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

Making a phone call at this time is too sensitive. If someone is eavesdropping, it will be difficult to explain yourself.

He put down the phone, leaned back in his chair, and took a deep breath.

Forget it.

What's meant to come will come.

That same evening, in the office of the provincial party secretary.

Sha Ruijin and Tian Guofu sat facing each other, with a simple tea table between them. On the table were four dishes—two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes—and two bowls of rice. This was their daily routine—a working lunch, which they ate and chatted over.

Sha Ruijin picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, chewed it slowly, and then asked, "Secretary Tian, ​​what do you think of Gao Yuliang?"

Tian Guofu, holding his bowl, didn't answer immediately. He picked up a piece of braised pork, put it in his mouth, chewed it twice, then put down his chopsticks, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and finally spoke:

"I don't like this professor."

Sha Ruijin smiled and said, "Whether you like it or not isn't the standard; let's get down to business."

Tian Guofu nodded, put down his bowl, and said seriously, "Alright, let me share my thoughts. As you saw at today's meeting, he avoided the important issues and gave ambiguous answers regarding Secretary-General Qian and others. He was either changing the subject or exacerbating the conflict. All his knowledge was wasted on handing out forms. If Qi Tongwei hadn't interrupted him, who knows what he would have said later."

Sha Ruijin nodded without saying anything and continued eating.

Tian Guofu continued, "And what about that food city in Luzhou? Is it really just a matter of perception? Or did we accidentally make a historic mistake? It's said that Comrade Gao Yuliang is usually quite careful, but why did he become careless when it came to Comrade Zhao Lichun's son? Could there be something else going on here? So, Secretary Ruijin, we probably need to think this through."

Tian Guofu's words were very strong.

He is linking the problems of the food court to Gao Yuliang personally, and he is denying the "limitations of history" overtly and covertly—that is not a limitation, but a problem, a mistake, or even something more serious.

Sha Ruijin naturally understood this implication.

He put down his chopsticks, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then looked at Tian Guofu, speaking calmly: "This is how I see this matter. There are historical limitations, as well as subservience to superiors and power, perhaps both. Li Dakang's statement is more objective—if it weren't for Young Master Zhao's involvement in this project, Gao Yuliang wouldn't have made this mistake."

That was said with great tact.

Sha Ruijin did not want to immediately push Gao Yuliang to the opposite side. He needed Gao Yuliang to play a stabilizing role in Handong and needed his cooperation in the following work.

If Gao Yuliang is labeled as "problematic" now, the subsequent work will be much more difficult.

More importantly, he needs to maintain his initiative and not be led by the nose by Tian Guofu.

Tian Guofu understood Sha Ruijin's meaning, but he didn't give up. He thought for a moment and then said, "What exactly happened in Luzhou back then? Why was the pollution project that Li Dakang, who had been Zhao Lichun's secretary, hadn't approved approved, but was approved immediately after Li Dakang was transferred? Why did Zhao Lichun transfer Li Dakang away from Luzhou and arrange for him to be the municipal party secretary of Lincheng? Fortunately, Comrade Dakang still achieved some success in Lincheng, otherwise..."

Tian Guofu's words made it sound as if Li Dakang had suffered some great injustice from his rise from mayor to municipal party secretary.

Sha Ruijin smiled and said, "If Li Dakang is an incompetent and corrupt person, then the 500 million people of Lincheng will suffer."

Tian Guofu nodded and continued, "Back then, there were rumors that Gao Yuliang was going to leave Luzhou. Gao Yuliang himself had told his friends that he might not be able to stay until that day and would have to leave. But the result was quite surprising—it was Li Dakang who left Luzhou instead."

As Sha Ruijin listened, his gaze deepened. He put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and slowly said, "This fact can lead to two completely different conclusions. First, Comrade Zhao Lichun appoints people based on merit, using only the right ones and not those who are close, even at the cost of abandoning his former secretary, Li Dakang. Second, Comrade Zhao Lichun used his son, Zhao Ruilong, to make some kind of exchange of benefits with Liang Qunfeng and Gao Yuliang, who were looking for powerful backers, thereby squeezing out Li Dakang and promoting Gao Yuliang."

The task that Sha Ruijin and Tian Guofu brought with them when they came down was, in itself, a joke.

