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

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted in the conference room.

The applause subsided, and Sha Ruijin continued, "I found it very inspiring. But Comrade Yuliang, I think that since we're doing self-analysis, we shouldn't hold back."

Gao Yuliang looked at Sha Ruijin: "Secretary Sha, what do you mean by that?"

Sha Ruijin also looked at Gao Yuliang: "Comrade Yuliang, I have also studied the book 'The German Ideology' at the Party School."

"You've talked about the weakness of intellectuals, but what about their dependence?"

Chapter 169 Democratic Life Meeting (Part Three)

In the third hour of the democratic life meeting of the Handong Provincial Committee, the atmosphere finally began to show signs of "red faces and sweating".

But there's a specific way to produce this "sweat".

The previous rounds were all a warm-up, a prelude, an opportunity for each other to save face. Criticizing Sha Ruijin for building a basketball court? Criticizing Qi Tongwei for being aloof? What did that amount to?

Even when Tian Guofu was "besieged" by Qi Tongwei, Liu Changsheng, and Wu Chunlin, seemingly fiercely, he ultimately defused the situation with a simple statement: "Deputy Director Zhong of the inspection team made difficult demands"—which also served as an official endorsement of the recently widely circulated "breakup fee" rumors.

Everyone knows that the real drama lies with Gao Yuliang.

Gao Yuliang himself was aware of this.

So when he spoke last, using his forty years of work experience as a starting point, he talked about the "harmony" in his personality and the "weakness" of intellectuals, and finally took the initiative to expose the scars of Luzhou Food City, the entire conference room was immersed in a subtle, relieved admiration.

This self-criticism was profound, sincere, and had a historical depth; it even carried a touch of poetic introspection. Even Sha Ruijin led the applause.

As the applause subsided, Sha Ruijin abruptly changed the subject, asking casually, "Comrade Yuliang, I also studied 'The German Ideology' at the Party School. You talked about the weakness of intellectuals, but what about their dependence?"

The air in the conference room, which had just begun to relax, instantly froze again.

Gao Yuliang paused slightly as he adjusted his glasses. His gaze behind the lenses flickered for a moment, then quickly returned to calm. He looked up, his signature refined smile still on his face, though the smile itself seemed superficial.

“Secretary Sha is right.” His voice remained calm, as if responding to a perfectly ordinary work suggestion. “Intellectuals do indeed still have the characteristic of ‘dependence’.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Tian Guofu spoke up. He had been waiting for this opportunity for a full three hours. The frustration of being besieged by Qi Tongwei and his two companions earlier had now transformed into just the right amount of pressing questioning: "So, does Comrade Yuliang, who considers himself an intellectual, also possess this characteristic?"

Gao Yuliang turned to look at Tian Guofu, his smile unchanged: "Marx's inductive summary, as a Marxist, I naturally cannot escape this trap."

“Then you are dependent on…” Tian Guofu leaned forward.

Gao Yuliang smiled and interrupted him, enunciating each word clearly: "Naturally, we'll align ourselves with Organization D. Who else could we align ourselves with?"

These three words, like a chess piece gently placed, snapped and settled on the chessboard.

Tian Guofu's face froze.

Gao Yuliang's statement is logically flawless. Who among those present dares to say their party loyalty isn't dependent on the organization? Who dares to refute this politically correct standard answer? But everyone knows that what Sha Ruijin asked, what Tian Guofu wanted to pursue, wasn't what he meant at all.

“You…” Tian Guofu’s face darkened. “Comrade Yuliang, you were quite insightful in your self-analysis before, so why are you trying to be cunning now?”

The moment he finished speaking, the smile on Gao Yuliang's face vanished as if blown away by a gust of wind. His expression darkened, and his entire aura suddenly became sharp.

"Comrade Guofu, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want." His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like ice. "You can't even handle your own disciplinary committee's affairs, so don't jump out and point fingers at a time like this."

