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

Yi Xuexi sat down on the sofa, his back straight, still holding the notebook in his hand.

Tian Guofu sat down opposite Yi Xuexi and spoke first, his tone casual, as if they were having a casual chat.

How was the training?

“Very good,” Yi Xuexi said. “The course is very practical, and the directors’ lectures are excellent. It’s very helpful for a discipline inspection secretary like me who came to the field later in life.”

Tian Guofu nodded: "You came from the administrative system, so you do need to catch up on the disciplinary inspection work. But there's no rush. You can learn on the job, learn while doing, and do while learning. You'll get the hang of it gradually. I called you here today not to ask about training."

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

Tian Guofu picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and his gaze fell on Yi Xuexi's face. His tone became more formal: "Comrade Xuexi, you've been in Jingzhou for almost a week now. How's the situation going?"

Yi Xuexi knew this wasn't a casual greeting, but a formal request for a report. He thought for a moment and organized his thoughts.

"We've covered the basic situation. The Jingzhou Discipline Inspection Commission has a solid foundation, and the overall quality of its staff is quite good. Comrade Qian Feng has been in charge of the work during this period, and the team hasn't fallen apart or discipline has been relaxed, which is commendable. However, there are also quite a few problems—the number of complaints and reports has remained high for many years, and the number of cases filed ranks second in the province, indicating that the amount of corruption in Jingzhou is considerable; the 'familiarity society' characteristic is very obvious among the staff, and many cases are investigated to the point that there are people who plead for leniency or make connections; also, after Zhang Shuli was taken away, the morale within the Discipline Inspection Commission was affected to some extent, and some people are worried that 'those who investigate others will be investigated themselves,' so they are somewhat hesitant in their work."

Tian Guofu listened without interrupting, and after Yi Xuexi finished speaking, he asked, "So where do you plan to start?"

Yi Xuexi pondered for a moment and said, "My idea is to stabilize first, then exert force. We need to unify the team's thinking, improve the internal management system, and get a clear understanding of the number of complaints and reports. Then we can select a few cases that have drawn strong public reaction and have relatively solid evidence, concentrate our efforts on breaking through them, and create a deterrent effect."

How long will it take?

"The whole process may take three to six months."

After listening, Tian Guofu did not immediately express his opinion. He leaned back on the sofa and looked at Yi Xuexi.

“Three to six months.” He repeated, his tone not harsh, but each word seemed carefully chosen. “Comrade Xuexi, do you know how long Secretary Sha has been in Handong?”

Yi Xuexi paused for a moment, then said, "It's been more than half a year."

“It’s been almost eight months.” Tian Guofu nodded. “Eight months isn’t a long time, but it’s not short either. But for a provincial party secretary, that’s enough time to get a lot done. Secretary Sha came to Handong with a mission. What mission? You probably know.”

Yi Xuexi remained silent, but he was well aware of the situation; otherwise, he wouldn't have engaged in that political opportunism, and he wouldn't be sitting here today.

Tian Guofu lowered his voice: "The Zhao family has been operating in Handong for twenty years, deeply rooted and intricately intertwined. Secretary Sha has been here for so long and has done a lot of work, but the core issue—Zhao Lichun's own problem—has not been broken through yet. Why? Because the Zhao family's network of connections in Jingzhou has not been truly dismantled."

He paused, his gaze fixed on Yi Xuexi.

“You’re going to Jingzhou not just to be the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission. You were personally selected by Secretary Sha, and you’re going there with a special mission. Jingzhou is the provincial capital and the Zhao family’s stronghold in Handong. Someone has woven a net in Jingzhou, and if you can’t get around this net, you can’t solve the Zhao family’s problems. You’re going to Jingzhou to find the threads in this net and unravel it bit by bit.”

Yi Xuexi's fingers clenched lightly on his knee, then relaxed.

