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

The morning after the photos were saved to the encrypted album, Su Qing went to the newspaper office. Chen Ping didn't see her off because Lin Shaofeng called at 7:20.

"The land use approval for the second phase of Xinhuo has been rejected by the Environmental Protection Bureau again. The reason given is that the heavy metal levels in the soil exceed the standards."

Chen Ping was steering with one hand when the car drove onto the elevated road.

Which item exceeded the standard?

"Cadmium. The Environmental Protection Administration said that the cadmium content at the sampling points of the site exceeded the Class III land use standard by 0.03 milligrams per kilogram."

00:03. Just right on the line, no more, no less.

This number is so precise that it seems to have been calculated rather than detected—calculated to find a safe value that just barely stops the approval process without triggering a large-scale environmental investigation.

What time is the meeting scheduled?

"At 10:00 AM, in the third conference room of the provincial government. Director Zhao Huanian of the Environmental Protection Department will be here in person, and Director Luo Guodong of the Ecological and Environmental Protection Division will also be on the list."

Luo Guodong. Chen Pingfang chewed on this name twice. He was the one who signed the environmental impact assessment for Phase I of Xinhuo, and now he's jumping out to block Phase II.

"Go to the trunk of my car, there's a blue file folder there, take it to the meeting room for me."

Which file folder?

"The one from Jinza Real Estate."

Lin Shaofeng paused for a moment, then didn't ask any further questions.

At 10:05 a.m., in the third conference room of the provincial government.

The long table was filled with people on both sides. There were six people from the Environmental Protection Bureau, two from the Development and Reform Commission, and three from the High-tech Zone Management Committee, plus Chen Pingfang and Lin Shaofeng, making a total of thirteen people.

Zhao Huanian sat in the center opposite him. He was in his early sixties, with short, gray hair and droopy double eyelids. He flipped through the documents at a leisurely pace.

Luo Guodong sat to Zhao Huanian's right, with a stack of test reports spread out in front of him, printed on glossy paper and neatly bound.

Chen Ping didn't rush to speak. He first had the deputy director of the High-tech Zone Management Committee give a brief and concise report on the basic situation of the second phase of land use. Three minutes later, it was all done.

After listening, Zhao Huanian raised his wrist and glanced at his watch.

"Deputy Secretary-General Chen, we understand the situation. However, environmental approvals have strict requirements; if the indicators are not met, they are not met. This is not something that can be resolved by holding a coordination meeting."

"Director Zhao, which specific indicator did not meet the standard?"

Zhao Huanian tilted his chin towards Luo Guodong.

Luo Guodong opened the test report and cleared his throat.

"According to the soil testing report issued by the Provincial Environmental Monitoring Center commissioned by our office, the average cadmium content at three sampling points on the proposed site for the Xinhuo Phase II project was 0.63 mg/kg, exceeding the limit of 0.60 mg/kg for Class III land use in the Soil Environmental Quality Standard. The exceedance is 5%."

Luo Guodong closed the report and placed his hands on it.

"Although five percent may not seem like much, it's still a red line. We suggest that the project team conduct a six-month soil remediation program first, and then reapply after the remediation meets the standards."

Six months.

The window of opportunity for Phase II of Corefire is only three months. Delaying it for six months would be tantamount to killing the entire expansion plan.

The deputy director of the High-tech Zone Management Committee was getting anxious and was about to interrupt when Chen Ping raised his hand.

"Director Luo, you said the test report was issued by the Provincial Environmental Monitoring Center?"

"right."

"When was the sample taken?"

Luo Guodong flipped through the report cover. "September 12th."

"How many sampling points?"

"Three. Arrange the locations according to the specifications."

Chen Ping took a stack of papers from the blue file folder that Lin Shaofeng handed him, placed them on the table, and didn't push them away.

"Director Luo, I have soil testing data for the same plot of land. The sampling time was three days earlier than yours—September 9th. The average cadmium content at the four sampling points was 0.47 milligrams per kilogram, which is far below the limit."

Luo Guodong's back stiffened for a moment.

"Who compiled this data?"

"The Jiangsu Provincial Geological Environment Monitoring Station, commissioned by the High-tech Zone Management Committee, independently collected samples according to the same standards and specifications."

Chen Ping turned the data to the second page and tapped a line of numbers with his fingertip.

"Within three days, the cadmium content in the same plot of land jumped from 0.47 to 0.63. Director Luo, can you explain to me what's buried underground that could cause the heavy metal concentration to increase by 34% in just 72 hours?"

