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

The female secretary glanced at the business card, then looked up and interrupted him, "You don't need to wait today. Your meeting has been cancelled. Take your application materials back and reschedule for another day."

The secretary's voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the corridor could hear it clearly.

The man's hand froze in mid-air; the business card was still hanging in the secretary's hand before he could hand it over. He opened his mouth several times.

His expression shifted from anger to astonishment, then to an awkward silence, before he slowly put the business card away.

Then, his lips trembling, he managed to squeeze out a few words, "This... how can you say that..."

"I'm telling you, your visitation rights have been revoked today." The female secretary's face was as cold as ice. After saying that, she turned to Chen Ping, her expression instantly changing to a smile. "Dr. Chen, please come with me..."

Chen Ping glanced at the man, then followed the female secretary toward the secretary's office.

It wasn't until Chen Ping and his female secretary entered the secretary's office that someone spoke up in a low voice.

"See? They have connections. Their secretary personally led them in, and you still dared to question them. Now look what happened, they've even lost their qualifications. Coming here to do business and still daring to complain? Aren't you just asking for trouble?"

"Exactly, how dare they challenge the secretary? I don't know what they were thinking. Do they think they're waiting in line at a hospital?"

"That guy just now, he seemed to say he was from the Siping Township Health Center. We're from the same health center, I wonder how powerful his connections are."

The murmurs grew louder, but no one dared to speak out loud.

The guy who was disqualified was still standing there, his briefcase hanging limply in his hand, listening to the crowd's discussion, before finally turning around and walking towards the elevator.

At this moment, Chen Ping had already been led into the office by his female secretary.

After giving Li Jizhong a brief report, the female secretary left and gently closed the door behind her.

Chen Ping glanced around the office; it was much more spacious than he had imagined.

A dark solid wood desk faces the door, with a computer, a landline, a pen holder, and several neatly stacked files on it.

The bookshelf behind him occupied an entire wall, crammed with various policy compilations, yearbooks, and theoretical works, some of which had their title pages curled up from being turned so many times.

A map of Tianhai City hangs on the wall, next to a Party flag and a national flag, hanging crosswise.

Li Jizhong sat behind his desk, flipping through a document.

He was wearing a white shirt today, with one button undone at the collar and the sleeves rolled up a little, revealing an old scar on his forearm.

When Chen Ping arrived, he pointed to the chair opposite him, a relaxed smile on his face. His tone was a bit more formal than at the dinner table last night, but not serious.

"Dr. Chen is here, please have a seat. How did it go? Did you see your ex-wife last night?"

"I saw him." Chen Ping nodded.

Then he sat down in the chair, put the bag he brought at his feet, placed his hands on his knees, and straightened his back.

He had sat in leaders' offices before, but the highest-ranking official he had ever met was the county magistrate.

This was my first time visiting the municipal party secretary's office, so I was a little nervous.

"What did you call me here for? Just tell me if you need anything," Li Jizhong asked.

He cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound as steady as possible.

"Secretary Li, I've come to see you today about my ex-wife, Su Meng. The reason she received the 500,000 yuan was indeed because the Siping Township Health Center had no money in its accounts, couldn't pay salaries, and had empty medicine shelves. That's why the health center submitted the application."

"The entire process was carried out in accordance with procedures. The Financial Management Section of the Municipal Health Bureau has complete approval and filing records, and the flow of funds is clear and traceable. There was no illegal approval, let alone any issue of transferring benefits."

"Now some people are fixated on my work at the Siping Township Health Center, saying that it was because of me that the 500,000 yuan was approved, and that Su Meng was guilty of favoritism and corruption."

Upon hearing Chen Ping's words, Li Jizhong's face remained expressionless, as if he had known about this all along.

He leaned back in the large leather chair, his hands gripping the armrests on either side. "Dr. Chen, I understand how you feel. I reviewed the relevant case files after I got back last night and have a general understanding of the situation."

"The Discipline Inspection Commission has its own procedures for handling cases. They exercise their supervisory power independently. As the Party Secretary of the Municipal Committee, I cannot bypass them and make decisions directly. This is an organizational discipline."

"But don't worry, as long as Comrade Su Meng is indeed being framed, we will not sit idly by. I will personally oversee this matter in the next couple of days, urging the Discipline Inspection Commission to expedite the investigation according to procedures and deliver a fair result as soon as possible."

"What you need to do now is to go back to your Siping Township with peace of mind, do your job well, and cure the patients at the health center."

Li Jizhong's words were watertight; he neither explicitly agreed to Chen Ping's request nor refused.

Although the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection does have its own case-handling procedures, Su Meng could be released with just a word from Li Jizhong—it was that simple.

But Li Jizhong wouldn't make any promises to Chen Ping. That's the art of speaking when you're a leader—always only say seven-tenths of what you mean, never say the whole truth.

The rest is up to the other party to figure out.

Hearing Li Jizhong's watertight words, Chen Ping felt a little more at ease.

He was a man of experience; during his years as the purchasing director at the Municipal People's Hospital, he had dealt with many leaders and knew that leaders always left some room for maneuver in their words, never speaking outright, but also never offering you a way out for no reason.

The fact that Li Jizhong said "personally in charge" to his face already carries enough weight.

That means Li Jizhong is in charge of this matter, which means Su Meng is saved.

Chen Ping stood up and bowed slightly to Li Jizhong, "Thank you, Secretary Li."

Li Jizhong also stood up, walked around the desk to him, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "You grassroots comrades, especially key personnel like you, have it tough. Go back and work hard. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come to me directly."

"I also heard that you're building some kind of youth mental health center? It's a great project, and the city government will definitely give it strong support."

"Also, when you return to the Siping Township Health Center and treat the old leader, spend more time chatting with him. He has dedicated his life to the country; it hasn't been easy for him."

Chen Ping instantly understood what Li Jizhong meant.

"Don't worry, Secretary Li, I will take good care of Old Song. If you have time, you can also visit Siping Township. It has beautiful mountains and clear waters and a nice environment."

Chen Ping said with a smile.

"The old commander has settled down there, and I will definitely go there when I have time," Li Jizhong said with a slight smile.

Chen Ping said goodbye to Li Jizhong, then picked up his bag and turned to leave the office.

The people waiting in line in the corridor had not yet dispersed.

When the female secretary saw Chen Ping come out, she immediately went up to him and personally escorted him to the elevator.

Those around them watched with envy and a hint of sourness in their eyes.