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

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Jinshuiwan project.

The scene was bustling with activity, with colorful flags and banners everywhere. A red carpet was laid out on the temporary stage, and a row of microphones were placed there. Dozens of excavators were parked below, ready to start work at any time.

According to the procedure, after the leader finishes speaking, the first shovel of soil should be dug to announce the official start of the project.

Xiao Yuhan stood on the stage, holding her speech, just about to speak.

Suddenly, a commotion arose in the crowd.

"Don't touch it! Anyone who dares to disturb the earth, I'll fight them to the death!"

A sharp sound rang out.

Everyone's eyes turned toward the direction from which the sound came.

At the entrance to the construction site, a dozen elderly people dressed in mourning clothes lay hand in hand in front of the excavator.

Behind them was a white banner with black lettering.

"Destroy my dragon vein, and you will be childless and without descendants!"

Next to the banner stood seven or eight burly men, holding up their phones to broadcast live from the scene.

"Hey everyone, did you see that? This is what they call a 'people's livelihood project'! The government wants to dig up our ancestral graves and ruin our feng shui!"

"We demand an explanation today!"

The live stream chat was immediately flooded with comments.

"That's too much!"

"Support the villagers in defending their rights!"

"The government can't be so domineering!"

On the podium, the expressions of several leaders changed.

Xiao Yuhan put down the microphone and quickly walked off the stage, with Chen Ping closely following behind her.

Huang Qianshu also stood up from the VIP seats, her brows furrowed tightly.

At the entrance to the construction site, a man in his fifties sat on a small stool, legs crossed, holding a tattered family genealogy book in his hand.

The man was wearing a faded Zhongshan suit and cloth shoes, and his hair was slicked back and shiny.

This man is Lai Laosi, a notorious local bully.

"Lai Laosi, what are you doing?"

City government staff rushed over to help the elderly people up.

Lai Laosi patted the family genealogy book, stood up, and pointed in the direction of the construction site.

"What are you doing? Let me tell you, this land is the feng shui eye of our Lai family for generations!"

"My great-great-grandfather is buried right here! If you disturb this land, our Lai family will be wiped out!"

"Anyone who dares to break ground today, I'll fight them to the death!"

As he spoke, his voice became choked with sobs, and the elderly people lying on the ground also began to cry out.

"Our ancestors have shown their power!"

"We can't let them dig!"

More and more villagers gathered to watch, and many began to whisper among themselves.

"Lai Laosi has a point; ancestral graves shouldn't be disturbed."

"Yes, what if something really happens? Who will be responsible?"

Huang Qianshu walked up to Lai Laosi, suppressing her anger, and said, "Lai Laosi, the demolition compensation has already been paid out, and your village's agreement has been signed. What's the meaning of causing trouble now?"

Lai Laosi chuckled and spread his hands.

"Mr. Huang, this is no small matter. I'm just being reasonable."

"Our Lai family's ancestral graves are a geomantically auspicious site; a master once guided us on how to use them."

"You can move if you want, but you have to follow the rules."

"What are the rules?" Huang Qianshu asked.

Lai Laosi held up two fingers.

"Two million, for the relocation of the grave."

Not a single point less.

Huang Qianshu looked very unwell.

"This is extortion!"

Lai Lao Si remained calm and patted the family genealogy in his hand.

"Mr. Huang, you can't just say things like that. These are my legitimate requests."

"If you don't agree, don't blame us for being impolite."

As soon as he finished speaking, the burly men immediately surrounded him and pointed their live-stream cameras at Huang Qianshu.

"Hey guys, did you see that? This is how capitalists bully ordinary people!"

"We want to protect our rights!"

The screen was flooded with comments again.

Huang Qianshu took a deep breath and turned to look at Chen Pingfang.

Chen Ping stood at the back of the crowd, looking at Lai Laosi with little expression.

Huang Qianshu walked to his side and lowered her voice, saying, "Section Chief Chen, what do you think about this?"

Chen Pingfang turned to Huang Qianshu and said, "President Huang, we gave you two million today, and tomorrow it will be twenty million."

