Secretary Ma certainly didn't want to leave; he feared further unexpected incidents. However, after Zhou Qiang repeatedly urged him to return, he couldn't refuse. He turned his car around, feigning a return to his office, but as soon as Zhou Qiang rounded the corner, he rushed back.

After turning the corner, Zhou Qiang immediately saw the situation inside the boiler room. Secretary Liu, spotting Zhou Qiang, instantly broke into a smile and hurried out to meet him. "Special Commissioner Zhou, what brings you here? It’s stuffy and hot in there. Why don't we go sit in the office for a while?"

Zhou Qiang deftly waved his hand. "Tell all the comrades to step out. I need to have a private word with this comrade." Zhou Qiang pointed at me. He must not have known what I was up to, so for the moment, he dared not expose my identity in front of others.

"This..." Secretary Liu was hesitant, but a leader's instruction was an order. Finally, he escorted the two police officers out of the boiler room. In the corner, Secretary Ma was jumpy as a rabbit. "How is it? How is it? Why did Special Commissioner Zhou go into the boiler room? Did that troublemaker say something again?"

Secretary Liu said, "Special Commissioner Zhou went in himself and asked to speak with him. We were all driven out. Secretary Ma, I’m afraid he might spout nonsense and ruin things, especially considering the precedent set by the Fengjia Village incident."

Secretary Ma urged, "Then quickly find a way to eavesdrop on what they’re saying! Also, notify County Head Zhao and tell him trouble is brewing again; he needs to return to the government immediately to discuss countermeasures."

"To the kitchen, it’s only separated by a wall from the boiler room. If we’re careful, we should be able to hear them," Secretary Liu suggested promptly.

Secretary Ma took the lead, rushing forward. "Hurry, hurry! Special Commissioner Zhou is young and easily misled by him. If necessary, we must barge in and stop him."

After the others left, Zhou Qiang wiped the sweat beads from his forehead and said very respectfully, "Chief (after some thought, Zhou Qiang decided this was the appropriate address, knowing many internally referred to him this way), what exactly is going on? I’m completely confused."

"Brother, we haven't seen each other in over half a year. Just call me Zhao Qian, or you can call me Brother-in-law; it’s settled between me and Zhou Ni anyway. Zhou Ni even said next time I see Auntie, I should start calling her Mom. We’re family sooner or later."

"Heh heh, I’ll stick to calling you Zhao Qian, like Tang Han and Hu Qing do. Calling you Brother-in-law might cause misunderstandings with outsiders, as there are a few beautiful women here," Zhou Qiang laughed, perhaps worrying I might be mistaken for hitting on them.

"Did Li Qi not tell you about my transfer to this small town in Liangshan County?"

Zhou Qiang shook his head. "No. Shortly after Tang Han and I returned to Beijing with Li Qi, we received our reassignment notices. But for some reason, I was then transferred to this provincial Personnel Department. A few days later, the Central Government specifically ordered me to Liangshan to investigate poverty alleviation issues. Did you also uncover some shenanigans with the poverty relief funds and secretly go undercover?"

I said, "Undercover? This is a genuine 'educated youth to the countryside' assignment. I’ve been demoted from a circulation clerk in the Propaganda Department’s newspaper office to a boiler worker in the mess hall, surviving on a mere one hundred and eighty yuan minimum living allowance each month. I’m practically starving. Can you lend me a few hundred to tide me over? But please don’t tell any of them, or I’ll be breaking the rules."

"Heh heh, what kind of joke is this? Others might not know how much money you have, but does my sister not know? Others might not know your capabilities, but do I not know them either?" Zhou Qiang asked, puzzled.

"That was in the past. This time, I want to start from scratch; otherwise, those women will laugh at me. Anyway, tell me what you’ve discovered these past couple of days. Let's exchange notes and see what prospects Liangshan County holds."

Zhou Qiang started pulling out his wallet. "I only have less than two thousand yuan on me. If it's not enough, I can withdraw more from the bank tomorrow."

I waved my hand and pulled out ten one-hundred-yuan bills. "One thousand is enough. I’ll pay you back when I get paid."

Zhou Qiang laughed. "My family spent over a hundred thousand of yours! My sister is even driving a private car now. How could I possibly repay you?"

"Heh heh, then I won’t take it back. It serves as a small compensation since I was just demoted, and after all, you're their superior now; my pay cut has a lot to do with you."

