Nominal: Starting with an entrance exam for a PhD in Economics at Peking University

Chapter 142 Report

Wang Dalu was driving his own car.

He drove alone into the parking lot of Jingzhou Airport without a driver or secretary, parked in a corner, checked his flight information on his phone to confirm he had landed, and then headed towards the terminal.

He was dressed casually today, in a dark gray jacket and casual pants, and he wasn't wearing a watch.

He is usually not flamboyant, and he is especially low-key now.

This was done intentionally.

Ouyang Jing has been in jail for several days now, and the inspection team is still in Handong. At times like these, it's best to avoid drawing attention to yourself. He's aware of this.

But he still came.

He couldn't refuse what Li Dakang asked.

Upon arriving at the exit of the lobby, Wang Dalu found a seat, put his phone in his pocket, and looked in the direction of the exit.

The waiting area was bustling with people: some holding signs to welcome passengers, others pulling suitcases, and still others peering through the glass. The announcements of flight arrivals played on a loop, noisy and tedious.

He remembered what Li Jiajia looked like when she was little. She had a round face, two little braids, and followed Li Dakang around calling him Uncle Wang. She was very clingy.

That happened so many years ago.

When we met last year, I already felt like a stranger.

The glass doors opened, and passengers poured out one after another.

Wang Dalu waited a while before seeing Li Jiajia emerge from the crowd. She was taller than he remembered, with tanned skin, a bag slung over her shoulder, and walked quickly with her head slightly tilted back, exuding the unintentional arrogance of someone who had spent a long time abroad.

Wang Dalu went up to her: "Jiajia."

Li Jiajia stopped, smiled broadly with her mouth wide open, but her eyes were squinted, and called out affectionately:

"Uncle Wang!"

“My dad didn’t come,” she said, not as a question.

“He had something to do today and couldn’t get away, so he asked me to pick you up.” Wang Dalu took her suitcase, his tone apologetic. “He asked me to tell you that he will definitely come back tonight and wants to spend some quality time with you.”

"Ah."

The two walked towards the exit.

Wang Dalu pushed his suitcase, turned his head, and tried to find something to say: "How long have you been flying?"

Fourteen hours.

"You must be tired. Get some rest tonight. Dakang said he's tidied up your room at home—"

"Ah."

Wang Dalu tried asking, "You know about your mother's situation, right?"

Li Jiajia paused for a moment, then continued walking: "I know."

"This matter..." Wang Dalu hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice, "Dakang is also in a difficult position. He's caught in the middle, and it's hard for him to explain to either side. Don't blame him."

“I don’t blame him,” Li Jiajia said calmly. “Everyone has to be responsible for their own choices.”

Wang Dalu didn't know how to respond for a moment.

“It doesn’t matter which path he chooses,” he said. “What matters is that he’s still here, still in charge, still…”

“Uncle Wang,” Li Jiajia suddenly spoke, her tone not harsh but very direct, “you don’t need to persuade me.”

Wang Dalu was stunned for a moment.

“I came back not because I forgave him.” Li Jiajia looked ahead, her walking pace not slowing down. “I know he used my mother’s situation to force me to come back. I just wanted to see my mother and, incidentally, help him resolve the issue of officials with family members residing abroad. That’s all.”

Wang Dalu followed behind her, pulling his suitcase, without saying a word.

Some things are better left unsaid.

Before they even left the terminal, four or five uniformed airport police officers strode quickly from the side corridor, their steps hurried and their target clear.

The one at the front stopped about ten meters away from Wang Dalu, showed an ID, and said in a low but clear voice: "Mr. Wang Dalu, you are restricted from leaving the country."

Wang Dalu was stunned: "I wasn't planning to leave the country, I'm here to pick someone up."

As soon as Ouyang Jing gave the instructions, the inspection team went to Wang Dalu's company immediately. The secretary said that President Wang had gone to the airport alone. The inspection team's first reaction was that Wang Dalu was preparing to flee, so they quickly contacted the airport.

The airport staff received a call and were waiting in the departure hall, so they didn't see Wang Dalu immediately.

When they saw the person in the arrival hall, they realized that Wang Dalu had come to pick someone up, but the person had already been stopped. They could only call the inspection team for instructions while taking the person to the police station.

Wang Dalu realized what had happened. He didn't say much, but simply asked, "Can I make a phone call?"

After asking for instructions, the other party shook their head.

Li Jiajia followed instinctively, but then immediately realized what was happening.

These aren't American police officers, why should I be so obedient?

But since we had already walked quite a distance, we had no choice but to follow them to the police station and see what would happen next.

In less than 20 minutes, Zhong Xiaoai arrived with 5 or 6 people.

After speaking with the airport staff, Zhong Xiaoai said to Wang Dalu, "Mr. Wang, could you please come with us? There are some things we need to ask you about."

After so much time had passed, Wang Dalu had thought things through several times and knew that this trip was unavoidable. So he got up and prepared to leave with them.

At this moment, Li Jiajia spoke up, "Who are you people, and what do you want?"

Zhong Xiaoai looked at the woman who looked like a returned overseas elite and had a premonition: "Who are you?"

Li Jiajia raised her head slightly: "I am Li Jiajia. Where are you taking my Uncle Wang? If you have the guts, grab me too."

Zhong Xiaoai smiled: "It's a deal."

