1.3 The nutrient solution scandal is exposed, and the reckoning begins...
Chapter 44
Meng Yingying paused for a moment, then looked up at him while holding a row of white enamel mugs.
The man's white shirt was dazzling in the sunlight, and his shoulders and back were straight.
But the red at the corner of his eye betrayed him; he looked a bit like a wolf king soaked by a heavy rain, his fur plastered to his skin, unable to be fierce, only showing signs of grievance.
Meng Yingying suddenly had a wicked idea. She pulled the enamel mug closer to her chest, put on a stern face, and sighed softly, "Yes, the provincial song and dance troupe is a golden job. Who wouldn't be tempted by it?"
Qi Donghan's Adam's apple bobbed, and the veins on the back of his hand hanging by his side bulged. After a long while, he said something that didn't quite come to mind, "That's—good."
It was said to be quite good, but the voice sounded like it had been crushed by a large rock, rough and painful.
Yet they had to pretend nothing was wrong.
Meng Yingying suppressed a laugh, pulled the enamel mug closer to her chest to make sure it wouldn't fall, then freed one hand to poke his stiff arm with her finger. "Okay? Why does Commander Qi look like he's about to cry?"
"I didn't cry." Qi Donghan turned his face away, his jaw clenched so tightly that only his cheeks could be seen bulging. "The wind was strong and got in my eyes."
The weather at midday in June was sunny and cloudless, so bright that even the leaves of the old locust tree remained perfectly still.
Where did this strong wind come from?
Meng Yingying's heart melted, but she kept her composure and refused to reveal the truth. She lowered her head and pulled out one of the four enamel mugs from her bosom, handing it over.
"Here, this is my reward for winning the championship. I'll give it to you as a souvenir."
"We thanked Commander Qi for his great help this time."
The white enamel mug is printed with the words "Commemorating the Arts and Literature Performance".
Qi Donghan didn't take it. He looked down at the enamel mug she offered. Despite receiving a gift, he showed no joy whatsoever; in fact, his face was frighteningly dark, and his voice was hoarse, "Really leaving?"
"Really—" Meng Yingying drawled, and seeing the man's eyes redden even more, she pursed her lips and chuckled, stuffing the whole row of enamel mugs into his arms. "I was just kidding, you silly boy!"
"I refused the transfer application."
She looked up at him, her dark eyes shining brightly. "The Heilongjiang Provincial Song and Dance Troupe has great benefits. They not only give you a provincial capital residency permit, but also national food coupons. Plus, it's a superior unit."
With each word she spoke, Qi Donghan's expression grew increasingly grim.
His eyes, reddening at the corners, became increasingly misty.
Meng Yingying changed the subject, "But our cultural troupe just won first place, why should I run?"
The tone was soft, with a hint of coaxing.
Qi Donghan's anger, sadness, and disappointment vanished instantly.
The enamel mug tucked into his arms clanged as it was bumped, but he seemed not to hear it.
It took him a while to find his voice, "But you just now—"
"I was just teasing you."
Meng Yingying rarely reached out and poked his stiff arm, her voice softening, "Who made our Commander Qi so stern and wooden all the time? I just wanted to see if the wooden man would feel pain, or if he would get angry or annoyed."
Before he could finish speaking, his wrist was suddenly grabbed.
The man's palms were burning hot, even through his clothes, and his voice was incredibly low and hoarse, sounding like he was angry, yet also like he was suppressing his anger, "Meng Yingying, try teasing me again?"
He lowered his head, his forehead almost touching hers, but stopped when they were about three centimeters apart.
Their breaths mingled, the heat making them shiver, and even their voices trembled.
"I thought, I thought—" He repeated "thought" twice, unable to utter a complete sentence. His tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth, and he changed the words that were about to come out, enunciating each one slowly, "I almost went to the provincial capital to kidnap you!!!"
For Qi Donghan, there is no such thing as compromise or giving up.
All he knew was that he couldn't bear to let her go.
Meng Yingying's heart skipped a beat, and the tips of her ears turned red instantly. As soon as she looked up, she was burned by his scarlet eyes and dared not meet his gaze. She turned her head away and joked in a low voice, "Commander Qi, you are abusing your power."
"Then let's use something else." Qi Donghan's gaze was dark, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice so low that only she could hear it, "How about using me?!"
His body was too close; the crisp scent of mint mixed with the sunlight made her dizzy.
Meng Yingying instinctively stepped back, but her slender back pressed against the corridor wall, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.
She opened her mouth, then called out his full name, "Qi! Dong! Han!"
The man stared at her, holding the enamel mug in his arms very firmly, his other hand supporting her left ear, forming an impenetrable circle.
Seeing that she was angry.
The man lowered his head, his gaze falling on her pink lips, his voice hoarse and incoherent, "Meng Yingying, don't go, and don't scare me anymore."
He couldn't take it.
Heaven knows that he had just returned to his post and changed his clothes when he turned around and heard Commander Fang say that the higher-ups had given him a spot on the selection form for the individual competition champion.
Upon receiving the news, Qi Donghan sped over, covering a journey that usually takes half an hour in just thirteen minutes.
He was afraid that if he arrived too late, Meng Yingying would sign the transfer form and go to the provincial song and dance troupe, a place that would devour people without spitting out their bones.
The man was tall and imposing, completely enveloping Meng Yingying.
Her breathing tightened, and she gripped the hem of his shirt with her fingers, muttering softly, "Who scared you?"
She just wanted to tease him at first.
