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

"Have you found the second approver for the research project approval form from the year Gengchen?"

Han Zhiming handed over a copy; the A4 paper had two creases and the edges were frayed.

"Found it. It's the project approval form, GC-0017, retrieved from the archives of the Provincial Academy of Social Sciences. The first approver was the then-director, Liu Hongen, who has passed away. The second approver..."

Chen Ping took it and flipped to the signature section.

The second line is written neatly, and an oval-shaped personal seal is affixed next to the signature.

Song Baiqing.

Approval date: March 12th, Gengchen year.

Chen Ping placed the copy on the table, pressed his thumb against the three characters "Song Baiqing," and rubbed them twice.

The timeline recorded in his father's manuscript matched up. Song Baiqing, as the project approver, participated in the research and project approval process involving personnel and funding flows within the province. After the project was abruptly halted, the official report disappeared from the archives, leaving only the drafts that his father had kept privately.

Song Baiqing's son, Wei Liangjun, changed his surname and province, and took root in the system in Sichuan, like a nail embedded in a crack in the wall, rusted for twenty years and no one pulled it out.

Han Zhiming stood to the side and didn't leave.

"Director, there's one more thing."

"explain."

"Wei Liangjun has been in frequent contact with Zhong Mingyuan in Chengdu recently, but he is not officially employed by the Sichuan Provincial Development and Reform Commission. I had someone check, and his administrative affiliation is with the Sichuan Provincial Government Research Office, where he holds the rank of division chief."

"A research lab?"

"Yes. The Second Comprehensive Division of the Provincial Government Research Office is responsible for policy research and the compilation of internal reference documents. This position has special authority—they can access internal documents from various departments of the provincial government."

Chen Ping's fingers paused on the edge of the table.

Policy research position. Right to access documents.

This explains why Wei Liangjun could move freely within the system—he wasn't on the decision-making chain, but he occupied a pivotal position in the information chain. He could see everyone's documents and know everyone's secrets.

It's exactly the same operating model of the "power broker" described in my father's manuscript.

Chen Ping locked the project approval form in the drawer and stood up.

"Han Zhiming, do me a favor. Release a message before 3 PM."

"What news?"

"For example, during my research in Chengdu, I came into contact with a key insider who was involved in the suspension of the Gengchen Year research project. We are currently compiling relevant testimony materials."

Han Zhiming's pen hung in mid-air.

"Who should I send this message to?"

"The Communications and Briefing Group of the Provincial Government Office. Find a reason, such as when submitting your business trip report, to mention it in the remarks column. The daily information compilation of the Briefing Group will be copied to the Research Office of the Provincial Government."

Han Zhiming's lips moved slightly, but he didn't ask any more questions.

Chen Ping walked to the window and opened the blinds a crack. The surface of the landscape lake downstairs was smooth and shiny, and the pit for the third willow tree on the south bank had been filled in and covered with turf.

Once the message is sent out, it's time to see who bites first.

How many years did Wei Liangjun work in the provincial government research office, and how many times did he use his access rights? Every trace of each instance is recorded in the logs of the document management system.

Every time he moves, he leaves footprints.

three days later.

On Tuesday morning, Chen Ping attended an industry matchmaking meeting at the High-tech Zone Management Committee, with his phone on silent. When the meeting ended, two messages from Han Zhiming were displayed on his screen.

The first item: "The message has been released, and the briefing team compiled and distributed it on Monday."

Article 2: "At 9:17 AM today, the Second Comprehensive Division of the Provincial Government Research Office submitted a document retrieval request through the internal system. The document requested is the 2023 Financial Audit Report (internal version) of the Qingjiang High-tech Zone Management Committee. The applicant's name corresponding to their employee number is: Wei Liangjun."

Chen Ping flipped his phone over and placed it face down on the table.

Three days. He only waited three days.

Instead of checking the old files from the Gengchen year or looking for the so-called "key insider," Wei Liangjun directly accessed the financial audit report that Chen Ping had placed in the High-tech Zone.

The sole purpose is to find a stain on one's record.

Only by finding something to hold against Chen Ping can we turn the tables and threaten him to hand over the manuscript.

This move wasn't stupid, but it revealed one thing: Wei Liangjun panicked. He panicked so much that he didn't even have time to have someone else sign the request; he submitted it directly using his own employee ID.

Chen Ping picked up his phone, found a number on the screen, and dialed it.

