"Heh, Brother He, this was a last resort. Our Construction Bureau is poor; how else can we manage Moon Maiden Lake without a few pieces of heavy machinery? Brother Tie left early. Lin Tianmin will probably arrive in Deping tomorrow; it seems he hasn't come with good intentions!" Ye Fan’s smile faded, his expression turning serious.

"Mmm, he'll certainly go to Lion King Slope in Qilin Village where that ancient tomb is located. I've already instructed the people at the Disciplinary Committee to completely halt the investigation for this period. If Lin Tianmin insists on going to Qilin Village, it means this man is definitely involved in tomb raiding," He Haiwei said, his face grave.

"Not just involved; he’s the biggest backer. Old He, you're about to make quite a splash. Taking down a high-ranking official at the Vice-Ministerial level right after getting promoted—that’s quite eye-catching," Ye Fan remarked.

"It won't be that easy to take him down. I can only cooperate with Secretary Tie [Shu]. I’m not the main player; as a mere Deputy Departmental level official, I don't have the weight to bring down a Vice-Ministerial official like Lin Tianmin. Furthermore, Minister Tie can’t easily step forward on this matter, lest he incur jealousy," He Haiwei looked far from optimistic.

"Old He, tell me, could that Sleeping Qilin paperweight be in Lin Tianmin's possession?" Ye Fan asked.

"It’s possible. If it is in Lin Tianmin’s hands, then County Magistrate Jiang’s death can finally be brought to light. However, I’m worried that the Sleeping Qilin might already have been destroyed. That thing is terrifying evidence; I assume Lin Tianmin wouldn't allow evidence that could cost him his head to remain in this world. As the saying goes, even the most careful can make a slip-up. Lin Tianmin committed such an offense against heaven; what did he fail to consider?" He Haiwei mused.

"Hard to say. Lin Tianmin, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Public Security, and a significantly influential one at that—he’s engaged in murder and tomb raiding. That bronze paperweight is supposedly from the Tang Dynasty, worth a few hundred thousand; would he really destroy it? Probably not. But..." This man made tens of millions from tomb raiding; where is that money now? It’s likely already in a Swiss bank. The Sleeping Qilin might have been taken abroad long ago," Ye Fan shook his head with a hint of contemplation.

Around 10 o'clock the next day.

Vice Minister Lin Tianmin of the Ministry of Public Security arrived in Deping, supposedly to inspect police appearance, conduct, and case handling efficiency—which, naturally, was just a pretext.

Since the Secretary of the Regional Political and Legal Affairs Commission had not yet been appointed, He Haiwei, the former Secretary and now Secretary of the Disciplinary Committee, personally received him.

Lin Tianmin went through the motions, making a proper tour, visiting various police bureaus and substations. On the surface, he appeared to be conducting an inspection tour.

He Haiwei accompanied Lin Tianmin everywhere with an outwardly warm demeanor.

But after lunch that afternoon.

He Haiwei smiled and said, "Minister Lin, you must be tired after traveling all this way. Perhaps you should rest early, and we can skip the afternoon inspection rounds?"

"Comrade Haiwei, I am here to work, not to rest; we must continue. This morning, I looked at Tongdu and Deping districts. I heard that the Tianqiang Highway construction for Nanfu is currently underway in Machuan County, which is a crucial thoroughfare connecting three provinces. They are heavily engaged in highway construction right now, and I need to go see how the safety aspects are being managed. Safety concerns human life; it cannot be taken lightly," Lin Tianmin said with a serious expression.

"Very well, then. We will set off this afternoon. We can rest for a night in Machuan and then conduct the inspection tomorrow," He Haiwei replied with a smile.

They departed in the afternoon.

Lin Tianmin stopped frequently, inquiring about the progress of the Tianqiang Highway construction, whether there had been disturbances from criminals, and the general public security situation... They arrived in Machuan County town and rested for the night at Ying.

The next morning, a comrade from the Regional Public Security Bureau introduced the situation at the Peach Blossom Film and Vacation Resort in Jintao Township, which immediately piqued Minister Lin's interest—he stated he wanted to visit.

He then sent He Haiwei away, saying he would be accompanied only by comrades from the Regional Public Security Bureau and could not delay the year-end work of the Regional Disciplinary Committee any further. After some insistence, He Haiwei returned to the prefecture.

Lin Tianmin, accompanied by several comrades from the Regional Public Security Bureau and protected by officers dispatched by Wu Tong, was then escorted by County Magistrate Fang Hongguo to tour the Peach Blossom Film and Vacation Resort. He reportedly stayed there one night. However, Lin Tianmin never went to Qilin Village, nor did he visit Lion King Slope.

He only made a statement before leaving, praising the Peach Blossom Film and Vacation Resort for being well-developed and distinctive.

But just before his departure, Lin Tianmin pointed out that while vigorously pursuing development and infrastructure to boost the economy, attention must also be paid to protecting ancient culture and architecture. He emphasized that ancient structures should not be arbitrarily destroyed under the pressure of huge economic gains, and certain areas should be designated as non-development zones for protective measures, fully implementing national regulations on cultural relic protection, etc.

The cadres in Machuan County naturally didn't grasp the underlying meaning, but a comrade from the Regional Public Security Bureau immediately pointed out that there was a precious ancient pagoda in Qilin Village, a cultural relic. They mentioned that the Peach Blossom Film and Vacation Resort had previously intended to build their resort there, but the region did not approve it.

Minister Lin immediately stated that they should not let economic interests cloud their judgment and must pay attention to protecting these relics while developing the local economy...