The temperature in the conference room plummeted.

Tian Guofu's face was extremely grim. He hadn't expected Gao Yuliang, who had just been so confident and self-proclaimed "weak," to change his attitude so quickly. That comment about "jumping out to point fingers" was practically a slap in the face to him in front of everyone.

Li Dakang's eyelids twitched, knowing his old rival was serious, and he instinctively sat up straight. Qi Tongwei kept his head down, his expression unreadable. Liu Changsheng picked up his teacup, slowly skimming the foam off the surface with the lid, as if the tea leaves held some secret. Wu Chunlin stared motionless at the notebook in front of him.

Sha Ruijin remained silent. He leaned back in his chair, calmly observing everything, like someone sitting atop a mountain watching the clouds churn.

The silence lasted only a few seconds, but it felt exceptionally long.

Li Dakang had no choice but to speak up; at this moment, he had to step in and smooth things over: "Secretary Yuliang, don't get agitated. This is a democratic life meeting; everyone is here for work, to help their comrades..."

"Am I excited?" Gao Yuliang turned to look at Li Dakang, his tone calm.

Then she turned back, her gaze fixed on Tian Guofu again, and her voice suddenly rose: "No wonder the Discipline Inspection Commission has been so quiet lately, so they're investigating me! The big move Secretary Tian mentioned earlier, it's aimed at me, isn't it? Bring out whatever evidence you have! Coincidentally, everyone's here, let's just hold a Standing Committee meeting and deal with me!"

Tian Guofu was caught off guard by this sudden counterattack. He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

Sha Ruijin had no choice but to step down.

"Comrade Yuliang, calm down." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. "How did things get to this point?"

Gao Yuliang turned to Sha Ruijin, his anger undiminished, but his tone softened slightly: "Secretary Sha, it's not that I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. What kind of occasion is this? It's a democratic life meeting convened by the Handong Provincial Committee! What is Secretary Tian's position? He is the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of Handong Province, in charge of the province's organizational discipline. If Secretary Tian didn't have solid evidence, would he accuse me of disloyalty and dishonesty to the organization in this kind of setting?"

"When did I say you were disloyal and dishonest to the organization?" Tian Guofu found a loophole in his rebuttal.

"You said my self-criticism just now was evasive." Gao Yuliang stared at him, enunciating each word clearly. "My self-criticism at this democratic life meeting was addressed to the Provincial Party Committee. As I just said, I will also report this self-criticism to the Central Committee later. You say I was evasive, isn't that implying that I am disloyal and dishonest to the organization?"

This tactic is called "exaggerating the issue" or "labeling." It's a skill that Gao Yuliang honed over decades of experience in the political and legal system.

The tactics were old-fashioned, but Tian Guofu's flippant remarks gave them ammunition.

Tian Guofu's face turned pale and then flushed. He realized he had said the wrong thing.

In the conference room, all eyes were on Tian Guofu. At this moment, he needed to make a choice: should he back down, admit his inappropriate wording, and turn the page; or should he continue to push forward and confront Gao Yuliang head-on?

If we take a step back, the climax of the democratic life meeting may come to an abrupt end, and all the previous groundwork will have been wasted.

But how do we keep pushing forward?

Tian Guofu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Being from the Discipline Inspection Commission, he adjusted quickly.

"Comrade Yuliang, don't be resistant." His voice regained its composure, even carrying a hint of elder's patience. "This is a democratic life meeting, meant to make everyone blush and sweat, to encourage each other to raise questions, solve problems, and promote progress. This is not the attitude you have when accepting criticism from comrades."

Gao Yuliang laughed, a relaxed laugh: "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. I thought it was from when I was sent to the countryside to go to the market."

A few suppressed laughs could be heard from inside the conference room.

The laughter made Tian Guofu, who had just regained his composure, waver again. Gao Yuliang was using a lighthearted tone to dispel the seriousness in his words.

