Zhang Lei forced a bitter smile.

"If I’m not going to help you, who else can I help? In officialdom, without sufficient standing, no amount of ambition matters. I’ve got no allies in Sanjiang County—my only real backer is you, Secretary Zhou."

Zhou Bingchen, seeing the sincerity in Zhang Lei’s words, finally relaxed. Clapping him on the shoulder, he said, "Don’t worry, little brother. Once I ascend to party secretary, I won’t forget your loyalty!"

"Then it’s settled," Zhang Lei turned and left.

Watching him go, Zhou Bingchen already felt a surge of anticipation. Though the full plan remained unclear, the suspense only made it more thrilling.

And after years of stagnation, Zhou Bingchen had mastered one thing above all else—patience...

In the days that followed, Zhang Lei clocked out of work each evening and tailed Pan Changlin from a distance.

Three days passed.

Finally, on Thursday after work, Zhang Lei spotted Pan Changlin bypassing his usual route home and instead heading straight for the county guesthouse across from the government building.

He didn’t act hastily. Waiting nearby, he soon saw Shen Yan—dressed to kill—emerge and make a beeline for the same guesthouse, disappearing into Pan Changlin’s room.

Zhang Lei discreetly snapped photos of both entering separately. Then, he took a blank sheet of paper and scrawled a note:

"Pan Changlin and Shen Yan are at the county guesthouse."

Slipping the note and photos into an envelope, he tracked down Shen Yan’s husband, Yan Hongwei, to his workplace and left the envelope on his desk.

Without waiting, Zhang Lei turned and walked away.

Outside, he found a public phone and dialed Yan Hongwei’s number.

"Hello?" Yan Hongwei’s voice crackled through the receiver.

Coughing to disguise his voice, Zhang Lei said, "Yan Hongwei, right? Someone asked me to drop an envelope on your desk. Says it’s about your wife. Better check it out yourself."

Before Yan Hongwei could respond, Zhang Lei hung up.

He didn’t leave. Instead, he lingered near the entrance, watching.

Less than ten minutes later, Yan Hongwei arrived on an electric scooter.

Seeing this, Zhang Lei knew the plan was already halfway to success.

Soon after, Yan Hongwei emerged, clutching the envelope with a face like thunder. He hopped back on his scooter and sped toward the guesthouse.

Zhang Lei followed at a leisurely pace.

By the time he reached the guesthouse, dusk had fallen. From a distance, he saw Yan Hongwei park his scooter, duck into a nearby hardware store—

"What’s he doing there?"

Zhang Lei frowned but kept moving. As he drew closer, he spotted Yan Hongwei emerging with a cleaver in hand.

His heart skipped a beat. This could turn deadly.

Before he could react, Yan Hongwei stormed into the guesthouse.

Zhang Lei hesitated, then pulled out his phone.

His fingers hovered over the keypad—

CRACK!!! blood-curdling scream split the night.

"Murder!!!

"Help!!!"

The piercing cries shattered the guesthouse’s silence.

It was Pan Changlin’s voice.

Without hesitation, Zhang Lei dialed the one person who could contain this disaster—Yao Kangyuan, the soon-to-be-departing county party secretary.

"Secretary Yao, we’ve got a major problem!"

Yao Kangyuan, packing for his morning meeting at the Organization Department, frowned at the urgency in Zhang Lei’s voice. "What happened?"

"County Chief Pan is getting beaten to death at the guesthouse!"

"WHAT?!" Yao Kangyuan’s voice shot up an octave, nearly cracking. He slammed the phone down, threw on his coat, and barked at his secretary, "Grab security—now. We’re heading to the guesthouse!"

Meanwhile, Zhang Lei watched from the shadows of a nearby alley as Yao Kangyuan arrived with a crowd—security guards, off-duty clerks, and more.

The sight of Pan Changlin, bruised and bloodied, being dragged out by Yan Hongwei wielding a cleaver, left no doubt: the county chief had been caught red-handed.

Yao Kangyuan’s face darkened. This scandal could ruin my career just as I’m leaving!

Pan Changlin, seeing Yao Kangyuan, opened his mouth to plead—then snapped it shut. He was finished.

As Yao Kangyuan strode away without a backward glance, Pan Changlin swayed on his feet before collapsing onto the ground, dazed and defeated.