Liu Song did not disappoint Nan Sheng. Before leaving work, he submitted a list of names that largely overlapped with those mentioned by Director Yi.

Nan Sheng didn’t think he was intentionally holding back—after all, it was natural for two people’s knowledge to differ slightly. She added a few more names to the list, startling Liu Song. How did the director know even more than he did?

"First, arrest those inciting public opinion. As for the rest, investigate them one by one. If any issues are found, don’t let anyone slip away!"

"Yes, Director!"

Nan Sheng intended to ride this wave of momentum to deal with the other revolutionary committee directors. She had a feeling that once this matter was resolved, she might even climb another step up the ladder.

The prospect of becoming the legitimate county revolutionary committee director was something she looked forward to.

At that moment, Chen Tian brought over the list of individuals slated for reassignment. "Director, would you like to arrange this yourself, or...?"

Nan Sheng took the list and skimmed through it briefly. "I’ll handle it. I’ll give you the finalized list tomorrow. As for Deng Jun, continue your rounds in the villages. You know what to do if anyone dares to cause trouble!"

Deng Jun nodded immediately. This kind of straightforward task suited him perfectly.

After returning home from work and finishing dinner, Nan Sheng took the list to her room. Truthfully, after the warning she had issued during the last meeting, she didn’t need to put much effort into the arrangements—simply distributing the personnel evenly would suffice.

The reason she brought the list home was to check whether any of these individuals had been deliberately assigned to this area by higher-ups. She needed to leave some time for those with ulterior motives to come to her.

She wanted to get the job done, but she also wanted to accumulate favors.

To her surprise, no one came to see her that evening. She wondered if everyone had suddenly developed such self-restraint. But the next day, on her way to work, she ended up meeting quite a few new people.

"Are you Deputy Regimental Commander Lin’s wife? My husband is Regimental Commander Liu. Do you have a moment, sister? There’s something I’d like to ask. I have a relative who... If it’s too much trouble, just forget it."

"No trouble at all, sister-in-law. Don’t worry!"

"Hello, sister-in-law! I’m Division Commander He’s wife. A friend asked my husband for a favor, and I was wondering if you might be able to help?"

"Of course, sister-in-law. Go ahead!"

Nan Sheng made frequent stops along the way, jotting down notes in her little notebook the entire time. Even Han Yongxiang, a battalion commander under Lin Han, approached her.

"Sister-in-law! I’m Battalion Commander Han Yongxiang, under Regimental Commander Lin!"

"Hello! Are you here about the reassignment cases?"

Nan Sheng gave Han Yongxiang a once-over and noted that the young man was quite handsome—impressive!

Han Yongxiang nodded awkwardly. He had received a letter from his father the day before, instructing him to ensure that his father’s comrade-in-arms, assigned to Rongcheng for reassignment, was placed in Sanwei Town. To do this, he needed to establish a connection with the revolutionary committee.

Upon inquiring, he learned that Regimental Commander Lin’s wife happened to be in charge of this matter. Concerned about her reputation, he decided against visiting her at night and instead waited for her along her usual route to work.

Who would’ve thought that after waiting for an hour, he still couldn’t get a word in?

"Yes, sister-in-law. Could you possibly arrange for Kang Shao to be assigned to Sanwei Town? He’s my father’s comrade..."

Before Han Yongxiang could finish, Nan Sheng agreed without hesitation. "Consider it done. Now hurry back to training—it’s getting late."

Han Yongxiang scratched his head as he watched Nan Sheng walk away. Was it really that easy?

His father’s letter had included a stack of cash, urging him to spare no expense in getting this done. Maybe he should try again tomorrow—at the very least, he ought to split the money with her...

As expected, Nan Sheng arrived at the government office much later than usual, but no one dared to comment. In fact, everyone pretended not to notice, afraid of drawing her ire.

Most military wives weren’t familiar with Nan Sheng and felt awkward visiting her late at night. There was also the concern that noise might disturb the neighbors.

Those ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‍who sought her help today had all come prepared with money, ostensibly for "expenses," but really as a way to let her pocket some extra income. Nan Sheng didn’t take a single cent, but she still agreed to handle their requests.

She phrased it beautifully—who hadn’t faced difficulties at some point? In reality, these accumulated favors would weave a vast network of connections.

When Nan Sheng entered her office, Chen Tian greeted her and immediately brewed her a cup of tea.

"Director, this is floral tea I brought from home. Would you like to try it?"

After days of observation, he had noticed that the director disliked bitter teas like pu’er or oolong—she’d only take a few sips before setting them aside.

But with lighter teas like biluochun or white tea, she’d drink more. His family had a special blend of floral tea, and thinking she might like it, he had brought half of it to share.

"Is this jasmine tea? It smells lovely!"

Nan Sheng praised Chen Tian’s thoughtful gesture, and he grinned from ear to ear. "Jasmine tea helps refresh the mind. If you like it, I’ll brew you a cup every day!"

She handed him the list. "Assign the names I’ve marked to villages nearby. Distribute the rest evenly."

Chen Tian understood immediately—the director intended to show favor to certain individuals. "Don’t worry, Director. I’ll make sure it’s handled properly."

Everything was proceeding smoothly, and Nan Sheng had no reason for concern.

Meanwhile, Regimental Commander Shen was pacing anxiously. His wife had gone back to her parents’ home the day before and still hadn’t returned. He was terrified that any trouble befalling her family might drag him down as well.

His fears were justified. Upon returning home, Ding Xiang had warned her family about Director Yi’s situation, urging them to clean up any loose ends.

Ding Xiang’s mother had assured her that her father was pulling strings—both their family and the Yi family would be fine. But that very night, Ding Xiang’s father failed to return home. When they inquired at the government, they were only told he had been taken in for questioning.

The Ding family was stunned.

Ding Xiang couldn’t possibly abandon her family in such a crisis to return to her husband.

They spent the entire night scrambling, spending money to pull connections, only to be met with the same response: "Leniency for those who confess, severity for those who resist."

Their last hope rested on Ding Xiang—perhaps her husband, as a regimental commander, could get the military to intervene and protect them.

Ding Xiang hitched a ride to town, and after much deliberation, she headed for the government office.

"Hello, comrade. I’m from the military district. Could you tell me which office Deputy Regimental Commander Lin’s wife is in?"

The clerk she stopped recognized the name immediately. "Director Nan is in the revolutionary committee office. I’ll take you there."

At the door, however, the clerk didn’t let Ding Xiang enter immediately. He knocked first, reported her presence, and only after receiving permission did he usher her inside.

At that moment, Ding Xiang realized how foolish her past arrogance had been. The grandeur of Nan Sheng’s office only deepened her shame.

Fortunately, Nan Sheng was courteous. "Sister-in-law, what brings you here? Please, have a seat. Su Jie, bring some tea!"

Ding Xiang fidgeted nervously, murmuring, "No need for the trouble, really."

With others present, she couldn’t bring herself to speak openly. Noticing this, Nan Sheng dismissed everyone else from the room.

"Are you still here about Director Yi's matter? I really can't help with this—he's already been taken away by the city officials."

Ding Xiang was about to say no, but the moment she heard that her uncle had been taken by the city authorities, her heart nearly stopped. Would her father be next...?