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

"First, find an excuse to go see a doctor, and then temporarily put you in charge of the provincial government's overall work. After two or three months, formally apply to the organization to resign."

"Because of health reasons, there's precedent for this. And the provincial government's decision to appoint you to oversee the work isn't without basis either; you were originally a candidate for provincial-level second-class cadre."

Qi Tongwei paused for a second or two before asking the question he most wanted to know: "What conditions is he demanding?"

Han Shen spoke casually, as if he were saying something he had long expected: "Naturally, it landed smoothly."

Qi Tongwei didn't respond immediately, but mentally repeated the words "landing smoothly" several times.

"Uncle," he began, his tone flat, "do you think there's something wrong with Liu Changsheng?"

"Yes," Han Shen said without hesitation, but without pursuing the matter further, "but it's not something we need to worry about. If he has problems, someone will investigate when the time is right; it's not now, and it's not our place to investigate."

"Then why is he in such a hurry to retreat now?" Qi Tongwei asked. "Sha Ruijin just made a move against him. Is he trying to avoid trouble, or has he already sensed something?"

"Both are true," Han Shen said, his tone tinged with approval, as if acknowledging the accuracy of the question, "but neither prevents his current choice from being rational."

He paused, then added, "Of course, he himself might not be able to clearly articulate which factor is more significant; in situations like these, instinct and calculation are often intertwined."

Qi Tongwei: "So, your judgment is—should we accept it or not?"

Han Shen's tone became more casual, as if he were stating something perfectly clear: "Why not accept it?"

"He wants to step down now and is willing to cooperate with us at the right time to smoothly hand over the provincial government. For us, this is a very low-cost gain. We only need to provide appropriate cooperation in the process of him stepping down to the second line. The rest, how to deal with it, is a matter for the higher-ups, and has nothing to do with us."

Qi Tongwei said softly, "If he really has a problem, and we help him, in the future—"

"His problems in the future are his problems," Han Shen interrupted him calmly, his tone carrying a lightness born of a profound understanding of human nature. "He won't expect us to bear unlimited joint responsibility for him, nor will we need to. Political dealings have always been limited and have boundaries, as everyone knows. He gave the price he could, and we accepted it; that's all."

Qi Tongwei sat in his study, picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea was a little cold and had a slightly astringent taste.

He knew Han Shen was right.

Liu Changsheng's voluntary withdrawal was like a piece of the puzzle falling naturally to Qi Tongwei; there was no need to fight for it or grab it, he just needed to catch it steadily.

But things seem to be going too smoothly. It's making me a little uneasy.

"Uncle," Qi Tongwei began, voicing his suspicions, "don't you feel that this happened a little too smoothly?"

Han Shen was silent for two or three seconds, then said something even softer than before, almost nonchalantly: "Tongwei, some things are better when they go smoothly. If they do, just accept it and don't go looking for something that will make things difficult."

This wasn't an attempt to avoid his question; it was a way of telling him that playing dumb is an art.

One cannot be a father-in-law without being both foolish and deaf.

Qi Tongwei understood and nodded.

"I understand, Uncle. I'll consult you again once Liu Changsheng makes a formal move."

"Okay," Han Shen said, his tone returning to its casual tone, "Alright, that's all for this matter. Are He Xian and the children alright?"

"Everything's fine," Qi Tongwei said, his tone becoming a little more relaxed. "I video chatted with them last night. Huaiyin's exams are coming up soon, and he's been under a lot of pressure lately. Huaiyuan, on the other hand, is quite calm and doesn't make a fuss. We're not really sure how he's doing."

"That's just how kids are at this age," Han Shen said, with a knowing air of someone who'd been there before. "Don't interfere too much, just trust them. Didn't you get through it all alone back then?"

Qi Tongwei chuckled: "Yes, back then nobody cared."

"That's good then." Han Shen smiled and said, "Okay, you go ahead with your work, contact me if you need anything."

"Okay, Uncle, take care."

