142: Chapter 142 Mysterious Whereabouts

Xiao Bei was momentarily speechless. County Magistrate Lin Ruohan was reporting to the Inspection Team? What kind of game was she playing? Wasn't she trying to win him over? Was she trying to force him to go to her for evidence?

"I... I just heard some rumors."

Xiao Bei answered cautiously, "The exact evidence still needs to be verified."

"Good, then come see me alone tomorrow morning. Bring as much material about Liu Fuzhi as you have, and don't tell anyone!"

Walking out of the office, Xiao Bei's mind was in a whirl. Whose side was County Magistrate Lin Ruohan actually on? Why did Fu Chuanyi specifically instruct him not to tell anyone? And what was Liu Fuzhi plotting at this moment?

In the distance, the celebration after the launch ceremony was in full swing. The villagers' faces were beaming with smiles they hadn't worn in a long time, and children were performing happily on the stage. This scene made Xiao Bei's heart gradually calm down.

No matter how complex the political struggle, these smiling faces before him were the meaning of his work. As for those mysteries... perhaps after meeting Fu Chuanyi tomorrow, everything would come to light.

The next morning, just as Xiao Bei stepped into the office, Team Leader Zhang Yining rushed in, holding her phone.

"Leader, we're trending!"

Her cheeks were flushed with excitement, "The topic of Qingshan Township organic rice has exceeded 20 million views, and the order volume in the Douyin livestreaming room from last night's test run has exceeded 5,000 orders!"

Xiao Bei took the phone. Under the topic #County Magistrate Leads Livestreaming E-commerce#, there was a photo of him standing in the rice paddy holding a handful of golden rice. The comment section was filled with "This is what a public servant should be" and "Want to buy the same rice to support poverty alleviation," which made his tense nerves relax slightly.

"Can the packaging and logistics keep up?" Xiao Bei scrolled through the screen to check the real-time data.

"Party Secretary Wang sent a message at four in the morning saying that the whole village is working overtime to pack."

Team Leader Zhang Yining leaned in closer and lowered her voice, "There's another strange thing... I checked County Magistrate Lin Ruohan's whereabouts yesterday."

Xiao Bei's fingers paused: "Tell me."

"According to the government vehicle records, she went to the Development Zone for an inspection at ten in the morning, but at the same time, a colleague saw her at a teahouse across the street from the County Government building."

Team Leader Zhang Yining frowned, "This is impossible, unless she can clone herself..."

A chill ran down Xiao Bei's back. He recalled the drastic change in County Magistrate Lin Ruohan's temperament, and Fu Chuanyi's meaningful expression when he mentioned "County Magistrate Lin Ruohan reporting the situation."

"Keep investigating, but don't alert the enemy."

Xiao Bei checked his watch; there was half an hour left until his appointment with Fu Chuanyi. "If anyone asks today, just say I went to Qingshan Township to follow up on the livestreaming after-sales service."

At the back door of the County Government, a black sedan had been waiting for a long time. As soon as Xiao Bei approached, the rear window rolled down halfway, revealing Fu Chuanyi's stern profile. "Get in."

The air conditioning in the car was set very low, but Xiao Bei still felt stifled. He handed over the USB drive containing photos and recordings of Liu Fuzhi accepting bribes at Jinhechun. "All the materials I have are here."

Fu Chuanyi took it and casually put it into his briefcase without even glancing at it: "Just this?"

Xiao Bei was stunned: "This is already enough to open an investigation."

"Hmm, no need to rush." Fu Chuanyi suddenly smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes bunching up, "The investigation team will take it seriously."

The car stopped at an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. Fu Chuanyi signaled for the driver to get out, then turned to look directly at Xiao Bei: "Do you know who Bai Yunmo is?"

Xiao Bei shook his head. "Why haven't you moved against Liu Fuzhi yet?" Xiao Bei couldn't help but ask.

Fu Chuanyi stubbed out his cigarette: "Some things are not for someone at your level to know. Your mission is complete." He frowned, "By the way, don't tell a third person about today's conversation."

Back at the office, Xiao Bei found that Team Leader Zhang Yining was not at her desk. He had just picked up the phone when the office door was pushed open violently. Zhang Laosan rushed in, reeking of alcohol, his eyes bloodshot.

"County Magistrate Xiao!" He fell to his knees with a thud, his voice hoarse, "Didn't you say everything would be fine once I handed over the evidence? Now look, the account book is gone, and the money hasn't been recovered either! There's been no movement at all. What about Liu Fuzhi? Has he been arrested?"

He tugged at his dirty collar, "My son is waiting to pay tuition, my wife is waiting for medical treatment. How am I supposed to live!"

Xiao Bei hurriedly helped him up: "Brother Zhang, please calm down..."

"Calm down?" Zhang Laosan suddenly erupted, overturning the coffee table, "Liu Fuzhi and his lot are living the high life, what do they know about the suffering of us common people!"

Amidst the sound of shattering glass, he crouched on the floor and wailed, "My wife... the doctor said it would be too late if she doesn't have surgery... but... now I can't even come up with 50,000 yuan... It's my fault for being useless..."

A heavy weight pressed on Xiao Bei's chest. He crouched down, meeting Zhang Laosan's eyes: "Give me three days, and I will personally help you get the money back."

Zhang Laosan looked up with teary eyes: "Really?" "Really."

Xiao Bei took out his wallet and stuffed all the cash inside into his hands, "Take this for now, I'll figure out the rest."

After sending Zhang Laosan away, Xiao Bei stood by the window, watching the hunched figure stagger away. His phone kept vibrating; the work group was full of good news about the livestreaming, with Qingshan Township rice in short supply. Secretary Wang Dehai sent a video of the villagers packing and shipping, and everyone's faces were beaming with smiles. But behind this glamour, who would see the despair of people like Zhang Laosan?

What Xiao Bei didn't know was that after he left Fu Chuanyi's car, the black sedan did not drive away immediately. The car window slowly rolled up, hiding Fu Chuanyi's wrinkled face. He took out his phone and dialed a number.

"The materials are in hand." Fu Chuanyi's voice was low and calm, completely different from the righteous demeanor he had shown in front of Xiao Bei just moments ago. A muffled male voice came from the other end of the phone: "Including Zhang Laosan's account book?"

"It's all here." Fu Chuanyi was somewhat impatient, "The USB drive, the photos, everything is here, get over here now."

Ten minutes later, the car started and moved to the abandoned factory, where a man wearing a peaked cap appeared. Seeing him arrive, Fu Chuanyi immediately handed over the briefcase containing all of Xiao Bei's hopes. "Burn it all."

Fu Chuanyi only said these three words, his eyes as cold as if he were looking at a pile of trash. The man took the briefcase, a sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth: "How do we explain it to Xiao Bei?"

"Him?" Fu Chuanyi lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, "Just a green kid from a small county, he can't stir up any trouble."

The two exchanged a look and tacitly went their separate ways. The man walked deep into the factory, where an iron barrel had long been prepared. The firelight soon illuminated his face, and the evidence Xiao Bei had worked so hard to collect turned to ashes in the flames.

Meanwhile, Xiao Bei was standing in front of his office window, looking down at the bustling crowd below. The sunlight shone through the glass onto his tired face, but it could not disperse the gloom in his heart. Fu Chuanyi's attitude was too abnormal, making him feel a faint sense of unease.