"Yes, County Magistrate Jiang is right, this is all my fault."

Li Yonggang offered no rebuttal.

He just kept nodding his head in agreement.

Then he said to the police officer, "You are suspended from duty effective immediately, subject to investigation. Go back and inform your chief, Xu Qiao, to report to my office this afternoon."

"Yes, Director Li."

The police officer replied obsequiously.

His attitude seemed good.

He was also decisive in handling the situation.

Chen Fang naturally could find no fault with this.

He took the two cigarettes from Ma Shizhen's hands.

And offered them to the two auxiliary police officers.

He asked the one who had been talkative just now, "What's your name?"

"Repo... Reporting to the leader, my... my name is Chen Songqiang."

"Oh, your last name is Chen, too? Then we might be from the same clan. Take the cigarettes, not for anything else but to show my appreciation for the lesson you gave me just now. It was quite useful," he said.

Upon hearing this,

Chen Songqiang looked nervous, sneaking glances at Zhang Shihua, who remained expressionless.

"Take it!"

Chen Fang barked.

Chen Songqiang jumped at the command.

And dutifully accepted the cigarettes.

After such a ridiculous mix-up,

Chen Fang's undercover investigation was effectively ruined.

He made a call to Yu Zhengchuan, who rushed out of the restroom in a panic.

To discover that all the leaders had arrived in his absence.

Only then did he realize how much had transpired in the twenty minutes he was away.

Now that he had been exposed, there was no point in trying to hide anymore.

The two drove after the convoy and entered the grounds of the Guanghe County Committee Building.

The Guanghe County Committee Building was located on Qingcheng Street in Guanghe County.

While the city's urban development wasn't impressive, the committee compound was quite majestic.

There were two 8-story buildings.

The one on the left was the County Committee Building.

The one on the right was the County Government Building.

As everyone got out of their cars at the entrance of the County Committee Building, many were rushing out of the building in a flurry.

Clearly, Ma Shizhen had already notified the leaders while they were on the road.

As they stepped out of the car,

the welcoming brigade erupted into thunderous applause.

Each person smiling broadly, exuding warmth and enthusiasm.

Jiang Tuo led Chen Fang first to a man who appeared to be in his fifties or sixties, saying, "Secretary Chen, let me introduce to you Comrade Guo Ruiliang, the Director of the People's Congress of Guanghe County."

Guo Ruiliang was not tall, chubby, with a harmless look about him.

At first glance, Chen Fang thought of the Maitreya Buddha.

And indeed, his protruding belly could give Maitreya a run for his money.

"Greetings, Secretary Chen."

Guo Ruiliang greeted with a cheerful smile.

"Hello, Director Guo,"

Chen Fang replied merrily.

"This is Comrade Gao Cheng, the chairman of our Guanghe County Political Consultative Conference,"

Jiang Tuo continued on,

introducing another middle-aged man by Guo Ruiliang's side.

Gao Cheng formed a striking contrast with Guo Ruiliang in stature.

Chen Fang was already quite tall, but Gao Cheng had to be at least one meter ninety.

Though he was also in his fifties,

it was clear he regularly exercised.

"Secretary Chen, welcome, welcome!"

Gao Cheng held Chen Fang's hand and said,

Chen Fang responded with a slight smile, "Hello Chairman Gao, I look forward to your guidance."

"You're too modest, Secretary Chen," Gao Cheng said humbly. "Despite your young age, you've become the County Party Secretary. It should be I who seeks advice from you."

After the two top leaders were introduced,

it was then the turn of the main leadership of the four teams.

Chen Fang shook hands and got to know them one by one.

Surrounded by the crowd, he walked into the auditorium.

After Jiang Tuo, on behalf of the Municipal Committee, read out Chen Fang's appointment letter, Chen Fang made a brief speech, thereby getting to know everyone.

Of course, the speech was full of high-sounding talk, and Chen Fang didn't mention a word about his experiences on the way to Guanghe County.

A glimpse is enough to tell the whole story.

He already knew that the problems in Guanghe County were severe,

but now was not the best time to create a confrontation.

Being unfamiliar with the place after all,

trying to institute radical reforms before even warming his seat might prove to be an overreach.

Once the official procedures were completed,

it was already three o'clock in the afternoon.

"Secretary Chen, this is your office. I won't go in. I've had someone clean it up, and all the office supplies have been fully restocked. If you need anything else, just have your secretary call me,"

said Ma Shizhen, bowing and scraping at the entrance to the County Party Secretary's office.

Chen Fang nodded slightly and replied, "Thank you for your hard work, Director Ma."

"Not at all, not at all. It's my responsibility to alleviate the leaders' worries. You must be tired from your journey, so please go in and rest," Ma Shizhen said obsequiously before turning to leave.

Chen Fang pushed open the door to his office.

What appeared before him was a bright and clean office.

The renovation was actually better than any place he'd ever been to.

Not only was it spacious, but the furniture looked brand new as well.

"Ah Fang, that Ma Shizhen is, after all, the Director of the Municipal Committee Office. Why does he act and speak like a servant, bowing and scraping to everyone?"

Yu Zhengchuan closed the door and said to Chen Fang.

Chen Fang smiled faintly and replied, "It seems the nickname 'Mr. Fix-It' really fits him."

After that, he looked at Yu Zhengchuan and asked, "What's your impression so far on our journey here?"

Yu Zhengchuan scratched his head and asked, "Are you talking about the situations or the people?"

"Let's talk about the situations first," Chen Fang said with interest, sitting down in his office chair.

Yu Zhengchuan pondered for a moment and said, "Zhanglou Village blocking roads to extort money, Xinwei Village setting us up with a 'fairy jump,' it seems the waters of Guanghe County run deep."

"Have you considered that someone might deliberately want us to see these things?" Chen Fang asked.

Yu Zhengchuan was taken aback and asked, "What do you mean?"

Chen Fang smiled slightly and said, "According to the procedure, I officially take office the day after tomorrow. Even if Guanghe County really has these shenanigans, they should have stopped in these two days, because no one can guarantee that I wouldn't arrive early, right?"

Yu Zhengchuan thought for a moment and said, "Maybe the people here are just that bold. For the sake of money, they're not afraid of anything?"

"That possibility cannot be dismissed. Now tell me about the people," Chen Fang said.

Yu Zhengchuan stroked his chin, pondering, "Well, for the people, it's hard to say. County Magistrate Jiang Tuo acts quite impeccably, and Vice Secretary Zhang Shihua is quite good-looking, though she kept a straight face the whole time as if someone owed her money. The most memorable impression for me would be Director Ma Shizhen of the County Committee Office, who is as obsequious as a dog."

Hearing Yu Zhengchuan's assessment,

Chen Fang merely nodded his head,

without expressing any opinion, he muttered, "The journey in Guanghe County has yet to begin, but we've already encountered so many problems. It seems we need to be fully spirited for what's to come."

As soon as he finished speaking,

his gaze fell on a USB drive placed next to the pen holder on his desk,

which seemed quite out of place.

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