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

As Qian Weiguo's leather shoes stepped across the threshold, Sun Keming's chair moved back half an inch.

The executive deputy director, surnamed Ma, was in his early fifties. He stood ramrod straight, glanced at the materials spread out on the conference table, and remained silent.

Qian Weiguo didn't sit down. With his hands behind his back, he walked halfway around the conference table, flipping through all the customs declarations, bank receipts, and provincial department filing records that Chen Ping had placed on the table.

There were seven or eight people in the meeting room, but none of them dared to move.

Qian Weiguo turned the last page, closed the book, and turned to Sun Keming.

"Captain Sun, the tax bureau investigated for three months and concluded that no irregularities were found. What is the procedural basis for your initiating the case, bypassing the tax bureau's conclusion?"

Sun Keming's lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.

Qian Weiguo's finger pointed to the official seal on the provincial department's filing record.

"This record was signed by Liu Mingyuan, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology. Would you like to call and verify it?"

Sun Keming finally spoke.

"Mayor Qian, the source of the case leads is classified as investigative secret and cannot be discussed at this time..."

"I didn't ask you where the clues came from."

Qian Weiguo pushed the reporting record in front of Sun Keming.

"I'm asking you about the procedural basis. Jiacheng Precision issued five VAT invoices to Xinhuo Center, each with a contract, acceptance form, and bank receipt on the back. Tell me, which one was fraudulently issued?"

Sun Keming looked down and flipped through two pages of materials, then looked up at Executive Deputy Director Ma.

Director Ma stood at the door without moving, his expression remaining unchanged.

Chen Ping didn't urge him; he waited.

Sun Keming rubbed his fingers back and forth along the edge of the document a couple of times before turning to the page with the fourth contract.

"Regarding the 4.2 million technical service fee, 'technical services' is not included in Jiacheng Precision's business scope. Therefore, the invoice item name does not match the business scope, which constitutes a false invoice."

His tone was stiff, as if he were reciting a memorized text.

Chen Ping took a piece of paper out of his briefcase and placed it on the table.

"This is the business license change record of Chia Cheng Precision Equipment Co., Ltd. Last July, two months before signing this technical service agreement, the company had already changed its business scope. The newly added items include 'precision equipment technical services,' 'technical consulting,' and 'import and export of supporting spare parts.' This information can be checked at any time in the Chia Cheng Market Supervision Bureau's system."

It was an A4 sheet of paper with the red seal of the Jiaxing Market Supervision Bureau stamped at the bottom.

Sun Keming stared at the red stamp, completely stunned. His mouth was open, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The young investigator next to him had already lowered his head below the table, frantically flipping through the case files in his hands. After four or five pages, the color drained from his face little by little.

This change record is not in the case file.

The case filing report clearly states that Jiacheng Precision's business scope does not include technical services, and the invoice product name does not match the business scope.

The core basis for the entire case was just shattered by a single piece of paper placed by Chen Ping.

"Captain Sun."

Chen Ping didn't raise his voice.

"Changes in business scope are public information; you can find it by entering the unified social credit code into the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. Didn't you even check the system before you filed the case?"

This sentence was played twice in the conference room.

Sun Keming's neck turned bright red, spreading from his collar all the way to his ears.

Qian Weiguo was transferred to the position of Executive Deputy Director.

"Director Ma, what's your opinion?"

Director Ma walked from the doorway to the table, picked up the business license change record and the provincial department's filing document, and looked at them for half a minute.

"The evidence is very clear."

Director Ma put down the document and glanced at Sun Keming.

"There are obvious flaws in the grounds for filing the case against Han Zhengke. Comrade Sun Keming, please suspend your current work and submit a written explanation to the bureau."

Sun Keming's Adam's apple bobbed twice, and he pulled his hands back from the table and hid them under the table.

"Director Ma, the leads for this case were transferred from Guangling, we..."

He stopped himself halfway through his sentence.

The moment the name Guangling was uttered, the air in the conference room visibly turned cold.

Chen Ping didn't press further. There was no need to. The source of the clues had already surfaced.

Qian Weiguo clasped his hands in front of him, speaking in a steady voice, enunciating each word clearly.

"Sun Keming, the lead came from Guangling. After you took over, did you independently verify it? Did you check the public disclosure system? Did you check the customs data? Did you compare the foreign exchange payment records?"

Sun Keming remained silent.

"You open a case and arrest someone based solely on the transferred materials? You've been working in economic crime investigation for over a decade; do I need to teach you this basic common sense?"

Qian Weiguo's teacup remained on the edge of the table, untouched.

"Han Zhengke's men must be released this afternoon. The normal operation of the business cannot be affected. If the provincial department inquires, the Jiaxing municipal government will not be able to cover up the responsibility."

Director Ma nodded.

"I will arrange for the case-handling department to lift the summons immediately."

Chen Ping slowly and deliberately put the materials on the table back into his briefcase.

"Mayor Qian, Director Ma, I'd like to add something. The Chipfire Phase II project is a key provincial project, and all the core equipment procurement contracts for the project have been filed with the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology. If similar situations arise again in the future, involving companies in the Chipfire Center's supply chain, I suggest communicating with the Provincial Department first to avoid unnecessary disruption to the overall semiconductor industry in the province."

This was said to everyone present.

Qian Weiguo nodded.

Director Ma also nodded.

Sun Keming sat motionless in the chair, his arms hanging at his sides, his whole body tucked into the back of the chair.

Chen Ping picked up his briefcase, nodded to Qian Weiguo and Director Ma, and turned to leave the conference room.

The corridor was empty, with only the faint hum of the fluorescent lights overhead.

Jiang Fan was waiting at the top of the stairs. When he saw Chen Ping come out, he quickly went to greet him.

"Director, how is it?"

"People are released today. The production line continues uninterrupted."

Jiang Fan breathed a sigh of relief and followed Chen Ping downstairs.

Pushing open the glass doors of the police station building, the sunlight outside was a bit dazzling. The asphalt pavement in the parking lot reflected the white light, and waves of heat rose from the ground.

Chen Ping stood on the steps, took out his phone from his pocket, and opened the chat window with Su Qingwan.

"The grounds for initiating the case against Han Zhengke have been overturned, and he was released this afternoon. The source of the information is Guangling. Sun Keming said it himself."

The message was sent, and Su Qingwan replied four seconds later.

"Wu Shaoming checked out of Jiacheng Hotel at 9:00 AM this morning. After checking out, he went to the law firm opposite Jiacheng Public Security Bureau and stayed there for forty minutes. The law firm's name is Zhengheng Law Firm."

Chen Ping locked the screen and put the phone back in his pocket.

Zhengheng Law Firm. Su Qingwan had mentioned before that Wu Shaoming is currently affiliated with a law firm in Jiaxing.

Jiang Fan drove the car down the steps, and Chen Ping opened the back door.

Just as I stepped one foot in, my phone vibrated again.

It's not Su Qingwan.

Caller ID: Mayor Li's office.

Chen Ping stood by the car door, his thumb hovering above the answer button.

When the phone rang for the third time, the side door of the police station building opened. Sun Keming strode out, his phone in hand, dialing a number.

The two people, separated by half a parking lot, met each other's gazes.

Sun Keming paused for a moment while dialing, then turned and walked in the opposite direction.

Chen Ping pressed the answer button and leaned into the back seat.

"Mayor Li, I'm in Chiayi City."

On the other end of the phone, Li Mingyuan's voice was very low.

"Pingfang, the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection just called me. Fang Zhiyuan's sister, Fang Zhifang, was placed under investigation by the Guangling Municipal Supervisory Commission this morning."