The meeting room fell silent.

Zhao Huanian stopped fiddling with the materials.

Luo Guodong pursed his lips and squeezed out half a sentence: "Data fluctuations are normal due to different sampling point locations..."

"normal?"

Chen Ping took the second document out of the file folder and spread it on the table.

"Then let me show you another set of normal data."

The cover is red and reads "Jinzuo Real Estate Jizhou Lakeside Garden Project - Soil Environmental Impact Assessment Report".

Luo Guodong withdrew his hand from the test report by half an inch.

"In 2019, Jinzuo Real Estate developed the Lakeside Garden project in Jizhou. Soil testing reports for the project site showed a cadmium content of 0.82 milligrams per kilogram, exceeding the standard by 37%. However, this report was approved by the Environmental Protection Bureau, and the signatory was..."

Chen Ping turned to the last page, his finger pinning the signature.

"Luo Guodong, Department of Ecology and Environment."

Luo Guodong's Adam's apple bobbed.

Zhao Huanian finally opened his eyelids and glanced at Luo Guodong.

"You approved a cadmium content of 0.82%, but not 0.63%?" Chen Ping withdrew his hand and leaned back in his chair. "Director Luo, which standard are you using? Jinzuo Real Estate's standard, or the Core Spark Project's standard?"

Two people from the National Development and Reform Commission were drinking water with their heads down. The deputy director of the High-tech Zone Management Committee was shaking under the table.

Luo Guodong opened his mouth and turned to look at Zhao Huanian.

Zhao Huanian didn't look at him.

"Furthermore," Chen Pingfang pulled out two more sheets of paper from the bottom of the file folder. "He Qishan, the owner of Jinzuo Real Estate, transferred a total of 470,000 yuan to Luo Guodong's bank account in three separate transactions between 2019 and 2021 through Jizhou Zerun Trading Company, which is registered under his spouse's name. I've already compiled the transfer records. Do you want to see them now, or should the disciplinary committee members look at them for you?"

Luo Guodong's chair slid back a few centimeters, and his knee hit the table leg with a dull thud.

Zhao Huanian closed the materials in front of him and placed his hands flat on the table.

All twelve people in the conference room stared at Zhao Huanian.

"Deputy Secretary-General Chen," Zhao Huanian said, his voice rough and gritty. "I will instruct the Monitoring Division to re-verify the Environmental Protection Bureau's testing data for the Xinhuo Phase II land use. If the High-tech Zone Management Committee's data is verified by a third party to meet the standards, we will issue a coordination letter according to procedure."

"No need to go back."

Chen Ping took a draft coordination document out of his briefcase and placed it in the center of the table.

"The data from the Jiangsu Provincial Geological Environment Monitoring Station has been cross-verified by the Southern Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. I have drafted the coordination letter for Director Zhao; you just need to review and sign it."

Zhao Huanian stared at the document for five seconds.

Then he reached out and took it, turned to the last page, and pulled a pen from his breast pocket.

The pen touched the paper, the signature was completed, and the official seal of the Environmental Protection Bureau, which was carried with him, was affixed.

The entire set of movements was clean and crisp, without a single stumble.

Zhao Huanian stood up, nodded to Chen Pingfang, and turned to leave. He didn't stop or even lift his eyelids as he passed Luo Guodong.

Luo Guodong sat in the chair with his legs rooted to the spot until most of the people in the meeting room had left before slowly standing up.

After Lin Shaofeng finished tidying up the documents, he leaned close to Chen Ping and whispered in his ear.

When did you obtain the transfer records from Jinzuo Real Estate?

"Last week. The files that Su Qingwan kept three years ago when she did an investigative report on He Qishan."

Lin Shaofeng paused for a moment, then fell silent.

At 2 p.m., Chen Ping returned to his office on the fourth floor of the provincial government office building. He had just placed his briefcase on the corner of the desk when there was a knock on the door from the outside.

The pace is neither too fast nor too slow, and the spacing is even.

"Please come in."

The door opened.

Han Zhiming stood at the door, holding nothing in his hands, his suit jacket buttoned up neatly.

"Deputy Secretary-General Chen, is this a convenient time?"

"Please sit down."

Han Zhiming walked in and closed the door behind him.

The sound of the bolt being engaged in the keyhole was particularly clear in the quiet office.

Han Zhiming pulled out a chair and sat down, placing his hands on his knees, raising his head, and looking straight at him.

I'd like to talk to you alone.