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

Tian Guofu, the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, is not Hou Liangping of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. It's not so easy for him to suppress the person and the case together.

At that time, Governor Liu will definitely need another system to check and balance him, to seize evidence, and to seize the power to handle cases.

feasible!

He didn't even need to actually hand over the evidence to Tian Guofu.

All he needed to do was convince Liu Changsheng that Tian Guofu was investigating the matter.

Xiao Gangyu finally had a glimmer of hope and was just about to think about how to implement it when there was a knock on the office door.

Ma Xiaokang left and then returned.

"what's up?"

Ma Xiaokang leaned closer and whispered, "Director, there's something I feel I need to report to you."

"When I was investigating the Qingshan gas field, I discovered that the Discipline Inspection Commission was also investigating this matter."

Xiao Gangyu was both surprised and delighted: "Are you sure?"

Ma Xiaokang nodded: "Confirmed. Handong is only so big, and we know the methods and manpower of the Discipline Inspection Commission."

"It should be right."

Chapter 182 The Changing Landscape

When the research team from higher authorities arrived in Jingzhou, it was a cloudy day.

June in Jingzhou is the plum rain season; it's sticky and hot, with a damp feel in the air. The convoy left the airport and drove along the city's main road towards the Provincial Party Committee Hotel, the roadside trees outside the car windows swaying gently in the wind.

Sha Ruijin stood on the welcoming steps of the Provincial Party Committee Hotel, waiting.

Standing to his right were Liu Changsheng and Qi Tongwei, and to his left were Gao Yuliang and Tian Guofu. Behind them were several other provincial leaders present.

When a deputy-level leader leads a delegation to visit, the local principal leader must personally greet them.

That's right, Zhao Lichun has arrived.

Sha Ruijin appeared calm, but his heart was in turmoil. He had been in Handong for almost half a year, and this was about to be the first time he had met Zhao Lichun.

In the past six months, he has heard this name countless times—from every official he communicated with, from the political landscape of Handong, from archives that have become history, and from the still-living and active networks of connections.

Zhao Lichun wove a net in Handong for twenty years. After he left, the net was still there, still breathing, still operating.

Now, the net weavers have returned.

The silver-gray Coaster came to a steady stop at the bottom of the steps, and the provincial party committee members hurriedly went to greet it.

The electric gate opened.

Zhao Lichun walked down slowly.

Sha Ruijin looked at him.

He was sixty-eight years old, his hair completely white, but neatly combed, not a single strand out of place. He wasn't tall, about 1.75 meters, and wore a dark gray Zhongshan suit. His back was straight, his gait steady, and his face carried the understated composure characteristic of someone in a position of power. His eyes weren't large, squinting, and when they swept over, they looked like long, thin knives.

This is not a simple person.

Sha Ruijin took two steps forward, stepped forward, and extended his hand: "Old Zhao, welcome to Handong."

Sha Ruijin used the word "come" but not "return".

Zhao Lichun grasped his hand, smiled—a warm smile, tinged with the kindness honed by years of experience: "Comrade Ruijin, you've worked hard. You seem to have lost some weight since you arrived in Handong."

This was said very naturally and casually, like a senior leader exchanging pleasantries with a younger person.

But Sha Ruijin knew in his heart that saying "you've lost weight" at this time had another meaning—you've come to Handong, done a lot of things, and made yourself very tired.

He smiled, but didn't respond. Instead, he gestured: "Old Zhao, you're familiar with Governor Liu and Comrade Yuliang, so I won't introduce them. This is Comrade Qi Tongwei, our province's Executive Vice Governor."

Qi Tongwei stepped forward and grasped Zhao Lichun's hands with both: "Hello, Mr. Zhao."

Zhao Lichun glanced at him, his smile deepening. "Comrade Tongwei, it's an honor to meet you. I've been following you since your time at the crossing; you did a fantastic job. The crossing is now a benchmark."

"That was all in the past," Qi Tongwei said calmly. "We were young then and did some trial and error. The way the road crossing is where it is today is the result of the joint efforts of successive leadership teams."

Zhao Lichun nodded, his gaze lingering on his face for a second before shifting to the side.

"Yu Liang."

Gao Yuliang stepped forward, bowed slightly, extended his hands, and said calmly, "Old Zhao, it's been a long time."

"Long time no see." Zhao Lichun smiled, looking at him, her tone carrying an indescribable quality, "You're still as hale and hearty as ever."

Gao Yuliang pushed up his glasses: "I'm too old, I can't do it anymore."

"Don't mention it," Zhao Lichun waved his hand, "We're both this age, I know your strength."

Two sentences, just enough to get to the point.

After the initial greetings, the group headed towards the hotel. Sha Ruijin accompanied Zhao Lichun on his left, explaining the arrangements for the research trip with a thoughtful tone and appropriate wording, leaving no room for criticism.

Qi Tongwei walked at the back, following at a leisurely pace. Huang Qiaosong was half a step behind him and whispered, "Among the people Old Zhao brought this time, besides the CPPCC staff, there's one I recognize."

Qi Tongwei didn't turn around: "Who?"

"Among Old Zhao's secretary, there's a man surnamed Zhou. I checked, and he used to work for the Handong Provincial Government, but was later transferred to Shuntian, where he held a nominal position."

Qi Tongwei hummed in agreement and didn't ask any more questions.

