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

Then he put the cup down, his tone completely normal, as if discussing a work-related issue he had just figured out:

“I know about Zhu Hongyi’s situation; he is indeed quite capable.” He paused for a moment. “Here’s what you’d like to do: go back and draft a plan outlining the specific division of responsibilities for coordinating and advancing the Guangming Peak project, including Zhu Hongyi’s specific responsibilities and how to integrate him with the existing team. Once you’ve drafted it, show it to me, and I’ll study it further.”

This is neither agreement nor rejection; it's a buffer that provides an exit, but the direction has already tilted to the side Zheng Hong wanted.

Zheng Hong understood, closed the folder, and stood up with a just-right expression of relief on his face: "Okay, I'll draft it as soon as I get back and give it to Secretary Dakang for review as soon as possible."

He walked towards the door, paused by the door, turned back, and said in a relaxed tone, as if he were just mentioning it casually: "Secretary Dakang, about Zhang Shuli's matter, do you think we should remind him to be careful, so that there won't be any real problems and he won't be in a passive position later?"

Li Dakang looked up at him, glanced at him, and said in a flat tone, "I understand. You can go back to your work."

The door closed very quietly.

After Zheng Hong left, Li Dakang sat in the chair for nearly ten minutes without moving.

The sunlight streaming in from the side of the window cast a long shadow of him, pressing it onto the floor.

He mentally went through the whole story.

Who is behind Zheng Hong is not important. Whether it is the Zhao family coming to settle scores with traitors, his old rival Gao Yuliang kicking him while he's down, or Qi Tongwei trying to take advantage of the situation, none of these are his current priorities.

He can't move any of those people now.

His task is to stabilize the situation.

Guangming Peak was his last remaining card to play, and the only one he could currently use. He didn't want to touch it, but he had to think twice about the knife he had just used.

If Zhang Shuli's matter were to be spread around and reach the disciplinary committee, even if it ultimately couldn't be traced back to him, the timing would be far too unfavorable—Ouyang Jing's case hadn't been closed yet, Wang Dalu was still imprisoned, and if another report of "Zhang Shuli suppressing Ding Yizhen" were to surface at this time, he knew exactly how many people in Handong would seize the opportunity to stir up trouble.

The sword of Damocles, the inspection team, is still hanging over our heads.

He picked up a pen, wrote two names in the notebook on the table, then stopped, looked at it for a while, tore off the page, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the wastebasket.

Xiao Jin knocked on the door: "Secretary, Old Chen Yanshi is here."

Li Dakang closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his tone calm: "What's he doing here? Invite him in and make him some tea."

When Chen Yanshi came in, he was empty-handed, wearing his usual gray jacket that he had washed many times. He looked like an old man visiting someone's home, with a genuine smile on his face, not just a polite one.

"Secretary Dakang, are you busy?"

"Mr. Chen, please have a seat," Li Dakang stood up and led him to the sofa area opposite him. He had completely hidden his previous emotions and spoke in a very friendly tone, "Now that Dafeng Factory has been demolished, you can finally get a good night's sleep."

This is a test to see if the workers at Dafeng Factory are causing trouble again.

"It's alright, it's alright. It's the same old problem, my legs aren't working well anymore," Chen Yanshi sat down on the sofa, took the tea that Xiao Jin handed him, held it with both hands, and smelled it. "Good tea. The tea here is better than the tea at my house."

"Take some with you if you like."

"Just take it with you, I'll just have a cup of tea." Chen Yanshi smiled, put the teacup on the coffee table, leaned back on the sofa, and started talking about other things. He asked about the recent situation in Jingzhou and the progress of the workers' resettlement at Dafeng Factory. He spoke in the manner of an old cadre chatting with his family, with each sentence going back and forth, not in a hurry, just chatting.

Li Dakang remained calm and spoke slowly and naturally with him, following the same rhythm.

But he knew that Chen Yanshi wasn't really there for tea.

Sure enough, during a break in the conversation, Chen Yanshi picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said casually, "Dakang, I went to visit an old comrade-in-arms in another province a few days ago. He's gotten old, and it's been a long time since I last visited him. I was busy with other things a few years ago and couldn't find the time, so I kept putting it off. This time, I finally managed to go and catch up with him."

Li Dakang mentally reviewed the sentence and asked, "Going to another province? Why didn't you tell me? I could have arranged for someone to accompany you."

“Wang Laiqun,” Chen Yanshi said calmly, “he is living in a sanatorium in the military region. Fuzhen and I made a special trip there. It took us a whole day to get there. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. He’s an old comrade-in-arms. Every time we see him, it’s one less time we’ll see him. You know what I mean.”

Wang Laiqun.

Sha Ruijin's adoptive father.

Li Dakang's fingers twitched slightly on his knee, but he made no other move. His face still held the same expression of listening attentively to his elder: "That's good. Old Chen, you're so thoughtful to visit at a time like this. The old man will surely be happy."

“Happy, happy,” Chen Yanshi nodded. “Speaking of which, most of the people who fought alongside us back then are now gone, there are only a few left. We were all through thick and thin together, and this kind of feeling is different from others.”

