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

"Thank you, Secretary Sha."

“The Provincial Party Committee recognizes your work,” Sha Ruijin continued. “You are young and energetic, capable, and have great potential for future development. The organization will also consider your advancement.”

Qi Tongwei realized that this was just empty promises.

But he didn't care at all: My progress is none of your business, Sha Ruijin.

He nodded: "I will definitely work hard and live up to the organization's expectations."

Sha Ruijin paused for a moment, then changed his tone, still gentle but with added weight: "However, Comrade Tongwei, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Secretary Sha, please go ahead."

“Recently, some key projects in the province have encountered some difficulties in their progress,” Sha Ruijin said, without directly mentioning Guangmingfeng. “I would like to hear your opinion on whether we can be more flexible in our working methods.”

Qi Tongwei understood; this was a warning to him.

But he didn't answer immediately. Instead, he picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then spoke in a very sincere tone: "Secretary Sha, are you referring to the Guangming Peak project?"

Sha Ruijin looked at him without saying anything, which was taken as tacit agreement.

“Secretary Sha, I have also been paying attention to the Guangming Peak project,” Qi Tongwei said. “The audit team found some problems, which is normal audit work, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with it.”

“Auditing is necessary,” Sha Ruijin said, “but the purpose of auditing is to identify and address shortcomings, not to hinder the project. The 28 billion yuan project is very important to both Jingzhou and Handong, and we cannot let some procedural issues affect the overall progress.”

“I understand what Secretary Sha means,” Qi Tongwei said, “but procedural issues are also problems. If we don’t strictly follow the rules, there could be even bigger problems in the future.”

“Programs can be patched,” Sha Ruijin said. “It is common to build and patch simultaneously in large projects, and we should not throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

Qi Tongwei paused for a moment, then spoke, his tone still sincere, but his words carrying weight: "Secretary Sha, I understand what you mean. But the situation of the Guangming Peak project is special now. If we are not strict in our procedures, we will not be able to explain to our superiors or to the 5.8 million people of Jingzhou if something goes wrong later."

Sha Ruijin: "What's so special about him? Is it Li Dakang, the Party Secretary of Jingzhou?"

Qi Tongwei nodded: "Yes."

"Although Comrade Li Dakang was subjectively unaware of the Wang Dalu case, his family did objectively receive a huge sum of money," Qi Tongwei said. "Although the organization gave him an explanation, what do outsiders think? What do the cadres and masses in Jingzhou think?"

“Comrade Tongwei,” Sha Ruijin interrupted him, “the organization has already investigated Wang Dalu’s case thoroughly. Comrade Li Dakang was unaware of it and did not participate in it; that is a fact.”

“I know,” Qi Tongwei nodded. “I have never doubted Comrade Li Dakang’s innocence, and I agree with you on this point.”

“But Secretary Sha,” Qi Tongwei continued, “I think our discussion of this issue should not be limited to whether Comrade Li Dakang violated discipline personally.”

"At what level should it be?" Sha Ruijin asked.

"It should be done in a way that is responsible to the people of Jingzhou," Qi Tongwei said, making every word clear. "The Guangmingfeng project has a total investment of 28 billion yuan and involves the employment and lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Jingzhou. Such a large project must be ensured to be safe, compliant, and sustainable."

"Even if Comrade Li Dakang is innocent, is his current situation suitable for him to continue to take full control of such a large project as Guangming Peak?"

Sha Ruijin narrowed his eyes.

Qi Tongwei continued, "Think about it, Comrade Li Dakang's current situation: his ex-wife is under investigation for corruption, and his daughter has received a huge sum of money. Although he himself is innocent, can he devote his energy and his state of mind to the Guangming Peak project wholeheartedly?"

"Moreover," Qi Tongwei continued, "the Guangming Peak project does indeed have some procedural issues. These issues arose under the leadership of Comrade Li Dakang. Although they are not violations of discipline, they are indeed due to a lack of rigor in the work."

"So?" Sha Ruijin asked.

“Therefore,” Qi Tongwei said, conveying his core point, “the Guangming Peak project is so important that it should be placed under the direct supervision of the provincial government, and cannot be entirely led by the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee. This is not a matter of distrusting Comrade Li Dakang, but rather a matter of being responsible to the people of Jingzhou.”

