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

The black Audi A6L was driving smoothly on the highway.

The factories outside the car window receded into the distance, gradually transforming into fields and mountains.

The car was eerily quiet.

Wu Bin and another young cadre sat in the front row, and hadn't said a word since they got in the car. In the rearview mirror, Chen Ping could be seen leaning back in the back seat with his eyes closed, as if he were resting.

This made Wu Bin feel very uncomfortable.

Wu Bin has handled many cases and met all sorts of officials. Some people break down in tears the moment they get on the bus; others are tough on the outside but their bodies tremble uncontrollably.

This was the first time Wu Bin had ever seen Chen Ping act so calmly, as if he weren't being investigated.

Such composure suggests either a lack of awareness of the seriousness of the situation or a strong sense of confidence.

Wu Bin thought it was the latter.

Wu Bin remained silent, his mind racing. The whistleblower letter was detailed and the evidence complete, directly accusing Chen Pingfang of illegally using security forces and violently resisting law enforcement; it even included photos of the torn-off seals. The case should have been closed. However, Chen Pingfang's reaction made Wu Bin suspect things weren't so simple.

An hour and a half later, the car drove into the provincial capital and finally stopped in front of a small gray building without a sign.

This is a designated interview area for the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department.

The room was less than ten square meters and very simply furnished. There was a table, three chairs, gray and white upholstered walls, and a cold light overhead.

Chen Ping was invited to sit in the chair directly opposite the door.

Wu Bin and another cadre sat opposite him, with only a voice recorder and two water glasses on the table.

"Comrade Chen Pingfang, name, age, position." Wu Bin turned on the recorder and began the routine questioning.

"Chen Pingfang, 27 years old, Deputy Secretary-General of the Nanzhou Municipal Government, and concurrently Director of the Nanzhou Industrial Energy Coordination Center (Preparatory)." Chen Pingfang's answer was fluent and without any pause.

"Very good." Wu Bin nodded, leaned forward slightly, placed his hands on the table, and stared sharply at Chen Pingfang. "Now, please explain why you instructed the security personnel to tear off the seals that the Municipal Safety Supervision Bureau and the Fire Department had legally affixed yesterday morning?"

Wu Bin went straight to the core question.

If Chen Ping admits to this, it will confirm the charge of violently resisting the law.

Chen Ping didn't even lift his eyelids, his tone flat and devoid of emotion: "I'm just doing my duty."

"Performing official duties?" The young cadre sneered, slamming a stack of photos on the table. "This is what you call performing official duties? Openly defying the joint enforcement team, is this the rule of your Nanzhou Municipal Government?"

Chen Pingfang finally opened his eyes.

Chen Pingfang's gaze swept past the photos and landed on Wu Bin. He slowly said, "I was carrying out the special instructions from the provincial party committee's main leaders to ensure the security of the Chipfire project's supply chain at all costs."

Wu Bin's pupils contracted slightly.

The main leaders of the provincial party committee?

"Which leader? What are the specific contents of the instructions? Is there a written document?" Wu Bin immediately asked.

Chen Ping shook his head, a slight smile even playing on his lips. "Director Wu, you should know about the confidentiality regulations. There are some things you shouldn't ask, and you'd better not ask them."

"Outrageous!" The young cadre slammed his hand on the table. "Chen Pingfang! What kind of attitude is this? You're resisting organizational investigation!"

Chen Ping didn't even bother to glance at him, his gaze remaining fixed on Wu Bin. "Director Wu, I'll say it again. Everything I've done has been authorized by the provincial party committee leaders. I am only responsible to the leader who issued the order."

Chen Ping leaned back in his chair, his hands casually resting on the armrests, looking extremely relaxed.

"As for you..." He paused, his tone soft, yet it made the atmosphere in the room heavy, "Your rank is not high enough to receive my work reports."

"You..." The young cadre's face turned red with anger, and he was about to explode.

Wu Bin raised his hand to stop him.

Wu Bin stared intently at Chen Pingfang, and the atmosphere in the room instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Wu Bin has been working for ten years, and this is the first time that someone being investigated has turned around and questioned his qualifications to conduct the investigation.

Madness!