Before he could finish speaking, the man suddenly leaned down, reducing the three-centimeter distance to one centimeter.
Meng Yingying suddenly stopped, no longer daring to move, and even her breathing became lighter.
Qi Donghan's gaze lingered on her lips with restraint, looking at them again and again before finally looking away.
He reached out and gently tucked the stray hairs that had fallen across her forehead behind her ear.
“Meng Yingying,” he said, his gaze dark and his voice low and steady, “would you stay in the performing arts troupe for me? I can protect you here, and if you ever want to fly away, I’ll fly with you.”
"I'll climb as high as you fly."
"But don't make me think you're leaving again, I... can't take it."
Meng Yingying dared not listen any longer. She raised her hand and pushed him, trying to create some distance. This push...
The enamel mug in the man's arms fell to the ground with a crash, rolled twice, and came to rest at her feet.
The six characters commemorating the arts performance on the white tank shone brightly in the sunlight.
Meng Yingying bent down to pick it up, but the man did it first.
He knelt down on one knee and handed her the enamel mug. The moment he looked up, the moisture in his eyes finally dissipated, leaving only a bright, shining light.
It's a pity that Qi Dong hadn't said his words yet.
Then it was interrupted by a crisp sound.
"Yingying?"
It was Ye Yingtao's voice. Her voice was crisp and clear; she could hear it even before she arrived.
The ambiguous atmosphere in the air dissipated considerably with her arrival.
The next instant, before Meng Yingying could react, Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu rushed over like two gusts of wind.
Ye Yingtao grabbed Meng Yingying and nearly knocked away the enamel mug that Qi Donggang was handing over. "How did your talks with the people from the provincial song and dance troupe go?"
"I heard you rejected them. You're really not leaving? You're really not leaving?!"
Meng Yingying nodded gently.
Lin Qiu ran up behind her, her eyes red like a rabbit's, laughing and crying at the same time, "We heard that you returned the selection form, and we thought they were just making things up—we didn't expect it to be true!"
Meng Yingying was shaken so badly by the two of them that she staggered. She quickly held the enamel mug to the side, afraid of bumping into them. "Slow down, slow down. If the mug breaks, the old regimental commander will make me pay for it!"
"Compensation for nothing!"
Ye Yingtao let go of her and wiped her face hard, but the more she wiped, the more smudged it became. "You scared us to death! I was thinking of packing your luggage later and putting the half bag of peach shortbread that I had saved up to eat into your luggage so you could take it to the provincial song and dance troupe to eat."
Lin Qiu sobbed, "Me too."
"I've already decided to give you everything."
Meng Yingying, "..."
She was both amused and touched, and felt incredibly warm inside. She reached out and pulled them close, flicking each of them on the forehead. "Are you silly? What will you do without me? Who will practice dancing with you? Who will keep an eye on you so you don't slack off? Who will go with you?"
She shouldn't have said anything, because once she did, Ye Yingtao burst into tears and laughter, her eyes as red as a rabbit's. "Meng Yingying! But that's the provincial song and dance troupe! A golden job! If you stay... you'll ruin your future!"
Although she really wanted Meng Yingying to stay, her future prospects were too bright.
If Meng Yingying goes, she'll be an incredibly valuable asset!
"There is more than one path forward."
Meng Yingying wiped her face with her sleeve and said softly, "I'm staying because I can't bear to leave you all and the coach. Also, I want to compete with you on a higher stage."
Ye Yingtao was the kind of person who always weighed gains and losses. She murmured, "But you're really at a disadvantage."
Despite having a better future ahead of him, he stayed in this remote mountain village to be with them.
Meng Yingying shook her head, "Have you heard of the joint performance of the three northeastern provinces? If we can go, we can also perform on the provincial stage, or even on the stage in the capital."
Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu both widened their eyes in surprise. "Really?"
Lin Qiu bluntly stated, "But I dance terribly, I'm practically a burden. Can someone like me really go?"
She has absolutely no confidence in herself.
Actually, the cherry blossom is also like that.
They had been at the bottom of the rankings for far too long while stationed at the Harbin No. 101 Art Troupe. So long that even winning a joint first-place finish in this team competition felt somewhat unreal to them.
Sometimes, I even forget about it.
“Really.” Meng Yingying nodded. “After I declined the selection form for the song and dance troupe, the old director and Director He gave me an invitation to the joint performance of the three northeastern provinces. Our Harbin Art Troupe can represent Heilongjiang Province in the competition.”
She paused for a moment, then began to paint a rosy picture for the two of them: "If we can win an award in the joint performance competition of the three northeastern provinces, we'll have a chance to climb higher."
"At that time, things like being a national second-level dancer, having a provincial capital household registration, national food stamps, and a golden rice bowl will all be within reach."
This is just empty promises before it even begins.
The cherry blossoms in the painting made Lin Qiu drool.
Qi Donghan couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted them. He even suspected that if Meng Yingying kept bluffing, she could make the two of them drool on the spot.
"I've made a reservation at the state-run restaurant; consider it a victory celebration. Do you want to come?"
This is Commander Qi inviting us to dinner.
Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu exchanged a glance, instinctively wanting to refuse.
Qi Donghan said, "Today we not only have spicy rabbit meat, but also pork and cabbage stew with vermicelli."
The state-run restaurant was lucky today; it managed to snag twenty jin (approximately 10 kg) of pork from the meat processing plant. Of course, most people wouldn't know this.
Qi Donghan knew this because his uncle was the head chef at a state-run restaurant, and he could never be kept in the dark about any good stuff at the state-run restaurant.