He paused, sighed, and said with a touch of emotion, "Let me tell you, Dakang, we've lived our whole lives for our children. Old Wang did, and so did I. I can't let go of Chen Hai. He's had a tough life. He's been sensible since he was little. I was busy with work back then, and his mother raised him all by herself. I feel guilty about that now. He's my only son, and I just hope he can have a smooth and successful life."

“Old Chen,” Li Dakang said with genuine understanding, “I have been following up on Comrade Chen Hai’s affairs. He is a good comrade, and I know that in my heart.”

“I knew you knew what was going on,” Chen Yanshi raised his head, his eyes revealing a directness unique to the elderly, not coercion, but a frankness born of someone with only a few years left to live, laying everything bare. “Dakang, about the Dafeng Factory incident, although it was my own business, it indirectly helped you. I’m not asking you to repay me, it’s just…” He rubbed his hands together, lowering his voice slightly, “Chen Hai is at a crucial age right now. I still want him to work under you. He’s capable enough, experienced enough, he just needs an opportunity. Dakang, it’s not difficult for you to ask for it.”

The last three words were not spoken heavily, but they were very clear.

Li Dakang looked at Chen Yanshi, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke, his tone more steady than before, with a sense of having thought things through: "Old Chen, I understand what you mean. I have always remembered Comrade Chen Hai's matter. Last time when we reported on the demolition of Dafeng Factory, there was no suitable opportunity. I will push this matter forward, so please rest assured."

He paused for a moment, then emphasized the weight of his words: "It's just that the timing isn't quite right now. There are still some personnel issues with Secretary Sha. Let's wait until things settle down before I bring this up. It'll be more effective if I say it out loud, don't you think?"

Chen Yanshi thought about these words to himself, without showing any emotion on his face. He picked up his teacup, finished the last sip of tea, and stood up without saying whether he agreed or not: "I just came to sit for a while, I won't take up any of your time, you go ahead with your work."

"I'll take you there."

"No need, no need, my legs aren't that badly damaged, I can walk by myself."

Chen Yanshi walked to the door, stopped, and turned his back to Li Dakang. As if remembering something, he casually said, "Dakang, those old workers at Dafeng Factory still remember me and come to visit every now and then. The inspection team is coming down, and things can change in Handong in an instant. Do what you can now, before it's too late. I'm entrusting Chen Hai to you. If you're really in a difficult situation, give me a straight answer. This old man has to find a way out for his son."

Chen Yanshi, a cunning old fox, had already been tricked by Li Dakang last time and was already being pecked in the eye by a sparrow. How could he be fooled by Li Dakang's stalling tactics this time?

He stated directly that if they continued to drag their feet on resolving the issue, he would have to find another way.

After saying that, he walked straight out without waiting for Li Dakang's reply.

Li Dakang stood there, staring at the open door. After a few seconds, he slowly returned to the table and sat down.

Xiao Jin was waiting at the door. Seeing him sit down, he came in and said softly, "Secretary, there's a situation with the inspection team. I just received the news."

Li Dakang raised his head.

"The inspection team is still questioning Wang Dalu today, and they don't seem to have any intention of releasing him yet." Xiao Jin paused for a moment. "Miss Li is still there too."

Li Dakang remained silent.

"In addition," Xiao Jin's voice lowered, "I heard that the inspection team's questioning involved Wang Dalu's sponsorship of Miss Li's studies abroad, and it has been basically confirmed."

After those words were spoken, the silence in the office changed.

Li Dakang paused for a few seconds in his mind before speaking, his voice steady and devoid of any emotion: "I understand. You can leave now. Close the door."

"Okay, Secretary."

The door closed very quietly.

He was the only one left in the office.

Li Dakang leaned back in his chair, remaining seated, and went through the three things that had happened that morning, one by one.

Zheng Hong's knife was aimed at Zhang Shuli, but it was pointed at Guangming Peak, the place he needed to stabilize most right now. He had to give way, and he knew very well what giving way meant—from today onwards, other people's hands had officially reached into Jingzhou.

He really owed Chen Yanshi a favor. Old Chen had helped him persuade the workers about the Dafeng Factory incident, and he couldn't renege on that debt. He really didn't want to push away Chen Hai's matter now, as he was already in a lot of trouble himself, and the timing wasn't right.

Now Chen Yanshi has gone around in circles, mentioning Sha Ruijin's adoptive father's name again, and making a veiled threat. The meaning is clear—I also have connections in this matter, and you can't drag it out indefinitely.

Wang Dalu and Li Jiajia are still inside.

With Wang Dalu inside, he could only wait. He couldn't get involved in this matter; getting involved would be like walking into the line of fire. But every day Wang Dalu was inside meant that the inspection team would accumulate more information. Li Jiajia's situation had already aligned with Wang Dalu's sponsorship. He didn't know where things would go next.

He was still somewhat confident about the matter; he had indeed not given Wang Dalu the project, and he was unaware of the funding.