After listening, Sha Ruijin leaned back in his chair and looked at Qi Tongwei.

He had to admit that Qi Tongwei's move was very clever.

Instead of arguing with Sha Ruijin about whether Li Dakang had any problems, he stepped out of the debate and argued from the perspective of "being responsible to the people".

He placed himself on a moral high ground.

You protect Li Dakang for his own sake; I supervise Guangming Peak for the sake of the people of Jingzhou.

If you oppose it, you are not being responsible to the people.

This logic is hard to refute.

Sha Ruijin was silent for a moment, then spoke, his tone still calm: "Comrade Tongwei, what you said makes some sense. But I think there are a few issues that need to be clarified."

"Secretary Sha, please go ahead."

"First, the organization has already given a clear conclusion regarding Comrade Li Dakang's family issues. He himself was unaware of them and did not benefit from them; this is a fact that cannot be questioned," Sha Ruijin said. "We cannot deny his working ability just because his family has problems."

“I did not deny it,” Qi Tongwei said.

“Secondly, there are indeed procedural issues with the Guangming Peak project. However, these issues are common in large projects and can be addressed as construction progresses without affecting the overall progress,” Sha Ruijin continued. “If the project is suspended or the person in charge is changed because of these minor issues, it will actually affect the continuity of the project.”

“But Secretary Sha,” Qi Tongwei said, “while these problems are common, it doesn’t mean we should tolerate them. If the procedures for a 28 billion yuan project aren’t rigorous, who will be responsible if major problems arise in the future?”

“That’s why we need audits—to find problems and solve them,” Sha Ruijin said, “but not to stop the project.”

“I didn’t say we should stop the project,” Qi Tongwei said. “What I said was that the project should be brought under the supervision of the provincial government, with provincial officials involved in its management. This way, we can ensure both the project’s progress and compliance. Isn’t that a win-win situation?”

Sha Ruijin looked at Qi Tongwei and understood his true intentions.

Bringing it under the supervision of the provincial government is meant to decentralize power from Li Dakang.

Sending people from the province to participate in management is a way of interfering in Guangming Peak's affairs.

On the surface it's regulation, but in reality it's a power grab.

“Comrade Tongwei,” Sha Ruijin said, his tone becoming more serious, “the Guangming Peak project is a project of Jingzhou, led by the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee. This was decided by the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and cannot be easily changed.”

“But the situation has changed,” Qi Tongwei said. “When the decision was made, Comrade Li Dakang did not have these problems. Now that he has these problems, our arrangements should be adjusted accordingly.”

“He did not violate any rules,” Sha Ruijin emphasized.

“I know he didn’t violate any rules, Secretary Sha,” Qi Tongwei said, his tone still sincere. “But we can’t just look at whether he violated any rules, we also have to look at whether it’s appropriate. How will the outside world view an official who has had such a big family incident, and how will the people think of him taking full charge of a 28 billion yuan project?”

“What the people care about is whether cadres can get things done,” Sha Ruijin said. “The people approve of Comrade Li Dakang’s work in Jingzhou.”

“But ordinary people also judge whether officials are clean or not,” Qi Tongwei said. “His subordinates are not clean, his wife is not clean, and his daughter is not clean. Will ordinary people believe he is clean? Will investors trust Jingzhou’s business environment?”

Sha Ruijin: "The provincial party committee approved his divorce. Ouyang Jing is Li Dakang's ex-wife."

Qi Tongwei laughed: "Secretary Sha, we're talking about the public opinion environment, there's really no point in arguing about this."

Sha Ruijin remained silent.

indeed.

Qi Tongwei noticed Sha Ruijin's hesitation and continued, "Secretary Sha, I understand that you want to protect Comrade Li Dakang, and I also think he is a good cadre. But when we protect cadres, we cannot disregard principles or the impact."

"Bringing the Guangming Peak project under the supervision of the provincial government is not to sideline Comrade Li Dakang, but to help him—to share the pressure and help him avoid risks," Qi Tongwei said. "Think about it, if Guangming Peak has a major problem in the future, can Comrade Li Dakang handle it alone? But if the province gets involved, the responsibility will be dispersed, which is also a kind of protection for him."

That's a very eloquent statement.

On the surface, it was for Li Dakang's good, but in reality, it was to seize power.

