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

"Comrade Liangping," Yi Xuexi spoke first, his tone unhurried, "Did Secretary Tian tell you about your mission in Jingzhou?"

Hou Liangping nodded: "He said a few things. He said he would cooperate with you to clarify the clues in Jingzhou that are related to the Zhao family."

"Cooperation" weakens the master-servant relationship and is more like a cooperative one.

Yi Xuexi didn't pay attention, but there was a hint of scrutiny in his eyes: "How do you think this task should be done?"

This wasn't just a polite question; it was a test. Yi Xuexi wanted to see what Hou Liangping was thinking and gauge his true intentions.

Hou Liangping didn't answer immediately. He put down his teacup, leaned back on the sofa, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Secretary Yi, let me state my position first. I came to Jingzhou to work, not to become an official. I'll do whatever you tell me. But I also have a request."

"explain."

“I have my own pace and style in handling cases. If you feel there is a problem, I hope you can give me a chance to speak. Let’s put the issues on the table and discuss them together.”

Yi Xuexi's lips twitched slightly.

This answer was different from what he expected; it was even more sharp and uncompromising.

He thought that Hou Liangping, having suffered at Liu Changsheng's hands and divorced, and having gained so much experience in the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, would be somewhat more restrained, more cautious, and more shrewd. But he never expected…

Or perhaps, in his eyes, Yi Xuexi was not qualified to make him restrain himself.

But someone as experienced and profound as Yi Xuexi never reveals it on the surface.

“Okay,” he said. “I only have one requirement for you—follow the procedures. The Discipline Inspection Commission has its own rules. The evidence must be solid, the procedures must be strict, and there can be no loopholes for anyone to use against you. Can you do that?”

Hou Liangping paused for a moment, then said, "It's possible."

But Yi Xuexi saw a hint of disapproval in his eyes. He knew what Hou Liangping was thinking.

But he didn't say it outright. Some things are better left unsaid; they must be revealed through actions.

“Okay,” Yi Xuexi said, “then let’s talk about the case.”

He got up, went behind his desk, opened the safe, took out a document, and placed it on the coffee table. It was a briefing he had been compiling over the past few days regarding leads on the Guangming Peak project—three pages long, concise and to the point. He pushed the document towards Hou Liangping.

"Take a look at this first."

Hou Liangping took the document and read it page by page. He read very quickly, not hastily, but with the kind of speed honed from poring over countless case files—the ability to grasp the key points at a glance. When he reached the second page, his brow furrowed slightly. By the third page, he put the document down and looked up.

"Dingsheng Real Estate?"

“Yes, a construction company for the Guangming Peak project,” Yi Xuexi said. “The transferee of the supplementary agreement is Dingsheng Real Estate, whose legal representative is Wang Jianmin. Wang Jianmin also owns several other companies, one of which has done business with Shanshui Group. This is the first lead.”

"The second one?"

"The project payment for Handong Road and Bridge is irregular. A sum of 20 million yuan was transferred through multiple layers of money and finally went into the account of a trading company. The legal representative of this trading company is surnamed Zhao, who is a distant cousin of Zhao Ruilong."

Hou Liangping tapped the material lightly with his fingers twice. "Both of these lines are very weak."

“I know,” Yi Xuexi said. “Weak, but the direction is right. Each point alone is not convincing, but when put together, a pattern emerges—a large amount of funds flowed out of the Guangmingfeng project, passing through various channels, and ultimately pointing to the periphery of the Zhao family. This is not a coincidence.”

Hou Liangping nodded. He didn't say, "You're investigating too slowly" or "Why don't you just investigate the Shanshui Group directly?" Instead, he asked another question: "Does the city know you're investigating these things?"

“Zheng Hong knows.” Yi Xuexi’s tone was flat. “He talked to Qian Feng and said, ‘Don’t make any big moves during this sensitive period.’ Later, Secretary Sha intervened, and Zheng Hong didn’t say anything more.”

Hou Liangping understood. Zheng Hong was the mayor, temporarily presiding over the municipal party committee's work. His decision to halt the disciplinary committee's actions, regardless of whether anyone was behind it, indicated one thing—in Jingzhou, someone didn't want these clues to be unearthed.

