Me! A high-ranking official!

Another person came to mind: the current county magistrate, Han Baomin.

County Chief Han is fifty-three years old this year. He has been in this position for four years. When the previous secretary was transferred, the whole county thought that Han Baomin would take over as secretary. However, a woman in her early thirties, Zhou Qingyan, who was incredibly beautiful, was parachuted in from above.

A female Party Secretary in her thirties, parachuted in; and a 53-year-old, deeply entrenched veteran county head.

How could Han Baomin possibly accept this? How could he not be hostile?

Zhao Jianguo would never believe that today's media storm wasn't fueled by local forces. But Zhou Qingyan's move of using someone else to do the dirty work put the knife right to the county's throat. It was like tearing a hole in Han Baomin's territory right under his nose!

The weather in Linshui County next is likely to change color on this day.

"Zhou Qingyan, Zhou Qingyan..." He murmured the name to himself, suddenly feeling a sense of relief.

Fortunately, he was sensible and took the transfer order to the Bureau of Culture and Tourism. In this power struggle between gods and ruthless individuals, a nobody like him with 20 million yuan in his pocket who desperately needed to find a way to save himself, would have been dead without even knowing how he died if he had stayed in the government office, the eye of the storm.

"Brother Jianguo, I've finished the handover form. Please sign it here." Liu Zaixing walked over with a few sheets of paper, interrupting his thoughts.

He snapped out of his daze, pulled out the pen clipped to his chest, and signed his name with a flourish.

He capped the pen, pushed the handover form back, and patted Liu Zaixing on the shoulder.

"Xiao Liu, keep up the good work. No matter how strong the wind blows in this compound, as long as you have solid skills, it won't blow you away."

After saying that, he picked up his backpack and walked out of the government office without looking back, amidst the complicated gazes of his colleagues.

Back at the hotel, Zhao Jianguo let out a long sigh of relief. He had just settled down on the edge of the bed, and before the spring under his buttocks could even spring back up, his phone in his pocket suddenly started vibrating like a death knell.

When I took it out, a string of unfamiliar numbers without any notes appeared on the screen. The location was not local, but the provincial capital, but the last four digits were extremely eye-catching: 00001.

Having worked within the system for five years, Zhao Jianguo understood all too well the value of this type of phone number. It wasn't just a lucky number that money could buy; it was a symbol of absolute power.

His brow twitched, and he pressed the answer button, not daring to speak first.

"Zhao Jianguo?" The female voice on the other end of the line was deliberately lowered, revealing a hint of fatigue and probing.

Zhao Jianguo immediately recognized the voice. His spine tightened, and he abruptly sat up in bed: "I am Zhao Jianguo. And you are?"

"Zhou Qingyan".

Although he had guessed it, hearing those three words with his own ears still sent chills down his spine, and he instinctively blurted out, "Secretary Zhou!"

"Eight o'clock tonight, Qingshan County, Shanshui Tea House, Room 6. You'll be coming alone." Zhou Qingyan's voice was completely flat, giving him no room to bargain, and he hung up immediately after speaking.

He held up his phone, listening to the dial tone, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

Qingshan County? That's the neighboring county, more than half an hour's drive away. A newly appointed county party secretary, going to a teahouse in a neighboring county late at night to meet a lowly clerk—what's that called? Trying to avoid attention, or meeting in private!

Why are you looking for him? To settle scores later?

He was very nervous, but he didn't dare to be careless. He took a taxi and arrived in Qingshan County just after seven o'clock. He circled around the Chinese teahouse called Shanshui Tea House seven or eight times, smoked three cigarettes, and finally stubbed out his cigarette on the trash can lid at 7:55. He took a deep breath and stepped into the door.

Pushing open the wooden door of VIP room number 6, a rich aroma of sandalwood mixed with the scent of tea wafted out.

Zhou Qingyan was sitting behind a large nanmu tea table. She had changed into an inconspicuous black trench coat, her hair was casually tied up, and she was not wearing makeup. Her face was even paler than when she was in the hospital. When she heard the door open, she looked up, and the coldness and disgust in her originally very dignified eyes were immediately revealed.

"Sit down," Zhou Qingyan said coldly.

He gave a dry laugh, knowing all too well his own position. The other party held the power of life and death over him, and he had ruined that innocent young woman. Trying to get close to her now would be suicide.

He placed his hand on the seam of his trousers and said in a respectful manner, "Secretary Zhou, I... I think I'll stand up."

Zhou Qingyan didn't force him. He picked up the tea in front of him, which had long since gone cold, and took a sip, seemingly trying to suppress his disgust with the tea.

"Your medicine is very effective. My illness has been completely diagnosed, and I'm fine now."

He breathed a sigh of relief and nodded: "I guessed it. I'm glad you're alright."

"But..." Zhou Qingyan slammed her teacup down on the table with a loud "bang," spilling a few drops of tea. Her gaze, sharp as a knife, was fixed on Zhao Jianguo's face: "When the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection was investigating my blood test, they also checked my endocrine system. Zhao Jianguo, I'm pregnant!"

"ah?!"

Zhao Jianguo looked as if he'd been struck by lightning, his whole body jerking forward, his eyes wide like saucers, his face filled with disbelief: "Impossible?! It was just that one time, and it wasn't even that long, and besides..."

"Shut up!" Zhou Qingyan interrupted him sharply, her chest heaving. "You think I wanted this?! The Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection is interrogating me with the lab results. I've had a clean record for thirty years, and on my first day in Linshui County, I was found to be pregnant out of wedlock! If I can't explain this clearly, my political life will be sentenced to death on the spot!"

She gritted her teeth and said, word by word, "Under pressure, I confessed to the Discipline Inspection Commission that you are my boyfriend whom I am secretly dating."

He hadn't even recovered from the huge shock of becoming a father when he was stunned by this political maneuvering.