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

His speech was short, lasting about five minutes, similar to Li Dakang's.

The structure is clear and the attitude is unequivocal, expressing both support for the provincial party committee's decision and setting requirements for the discipline inspection commission's own development.

The discipline inspection cadres in the audience listened, some nodding, some taking notes, and some secretly observing Yi Xuexi's expression—this man was said to be very ruthless when demolishing the food court in Luzhou, insisting on demolition even after his wife was hit by a car.

I wonder what will happen when we get to Jingzhou.

After the statements were made, Zheng Hong declined to speak. Liu Zhiyuan then gave a few concluding remarks before adjourning the meeting.

People in the audience stood up one after another, packed up their materials, and left. Some talked in hushed tones, some left quickly, and some went to the front of the stage to shake hands and exchange pleasantries with Yi Xuexi.

Yi Xuexi responded to each question, neither too enthusiastic nor too indifferent, striking the perfect balance.

Wu Chunlin stepped down from the stage, with Li Dakang beside him and Yi Xuexi following behind. The three of them walked towards the entrance of the lecture hall, whispering a few words as they went.

"Comrade Chunlin, you've come all this way, please give us some guidance on the work of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee. How about we have a working dinner together tonight?" Li Dakang asked.

Wu Chunlin waved his hand: "No, Secretary Dakang, I have work to do this afternoon and need to get back." He turned to look at Yi Xuexi, "Comrade Xuexi, I'm leaving the Jingzhou Discipline Inspection Commission to you. If you need any support from the province, you can come to me."

Yi Xuexi nodded: "Thank you, Minister Wu."

Wu Chunlin shook hands with Li Dakang again, exchanged a few polite words, and then got into the car and left.

The crowd outside the lecture hall gradually dispersed. Li Dakang stood on the steps, watching Wu Chunlin's car drive out of the gate, then turned around and smiled at Yi Xuexi, "Come on, Lao Yi, let's go sit in my office."

Yi Xuexi nodded and followed behind him.

The fifth floor of the main building in the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee compound houses the office of the Municipal Party Committee Secretary.

Li Dakang's office was small and casually furnished. His desk was covered with densely packed documents. A bookcase occupied one entire wall, containing not only political and party documents but also a considerable number of economic books.

Xiao Jin brought in two cups of tea, placed them on the coffee table, and left, closing the door behind her. The office fell silent, save for the soft hum of the air conditioner, like distant voices.

Li Dakang sat down on the sofa and pointed to the seat opposite him: "Sit."

Yi Xuexi sat down opposite him, his back straight.

Li Dakang picked up his teacup, but before drinking, he spoke first: "Today's meeting is of a high standard. Wu Chunlin's personal attendance shows that the Provincial Party Committee attaches great importance to you."

Yi Xuexi said, "It's thanks to the trust of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary Sha. I'm under a lot of pressure."

"Pressure is a good thing." Li Dakang glanced at him. "Without pressure, you can't do the work of the Discipline Inspection Commission."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down.

"Old Yi," his tone changed, from polite to warm, "how many years has it been since we last met?"

Yi Xuexi's eyes flickered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

“It’s been over twenty years,” he said.

Li Dakang leaned back on the sofa, his gaze fixed on the cup of tea on the coffee table, as if watching the tea leaves slowly unfurl in the hot water.

“It’s been over twenty years. Back then, I was the county magistrate, and you were the county party secretary. You know me, I’m a workaholic, I’ll do anything to get things done. That road in Jinshan County was the first road I ever built, and also the most difficult one. At the time, we didn’t have enough funds, land acquisition was difficult, and there were people watching us from above. You were in the lead, and I was pushing from behind, and the two of us managed to get that road done.”

He paused.

"Later, when things got into trouble, you took the blame for me. You were transferred to Daokou County as the county head, a demotion from county party secretary to county head. It was supposed to be a lateral transfer, but everyone knew it was a demotion. The day you left, I didn't see you off. It wasn't that I didn't want to, but that I didn't dare to. Whenever I saw you, I felt like I couldn't hold my head up."

Yi Xuexi sat opposite him, his expression calm and unmoved.

“Secretary Li,” he said, his voice steady, “those things are all in the past. The road in Jinshan County was later built, and the people benefited, and that’s enough. As for who is in which position, it doesn’t matter.”