County Magistrate Fang Hongguo, who was present, also solemnly stated that he would certainly pay attention to these matters and immediately designated Qilin in Jintao Township as a protected cultural village, with the ancient pagoda as a key protected object.

After Lin Tianmin performed his act, Ye Fan and He Haiwei naturally understood his true intentions. Of course, He Haiwei also fully cooperated by publicizing the protection of ancient architecture, security precautions, penalties for intentional damage, and legal awareness campaigns.

On the third day, Lin Tianmin turned tail and returned to the capital, Beijing, without playing any further tricks, as if he had purely come for a sightseeing trip.

Ye Fan and He Haiwei knew his objective was achieved: no one would dare dig around Lion King Slope in Qilin Village anymore, and the matter of tomb raiding could finally be covered up.

Time flew until the end of the year.

However, the Regional Construction Bureau was somewhat lucky this time, thanks to having a capable director like Ye Fan. Consequently, the vast majority of cadres and staff received a small red envelope, along with winter provisions like towels and blankets, to take home... The New Year was not an easy time for Ye Fan, as he planned to accompany Fang Yuan to Thailand this year to see if they could find the cause of Fang Yuan's complete impotence.

After settling matters at the Construction Bureau, Ye Fan distributed New Year's greetings to his leaders in advance. He returned to his hometown, Gu Chuan County, and had New Year's Eve dinner at Chengguan. Fortunately, Yu Jiaolong hadn't come looking for trouble yet, and Ye Fan breathed a silent sigh of relief.

On the morning of the first day of the New Year, Ye Fan indulged in a rare lie-in, resting in bed and letting his mind wander. Outside the window came the crackling, popping sounds of firecrackers.

The sound of firecrackers bids farewell to the old year; the falling white snow welcomes the new spring.

It didn't snow on the first day; the weather was excellent.

Early in the morning, his mother and younger sister were already busy preparing things indoors. For men during the New Year, it usually meant playing cards, drinking, playing Pai Gow, or tossing dice—that sort of thing.

It was hard on the women, as New Year guests made house calls, eating a meal at one place and drinking another round at someone else’s. However, the women were often quite happy doing this, finding joy when guests were thoroughly entertained.

Soon, guests arriving to pay respects came one after another.

There were subordinates Ye Fan once had in Yuyang County, like Zheng Liwen and Duan Hai, as well as cadres from the Deping Construction Bureau, such as Zhou Changfeng and Wu Tong.

The entire morning felt like a parade, and Ye Fan only managed to get out of bed to greet guests under his mother's urging.

Before long, Qi Tian and Lu Wei arrived. As the three were chatting, He Haiwei and Fang Yuan also showed up.

Strangely, his former rival in Machuan County, Su Yixiao, also stopped by for a visit, leaving behind several boxes of high-end tonics, cigarettes, and liquor before preparing to leave. Ye Fan stopped him.

"Brother Su, what are your plans after the New Year?" Ye Fan asked with a smile.

"Plans? I expect to stay in some department in the provincial capital for a while before deciding anything. Alas..." Su Yixiao was clearly lacking in spirit.

Although the matter concerning Liu Meifang had been settled and his official position wasn't affected, it would take at least a year for the outside turmoil to completely dissipate.

"Then congratulations. I trust Brother Su will forge a path in the provincial capital. I toast you, Brother, hehe," Ye Fan raised his glass.

"Let’s hope your good words come true, Brother Lan," Su Yixiao’s spirits lifted slightly. He clinked his red wine glass with Ye Fan’s, glanced at Lu Wei and Qi Tian, and said, "I've already handed over all matters concerning Machuan County, and my personnel transfer is complete. From now on, Deping has nothing to do with me. Sigh, it brings a bit of sadness to think about; after all, I spent many years there."

"The barracks are iron, but the soldiers flow, Brother Su, why dwell on it? Who knows, paths may cross again, and we might gather someday. Although Shuzhou is far from Deping, it’s still within Nanfu Province. I believe with your capabilities, Brother, you’ll flourish in the provincial capital of Shuzhou, hehe," Ye Fan offered a slight compliment to Old Su.

"Brother Ye is right, hehe..." Su Yixiao felt considerably better, and a hint of self-satisfaction flashed in his eyes—naturally, it was caught by Ye Fan's eagle eyes.

After all, in his dealings with Ye Fan, Su Yixiao always felt he had the backing of his maternal uncle, Qiao Zhihe, the Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee, giving him an underlying sense of superiority.

If Ye Fan hadn't helped him twice in major ways, this fellow wouldn't have looked down on Ye Fan, this minor local bumpkin. Even if Ye Fan had some minor influence and knew a few leaders, compared to Su Yixiao’s connection with Qiao Zhihe, it was absolutely incomparable.

The relationship between a leader and a subordinate was ultimately just a matter of use and being used. Subordinates coveted the leader's appreciation and promotion, and leaders certainly wanted their subordinates to help them accomplish tasks. Thus, it was hardly an exaggeration to say they were mutually exploitative.

It all boiled down to the character 'benefit' (, lì). The moment you infringed upon your leader's 'benefit,' perhaps your end was to become a disposable pawn.

When useful, you were treated like a treasure; when you blocked their path, discarding you like a torn rag was common, and sometimes even stepping on you occurred. How could that be as secure as a blood tie?

After a few more toasts, Su Yixiao glanced at Lu Wei and Qi Tian and smiled, "Brother Ye, we know Secretary He. But who are these two young brothers...?"

This was because Su Yixiao noticed that Ye Fan was extremely casual with Lu Wei and Qi Tian, and both Lu Wei and Qi Tian seemed to show a degree of respect toward Ye Fan, making Su Yixiao curious to probe the background of Lu and Qi!~!A