Chapter 755

Once everyone saw the level she’d reached, they chose their words carefully, speculating with innuendo instead of blunt accusations. Not a single direct insult.

Even though Song Peifeng had immediately sent people to handle the situation, the influence had already spread.

Clearly, someone was attempting to use the internet to drag down this high-flying official.

But mere internet gossip wouldn’t be enough to topple her—they would need solid, undeniable evidence.

And they believed they had it.

Soon, people posing as netizens began submitting reports to H Province’s top prosecutors. At first, they did it anonymously, trying to stir the pot and draw attention. Once it caught on, the people behind it began arranging real-name accusations.

When H Province’s JCY (Procuratorate) saw the report, they were instantly stressed. Someone had come straight to them to report the province’s top official? Everyone knew how powerful this couple was—one ran politics, the other handled the economy. They had always worked hand-in-hand, a true political power couple.

Especially at that level, who hasn’t had their background thoroughly vetted? If there were any scandals or shady dealings, they would’ve surfaced long ago. This couple wasn’t just the top in H Province—they were famous in the entire system for their rapid promotions. Only slightly slower than a certain legendary figure who started out directly as acting governor.

And everyone knew this couple were childhood sweethearts, growing up together. Their bond was famously strong. Unlike most political couples where the wife had to adapt to the husband’s career moves, this pair was the opposite—the husband followed the wife’s transfer path, moving with her.

This individual did indeed have a powerful figure behind her, but not in the way the internet was speculating. Given the legendary status and towering position of that figure, no one in their right mind would ever doubt their integrity.

When the authorities received such a report, they were immediately at a loss, unsure how to handle it—they had no choice but to escalate it all the way up.

The response came back quickly:

The person being reported had a completely clean background—spotless, without a single blemish.

They were even provided with her original financial disclosure from when she first entered the system. And when they saw the asset list she had filed in the early 2000s, they were absolutely stunned.

This official, even at this time, was only in her early forties. Back in the early 2000s, how old could she have been? And yet, looking at that asset list, the first item under “real estate”—was exactly the same property that’s now been spreading all over the internet.

No wonder the higher-ups concluded she was clean—absolutely no blemishes. With her Midas touch, with the fortune she already had before even starting work, why would she ever need to resort to bribery or corruption? With that chip company alone, she could sit still all year and still see her wealth rolling in.

If they had even half her golden touch, they’d be paragons of integrity too!

And as for any so-called “trading favors for power”? Complete nonsense.

Chen Yuchong had been waiting anxiously for the result from the Central Discipline Commission (ZGJ), but just like last time, there was no result at all. Even those real-name reports from people with an agenda didn’t make a ripple—they just vanished into thin air.

Chen Yuchong couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart. Even though he had already scrubbed his tracks clean, he was still invited in for a little “chat” by the relevant authorities.

As the online storm raged on, Cui Yujie saw it all—and trembled with fear.

If someone could track down Chen Yuchong, they could certainly track down Cui Yujie too. It wasn’t hard to uncover the past conflicts between her and Jiang Ning, not to mention how she’d spent her early career chasing attention and traffic with constant mentions of Ning Meng.

Everyone pretty much knew that “Ning Meng” was just Jiang Ning under another name—it was an open secret to most.

Over the years, Cui Yujie had gained quite a bit of popularity by talking about and “revealing” things related to Ning Meng. Many talk shows invited her on, but the real star of the show was never her. Most interviews focused on Ning Meng. After all, Ning Meng was one of the earliest internet idols—any program with her name tagged guaranteed views.

Cui Yujie had been milking the Ning Meng cash cow for years, to the point where she became known as a respected social commentator just for it.

This time, she had originally planned to continue talking about her outstanding classmate—but when she heard from other alumni that Chen Yuchong had been invited for tea, a cold sweat instantly broke out all over her.

As a native of Beijing and a fairly well-known commentator in the city, she naturally had her own sources.

Though she didn’t hear about Chen Yuchong’s situation right away, she was thankful she didn’t hear too late either—and grateful that when someone had come to her probing for information, she had kept her mouth shut.

She racked her brain, thinking about whether she’d ever said anything inappropriate about Ning Meng over the years. After some deep reflection, she thankfully realized that aside from those first two years—when her articles were filled with subtle digs and passive-aggressive praise toward Jiang Ning—things eventually shifted. Over time, her tone had grown sour in a different way, becoming what some might call reverse admiration. And ever since Jiang Ning entered the system and became a reserve Party Secretary, Cui Yujie had gone full-blown fangirl.

Any show she appeared on—if Jiang Ning’s name came up—anyone who didn’t know better would think she and Jiang Ning were sworn sisters. She practically sang Jiang Ning’s praises to the heavens.

She couldn’t help but secretly thank herself. Luckily, somewhere along the line, her negativity had somehow flipped and she’d become, in the eyes of others, a hardcore Ning Meng fan.

Now that this internet storm had kicked off, naturally someone thought of Cui Yujie, the famous commentator-turned-Ning Meng fan. She was invited to appear on a show—and of course, the host smoothly steered the conversation toward Jiang Ning.

Cui Yujie nearly jumped out of her skin.

Trying her best to remain composed, she forced a smile and said, “As for this dear friend of mine, well—I’ve spoken about her many times over the years. What I want to say is: some people, they’re born to show you what real disparity looks like—between people, between lives. Like my dear friend. A schoolmate. A roommate. I’ve mentioned her in many interviews. She’s what I’d call the textbook definition of a high-efficiency, high-capacity elite.”

She picked up her pace and shifted into a humorous tone, completely abandoning her usual cold and proud demeanor.
“While the rest of us were scrambling to land jobs after graduation, my roommate—well, she was not only recommended directly for graduate school, but also passed the National Civil Service Exam. You guys know how hard that exam is in Beijing, right? And that same year just so happened to be the first time our country successfully bid to host the World University Games in Beijing. In the midst of all this chaos, she casually went and participated in the World University Games—and broke the world record in the women’s 110-meter hurdles event! Took home the world title! That record stood for twelve whole years before finally being broken by a “Just tell me—doesn’t that make you mad?”

The host and the viewers in front of their screens burst into laughter at Cui Yujie’s words.

After so many years of riding the wave of Ning Meng’s popularity, Cui Yujie had already made a name for herself. Her interviews always drew a good number of viewers—especially those who were paying attention.

The people orchestrating all of this from behind the scenes were still waiting on the outcome of the real-name reports.

Since they wanted to take down Jiang Ning, naturally, the ones they chose to submit the real-name reports were individuals with personal grudges against her.

Jiang Ning had been in politics for many years and had, unsurprisingly, stepped on quite a few toes. While many admired and loved her, there were just as many who wished they could see her fall.

But after waiting with no movement at all, the people working in the shadows started to get suspicious.