"Ms. Li Jiajia, would you please come with us? There are some things we need to know from you."

Li Jiajia stared at the other person, her face showing no panic, but rather the indifference of someone who has been unjustly disturbed: "I am an American citizen. Do you have the right to do this? Aren't you afraid of causing a diplomatic incident?"

Zhong Xiaoai laughed: "You don't have that kind of status. And you need to understand that you are standing on Chinese soil now."

Li Jiajia: "Do you know who my dad is?"

Having worked for many years, Zhong Xiaoai has heard this phrase countless times when second-generation rich kids are arrested: "I know, that's why we're asking you to cooperate with our investigation."

Li Jiajia's momentum immediately weakened: "Who exactly are you?"

Zhong Xiaoai produced her work certificate: "We are from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's Handong Inspection Team. Please come with us."

Li Jiajia found it hard to believe. Although she had been in the United States for many years, as a second-generation rich kid, she still knew this basic common sense. She turned to Wang Dalu and asked, "Uncle Wang, wasn't the Provincial Procuratorate's Anti-Corruption Bureau investigating before?"

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's intervention is no joke; Ouyang Jing's rank is not qualified.

Wang Dalu shook his head: "The situation is complicated and cannot be explained in a short time."

Zhong Xiaoai did not give them a chance to communicate. The two were separated and put into two different cars, which took them back to the inspection team's residence.

The demolition site of Dafeng Factory.

A folding table was set up next to the last factory building, with several demolition agreements on it. Standing next to it were municipal government staff, representatives of Shanshui Group, Chen Yanshi, and several worker representatives who held shares.

Zheng Xipo sat on the makeshift chair, pen in hand, head down, looking at the agreement. He had been looking at it for almost ten minutes, but hadn't written anything down.

The people around him watched with him, no one urged him on, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive, like the suffocating feeling of pressure on the ground before a storm.

Li Dakang stood by the table, holding a disposable paper cup filled with tea that had gone cold sometime earlier. He didn't drink it, just held it, his gaze fixed on Zheng Xipo's bowed head, his expression calm and unchanging, like a flawless stone.

Secretary Xiao Jin walked around the crowd to his side, approached him, and whispered, "Secretary, Wang Dalu and Miss Li were taken away by the inspection team at the airport."

Li Dakang's hand holding the cup remained still.

His gaze remained fixed on Zheng Xipo. After a moment, he said softly, "I understand."

Just those three words.

Xiao Jin waited a moment, and seeing that he had no other instructions, quietly took half a step back.

Zheng Xipo finally raised his head and looked at Li Dakang, his tone carrying the awkwardness that a scholar would habitually show to an official: "Secretary Li, to be honest, 800 million is really too little. We old workers have worked in the factory for decades, and this is all we get..."

“Master Zheng,” Li Dakang placed the paper cup on the corner of the table, took two steps closer, and spoke in a calm but steady tone, “Last time, Mr. Chen and I explained this to everyone here. This money was specially allocated from the land transfer fees of Shanshui Group. The government’s position was also made clear at the previous Standing Committee meeting. This is the amount I can give you; there is no way to give you more.”

Zheng Xipo lowered his head and glanced at the agreement again.

“Besides,” Li Dakang’s tone softened a bit, “the land of Dafeng Factory is the supporting project for Guangming Peak. When this area is built, the land price where you used to live will rise a lot, and your house will also rise in value. Master Zheng, you can calculate the long-term benefits in your mind.”

Zheng Xipo remained silent for a while, then moved his pen-holding hand, finally putting his pen down on the agreement, signing it, putting the pen down, taking a deep breath, as if he had completed a very important task.

Afterwards, the other worker representatives also signed one by one. While signing, many people glared at Zheng Xipo, and some even coughed deliberately and spat on the ground.

"They're still putting on an act!"

"Two-faced!"

The surrounding staff visibly breathed a sigh of relief: "It's done."

Chen Yanshi, standing to the side, smiled with a bitter expression, walked over and patted Zheng Xipo on the shoulder: "Old Zheng, I'm sorry to have wronged you. If you need anything in the future, just come to me, Old Chen."

Zheng Xipo waved his hand and asked Li Dakang, "When will the Provincial Public Security Bureau give a clear answer regarding my son's matter?"

Li Dakang: "The Dafeng Factory matter has been resolved. Your son Zheng Qian's side will definitely make a determination, and the results will be out soon."

Li Dakang did not disclose the specific outcome.

Li Dakang picked up the signed agreement, glanced through it, handed it to the staff member next to him, and then turned to Chen Yanshi, his voice calm but polite: "Mr. Chen, thank you for your hard work. You have done a lot of work during this time."

Chen Yanshi understood the implied meaning, smiled calmly, and said, "Of course, of course. Secretary Dakang, if you ever need anything from the old man's family, just let me know."

He specifically said the word "family" and emphasized it.

Li Dakang nodded, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards his car.

Xiao Jin caught up and asked softly, "Secretary, are we going back to the Municipal Party Committee?"

"Go directly to the provincial party committee."

"Ok."

The Provincial Party Committee building, Sha Ruijin's office.

Bai Jingwen saw Li Dakang enter from the outer room, paused for a moment, and stood up: "Secretary Dakang, you..."

Is Secretary Sha here?