Early the next morning.

Chen Fang had just stepped into his office.

He hadn't even had the chance to hang up his bag.

When there came a series of urgent knocks at the door.

So early?

Chen Fang looked at his watch, there was still half an hour until the start of work.

"Come in!"

After Chen Fang called out, the door was pushed open.

The Deputy Director, Guo Wensheng, entered with an urgent look on his face, and said, "Director Chen, it's not good, there's been an incident, Comrade Ling Li has disappeared."

Chen Fang felt a jolt of shock.

He asked, "What happened? Wasn't she on sick leave?"

Swallowing his saliva, Guo Wensheng replied, "Yesterday evening, because a document needed Ling Li's signature, I sent someone to deliver it to her doorstep, but she wasn't home. We couldn't get through to her on the phone either. This morning, I went to Ling Li's dormitory myself, and she still wasn't there, and her phone was unreachable."

"Has something like this happened before?"

Chen Fang inquired.

Guo Wensheng shook his head and said, "Before you came, Comrade Ling Li was the youngest in our Organization Department. We all took good care of her, and she was always diligent and responsible at work. There's never been an incident like this before, which is why I suspect she's gone missing."

"Have you called the police?"

Chen Fang asked again.

Guo Wensheng nodded, "I've already notified the police at Guyang City Public Security Bureau. They've dispatched people to look into it."

Chen Fang's heart clenched tightly.

It was only yesterday that he had taken up his position, and today such an incident had occurred. This was quite a headache to start with.

Since the police were already involved, all they could do now was wait for the police to reach a conclusion.

Chen Fang nodded and said, "Alright, I've got it. Keep me updated with any developments at the earliest opportunity."

"Okay."

After finishing his report, Guo Wensheng turned and left.

Chen Fang sat behind his desk.

For some reason, he felt persistently unsettled.

Just as he was thinking about calling the police to inquire about any progress, the office door clicked open once again, and a figure darted in.

It was a young woman.

The woman was very beautiful, wearing a lace white blouse and a tailored blazer with a knee-length pencil skirt.

She sported a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

And that wavy long hair of hers.

She looked both innocent and desirous.

However, the woman's face was covered in anxiety.

She first glanced around Chen Fang's office instinctively, then looked towards him in a flustered manner.

"You are…"

Chen Fang asked, somewhat bewildered.

Walking a few steps forward, the woman wrung her hands together nervously,

Stuttered, "Director Chen… Director Chen, hello, my name is Annie… I am from the directly subordinate work committee."

"Comrade Annie, is there something you need?"

Chen Fang asked as he put down the phone.

Annie advanced a few more steps until she was nearly at the front of the desk.

She opened her mouth, struggling to speak.

"Comrade Annie, if there's something important, please just say it," Chen Fang urged.

Annie swallowed her saliva,

Appearing to summon her courage, she said, "Director Chen, I came because... because of a matter concerning Director Ling."

"Ling Li?"

"Yes!"

Annie nodded emphatically,

And continued, "Yesterday… yesterday afternoon, Director Ling told me… she said she was going to Dashizhen. She also mentioned… mentioned if she were to be harmed or… or if something happened to her, it would be related to Xie Liang's case. She… she's missing now, and I can't find her."

Chen Fang felt his heart skip a beat.

He asked, "Xie Liang? Who is Xie Liang?"

Due to her nervousness, Annie didn't know how to explain.

Chen Fang walked over to the sofa, invited Annie to sit down, and poured her a glass of water.

In this soothing atmosphere,

Annie's trembling hands gradually steadied.

She said, "Xie Liang was formerly an ordinary official at the Civil Affairs Bureau, and now he is the head of the...City Transportation Bureau..."

The events that led to this began a month ago.

In Guyang City, there is a 5A tourist attraction called the Tianjing Lake Resort.

One day, a month ago,

It was also at this Tianjing Lake scenic area.

A woman accidentally fell from a tour boat.

At that time, Xie Liang happened to be nearby, enjoying a day out with his wife and child, and was the first to see what happened. He dove into the water and rescued the woman who had fallen into the lake.

Xie Liang was not good at swimming to begin with.

While lifting the woman out of the water, a wave happened to hit them.

Xie Liang fell back into the water again.

It was only through the concerted efforts of the surrounding tourists that Xie Liang was pulled back out of the water.

After saving the person, Xie Liang didn't say a word and left the scene immediately.

This scene was coincidentally captured by a film crew that was shooting a promotional video at the time.

Afterward, when the video was posted online, it caused a sensation. It was initially reported by the provincial and city television stations, and later, CCTV also joined in, broadcasting a lot of positive publicity about Xie Liang's act of heroism.

Half a month prior,

the provincial and city propaganda departments granted Xie Liang an award for being an outstanding Communist Party member.

The Guyang City Organization Department acted swiftly, promoting Xie Liang, making him the head of the City Transportation Bureau.

This also received affirmation from the City Organization Department,

considering the Guyang City Organization Department had acted unconventionally in its use of talent, decisively and effectively, setting a good example.

As a result, it was even commended by the entire city.

After hearing Annie's introduction, Chen Fang was taken aback and asked, "That should be a good thing, right? Why would Comrade Ling Fei say such things then?"

After swallowing another gulp of water, Annie said, "After the incident, Minister Lai always felt there was something wrong. She conducted an investigation in secret. When she learned that the person who fell in the water was a villager from Dashitown, she decided to go to Dashitown herself to find out the truth. Yesterday, she officially took sick leave, but in reality, she went to Dashitown."

"Did Comrade Ling Fei tell you all this?"

Chen Fang asked.

Annie nodded vigorously and said, "Minister Lai and I have a superior-subordinate relationship at work, but privately, we are best friends. She told me this, hoping that if anything happened to her, someone would reveal the truth."

"Then why did you choose to tell me? Why not inform other leaders?"

Chen Fang inquired.

Annie shook her head and said, "I can't say, with Mayor Xue around, it's useless to tell anyone. I came to tell you... also... just to try my luck. If I go down too, then I'm prepared to accept that."

When she said this, Annie seemed very disheartened and desperate.

As for Chen Fang,

he had only officially taken office yesterday.

Although he was the top official, he wasn't very familiar with everyone else, and it would likely be difficult to use his influence to resolve this issue.

Moreover, this event was finalized under the direction of the former head of the Organization Department.

If the heroic act turned out to be a fabrication, that could mean that the former head of the Organization Department and several other leaders might have been involved.

Getting involved would put him at odds with those leaders.

That still could be managed.

The real issue was that the former head of the Organization Department was now Mayor Xue Bo. If he really pursued the investigation, it would mean going against the Mayor.

One can't help but wonder,

How did the former head of the Organization Department become the current Mayor?

The reason for this lies in the particular circumstances of Guyang City.

The former Mayor of Guyang City, Ma Huai, was unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer during a health check a month earlier.

To focus on treatment,

he resigned from the position of Mayor.

Logically, the next in line for the Mayor's role, the third-ranked Deputy Secretary of the City Committee Ling Li, would be the preferred choice, but at the time, Ling Li had not been in Guyang City long enough to have the necessary seniority.

The fourth in command, Deputy Mayor Lai Chengzong, had enough seniority, but he was too old, being on the verge of retirement. Moreover, at the time, the Organization Department handled the situation with Xie Liang very promptly and received approval from the higher-ups, so Xue Bo's promotion to Mayor was a logical step.

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