The phone rang four times before the other end answered.

"Hello, Secretary Cheng, it's me, Chen Pingfang."

There was a silence of about two seconds on the other end of the phone. Cheng Yuan, the deputy secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, sounded very composed on the other end, the kind of voice he always gave in meetings.

"It's lying flat. Is there anything you need from me?"

"Have you finished reviewing the documents I submitted to you last week?"

"I've already seen it."

"I estimate that someone will go to the archives center at the provincial government today to access the documents. And the name of this person is the same one that I highlighted in the materials I gave you last week."

There was silence for three seconds on the other end of the phone.

Are you sure about this?

"I'm absolutely certain because he's already submitted the request to access the documents in the system. And according to the procedures at the Provincial Government Archives Center, for cross-departmental requests like this to access financial audit reports from external organizations, he has to personally go to the window and sign in person to confirm receipt. So he definitely has to be there by the end of the day at the latest."

Cheng Yuan didn't ask any more questions.

"I see."

The phone hangs up.

Chen Ping put his phone on the table, turned his chair around halfway, and faced the window.

The hook is in, and the bait has been taken. Now all that's left is to reel it in.

2:40 PM.

The archives center on the west side of the provincial government compound is an old three-story building with white ceramic tiles from the 1990s on the exterior walls. Several tiles at the corners are cracked, revealing the cement ash underneath.

Wei Liangjun pushed open the glass door on the first floor of the archives center and walked into the access hall.

The hall wasn't large, with three windows, but only number one was open. Behind the counter sat a middle-aged woman wearing reading glasses, her head bowed as she stamped a registration book.

Wei Liangjun walked to the window and handed in the access request form and his work ID together.

"Comprehensive Division II, Wei Liangjun. Request to review the 2023 financial audit report of the Qingjiang High-tech Zone Management Committee."

The woman with the reading glasses took the application form, scanned it, and then picked up her work ID, flipped to the photo page, and compared it with the ID.

"Interdepartmental access requires the signature of the department head. Here~" She pointed to the blank space in the lower right corner of the application form, "Did your department head sign it?"

"The section chief is away on a business trip; the authorization was given over the phone."

"Telephone authorization is not acceptable; a written signature or electronic signature is required."

Wei Liangjun tapped his finger twice on the counter.

"This audit report is not classified; according to regulations, those at the division chief level or above can access it independently. Please check the system."

The woman with reading glasses pushed up her glasses and typed a few words on the computer.

As the screen refreshed, the glass door behind me was pushed open.

A cold wind blew in, carrying with it the acrid smell of the heating pipes in the corridor.

Wei Liangjun did not turn around.

The footsteps echoed four times on the terrazzo floor, unhurried and steady, the heels of the leather shoes striking the ground with a very even rhythm.

"Comrade Wei Liangjun?"

The voice came from behind.

Wei Liangjun turned around.

A man in his early fifties stood three steps away. He was of medium build, with graying temples, wearing a dark gray wool coat, his left hand in his pocket, and his right hand holding a brown briefcase.

The document bag was unzipped, the opening was open, revealing the edges of several pages of paper inside.

There is a faint trace of a red stamp on the paper.

Wei Liangjun's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

"Who are you?"

The man took out an ID card from the inside pocket of his coat, opened it, and handed it to Wei Liangjun.

"Cheng Yuan, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection."

The document reflected light under the fluorescent lamp.

Wei Liangjun's right hand, hanging by his side, clenched its five fingers together and then relaxed them.

Cheng Yuan put the documents back and stood still without moving forward.

"Comrade Wei Liangjun, I have a report against you that involves contacting other people's family members under a false identity and illegally obtaining internal information by abusing your position. The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection has accepted the case."

He moved the document bag forward two inches, with the opening facing Wei Liangjun.

At the bottom of the first page, there is the red seal of the Jiangsu Provincial Chipfire Project Office, and next to it is a handwritten signature: Chen Pingfang, three characters, written in neat, upright strokes.

Wei Liangjun shifted his gaze from those three words to the glass partition of window number one in the archives center.

His face was reflected in the glass, and a layer of cold white light floated on the lenses of his gold-rimmed glasses.

The woman in the reading glasses held her hand above the keyboard, motionless.

The only sound in the reading room was the gurgling of hot water flowing through the heating pipes, one after another.

Cheng Yuan raised his right hand from the briefcase and gestured "please" towards the door.

"Come with me."