With Liang Kechang's help, Liu Song worked in tandem with him, significantly boosting their efficiency. However, among the six individuals they were dealing with, there was one particularly tough nut to crack—no matter how they tried to persuade or bluff, the person remained unconvinced.
The entire time, the individual only said one thing: "Go ahead and investigate. If you find evidence, do whatever you want with me."
It was clear at a glance—this person genuinely had no skeletons in their closet.
"Let's go, Brother Liu. It's almost lunchtime. This morning has been exhausting."
All that strategizing and maneuvering had taken its toll.
Liu Song took the statements to the office first to report, while Su Jie had already gone to fetch lunch for Nan Sheng, who couldn't be bothered to go down to the cafeteria on the first floor.
"You all go ahead and eat. We can discuss anything else this afternoon."
During lunch, Liu Song and the other two sat in the cafeteria, while Su Jie and Nan Sheng ate together in the office—she wasn’t keen on going downstairs again either.
"Director, the county government cafeteria is so much better than the town government’s. There’s even more meat in the dishes," Su Jie remarked, eating with relish.
"No matter how good the food is, you’ll get sick of it after a few years," Nan Sheng replied.
After finishing her meal, Su Jie cleared away the lunchboxes and thoughtfully closed the door—she knew her director’s afternoon nap was non-negotiable.
When Liu Song and the others sat together for lunch, conversation was inevitable. They kept their voices low, making it seem to outsiders like they were sharing secrets.
A single glance from them, and people felt like they were about to be dragged in for questioning by the disciplinary committee.
In short, since Nan Sheng’s return, everyone had been walking on eggshells.
The complaint mailbox incident had indeed drawn a lot of attention. People from other departments even approached Secretary Cao, hoping he could test the waters.
"Secretary Cao, you’ve had more dealings with Director Nan. Could you go ask her who’s been reported?"
"Not a chance!"
Cao Guoxiang looked visibly resistant. "Have you forgotten how Ou Yaosheng was ousted? She’s unyielding—if you cross her, she might even call in the military to settle things. Why are you so interested in her business anyway?"
The head of the Bureau of Grain: What else? Guilty conscience, obviously.
Just a few days ago, someone below had been clamoring to report him. If the disciplinary committee got wind of the truth, his position as bureau head would be over.
"Just curious, that’s all. I heard they pulled several letters from the mailbox. Director Nan hasn’t left her office since she got them—she’s definitely planning how to crack down on people."
Cao Guoxiang continued to brush it off. While many in the government were diligent, not everyone could resist temptation—especially in departments with more... lucrative opportunities.
The man in front of him had plenty of issues, so his fear wasn’t unfounded.
"If she wants to crack down, let her. Without proof, can she really make us step down? Stop overthinking it. I’ve got my own problems—she just detained six of my people, and I still haven’t figured out how to handle it."
Hearing this, the grain bureau head got the message: Secretary Cao wasn’t happy with the new director either. If they clashed, maybe Director Nan wouldn’t have time to investigate him.
So, he decided to wait and see.
That afternoon, every department held meetings, with leadership explicitly—and implicitly—forbidding subordinates from writing any complaint letters.
"If you have any grievances, raise them internally. If this blows up, none of us will keep our jobs!"
A blatant threat. The underlings were cowed into silence—the county government had never been this tense before.
After her nap, Nan Sheng reviewed the statements. She had five in total, most of which only revealed minor issues—things that would at most earn a scolding from leadership. Only Jiang Lin had been foolish enough to try threatening her.
"Liu Song, draft a work report for me. Include the disciplinary actions for these individuals as per regulations—and don’t forget to attach Jiang Lin’s statement."
The disciplinary committee rose and fell together. This could serve as leverage—it all depended on whether Director Jin could make use of it.
Liu Song hesitated. He thought Nan Sheng was playing with fire—was it wise to provoke that person so easily?
"Do as I say!"
Who didn’t want authority? This was also about securing her standing in the county government.
"Yes, I’ll get it done right away!"
Around three in the afternoon, an elderly woman stormed in, shouting, "Is there anyone in charge here? I want to file a complaint—this is downright bullying!"
Upon hearing the commotion, Luo Xiaoxuan rushed downstairs to handle it. By then, the woman had already been cursing for a good four or five minutes—nothing was off-limits.
When he saw her, Luo Xiaoxuan was stunned. This is the person I hired? She’s way too fierce.
"Auntie, I can help resolve this. Let’s talk upstairs."
Luo Xiaoxuan had an air about him—unlike others who might sweet-talk, his demeanor actually calmed the woman down.
"Fine. You look like someone in charge. You better fix this today, or I’ll take it straight to the military leadership!"
Only then did Luo Xiaoxuan realize—this wasn’t a setup. This was real. He grew even more cautious, especially since she seemed connected to the military.
"Don’t worry. If I can’t solve it, our director will."
Once upstairs, the woman was led into an office, where she vented angrily to Luo Xiaoxuan.
"My son used to serve in Sanwei Town. He was a heroic company commander—the military leadership promised him a proper reassignment. But in less than three years, he’s being pushed out! They told him if he doesn’t obey, he can get lost. I’m here to ask—who the hell has that kind of power?!"
"Auntie, which department does your son work in now?"
The Bureau of Grain!
