Chapter 2: Rebellion

Back at the department, everyone was packing up, getting ready to leave work.

Xia Wei craned her neck toward the empty doorway, then leaned in and asked quietly, “The report didn’t go well? Did the section chief get held back by the director?”

It hadn’t just gone badly—it was a disaster.

Gu Yao saved the document, shut down her laptop, and offered a friendly reminder: “The new department head’s taken office. Don’t be late tomorrow.”

New department head?

According to standard procedure, he should’ve reported to the Organization Office first. But not a word had trickled down all day. Was the Project Section really that out of the loop?

Still, new department heads were common enough. But Secretary Zhou—that was rare.

As someone who’d had the rare privilege of a close encounter with such a prominent figure, Gu Yao was inevitably asked: Was Secretary Zhou really as approachable and refined as the rumors claimed?

She merely smiled.

Not a single raised voice the entire time, yet every word had left people sitting on pins and needles.

Her answer: “He’s easy to get along with.”

“How does he look?”

“Decent features.”

…Okay.

Unsatisfied, Xia Wei pressed on, “How tall? Is he over 1.8 meters?”

“Didn’t really pay attention. Taller than me, at least.”

What kind of answer was that?

Xia Wei could clearly sense the perfunctory tone and was about to complain when Yang Lan, who’d gotten up to fetch water, cut in.

“If you’re that curious, just look him up online. There are pictures and text. Way more details than Xiao Gu will give you.”

Already tried that.

“It’s all just work history and credentials. Nothing useful.”

“What else do you want to know?” Yang Lan set down her cup and lowered her voice. “With a background powerful enough to have his file sealed, you think Baidu would dare write more than that?”

The name Secretary Zhou wasn’t just a title.

Across all of Qionghai’s political circles, who dared gossip about Zhou Zhengliang’s background?

No one.

Some names weren’t even safe to utter in private.

Maybe it was the serious tone of Yang Lan’s voice that spooked them, but the office went quiet for a moment. Then Xia Wei rolled her eyes and said with a giggle, “Lan-jie sure knows a lot.”

Oh right—how could she forget? Yang Lan was the department’s top-tier nepo baby.

Her husband worked in the disciplinary commission.

Unsurprisingly, the topic ended there.

The three of them left the office building together. From a distance, they saw a Porsche sports car parked at the corner. Gu Yao came to an abrupt halt, turned on her heel without a word, and calmly headed for the east gate.

Xia Wei sighed, “Dating a rich second-generation heir and still fighting—it’s so not worth it. If it were me, I’d soften up just for that car.”

“You think a car is worth more than a person?” Yang Lan asked with a laugh.

Of course.

People change. Cars don’t.

On the other side, Gu Yao crossed the parking lot on the east side. Just as she swiped her access card, her phone vibrated in her bag.

She ignored it and kept walking.

A moment later, a flurry of message notifications came flooding in.

Cheng Mu: Gu Yao, my patience has limits.

Cheng Mu: How long are you planning to keep this up? It’s been three days—are you trying to drive me crazy?

Cheng Mu: Even people on death row get to say their last words—can’t you at least hear me out?

Cheng Mu: Come on, baby. I’ll admit I was wrong, okay?

…

Coaxing and threatening—classic Cheng Mu behavior.

Sometimes Gu Yao wondered what kind of cursed fate had tangled the two of them together.

They’d only been dating for six months, yet the number of fights could fill a diary.

Too exhausting.

She didn’t get in the car. So the Porsche crept behind her slowly, tailing her all the way to the bus stop.

Bus 505 would arrive in three minutes. The stop wasn’t crowded, but enough people stood around to make the scene eye-catching.

Luxury car blocking the lane. A wealthy young man stepped out holding a bouquet of roses. He walked up to his girlfriend with a humble demeanor and murmured his apologies.

The girl was young, thin-skinned, and stubborn. No matter how sweet his words, no matter how apologetic he was—she wouldn’t budge.

It was clear—this wasn’t just a minor argument.