As soon as Qi Donghan finished speaking, Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu both began to swallow hard. They were different from Meng Yingying.
Meng Yingying often went out to treat herself, while they couldn't bear to part with their food and ate in the cafeteria almost every day.
The taste of the food in the cafeteria is something everyone can see for themselves.
Lin Qiu was tempted and tugged at Ye Yingtao's sleeve, "Yingtao, let's go eat, okay?"
Ye Yingtao was also tempted, so she went to see Meng Yingying.
After what happened before, Meng Yingying didn't really want to be alone with Qi Donghan anymore, so she said, "Let's go together. The spicy rabbit meat and rabbit head at the state-run restaurant are really delicious."
Only after hearing this did Ye Yingtao agree, and she even suggested, "Should we invite Coach Zhao as well?"
With a hint of probing in his tone.
"become."
"I'll go get Coach Zhao."
Ye Yingtao took off running, and returned just as quickly, her face showing a strange expression.
"What's wrong?"
"Coach Zhao is busy, she's arm wrestling with Jia Xiaoli's aunt. She suggested expelling Jia Xiaoli, but Jia Xiaoli's aunt disagreed and went to our Commander Fang, arguing that the framing was not established and wanting Commander Fang to withdraw the punishment against Jia Xiaoli."
"What did Commander Fang say?"
Meng Yingying knew about this beforehand, but she was too busy to care.
Unexpectedly, Coach Zhao had already taken her place at the front.
"Commander Fang also wants to fire them."
"They can't expel him."
It was Qi Donghan who said this.
Everyone immediately looked over.
Qi Donghan, being in a high position, naturally knew things that others didn't: "Jia Xiaoli's aunt is a political officer, responsible for supervising everyone's daily behavior. It's easy to expel Jia Xiaoli, but after Jia Xiaoli is expelled, her aunt will keep a close eye on the art troupe from now on."
"That's when Commander Fang and you guys will have a headache."
Being targeted by a political officer is something that not only the cultural troupe but also the soldiers stationed there would not be happy about.
It's like having a surveillance camera installed on you; you never know when someone will report you.
"So we're just going to let her off so easily?"
Meng Yingying murmured.
It was at this moment that she truly felt the intricate web of relationships within the stationed team.
Qi Donghan thought for a moment, then glanced at Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu.
Meng Yingying instantly understood, "They are not outsiders, and they won't tell anyone."
Qi Donghan then slowly said, "Have someone reveal to the disciplinary squad that Jia Xiaoli drugged her own people during the competition."
Meng Yingying was stunned for a moment, then her eyes immediately lit up, "Using someone's strength against them?"
Qi Donghan was somewhat surprised by Meng Yingying's keen insight. He nodded and said, "If Coach Zhao doesn't have to take action, then Commander Fang doesn't need to either. Someone will naturally take care of her."
They all knew perfectly well who she was.
After hearing this, Lin Qiu glanced at Qi Donghan with some fear and then hid behind Ye Yingtao.
Ye Yingtao was equally impressed. After hearing this, she had only one reaction: those who can climb to high positions and become leaders are rarely easy to deal with.
Qi Donghan's move was so effective that it killed without drawing blood, and also dealt with several people involved.
It could even extricate everyone in the performing arts troupe from the situation, so that they wouldn't suffer any private sparring from Aunt Jia Xiaoli.
Aunt Jia Xiaoli was implicated by the disciplinary squad in this matter. As her opponent, if she doesn't suffer a great loss, the disciplinary squad members will probably be getting paid for nothing.
Seeing that they were afraid of him, Qi Donghan frowned slightly. He looked up at Meng Yingying, who was also thinking about the benefits of this plan.
Her eyes were bright and alert, eager to try. "Qi Donghan, you're really smart."
She slapped her forehead. "Why didn't I think of that?"
If Coach Zhao had thought of that sooner, he wouldn't have had to confront the opponent and suffer a loss in silence.
"I'll go find the coach."
Qi Donghan shook his head, "No need."
"Why?"
"Commander Fang won't give an answer so easily. In that case, let's let things play out for a while. After putting some pressure on Jia Xiaoli and her aunt, the cultural troupe can easily let it go in the end."
"Section Chief Jia would think that the cultural troupe was afraid of her."
The best time to take them down is when they relax their guard. At this time, the military police company is on the front line. As the unit opposite the political department, both sides want to demonstrate their functions.
That depends on who has the better ability.
Of course, Director Jia now had a natural handle to hand over to the disciplinary squad, and they naturally wouldn't let it go easily. In this way, they could perfectly extricate the cultural troupe from the situation.
However, for Qi Donghan, the most important thing is to get Meng Yingying out of trouble; as for Coach Zhao, he's just a side effect.
After hearing all this...
Meng Yingying fell silent instantly.
She discovered that when it came to using her brains and scheming at work, ten of her combined wouldn't be a match for Qi Donghan.
She didn't say anything.
Qi Donghan nervously fidgeted with his fingers. "Are you afraid of me?"
With a hint of probing, he was nowhere to be seen as the strategist and calculating manipulator he once was.
Meng Yingying looked up, her face filled with surprise, "How could this be?"
"I'm just envious. We all have the same brain, so how come yours is so smart?"
Hearing this, Qi Donghan breathed a slight sigh of relief, taking advantage of the time when Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu deliberately went to the front.
He lagged a step behind and said to her in a hoarse voice, "Yingying, don't be afraid of me."
Everyone can be afraid of him.
