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

He leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a long shadow on the floor.

He had sat in this chair for many years and dealt with countless things, but he had never felt as tired as he did today.

It's not physical exhaustion, it's mental exhaustion.

Sha Ruijin's words kept echoing in his mind—

“In Handong, it’s very difficult for you to advance any further.”

This was the first time he clearly knew where his ceiling was.

He opened his eyes, picked up the documents on the table, flipped through them, looked at them for a while, and then picked up a pen and began to annotate.

The light outside the window gradually dimmed, and evening fell. The lights in the municipal party committee building came on one by one.

He was still sitting there, writing, stroke by stroke, very seriously.

The road to advancement was cut off, the family was torn apart, some of his former friends were lost, and some regarded him as an enemy.

If it were an ordinary person, they might have already begun to doubt the meaning of life.

However, Li Dakang quickly adjusted.

A man's heart is as hard as iron until death.

He thought: Let me use the last years of my political career to do something for Jingzhou, to do something for the people of this city.

For no other reason than to give an explanation to that idealistic and passionate young man from Jinshan County back then.

Chapter 148 Li Dakang Sells a House

Li Dakang went to the old house on Saturday morning.

He didn't have Xiao Jin accompany him, nor did he ask the driver to take him; he hailed a taxi himself. Less than twenty minutes after leaving the municipal party committee, he stopped at the entrance of his familiar residential area.

He hadn't been back for a long time, and the security guards had changed several times; they didn't recognize him anymore. This wasn't a high-end neighborhood, and the property management wasn't strict. The security guards probably didn't care much about local news; they glanced at Li Dakang and let him in.

Li Dakang took the keys and went upstairs. The elevator was still under repair, so he climbed the stairs, floor by floor, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.

He has lived in this neighborhood for nearly twenty years.

From being Zhao Lichun's secretary to becoming the vice mayor and then the municipal party secretary; from getting married to having children to getting divorced—many things happened in this house.

At first, he lived there more often, but later he went to work in another city and only came back during holidays. Ouyang Jing and Jiajia were the only ones at home. Later, Jiajia went abroad, and he rose through the ranks, from secretary to mayor, from Lincheng to Jingzhou. He then lived in government-provided housing—those houses were bigger, with better security and services.

The house has been left empty. I occasionally come back to stay one night, but most of the time it's empty.

Ouyang Jing had mentioned it several times, asking if they should rent out the house, but he disagreed, saying to keep it, as it would always be something to look forward to.

Now even that hope is gone.

When he reached the sixth floor, he stood at the door, inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and the door opened.

The house was quiet, with an indescribable smell. It wasn't musty; it was the kind of smell that settles in the air after a long period of inactivity.

He went inside, closed the door, stood in the entryway, and looked around.

The living room, dining room, balcony, and the hallway leading to the bedroom were all the same as when he left, yet they seemed different—they lacked human presence.

He changed his shoes, went to the living room, and sat down on the sofa.

This house was bought in 1995.

At that time, he had only been working as Zhao Lichun's secretary for a short time. His salary was low, and he didn't have much savings, so he had never thought about buying a house. It was Zhao Lichun who took the initiative to talk to him about it.

That day, when Zhao Lichun was leaving get off work, he called him into his office and said, "Xiao Li, living in the provincial party committee's single dormitory is not a long-term solution. You should consider buying a house."

He was stunned for a moment: "Secretary Zhao, I don't have any money."

Zhao Lichun laughed: "You can borrow if you don't have enough. I have some spare money here, I'll lend you some first, and you can pay it back slowly. If you don't buy it now, you won't be able to afford it later."

He was hesitant at the time, but Zhao Lichun insisted and even personally helped him look at several neighborhoods before finally choosing this one.

“Sunshine Community is in a good location, close to the Provincial Party Committee, which is convenient for your commute,” Zhao Lichun said. “Moreover, this community is newly built, with good apartment layouts and good lighting, and it has great potential for appreciation in the future.”

Subsequent events proved that Secretary Zhao's judgment was indeed astute.

This house was bought for over 400,000 yuan back then, and now its market value has risen to five or six million yuan, more than ten times its original value.

Unfortunately, he now has to sell it.

Li Dakang sat on the sofa for a while, then stood up and walked to the balcony.

In Jingzhou in spring, the wind is a bit cool and carries a damp smell.

He stood by the window, looking down at the community garden. Several elderly people were taking care of children, who were climbing up and down the slide, their laughter faintly drifting up.

He remembered that Li Jiajia had played on that slide when she was little.

Back then, Ouyang Jing would take her down there, and he would occasionally accompany her on weekends when he had free time.

That happened many years ago.

He stood there for a moment, then turned and walked towards the bedroom.

The bed in the bedroom was still there, the blankets neatly folded, just as he had done before leaving last time he came back. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his hand resting on the sheets, feeling a long-lost sense of familiarity.