The phone hangs up.

-

At the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee building, Li Dakang's personal cell phone rang.

The caller ID showed a number I hadn't contacted in a long time.

He stared at the number for two seconds, then answered.

"The old Party Secretary."

"Dakang."

Zhao Lichun's voice was still the same, unhurried and calm, carrying a composure and confidence honed over the years. Li Dakang had been familiar with this voice since the day he became Zhao's secretary. Back then, hearing this voice would give him a sense of security—this person could handle any situation, was honest and reliable, and following him would not be a loss.

But that was many years ago.

"It's been a long time since we last spoke on the phone," Zhao Lichun said casually, as if two old friends were catching up. "We didn't have a deep conversation during my last research trip to Lincheng. How have you been lately?"

"It's alright," Li Dakang said, his voice more composed than he had expected. "Nothing major has happened at work, and life goes on as usual."

"Is everything settled with Ouyang Jing?"

"It's all done."

"Very good," Zhao Lichun paused, his tone unchanged, but that pause made Li Dakang realize that what he was about to say was the real reason for his call today, "Dakang, I heard that Sha Ruijin has been making some moves lately, causing quite a bit of trouble in Handong. How are you feeling in the provincial capital?"

Li Dakang sat up slightly in his chair, mentally reviewed the question, and chose the safest answer: "During his time here, he has done some things, some of which he has done well, and some of which are negotiable."

"It's negotiable," Zhao Lichun repeated, a hint of a smile in his voice. "Dakang, you're getting better and better at speaking."

Li Dakang did not respond to this question.

"I heard he's investigating a lot of people," Zhao Lichun continued, his tone still casual and nostalgic, but every word was serious. "Has it involved your side?"

"There's one thing," Li Dakang said, "the disciplinary committee investigated Ouyang Jing's case, and I cooperated; there were no problems."

"Yes," Zhao Lichun said, "you've always been a clean person, I know that. I used you back then partly because you were capable, and partly because of that."

Li Dakang remained silent.

Zhao Lichun continued, "Dakang, I'm not making this call for any other reason than to ask your opinion—what do you think of Sha Ruijin?"

This problem is both simple and not simple.

Before answering, Li Dakang mentally reviewed what he had observed over the past few days, and then said, "He is a principled person, acts with discretion, is willing to do things, and is capable of doing them."

"That's a good evaluation," Zhao Lichun said. "How does he treat you?"

"It's alright," Li Dakang said. "I said what I needed to say and did what I needed to do; he didn't make things difficult for me."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. The silence wasn't long, but Li Dakang could sense that Zhao Lichun had broken down and rehearsed what he had just said in those few seconds.

"Dakang," Zhao Lichun began, a hint of unease creeping into his voice for the first time, "I've been under some pressure lately. I won't hide it from you; you're not an outsider, you understand what I mean. I want to know, if anything happens in Handong in the future, what's your stance?"

That's a very direct question.

This caused Li Dakang to fall silent for nearly five seconds.

"Old Party Secretary," he finally spoke, his voice not loud but steady, each word spoken with conviction, "you have shown me great kindness and mentorship, and I was able to pass this test because of the house you advised me to buy back then. I have always remembered these things and have never forgotten them."

Zhao Lichun remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"But," Li Dakang said, "you know me, when it comes to work, I respect the organization and procedures, not people. It's not that I've forgotten anyone's kindness, it's just that I can't repay personal favors with work-related matters. I can't mix these two things; if I did, I wouldn't be myself."

On the other end of the phone, Zhao Lichun paused for a moment.

Then he laughed, a genuine laugh tinged with a touch of melancholy, and something else entirely—a mix of disappointment and approval: "You're still the same. Decades have passed, and you haven't changed a bit."

"But things won't be as simple as you think. You'll come looking for me on your own."

"Old Secretary," Li Dakang said without replying, "take care of yourself."

"Okay," Zhao Lichun said, "that's settled then, you go ahead with your work."