The family's savings and his own annual salary of over 30 yuan were all exchanged for foreign currency by Ouyang Jing and given to his daughter. Even if Wang Dalu provided financial assistance, the amount should not be large.

It should be barely bearable.

I think so?

Chapter 145 $510

The interrogation room was on the second floor, three rooms away from the one Ouyang Jing had been in last time.

When Zhong Xiaoai went in, Wang Dalu had already been sitting inside for a while. He was wearing the dark gray jacket he wore the day he was taken away. His hair was a little messy, but his expression was still relatively calm. He sat in the chair with his hands on the table. He wasn't propping his head up or looking down. He just stared straight ahead, waiting.

Zhong Xiaoai placed the folder on the table, sat down opposite her, and without exchanging pleasantries, went straight to the point: "Mr. Wang Dalu, let's talk about the financial dealings between you and Li Jiajia today."

Wang Dalu glanced at her and said calmly, "As I said before, I lent Li Jiajia some money to help her with tuition and living expenses. It was mutual assistance between friends and had nothing to do with Li Dakang."

"A loan?" Zhong Xiaoai repeated the two words, as if to confirm, "Not a gift?"

“It’s a loan,” Wang Dalu nodded. “Her mother and I have been friends for many years, and her father and I have been colleagues for a long time. She is going abroad to study, so I lent her some money to tide her over. She will pay it back when she starts working.”

“Okay,” Zhong Xiaoai opened the folder, took out a page, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of him. “Then I want to confirm the specific details of the loan—how much was it, when was it borrowed, what was the agreed repayment period, and was a loan agreement signed?”

Wang Dalu glanced down at the paper, paused for a moment, and then said, "I don't remember the exact amount, but it was probably over a million US dollars. It was split into several smaller transactions over a long period of time. We didn't sign any agreements; it was all between friends, so there was no need for such formality."

“More than a million US dollars,” Zhong Xiaoai wrote the figure down in her notebook, then looked up. “There was no signed agreement, no agreed repayment period, and no interest calculated?”

"Yes, between friends, not those things."

“Mr. Wang,” Zhong Xiaoai’s tone remained calm, but every word hit the nail on the head, “You are a businessman who has been in business for over thirty years. You know better than anyone that more than a million US dollars is not a small amount of money. When friends lend money to each other, no matter how much they trust each other, there will be a basic agreement on when and how to repay the loan. At least it will be mentioned verbally, right?”

Wang Dalu was silent for a moment, then said, "I've known Li Dakang for decades. There's no question of whether he'll pay me back or not. I trust him."

"But did Li Dakang know about this loan?"

"...You should know, Li Jiajia is his daughter."

"Should he know?" Zhong Xiaoai slowed down the word. "Mr. Wang, you lent over a million US dollars to his daughter. As her father, should he know, or must he know?"

Wang Dalu did not answer immediately, but moved his finger on the table.

“Furthermore,” Zhong Xiaoai continued, “if Li Dakang knew about this loan, why has he never brought up the matter of repayment over the years? Given his income level, over a million US dollars is normally equivalent to 20 years of his salary, which is not a small amount. But according to what you just said, he has never mentioned it to you, which is illogical.”

Wang Dalu remained silent for an even longer period of time.

Zhong Xiaoai didn't urge them, she just waited, and the only sound in the interrogation room was the faint hum of the incandescent bulb.

Then she turned to another page in the folder, took out a bank statement, and placed it on the table: "This is the account statement we obtained from Li Jiajia. It shows the total amount of money you transferred to her through various channels over the past five years, amounting to $5.1 million."

The inspection team was unable to access the bank statements from the US bank, but Li Jiajia had returned to China, and obtaining these statements from her mobile phone was not a technical challenge.

Wang Dalu looked down at the paper, and his expression changed.

“Five million one hundred thousand,” Zhong Xiaoai said. “It’s not the one million you said, it’s almost four times less. Mr. Wang, are you mistaken, or did you deliberately understate?”

Wang Dalu raised his head, looked at her, and said calmly, "I... I might have misremembered. It's been too long, and I can't recall the exact number."

“Let me help you recall,” Zhong Xiaoai picked up the bank statement, “September 2015, $200,000; March 2016, $350,000; November 2016, $300,000; 2017… Every single transaction is recorded, adding up to five million one hundred thousand. Is this a loan?”

Wang Dalu remained silent.

“If it’s a loan,” Zhong Xiaoai said, her tone still steady but each word carrying weight, “why is the amount getting larger and larger? A normal loan should be for emergencies; once the problem is solved, you don’t need to borrow anymore. But in your case, it’s continuous, and the amount is increasing, and you never consider the ability to repay.”

As soon as he said that, Wang Dalu's fingers visibly tightened.

Zhong Xiaoai saw this but didn't press for details. Instead, she took out another document: "We also learned about Li Jiajia's situation. She said that the money was lent to her by you to pay for tuition and living expenses. However, her spending records show that in addition to tuition and rent, she also has a lot of personal spending—designer bags, jewelry, travel, and high-end restaurants. These expenses have far exceeded the normal level of an international student."