"Xu Liang, instead of wasting time worrying about others, you should focus on preparing for the upcoming political review. Once Liu Su is released, do you really think he’ll let us off easy?"

With that, he said no more. If Xu Liang refused to listen, then being removed from the list would be his own fault.

By noon, Nan Sheng had finished interviewing all the shortlisted college students. These candidates were the cream of the crop from the entire county, and their quality was indeed impressive.

"Little Su, select thirty candidates from the secondary pool and have them come in for interviews tomorrow."

"Yes, Director!"

The evaluations were based on comprehensive assessments by all members of the disciplinary committee, providing highly valuable references. Nan Sheng had also requested support from the city, and experienced personnel would arrive the next day to assist.

During lunch, Nan Sheng barely tasted her food. She couldn’t stop wondering how Lin Han’s mission was progressing.

Secretary Cai’s phone had been ringing nonstop all morning—some calling to share good news, others fishing for information. He had wanted to ask Nan Sheng for details but hesitated when he saw how busy she was.

Now, he carried his lunchbox over and sat across from her. "Don’t rush me away—I’ll only say a few words."

Nan Sheng thought to herself: This man has no sense of timing. No wonder he’s stuck as a small-town secretary for life.

"Out with it!"

"All the revolutionary committee members from the towns have been purged. The government requested military assistance—did you know about this in advance?"

What Secretary Cai really wanted to ask was whether she had orchestrated it. As a military wife with a husband who was a regiment commander, a mere whisper in his ear could have resolved this major issue.

"Care to guess?"

Secretary Cai’s grin faltered. Was it so hard to give a straight answer? Was their half-year working relationship really this fragile?

"Director Nan—"

"Get lost."

"Right away!"

Secretary Cai picked up his lunchbox and left, the entire exchange lasting less than a minute.

Meanwhile, Lin Han, whom Nan Sheng was so worried about, had the advantage in numbers. However, the black market’s underground tunnels had caught him off guard, and he was now pursuing targets through the narrow passages.

Emerging from the tunnels, he found himself in a sparsely populated area near the mountains. The sheer length of the tunnel suggested it must have taken at least a year to dig—whoever built it had remarkable perseverance.

"Dispatch more personnel immediately to seal off the surrounding area. No one gets through!"

Nan Sheng spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in silence. As soon as work ended, she hurried home on her bicycle, only to find that Lin Han hadn’t returned all night. The next morning, she knocked on the door downstairs.

"Everything’s fine. The enemies were just slippery—they fled into the mountains, so it took extra time."

Since the operation wasn’t classified and involved government affairs, Zhang Hengyi didn’t hide the details from Nan Sheng. His reassurance lifted her spirits somewhat.

Back home, she prepared breakfast for the children before cycling to town. Passing the military barracks, she unconsciously paused for a moment.

If Lin Han were home, I wouldn’t have to wake up early to cook…

Su Jie could clearly sense Director Nan’s foul mood today—the most obvious evidence being how much harsher the interviews had become.

Out of thirty college students, Nan Sheng only selected ten. She then instructed Su Jie to submit the list for political vetting.

In ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‍the afternoon, Liao Xian, Director Jin’s assistant, arrived to provide guidance. His demeanor toward Nan Sheng was noticeably more respectful than before.

He knew full well that Nan Sheng had passed her trial period and would soon be promoted to director of the county’s disciplinary committee. Director Jin held her in high regard—her future was undeniably bright.

"Thank you for coming to assist, Comrade Liao. Please rest for a while—I’ll have someone fetch lunch."

Liao Xian didn’t refuse. He couldn’t very well work on an empty stomach, could he?

Nan Sheng arranged for dishes to be brought from the state-run restaurant. Flattered by the special treatment, Liao Xian began his training session on disciplinary committee procedures right after eating.

He had also brought along materials at Director Jin’s request for Nan Sheng to review.

This training was no trivial matter—by the end, the trainees would be ranked into tiers. Though all were still in probationary roles, their positions would differ in seniority.

Meanwhile, Lin Han was rushing back to the barracks. Upon reuniting with Han Yongxiang, the latter couldn’t contain his excitement. "Regiment Commander Lin, we’ve hit the jackpot this time! Your wife is practically our regiment’s lucky charm!"

Who would’ve thought that a routine cleanup of government corruption would uncover spies from across the strait, embedded in Rongcheng for years? And their resources were far from insignificant.

Following this lead could help recover substantial losses.

"Are the injured men taken care of?" Lin Han cared more about his soldiers’ lives than military accolades.

"Don’t worry, Commander. They’ve been treated—nothing serious. A few days’ rest and they’ll be back on their feet!"

Thankfully, the spies hadn’t dared to stockpile too many weapons to avoid drawing attention.

When Lin Han reported to Division Commander Yao, Commander Ye was also present. "All targets apprehended?"

"Reporting, Division Commander! Two escaped, but we’ve extracted intel on their supply routes and have teams in pursuit!"

Division Commander Yao nodded in approval. A windfall like this couldn’t be ignored. "Lin, Ye—return and prepare immediately. Lead the pursuit yourselves. Root out all safehouses and operatives along the way, and recover every stolen artifact and dollar!"

The sudden assignment left Lin Han no time to spare. He made a quick stop at his son’s school to explain his mission.

"Sizhe, this operation will take me far away—I might not return for a month. Tell your mother I’m unharmed and not to worry."

Sizhe nodded solemnly. "Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll take care of Mom and my sister while you’re gone."

For a moment, Sizhe imagined himself in uniform. Would I look as strong and imposing as Dad?

He truly loved military life and was determined to pursue it relentlessly.

After school, Sizhe and his sister ran into Nan Sheng downstairs. "Mom, you’re home early today!"

Nan Sheng had left work ahead of time after settling Liao Xian in—only to be caught red-handed by her children.

"Early? Nonsense. Let’s go home—I’ll make noodles for dinner!"

The summer heat often led Nan Sheng to serve cold noodles, but right now, she was just trying to change the subject. No admitting to leaving work early!