124: Chapter 124 Meticulous

"The procedures for these resolutions are illegal."

She closed the file. "I did not attend the meeting, and Party Secretary Ji was not there either. The Standing Committee lacked the required two-thirds quorum."

"Special circumstances call for special measures."

Zhang Mingyuan offered a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Besides, the provincial leadership is very concerned about this project and specifically called to inquire about it."

Qin Ruoxi tossed the file onto the table. "Which provincial leader? The one surnamed Zhang? Vice Mayor Zhang's information seems a bit outdated."

Zhang Mingyuan's expression shifted, but he quickly put on a smile again. "Mayor Qin, you just returned, so perhaps you aren't familiar with the situation. How about this: you rest first, and we can discuss it in detail tomorrow."

Zhang Mingyuan left in a hurry, his hands seemingly eager to make a phone call.

Qin Ruoxi didn't sit idle either; she immediately dialed her secretary's number. "Xiao Zhang, I need the meeting minutes and voting records for all Standing Committee meetings from the last three days... Yes, right now."

Hanging up, she walked to the window. In the distance, the fountain in the square shimmered with rainbow-like light under the sun, yet her office felt like an isolated island.

Meanwhile, Xiao Bei's car pulled away from the Qingfeng Mountain Resort. His fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel. In the rearview mirror, Su Yun was looking down, organizing her backpack, with sunlight streaming through the car window and casting dappled shadows on her face.

"Should I take you straight back to the TV station?"

Xiao Bei asked, his gaze meeting Su Yun's in the rearview mirror.

Su Yun looked up, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "My annual leave isn't over yet; it would be a loss to go back now."

She leaned forward, resting her arms on the back of the driver's seat. "You guys must be so busy these days that you don't even have time to eat. How about I act as your cook for a few days?"

Team Leader Zhang Yining, who was also sitting in the back, turned around and said excitedly, "Are you serious, Sis?"

"I'm just idling anyway."

Su Yun's voice was light, but her eyes rested on Xiao Bei's profile. "Besides, you helped Mayor Qin clear her name and sacrificed so much for the sake of justice; I want to do my part as well."

Xiao Bei's Adam's apple bobbed. As the car rounded a bend, the sunlight suddenly became glaring, forcing him to squint.

"Alright then, but you mustn't overwork yourself; you're supposed to be on vacation."

He finally said, his voice deeper than usual. "Besides, once we get back, we'll be very busy running back and forth, so we might not be able to eat on time... and I might not be able to spend time with you."

"It's fine, I'm very adaptable."

Su Yun smiled and placed her hands gently on Xiao Bei's shoulders. Xiao Bei responded by gently kissing the back of her hand.

The car entered the boundaries of Jinhe County, and the silhouette of the towering office building in the distance gradually became clear.

"Huh? What's going on over there?"

Team Leader Zhang Yining sat up straight, her brows furrowed.

Xiao Bei quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road. "Team Leader Zhang Yining, call Secretary Ma and ask about the situation. Su Yun, wait in the car and don't get out."

Just as he pushed open the car door, a harsh blare of horns suddenly erupted from the crowd, followed by rhythmic chanting:

"Thank you, leaders, for restoring our justice! Thank you, leaders, for restoring our fairness! But we still have something to say!"

"Everyone, please calm down! Please, calm down!"

Xiao Bei squeezed into the crowd and raised his voice. "I am Xiao Bei. If you have any issues, you can tell me, and I can help you solve them!"

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then began discussing who this person was and whether talking to him would be effective.

"I know him, he's our County Magistrate!"

"So it's County Magistrate Xiao! County Magistrate, thank you for finally catching the bad person! But even if she is sentenced, will we get our money back?"

"That's right, leader. She withheld so much of our money back then; please don't let her off easily."

Xiao Bei hadn't expected the public's resentment toward County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu to be so deep. According to what he learned, there were even former colleagues of hers in the crowd who said that back then, she had played political games, fawned over superiors, bullied subordinates, and stolen credit to hog the spotlight. Seeing her finally arrested was truly a source of great satisfaction for everyone.

"Everyone, comrades, this is what we should do. Regarding the specific funds County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu withheld from you, we will definitely compile the data quickly and demand they be returned to you from her accounts!"

The crowd nodded one after another and began discussing it; some could even be heard saying that since the leader had said so, their outstanding payments would surely be recovered.

Meanwhile, Team Leader Zhang Yining arrived with several staff members to record everyone's issues and the amounts involved; these highly specific figures had not been reflected in the previous evidence.

Team Leader Zhang Yining said quickly in Xiao Bei's ear, "We have also arranged a conference room where we can take our time recording the details."

Xiao Bei nodded and turned to the crowd: "Please go to the shade nearby to rest. We have prepared bottled water and snacks while our staff records your questions in detail."

Xiao Bei's voice was steady and powerful, and the crowd nodded and praised him.

An elderly man with gray hair spoke up:

"County Magistrate Xiao, thank you for standing up for us; you really are a good leader."

The old man pushed up his glasses. "Leader Xiao, please don't blame us for being so rash. We just didn't know who else to turn to, so we gathered here to discuss what to do. We didn't expect you to come over directly; we are truly grateful, leader!"

Xiao Bei opened his notebook:

"Sir, our staff still needs to know the exact amounts. Does anyone have detailed written evidence?"

"It varies from 200 to 500 per person per month. In total over the three years, it's at least over 2 million."

Another older woman took a stack of yellowed receipts from her bag. "This is the statement we were forced to sign back then, as well as the bank statements."

Xiao Bei carefully examined the receipts and discovered that they were stamped with the "Jinhe County Sector Development Foundation" seal, rather than the bureau's official seal. His brows furrowed—this was clearly an illegally established "slush fund," and the methods used were quite covert.

"Who is in charge of the foundation?"

he asked.

"Nominally, it's the retired Deputy Director Li Maoyin, but the person actually in control is definitely County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu; she was the one always hanging around right under our noses."

The old man smiled bitterly. "But now, Director Li claims to have no knowledge of this, saying that someone misappropriated the foundation's name."

Xiao Bei exchanged a look with Team Leader Zhang Yining.

"Everyone, I assure you that we will investigate this thoroughly. Our comrades from the Procuratorate and the Discipline Inspection Commission will definitely give you an answer."

"Thank you, leader! Thank you, wise official!"

After seeing everyone off, Xiao Bei immediately dialed Mayor Qin's number.

On the other end of the line, Mayor Qin's voice sounded weary but still clear:

"They mentioned a slush fund? I thought we could go straight to trial and sentencing once we got back, but it seems there's still more to drag on."