Qi Tongwei at the start: Not relying on Liang Lu, but winning by a single move against Heaven.

The middle-aged man surnamed Bai offered to give Qi Tongwei a ride to his new post, which surprised Qi Tongwei.

Logically speaking, when traveling, one should avoid trusting strangers.

Especially in 1990, the local customs in Bianxi were mixed, and the public security was far less stable than in later years.

But after spending a few days together, Qi Tongwei was quite certain.

These two are definitely people within the system, and their positions are not low.

When Qi Tongwei first arrived in Bianxi, he was unfamiliar with the place and the people. Having more friends meant having more options, especially friends within the system.

With that in mind, Qi Tongwei readily agreed.

"Brother Bai, Brother Wang, then I'll be so bold as to trouble you two to show us the way..."

Qi Tongwei's words were a double entendre, albeit very subtly.

Whether the other person can understand him or not, he has no idea.

In his previous life, Qi Tongwei rose through the ranks from the bottom and was well-versed in human relationships.

After he finished speaking, without waiting for the two to react, he reached out and snatched the luggage from Brother Wang's hand.

After several rounds of polite refusals, Qi Tongwei and the middle-aged man surnamed Bai finally carried the luggage, leaving Brother Wang empty-handed.

As the group walked to the exit, just as Qi Tongwei had expected, someone was there to meet them.

The middle-aged man surnamed Bai glanced around and shouted.

"Xiao Li, over here."

A young man immediately jogged forward, reached out and took the luggage from his hands, his movements practiced and natural.

Another round of polite refusals ensued.

Finally, the luggage ended up in the hands of Qi Tongwei and Xiao Li.

As Qi Tongwei stepped out of the train station, something unexpected finally happened.

It turns out that Xiao Li was the driver, and he was driving a black Santana.

In 1990, Santana was used to pick people up from the station, which is equivalent to driving directly into the airport to pick someone up in later years.

Qi Tongwei immediately concluded that these two individuals were at least at the division-level rank.

He was putting luggage into the trunk while observing the two people's actions.

The middle-aged man surnamed Bai sat in the passenger seat, while Brother Wang sat in the seat behind the driver.

Qi Tongwei was startled.

There's a little trick to it.

The person sitting in the front passenger seat is usually a secretary or office manager.

In the 1990s, taking a secretary on a business trip... what level of authority did that require?

According to current organizational rules, only deputy provincial-level officials are allowed to have a personal secretary.

But Qi Tongwei thought about it again and realized something was wrong.

A deputy director-level official should travel in a soft sleeper berth when on a business trip, but these two were traveling in a hard sleeper berth...

As Qi Tongwei was thinking, the driver, Xiao Li, had already put down his luggage and beckoned him to get in the car.

The car door closed, and Director Bai, in the passenger seat, turned slightly to the side.

"Xiao Qi, where are you reporting for duty?"

"Director Bai, I'm going to report to the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department."

Qi Tongwei changed his address from "Brother Bai" to "Director Bai".

Their official titles are unclear, but they are all referred to as "director"—this is an unwritten rule within the system.

"Xiao Li, take this young man to the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department first."

In the driver's seat, Director Bai waved his hand, and the Santana sped away.

The car was driving smoothly when Brother Wang in the back seat broke the silence first, speaking casually.

"Xiao Qi, how much do you know about Bianxi City?"

Qi Tongwei chuckled inwardly, thinking to himself, "They're testing me."

He was thinking to himself, but his face remained calm.

He glanced at Brother Wang beside him, smiled, and spoke in a calm voice.

"I did do some research, but my understanding isn't very deep..."

After saying that, Qi Tongwei gave a brief explanation of Bianxi City.

He put it very simply, even somewhat vaguely.

Qi Tongwei knew in his heart that this question was just a prelude, and the real focus would come later.

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, Director Bai and Brother Wang chuckled almost simultaneously.

As the laughter subsided, Brother Wang continued to ask questions, his tone becoming more serious.

"Looks like he really did his homework..."

"Then tell me, what is the most important task for Bianxi right now?"

As soon as Brother Wang finished speaking, Qi Tongwei noticed that the driver, Xiao Li, had slowed down.

Qi Tongwei couldn't help but sigh inwardly; indeed, none of the people around the leader were ordinary.

Xiao Li was worried that if he drove too fast, his boss wouldn't be able to finish his speech.

Qi Tongwei pondered for a moment, then slowly uttered two words in a steady voice.

"Maintain stability!"

