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

"The investigation has been completed."

Chen Ping muttered something to himself, locked his phone, and sat up from the sofa.

His coat slipped to the floor, but he didn't even look at it. He walked to the sink, turned on the tap, and splashed cold water hard on his face to wake himself up. The man in the mirror looked haggard, with sunken eyes and a stubble of stubble on his chin.

My phone vibrated again; it was Zhang Chao calling.

"Director, the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection's report is out, and it's all over the internet! The South District government is in an uproar. I heard that Liu Yuejin drove to the provincial capital early this morning."

"understood."

Chen Ping turned off the tap and casually wiped his face with his sleeve.

At 7:30, Jiang Fan brought in two cups of hot soy milk, placed them on the table, and hesitated for a moment.

"Director, Mayor Li's secretary just called and asked you to come to the mayor's office at nine o'clock."

Chen Ping picked up the cup and took a sip. The soy milk was so hot that his tongue went numb.

"Did they say what it was about?"

"She didn't say. But the secretary sounded quite relaxed, unlike last time."

Chen Pingfang recalled the last time. When the whistleblower letter was at its peak, he had also been summoned to the mayor's office. At that time, the secretary's words were "Please come over," which sounded polite but was actually very stiff. This time, the tone was more relaxed, indicating that the matter was truly over.

He put down his soy milk, found a clean white shirt in the closet and changed into it, buttoning it all the way up to the top, leaving only the collar button undone.

Chen Ping straightened his collar in front of the mirror, then turned and left.

~

The corridors of the municipal party committee building were unusually quiet today.

Chen Ping stepped out of the elevator and passed several offices, all with their doors tightly closed. He could only faintly hear people talking inside. One door was ajar, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw two people sitting on a sofa scrolling through their phones. The screens were lit up with the disciplinary committee's report.

Seemingly noticing him, a hand suddenly reached out from the crack in the door and slammed it shut with a "bang".

The mayor's office was at the end of the corridor, the door ajar.

The secretary was waiting at the door. When she saw Chen Pingfang, she immediately smiled and stepped aside to let him pass, nodding to him. That smile was genuine, not the usual formulaic one.

"Director Chen, Mayor Li is waiting for you. Please come in."

Chen Ping pushed open the door and went in.

Instead of sitting behind his desk, Li Jianguo was unusually standing by the tea table by the window, warming cups with a purple clay teapot.

Upon seeing this, Chen Pingfang paused for a moment.

He had been to this office no less than twenty times, and each time, Li Jianguo sat behind that large desk, looking completely businesslike. But today, a bamboo mat was laid out on the tea table, with two celadon cups on it, and steam rising from the spout of the purple clay teapot.

This doesn't seem like a business discussion.

"You're here, have a seat."

Without even looking up, Li Jianguo skillfully poured out the first brew of tea. When he poured water again, the fragrance of tea immediately filled the entire room.

Chen Ping sat down opposite him. This chair was lower than the one in front of the desk, so sitting down made him look shorter.

Li Jianguo turned a cup upside down, poured half a cup of tea into it, and pushed it in front of Chen Pingfang.

"Wuyi rock tea, a gift from a friend last year, I haven't been able to bring myself to drink it."

Chen Ping picked up the cup and took a sip. The tea was very strong, and there was a sweet taste in his mouth after swallowing.

Li Jianguo poured himself half a glass, but didn't drink it; he just held the glass and looked at Chen Pingfang.

"You saw the announcement at 4 AM, right?"

"I saw it."

"Then you should be able to guess that the reason I called you here today wasn't just for this matter."

Li Jianguo put down his teacup and placed his hands, folded, on the edge of the table. His complexion was much better than a few days ago; although his eye sockets were still sunken, his eyes were brighter, and he seemed more relaxed.

"Put it flat," Li Jianguo began. "From the moment you submitted that report on Hongtuyuan, to the reversal at the Standing Committee meeting, to holding off the provincial investigation team, and finally cutting off their overseas channels—any one of these steps could have had unimaginable consequences."

Chen Ping held his teacup without saying a word.

"You did a great job. You were brave and resourceful, and you held the line."

Li Jianguo paused, then emphasized his words.

"And they also protected the future of the Southern State."

