Zhang Lei pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Chen Wenxin sat at her desk with her hair loosely tied back, glasses perched on her nose. Her lips parted slightly, and the top buttons of her white shirt were undone, revealing a glimpse of her fair, delicate shoulders.

She was so engrossed in her computer screen that she didn’t notice Zhang Lei’s entrance. The lenses of her glasses reflected the display—a video of a man and woman entangled in passion.

Zhang Lei’s mouth went dry, his heart pounding wildly.

He’d just walked in on this?!

He quickly retreated, pressing himself against the door to hide.

Chen Wenxin, sensing the sudden movement, panicked and slammed her laptop shut. Peering through the crack of the door, she listened intently. When no further sounds came, she finally relaxed—thank goodness he hadn’t seen anything.

She hadn’t meant to open that page. She’d never watched anything like it before, but curiosity had gotten the better of her, and before she knew it, she was hooked.

Meanwhile, Zhang Lei had already slipped out of the building in the dark, his mind still haunted by the image of Chen Wenxin’s alluring state.

An intense urge surged within him—to take her, to make her his.

But to achieve that, he needed power.

The next day, during lunch break, Zhang Lei arrived at Chen Wenxin’s dormitory and knocked on the door.

When she opened it and saw him, she frowned in confusion. "What’s up?"

"Nothing urgent," Zhang Lei scratched his head with a grin. "Just thought I’d take another crack at that massage since I had some free time."

Chen Wenxin hadn’t expected him to be so considerate. Warmth spread through her chest. "Thanks, Zhang Lei."

"No trouble at all. Mind if I start now?"

"Sure."

They stepped inside, and Chen Wenxin reclined on the sofa, tugging her shirt up slightly.

As Zhang Lei’s hands glided over her smooth, fair skin, a wave of inappropriate thoughts crept into his mind.

"Zhang Lei?" Chen Wenxin turned her head, sensing his hesitation.

Shaking off the distraction, he refocused and began pressing the correct acupoints.

Truthfully, this visit wasn’t just about deepening their connection—Zhang Lei also wanted to pry into the county’s upcoming personnel reshuffle.

Chen Wenxin, unsuspecting, shared some unclassified details.

He learned that besides County Chief Pan Changlin, several deputy secretaries were also vying for the party secretary position. Among them, Zhou Bingchen’s qualifications and capabilities were notably lacking.

After a while, Chen Wenxin dozed off on the sofa, her body rising and falling gently with her breath. Zhang Lei stared at her for a moment longer before reluctantly slipping out.

He marched straight to Zhou Bingchen’s office and knocked repeatedly, but there was no response.

Assuming the man wasn’t there, Zhang Lei turned to leave—only for the door to suddenly open.

Zhou Bingchen’s brow was furrowed, his expression grim. "What is it?"

Zhang Lei kept his face neutral. "Can I come in and talk?"

"No." Zhou Bingchen started to shut the door.

With the county’s personnel adjustments in full swing, everything was sensitive. Zhou Bingchen had been avoiding Zhang Lei like the plague, wary of any potential leverage.

Zhang Lei’s expression didn’t waver. "I want to discuss the party secretary position with you. Don’t you want to hear it?"

Zhou Bingchen froze mid-motion, then pointed at him and laughed. "Your current position is thanks to me. Since when do you get to dictate terms?"

Watching Zhou Bingchen’s reaction, Zhang Lei remained impassive. "I have leverage over County Chief Pan."

"What?!" Zhou Bingchen’s eyes widened in alarm. "What do you mean? What do you have on him?!"

Zhang Lei didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he asked, "Do you really think this is the place to discuss it?"

Zhou Bingchen yanked him inside, slammed the door shut, and locked eyes with him. "Now, talk."

Zhang Lei lowered his voice, recounting everything he’d seen—Pan Changlin’s scandalous encounter. When he finished, he leaned in. "Tell me, if this gets out across the county, do you think Pan Changlin still stands a chance against you?"

Zhou Bingchen didn’t hesitate. "Not a snowball’s chance in hell."

Only then did he fully believe Zhang Lei wasn’t bluffing. His trust deepened, but so did his urgency. "Even if Pan backs off, with my current standing, I still might not..."

Zhang Lei studied him for a moment before saying meaningfully, "But this is a damn good start, isn’t it? Don’t worry—one success will lead to another. Once Pan Changlin is out of the picture, I’ll tell you the next move."

His confidence was intoxicating—empowering yet unsettling.

Zhou Bingchen narrowed his eyes. "Why are you helping me?"