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

Luo Xuejun nodded, went out, and closed the door behind him.

There were only two people left in the office, but the atmosphere wasn't particularly different; it was just that there was no other gaze on them.

Xiao Gangyu first gave a brief overview of the recent situation at the Provincial Public Security Department—the progress of the comprehensive summer security campaign, the handling of a major criminal case in a certain area, and a recent internal reshuffle within the department. He spoke at a measured pace, clearly and logically.

Gao Yuliang listened, nodding occasionally, his expression calm. He would occasionally ask a question or two, all specific: whether the investigation of that case had exceeded expectations, and whether there had been any gaps in the work handover among the rotating positions. The questions were not in-depth, but they hit the nail on the head.

After finishing his daily report, Xiao Gangyu paused, then changed the subject: "Secretary Yuliang, there are a few more things I need to report to you."

"explain."

"The first issue," Xiao Gangyu said, "is about the case transfer process between the Provincial Public Security Department and the Provincial Procuratorate. Currently, in some cases, after the criminal investigation team has completed its investigation and transferred the case to the procuratorate, the proportion of cases returned for supplementary investigation by the procuratorate has been increasing in recent years. Recently, some voices have suggested that the process needs optimization and that a reform should be promoted—introducing a mechanism for prosecutors to intervene in the investigation before the case is transferred, allowing both sides to proceed simultaneously and reducing the rate of returned cases."

After listening, Gao Yuliang adjusted his glasses, thought for a moment, and asked, "What's the attitude of the Provincial Procuratorate?"

"Chief Prosecutor Ji is supportive; we've had initial discussions."

Gao Yuliang hummed in agreement, tapped his finger lightly on the table, and instead of immediately giving his opinion, asked, "What are the opinions within the Public Security Bureau?"

Xiao Gangyu gave a wry smile: "There's a lot of internal debate; some people support it, and some oppose it."

Gao Yuliang did not offer an opinion, but continued to press, "Are there any other provinces or cities in the country that are already piloting this mechanism?"

"Yes, several cities in the neighboring province are trying it out, and the results are quite good."

Gao Yuliang nodded, his expression conveying something indescribable—neither denial nor enthusiasm, but rather a cautious composure born from witnessing too many reforms come and go, and a willingness to embrace anything new.

He said, "This is a good thing, and the direction is correct. But pushing this forward isn't just about the Provincial Public Security Department and the Provincial Procuratorate expressing their support. It involves the performance evaluation of both systems, the evidentiary standards for specific cases, and how responsibility will be shared if problems arise later. These issues need to be clarified before we can take action."

"We can clarify things while conducting pilot programs," Xiao Gangyu said. "We'll select one or two cities to test it out first, and then promote it to the provincial level."

Gao Yuliang remained silent for a few seconds before speaking, his tone still calm, but with an undercurrent that brooked no further discussion:

"As for Corundum, let's leave this matter to the next administration."

Xiao Gangyu was slightly taken aback.

"It's not that this shouldn't have been done," Gao Yuliang explained, his tone frank, even somewhat relaxed, as if he were discussing something he had already thought through thoroughly. "It's just that the timing isn't right. You know, there's a leadership reshuffle next year. It's easy to push forward the work of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission—whether it's adjusting the direction or reforming the mechanisms—but if there are deviations in implementation, who will cover for it? If the person who pushed it forward is gone, the next administration will have to clean up the mess. It doesn't look good for anyone."

He paused, then changed his tone, becoming more casual: "Some things, when I was in office, I pushed them aside, and that was called my achievement; when I'm not in office, the new people don't change, there are no results, and if they want to change, it's all over again, just pointless tinkering. In the political and legal field, stability is more important than speed."

These words are spoken frankly and tactfully. They sound like a profound statement, but in reality, they reflect the clear-headedness of someone about to step down and push all the troubles onto their successor.

Xiao Gangyu nodded and continued, "Okay, there's one more thing."

"explain."

"Regarding the management of detention periods within the province," Xiao Gangyu said, "there are frequent cases of detention exceeding the legal limit in detention centers in several cities. Recently, in one case, the family of the detainee filed a complaint with the People's Congress. The Legislative Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Congress wants to meet with the Provincial Public Security Department, which may involve a special rectification requirement. I would like to ask you in advance whether the Political and Legal Affairs Commission needs to take the lead in coordinating this effort."

Gao Yuliang reacted more quickly this time, nodding: "You should actively cooperate with the People's Congress on this; there's no need to wait for the Political and Legal Affairs Commission to take the lead. As for the issue of prolonged detention, resolve it yourselves if possible, to avoid escalating the situation and becoming passive."