Three minutes wasn’t long, but it was just enough. The honk of an approaching bus sounded from behind.

It was rush hour. The road was packed with slow-moving traffic. That scene—right at the bus stop—just happened to fall into the line of sight of a certain high-ranking official.

Inside the backseat of a black Audi, with the windows rolled up, Zhou Zhengliang listened as his secretary briefed him on the schedule. His gaze, calm and composed, drifted past the crowd and quietly landed on the bus stop.

The girl stood in front of the sports car in a pale-colored dress. Her delicate, rosy face was tinged with embarrassment and frustration. Even in the middle of a lovers’ quarrel, her demeanor remained soft and gentle, utterly lacking in aggression. Compared to how she looked in the office earlier, she now seemed far more vivid and alive.

Just then, Xu Mo finished the report and put the documents away. He immediately sensed something unusual in the backseat’s silence.

Unable to resist, he turned slightly—and followed his superior’s gaze outside the window.

It was her.

He squinted for a better look, then remarked, “Looks like the young comrade’s in trouble. Pretty face, timid temperament—she’s an easy target for unwanted attention.”

Timid?

The Audi A6 glided past the bus stop with the traffic. Zhou Zhengliang slowly withdrew his gaze, something obscure flashing in his eyes.

Using the system interface to pull strings right under his nose—if anyone in the entire Development and Reform Commission had guts, it was her.

The car was quiet for a moment.

“Call Meng Changjun,” Zhou Zhengliang said calmly.

The sudden order caught Xu Mo off guard.

Though puzzled, he obeyed.

Once the call connected, he handed the phone to his superior.

Meng Changjun, caught off guard by a call from Secretary Zhou, barely had time to react before he heard the directive on the line: “Add two items to the corrective report: evaluations and suggestions from frontline staff regarding the system’s operation. Make it anonymous—the more detailed, the better.”

Frontline feedback, and anonymous too.

Clearly, the “518 Incident” had stirred things up. Secretary Zhou seemed determined to clean house within the administration.

“Understood. I’ll contact Secretary Xu in advance to schedule a face-to-face report by mid-next month.”

He paused for a beat, then added, “Regarding the Fengtian District’s urban renewal and household resettlement project—our Project Section Chief seems completely unaware of the initiative. According to him, the entire thing was personally handled by the former department head from beginning to end. He didn’t have any involvement.”

Sounded innocent enough. But whether it was truth or lies would have to be investigated.

And as for how to investigate—

Zhou Zhengliang didn’t mince words. “You’re new in the role. Don’t get too comfortable wearing that official hat just yet. Get down to the grassroots level—especially the key departments.”

Two mentions of the “grassroots” in one conversation—Meng Changjun wasn’t stupid.

He could guess that the higher-up already had someone in mind.

The call lasted five minutes. Xu Mo mentally replayed every word, then recalled the long pause Zhou had taken while passing the bus stop. Paired with what happened during the system demonstration that afternoon, certain details started lining up.

People in power often had insight beyond the average person’s grasp.

So, that gentle-looking girl—beneath the surface, she had a rebellious streak.

How interesting.

Meanwhile, at the bus stop, the Porsche continued to block the lane. The bus driver leaned on the horn. Passersby started pointing and whispering.

Eventually, Gu Yao—no match for someone with that thick a skin—gave in with an angry pout. She snatched the bouquet and got in the car.

Relieved, Cheng Mu watched her settle into the seat. He was convinced he had her all figured out.

After all this time, he knew her temper inside out.

In his mind, controlling Gu Yao was child’s play.

That thought didn’t even last two seconds.

As soon as the car started, the vibrant bouquet on the passenger seat was flung violently into the back.

He: “……”

A lazy smirk tugged at his handsome face. He reached over to pinch his girlfriend’s cheek. “Alright, you’ve vented enough. Let’s make up, okay? Don’t torture me anymore.”

Who’s torturing who?

Gu Yao turned her head to stare out the window. Her tone was cool and detached: “Let’s break up.”

Screech.

The car slammed to a sudden stop.