Li Dakang looked at him, his eyes filled with gratitude, guilt, and a hint of probing.

“You may not think it’s important, but I do,” Li Dakang said. “I don’t owe many people in my life, but you are one of them.”

Yi Xuexi was silent for a moment. Then he picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down slowly.

“Secretary Li, what you did in Jinshan County, I’m doing too. I’m not taking the blame for you; it’s my responsibility. I’m the secretary, the person primarily responsible. If something goes wrong, who will take the blame if not the secretary? There’s no question of who owes whom.”

This statement was perfectly watertight. It neither admitted to owing anything nor denied taking responsibility, attributing the past to the word "duty."

Li Dakang offered to do Yi Xuexi a favor, but Yi refused. He would rather forgo a favor from a member of the Provincial Party Committee than be associated with him.

Li Dakang understood.

The office was silent for a few seconds.

Li Dakang shifted his gaze from Yi Xuexi's face to the sky outside the window. The sky was overcast, the clouds were thick and low, as if it were about to rain but had been holding back.

“Old Yi,” he began, his voice lower than before, “I’ve been thinking about something lately.”

Yi Xuexi looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Tell me, what are we all striving for after a lifetime of hard work?"

Yi Xuexi was taken aback. He hadn't expected Li Dakang to ask such a question.

This is not a question a municipal party secretary should ask; it's too personal, too soft, and not at all like Li Dakang.

“Secretary Li,” Yi Xuexi said, “this question is too broad, I can’t answer it.”

Li Dakang ignored his evasiveness and continued, "When I was in Jinshan County, my goal was to build roads so that people wouldn't have to walk through muddy roads to get to the city. When I was in Lincheng, my goal was to boost the economy and improve the lives of the people in Lincheng. In these four years in Jingzhou, my goal is to promote the Guangming Peak project and change the face of Jingzhou."

He paused for a moment.

“Everywhere I go, I have goals and aspirations. But lately I’ve been thinking, what happens after all this is done? Roads are built, the economy is booming, projects are launched—and then what? Are ordinary people’s lives really better? Have those who watched the projects come to fruition truly benefited? Or is it that only a small group of people benefit?”

The conversation was becoming increasingly personal. Yi Xuexi sensed something was amiss. Li Dakang's demeanor today wasn't the one he knew. The Li Dakang he knew was tough, direct, never hesitant, decisive in his actions, and uncompromising in his words.

But today, sitting on this sofa, Li Dakang's tone held something I'd never seen before—not weariness, not retreat, but something like—

It's like being lost.

He quickly drew a line in his mind to warn others.

“Secretary Li,” Yi Xuexi thought for a moment before speaking carefully, “I have considered the issue you raised. But my view is that overthinking can easily delay getting things done. It’s better to handle the tasks at hand one by one well than anything else.”

Li Dakang looked at him with a complicated expression.

“You’re right,” Li Dakang said, his confusion vanishing as he reverted to his usual, cadre-to-cadre attitude: “Getting things done is the most important thing.”

He picked up his teacup again, took a big gulp, then put it down, leaned forward slightly, and changed the subject.

"How do you plan to handle the work with the Discipline Inspection Commission? Is there anything you need the Municipal Party Committee's support for?"

Yi Xuexi knew that Li Dakang was trying to steer the conversation back on track.

“I’ve just taken office and am not yet familiar with the situation. These past few days I’ve mainly been listening to reports, reviewing materials, and getting to know the team. The Jingzhou Discipline Inspection Commission has a solid foundation. Comrade Qian Feng has been in charge of the work during this period, and the team has not fallen apart, which is quite remarkable. My initial thought is to stabilize the situation first, and then make a concerted effort. We shouldn’t make any big moves right away. We should first understand the situation, unify the team’s thinking, and then determine the key tasks based on the actual situation.”

Li Dakang nodded: "That's the right approach. The situation in Jingzhou is more complicated than you think. You're new here, so don't rush things. First, get your footing."

“I will be careful,” Yi Xuexi said.

Li Dakang looked at him, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said something meaningful: "I heard about your demolition of the food court in Luzhou. You did a good job. But Jingzhou is not Luzhou. Luzhou's problems are superficial, visible and tangible. Jingzhou's problems are deep-seated, invisible and intangible, but much deeper than Luzhou's. Be prepared."