Meng Yingying is the only exception!
*
The news that Meng Yingying had refused the transfer application spread like wildfire, reaching Qin Mingxiu's ears in less than the time it takes to eat a meal.
"What? Meng Yingying really returned the selection application?"
Qin Mingxiu was holding a teacup when her hand trembled, splashing scalding tea onto the back of her hand. She gasped, but didn't bother wiping it away. She grabbed Shen Qiuyue and rushed out, her voice urgent, "Let's go! Let's find Director He!"
Shen Qiuyue was still confused.
The person had already been dragged out.
She jogged along, passively being pulled forward by her teacher, Qin Mingxiu, to the point that she didn't even feel the wind blowing on her face.
My mind is filled with only one thought.
If Meng Yingying doesn't choose the transfer form first, then wouldn't she be the second?
According to the provincial song and dance troupe's usual practice, since they couldn't find anyone, it's highly likely that the task will be passed on to the next troupe.
Seeing a golden opportunity about to fall into her lap, Shen Qiuyue became incredibly excited.
Her breathing trembled. "Teacher, why would Meng Yingying give up such a good opportunity?"
She didn't understand.
Qin Mingxiu was also racing against time, afraid that if she arrived late, Huang Yamei and the others would get there first.
Hearing the student's question, she sneered, her thin lips carrying a hint of mockery. "She's just like her teacher, so sentimental. She'd even give up her future for a little bit of friendship on Weibo."
"But, Qiuya."
Qin Mingxiu turned around, her words both admonishing and lecturing, "Don't be like Zhao Pingshui, so stubborn. If you have the chance, climb up the ladder by any means necessary."
"You have to know that opportunities are fleeting, and once you miss them, they're gone forever."
"If you want to climb up in life, you only need to seize one or two opportunities."
Shen Qiuyue's eyes lit up as she hummed in agreement.
In her heart, she already regarded Meng Yingying, who gave up the selection form and the opportunity to join the provincial song and dance troupe, as a fool.
Seriously, she's so stupid.
She ran all the way to the old regimental commander's office and heard people talking inside. Qin Mingxiu waited outside for a while.
After guessing from the voices that it was only the old commander and Director He, she breathed a sigh of relief, stood at the door, straightened her clothes, calmed her breathing, and then knocked on the door.
Knock knock knock.
Three sounds rang out in a row, which made the old regimental commander and Director He look over. Director He picked up the sunglasses on the table, put them on her nose, and then jokingly said, "See, I told you flies would come looking for you, didn't I?"
The sound was quite loud, so it was difficult for Qin Mingxiu and Shen Qiuyue, who were waiting at the door, not to hear it.
It happened in almost an instant.
Shen Qiuyue was about to leave when Qin Mingxiu grabbed her tightly. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and pulled Shen Qiuyue across the threshold of the office.
She put on a warm and gentle smile.
"Director He, what wind blew you here?"
"You didn't even tell us, so Lao Zhang and I could have picked you up ahead of time."
The "Old Zhang" she mentioned was her husband, Zhang Xiangnan.
He took off a third of his sunglasses, which hung on his nose and exposed his eyes, a very impolite way of looking at people.
However, Qin Mingxiu endured it.
Looking for me?
The voice was slow and leisurely, very languid.
This is the advantage of working for a higher-level unit. If she were in a performing arts troupe, Coach Qin would definitely file a complaint against her and correct her misconduct.
But when it came to her superiors, she could only manage a cautious smile that she hadn't used in over a decade. "Yes, that's right, Director He."
She pulled Shen Qiuyue from behind her to the front, and said in a humble voice, "I heard that Meng Yingying is young and doesn't understand things, so she rejected the selection application? Look, our Qiuyue is the runner-up, the rankings are next to each other, so shouldn't we be able to get in smoothly—"
It will continue in that direction.
Before those words were even finished, he decisively refused.
"No." Director He didn't even look up. He was playing with the sunglasses hanging on his nose. When he got annoyed, he took the sunglasses off, revealing a face that was over forty years old but excessively striking.
This is true superiority.
Unlike Qin Mingxiu's pretense, He Chang's demeanor was cultivated through a long period of high position and a life of luxury.
Qin Mingxiu couldn't learn it even if she wanted to.
Upon hearing Director He's refusal, Qin Mingxiu's smile froze on her face. "But—but the rule has always been to postpone it."
"rule?"
He sneered, threw his sunglasses, worth half a month's salary, onto the table with a bang, and said, "Coach Qin, more than ten years ago, you also told me the rules like this. Do you remember?"
With just one sentence, Qin Mingxiu's Achilles' heel was struck, and her face turned deathly pale instantly.
He Chu stood up, his hands on the table, scrutinizing her. "Back then, you deliberately injured Zhao Pingshui's ligaments before the finals in order to get the selection form. Did you think no one knew? I eliminated you on the spot to tell you—the Provincial Song and Dance Troupe doesn't want people with ulterior motives."
The provincial song and dance troupe is already in enough chaos; if another person with malicious intentions joins, it will probably throw the whole place into complete turmoil.
"Now, your students are using this trick again?"
She glanced at Shen Qiuyue, her gaze sharp as a knife. "Before the competition, I heard you were spreading rumors that Meng Yingying was a country girl with shallow roots, short training time, and a self-taught amateur, unworthy of participating and unworthy of being Shen Qiuyue's opponent. What, you think the Federation of Literary and Art Circles is your backyard, but are you really planning to treat the Provincial Song and Dance Troupe as your backyard too?"