Zhou Qiang said, "Do you need me to subtly hint to them not to target you anymore? You must have caused the trouble in Fengjia Village, right? That Secretary Ma must hate your guts now, especially since I lost my temper that day."

I said, "No need. I enjoy playing games with them like this. Tell me your thoughts from these last few days. I have a project we can discuss its feasibility later."

Secretary Ma and Secretary Liu pressed themselves tightly against the wall and listened for a while. But the wall was too thick, and the voices inside weren't very loud. They could vaguely hear sounds but couldn't make out words. Secretary Ma anxiously asked, "What do we do?"

Secretary Liu could only suggest again, "Should we go out and see what they are doing?"

Secretary Ma snapped, "What a great idea you have! Going in and out—which is best!"

Despite his anger, Secretary Ma desperately wanted to know what the two in the boiler room were up to. When they crept back to the corner to peek again, they saw Special Commissioner Zhou pulling money out of his wallet.

Secretary Ma’s thin, horse-like face instantly looked uglier than if it had been spattered with horse manure. "Big trouble! It really is big trouble again! This little brat dares to extort money from Special Commissioner Zhou! We have to stop him immediately, right now! Where are those two police officers? Get them up here quickly!"

Secretary Liu stopped Secretary Ma. "Secretary Ma, don't be rash. Something feels off. Look how close and friendly they are, chatting and laughing. When do people extort money like that? Could it be that Zhao Qian and Special Commissioner Zhou already know each other?"

Secretary Ma suddenly recalled a sentence from the restaurant: "He told me he was buddies with Special Commissioner Zhou. Could it be true?"

Sweat immediately streamed down Secretary Liu’s face. The warmth between the two inside truly looked like old friends who hadn't met in ages. Secretary Ma reflected on the situation and sensed something was abnormal. Just then, Xie Sen, the Director of the Public Security Bureau, rushed over. He slapped Secretary Ma’s shoulder. "Secretary Ma, what exactly is going on? Why are you arresting people without cause? The Municipal Public Security Bureau is watching things very closely. Are you trying to make me look bad?"

Secretary Ma had no patience for Xie Sen’s words; all he wanted to know was whether Zhou Qiang and the troublemaker were connected!

Seeing Secretary Ma distracted, Xie Sen followed his gaze. "Huh? Isn't that Special Commissioner Zhou and him? Could it be... could it be..."

"Could it be what?" Secretary Ma suddenly asked.

Xie Sen hesitated. "Could it be that they hit it off immediately, as close as sworn brothers?"

Secretary Ma nervously demanded, "What exactly is going on? This is a major matter, Director Xie, you must tell me everything. Otherwise, we’ll all suffer the consequences."

Xie Sen said, "A while ago, Officer Ke arrested that man and brought him to the Public Security Bureau. But not long after he was detained, Director Hu from the Shimen City Public Security Bureau personally led a team here overnight. The two were clearly very close. When I asked, Director Hu claimed it was their first meeting. Now he's like this with Special Commissioner Zhou. Is there some secret here?"

Sweat streamed down Secretary Ma’s horse-face like a small creek, yet he felt chills running through his body. "Director Xie, why didn't you tell me this sooner? This is going to kill me! If he really knew Special Commissioner Zhou beforehand, and their relationship is extraordinary, I’m probably finished this time."

With a thump, the one who collapsed wasn't Xie Sen or Secretary Ma, but Secretary Liu!

At that moment, no one paid attention to Secretary Liu. Xie Sen said, "Whether what happened with Director Hu is true or not, even if Director Hu was pretending not to know him, if I dared to spread word about it everywhere, wouldn't I be courting death!"

"It’s over, it’s over," Secretary Ma, usually known for his composure, panicked like a headless fly. He also plopped down onto the ground. "How could this happen? How could this happen? I’m afraid he has already told Special Commissioner Zhou everything right now. I never thought my future would end like this; I’m so unwilling!"

Xie Sen said, "Secretary Ma, calm down. Tell me exactly what happened, perhaps it hasn't reached the stage you fear. I locked that man outside the Public Security Bureau gate for half a night, and I’m still fine! Look how flustered you are; you have no semblance of leadership image left."

Upon hearing that there might be a turning point, all three—including Secretary Liu—scrambled up from the ground and huddled together to discuss the situation carefully.