After thinking for a long time, Chen Bin still didn't have the courage to call Zhao Xinmei.
With no other options, he forced himself to suppress the unease in his heart and went to the office building to find Qian Lang.
After all, in a place where he was unfamiliar with everything, having someone to talk to seemed not too bad.
And most importantly, Qian Lang, as a veteran here, surely knew quite a bit of insider information.
The workplace is like a battlefield, and Chen Bin really wanted to learn more about the County Committee and County Government from Qian Lang.
"Brother Qian, once you're done with your shift, let me treat you to dinner tonight."
"Ah, you just arrived today. How could I let you spend money? I'm the one who should treat you instead."
Seeing how generous Qian Lang was, Chen Bin proposed a middle-ground solution.
"How about this—this time, it's on me. The next time we eat out, you treat me instead. How's that sound?"
After thinking for a moment, Qian Lang quickly nodded.
"No problem!"
That evening, the two of them found a random small restaurant nearby.
They ordered a few dishes and some bottles of beer, eating and chatting as they went.
Qian Lang loved drinking but couldn't hold his liquor well.
After a few beers, he started feeling tipsy and talked nonstop.
Among his chatter, he spilled quite a bit of gossip about the County Committee and County Government.
Although Chen Bin couldn't confirm the truth of it all, he silently noted everything down.
Knowing more never hurts, after all.
After another beer, Qian Lang suddenly became cautious and glanced around the room.
Only after ensuring no one else was around did he lean in close to Chen Bin's ear and whisper.
"Buddy, I'm in a good mood today, so let me tell you a huge secret—a secret so big that even within our County Committee and County Government, hardly anyone knows about it."
This immediately piqued Chen Bin's interest, and he eagerly leaned in closer.
"What's the matter? Why so mysterious?"
"It's about County Magistrate Sun!"
The County Magistrate?
Now that's a juicy scoop!
Chen Bin's breath hitched, and he quickly asked, "What's going on with County Magistrate Sun?"
Seeing Chen Bin's curiosity fully aroused, a smug grin spread across Qian Lang's face.
Just as he was about to continue, two people suddenly walked in.
After seeing their faces clearly, cold sweat broke out over Qian Lang instantly.
Noticing Qian Lang's strange reaction, Chen Bin took a good look at the two people as well.
They had ordinary appearances, seemingly nothing special.
Upon entering, they directly sat at a nearby table.
Chen Bin lowered his voice and asked, "Brother Qian, go ahead, keep talking."
Shaking his head slightly, Qian Lang immediately became cautious.
"Those two are both County Magistrate Sun's people. Let's talk about this later when we're back."
Nodding in agreement, Chen Bin accepted that under such circumstances, Qian Lang was wise to hold his tongue.
However, the whole situation left Chen Bin curious. A big-shot like the County Magistrate—what kind of hidden secrets could he possibly have?
After finishing the meal and drinks, Qian Lang was utterly inebriated.
If it weren't for Chen Bin helping him, he probably wouldn't have made it back to the dormitory.
Because of this, Chen Bin ultimately did not get answers about County Magistrate Sun.
Just as he was preparing to wash up, his phone suddenly rang.
Seeing it was Zhao Xinmei calling, Chen Bin went out onto the balcony.
Once he answered, a calm voice came from the other side.
"Xiao Bin, are you done with work?"
For some reason, Chen Bin always felt a calm like this was the prelude to a storm.
Swallowing his unease, he softly replied.
"I... I'm done."
"Then why aren't you coming home for dinner?"
"Mom, someone arranged dormitory housing for me here. I plan to stay here from now on, so I didn't go back."
"Come back. I need to talk to you about something."
Oh no!
Chen Bin was almost certain that whatever he did to Zhao Xinmei's underwear had been discovered.
He cleared his throat and quickly tried to change the subject.
"Uh... I've got work tomorrow. How about we talk over the phone instead…"
Before he could finish, Zhao Xinmei cut him off sharply.
"I want you back here right now, understand? Immediately! Right this instant!!"
As the busy tone sounded from the phone, Chen Bin felt a chill down his spine.
This was the first time he had seen Zhao Xinmei angry.
The sheer air of oppression left him short of breath.
Still, what had happened had to be faced eventually.
If he didn't go deal with it now, the consequences might be even worse.
With this in mind, Chen Bin quickly left the dormitory.
He hailed a cab and headed straight for Zhao Xinmei's house.
Half an hour later, he finally arrived at his destination.
Standing at the door for quite some time, he worked up the courage to ring the doorbell.
Before long, the door swung open.
The first thing he saw was Zhao Xinmei's frost-like expression.
Entering the house, Chen Bin kept his head down, standing at the doorway, not daring to utter a word.
Zhao Xinmei, meanwhile, calmly closed the door and crossed her arms over her chest.
Her mesmerizing phoenix-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, radiating waves of anger.
The sight terrified Chen Bin.
Eventually, he couldn't bear the suffocating pressure any longer.
"Mom, I'm sorry. I know I was wrong."
With a cold snort, Zhao Xinmei's tone was icy.
"Speak up. What exactly did you do wrong?"
"I shouldn't have used your underwear... for that sort of thing."
"What sort of thing? Explain it to me clearly!"
Although Chen Bin had already drunk quite a bit during his meal with Qian Lang, he felt the alcohol evaporate in the face of Zhao Xinmei's wrath.
Beads of cold sweat rolled down his forehead and his mind grew sharp under the tension.
"I… I shouldn't have used your underwear to... to masturbate. Ow, ow, ow..."
Before he could finish, Zhao Xinmei grabbed him by the ear and dragged him straight into the room.
Pointing to a pair of underwear lying on the bed, she shouted furiously.
"I'm your mother! How could you use my... my... for that sort of thing?!"