Gao Yuliang continued, "A democratic life meeting is about asking each other questions. But you have to have something to say, and you can't just make things up without any evidence. I've been asking you to provide evidence, otherwise you'll just be making a scene like a shrew."

The conversation grew increasingly heated, but the tone became increasingly cunning.

The other members of the Standing Committee present seemed to have agreed beforehand, and collectively entered a state of "Xu Shu entering Cao Cao's camp - not uttering a word".

This was a situation Gao Yuliang had anticipated. He had learned from the lesson of the last Standing Committee meeting—he had been too mild-mannered that time, and under Sha Ruijin's guidance, he had fallen into a predicament of being besieged.

This time, he identified a target and pursued it relentlessly, adopting a stance of fighting to the bitter end. Without Qian Wenzhao, that reckless and impulsive young man, the other Standing Committee members, fearing they would get caught in the crossfire, naturally remained silent.

Sha Ruijin, at this moment, would not easily step down. Once he did, he would lose his aloof demeanor. If Gao Yuliang were to counterattack and he were unable to save face, it would severely damage his prestige.

We should be above contradictions, not within them.

Gao Yuliang understands this principle, and Sha Ruijin understands it even better.

Tian Guofu understood. He knew that at this moment, he could only rely on himself.

"Comrade Yuliang." His tone grew even more somber. "Secretary Sha pointed out earlier that you omitted the issue of intellectuals' dependence in your self-criticism. When I pressed you for details, you used clichés like 'dependence on the organization.' Isn't that just being evasive?"

Gao Yuliang took a leisurely sip of tea, put down the cup, and said, "For us Communist Party members, believing in, relying on, and obeying the organization is our duty, something that should be ingrained in our bones. Am I wrong?"

Tian Guofu had long been disgusted by Gao Yuliang's constant preaching of high principles. Hearing this again now, he couldn't help but retort, "This is a democratic life meeting of the Provincial Party Committee, not an ideological report at the Political and Legal Affairs Commission! Save those platitudes for later."

Gao Yuliang smiled, a very composed smile: "Secretary Tian, ​​you seem to have a prejudice against me. These 'clichés' you speak of are also very important. You've been working in the Discipline Inspection Commission, so you may not understand, but cadre education is also an important part of the Provincial Party Committee's work."

The more composed Gao Yuliang became, the more anxious Tian Guofu grew. His voice unconsciously rose: "Comrade Yuliang, you've gone off-topic!"

Gao Yuliang remained unhurried: "Secretary Tian said that my dependence on the organization is cunning, disloyal, and dishonest. Then tell me, where does my 'dependence' as an intellectual manifest itself? If I don't depend on the organization, then who outside the organization have I depended on?"

First, they relentlessly attacked, then they used a fallacy of changing the subject. Tian Guofu was extremely disgusted by this combination of tactics: "This is a fallacy of changing the subject! Does that mean we can only rely on people outside the organization?"

Please step into the urn.

Gao Yuliang's eyes lit up slightly, and he immediately continued the conversation: "Then Secretary Tian must have solid evidence and know which person in the organization I've aligned myself with? Why don't you tell me!"

The air in the conference room seemed to freeze.

Everyone present knew who this "someone within the organization" referred to. But given Zhao Lichun's position and the fact that the "Zhi" (a political term) hadn't been officially confirmed, who dared to speak out at this point?

Tian Guofu could only evade the question: "Take the food city in Luzhou, for example. Is it really just a limitation of history? Is it just because the province wants to develop the tertiary industry? Are there other factors?"

Gao Yuliang nodded, his tone softening as if he finally understood the other party's "misunderstanding": "So, Secretary Tian had a misunderstanding about me here. In this matter, I am indeed not as farsighted as Secretary Dakang. I take responsibility for it. But there are really not many people like Secretary Dakang. Not only me, but the others in the Luzhou leadership at the time did not have this vision. At that time, in order to develop the economy, our Luzhou Standing Committee unanimously approved the launch of the food city project."