"If the rectification involves the funding and staffing of detention centers," Xiao Gangyu said, "it may be necessary for the Political and Legal Affairs Commission to submit a special report to the Provincial Party Committee to seek financial support."

"First, find out where the problem lies," Gao Yuliang interrupted him calmly. "Going to the provincial party committee for resources without a proper investigation is easily seen as trying to grab resources and expand power. It's not solving problems, it's creating them."

He paused, then added, "The same applies to this matter. We should investigate thoroughly, come up with a plan, and let the next leadership decide on it. That's much better than hastily pushing forward a rectification plan now and leaving a mess behind."

It's "the next one" again.

Liu Xin and Xiao Gangyu's hearts skipped a beat, but they didn't say much, continuing, "The third issue concerns the allocation of village police officers. Some remote townships have a significant shortage of police officers, and several county party secretaries have jointly written to the provincial department, hoping to coordinate the transfer of a group of auxiliary police officers from the province to strengthen grassroots security."

After listening, Gao Yuliang paused for a moment, genuinely considering the matter. This time, instead of immediately passing it on to the "next term," he asked, "Which counties?"

Xiao Gangyu reported three county names.

Gao Yuliang hummed in agreement, put on his reading glasses, glanced at Xiao Gangyu, and said, "The allocation of auxiliary police officers is something the department can decide on its own; it doesn't require approval from the Political and Legal Affairs Commission. You can handle internal allocations. If you're short-handed, you can publicly recruit auxiliary police officers with matching funds from the local government; you don't need to wait for the province."

"Yes, I understand," Xiao Gangyu said, "but to establish a long-term mechanism that incorporates the allocation of village-based police forces into provincial standards, it might require guidance from the Political and Legal Affairs Commission—"

Gao Yuliang looked at him quietly:

"Hollow Tamaki, what exactly do you want to say today?"

The question was direct, and Xiao Gangyu did not respond immediately.

Gao Yuliang didn't wait for him. He went over the matter himself, his tone becoming sharper: "It's a good thing that the procuratorate intervened in the investigation in advance, but there's no rush; rectification of prolonged detention is necessary, but the approach is problematic; the allocation of police officers stationed in the village is something the department can decide on its own, without needing my guidance."

"Of all the things you've reported today, how many were genuine requests for instructions? You were testing my attitude, weren't you?"

Xiao Gangyu's expression didn't change, but his fingers under the table clenched slightly for a moment, then immediately relaxed.

Gao Yuliang continued, his tone even calmer than before, as if discussing something unrelated to him: "Regarding the political and legal system, Gangyu, my current thinking is very simple: stability. No major incidents, no hidden dangers, just a smooth and uneventful year to hand it over. Any problem with any of these matters will cause trouble, and none of them can be resolved in a short time."

He paused, a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips—a smile tinged with self-mockery and a hint of acceptance.

"Of these matters, none are worth pushing forward now. What needs to be done should be left to the next administration. I've already done more than enough by paving the way for them and not digging any pitfalls for them."

After saying that, he picked up the pen again, opened the document in front of him, lowered his head, and began to write his instructions.

This action is a signal to end.

Xiao Gangyu paused in his chair for two seconds, suppressing the last thing he really wanted to say—about Liu Xinjian's case and the news from the Discipline Inspection Commission.

He knew that there was no need for him to speak to Gao Yuliang today.

He stood up: "I'm sorry to have bothered Secretary Yuliang. I'll go back and arrange things at the department."

"Okay, come anytime if you have any questions." Gao Yuliang didn't look up.

Xiao Gangyu walked to the door, placed his hand on the doorknob, and heard Gao Yuliang's voice behind him, still steady, but with a hint of something:

"Gangyu, regarding the political and legal affairs sector, your department shouldn't push for any major initiatives before the end of the year. Focusing on doing your current tasks well is more important than anything else."

These words sound like work instructions, but Xiao Gangyu knew they had another layer: Don't make any rash moves during this period, don't cause any mistakes, and don't let this ship capsize before entering the port.

"Understood." He closed the door.

In the small office outside, Luo Xuejun happened to be carrying a document. The two brushed past each other, nodded, and did not speak.

Xiao Gangyu walked towards the elevator, slowing his pace as he mentally reviewed the past few tens of minutes.

Gao Yuliang neither agreed to nor directly refused any of the subsequent requests. He gave a seemingly reasonable reason for each one before closing the door.

He said the phrase "leave it to the next person" more than once.

The biggest political interest for Gao Yuliang right now is to avoid any trouble, leave no evidence, and ensure a smooth handover.

