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

Chen Ping flipped the official document back to its cover, his fingertip hovering over the words "Corefire Project," without moving it.

Director Liu, you've made your move.

It's not about revealing our hand; it's about following procedure.

This move is even harder to defend against than Zhao Xilai's. Zhao Xilai used a hammer, while Director Liu used calipers.

At 10:00 a.m. sharp, a car from the Provincial Department of Finance parked downstairs at the Xinhuo Project Center. Four people arrived, led by Director Liu, followed by two section chiefs and a young man, each carrying a stack of documents.

Zhang Chao went downstairs to greet them and led them into a small conference room on the first floor.

When Chen Ping walked in, Director Liu was sitting in the main seat, holding his teacup, looking very comfortable.

Director Liu was in his early sixties, with gray hair and a square face. His first words were spoken in a thick Mandarin accent.

"Director Chen, we're here today mainly to provide services, not for inspection. The province attaches great importance to the Chipfire project, and our Finance Department has a responsibility to ensure its success."

Chen Ping sat down and pulled the chair closer to the table.

"Director Liu, you've worked hard, making this special trip."

"Of course, of course." Director Liu put down his teacup and gestured to the section chief next to him to push the documents over. "This is a document we've compiled. Take a look at it first."

The stack of documents was thirty pages long, with the cover bearing the title: "Detailed Rules for the Standardized Management of Provincial Strategic Emerging Industries Special Funds".

Chen Ping took the document and started flipping through it from the first page, very slowly, one page at a time, without skipping any.

Director Liu waited for two minutes, then couldn't sit still any longer and spoke up to add to the discussion.

"These detailed rules were newly introduced this year, and their core principle is the principle of local management."

Director Liu emphasized the words "territorial management".

"Special funds for industrial projects within the province, regardless of their source, must first be deposited into the provincial finance special account, and then the finance department will review and disburse the funds according to the project progress to ensure the compliance and traceability of fund use."

Chen Ping turned to page seven, stopped, and folded a corner of that page.

"So, Director Liu means that this 10 billion should first be deposited into the provincial finance department's account?"

Director Liu spread his hands on the table.

"It's not 'going into the provincial finance department's account,' but rather managed through a special account. The account is still yours, but it follows our ledger system. Fund disbursements are applied for quarterly, and after we review them, we transfer the funds to you. The whole process is transparent and traceable."

Chen Ping turned another page.

He didn't immediately refute it, but simply continued flipping through the document. He turned to page eighteen and folded a corner over it.

This gesture caused the section chief next to Director Liu to lean back slightly.

Chen Ping closed the file and placed it on the table.

"Director Liu, in which month of this year were these detailed rules issued?"

"March."

"The authorization agreement for this grant from the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund was signed at the end of last year."

Chen Ping spoke in a very calm tone, simply stating the facts.

Will the newly issued provincial-level detailed rules have retroactive effect on previously signed central government-level agreements?

Director Liu paused for a moment.

"The agreement was signed, but the funds were not actually received until after the expo. According to the timeline, the funds were received after the detailed rules were issued."

"Okay." Chen Ping nodded, then turned to Zhang Chao, "Bring those boxes in."

Zhang Chao went out, and two minutes later he pushed in a small cart with three file boxes on it, all of which were sealed.

Director Liu's eyelids twitched.

Zhang Chao tore open the seal on the first box, took out a thick two-hundred-page agreement, and placed it in front of Chen Pingfang.

Chen Ping pushed the agreement in front of Director Liu.

"Director Liu, this is the special appropriation agreement for the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, Article 3 and Article 7, the fund management clause."

Director Liu looked down.

The text clearly states: This allocation of funds is a national major industrial special project. The funds are independently accounted for, not included in the local government's overall fiscal management system, and are subject to direct supervision by the fund management committee. Local governments are not allowed to interfere with the use and allocation of funds in any form.

"It shall not be in any form." Chen Pingfang read those six words aloud, emphasizing each word or repeating the text.

No one spoke in the meeting room.

Director Liu pushed the agreement aside, picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, put it down, and spoke again.

"Director Chen, you misunderstand. We are not interfering, but providing services and oversight; these are two different concepts."

"I understand." Chen Ping closed the agreement and put it back in the file box. "Then, Director Liu, take a look at the fourth clause, the fund protection clause."

Zhang Chao had already flipped to the fourth page of the agreement and handed it over.

The section chief accompanying Director Liu leaned over to take a look, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Just then, Zhang Chao took a half step back, focusing his attention on the young man behind Director Liu, and paused for a moment.

The young man sat in the corner, holding the documents without saying a word, but Zhang Chao recognized his face.

Last month, when compiling a diagram of the Zhao family's profit chain, this face appeared in the notes of Huajing Technology's supplier list. He was the legal counsel of a supporting company that the Zhao family had acquired. Later, this person disappeared from the list and never appeared again.

Zhang Chao quietly took out his phone, took a picture of the person, and sent it to Chen Pingfang.

Chen Ping's phone vibrated on the table.

He didn't look down at it, but pushed the agreement in front of Director Liu.

"Director Liu, I have a question."

Director Liu looked up.

"Are the people who came with you all colleagues from the department?"

Director Liu glanced back and answered casually.

"They're all from the department. This young man, Xiao Lu, is on temporary assignment, specifically for compliance review."

Chen Ping glanced down at his phone screen, then looked up again.

There was no change in her face.

"it is good."

He pushed the documents aside, picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip, and put it down.

"Director Liu, I have one last thing to confirm with you."

Director Liu is waiting.

"If you insist on having this 10 billion yuan in the provincial treasury special account and following the principle of local management, I will first have to make an application to Chairman Lin Xiangdong to have the money returned and go through the process again."

"After all, this is central government funding, so the procedures have to be compliant, right?"

Director Liu's teacup remained suspended in mid-air, not being put down.

Chen Ping continued speaking, his tone even carrying a hint of negotiation.

"Going back to redo the process will take about three to six months. The procurement contract for the experimental equipment from Chipfire is due to be signed the day after tomorrow. The equipment supplier is in Germany, so I need to contact them to reschedule."

"The restructuring agreement for those three supply chain companies was just approved by the province. If the funding stops, how will the operations be maintained? I also need to report an emergency plan to the province."

"And what about this investment that was announced in front of so many media outlets at the expo? If we were to reverse it and start over, what would happen to Su Qingwan's subsequent media coverage..."

Chen Ping put down his water glass, looked up, and smiled at Director Liu.

"Director Liu, how should I write this application?"