The banquet was held in the internal restaurant of the Provincial Party Committee Hotel. It was not large, with only a dozen or so people. No outside guests were invited. The main leaders of the four major bodies each sent a few people, plus a few members of the research team, making up two tables.

The dishes were local to Handong: steamed fish, braised pork meatballs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a dish of braised pork with dried bamboo shoots—supposedly a favorite of Zhao Lichun, which he frequently ordered when he was the Party Secretary of Handong. The hotel chef specially sourced the ingredients from outside.

This detail was discovered by the hotel manager from old files.

Sha Ruijin saw the dried bamboo shoots being served but didn't say anything.

The liquor is Fenjiu, not Moutai.

Zhao Lichun glanced at the wine on the table and chuckled softly, "Comrade Ruijin, this suits my taste perfectly. Moutai is too strong; I can't drink it at my age."

"Take care of yourself, Mr. Zhao." Sha Ruijin raised his glass. "Come, let's welcome Mr. Zhao to Handong together."

"well."

The atmosphere was warm and convivial, with toasts and laughter. Zhao Lichun spoke little, but every word was perfectly chosen. He spoke of the changes in Handong over the years, of an old street he had seen during his research trip to Lüzhou, and of the day he made a special trip to walk along the Jingzhou Ring Road. He spoke of concrete things, avoiding any mention of policies or personnel, but behind each of these events lay the mark he had left on Handong.

Gao Yuliang, who was sitting next to him, listened attentively the whole time.

Sha Ruijin was also listening and waiting.

Waiting for Zhao Lichun to say what he really wanted to say tonight.

When it came to the third round of drinks, Zhao Lichun put down his glass, glanced around slightly, and slowly swept his gaze across the faces of the people at the table before landing on Sha Ruijin. He smiled.

"Comrade Ruijin," his voice wasn't loud, but everyone at the table fell silent, "I'm just here to take a look around and not cause you any trouble. Handong has built a very solid foundation over the years; it's all through hard work."

He paused.

"These achievements are the result of the hard work and dedication of all of you here today, generation after generation."

After saying that, he raised his glass and looked at everyone at the table.

"The future of Handong still depends on all of you comrades present here."

After saying that, he started drinking.

Sha Ruijin raised his cup and drank.

After downing a glass of Fenjiu, which wasn't strong, Sha Ruijin felt a burning sensation that ran down his throat.

He knew what those words meant.

"Comrades present here"—these five words do not refer to the people sitting at this table today, but to all those in the officialdom of Handong who have worked under him, Zhao Lichun, all those who have had dealings with him, and all those who have remained on this land after he left.

This was both a roll call and a rally.

The survey officially began the following morning.

The first stop was the Jingzhou New Energy Industrial Park, a key project promoted by Qi Tongwei since he took charge of the provincial government. It's a hub for high-tech enterprises, with an annual output value exceeding 10 billion yuan. This location was suggested by Qi Tongwei, and Sha Ruijin nodded in agreement.

The research team walked around the industrial park for nearly two hours, visited several production lines, and listened to reports from company leaders. Zhao Lichun walked slowly, observed carefully, and occasionally asked a few questions, but none of them were flawed—after all, he had served as the provincial party secretary for many years and was clear about the fundamentals of the macroeconomy.

"Good, good." He walked out of the last showroom, nodding. "This is the right direction; new energy is the future."

Qi Tongwei, standing beside him, calmly said, "Thank you for your affirmation, Mr. Zhao. The planning of this project also referenced some of Mr. Zhao's ideas on promoting the upgrading of manufacturing in Handong back then."

That was a very tactful statement.

Zhao Lichun glanced at him, smiled, and said nothing.

After lunch, the research team took a short rest at the hotel.

Sha Ruijin excused himself, saying he still had documents to process, and left. Zhao Lichun's entourage gestured for Gao Yuliang to stay—saying that Zhao wanted to catch up with the old comrade.

Gao Yuliang went along.

There were only two people left in the room.

Zhao Lichun's secretary placed the tea on the table, then left, closing the door behind him.

Zhao Lichun sat down in the chair, picked up the tea, and didn't rush to speak. He took a sip, put it down, and then looked at Gao Yuliang. His tone had changed; it was no longer the composure he had shown in front of everyone last night, but rather more direct.

"Yuliang, how much do you know about Liu Xinjian's side?"

Gao Yuliang's hand didn't move, nor did his expression change; he simply adjusted his glasses and said, "I know he's been detained. The disciplinary committee hasn't informed me of the details of the case."

Zhao Lichun looked at him, and after a few seconds, sighed softly: "You know how many years he's been with me."

"I know," Gao Yuliang said. "Old Secretary, don't worry. Liu Xinjian has handled projects over the years at the oil and gas group. He'll take responsibility for what he should and shouldn't say. I believe he knows what he should and shouldn't."

Zhao Lichun nodded. Being a seasoned fox, he naturally understood Gao Yuliang's meaning.

He didn't say anything more.

The two barely exchanged a few words before their reminiscing session ended abruptly.

The research team stayed in Handong for three days.

On the third day, Li Dakang accompanied Zhao Lichun on a visit to a major water conservancy project in Lincheng. This project was planned and approved during Zhao Lichun's tenure. In his report, Li Dakang specifically said, "Thank you for Zhao's foresight." Upon hearing this, Zhao Lichun's smile became slightly more sincere.

In the afternoon, the research team returned home.

At the entrance of the Provincial Party Committee Hotel, the same scene as before was observed, with several key officials seeing them off.