Qin Mingxiu never expected that their secretive activities would be known to an outsider like Director He.
She immediately denied it, saying, "Director He, you must have misheard me."
"We compete fairly and squarely, and we never resort to such underhanded tactics."
He Chu Chang gave a forced, smirking laugh, ignoring Qin Mingxiu and staring at Shen Qiuyue instead. "Is it true or not? Why don't you just ask your student?"
Compared to the experienced and mentally strong Qin Mingxiu, Shen Qiuyue was obviously younger and more naive.
He was being stared at by Director He.
Shen Qiuyue subconsciously took a step back, her eyes reddening as well.
Qin Mingxiu stood in front of Shen Qiuyue, shielding her from most of the pressure. She gritted her teeth and said, each word distinct, "That's all in the past. Director He, you can't keep bringing up old grievances—"
"Old grievances?"
He Chu sneered and, showing no mercy, began to expose all the things Qin Mingxiu had done back then.
"I'm just reminding you, don't be a leopard that can't change its spots. Why did Meng Yingying refuse? She said she wanted to fly with her teammates, she didn't want to abandon her coach and her sisters. What about you back then? You climbed up by stepping on your teammates, no matter how high you climb, you're still dirty!"
Each sentence was harsher than the last, like slapping Qin Mingxiu across the face, making her eardrums ring.
The old regimental commander standing to the side was shocked. He never expected that he would get involved in such an old story, which he had only happened to happen by chance.
No, this is an absolutely shocking revelation.
He looked up at Qin Mingxiu and could hardly believe that Qin Mingxiu, who seemed to have a good reputation and cared for her fellow students and colleagues, would do such a thing back then.
Qin Mingxiu's chest heaved violently, but with outsiders present, she could only take a deep breath and explain to the old commander, "Commander He, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."
Unfortunately, Director He didn't give her a chance, pointing directly outside, "The door is over there, so take your time. The doors of the Provincial Song and Dance Troupe will never open for you, Qin Mingxiu, a second time in your life, and as for your students, forget about it."
Then, she changed the subject, "Of course, if it's Zhao Pingshui's student, I would consider it."
That last sentence was absolutely ruthless!
Qin Mingxiu was trembling with anger. She grabbed Shen Qiuyue and turned to leave, but her steps were unsteady. She twisted her ankle and almost broke it.
After they left.
The old regimental commander was somewhat puzzled. He looked at Director He and asked, "Since you knew back then that Zhao Pingshui was framed, why didn't you—"
Before he could finish his question, Director He interrupted him.
"I know what you're going to ask: value." She spoke coldly and realistically. "With her ligaments torn, Zhao Pingshui can forget about having much value in her career. So why should the provincial song and dance troupe stand up for her?"
People who have no value are not worth their time.
"Kicking Qin Mingxiu out of the provincial song and dance troupe is already more than enough."
The old troupe leader opened his mouth, experiencing for the first time the reality brought by the provincial song and dance troupe, to the point that it chilled him to the bone.
Qin Mingxiu and the others left the Federation of Literary and Art Circles office.
The sun was blazing down on them at the end of June, but they felt a chill all over their bodies.
Shen Qiuyue's eyes welled up with tears of grievance, and her voice was so low it was almost inaudible, "Teacher... what do we do now?"
what to do?
Qin Mingxiu didn't know either. She pinched her aching brow and felt all the blood rushing to her head.
She was furious.
"go back!"
She glanced back at the office upstairs, then kicked the wall weakly. The excruciating pain brought her back to her senses.
His expression turned unusually sinister. "Go and find Li Qingqing for me. I need to ask her some questions."
As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Mingxiu glanced around and realized that with people coming and going, this was not a good time to talk.
He then rejected it himself.
"Never mind, I'll go myself."
At this point, she glanced at Shen Qiuyue and said, "You stay here and keep watch, don't come over."
It's clear that Qin Mingxiu is still protecting her student Shen Qiuyue; she doesn't intend for Shen Qiuyue to be involved in those dirty dealings.
Shen Qiuyue knew perfectly well what was going on. She bit her lip and pleaded for Li Qingqing, "Teacher, perhaps something went wrong here. Qingqing is very protective of me."
It's a good dog too.
"You're just too kind-hearted."
Qin Mingxiu sneered, "Remember, kind-hearted people in the cultural troupe never get ahead."
If she were as indecisive and kind-hearted as Shen Qiuya, she would be the one kicked out of the Jishi Cultural Troupe now.
Instead of Zhao Pingshui.
After saying this, Qin Mingxiu didn't even look at Shen Qiuyue's expression and went straight to the backstage storage room.
Because she knew that after each performance, someone from their team would be in the small warehouse packing up the props.
Qin Mingxiu no longer needed to pretend in front of her own people.
Of course, she came with anger. She had been wronged and insulted by Director He, and she dared not vent her anger there, so she could only vent it on people of lower status than herself.
Qin Mingxiu kicked the door open with a "bang," the wooden door bounced against the wall, and dust fell down in a flurry.
Li Qingqing was squatting on the ground tidying up the props when she was startled and the ribbons fell to the ground with a clatter.
The others were similar.
With just a glance from Qin Mingxiu, everyone else scattered in a panic.
Just as Li Qingqing was about to leave, she suddenly shouted at her, "Stop!"
Just as she feared, Li Qingqing stood behind the door, her arms and legs almost touching.
She swallowed hard and called out cautiously, "Coach."