He slept in this bed for many years, with Ouyang Jing. Later, she moved to the second bedroom, and after that, he was all alone.

He stood up and went to the study.

The study was small, with a table, a bookcase, and a calligraphy scroll hanging on the wall, which he had written himself: "Serve the people".

He sat down in the chair, opened the drawer, and found some old documents and a few photos.

He picked up a picture of Li Jiajia when she was little, with a round face, two little braids, and a happy smile.

He looked at it for a while, put the photo back, and closed the drawer.

Then he stood up, took out his phone, and dialed a number.

"Hello, is this a real estate agency? I have an apartment to sell... Yes, Jingzhou City, Jinshui District, Sunshine Community, Building 3, 6th floor... I want to list it anonymously and not reveal the owner's information... What? Registration is required? Okay, then register it, but don't tell anyone who it belongs to... Okay, please arrange it as soon as possible."

After hanging up the phone, he sat down on the sofa, closed his eyes to rest, but drifted off to sleep, having many fragmented dreams.

But the news still got out.

Whether it was a leak from the real estate agency or someone specifically checking the property information, in any case, within three days, some circles in Jingzhou knew that Li Dakang was going to sell his house.

The phone started ringing.

The first one was a real estate developer, who spoke very politely: "Secretary Li, I heard you have a house you want to sell? Our company is currently doing asset allocation and is willing to offer 6.5 million to acquire it. Would that be convenient for you?"

After listening, Li Dakang remained silent for a moment, then said, "No need, I have already entrusted an intermediary to publicly list it, thank you."

“Secretary Li, please don’t refuse. Six and a half million is quite a bit higher than the market price, and we can pay in full, plus the paperwork will be quick…”

"No need, thank you," Li Dakang said, and hung up the phone.

The second call was to an entrepreneur he knew, someone he had dealt with on a project before. This time, the entrepreneur was also very direct: "Secretary Li, I want to buy your house. I want to share in your good fortune. Seven million, cash. When would be a convenient time to sign the contract?"

"I'm not selling it to you," Li Dakang said bluntly. "Find another house."

"Secretary Li, I really want to buy it..."

"I know, but I'm not selling it to you, that's all."

Li Dakang hung up the phone, put it on the table, and felt somewhat irritated.

He knew what these people were thinking.

They didn't really want to buy the house; they wanted to establish contact with him and do him a favor by buying it. Six and a half million, seven million—more than a million above market price—that was the million they wanted to give him.

But he can't have it.

If he takes it now, these people will come to him for help in the future, and he won't be able to avoid them—that's a handle, a handle that can be used against him at any time.

He picked up the phone and called the real estate agent: "From now on, if anyone inquires about the homeowner's information, do not disclose it. Just say that it is a regular owner who has entrusted you to sell the property, understand?"

"Understood, Secretary Li, we will definitely pay attention."

But it's still useless.

Over the next few days, people contacted him through various channels, some by phone and others by asking others to pass on messages, with each offer higher than the last, the highest reaching 7.5 million.

Li Dakang refused them all.

He told the agent, "Sell it at market price, 5.8 million. Whoever offers that price, has clear paperwork, and has no professional connection with me, I'll sell it to."

"But Secretary Li, there's someone willing to offer over seven million..."

"I said, at market price. I don't want the extra money."

The last people to buy the house were a young couple.

The man is in his early thirties and works as an engineer at a large internet company in Jingzhou, while the woman is a teacher. They've saved money for several years and wanted to settle down in Jingzhou. After looking at many houses, they finally settled on this one.

When the agent brought them to see the apartment, Li Dakang wasn't there; the agent took a video and sent it to him.

The young couple walked around the house, and the woman liked it very much: "This apartment has a good layout, good lighting, and it's close to my school."

The man was more cautious and asked the agent, "Why does the homeowner want to sell? Is there anything wrong with the house?"

The agent, following Li Dakang's instructions, said, "The homeowner wants to move to a bigger house, so this one will be sold. There are no problems with the house, and the title is clear."

"Can you make it cheaper?" the man asked. "Our budget is limited, 5.8 million is a bit tight."

The agent said, "Five million eight hundred thousand is already below market price. I'll ask the homeowner for you."

The agent called Li Dakang, who paused for a moment on the phone before saying, "Five million seven hundred and fifty thousand, it's available for sale."

"Secretary Li, this..."

"That's settled, get the paperwork done as soon as possible."

The agent hung up the phone and turned to the young couple, saying, "The homeowner has agreed. Five million seven hundred and fifty thousand. Can you accept that?"

The young couple were overjoyed and paid the deposit on the spot.

On the day of the signing, Li Dakang did not go to the site and had Xiao Jin handle it on his behalf.

All the procedures were followed perfectly, without any flaws. Xiao Jin also contacted the bank to expedite the loan approval process.

On the day the money arrived in his account, he looked at the bank text message: 5.75 million. After deducting taxes and intermediary fees, he received more than 5.6 million.