Wu Bin didn't immediately lose his temper. He forced himself to calm down and analyzed the information behind Chen Ping's words.

There are only two possibilities for Chen Ping to say this. First, he's bluffing, trying to buy time with a fictitious provincial leader. Second, he's telling the truth.

If it's the first case, then it's only a matter of time before his lies are exposed.

But if it's the second one... Wu Bin's heart skipped a beat.

How could a deputy secretary-general of a city have direct connections with the top leaders of the provincial party committee and even receive special instructions? This is abnormal. Considering the Chipfire project mentioned in the whistleblower letter, Wu Bin vaguely sensed that the situation behind this matter was probably far more complex than a mere whistleblower letter.

"Okay." Wu Bin took a deep breath, suppressing his suspicion. "Since you say you had instructions from higher-ups, let's change the subject. Did you also have instructions from higher-ups to arbitrarily mobilize the finance and audit departments and disrupt local businesses in Nanzhou?"

"Of course." Chen Pingfang's reply was swift and without the slightest hesitation. "To ensure the success of the Chipfire project, we must solve the power shortage problem in Nanzhou. Cleaning up those zombie companies that defraud the state of subsidies and resell industrial electricity is the key to solving the problem. This is also the spirit of the provincial party committee leadership."

"Where's the evidence? Words alone aren't enough!"

"The evidence is in the safe at the Nanzhou Energy Coordination Center," Chen Ping said with a faint smile. "However, only Mayor Li Jianguo can access that key."

Wu Bin had no way to deal with Chen Ping.

Chen Ping didn't give him any opening.

He neither pleaded guilty nor gave any specifics, but repeatedly emphasized one thing: you can't afford to mess with my backers.

This isn't an interrogation; it's a test of endurance.

Time passed second by second.

Wu Bin used every interrogation technique at his disposal, sometimes resorting to high-pressure intimidation, sometimes using indirect questioning, and sometimes trying to find loopholes in the conversation.

But Chen Ping didn't budge.

Chen Ping even closed his eyes again, answering all questions with just one sentence.

"All my actions are within the scope of my authorization. You are not of a high enough rank to have the right to know."

An awkward silence fell over the interrogation room.

The young cadre was almost at his breaking point, and fine beads of sweat appeared on Wu Bin's forehead. He knew he had already lost this psychological battle.

This young man doesn't look like someone being investigated; he looks more like a spectator.

Chen Ping waited.

But what exactly is Chen Ping waiting for?

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the interrogation room door.

Wu Bin frowned and said, "Come in."

A staff member quickly walked up to him, lowered his voice, and whispered a few words in his ear.

Wu Bin's face turned deathly pale instantly, his eyes widened slowly, and his mouth opened slightly before he finally understood.

Wu Bin suddenly looked up at Chen Pingfang, who had been keeping his eyes closed.

So, what you were waiting for was for your opponent to fall into the trap himself!

The staff left, and the interrogation room fell silent once more.

The young cadre noticed the change in atmosphere and looked at Wu Bin with confusion.

Wu Bin ignored him, staring intently at Chen Pingfang. His Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, and he spoke in a dry voice: "Just half an hour ago, Wang Weidong, the vice mayor of Nanzhou City, led a working group from the municipal government, along with people from the municipal government office, safety supervision, power supply, and other departments, to forcibly storm the Industrial Energy Coordination Center."

"Zhang Chao tried to stop them, but was subdued on the spot."

"They... are using cutting equipment to forcibly break open the safe you left behind."

Wu Bin felt his face burning with every word he spoke.

Wu Bin finally understood why Chen Pingfang locked the company seal and documents in the safe in front of them before leaving, and handed the key to Zhang Chao.

Chen Ping's actions were a trap. A trap designed to lure Wang Weidong into losing his temper and openly breaking the law!

Upon hearing this news, Chen Ping's long eyelashes trembled slightly.

Chen Ping slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calm, everything was clearly within his calculations.

Chen Pingfang looked at Wu Bin, whose face had turned pale, and a slight smirk appeared on his lips.

"Director Wu."

Chen Pingfang's voice was very soft, but every word made Wu Bin's heart sink.

"Now, in your opinion, who is truly violently resisting the law, and who truly doesn't take the rules seriously?"