Tian Guofu immediately chimed in, "I prefer the second option. Because the food court is already there in person."

Sha Ruijin smiled and waved his hand: "Secretary Tian, ​​don't be so hasty. We need to find out more."

Tian Guofu nodded, knowing that the topic of Gao Yuliang could only end there for now. Any further discussion would be premature.

He then brought up another topic: "Should we investigate the business activities of the Zhao family's children in our province?"

Sha Ruijin had already planned for this problem. He put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Conduct a comprehensive investigation. Just do it, don't say anything."

He paused, then added, "Let Yi Xuexi start his investigation from the Luzhou Food City."

This is to use the food court as a pebbles, a test to see what happens. Yi Xuexi is now the acting mayor of Lüzhou City, so investigating the food court is perfectly legitimate. Moreover, given Yi Xuexi's personality, he won't be ambiguous or lenient. This stunt will definitely produce results.

Tian Guofu nodded: "Okay, I'll explain it to Yi Xuexi later."

He then remembered something else: "Oh, right, there's also the Qingshan gas field issue, which has been making headlines recently. What's your opinion, Secretary Sha?"

Sha Ruijin remained silent for a moment.

The Qingshan Gas Field project, approved by Liu Changsheng, was taken over by the Shanshui Group, which was essentially a front for the Zhao family. Hou Liangping investigated the case and cracked it within 24 hours.

Liu Changsheng's reaction was indeed excessive.

“Let’s investigate,” Sha Ruijin said calmly. “Liu Changsheng overreacted this time; we need to find out more. He’s been operating for many years and is the biggest local tyrant in Handong. This time, his power is extraordinary.”

Tian Guofu hesitated for a moment: "It's just a gas field, not a big project. Should we put it on hold?"

At this point, he started talking about politics and human relationships.

Sha Ruijin looked at him, a hint of meaning in his eyes: "We should at least find out something. We don't necessarily have to take any action."

Tian Guofu was still worried: "This time, the higher-ups haven't given any instructions regarding Liu Changsheng. Shouldn't we be more cautious? Liu Changsheng is still in office; it won't be easy to investigate him without being discovered."

Sha Ruijin laughed: "That's why we need to let outsiders investigate."

Tian Guofu was taken aback: "You mean... Hou Liangping?"

“Yes.” Sha Ruijin nodded. “He has no connection with Handong and was just suspended from his duties by Liu Changsheng. Letting him investigate should be fine.”

Tian Guofu frowned: "Comrade Hou Liangping's stance is fine, but regarding his abilities..."

Sha Ruijin waved his hand: "Comrade Hou Liangping is not suitable to be a manager. But judging from his time in the Anti-Corruption Bureau, he would be fine as an executor. Moreover, he has a strong background and the courage to investigate."

Tian Guofu thought for a moment and nodded: "Then I'll go talk to Hou Liangping about it?"

Sha Ruijin shook his head, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then put it down, saying calmly, "No rush. Let him wait and see."

When Li Dakang returned to the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee, it was already past lunchtime.

The car drove into the municipal party committee compound. He leaned back in the back seat for a while without getting out immediately.

The sky outside the window was overcast, as if it were about to rain. The early spring breeze blew through the sycamore trees in the yard, making them seem as if they were about to sprout new buds.

The driver waited a moment, then asked softly, "Secretary Li, we've arrived."

Li Dakang opened his eyes, nodded, and pushed open the car door.

Xiao Jin was already waiting at the office door. Seeing him come over, she quickly went to greet him: "Secretary, you're back. How did the Standing Committee meeting go?"

Li Dakang did not answer, but asked, "Is Mayor Zheng Hong here?"

"Yes, I have no plans to go out this afternoon."

"Call him over." Li Dakang pushed open the office door, walked in, and placed his briefcase on the table. "Also, call Vice Mayor Zhu Hongyi and Sun Liancheng from Guangming District over."

Xiao Jin paused for a moment, but immediately nodded: "Okay, I'll contact them right away."

Li Dakang sat down in the chair, picked up the teacup on the table, and found the tea to be at the perfect temperature.

He took a sip, frowned, and then put it down.

He mentally reviewed the proceedings of the Standing Committee meeting once again.

