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

The day after Li Laosan was taken away for investigation, the sky in Anyang County became noticeably bluer.

The news that the deputy director of the construction committee had turned himself in spread throughout the county overnight.

Uncle Chen Jianjun and his family arrived at Chen Pingfang's house early in the morning, carrying farm eggs and vegetables they had grown themselves. Aunt Chen's face was full of smiles, and she kept saying, "Thanks to Pingfang."

Cousin Chen Dongliang stood aside, looking at Chen Pingfang with gratitude but even more awe in his eyes.

He finally understood that his cousin was no longer the same cousin he used to play with. Chen Pingfang had only asked a casual question, yet he had brought down a powerful figure in the county overnight.

Chen Ping politely saw all the relatives off, and the house had been quiet for less than half an hour when the doorbell rang again.

From then on, people came to the Chen family one after another.

First came distant relatives who don't usually visit, all smiling and carrying gifts, who kept mentioning that their son hadn't found a good job after graduating from university.

Next came Chen Pingfang's parents' old colleague, who brought along a son-in-law who ran a building materials business. He kept calling Chen Pingfang his nephew and inquired about what kind of projects were being undertaken in the Nanzhou High-tech Zone.

Even Chen Pingfang's former high school homeroom teacher came to his door, saying that his brother-in-law owned a transportation company and wanted to contract the logistics business of the Corefire project.

Chen Dashan and Li Xiufang had always been honest and upright people, and had never seen anything like this before. The elderly couple were quite happy at first, but as more and more people arrived, they didn't know what to do, and their faces were full of exhaustion and embarrassment.

"Lie flat, or... shall we go back to Nanzhou tomorrow?" Li Xiufang said worriedly as she tidied her son's room that evening.

Chen Pingfang was reading a local history of Anyang County when he heard this and smiled: "Mom, there's no escaping it. Human relationships are the same everywhere."

He knew this was the first trouble that power brought.

A direct refusal would earn them a reputation for being heartless, but if they didn't refuse, the Corefire project would become a mess.

The next day, Chen Ping didn't hide. Instead, he took the initiative to have his father invite several influential people in the county who had led the search to his home.

This included the son-in-law who ran a building materials business, and a distant cousin who owned a factory.

Thinking things were looking promising, everyone entered the room with beaming smiles.

Chen Ping didn't entertain the guests in the living room; instead, he took them directly to the Audi A6 with the provincial capital's license plate.

The car didn't go to any hotels in the county. Instead, it drove west along the bumpy county road until it reached the main road connecting the suburbs to several towns.

This is a notorious washboard road in the county; you're covered in dust on sunny days and mud on rainy days. For years, the county has said it would be repaired, but the money has never come through.

Chen Ping put down the car, pointed to the dilapidated dirt road in front of him, and said to the several business owners behind him who were looking at each other:

"Uncles, I understand what you mean. The Chipfire project is a major national project, and there are indeed many opportunities within it."

Several people immediately showed expectant expressions.

"However," Chen Ping changed the subject, his tone calm but the weight in his words clear to everyone, "I can't break the project's rules either. All engineering and procurement must be done through open bidding, with the lowest bidder winning, and the one with the best technology winning. There are no backdoors."

Everyone's faces immediately fell. Wasn't this just inviting them here to be played with?

The son-in-law from the building materials industry couldn't help but speak up: "Ping Fang, that's true, but this bidding process... isn't it ultimately decided by people? We're all family, could you show a little favoritism..."

"Yes, it's all determined by people." Chen Ping nodded and continued, "So, as the one who sets the rules, I want to add a threshold to the bidding qualifications."

He looked around at the shrewd businessmen in front of him and slowly began to speak.

"The Chip Spark Project is a national strategy. The companies we partner with must not only have excellent technology, but also know how to give back to society. Anyang County is my hometown, and I want to improve this road."

At this point, everyone understood.

This isn't about adding a barrier; it's about making them show sincerity first.

Want to get a piece of the pie? Sure. But first, you'll have to pay for the road yourself to prove you're willing to do things for your hometown.

My uncle, who owns a factory, quickly did the math in his head. Building this road would cost at least a few million. And even after paying the money, all he'd get was a bidding qualification; whether he'd win the bid was another matter entirely.

This deal is too risky.

But looking into Chen Pingfang's calm eyes, they suddenly realized that the significance of this investment went far beyond that.

What they really want to invest in is Chen Pingfang himself, and his immeasurable future.

"Put it flat, you're right!" The first to react was the son-in-law from the building materials industry. He slapped his thigh, his face breaking into a smile again. "As the company grows, it's only right to give back to our hometown. Our company will donate two million yuan to this road; consider it our contribution to our hometown."

Once someone takes the lead, the rest immediately follow.

"Our company will also contribute two million!" another boss immediately declared.

"That's right, count me in too!"

Chen Ping laughed.

He immediately called County Head Wang and told him that a group of Anyang entrepreneurs who cared about the development of their hometown had voluntarily donated funds to establish an Anyang County Road Construction Fund. He asked the county government to take the lead and ensure that the money was used effectively to build good roads.

The county head, Wang, sounded so excited on the other end of the phone that his voice changed.

The long-standing problem that had plagued several county leadership teams was solved effortlessly by Chen Ping with just a phone call and a few words.

After seeing off the group of entrepreneurs, Chen Ping's Qingming Festival holiday came to an end.

Before he left, his mother, Li Xiufang, boiled some eggs for him, her eyes red with tears, and told him to take care of himself. His father, Chen Dashan, patted him on the shoulder and simply said, "Everything is fine at home, so don't worry about your work."

Chen Ping got into the car returning to Nanzhou and looked out the window at the county town rushing past.

He knew that there was much more he could do for his hometown than just one path.

……

Three hours later, the Audi smoothly drove into the underground parking garage of the Nanzhou Industrial Energy Coordination Center.

As soon as he returned to the office, that familiar yet tense atmosphere returned. Zhang Chao was already waiting at the door, his expression somewhat grave.

"Director, you're back."

"What happened?" Chen Ping asked as he took off his coat.

"You'll see at a glance." Zhang Chao didn't say much, but simply led Chen Ping to the desk.

The large mahogany desk was spotless, with only a report in a blue folder lying quietly in the very center.

There was no title, no signature, only two words in red font in the upper right corner of the cover:

Top secret.

Chen Pingfang's gaze darkened. He reached out and opened the folder.

He saw the title clearly, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

Risk Assessment Report on the Leveraged Hostile Takeover of the Xinhuo Project by the Provincial Urban Construction Investment Group.

The report was short, but every word conveyed a dangerous message.

Provincial Construction Investment Group, a provincial state-owned investment platform with deep background, has recently acquired shares of several core listed companies in the Xinhuo project supply chain through multiple shell companies on the secondary market.

Their methods were very professional and covert, and they used a very large amount of money.

The last page of the report included a list of the latest senior management changes at the Provincial Urban Construction Investment Group.

The name of the Chairman of the Board is printed in the column.

Zhao Xilai.

Following his name is a parenthesis listing one of his social positions:

President of the Jiangdong Zhao Clan Council.

The Zhao family has finally stepped out from behind the scenes and into the spotlight.