Seeing that everyone outside had left, Qin Mingxiu cut to the chase and asked directly, "Was the needle placed or not?"
Li Qingqing's face turned pale instantly, and her tongue stammered, "Let...let go—"
"Release her? Then how come Meng Yingying can still jump so high on the stage? And jump so smoothly?"
"Don't hide it from me, if you're really injured, you won't be able to do anything, whether it's kicking the Purple Gold Crown backwards or leaping into the air."
Qin Mingxiu took a step closer, her three-centimeter high heels clicking twice on the floor tiles, sounding like a death knell. "Tell the truth!"
Li Qingqing shrank back, her back slamming into the prop box. Until she had nowhere left to retreat, tears welled up in her eyes, and she stammered, "Coach, I...I...I didn't..."
"What?! It wasn't released?!"
Qin Mingxiu's face suddenly turned cold, her anger rising. She almost abruptly raised her hand and slapped Li Qingqing across the face with a crisp "smack!" "Useless! Because of you, we've become a laughingstock! The runner-up banner has become evidence of our shame!"
Li Qingqing staggered from the slap, a five-finger mark instantly appearing on half of her face. She covered her face, sobbing uncontrollably, "Coach, when Jia Xiaoli was arrested, I was scared, so I didn't dare to hit Meng Yingying..."
Upon hearing this, Qin Mingxiu was so angry that her fingers trembled, and she raised her hand to slap him again. "So, you're afraid and that's why you won't let go? You're the one who ruined our whole plan!"
"No wonder!"
"No wonder Meng Yingying was able to finish the dance smoothly, no wonder she won the championship, no wonder she got the selection form from the provincial song and dance troupe."
"No wonder I was insulted by Director He!"
Qin Mingxiu stared intently at her, enunciating each word clearly, "Li Qingqing, I really, really wish I could kill you!"
If Li Qingqing's part of the plan hadn't failed, they wouldn't be in this predicament today.
Li Qingqing was so frightened by her glare that she sat down on the ground with a thud, "Coach!"
Outside.
Huang Yamei came to the small warehouse to retrieve her handkerchief and enamel mug. She never expected that she would overhear such a conversation.
Huang Yamei's heart was pounding, her feet felt rooted to the spot, and she couldn't move at all.
She covered her mouth tightly, afraid of making a sound.
Inside the room, there was a rapid breathing sound, which resumed after a moment.
Where's the needle?
"What?"
Li Qingqing seemed terrified, her mind reeling. She sat on the ground, trembling, and asked.
"I'm asking you, where's the needle I gave you? Since you didn't put it on Meng Yingying, where did you put it?"
Since the matter had failed, she certainly couldn't let the evidence leak out again.
Otherwise, that would be a complete waste of all previous efforts!
“I…I buried the needle under the big tree outside the Writers' Association gate—I really didn’t dare put it in Meng Yingying’s shoe…” Li Qingqing sobbed uncontrollably, her voice broken and intermittent.
"At that time, Jia Xiaoli was being held by Comrade Gao. I was so scared, Coach, I was really so scared."
"I was wrong, Coach, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong."
So frightened that he became incoherent.
Upon hearing this, Qin Mingxiu's face flushed red with anger. Gritting her teeth, she cursed, "Useless!"
Huang Yamei, standing outside the door, was shocked to hear such earth-shattering news. Her hand trembled, and her fingers slammed hard against the door, making a loud thud.
The two people inside the warehouse turned around at the same time. Huang Yamei used the shadows to cover herself and scrambled out.
He hid himself away in no time.
Qin Mingxiu heard the sound and went out to look for the person, only to see a stray cat passing by. She thought it was the cat making the sound.
She cursed, "You damn cat, you scared me to death."
She went back into the small warehouse, but this time she didn't dare to be as arrogant as before.
Qin Mingxiu bent down, grabbed Li Qingqing by the neck, and gave a strict order: "From now on, find an opportunity to dig out the needle under the tree as quickly as possible, and don't leave any evidence behind."
"Do you know?" She raised her hand and slapped Li Qingqing's face, again and again.
Li Qingqing was humiliated, her face turned deathly pale, yet she was powerless to resist, a fear she felt deep in her bones towards Qin Mingxiu.
She nodded repeatedly, stammering as she assured him, "Coach, I know."
Qin Mingxiu was very satisfied with her reaction. At this moment, she even imagined He Chang trembling in her hands.
She felt extremely happy. When she opened her eyes, He Chang's face had transformed into Li Qingqing's face.
Qin Mingxiu was somewhat disgusted. She let go of his hand, wiped her hands with a handkerchief, and said, "From now on, forget about this!"
"Oh, right."
"If you can't get the needle back, you might as well not live either!"
On the other side.
Huang Yamei ran out of the small warehouse as if her life depended on it. Once outside, seeing that no one was around, she realized with a start that her legs were so weak she could barely stand.
She held her knees for a while to steady herself before stumbling and running towards her coach's room.
"Coach! Something terrible has happened!"
As soon as Huang Yamei entered, she slammed the door shut behind her, leaning against the door panel with a look of terror on her face. Her voice was extremely low as she said, "I went to the small storeroom to get an enamel mug, but I overheard Coach Qin and Li Qingqing talking. They originally planned to put a needle in Meng Yingying's dance shoes before the competition!"
"What?"
Coach Li was polishing her dance shoes when she heard this. She stopped, her brows furrowing so deeply they could trap a mosquito. She turned around abruptly, walked to Huang Yamei's side, and pulled her into the room. "Really? You heard it with your own ears?"