"We can't indulge him in this habit."

Huang Qianshu was taken aback. "Then what should we do? Call the police?"

Chen Ping shook his head.

Calling the police is useless.

"Lai Laosi is inciting the villagers with feudal superstition. If the police take a hard line, things will get out of hand."

Huang Qianshu's face darkened. "So, we're just going to keep this up like this?"

Chen Ping glanced at Xiao Yuhan, whose face was ashen on the platform, and then at the villagers behind Lai Laosi who were unaware of the truth.

Give me a week.

"I don't need to force him; he'll leave on his own."

Huang Qianshu frowned. "Are you sure?"

Chen Ping didn't answer, and turned to walk towards the parking lot.

Xiao Yuhan caught up with him, "What are you doing?"

Chen Ping stopped and turned to look at her.

"Mayor Xiao, let's suspend this ceremony for now and just say it's postponed due to weather."

"Leave the rest to me."

Xiao Yuhan looked into his eyes, remained silent for a few seconds, and then nodded.

"Okay, I believe you."

……

That afternoon, Chen Ping returned to his rented room.

He took off his suit and put on an old jacket and a pair of canvas shoes.

Guo Xiaojun stood at the door, looking at his attire with some concern.

"Ping Fang, are you really going alone?"

Chen Ping picked up a thermos, filled it with hot water, and stuffed it into his backpack.

"It's convenient for one person."

"But..." Guo Xiaojun wanted to say something, but Chen Pingfang interrupted him.

"Old Guo, I'm leaving the work at Ke Li to you."

"Remember, this week, no matter what news is circulating outside, do not respond."

Guo Xiaojun gritted his teeth and said, "I understand."

Chen Ping slung his bag over his shoulder, pushed open the door, and went out.

……

As evening fell, Chen Ping drove a dilapidated van into the village controlled by Lai Laosi.

The road at the village entrance has been blocked, and several burly men are guarding it.

Chen Ping rolled down the car window and handed him a pack of cigarettes.

"Brother, I'm here to find someone."

The burly man took the cigarette, glanced at him, and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"Grandma Li at the village entrance, I am her nephew."

The burly man sized him up a few times, then waved his hand, "Go inside."

The bread truck slowly drove into the village.

The village was quiet, and every household had their doors closed.

Chen Ping parked his car in front of a dilapidated mud house at the entrance of the village.

This is the poorest family in the village, home to an elderly person living alone.

Chen Ping knocked on the door.

Who is it?

An old voice came from inside.

"Grandma Li, it's me, Xiao Chen, I've come to see you."

The door creaked open.

An elderly woman with a wrinkled face peeked out, saw Chen Pingfang, and paused for a moment.

"Who are you……"

Chen Ping smiled. "I'm a staff member from the city, and I'd like to stay here for a few days. Is that alright?"

The old lady hesitated for a moment, glanced at the thermos and backpack in Chen Ping's hand, and nodded.

"Come in."

"Young man, are you here to investigate Lai Laosi?"

Chen Ping raised his head and looked at her.

The old lady shook her head. "Don't bother investigating, it's useless."

"He's very powerful in the village; who dares to mess with him?"

Chen Pingfang didn't speak, but just listened quietly.

The old woman continued, "Over the years, he has embezzled all the village's compensation money from the demolition."

"We old folks didn't receive a single penny."

"But nobody dares to sue him, and even if they did, it wouldn't do any good, because he has connections."

Chen Ping put down his thermos and stood up.

"Grandma Li, you should get some rest. I'm going out for a walk."

The old lady tried to stop him, but Chen Pingfang had already walked out of the yard.

……

Late at night, Chen Ping climbed over the wall and sneaked into the village's ancestral hall.

It was pitch black inside, so he turned on his phone's flashlight and started searching through it.

Soon, Chen Ping found an account book in a dilapidated cabinet.

The ledger is filled with detailed records of how Lai Laosi embezzled villagers' demolition compensation money over the years.

Every stroke is clear and distinct.

Chen Ping took out his phone and took pictures of every page of the ledger.