“Secretary Tian,” his voice was steady, “I understand what you’re saying. But the work of the Discipline Inspection Commission has its own rules; it can’t be rushed. Evidence needs time to be collected, procedures need time to be followed, and ideological work with cadres needs time to be done. Rushing things can easily lead to mistakes; and mistakes give the opponent leverage.”

Tian Guofu waved his hand: "I'm not telling you to ignore procedures and evidence. I'm telling you that the pace needs to be fast and the intensity needs to be great. Don't waste too much time on one case. You need to expand your efforts and make breakthroughs in multiple areas. The Zhao family's network of connections in Jingzhou cannot be torn apart by one or two cases. It requires a batch of cases, with simultaneous efforts to form an encirclement."

His tone became even more direct: "Comrade Xuexi, I've heard about your demolition of the food court in Luzhou. Your style back then was quite different from now. You had guts back then, and you dared to confront tough issues. Why are you so hesitant now that you're in Jingzhou?"

That's a harsh statement.

Yi Xuexi's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He remained silent for a few seconds before speaking, his tone a bit harsher than before.

“Secretary Tian, ​​the matter of the Luzhou Food City is not the same as the matter of Jingzhou. The food city is a point, something that can be seen and touched, and it should be demolished if necessary. The matter of Jingzhou is a network, involving people, things, and interests, which is far more complicated than a food city. I have to be responsible to the organization. If I act rashly, I am afraid that I will alert the enemy and ruin the big picture.”

Tian Guofu looked at him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected Yi Xuexi to argue with him, especially after he explained that this was Sha Ruijin's intention.

"What are you worried about?" Tian Guofu asked. "Who are you worried about?"

Yi Xuexi's eyes narrowed slightly.

“It’s not that I’m worried about anyone in particular,” he said. “It’s that I’m worried about the wrong direction. The duty of the Discipline Inspection Commission is to supervise, enforce discipline, and hold people accountable. If we use the Discipline Inspection Commission as a tool to deal with a particular person or force, the Commission will lose its credibility. Without credibility, how can we supervise others?”

The office was silent for a few seconds.

"Comrade Xuexi," Tian Guofu's tone softened, "you have a point. But you need to think clearly about one thing—is the Zhao family's problem a political one?"

EasyLearning did not respond.

"Zhao Lichun is a deputy-level cadre. If his problem were merely an economic issue, it would be easy to handle; just investigate. But his problem is that he has been operating in Handong for over twenty years, forming a complex network of people, affairs, and interests. This network has already affected the political ecology of Handong and the image and prestige of the Party. What is this if not a political problem?"

Tian Guofu spoke slowly and deliberately, but every word seemed to have been carefully crafted.

"Resolving the Zhao family's problems is itself a political task. The Discipline Inspection Commission's participation in this task is not as a tool for political struggle, but as fulfilling its own political responsibility. You need to understand this."

Yi Xuexi remained silent for a long time.

He knew Tian Guofu was right. Politically speaking, Tian Guofu's words were impeccable. But he felt an inexplicable unease—not towards Tian Guofu, nor towards Sha Ruijin, but towards the "mission" itself. He, a secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, had come to Jingzhou not to improve the city's discipline inspection and supervision work, but to keep an eye on a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and the Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee, to dig up dirt on his former leader from twenty years ago.

This just doesn't make sense no matter how you look at it.

But he was a Party member. The organization sent him, and he couldn't refuse. The organization gave him a task, and he couldn't refuse it.

“Secretary Tian,” he finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse, “I understand. I will get things moving quickly in Jingzhou.”

Looking at his expression, Tian Guofu knew he hadn't fully grasped the situation, but he also knew he couldn't press him any further. He nodded, softening his tone, "It's not that I'm rushing you, it's just that the situation waits for no one. Secretary Sha is also under a lot of pressure."

“Secretary Tian,” Yi Xuexi carefully chose his words, “Comrade Li Dakang is a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and the Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee. My work in Jingzhou needs to be carried out under the leadership of the Municipal Party Committee. How should this relationship be arranged?”

