So, after he stepped out of the gate, he walked into a small eatery located opposite the municipal committee compound.

Since the eatery was situated right across from the municipal committee compound, it was clear that its main clientele were the staff of the municipal committee. Here, Chen Fang was certain to get the information he wanted.

It wasn't yet mealtime.

There wasn't a single customer in the shop.

The owner was a woman in her thirties, with an alluring appearance.

Seeing Chen Fang with a backpack walking in, she greeted him with a smiling face.

Chen Fang ordered a bowl of noodles.

In about five minutes, steaming hot braised noodles were served to him.

He picked up a chopstick full and stuffed it into his mouth.

He couldn't help but exclaim aloud, "Hmm? Delicious, surprisingly delicious."

Hearing Chen Fang's praise, the landlady's interest was piqued, and she said with a smile, "Is it really that exaggerated, boss?"

Chen Fang pretended to be surprised and said, "Don't get me wrong, madam. I just thought, given how young you look, there was no way you could make good noodles, but I didn't expect this place to really have something special."

"Young? How am I young? I'm already 38."

No woman dislikes being flattered.

Chen Fang was stunned and asked, "38? You're 38?"

"Why? Don't I look like it?"

The landlady asked with a charming smile.

Chen Fang vigorously shook his head and said, "What 38? If you said 28, I'd believe you. At a glance, you look only about 25 or 26 years old."

Chen Fang was a handsome man, after all.

Being complimented by such a handsome man made the landlady blush.

She took a bottle of drink from the shelf and placed it in front of Chen Fang, saying, "You sound like you're from out of town, right?"

"Yes, I'm from Yong'an Province. I came to your magnificent place on business, but alas... things aren't going smoothly!"

The conversation was now flowing.

The landlady looked around and then sat down opposite Chen Fang, asking, "Are you here to get things done in the city?"

"Yes!"

Chen Fang pretended to be eating ravenously and nodded in response.

"It's not that hard to get things done in our city. Could it be that you're not quite familiar with the rules here?"

The word "rules" was mentioned again.

Chen Fang realized what was going on and said, "Of course I understand the rules, but Secretary Zhao wouldn't take it."

"Secretary Zhao? Zhao Yiping?"

The landlady clearly knew the people from the municipal committee well.

Chen Fang nodded and said, "That's right, Deputy Secretary Zhao Yiping."

The landlady frowned and said, "Indeed, Secretary Zhao doesn't usually accept gifts. If you're dealing with him, that's troublesome."

"Sister, do you know Secretary Zhao?"

With the term "sister," the distance between them instantly narrowed, and the landlady's face lit up with joy.

"Our restaurant is frequented by quite a few officials every day. I overhear bits and pieces here and there. This Secretary Zhao is indeed a unique figure. It's said that many tried to pull strings with him, but most ended up disappointed. People in high and low positions don't seem to like him much."

The foregoing was just Chen Fang probing.

The official evaluation might not be truthful.

But the opinions among the common people, to some extent, tended to be more realistic.

It seemed that this Zhao Yiping was trustworthy.

"Sister, I just heard at the municipal committee that Secretary Zhao is dealing with a leader from Guyang City. What did that leader do to get into trouble?"

Chen Fang deliberately lowered his voice to ask.

The landlady was very cautious, and, after glancing towards the door, she said, "Just take it as gossip, you can't say it came from me. A while ago, there was an official from Guyang City who used his position to force a female subordinate into having relations with him. Later, the subordinate reported him, and Secretary Zhao decided to act against this official. But this leader from Guyang City wasn't a nobody, he was once a secretary to a provincial leader."

"After the incident blew up, just this morning, which wasn't long ago, the female subordinate ran to the Disciplinary Committee, admitting that she had willingly entered into a relationship with the leader. I guess this outcome isn't what Secretary Zhao wanted to see."

The lady boss spoke of the cadre from Guyang City.

If nothing unexpected happened, it must be Meng Zheqing.

Last night, Zhang Weiming from the Disciplinary Committee must have discussed this matter with Sister Hua.

Early this morning, the victim recanted their testimony, which seemed to be the result of someone coordinating behind the scenes.

After understanding the gist of the situation,

Chen Fang had a rough idea in his heart.

After finishing his noodles,

he wiped his mouth.

He took out his mobile phone,

and dialed a number.

About fifteen minutes later,

Chen Fang returned to the municipal party committee compound, and this time, he knocked on the door of Deputy Secretary Zhao Yiping.

Behind the desk sat a middle-aged man, looking to be around forty-five or forty-six years old. Even though he didn't seem that old at first glance, his hair was half gray already.

After Chen Fang was led inside by his secretary,

Zhao Yiping slowly lifted his head

and asked, "You say you're the one who made the whistleblower call last night?"

"Yes!"

Chen Fang nodded and said.

There was a hint of anger on Zhao Yiping's face since leaving empty-handed last night felt like being toyed with, but he still held it back.

He asked, "Comrade Chen Fang, was it fun?"

"Secretary Zhao, I wasn't playing around. There was a reason for last night's call…"

As he spoke,

Chen Fang recounted the events of the previous night exactly as they had happened.

Zhao Yiping's face originally showed some disdain, but the more he listened to Chen Fang's explanation, the more interested he seemed to become.

In the end, he put down the pen he was holding,

walked over to the sofa and sat down, gestured for Chen Fang to sit as well, and asked, "Are you saying that Meng Zheqing's issue is being manipulated behind the scenes by Sister Hua from Marriott International?"

"Correct, I saw it with my own eyes,"

Chen Fang said.

Zhao Yiping frowned and asked, "By telling me all this, what benefit are you hoping to gain?"

"I wish to gain Secretary Zhao's protection."

"Why? Didn't you just arrive in Wulan City?"

Zhao Yiping asked.

Chen Fang said, "As of last night, I messed up Secretary Zhang's plans, and I also offended Sister Hua. This means that I will definitely face trouble moving forward. Given the circumstances, I certainly need to seek out a backer."

"So you want me to be your backer?"

Zhao Yiping asked.

Chen Fang gave a slight smile and said, "Not exactly, as I also have something to offer Secretary Zhao. At most, it's a matter of mutual assistance."

"What can you help me with?"

Chen Fang sat down opposite Zhao Yiping,

and said, "Secretary Zhao, let me analyze my speculation for you to see if it's correct. Last year, you proposed the idea of establishing an Economic Development Zone in Guyang City. Early this year, the idea was approved, and the Provincial Development and Reform Commission agreed to set up an Economic Development Zone in Guyang City. Not long after the approval, a secretary of a certain provincial leader was transferred to Guyang City to take up the posts of municipal standing committee member and deputy county head, also serving as the Secretary of the Economic Development Zone, and that person is Meng Zheqing, right?"

"Go on,"

Zhao Yiping said.

Chen Fang nodded slightly and continued, "I don't know what kind of interests are involved here, but I do know that you probably don't want a person like Meng Zheqing to be in charge of the Economic Development Zone. That's also why you refused to let go once his issues arose."

Zhao Yiping did not deny what Chen Fang said.

He paused for a moment, then asked, "You still haven't said what you can help me with?"

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