"Secretary Yi," Hou Liangping said, "may I make a suggestion?"

"explain."

“You can continue investigating these leads from the outside. The disciplinary committee members are more familiar with the contracts, fund flows, and business registration records than I am. Can I start from another direction?”

Yi Xuexi looked at him: "What direction?"

"The person in charge of Shanshui Group in Jingzhou," Hou Liangping said with certainty, "I've looked into it. The general manager of Shanshui Group's Jingzhou branch is surnamed Ma, named Ma Shengli. This man has been with Zhao Ruilong for over ten years and is Zhao Ruilong's agent in Jingzhou. Every penny and every project he handles is related to the Zhao family. Getting through to him is more effective than investigating a hundred contracts."

Yi Xuexi did not answer immediately. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down slowly.

“Ma Shengli is no ordinary man. He has been operating in Jingzhou for over a decade and has connections with all sorts of people. If you make a move against him, Zhao Ruilong will find out. Once Zhao Ruilong finds out, the evidence might be destroyed. Have you considered this risk?”

“I’ve considered it,” Hou Liangping said. “But Secretary Yi, have you considered that Zhao Ruilong might already know?”

Yi Xuexi remained expressionless.

“Given your relationship with the Zhao family, and the fact that Secretary Sha placed you in this position after your transfer from Lüzhou to Jingzhou, Zhao Ruilong isn’t stupid. He won’t wait until the Discipline Inspection Commission has collected all the evidence before reacting. He’s probably already destroying evidence and transferring assets. We’ll investigate slowly here, while he’s burning things over there. By the time we’ve cleared up the periphery, the core evidence may already be gone.”

Yi Xuexi looked enlightened: "I really hadn't considered that. I've always done administrative work, so I'm not as perceptive about this as you professionals. You're right."

"What are you planning to do about him?" Yi Xuexi asked.

Hou Liangping leaned forward, lowering his voice, but every word was clear.

"I won't directly target Ma Shengli for now. I'll deal with the people around him first."

He paused, then continued, "Ma Shengli has a mistress named Sun Yan. Sun Yan owns a company with a registered capital of five million, but it's actually a shell company. Ma Shengli has laundered a lot of money through this company. I had someone pull up Sun Yan's company's accounts under the guise of a tax inspection. Sun Yan is a brainless pretty face; she'll definitely panic when the investigation starts. Once she panics, she'll go to Ma Shengli. Once Ma Shengli goes to Zhao Ruilong, Zhao Ruilong will make a move. And once he makes a move, he'll slip up."

Yi Xuexi listened attentively and nodded repeatedly.

“This angle is good, but there’s a problem,” he said. “If we touch Sun Yan, Ma Shengli and Zhao Ruilong might destroy the evidence beforehand. What if we alert them and they escape and we can’t catch them?”

Hou Liangping did not back down: "If the snake runs away and we can't catch it, that's because I'm not good enough. But if the snake doesn't move, we'll never know where its nest is."

"I agree to your proposal in principle. But there's one condition."

Hou Liangping sat up straight.

"Before you take action, you need to give me a detailed plan. The timing, the method, the desired outcome, and the follow-up procedures—all of these must be clearly written down. Only after I have reviewed and approved it can you proceed."

Hou Liangping remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay. I'll go back and write the proposal."

Hou Liangping left. His footsteps were quick and heavy, carrying a hurried and energetic air, showing no intention of "retreating."

Yi Xuexi watched his retreating figure, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Getting a horse to be proactive while also putting a bit on it is a real challenge.

Chapter 204 Dong Dingfang Takes Office (Part 1)

The provincial Party committee's organization department's documents arrived before the people did.

The notice was brief: At 9:00 AM on Friday, in the lecture hall of the Municipal Party School, the decision of the Central Committee and the Provincial Party Committee regarding the adjustment of the principal leaders of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee will be conveyed. All cadres at or above the deputy provincial level in the city, the principal leaders of the Party and government of each district and county, and the principal leaders of each department directly under the municipal government are requested to attend on time and are not allowed to ask for leave.

