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

The atmosphere in the meeting room changed immediately after those words were spoken.

Gao Yuliang's expression darkened slightly.

Qi Tongwei also frowned.

If Dong Dingfang only serves as the vice governor and not concurrently as the municipal party secretary, then he will lose his stronghold of Lüzhou.

For Gao Yuliang, this was a fatal blow.

This is not a good thing for Qi Tongwei either.

Qi Tongwei is currently only the executive vice governor. Having another vice governor within the provincial government system won't have much impact on him at this stage. If Dong Dingfang doesn't concurrently serve as the municipal party secretary, he'll just be an ordinary vice governor with limited influence within the provincial government.

More importantly, with Dong Dingfang leaving Luzhou, who will be the new secretary of Luzhou? If it is one of Sha Ruijin's men, then Luzhou, the stronghold of the Han University gang, will change hands.

This is something Qi Tongwei cannot accept.

He must object.

"Secretary Sha," Qi Tongwei began, his tone calm, "what you say makes sense. But I think the situation in Luzhou is rather unique."

"How is it special?" Sha Ruijin asked.

"Luzhou is the second largest economy in our province, a very large city with complex operations," Qi Tongwei said. "If the new Party Secretary is not familiar with the situation, it will be difficult for him to get up to speed quickly. Comrade Dong Dingfang has worked in Luzhou for ten years and knows the local situation very well. If he were to be transferred now, it would have a significant impact on the work in Luzhou."

Sha Ruijin smiled slightly: "Comrade Tongwei, do you mean we can't find a suitable person to succeed the Party Secretary of Lüzhou?"

"It's not that we can't find them," Qi Tongwei said, "I have a suggestion."

"you say."

"Since it's inappropriate for Comrade Dong Dingfang to concurrently serve as Vice Governor, could he concurrently serve as a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee?" Qi Tongwei asked. "The work of the Provincial Party Committee is not as complicated as that of the Provincial Government, and given the size of Lüzhou, it's appropriate for a member of the Standing Committee to concurrently serve in that role."

This was originally Qi Tongwei's plan for Dong Dingfang's next step. Once he officially becomes the provincial governor next year, there will definitely be people from his faction on the Standing Committee.

But why would Sha Ruijin agree now? He shook his head.

"Comrade Tongwei, the Standing Committee now has 13 members, which is full," Sha Ruijin said with a smile. "Comrade Dong Dingfang is indeed outstanding, but who among you do you think should step aside for him?"

Tian Guofu also spoke up: "I agree with Secretary Sha's opinion. The selection of Standing Committee members should be approached with caution."

Wu Chunlin nodded in agreement: "Yes, Comrade Dong Dingfang can first serve as vice governor, and if he performs well, we can consider him for a seat on the Standing Committee in the future."

Qi Tongwei did not accept Sha Ruijin's suggestion to "step down." His proposal to concurrently serve as a standing committee member was, in fact, a strategic retreat.

"Secretary Sha, I have another question," Qi Tongwei stated his concern directly. "Although Comrade Yi Xuexi is politically sound, he's not good at economics. In recent years, Comrade Yi Xuexi has mainly focused on Party building and improving work style at the grassroots level; he's not familiar with economic work."

He paused for a moment: "Luzhou is the second largest economy in our province, accounting for one-sixth of the province's GDP. If the new Party Secretary doesn't manage the economy well, it will have an impact on the entire province."

"We can't exactly continue with labor export in Luzhou, can we?" Qi Tongwei joked.

Sha Ruijin did not laugh, but looked at Qi Tongwei.

Qi Tongwei continued, "Furthermore, Comrade Yi Xuexi is currently the acting mayor. According to your arrangement, the municipal party secretary will be appointed separately. But what if both the secretary and the mayor are newcomers and don't coordinate well? Moreover, Comrade Yi Xuexi has strong opinions about the food court; I heard he wants to demolish it."

"What's wrong with demolishing the food court?" Tian Guofu asked.

"There's a problem," Qi Tongwei said. "Although the food court is polluting, it's also a key project for Luzhou, with an investment of 20 billion yuan and providing employment for thousands of people. If we demolish it rashly, what will happen to these people? What will happen to the investment? Moreover, the food court is backed by private enterprises; if it's not handled properly, it will affect the business environment of our province."

That's a very weighty statement.

Business environment, that's a big deal.

Li Dakang listened from the side, secretly admiring Qi Tongwei.

That was indeed a brilliant move.

He portrayed Yi Xuexi as a cadre who only knew how to manage work style, not how to develop the economy, and who even dismantled projects.

Qi Tongwei continued, "I'm not saying the food court can't be demolished, but at times like this, Comrade Yi Xuexi is decisive and daring. That's precisely why he needs a stable patriarch to support him and prevent any mishaps. And who is more suitable than Dong Dingfang, who has worked in Lüzhou for many years?"

Sha Ruijin remained silent for a moment.

He was thinking.

Qi Tongwei's words were not without merit.

Yi Xuexi does indeed lack experience in economic work. Moreover, if he were to forcibly demolish the food court after taking office, it would certainly cause a great stir.

Although the food court has problems, they need to be dealt with strategically, not simply and crudely.

"Comrade Yuliang, what do you think?" Sha Ruijin suddenly asked Gao Yuliang.