"Yes." Huang Yamei's voice was still trembling. "I didn't see the needle, but I heard Li Qingqing say with my own ears that it was buried under the big tree in front of the Writers' Association. When she said that, Coach Qin slapped her twice, and her face was swollen!"
She recalled carefully, "Coach Qin was very angry at the time and even called Li Qingqing a piece of trash, so he probably wasn't lying."
At this point, she felt somewhat fortunate, as they used to admire Coach Qin's gentleness and kindness towards his students.
Who would have thought that Coach Qin was such a capricious, wicked, and despicable person in private?
Coach Li saw that the student was terrified, so she handed him a water bottle and said, "Take a sip first and calm down."
Huang Yamei was panting heavily, her chest heaving. She took the water bottle and took a big gulp before forcing herself to calm down. "Coach Qin blamed her for not hitting her hard enough, which made them lose face, and he beat her to a pulp."
"They also asked Li Qingqing to find a way to secretly remove the needles under the big tree so as to destroy the evidence."
At this point, Huang Yamei suddenly looked up, her eyes shining brighter than stars, "So, Coach, this must be true."
Coach Li stood there for a long time, then paced back and forth.
I don't know how much time has passed.
It went on for so long that Huang Yamei thought Coach Li was going to give up.
Coach Li spoke up, her hand clenched into a fist, and said in a low voice, "Ya Mei, this is a huge matter. We can't handle it on our own. We need to bring in more people."
After thinking it over, she said, "Come on, I'll take you to find the old commander."
Huang Yamei was taken aback. "Do I have to go too?"
Coach Li hesitated for a moment, then quickly made a decision: "You have to go, Yamei. Your going is the best proof."
Huang Yamei gritted her teeth and said, "Then I'll go!"
When they arrived at the old regimental commander's office.
The old regimental commander was about to leave work when Coach Li stopped him. She walked up to him and said, "Old regimental commander, I have something to ask you."
The old commander noticed the seriousness on her face and said, "Let's talk over here."
With no outsiders around, Coach Li briefly recounted the entire incident.
After hearing that, the old commander's pupils contracted slightly. "Are you telling the truth?"
"yes."
Coach Li pulled Huang Yamei aside, saying, "This child heard it with her own ears."
The old commander was usually the type to smooth things over, but this time, he was somewhat angry. "Where is it?"
"What?"
Where is the needle?
"Under the big tree in front of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles."
The old commander closed his eyes briefly, but made a decision in a moment. He called to the men who came over and said to the newly arrived Officer Liu, "Go, two things. The first is to find someone to keep an eye on the big tree at the entrance of the Writers' Association. Don't give Qin Mingxiu and Li Qingqing any chance to touch that tree. Make sure to keep a close watch on the entrance and don't let them get close."
"The second thing is to call Coach Zhao and Meng Yingying over."
Officer Liu hesitated for a moment, "Old Commander, sending people over to watch the trees isn't difficult, the difficulty lies in the fact that Coach Zhao and Comrade Meng have both left the Federation of Literary and Art Circles."
This leaves him wondering where to find people, and even the sentries outside the Federation of Literary and Art Circles have been reassigned to their respective posts.
The arts and culture performance competition has ended, which means everyone is now free to go their separate ways.
The old troupe leader glanced at him and said, "I don't care what method you use, get Meng Yingying and Coach Zhao to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles within half an hour."
Officer Liu nodded and saluted before leaving.
After he left, the old regimental commander stood there pacing for a moment, then said, "I'm going to contact Regimental Commander Fang and Regimental Commander Cao."
Director Fang is the director of the Harbin Municipal Cultural Troupe.
Commander Cao is the head of the Jilin City Cultural Troupe.
Clearly, the old commander is serious this time, and he wants to gather all these high-ranking leaders to handle this matter.
This made Coach Li and Huang Yamei exchange a glance.
They knew it.
Qin Mingxiu and Li Qingqing are doomed!
Another time.
After much effort, Officer Liu finally found Meng Yingying and her companions eating at the state-run restaurant.
However, Coach Zhao was not among them, which gave Officer Liu a terrible headache. He had no choice but to go up and greet him, "Comrade Meng."
At this shout, Meng Yingying and the others, who were enjoying their meal, all looked over.
"Who are you?"
Officer Liu smelled the pork stew with vermicelli on the table. He sniffed and forced back his saliva before getting down to business. "I work under the old regimental commander. He asked me to call you back to the Writers' Association."
Meng Yingying put down her chopsticks and subconsciously exchanged a glance with Qi Donghan.
"Why did the old regimental commander want to call me back at this hour?"
Officer Liu was unsure, so he shook his head. "All I know is that the old regimental commander is quite anxious and has called you and Coach Zhao to go back."
Looking at the food on the table that was almost finished eating, Meng Yingying immediately made a decision, "I'll be right there."
She stood up, and Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu immediately stopped eating.
"I'll go, you guys continue eating, so that this food won't go to waste."
Lin Qiu shook her head, "No, we'll go together."
Qi Donghan said, "I'll go with her. You guys can eat here."
The decision was final, leaving Lin Qiu and the others no room to refuse.
Lin Qiu watched as Qi Donghan took Meng Yingying away, prompting him to stomp his foot and mutter, "Fascist!"
"With his autocratic style, I wonder who could stand it?"
Ye Yingtao hadn't gotten up yet; she was eating spicy rabbit meat. It smelled so good! The rabbit meat was chewy and spicy, and the combination was so delicious that it felt like the top of my head was about to be lifted off my chest.
