Me! A high-ranking official!

He took a deep breath and said in a seemingly relaxed manner, "Jiaojiao, thank you for telling me in time. To be honest, I'm currently the village secretary stationed in a village down below. Because of investigating some violations, I've offended quite a few local bullies. I'm afraid someone is trying to get rid of me and is trying to trace the clues back to you."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiaojiao immediately said loyally, "So that's how it is! Don't worry, Jianguo, I'll find a big sledgehammer later and smash that broken hard drive to dust. I guarantee no one can recover the data!"

Hearing her bold statement, he couldn't help but smile wryly: "Thank you, Jiaojiao. I'm really sorry for causing you so much trouble this time. Once this storm has passed and I get back to the city, I'll definitely treat you to a big meal!"

After hanging up the phone, he turned around and gave the municipal party committee office building behind him a deep look.

Since someone was secretly watching Zhou Qingyan, he absolutely couldn't continue to act like a fool and sit openly at the entrance of the municipal party committee. If someone with ulterior motives saw him, a mere village secretary, standing guard at the entrance during a major municipal party committee meeting, it would inevitably cause unnecessary speculation and trouble.

He hailed a passing taxi, got in, and said, "Driver, go straight ahead."

The car drove along the main street in front of the municipal party committee building for one intersection, then made a turn to make sure no cars were following behind before saying, "Driver, turn back and go to the back parking lot of the budget hotel opposite the municipal party committee building."

The taxi quietly drove into the parking lot behind the hotel.

He paid and got out of the car, then slipped into the lobby lounge area through the hotel's back door. He didn't dare take his ID to the front desk to check in, fearing that leaving his check-in information would be discovered. He just sat on the sofa in the corner of the lobby, ordered a free lemonade, and patiently waited with his eyes fixed on the municipal party committee gate diagonally opposite through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

After sitting on the sofa in the corner of the hotel lobby for about half an hour, Zhao Jianguo's phone vibrated.

He picked it up and saw it was a WeChat message from Lin Jiaojiao: "Jianguo, I was worried, so I just found a big sledgehammer and smashed the hard drive to pieces. But I thought about it, and it's still a problem if I leave this junk here. I might as well send it to you. You'll feel more at ease handling it yourself."

Upon hearing this, he felt that this was indeed the safest option. Those people secretly watching might use some underhanded tactics, and it would be most reassuring to have the goods in his own hands. He immediately replied, "Okay, that's thoughtful. I'm at the budget hotel diagonally opposite the Municipal Party Committee. Come over."

"Okay, I'll be right there."

He put down his phone, glanced at his watch; it was almost midnight. He stood up, walked to the hotel lobby near the glass door, and, using the huge green plants nearby as cover, kept his eyes fixed on the municipal party committee compound across the street.

A few minutes later, the glass doors of the municipal party committee office building were pushed open, and leaders from all walks of life who had finished their meetings began to walk out one after another. The rows of black official cars parked in the courtyard also started to move.

He spotted Zhou Qingyan in the crowd at a glance.

Even across the street, it was clear that Zhou Qingyan was in extremely poor condition. Although he tried his best to straighten his back and maintain the dignified demeanor of a county party secretary, his steps were obviously unsteady. Even with a hat and mask on, the weakness that emanated from his bones could not be concealed.

Beside Zhou Qingyan followed a middle-aged man with a large belly and slicked-back hair. He knew that man all too well; it was none other than Han Baomin, the county magistrate of their Linshui County!

Han Baomin, that old fox, and Zhou Qingyan were always outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds, secretly vying for power. At this moment, he was huddled next to Zhou Qingyan, chattering incessantly with a half-smile on his face.

Zhou Qingyan was clearly forcing herself to stay alert and deal with him, nodding occasionally, but unconsciously trying to quicken her pace to get away from him.

At this moment, Han Baomin's chauffeur had already driven the black Audi to the two of them. Instead of getting in himself, Han Baomin eagerly opened the back door and even made a "please" gesture, clearly intending to take Zhou Qingyan back to the county in the same car!

He watched from across the street, his brows furrowed tightly. He knew Zhou Qingyan's current physical condition all too well. She had just been pulled back from the brink of death last night and had forced herself to attend a high-pressure meeting all morning. She was definitely at her physical limit. That old bastard Han Baomin was being so solicitous; he definitely had ulterior motives! He must have noticed something was wrong with Zhou Qingyan at the meeting and was trying to use the opportunity of being in the same car to get closer and probe her, probably trying to dig out some fatal dirt on her!

He was burning with anxiety, but he knew he absolutely could not show his face now.

If this lowly village secretary were to rush over to help Zhou Qingyan out of this predicament, not only would Han Baomin, that old fox, instantly sense something unusual, but it would also provide solid evidence for those hiding in the shadows and watching.

"What should I do?" His mind raced as he tried to figure out how to break the deadlock. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a white sedan parked at the intersection near the hotel. Lin Jiaojiao was getting out of the car carrying a black plastic bag.

A sudden thought struck him, and an idea came to him! He immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Lin Jiaojiao's number: "Jiaojiao, don't go into the hotel yet! Look at the entrance of the Municipal Party Committee!"

Lin Jiaojiao was about to cross the road when she answered the phone and paused, instinctively turning her head to look at the gate of the Municipal Party Committee.

"See that woman in the black hat and black mask being pestered by a fat old man? That's my girlfriend!" he said quickly. "She insisted on accompanying her boss to a meeting this morning, and now she's being pestered by that annoying old man from her workplace. He's trying to drag her along, so I can't show myself. You need to drive over and pick her up right away. Just tell her you're an old classmate and you've invited her to lunch!"

Lin Jiaojiao runs a clinic in the city year-round and knows nothing about the political landscape of the county. She has no idea what kind of meeting the municipal party committee is holding today, and assumes that Zhao Jianguo's girlfriend is being harassed by that greasy old leader at her workplace.

"Hey, this old codger, trying to take advantage of me!" Lin Jiaojiao, bursting with a sense of justice, turned and got into the car without another word: "Leave it to me, watch me!"

The white sedan stepped on the gas, made a U-turn, and drove straight to the entrance of the municipal party committee. With a beautiful drift, it came to a smooth stop in front of Zhou Qingyan and Han Baomin.

The car window rolled down, and Lin Jiaojiao leaned out, waving enthusiastically at Zhou Qingyan and calling out affectionately, "Old classmate! Why are you taking so long? We agreed to go out for lunch, I've been waiting for you for ages!"

Zhou Qingyan was taken aback by this sudden turn of events, but as a county party secretary who was capable of fighting in the officialdom, she reacted quickly. Through the car window, she vaguely caught a glimpse of the familiar figure behind the glass door of the budget hotel across the street, and instantly realized that this was someone Zhao Jianguo had arranged to come and help her out of the predicament.