Yi Xuexi nodded without saying anything.

The two fell silent again.

Li Dakang originally intended to have a heart-to-heart talk with Yi Xuexi, but Yi Xuexi consistently showed a resistant attitude.

For example, he always addressed him as "Secretary Li," adopting a businesslike attitude and showing no intention of reminiscing.

Looking at Yi Xuexi's hard and stubborn old face, Li Dakang suddenly felt a little envious.

"So many years have passed, Lao Yi, and you can still devote yourself to your work with the same dedication as you did back in Jinshan County, without thinking about anything else. That's wonderful."

"It's enviable that they can maintain such a clean state."

Yi Xuexi, who always kept a straight face and remained unmoved even when the topic of taking the blame for his past misdeeds came up, felt as if a boulder had been thrown into his heart when he heard this seemingly ordinary sentence.

Am I still as clean as Li Dakang said, just like I was back then?

silence.

He dared not think any further.

“Secretary Li,” Yi Xuexi stood up, his tone returning to its usual calm, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back now. I still have some materials to review with the Discipline Inspection Commission.”

Li Dakang nodded: "Okay, go ahead and get busy."

Yi Xuexi turned and walked towards the door. After taking a few steps, Li Dakang's voice came from behind: "Any plans for tonight? If you're not busy, come over for a casual meal. Shall we have a drink?"

Yi Xuexi stopped and turned around.

“Secretary Li,” he said, his tone steady, but each word seemed carefully chosen, “I’m afraid tonight won’t work. There’s a training course at the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection that starts next Monday, and Secretary Tian wants me to attend. The materials need to be prepared in advance these next few days, so I’ll have to work overtime.”

Li Dakang looked at him, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. He didn't press further, but simply smiled and said, "Alright, we'll talk about it another day."

Yi Xuexi nodded slightly, turned around and walked out of the office.

The door closed gently behind him.

Chapter 199 Peer Supervision

The provincial discipline inspection commission's training course, held at the provincial discipline inspection and supervision cadre academy, was packed with three days of classes. The first day focused on interpreting the "Implementation Regulations," the second day on interview techniques for investigation and prosecution, and the third day on case handling practices.

The participants in the training were newly appointed secretaries and deputy secretaries of the discipline inspection commissions from various districts and counties across the province within the past six months. There were about twenty people, most of whom were at the deputy division level. Yi Xuexi, the provincial capital's discipline inspection commission secretary at the full department level, felt somewhat out of place among them.

There's nothing we can do about it. This business training course was basically set up for Yi Xuexi, and it was all for the sake of this plate of vinegar-wrapped dumplings.

We can't just train Yi Xuexi alone, can we? That would be too conspicuous.

If we were to make trouble for the secretaries of the discipline inspection commissions in various cities, it would cause too much of a stir. So, this training course was organized under the guise of business training for newly appointed discipline inspection commission secretaries.

The training room was small, the projector was on, and the PowerPoint slides were being flipped through one by one. The professor on the podium was talking until his throat was dry.

Yi Xuexi sat in the center of the first row, listening attentively to the lecture and taking dense notes.

The training course was very tightly scheduled, but for the others present, what was really important was not listening to the lectures, but the comings and goings between and after class.

Several department directors from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection took turns giving lectures. After each lecture, the trainees would surround them with questions. While they said they were asking questions, they were actually building relationships and reporting on their work.

Yi Xuexi didn't join in the fun. On the one hand, his level was high enough that many students who came to him were driven away by his stern face; on the other hand, he was genuinely serious about studying.

On the afternoon of the second day of the training, after the course ended, a staff member from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection's office was waiting for him at the classroom door, saying that Secretary Tian wanted to see him. Yi Xuexi nodded, closed his notebook, tucked it under his arm, and followed the staff member upstairs.

Tian Guofu's office was on the seventh floor, and it was very neatly arranged. The desk, bookshelves, and documents were all in perfect order.

A calligraphy scroll hangs on the wall—"Loyalty, Integrity, and Responsibility"—the standard style of a discipline inspection commission office.

The staff led him inside, then left and closed the door behind them.

Tian Guofu was sitting behind his desk, reading a document. When Yi Xuexi came in, he looked up, took off his reading glasses, put them on the desk, and pointed to the sofa: "Comrade Yi Xuexi, please sit down."