She couldn't help but smile. "As long as Yingying can handle it."
"Didn't you see that Yingying didn't object?"
"And Lin Qiu." It was rare for Ye Yingtao to suck her finger and say casually, "Was the meal that Commander Qi treated you to delicious? Since we're already eating, even food can't shut you up."
Lin Qiu then fell silent.
"Alright, with Commander Qi here, don't worry. With his influence, it will be much more effective than the two of us going there together."
"What we need to do now is finish eating as soon as possible, so as not to waste the food, and go to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles to see what's going on."
Lin Qiu hummed in agreement, and looking at the untouched food, suggested, "Leave some more for Yingying. I'll go find a lunchbox to put it in, so she won't go hungry when she gets home tonight."
This is a true friend.
On the other side.
Meng Yingying went to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles with Qi Donghan. On the way, she was still a little puzzled. "The arts and literature performance competition is over, and I even took the prize. Why is the old troupe leader looking for me now?"
She really didn't understand.
I've thought about it a lot, but I still can't figure it out.
Qi Donghan remained calm; he was the type of person who excelled at responding to any situation with a unchanged attitude. "You'll find out when you get there," he said.
He glanced at Officer Liu, who hesitated for a moment, but out of consideration for Qi Donghan, he said, "When I arrived, Coach Li and third-place winner Huang Yamei were both inside. I don't know exactly what happened."
Meng Yingying and Qi Donghan exchanged a glance. "Could it be that there was a problem with the champion, runner-up, and third-place winners during the selection process?"
Of course, this is just speculation.
"It shouldn't be."
When Meng Yingying and the others arrived, the old regimental commander and the others were already there, as were Coach Li and Huang Yamei.
Meng Yingying stepped forward to greet them, "Old Commander, Coach Li, Comrade Huang."
The old regimental commander first nodded to Meng Yingying, but when he saw Qi Donghan accompanying her, he paused and thought to himself that with Regimental Commander Qi present today, this matter was unlikely to end well.
Of course, the old commander called everyone over because he knew things couldn't just end like this.
"I'll finish explaining everything once everyone is here."
Meng Yingying hummed in agreement. She looked at Huang Yamei, who gently shook her head at her.
Meng Yingying had a guess in her mind.
All that's missing are Qin Mingxiu and Shen Qiuyue.
Forty minutes later, Commander Fang and Coach Zhao rushed over. "Commander, is what you said on the phone true?"
The old commander nodded. "It's not just this matter."
He paused for a moment, then added, "And there's the matter of Coach Zhao's competition fifteen years ago."
Now everyone looked over. Coach Zhao was also taken aback, then, as if struck by a thought, she asked, "You mean?"
"It's exactly what you think."
"I heard something unexpected today."
Meng Yingying and Coach Zhao quickly exchanged a glance; they had both thought of the same place.
Meng Yingying was quick-witted and immediately asked tentatively, "So, are not all the people here yet?"
This person refers to Qin Mingxiu.
The old commander nodded. "I've already sent people to arrest her."
The word "grab" here is quite subtle.
Meng Yingying immediately tensed up. She knew that either this matter or her coach's previous affairs were about to be revealed.
Now all that's missing is the right person!
On the other side, Li Qingqing kept looking for an opportunity to go to the old locust tree at the gate and retrieve the needle.
However, after staring at the tree for over an hour, she found that there were people on the chairs near the big locust tree, making it impossible for her to make a move.
Li Qingqing had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to Qin Mingxiu again. "Coach, there are always people under the old locust tree by the gate. I can't find an opportunity."
Qin Mingxiu's right eyelid kept twitching. Upon hearing this, she became angry and slapped him, saying, "Useless."
Li Qingqing instinctively tried to dodge, but she couldn't. The gust of Qin Mingxiu's slap still struck her face.
She cried from the pain.
"There are always people here, Coach, I can't get it back."
She explained, sobbing uncontrollably, and kept promising, "I'll definitely get the needle back tonight."
Qin Mingxiu remained silent, pinching her brow as she felt a sharp pain inside.
"Tonight, tonight I'm afraid both you and I will be finished."
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Startled, she asked, "Who is it?"
"It's me."
It was her lover Zhang Xiangnan's voice. Hearing his words, Qin Mingxiu breathed a sigh of relief and immediately went to open the door. "What's wrong?"
Something has happened.
As the vice chairman of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Zhang Xiangnan naturally has a certain understanding of the situation within the Federation.
"The old regimental commander summoned a lot of people to his office."
"Including Commander Fang, Zhao Pingshui, and Meng Yingying."
Upon hearing this, Qin Mingxiu's pupils constricted sharply. She turned around and glared at Li Qingqing, her voice low as she roared, "Look what you've done!"
Seeing his partner like this, Zhang Xiangnan frowned. "Now is not the time to lose your temper."
"You should leave as soon as possible, take Li Qingqing with you, go back to your cultural troupe, or go out and lay low for a while."
Qin Mingxiu hummed in agreement, turned around to pack her things, and prepared to leave immediately.
Just as she was about to leave, carrying her luggage, she bumped into Comrade Gao, who had been temporarily summoned.
When Qin Mingxiu saw Comrade Gao, her blood ran cold. "Little Gao, what brings you here?!"
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Author's Note: Xiao Gao: I'm coming to get you!
This is a four-in-one update, including an extra chapter with 13,000 units of nutrient solution. Please give me nutrient solution, leave comments, and add this to your favorites! Love you all~
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