Si Qingqing picked up the USB drive and plugged it in.
Inside the USB drive lay a video file.
She clicked on the video, and the screen showed a room with a cozy decor.
In the room, there were two massage beds, and on the beds lay two completely naked women.
The hands of two masseuses were moving in and out below them, making squelching sounds.
The two women emitted enticing moans.
This blood-boiling scene made Si Qingqing feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave, her whole body cold.
It was the very footage of her and Xu Suyi getting a private care massage at the beauty salon.
Judging by some details in the video, this video seemed to have been taken just yesterday.
Ever since the day she took Xu Suyi there, Xu Suyi, who was quite new to such experiences, fell in love with the feeling.
Whenever she had time, she would nag Si Qingqing to go.
But she never expected that their process would be secretly filmed.
She quickly pulled out the USB drive, her face ashen, her eyes full of panic.
"Who gave you the USB drive?"
"It was... Director Ding."
Si Qingqing felt a chill all over, incredulous.
Ding Lingyan, Deputy Director of the Judicial Bureau!
Si Qingqing couldn’t understand and was also very baffled.
What she couldn’t understand was, why would Director Ding do such a thing?
What puzzled her was, how did Ding Lingyan know about her activities at the beauty salon?
This so-called private care massage belongs to a gray area.
If the regulatory authority doesn’t intervene, it’s safe and sound.
But once they start to manage it, it will lead to fines and detentions.
Most importantly, if such a video leaks, she will be criticized for having conduct issues.
Penalties could be light; being transferred from her original position wouldn’t be surprising.
And for her personally, if such a private video were to circulate, her inner dignity would also be difficult to bear.
Xu Suyi said anxiously, "Director, what do we do?"
Si Qingqing was also very anxious, but she knew she couldn’t be panicked; she must stay calm.
Ding Lingyan didn’t directly spread the video, but gave it to her, clearly, she had an agenda.
"Call Director Ding over here."
Xu Suyi quickly went out and returned shortly, but she came back alone, without Ding Lingyan.
"Where is Director Ding?"
"Director Ding, she... wants you to go over."
Si Qingqing’s chest heaved violently; this Ding Lingyan was too much!
But she dared not get angry since her hold was in the other’s hands.
Si Qingqing adjusted her emotions and got up to go over.
She pushed the door open, and Ding Lingyan without lifting her head said, "Don’t you know how to knock? Get out!"
Si Qingqing pressed her lips together, internally telling herself repeatedly, endure!
She went out, closed the door.
Entering again, Ding Lingyan put down the file in her hand and looked up, surprised to see it was Si Qingqing: "Oh, it’s Director Si. Sorry, I thought it was someone who didn’t know proper manners. Please have a seat."
Si Qingqing knew this old woman was trying to put her in her place.
But even knowing this, what could she do?
The person held her handle, even if the other spoke with sarcasm, she had to endure.
Si Qingqing walked over, directly placed the USB drive down, and asked, "Director Ding, what is this about?"
Ding Lingyan looked at her with interest, not in a hurry to answer.
After a long while, she finally laughed and said, "Looks like Director Si has misunderstood."
"Misunderstood?" Si Qingqing sneered, "Director Ding, just say directly what you want. There’s no need to beat around the bush; it’s meaningless."
"Director Si truly misunderstood."
Ding Lingyan said sincerely, "When I came to work this morning, this USB drive was lying on my desk. I don’t know who put it there. When I opened it... So I asked your secretary to give it to you."
Si Qingqing didn’t believe a word of what she said.
But she also knew, the person was willing to find an excuse, which meant she didn’t want to completely fall out with her.
To her, this was a favorable situation.
Ding Lingyan said, "Director Si, rest assured, whatever condition the USB drive was in when it was with me, remains the same. I absolutely didn’t make a backup. Just delete the video later, and it’s best not to go to that beauty salon anymore."
Si Qingqing suddenly felt very frustrated.
Knowing well that Ding Lingyan had someone secretly film her, yet unable to say it.
She hadn’t expected that after leaving the City Government to become the head of the Judicial Bureau, she’d encounter such a thing in less than half a month.
"Does Director Si have time for lunch?"
Si Qingqing intended to say no, but she nodded obediently when the words came to her mouth: "Yes."
"Then let’s have a meal together; I’d like to introduce you to some friends."
"Haha, see you at noon then."
Ding Lingyan picked up a file, assuming a sending-off posture.
Si Qingqing controlled her emotions.
Returning to the office, looking at Xu Suyi standing nearby, she inexplicably felt irritated but restrained the urge to scold.
"You can go out first."
After Xu Suyi left, Si Qingqing found Chu Xiaoe’s number, hesitated for a long time, but eventually didn’t dial.
She found another number and dialed it.
Song Guanchao arrived at Lingyan Road, and gained a general understanding of the situation.
The relocation faced no obstacles, it could even be said to be very smooth.
But dozens of families were just dragging and not signing.
When asked, the householder wasn’t home, try again tomorrow.
The next day they came, something suddenly came up and they went out, try again the day after tomorrow.
Director He didn’t have the heavy suspicion of Song Guanchao, thinking the other side was deliberately delaying, simply believing it might just be that the other side had something. Google seaʀᴄh 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝕟𝕖𝕥
"How can there be so many coincidences."
Song Guanchao snorted coldly: "It’s obvious they’re stalling for time, can’t you see?"
Director He said, "Shouldn’t be? A few have signed over the past couple of days."
Originally over a hundred households were dragging on, but recently thirty or forty signed one after another.
So he didn’t feel the other side was deliberately delaying.
"They are just purposely signing two today, two tomorrow, making you think they genuinely have issues."
Without asking, these annoying things could only be done by Zheng Bihui and Secretary Lu; a normal person wouldn’t do such things.
But Song Guanchao still didn’t understand.
Why were they doing such things?
In the end, it’s still necessary to sign?
Building a high-speed railway isn’t like building houses; the money is from the National Railway Bureau and city treasury, the only effect of delaying is wasting time.
And with just these seventy-odd households, no matter how delayed, it’s at most a month or so.
So, what’s the point of delaying?
Song Guanchao truly couldn’t figure out why Zheng Bihui would do this.
Simply to disgust him?
He felt Zheng Bihui shouldn’t be this bored.
But other than to disgust him, he really couldn’t think of any other reasons.
When things are unusual, something strange must be happening.
There’s certainly something hidden in this.
Unfortunately, with limited information, Song Guanchao couldn’t analyze it.
"Call these people who haven’t signed yet, tell them, if they don’t sign by five-thirty this evening, they’ll be considered to have waived their rights."
"What if they can’t get back in time?"
"If they can’t get back, then don’t bother coming back."
"I’ll arrange it at once."
Director He’s face showed a smile, but internally he was critical, feeling that Song Guanchao was making a fuss over nothing.
There were only 71 households left, wouldn’t it be better to take it easy?
However, as he was the overall head of the project group, even though his level wasn’t as high as his own, his authority was greater.