in organizing materials in the corner.

"Zhang Chao."

"Director, I'm here." Zhang Chao immediately stood up straight.

"Go change your clothes, find some inconspicuous old casual clothes." Chen Pingfang's voice was very low. "We're going out for a bit, to the East District."

Zhang Chao was taken aback for a moment, but didn't ask any further questions, and nodded heavily. He knew that the director was about to make a big move.

Without alerting anyone and avoiding the gaze of everyone in the office, the two walked out of the side door of the city government building. Instead of taking a bus, they hailed a taxi on the street.

The car drove into traffic and headed towards the old town.

In the car, Chen Ping took out his encrypted phone and opened an email he had just received.

The sender was his old classmate at the provincial newspaper, now an investigative reporter named Chen Jiayi.

The email content was very simple, containing only one encrypted attachment.

Clicking on it reveals a detailed table—a breakdown of environmental protection technology upgrade subsidies for Hongxing Chemical Plant over the past three years.

Each payment was substantial, totaling 30 million over three years. However, the final destination of each sum of money pointed to several shell companies, from which they ultimately disappeared without a trace.

Zhang Chao saw in the rearview mirror that Chen Pingfang's face was getting colder and colder, and he didn't dare to breathe loudly.

The taxi stopped at the edge of the eastern district.

As soon as I got out of the car, a strange smell, a mixture of chemicals and mold, hit me.

Before them lay a vast shantytown, dilapidated and littered with garbage. This was the residential area for the families of the Hongxing Chemical Plant.

Zhang Chao was shocked by what he saw.

Although it was daytime, all the houses were closed. What puzzled him even more was that the water pipes by the roadside had been damaged and were no longer usable.

This situation is different from what he saw in the report yesterday. The report said that most people had already moved out, and the remaining people were unwilling to move because they were asking for too much money.

Do you want too much money?

Looking at the scene before him, Zhang Chao felt heartbroken. It wasn't that they refused to move; they were being forced into a corner and had no way to survive.

Chen Pingfang's face was expressionless, but his eyes were cold.

He saw an old man not far away, wearing old work clothes and with white hair, carrying two buckets of water, looking very worried.

Chen Ping then walked over.

"Master, let me help you."

Chen Ping took the bucket from the old man's hand and found that it was very light and empty.

The old man was initially wary of the young man, but relaxed a bit when he saw that the young man was very nice.

Chen Ping took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to the old man: "Sir, would you like a smoke?"

The old man shook his head and said, "There's no water to drink, my throat is dry, and I can't smoke."

"How did this water pipe break?" Chen Ping asked.

"What else could it be! It's all the work of Hongda Real Estate!" The old man angrily slammed his fist against the wall. "Last year, the factory said there would be a 30 million yuan subsidy, but we haven't seen a single penny, and they haven't even paid our retirement pensions! Now they've cut off the water and electricity, just trying to force us out so they can get this land without spending any money!"

Zhang Chao was furious after hearing this, his fists clenched. He finally understood what the report meant.

"A subsidy of thirty million?" Chen Ping asked the old man, then took out his phone and showed him the subsidy form. "Sir, is this the amount?"

The old man leaned closer to look, his eyes widening instantly. Pointing at the screen, he exclaimed, "Yes! That's it! The factory even held a meeting saying they'd use the money to buy new equipment. But what happened? They bought old machines that broke down after only two days! Later we found out that the factory had already been mortgaged by that Zhao guy from Hongda Real Estate!"

After listening, Chen Ping felt that everything was clear.

He put away his phone and saw a relocation notice posted on the wall not far away. He noticed that the notice did not have a government seal, only the seal of Hongda Real Estate.

Chen Ping thought to himself with a sigh, "This Hongda Real Estate is really bold."

Just at this time.

"Beep—beep beep—!"

A loud car horn blared over.

Three black vans drove up. None of them had license plates, they drove very fast, and kicked up a lot of dust when they stopped.

The car door opened, and more than twenty people got out. These men looked like thugs; they were shirtless, tattooed, and carrying steel pipes. They surrounded a man.

The man was in his forties, wearing a gold chain, had a beer belly, and looked quite fierce. He also had a cigar dangling from his mouth. He was Zhao Ming, the owner of Hongda Real Estate, and also Wang Weidong's brother-in-law.

Zhao Ming exhaled a smoke ring, his gaze sweeping contemptuously over his surroundings before finally settling on the old worker who had dared to speak to him. He waved his hand and ordered his men, "Go, smash that old bastard's stove! Let him starve tonight!"

The two thugs laughed and carried steel pipes toward the makeshift stove the old man had built.

The old man turned pale and tried to stop them, but his legs went weak with fear.

"Wait a minute."

A calm voice rang out.

Chen Ping stepped forward, blocking the old man's path.

Zhao Ming then noticed Chen Pingfang and looked him up and down. Seeing that he was dressed plainly, not even thirty years old, and showed no fear on his face, Zhao Ming couldn't help but laugh.

With the hand holding the cigar, he arrogantly pointed at Chen Pingfang's nose and spat a mouthful of phlegm at Chen Pingfang's feet.

"Where did this greenhorn come from? Are you blind? Do you know whose territory this is?"

Zhao Ming leaned forward, almost touching Chen Pingfang's face, and said, word by word:

"In the East District, my word is law! Dare to meddle in my business, and I'll make sure you don't leave this shantytown alive!"

Chen Ping remained unfazed by all of this. He didn't even lift his eyelids, but instead used the corner of his eye to make a discreet gesture to Zhang Chao behind him.

Zhang Chao immediately understood, quietly retreated behind a broken wall, took out his phone, and turned on the recording function.

Zhao Ming was taken aback by Chen Pingfang's completely dismissive gaze. It was a look he had only ever seen on certain high-ranking officials in the city—calm and indifferent.

Zhao Ming was stunned for a moment, then his face turned red.

"Damn it! You dare to act tough with me!"

Zhao Ming took a step back, waved his hand, and roared viciously, "Surround him! If you don't break this kid's legs today, none of you will eat!"

With a whoosh.

More than twenty thugs instantly surrounded them, brandishing their steel pipes, forming an impenetrable encirclement.