Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

The three people at the door remained locked in a stalemate.

Time seemed to have been paused at that moment.

The air seemed to solidify, heavy and suffocating. Even the motion-activated light in the hallway, which flickered on and off, seemed to sense this chilling murderous aura, flickered twice, and then went out completely with a "sizzle."

In the darkness, only Xi Wanqing's cold eyes gleamed with a sinister light.

Her gaze passed over Liu Ming's shoulder and was fixed on Nangong Yao, who was dressed in a bespoke suit, with a languid posture and a playful smile on her lips.

In that instant, the woman's sixth sense made her immediately sound the highest level air raid siren.

Danger.

Extremely dangerous.

This woman was like a datura flower blooming in the dark night, exuding a fatal allure and... a possessiveness towards this man.

"If it's inconvenient for me, I'll be going now."

Xi Wanqing's voice was cold, as if she had been pulled out of an ice cellar. She tightened her grip on the still-warm insulated lunchbox in her hand and turned to leave.

It was a kind of anger that came from having one's territory violated, and a hint of... grievance that she herself was unwilling to admit.

"Hey! Don't go!"

Before Liu Ming could speak, Nangong Yao, who was inside the room, spoke first.

She walked gracefully to the door in her high heels, casually placing one hand on Liu Ming's shoulder, and flashed a bright, almost blinding smile at Xi Wanqing outside the door.

"Vice County Head Xi, right? Since you're here, please come in and have a seat. We were just talking about 'work' anyway."

She emphasized the word "work" and her eyes held a hint of provocation.

Xi Wanqing stopped in her tracks.

She turned around and looked at Nangong Yao's hand on Liu Ming's shoulder, her gaze instantly turning sharp as a knife.

go?

Why leave?

This is Qingyun County! This is her territory!

She is the local official, while this woman is just an outside investor.

If I just leave like this, wouldn't it make me look like I'm afraid of her?

"it is good."

Xi Wanqing took a deep breath, adjusted her breathing, and put on her usual businesslike, icy expression again.

"Perfect timing. I'd also like to discuss a few details regarding the implementation of the Nangong Group's investment with Comrade Liu Ming... and President Nangong."

After saying that, she ignored Liu Ming, who was blocking the doorway, and stepped into the narrow rented room.

Their demeanor was more like someone checking on patients than someone delivering food.

Liu Ming, caught in the middle, felt a gust of cold wind rushing down her neck.

He glanced at Nangong Yao, whose face was full of fake smiles, and then at Xi Wanqing, whose face was full of frost. He secretly groaned in his heart.

This doesn't look like a rental apartment at all!

This is clearly an octagonal cage!

……

The atmosphere in the room, which was less than 30 square meters, was extremely eerie.

The two women sat facing each other, occupying the only two chairs in the room.

Liu Ming could only sit awkwardly on the edge of the bed like a primary school student who had made a mistake, not even daring to breathe loudly.

"President Nangong," Xi Wanqing began, placing the insulated lunchbox on the slightly wobbly square table with a soft thud. "If I remember correctly, the county arranged a top-of-the-line presidential suite for you. Your late-night visit to a male subordinate's rented apartment seems... a bit inappropriate, doesn't it?"

"Rules?" Nangong Yao crossed her legs, her long, beautiful legs gleaming like ivory in the dim light. "Vice County Chief Xi, it's after get off work hours. Liu Ming and I are old classmates, we haven't seen each other for years, catching up, what law have we broken?"

She picked up the water glass that Liu Ming had just drunk from without any hesitation, took a small sip, and her eyes sparkled with a seductive charm.

"Besides, when we were abroad, we had many such 'late-night talks by candlelight.' Back then, we weren't so particular about these things."

With just one sentence, the relationship between the two was pulled back to that ambiguous past.

Xi Wanqing's eye twitched slightly.

foreign?

cohabitation?

Although Liu Ming never mentioned it to her, her woman's intuition told her that there was definitely a hidden story between the two of them.

That kind of intimacy can't be faked.

A pang of bitterness welled up inside her, but she showed no sign of it on her face. Instead, she sat up straighter and adopted the demeanor of a deputy county magistrate.

"That's in the past," Xi Wanqing said coldly. "Now, Liu Ming is a public official in Qingyun County and the executive deputy leader of the project team. He needs to pay attention not only to work discipline but also to his lifestyle! President Nangong, you are a businesswoman, and business is business. I don't want personal feelings to affect our cooperation."