The phone hangs up.

Chapter 186 Where Did the Secretary Go?

Everything seems unchanged.

In the provincial party committee compound, people come and go, documents circulate, meetings are held on time, and leaders arrive on time; July in Jingzhou is still as hot as ever.

But the presence of the Discipline Inspection Commission suddenly became stronger.

Especially Hou Liangping, the newly appointed deputy director of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office.

Some time ago, he openly arrested Liu Xinjian, chairman of Handong Oil and Gas Group. Before the aftermath of this incident had subsided and before the final outcome of Liu Xinjian's case was announced, Hou Liangping made another move—this time in a public setting, in front of many people, he took away Chen Qingquan, vice president of the Jingzhou Intermediate People's Court.

Another deputy director-level official has fallen from grace.

A deputy director-level official is not a small position, but this matter has caused such a stir in the officialdom of Handong, not only because of his rank, but also because of two other reasons.

First, there's Chen Qingquan's background—he was Gao Yuliang's secretary more than a decade ago.

Secondly, the scene of his arrest was truly astonishing.

When Hou Liangping and his men found him, he was in a private room at the Shanshui Manor. There was a large bed, an arrested vice-dean, and a naked Ukrainian girl.

Seeing the situation was turning sour, Vice Dean Chen covered his face and shouted for help, adding that he had once been Secretary Gao Yuliang's secretary and begged Hou Liangping, Gao Yuliang's student, to let him off the hook for the sake of their teacher. Realizing this wasn't working, he changed his tune, saying that he and the Ukrainian girl were simply having a language exchange and that he was there to learn a foreign language.

From then on, the phrase "learning a foreign language" took on a new meaning in the officialdom of Handong.

Those who enjoy joining in the fun have been telling this story as a joke for days; those with a keen sense of smell, however, have lost their appetite for laughter—Zhao Lichun's former secretary, who is also Gao Yuliang's former secretary, have both run into trouble one after another. Is it really such a coincidence? Could this be the prelude to a major storm?

Fearing they might unwittingly run into trouble, many people in the officialdom of Handong became much more obedient for a time.

On the afternoon of the day Chen Qingquan was taken away, Tian Guofu personally called Gao Yuliang.

"Secretary Yuliang, I'd like to explain Chen Qingquan's situation to you. The Discipline Inspection Commission received solid evidence of a report before taking action against him. It wasn't fabricated, nor was it targeted at any particular person. Please understand."

"No explanation is needed." Gao Yuliang's tone was calm, as always. "No one is above Party discipline and national law. Not to mention my secretary—" He paused, "my secretary from over a decade ago, even myself, if I make a mistake, I support the Discipline Inspection Commission in handling it according to its responsibilities."

Tian Guofu laughed on the other end of the phone: "Secretary Yuliang is too strict. Both I and the Discipline Inspection Commission firmly believe that you were completely unaware of Chen Qingquan's violations of discipline and law. That's why we decided to send Hou Liangping to carry out the arrest, partly because of his strong work ability, and partly..." He paused, his tone slightly light, "...also to express our trust in you."

Gao Yuliang didn't speak immediately. He paused for two seconds before saying, "So, I should thank you?"

"Not at all," Tian Guofu said, "It's my pleasure."

One dared to thank them, and the other dared to admit it; both of them were just saying polite words, but they both knew what they were really thinking behind those polite words.

"Let's leave it at that for now," Gao Yuliang said, his tone regaining its usual calm and collected demeanor. "Interrogate Chen Qingquan thoroughly. Try to clarify as much of his connections as possible, and don't let anyone slip through the net."

"OK."

The phone hangs up.

Tian Guofu hung up the phone, called his secretary, and briefly instructed him: "Contact Hou Liangping and tell him to expedite the investigation of Chen Qingquan's case without hesitation."

The secretary acknowledged and withdrew.

---

At the same time, Gao Yuliang summoned Luo Xuejun to his office as deputy secretary of the provincial party committee.