Chen Ping's heart skipped a beat; he understood this was more than just praise. In the system, such evaluations from superiors, once written into one's personnel file, were of paramount importance.

"Mayor, you flatter me. It's what I should do."

"It depends on who is responsible for doing the job. Some people can do it, and some people can't."

Li Jianguo picked up the teapot and added more water. The second brew was a little lighter in color, but the aroma remained.

"Let's get down to business."

As the teapot was set down, the atmosphere in the room became serious.

"With Yan Qinghua gone, several positions in Nanzhou have become vacant. The executive vice mayor, the head of the Nan District, and a bureau chief are all here. The province is preparing for personnel adjustments."

Li Jianguo picked up his teacup and slowly rubbed his thumb along the rim.

"People from the Organization Department will be coming down to investigate soon. The specific list hasn't been finalized yet, but the general direction has been set—priority will be given to promoting those who performed well in this matter."

Chen Ping placed the teacup back on the table, the bottom of the cup touching the bamboo mat with a crisp sound.

Li Jianguo's words were so explicit that they weren't just hints, but direct statements.

"Ping Fang, I know the burden on Xin Huo is heavy. But for Nan Zhou to develop, relying on just Xin Huo is not enough."

Li Jianguo leaned forward slightly, staring at Chen Pingfang.

"We need more capable and competent leaders. What are your plans for the future? What are your thoughts?"

The office fell silent, with only the heavy, rhythmic sound of pile driving from the construction site outside the window.

Chen Ping did not answer immediately.

His gaze fell on his teacup, watching the tea leaves float and sink in the water.

Chen Pingfang understood Li Jianguo's meaning. The executive vice mayor left behind by Yan Qinghua was the second-in-command of Nanzhou. Sitting in that position, one could have influence over the entire Nanzhou's industry, finances, and personnel.

The position was very tempting, but Chen Ping had something else on his mind.

He was thinking of the photoresist that Song Yue's team had been working on for eight months in the Chipfire experimental building. Just last week, Song Yue told him that the performance of the new sample was almost catching up with the best foreign products. But the problem was that mass production required the cooperation of the entire industrial chain, from raw materials and equipment to testing and applications, none of which could be missing.

Such a large industrial chain cannot be absorbed by Nanzhou alone.

"mayor."

Chen Ping raised his head and looked at Li Jianguo.

"The photoresist project of Chipfire should achieve a major breakthrough within six months."

Li Jianguo's fingers, which were stroking the rim of the cup, stopped.

"If this project succeeds, our country will no longer be held back by others in the field of high-end photoresist. However, to turn it into an industry, it is not enough to rely on Nanzhou City alone."

Chen Pingfang spoke slowly, but every word was clear.

"From the raw materials at the very top, to the production equipment in the middle, and then to the application in the factories downstream, this requires the cooperation of industries in at least four cities. This whole situation requires the entire Jiangdong Province to coordinate resources."

After listening, Li Jianguo leaned back in his chair, placed his hands on the armrests, and remained silent.

Chen Ping then finished saying what he really wanted to say.

"Such a large undertaking, I'm afraid I, as a center director, cannot handle it."

The tea had gone cold, and no one touched it anymore.

Li Jianguo stared at Chen Pingfang for a full five seconds, his lips twitching slightly, and it was clear that he was biting his lip tightly with his teeth.

Suddenly, Li Jianguo stood up, walked around the tea table to his desk, opened a drawer, and took out a document with an official red header. The red seal of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department was very conspicuous on the cover.

He held the document, turned it around in his hand, but did not hand it to Chen Pingfang.

"This research plan was delivered to me at 8 p.m. last night."

Chen Ping stood ramrod straight, motionless.

Li Jianguo put the document back in the drawer, locked it, and heard a "click".

"You're right, this situation needs someone who can handle it."

Li Jianguo turned around, walked to the window, turned his back to Chen Pingfang, put his hands in his pockets, and looked out the window.

At the construction site of the second phase of the Xinhuo project, several tower cranes were busy at work, their muffled roar carrying through the air. The fourth layer of steel frame had already been erected, and the workers' safety helmets gleamed like tiny orange dots in the sunlight.

"The provincial inspection team will arrive in Nanzhou next week."

Li Jianguo's figure paused for a moment.

"Get ready."