Gao Yuliang smiled and said, "I think Comrade Tongwei makes a good point. Comrade Yi Xuexi is a good cadre, but becoming the current mayor is already an exceptional promotion. At this point, he needs an experienced and capable team leader to help him grow."

Sha Ruijin looked at Gao Yuliang, then at Qi Tongwei.

He knew that the two people were standing together.

And what they said does make some sense.

Forcibly replacing the Party Secretary could indeed cause problems.

After weighing the pros and cons, Sha Ruijin made his decision.

"Alright," he said, "then, as Comrade Yuliang and Comrade Tongwei have suggested, Comrade Dong Dingfang will serve as Vice Governor and concurrently as Secretary of the Lüzhou Municipal Party Committee. Let's vote."

Passed unanimously.

Gao Yuliang and Qi Tongwei both breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Dong Dingfang did not make it into the Standing Committee, he at least saved Lüzhou.

This is already the best possible outcome.

Tian Guofu was somewhat unwilling, but he didn't say anything more.

"Alright, that's settled then. We'll recommend it to the Central Committee in the name of the Provincial Party Committee later," Sha Ruijin said. "That's enough about personnel matters for now. Next topic: the Guangming Peak project."

Li Dakang immediately became alert.

Sha Ruijin looked at Qi Tongwei: "Comrade Tongwei, I heard you have some ideas about the management of the Guangming Peak project?"

Qi Tongwei nodded: "Yes, Secretary Sha. The Guangming Peak project is a key project in our province, with an investment of 280 billion yuan and a wide scope. But I feel that the current management mechanism is not perfect enough."

What's your suggestion?

"My suggestion is to establish a leading group for the Guangming Peak project," Qi Tongwei said. "You would serve as the group leader, with Governor Liu, myself, and Secretary Dakang as deputy group leaders. The leading group would coordinate resources across the province to ensure the smooth progress of the project."

Upon hearing this, Li Dakang's expression changed.

He immediately understood Qi Tongwei's intention.

On the surface, it was the establishment of a leadership group, but in reality, it was a way to sideline him.

Sha Ruijin and Liu Changsheng were nominally in charge, but Qi Tongwei and he were actually responsible for the actual work.

But Qi Tongwei is the executive vice governor, a higher position than him. So, who will ultimately have the final say?

Moreover, as the deputy leader, Qi Tongwei could legitimately intervene in the Guangming Peak project.

This is something Li Dakang cannot accept.

The Guangmingfeng project was his lifeline and his last political asset in Handong.

If Qi Tongwei interferes, how can he get anything done?

Li Dakang immediately spoke up: "I disagree."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

Everyone looked at Li Dakang.

"Comrade Dakang, what are your opinions?" Sha Ruijin asked.

"Secretary Sha, while the Guangming Peak project is important, there's no need to trouble you and Governor Liu," Li Dakang said. "You and Governor Liu are extremely busy; you shouldn't spend too much energy on this project."

Qi Tongwei smiled: "Secretary Dakang, it's precisely because this project is important that it needs the attention of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government."

"It's right to attach importance to this project, but not in this way," Li Dakang said. "The management mechanism for the Guangming Peak project is already very sound. Establishing another leadership team would only increase communication costs and reduce efficiency."

Qi Tongwei's smile faded: "Secretary Dakang, aren't you a little too confident in managing the Guangming Peak project?"

"What's the meaning?"

"How many problems has the Guangmingfeng project encountered since its inception?" Qi Tongwei asked, emphasizing each word. "Tight funding, slow demolition progress, discrepancies in environmental impact assessment data, and procedural issues discovered by the audit team. How do you explain all of this?"

Li Dakang's face turned very ugly.

Qi Tongwei is exposing his shortcomings.

"These problems are all being resolved," Li Dakang said. "What large-scale project doesn't have problems?"

"It's precisely because it's important, and because problems have arisen, that we need to elevate the management level," Qi Tongwei said. "The establishment of the leading group is to help you share the pressure and coordinate resources. Secretary Dakang, you wouldn't treat the Guangming Peak project as your private property and prevent others from getting involved, would you?"

That's a very strong statement.

Li Dakang clenched his fists, his face grim.

He knew that if he continued to oppose, he would be labeled as "not accepting the organization's arrangements".

But if they agree, Guangming Peak will be taken by Qi Tongwei.

He was caught in a dilemma.

Sha Ruijin looked at the two of them without saying a word.

He won't interfere in these matters. He's protecting Li Dakang so that Li Dakang can work for him, not the other way around—that would be putting the cart before the horse.

Li Dakang was silent for a moment, then spoke: "Governor Qi, you're right. The Guangming Peak project does indeed need better management."

Qi Tongwei neither confirmed nor denied the statement.

"But I don't think establishing a leadership group is the best solution," Li Dakang said. "The main problem with the Guangming Peak project is the lack of coordination ability of the chief commander, Sun Liancheng. Instead of establishing a leadership group, it would be better to try replacing him with a more capable chief commander first."

The meeting room fell silent.

Everyone understood what Li Dakang meant.

He compromised.

He was willing to replace the commander-in-chief, but he didn't want Qi Tongwei to get involved directly.

The Guangmingfeng project was Li Dakang's lifeline. With the change of the chief commander, Guangmingfeng would no longer be his sole domain.

But Li Dakang still made this choice.

He knew that if Qi Tongwei were promoted to a higher management level, he would be in an even more passive position.