Any reform, any advancement, any major move carries risks and the possibility of failure.

So he chose to do nothing and push everything to the next person.

Isn't this just a smaller version of Governor Liu?

Xiao Gangyu's heart sank.

If the miniature "Governor Liu" doesn't work, is there still hope if we go to see the real Governor Liu?

-

The provincial government building and the provincial party committee building are separated by a road, and it takes less than five minutes to walk between them.

Xiao Gangyu walked into the provincial government building, nodded to the staff at the entrance, and went straight to the sixth floor.

Liu Changsheng's secretary was sitting in the outer room organizing documents. Seeing Xiao Gangyu, he stood up and nodded: "Director Xiao, Governor Liu is here. I'll go and inform him."

"Thank you for your trouble."

The secretary went in, and came out a moment later, stepping aside to let him in.

Liu Changsheng's office was a bit more spacious than Gao Yuliang's. There was a whole wall of bookshelves against the wall, which were not only filled with books, but also had several file racks. They were neat and orderly, giving a sense of meticulously organized order.

Liu Changsheng sat behind his desk, a document in his hand, his brow relaxed and his expression composed. Seeing Xiao Gangyu enter, he gestured with his chin towards the sofa without standing up: "Sit."

Xiao Gangyu sat down on the sofa and, just like he had with Gao Yuliang, first gave a report on the recent routine work of the Public Security Bureau, including figures, cases, and deployments, without omitting anything or being perfunctory.

Liu Changsheng listened, still looking at his document, occasionally turning a page, without any reaction, nodding, or expressing any objection, just looking like he didn't care about anything.

After Xiao Gangyu finished speaking, he put the documents in the stack on the right, took a new one from the left, opened it, read a couple of lines, and then turned to ask, "Is there a lot of pressure regarding summer security this year?"

"There is pressure, but it's manageable. The number of cases filed is lower than the same period last year."

"That's good." Liu Changsheng nodded and turned his gaze back to the documents.

They didn't seem inclined to ask any further questions.

Xiao Gangyu sat on the sofa, gathering the words he had rehearsed countless times in his mind before forcing himself to speak: "Governor Liu, there's one more thing."

"explain."

"The Discipline Inspection Commission is interrogating Liu Xinjian and investigating several projects he handled," Xiao Gangyu said firmly, each word deliberate. "I heard the investigation has expanded somewhat."

Liu Changsheng's hands never stopped flipping through the documents.

"It should be investigated," he said softly and casually, as if responding to a trivial matter. "Liu Xinjian has been detained, so of course the projects he handled need to be reviewed; it's standard procedure for the Discipline Inspection Commission."

"Yes, the procedure is normal," Xiao Gangyu said. "It's just that I heard this investigation seems to be biased, not just verifying Liu Xinjian's personal issues, but extending to a consulting firm—a small company registered in a county in Handong that specializes in energy assessment reports."

Liu Changsheng finally raised his eyes.

He looked at Xiao Gangyu with a gaze that was neither surprised nor wary, but rather a seasoned calm honed by years of experience in officialdom. It was as if he were looking at something interesting, unsure if it posed any danger, but wanting to see it clearly first.

He put down the file, rested his hand on the table, and spoke in a calm and unhurried tone:

How do you know so much?

He paused, his lips twitched—not a smile, but close—and his full head of silver hair gleamed with a greyish light: "You investigated too?"

Xiao Gangyu didn't pause and continued, "Liu Xinjian has been detained. Young Master Zhao asked me to keep an eye on the Discipline Inspection Commission's movements. I found out by chance."

He placed the two characters "Young Master Zhao" in the middle, neither the heaviest nor the lightest, like a seasoning added to slightly change the flavor of the soup.

It's common knowledge that he's close to the Shanshui Group. It's perfectly reasonable for Xiao Gangyu to be concerned now that Liu Xinjian, the Zhao family's moneybag, has been arrested.

Liu Changsheng clasped his hands together on the table, looked at him, and didn't rush to speak.

Outside the window, the June sun was blazing, and light streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a thin, bright line on the floor.

After a few seconds, Liu Changsheng spoke: "What are your thoughts?"

These four questions are asked cleanly and without emotion or stance; they are simply left there, waiting for the other party to fill in the blanks.

Xiao Gangyu mentally reviewed the answer one last time and said, "I can ask the Discipline Inspection Commission for help."

Three words: simple, direct, and with clear boundaries.

Each word stands up to scrutiny, but when put together, no substantial content can be found that can be recorded or investigated.

Liu Changsheng looked at him, his expression close to a smile but not quite a smile.