The question was phrased tactfully, but the meaning was clear: If you want me to supervise Li Dakang, how can I work under Li Dakang's "leadership"? A name that is not correct will not be persuasive.

Tian Guofu had clearly considered this issue long ago. Without hesitation, he said directly, "Being under the leadership of the Municipal Party Committee does not mean being under the personal leadership of Comrade Li Dakang. You are the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, and your duty is to supervise, including supervising the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee. This is a right granted to you by the Party Constitution, and it is also your obligation. Don't feel embarrassed, and don't think you're doing something underhanded. Peer supervision is an important form of internal Party supervision."

He paused, then added, "Of course, the methods are very important. We must be willing to supervise, but also good at it. We can't be confrontational, nor can we create a facade of harmony. You have to find the right balance yourself."

After listening, Yi Xuexi didn't respond immediately. He picked up the cup of tea in front of him, which had already gone cold, took a sip, and put it down. Then he looked up at Tian Guofu and asked a question.

He had been thinking about this question for a long time, ever since his first day in Jingzhou. He knew he shouldn't ask it, and that there would be no answer anyway, but he asked it anyway.

“Secretary Tian,” his voice was not loud, but every word was clear, “If I’m here to supervise Li Dakang, who will supervise Sha Ruijin?”

The office fell silent instantly.

It was as quiet as if someone had pressed the pause button.

Tian Guofu's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air, his expression stiffening for a moment. He looked at Yi Xuexi, his gaze a mixture of surprise and wariness.

"Yi Xuexi, you're hitting my pressure point!"

This is not a simple question, nor is it merely a questioning of Tian Guofu—"Can you do what I'm asking you to do?"; at a deeper level, it's expressing to Tian Guofu:

I am fully aware of the nature of what you have asked of me and what I am about to do.

However, as a secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, you made demands on me under the leadership of the Party Committee at the same level, yet you demanded that I not be under the leadership of the Party Committee at the same level. This involves the issue of positioning.

Secretary Tian, ​​if you were subject to the same requirements from the higher-level discipline inspection commission, how would you position yourself?

More importantly, regarding Li Dakang, with Sha Ruijin's appointment, I could barely say that I had obtained authorization from the higher-level Party Committee; but regarding Zhao Lichun, did you obtain authorization?

Even if you succeed in the end, what will your superiors think of your overstepping and "borderline" behavior?

Chapter 200 Shaking

Often, things at a high level inspire awe. But in reality, the underlying human nature is universal—not exactly the same, but sufficient for reference.

Let's lower the rank of Zhao Lichun and others, placing them on a more transparent scale: suppose Zhao Lichun is a retired deputy speaker of the county council, Sha Ruijin is the party secretary of Handong Town, and Tian Guofu is the town's discipline inspection secretary. Re-examining Sha and Tian's actions from this perspective makes the issue much clearer.

Even if there was tacit instruction from county leaders, they shouldn't have launched such a high-profile investigation into Zhao Lichun. Ostensibly, this falls within the purview of the county discipline inspection commission. All Sha and Tian could do was purge the peripheral forces within the jurisdiction of Handong Town, then, by meticulous investigation and careful analysis, "accidentally" link the clues to Zhao Lichun, and finally transfer the materials to higher authorities.

This practice of "shooting the arrow first and then drawing the target, getting on the bus first and then buying the ticket" can only be used at the village level. Using it at a higher level would be a serious case of insubordination, overstepping boundaries, and breaking the rules.

With this impression in mind, no matter how irrefutable the evidence in Zhao Lichun's case, which superior would dare to employ you in the future?

Moreover, the Discipline Inspection Commission is inherently a ruthless organization. If things continue like this, Tian Guofu will only be able to take on dirty and strenuous jobs in the future, and he can forget about getting promoted.