Two simple words that get straight to the point.

A hint of approval flashed in Brother Wang's eyes, and he nodded slowly.

He raised his hand and gently patted Qi Tongwei's shoulder.

"Good job, young man. The border region needs talent like you..."

The Santana came to a steady stop in front of the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department without a word.

Qi Tongwei got out of the car and waved goodbye to the two men.

The black sedan turned around and quickly drove away from the street, disappearing into the traffic.

Inside the carriage, Brother Wang looked out the window, his tone tinged with amusement.

"Director Bai, this Qi Tongwei is quite interesting."

"After the Organization Department finishes their meeting, pull up the transcript and let me take a look."

Director Bai responded, turned slightly to the side, and asked a question.

"Vice Mayor Wang, is this something you've taken a liking to?"

......

Organization Department of the Bianxi Provincial Committee.

The old office building has only four floors, which is nothing compared to the high-rise buildings in Jingzhou.

Qi Tongwei stood downstairs, deep in thought, his face solemn.

The urban area of ​​Jingzhou is 128 square kilometers, while Bianxi City is 45 square kilometers.

The average annual income per capita in Jingzhou is 2,165 yuan, while in Bianxi City it is 1,076 yuan.

Both are provincial capitals, yet their development indicators differ by a full half – a world of difference.

Compared to Yanshan Town, Bianxi City is much better, and can be said to be far ahead.

Thinking of this, Qi Tongwei took a deep breath, raised his head and walked straight towards the gate of the Organization Department.

As he entered the Organization Department, he offered a cigarette to the gatekeeper and spoke with a smile.

"Sir, I'm here to register for work. May I ask which department you'd like to go to?"

The old man took the cigarette, glanced at Qi Tongwei, looked at the cigarette in his hand, and grinned.

"Oh~ it still has a filter... Report to Cadre Section 1, second floor, first door on the left."

Upon arriving at the cadre section, the office door was open.

There was only one middle-aged cadre inside, sitting and reading a newspaper.

Qi Tongwei knocked gently on the door, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, but rhythmic.

"Hello, Director. I am Qi Tongwei, a student who came to support the border region. I am here to report for duty today."

The middle-aged man quickly stood up, looked Qi Tongwei up and down, and smiled.

"So you're Qi Tongwei! The one who volunteered to write a letter of self-recommendation to work in the border regions?"

"You're quite the figure in the department now; everyone's heard of you. Please have a seat."

The middle-aged man was very hospitable, leading him to sit on the sofa and pouring him a glass of hot water.

After a brief chat, Qi Tongwei learned that the man was Zhao Maoli, the office director.

Zhao Maoli was very talkative, and we chatted for another ten minutes or so, but he didn't mention the work assignment.

Qi Tongwei didn't want to drag this out any longer, so he asked directly.

"Director Zhao, may I ask what the organization's arrangements are for my work?"

Zhao Maoli was taken aback when he heard this, then laughed and patted his forehead.

"Look at me, I was so busy chatting that I forgot about the important matter."

He adjusted his posture slightly, coughed lightly, and his tone became serious.

"Your situation is a bit special. You have a high level of education and you volunteered to work in border areas."

"The specific job details haven't been finalized yet. The department needs to discuss it with you before making any arrangements."

He paused slightly and glanced at the watch on his wrist.

"Okay, leave your registration materials here and come back at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

Qi Tongwei understood immediately; it was exactly the same as Gao Yuliang's previous analysis.

Reporting to the Organization Department is not for a fixed position; it involves an initial interview followed by specific arrangements.

He nodded to show his understanding, and then asked another question.

"Director Zhao, I've just arrived in Bianxi City and am unfamiliar with the area. How do I find accommodation?"

"The organization had already considered this small matter."

Zhao Maoli stood up, took out a stamped approval slip from the drawer, and handed it to Qi Tongwei.

"You'll stay at the guesthouse for the next few days. Once your work assignments are finalized, your workplace will arrange your accommodation."

After leaving the Organization Department, Qi Tongwei went straight to the government guesthouse.

With the approval slip from the Organization Department, the check-in process went very smoothly.

Qi Tongwei threw his luggage into the room and went straight to the front desk to call Zhong Xiaoai.

Qi Tongwei felt embarrassed to say anything more in front of the receptionist.

He briefly let her know he was safe, whispered a few sweet nothings, and then hastily hung up the phone.

But Qi Tongwei didn't know.

Zhong Xiaoai had been waiting in the dormitory manager's office for three whole days to receive this call.