"Lifestyle?" Nangong Yao asked as if she had heard a joke. "Deputy County Chief Xi, you're out in the middle of the night, bringing a homemade lunch to a male subordinate's house to offer him some warmth... That's quite a 'unique' lifestyle, isn't it?"

She pointed to the lunchbox on the table, a playful smile on her face: "What? Are all the leaders in Qingyun County this considerate of their subordinates? Even late-night snacks are delivered to their door?"

"You!" Xi Wanqing was speechless for a moment, and her originally fair cheeks instantly turned red.

It was a mixture of shame and anger, as well as the panic of having one's secret exposed.

"I...I'm here to report on my work!" Xi Wanqing forced a smile and explained, "There are some urgent documents that need Comrade Liu Ming's signature!"

"Oh—" Nangong Yao drawled, with an "I understand, I understand" expression. "So it's a work report. Then, what's in this lunchbox, perhaps the official seal?"

Xi Wanqing felt like her lungs were about to explode with anger.

This woman has such a sharp tongue!

Every word was barbed, every word pierced her heart.

She looked at Liu Ming for help, hoping that this man would stand up and say something.

Liu Ming was huddled in the corner of the bed, trying to minimize her presence by keeping her eyes down.

Immortals fight, mortals suffer.

Anyone who speaks at this moment will die!

"Liu Ming!" Xi Wanqing was furious when she saw him pretending to be dead and called him out by name.

"Here!" Liu Ming sprang to attention reflexively.

"Are you hungry?" Xi Wanqing asked, pointing to the lunchbox in a firm tone.

"Huh?" Liu Ming was stunned for a moment and touched her stomach.

To be honest, I was so busy socializing at the dinner party that I didn't get to eat my fill.

"Hungry! Of course I'm hungry!"

"Don't eat!" Nangong Yao suddenly interrupted. She stood up, walked to Liu Ming's side, and reached out to straighten his collar. Her actions were as intimate as those of a long-time couple. "Didn't we just agree? I'd take you to eat Western food. We'll go to the city. I know a good French restaurant."

"What Western food! What time is it?!" Xi Wanqing stood up, opened the lunchbox, and a rich aroma of chicken soup instantly filled the room. "This is... this is free-range chicken soup that I asked the cafeteria chef to specially make. Drink it while it's hot!"

"What's the point of drinking soup? It's not nutritious." Nangong Yao retorted, taking Liu Ming's left arm. "Liu Ming, let's go. Let's not waste this beautiful moment."

"You must drink! That's an order!" Xi Wanqing grabbed Liu Ming's right arm, refusing to budge. "Deputy Team Leader Liu, your health is the foundation of everything. How can you work if you don't eat?"

On one side are fiery red roses, and on the other side are icy white roses.

On one hand, there's the powerful invitation from a wealthy heiress; on the other, there's the "loving" order from her boss.

Liu Ming was caught in the middle, torn between two options, feeling like an Oreo about to be torn apart.

This is hardly a blessing in disguise.

This is pure torture!

He looked into those two pairs of eyes that seemed to be spitting fire, and cold sweat poured down his forehead in an instant.

If we stay any longer, the house will be torn down.

We must evacuate!

"Um..." Liu Ming coughed lightly and carefully broke free from their hands.

"Stop! Stop arguing!"

Both women looked at him at the same time.

Liu Ming swallowed hard, pointed to the empty table, and said with a serious expression, "Um... there's no water at home! Um... this chicken soup is too salty, and the Western food is too greasy, I need to go buy a bottle of water! Yes! Buy water!"

After saying that, he didn't give the two of them a chance to react. He grabbed his coat and, like a startled rabbit, opened the door and disappeared into the darkness at the end of the corridor at top speed.

"Bang!"

The door slammed shut.

Inside the room, only Nangong Yao and Xi Wanqing remained, staring at each other in bewilderment.

A few seconds later.

Nangong Yao chuckled, sat back down in her chair, and looked at the chicken soup on the table with a playful expression.

"It seems our great hero isn't so brave after all."

Xi Wanqing snorted coldly, not replying, but her tense lips relaxed slightly.

Looking at the tightly closed door, she felt a strange sense of relief.

Fortunately.

He didn't go with her.