He blocked the establishment of a leadership group for the Guangming Peak project. But he paid a price—Sun Liancheng lost his position as commander-in-chief, and Zhu Hongyi was going to take over.

Zheng Hong's knife eventually cut in.

This is a compromise, and also a way to cut losses.

At least, Qi Tongwei didn't directly intervene. At least, Guangming Peak is still in Jingzhou's hands.

But Zhu Hongyi is Zheng Hong's man, and Zheng Hong is backed by Qi Tongwei. With this thorn in his side, things at Guangming Peak will no longer be decided by him alone.

He needs to make his point clear.

Ten minutes later, Zheng Hong was the first to arrive.

When he pushed the door open, he had his usual humble smile on his face, and there was not a trace of smugness in his eyes.

He must have already heard the news from the Standing Committee meeting. Zhu Hongyi was to be the commander-in-chief, but he remained calm and composed.

"Secretary Li, you wanted to see me?" Zheng Hong sat down in the chair opposite the desk, his posture slightly relaxed.

Li Dakang didn't look at him or say anything; he just continued looking at the documents in his hand.

Zheng Hong's smile froze slightly, but he quickly recovered. He wasn't in a hurry; he just sat there and waited.

Five minutes later, Zhu Hongyi arrived.

Zhu Hongyi was in his early fifties, thin, and wore gold-rimmed glasses, making him look like a scholar. When he pushed open the door, his steps were steady, and his face wore a cautious expression, revealing no emotion.

"Secretary Li, Mayor Zheng." He bowed slightly and sat down on the sofa next to him.

After waiting for nearly ten more minutes, Sun Liancheng finally arrived.

When he pushed the door open, his face wore that familiar tired expression, and his eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept well the night before. Seeing Zheng Hong and Zhu Hongyi both there, he paused for a moment, then walked to the sofa and found a corner to sit down.

"Secretary Li, Mayor Zheng, Mayor Zhu," he greeted them, his voice somewhat low.

Li Dakang closed the document in his hand, looked up, and looked at the three of them.

The office was silent for a few seconds.

Then Li Dakang spoke, his voice flat and devoid of emotion: "I called you here because I have something to announce. The overall commander of the Guangming Peak project needs to be adjusted."

Sun Liancheng's body stiffened slightly, but he quickly relaxed.

Li Dakang looked at him: "Comrade Liancheng, your work in Guangming District has been very demanding. Two leadership teams are on your shoulders; it's not easy. You've also done a lot of work on the Guangming Peak project recently. But—"

He paused, his tone becoming even: "The Guangming Peak project is too important and requires more effort. You currently have limited energy and cannot handle everything. The Provincial Party Committee and the Municipal Party Committee have decided to adjust your division of labor. I recommend Comrade Zhu Hongyi to serve as the general commander of the Guangming Peak project."

Sun Liancheng lowered his head and remained silent.

Zheng Hong glanced at him, his lips twitched slightly, but he said nothing.

Zhu Hongyi sat on the sofa, leaning slightly forward, his expression serious but revealing neither joy nor anger.

Li Dakang continued, "Comrade Liancheng, you will continue to serve as the head of Guangming District, and at the same time be responsible for the overall work of the district committee. You can put the Guangming Peak project aside for now and cooperate with Comrade Hongyi to ensure a smooth handover."

Sun Liancheng raised his head, glanced at Li Dakang, and then nodded, his voice devoid of emotion: "Okay, Secretary Li, I will obey the organization's arrangements."

Li Dakang looked at Sun Liancheng, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said, "Comrade Liancheng, you can speak your mind now."

Sun Liancheng shook his head: "I have no idea. I'll do whatever Secretary Li says."

These words were spoken in a very calm tone, but there was something indescribable in that calmness—not resistance, not anger, but a completely indifferent attitude.

Li Dakang didn't say anything more.

He turned to Zhu Hongyi: "Comrade Hongyi, you will be in charge of the Guangming Peak project from now on. What are your thoughts?"

Zhu Hongyi stood up, took two steps forward, and stood in front of the desk. His attitude was respectful but his tone was steady: "Secretary Li, thank you for the organization's trust. The Guangming Peak project is a key project for the entire province, and it carries great responsibility. I will definitely do my best to live up to the organization's expectations."

clichés!