Sha Ruijin looked at Qi Tongwei and knew that it was impossible to persuade him in today's conversation.

Qi Tongwei's logic is very rigorous, his stance is very high, and his reasons are very sufficient.

He placed himself in a position of "being responsible to the people" and placed Sha Ruijin in a position of "protecting the individual".

In this way, it would be difficult for Sha Ruijin to refute.

Sha Ruijin picked up his teacup, took a sip, then put it down. He looked at Qi Tongwei, his tone becoming calm, but every word carried weight: "Comrade Tongwei, I understand what you've said. But there's one thing I need to remind you of."

"Secretary Sha, please go ahead."

“The cadres in Handong are all trained by the organization. No matter what conflicts arise, we must prioritize the overall situation,” Sha Ruijin said. “Key projects are the key tasks of the provincial party committee and government, and any factors that affect the progress of the projects must be eliminated in a timely manner.”

“I understand, Secretary Sha.”

“The Guangming Peak project is a project for Jingzhou, and also a project for the whole province,” Sha Ruijin continued. “The provincial party committee’s attitude is clear: the project must be promoted, the cadres must be stabilized, and the work must be done well.”

"Yes."

"As for your suggestion to include it under the supervision of the provincial government," Sha Ruijin paused for a moment, "this matter can be studied, but we cannot rush it. We need to conduct thorough research, listen to opinions from all sides, and discuss it at the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee."

Qi Tongwei realized that Sha Ruijin was stalling.

It's not a refusal, nor an agreement; it's a delay.

He expressed his views and laid out his logic, letting Sha Ruijin know that he was not being unreasonable, but rather that his arguments were based on sound reasoning and evidence.

“Okay, Secretary Sha,” Qi Tongwei said, “I will go back and study it again, and come up with a detailed plan to report to the Provincial Party Committee.”

“Yes,” Sha Ruijin nodded, “The plan must fully consider the actual situation in Jingzhou, the continuity of the project, and must not affect the overall progress.”

Qi Tongwei nodded, picked up his teacup, took a sip, then put it down, as if remembering something, and said:

“Secretary Sha, to be honest, I have also governed some places and achieved some results,” he said in a very calm tone, as if he were chatting casually, “but I also know that people who really want to do things will always be bound by some rules and regulations.”

Sha Ruijin didn't speak, just looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

“When I was young, I couldn’t understand this problem either,” Qi Tongwei continued. “Once I complained to my mentor, Professor Li Yiqing, saying why it was so difficult to do something practical, with so many rules and regulations that made me feel restricted.”

He paused for a moment, as if recalling something.

“Teacher Li said something to me back then that I’ve remembered for many years,” Qi Tongwei said, looking at Sha Ruijin. “He said that if you want to do something, you have to have the determination to dance in shackles.”

Sha Ruijin's eyes flickered.

“These shackles,” Qi Tongwei continued, speaking slowly and clearly, “may seem to be binding you and preventing you from fully utilizing your abilities. But more often than not, they are also your armor, protecting you from harm.”

He paused again, then added the most crucial sentence:

“Sometimes, these shackles are even the armor of your superiors.”

After he finished speaking, the office was quiet for a moment.

Qi Tongwei looked at Sha Ruijin with a sincere expression: "Secretary Sha, don't you agree?"

This is the general who is facing Sha Ruijin.

To protect Li Dakang for the sake of your personal authority, you're even disregarding procedures. Do you still care about protecting yourself?

Sha Ruijin's eyes flickered, he tapped his fingers lightly on the teacup twice, and then spoke in a very calm tone: "Professor Li is mature and prudent."

She understood what Qi Tongwei meant, but she didn't respond.

Qi Tongwei smiled, picked up his teacup, took another sip, and then said:

“So I think that bringing the Guangming Peak project under the supervision of the provincial government is not making things difficult for Comrade Li Dakang, but on the contrary, it is helping him,” he said sincerely. “By putting these shackles on him, he can jump more steadily, and we can rest assured watching him.”

The word "we" here is pronounced with a slight emphasis, so Sha Ruijin can naturally understand what it means.

Qi Tongwei put down his teacup, looked at Sha Ruijin, and concluded:

"Moreover, I believe that with Secretary Dakang's abilities, he can still perform brilliantly even in shackles."