The next day.
A little after six in the morning.
Dong Xuebin got up early and went downstairs into the rising sun.
Down below, Deputy County Chief Ci Boyang and his wife had just come out of the stairwell of another building unit. Each carried a bag and was tossing trash into the sorting bins.
"County Chief Dong?" Ci Boyang spotted him.
Dong Xuebin smiled. "County Chief Ci, up so early?"
Ci Boyang gave a hum. "Going to breakfast with my wife. You're up pretty early too?"
His wife smiled. "Working overtime again today, County Chief Dong? Going out to handle something?"
"No, I've got a few days off. I was thinking of taking a stroll." Dong Xuebin chuckled. "Going out to the suburbs, taking in the beautiful scenery."
Ci Boyang said, "What a refined mood."
"Mostly just to get some exercise. Ha, I'm off." Dong Xuebin got into his car.
His relationship with Ci Boyang had never been particularly good. When they met, they only exchanged a few casual words.
Dong Xuebin drove out of the County Party Committee Compound and first went to Yao Cui's breakfast stall. Cui'er was not there; she seemed to have gone to work overtime at the County Party Committee Compound. Dong Xuebin chatted with Yao's Father and Yao's Mother for a while. After breakfast, he checked the time, figured it was about right, got in his car, and headed straight for the provincial capital. Along the way, Dong Xuebin received several calls from various departments. Some invited him to meals, while others asked him for instructions. He answered briefly and said no more, not even telling anyone where he was. His secrecy was airtight; he had not even told Jiang Fangfang or Yao Cui. After all, nothing had been finalized yet. Today, he