This is using "collective decision-making" as an excuse.

Tian Guofu immediately chimed in: "But I heard that before the Standing Committee meeting on the food court, you spoke with each of the opposing Standing Committee members."

Gao Yuliang looked at him: "Secretary Tian, ​​who told you that?"

"I can't tell you that."

“As the Party Secretary of the Municipal Committee, isn’t it normal for me to exchange opinions with my comrades before the meeting?” Gao Yuliang said matter-of-factly.

“But when you communicated with the opposing Standing Committee members, you mentioned that this was supported by the then Provincial Party Secretary.” Tian Guofu revealed his hand, word by word.

Gao Yuliang nodded slowly: "Indeed. I was also a bit unsure about the food court project at the time, so naturally I had to seek the opinion of the higher-level organizations. The provincial party secretary at the time was Comrade Zhao Lichun, who expressed his support on behalf of the provincial party committee. What? Does Secretary Tian mean that Comrade Zhao Lichun cannot represent the provincial party committee?"

Tian Guofu dared not accept this challenge. To say that Gao Yuliang "couldn't represent" the Party Committee would be to question its authority. Back then, Zhao Lichun was the Provincial Party Secretary; he represented the Provincial Party Committee, and that represented the Provincial Party Committee's stance. To question this was tantamount to denying the legitimacy of the Provincial Party Committee's decisions. However, if Gao Yuliang "could represent" the Party Committee, then his actions were entirely legal and compliant.

Tian Guofu didn't respond. Gao Yuliang answered for him: "So, aren't I still trusting and relying on the organization? It's just that I'm relying on the higher-level organization. The Standing Committee members who changed their stance back then also trusted the judgment of the higher-level organization."

We've come full circle again.

Tian Guofu felt a lump in his throat. He had no choice but to reveal his true intentions: "Then why—did Zhao Ruilong get this project?"

Gao Yuliang leaned back slightly, sitting comfortably in the wide sofa chair, as if chatting in his own living room: "I don't know about that. I wasn't involved in the bidding process; in the end, it was Mayor Lü of Luzhou who signed it. Perhaps it was because all aspects were compared and it was indeed suitable."

Then, a hint of surprise appeared on his face, but his tone was exceptionally sincere: "Secretary Tian, ​​do you suspect that I had a power-for-money deal with Zhao Ruilong? Go ahead and investigate. If I have any improper income, I will turn myself in."

After he finished speaking, he paused and turned to look at Li Dakang: "My daughter has also returned from abroad, and her financial situation can also be investigated."

Li Dakang rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything.

Gao Yuliang's words were both soft and firm. He proactively invited an investigation into his financial situation, even involving his daughter, a gesture that seemed almost frank.

The reason Tian Guofu dared to be so open was because he had indeed investigated Gao Yuliang's financial situation—it was as clean as a blank sheet of paper. His daughter, Gao Fangfang, was an even more dedicated scholar, with significant achievements in scientific research; she could easily be called a scientist.

Even the food court, which had the biggest flaws, had flawless procedures. Collective decision-making, superior support, open bidding... every step was documented and documented with meeting minutes.

This was the first time Tian Guofu had truly experienced how difficult this "professor" was.

He had always looked down on Gao Yuliang. How much ability could a scholar-turned-cadre, who spent his days spouting pedantry and grand theories, possibly have? But now, facing him alone, he realized that this seemingly gentle man was like a curled-up hedgehog—full of weaknesses, yet impossible to attack.

Tian Guofu took a deep breath and changed his perspective. Since he couldn't catch the person, he would catch the issue.

"Regardless, the Luzhou Food City does have problems. And it did indeed pass through your hands. Comrade Yuliang, how do you plan to rectify this mistake?"

Gao Yuliang looked surprised, as if he had heard the simplest question: "Demolish it! Didn't Secretary Sha already make the decision? I fully support it."

"I'm asking—how to demolish it?"