Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

"Never mind who I asked for help, it didn't cost much, but I do owe them a meal."

Chen Ping looked at her face, at the bluish-gray shadows under her eyes, at her chapped lips and skin dried out by the interrogation room lights, and his Adam's apple bobbed. "You suffered a lot in there, didn't you?"

Su Meng lowered her head, her hair falling down to cover her face.

She looked at her hand resting on her knee; the edges of her nails were slightly dry and cracked.

"No..." Su Meng shook her head.

However, Chen Ping could tell that Su Meng was saying this because she didn't want him to worry.

"Don't be afraid. I found Secretary Li, the Party Secretary of Tianhai City. I had dinner with them today, and Secretary Li called the Discipline Inspection Commission, which is how I got in."

"Just bear with it a little longer, I'll definitely find a way to get you out of here. They're trying to frame you, no way."

Chen Ping spoke very quickly, as if afraid there wouldn't be enough time.

Upon hearing this, Su Meng looked up at Chen Ping in surprise. She couldn't believe that Chen Ping knew the municipal party secretary.

How could they possibly eat together?

The municipal party secretary even personally called the discipline inspection commission?

All these questions left Su Meng's mind blank. She wanted to understand, but she knew that now was not the time to ask, since there were time limits for visits.

Moreover, with so many cameras filming, Chen Ping couldn't possibly explain the situation in such detail.

"Chen Ping, when we got divorced and signed the papers at the Civil Affairs Bureau, I thought we would never have anything to do with each other again in this life."

"I never imagined you'd be begging for help everywhere because of me... I'm afraid I can never repay what I owe you."

Su Meng's eyes reddened, but she held back her tears.

Thinking back to the divorce, it was all her fault; she had pushed Chen Ping too hard.

At that time, she couldn't believe her husband, whom she had lived with day and night and loved for more than ten years, but instead believed some recordings and photos from other people.

Su Meng is now somewhat regretful, but what's the use of regret?

There's no going back in life; everything is in the past, and time can't be turned back.

Looking at Su Meng's expression, Chen Ping gave a bitter smile. "Don't say such things. Even if we get divorced, you'll still be my classmate, my friend, and the woman I loved for over a decade."

"For these reasons alone, I can't just stand by and watch you suffer. Just stay here for a few days, and I believe you'll be released soon."

Upon hearing Chen Ping utter the words "the woman I've loved for over a decade," Su Meng could no longer hold back her tears.

Just then, the staff member outside knocked twice on the door and whispered, "Dr. Chen, it's almost time."

Upon hearing the staff's reminder, Chen Ping stood up and gently put down the microphone.

After nodding to Su Meng, Chen Ping turned and walked out.

When Chen Ping came out of the detention center, the iron gate slammed shut behind him.

He stood at the door, looked up at the sparse starlight in the sky, and hailed a taxi back to the hotel.

He slept more soundly that night than the previous two days, at least now that he had established a connection with Li Jizhong.

Meanwhile, Su Meng lay on the cold bed in the detention center, covering her face and weeping bitterly.

The cries contained grievance, resentment, and regret...

………………

The next morning, Chen Ping had breakfast at the hotel, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the municipal government.

The city government building is a gray-white building with several round pillars supporting the porch at the entrance, and the steps are polished to a shine.

Chen Ping went up the steps, pushed open the glass door, and went inside. The hall was spacious and quiet, and the floor tiles were so shiny they reflected light.

He glanced at the floor indicator at the elevator entrance; the municipal party secretary's office was on the fifth floor. He then pressed the elevator button and went up.

When the elevator doors opened, the scene in the corridor was completely different from what he had imagined.

The corridor on the fifth floor wasn't narrow, but the benches against the wall were already full of people. Some were looking down at their documents, some were whispering to each other, and two were standing, clutching notebooks and folders, their expressions somewhat anxious.

A female secretary in her early thirties stood at the office door, holding a roster in her hand, and was whispering something to a middle-aged man in a dark blue jacket.

The door to Secretary Li's office was closed, so the inside couldn't be seen.

Chen Ping walked over, and the female secretary looked up and saw him. She neatly blocked his way and asked in a businesslike tone, "Hello, may I ask which unit you are from? What do you need to see Secretary Li for?"

"Register first, then queue up. There are already quite a few people queuing for Secretary Li's meeting this morning, so you may have to wait a while."

Listening to the female secretary's words was like listening to a robot repeating itself; it was probably the same routine every day, and she had said the same thing thousands of times.

"I'm from Siping Township Health Center. Where is the registration book?" Chen Ping asked with a smile.

"Give……"

The female secretary casually tossed a notebook to Chen Ping; a pen was tied to the notebook with a string.

Chen Ping took the register, opened it, and glanced at it.

The register was filled with densely packed pages of writing, with names, organizations, and reasons for the entries arranged neatly in columns.

Chen Ping found the last blank space and registered his name, phone number, and workplace.

"Okay, take a look..." Chen Ping finished writing and handed the register back to the female secretary.

The female secretary didn't even glance at it, took the register, and said, "Go wait in the back; someone will call you in a bit."

"Hmm!" Chen Ping nodded, then turned around and walked back, intending to find a bench to sit down and rest.

However, Chen Ping had only taken two steps when the female secretary glanced down at the name on the register, then suddenly looked up and her tone changed abruptly.

"Are you Dr. Chen Ping?"

"It's me." Chen Ping turned around and nodded to his female secretary.

The female secretary quickly closed the register and threw it onto the table beside her.

Then she stepped aside towards the office, made a gesture of invitation, and her expression changed from the previous formality to a smiling and eager one. "Dr. Chen, this way please. I'll take you to see Secretary Li right away."

Chen Ping paused for a moment, then quickly smiled and said, "Thank you for your help..."

Chen Ping followed behind the female secretary, but before he had taken more than a few steps, he heard dissatisfied voices behind him.

"No, Secretary, this isn't right. We arrived at seven this morning and have been waiting in line for so long. He just arrived, how come he went straight in? Isn't this so unfair?"

The man who spoke was in his forties, with his hair neatly combed and carrying a briefcase; he looked like a government official.

The female secretary stopped, turned around and glanced at him, her face already displaying a formulaic expression. Her tone was cold. "Which organization are you from?"

The man took out a business card from his briefcase and handed it over, still rambling on, "We're a legitimate organization, and we followed the proper procedures. We registered and lined up at seven o'clock."