Sunday.
Five in the morning.
The whole city was still asleep. Even the birds had yet to wake, and the sky was still dark, with only the faintest glimmer of light at the edge of the horizon.
Ring, ring, ring!
Ring, ring, ring!
North room of the Courtyard House.
The urgent ringtone shattered the silence.
Dong Xuebin was sleeping like the dead. He turned over and kept dreaming.
Xie Huilan, beneath the covers beside him, was awakened by the noise. The moment she heard the ringtone, she knew it was Dong Xuebin's phone. Without opening her eyes, she nudged him with her elbow. "Your phone!"
Dong Xuebin grunted twice before finally sitting up groggily and rubbing his forehead. "What time is it? Who the hell is this?" He got out of bed, picked up the phone from the table, and saw it was a call from the county—from Zhang Dongfang. The moment he saw the name, his heart skipped a beat and his head began to ache. Don't tell me something happened in the county again? I haven't even been back for a full day. Don't go causing trouble for me again. Ever since Dong Xuebin had become the Top Leader, any late-night phone call made him nervous.
What did officials fear most?
Trouble.
As soon as Dong Xuebin answered, he asked, "Lao Zhang, did something happen again?"
But the moment Zhang Dongfang spoke, Dong Xuebin felt relieved. "Hehe, something did happen, Xuebin."
Lao Zhang actually sounded excited, and Dong Xuebin's heart finally settled. He let out a breath. "What is it?"
"It's good news." Zhang Dongfang happily reported, "The location of the Main Tomb Chamber has been confirmed."
Dong Xuebin froze. Not wanting to disturb his wife's sleep, he slipped on his slippers, left the room, and walked into