Tian Guofu was not a reckless person. However, things had been going wrong lately, and coupled with his lack of experience in governing a region, having always been within the disciplinary committee system and accustomed to following orders from the top leader, he had overlooked this problem. In his previous life, Hou Liangping of the procuratorate was at the forefront, while he could sit back and relax; but in this life, the task had fallen into the hands of the disciplinary committee, and being in the thick of it, he naturally couldn't see the big picture.

Yi Xuexi's words, originally intended as self-protection, unexpectedly transformed Sha and Tian from a unified entity into opposing forces requiring mutual oversight. Tian Guofu suddenly wavered—was it really necessary to completely bind himself to Sha Ruijin?

He pondered for a long time without answering Yi Xuexi's question. At that moment, he had too much to process, and the conversation before him seemed insignificant.

"You should go back first," Tian Guofu said. "Take care of the surrounding areas first, especially the Jingzhou matter."

Yi Xuexi was promoted by Sha and Tian, ​​who had shown him great kindness. He had no choice but to accept their request. His earlier words were merely a complaint, not an expectation of anything. Unexpectedly, they brought him unexpected joy.

He quickly agreed and left the office.

Tian Guofu did not appear at the graduation ceremony after the training. Yi Xuexi went directly back to Jingzhou to start his work, without even taking the initiative to say goodbye to Tian Guofu.

I was afraid he would waver.

-

A few days later, in the afternoon, in the office of the provincial party secretary, Sha Ruijin received a phone call that weighed heavily on his mind.

The caller ID showed a Beijing number that he hadn't saved, but he recognized it. It was the landline of one of his superiors.

He took a deep breath and answered the call.

"Secretary Sha, the leader would like to say a few words to you."

A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone. It wasn't loud or heavy, but every word seemed to carry profound experience and weight, pressing down on people's hearts without any preamble.

"Ruijin, how's Handong doing lately?"

Sha Ruijin sat up straight, his tone as calm as ever: "Overall, things are going smoothly, and all tasks are progressing."

There was a moment or two of silence on the other end of the phone, then the voice came through again, still calm, but with an added layer of barely perceptible concern: "It's good that things are stable. But I've heard that things haven't been peaceful in Handong lately. Some things have reached Shuntian."

Sha Ruijin's fingertips felt slightly cold. He knew what his old leader was referring to—the foreign media report, the CPPCC inspection report, and the discussions circulating privately in the officialdom of Handong.

He didn't offer any explanation, nor did he beat around the bush.

"Old leader, the situation in Handong is quite complicated, and some work is still in progress. I will pay attention to the methods and approaches to minimize unnecessary fluctuations."

"Methods and approaches?" the voice repeated softly, as if savoring the meaning of those four words. "Ruijin, you've worked in local government for so many years, you should know that some things can't be rushed. If you rush, you're prone to making mistakes. If you make mistakes, all your previous efforts will be wasted. Not only wasted, but you might also get yourself into trouble."

Sha Ruijin remained silent.

“I’m not criticizing you.” The voice softened. “I’m reminding you. Many people are watching what’s happening in Handong. If you do the right thing, the higher-ups will support you; if you do the wrong thing, they will also notice. The key is that you need to think clearly—what is right and what is wrong. Don’t do things just for the sake of doing them.”

This is said subtly, but the meaning is clear: you want the result, but the process cannot go astray. If you go astray, no matter how good the result is, you won't get any credit.

Sha Ruijin pondered for a moment and said, "Sir, I understand what you mean. The problem in Handong is deeply rooted and cannot be solved in a day or two. I will keep a good pace and will not act rashly."

"Okay. As long as you keep that in mind." The voice paused, a hint of weariness in its tone. "There's one more thing—some people on your side are reacting quite strongly. They're saying you went a bit too far with your 'new broom sweeping clean' in Handong. Some higher-ups have heard these comments too. Think about it yourself, shouldn't you tone it down a bit?"

Sha Ruijin's heart sank.

"I understand."

"That's settled then. Take care."

The phone hangs up.

Sha Ruijin sat in the chair for a long time, holding his phone.