The notice did not specify the meeting content, but everyone knew that Li Dakang's era was over and a new secretary was coming.

At 8:30 a.m., the lecture hall was already more than half full.

Yi Xuexi arrived rather late; when he entered the lecture hall, most of the seats were already occupied. He walked along the aisle and found his seat in the first row—next to the plaque that read "Secretary of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection." Seated there, in order, were Mayor Zheng Hong, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee Liu Zhiyuan, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People's Congress, and Chairman of the Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

He sat down in his seat, placed his notebook in front of him, and looked up at the podium.

A red banner with white lettering read "Jingzhou City Leading Cadres Conference" hung above the stage. Seven chairs were arranged on the stage. The one in the very center was named "Sha Ruijin." To his left was "Qi Tongwei," and to his right was "Wu Chunlin." On either side were Dong Dingfang and Zheng Hong. The last two seats were occupied by a vice chairman of the Provincial House of Representatives and a vice chairman of the Provincial Senate, who, as is customary, were attending as observers.

When Yi Xuexi saw this ranking, he was tempted.

The fact that both the provincial party secretary and the governor came to see off a municipal party secretary upon his arrival demonstrates the extraordinary importance the provincial party committee attaches to Jingzhou. It's worth noting that even in provincial capitals, it's rare for two municipal party secretaries to be present at the same time.

At 8:50, the people on the platform took their seats one after another.

Sha Ruijin walked at the front, his expression serious and his steps steady. He sat down in the center of the platform, glanced at the audience, and nodded slightly.

Qi Tongwei followed behind him, wearing a simple white shirt and standing tall. He sat down to Sha Ruijin's left, relaxed.

Wu Chunlin walked behind Qi Tongwei, carrying a file folder. He sat down to Sha Ruijin's right, placed the folder on the table, opened it, took out an official document, and placed it in front of him.

Dong Dingfang and Zheng Hong came up last. Dong Dingfang had a serious expression, and his sparse hair was neatly combed. He sat down next to Wu Chunlin, glanced at the audience, but didn't deliberately look for anyone.

Zheng Hong sat on the far side, his expression calm and revealing nothing. He had been temporarily in charge of the municipal party committee's work for over a month, and now that the new secretary had arrived, it was unclear whether he felt relieved or disappointed.

The meeting began at 9:00 AM sharp.

Wu Chunlin chaired the meeting. He cleared his throat, and his voice carried throughout the lecture hall through the microphone.

"Comrades, the meeting is now in session. The main agenda of today's meeting is to announce the decisions of the Central Committee and the Provincial Party Committee regarding the adjustment of the principal leaders of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee. First, please allow me to read out the decisions of the higher authorities and the Provincial Party Committee."

After saying that, he picked up the official document in front of him, stood up, and faced the audience.

"With the approval of the Central Committee, Comrade Dong Dingfang was appointed as a member and standing committee member of the Handong Provincial Committee; and with the decision of the Provincial Committee, Comrade Dong Dingfang was appointed as a member, standing committee member, and secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Committee."

He finished reading and sat down.

Applause erupted from the audience.

After the applause subsided, Wu Chunlin invited Sha Ruijin to speak.

Sha Ruijin moved the microphone closer to him, leaned forward slightly, and scanned the audience.

"Comrades," his voice was not loud, but it was clear and carried the unquestionable weight of the top leader, "Today, Comrade Tongwei, Comrade Chunlin, and I have come to see Comrade Dong Dingfang off to his new post, which shows that the Provincial Party Committee attaches great importance to the work in Jingzhou and to the construction of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee."

He paused.

"Comrade Li Dakang is currently suspended from his duties for investigation due to the Liushuwang accident. The provincial party committee's attitude on this matter is clear—the cause of the accident must be thoroughly investigated and those responsible must be held accountable, but the work of an entire city cannot be affected by the problem of one person. Jingzhou is the provincial capital, and all work cannot be stopped or slowed down. After careful consideration, the provincial party committee has decided to appoint Comrade Dong Dingfang as the secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee."

He turned his head to look at Dong Dingfang, then turned back.

"As you all may know, Comrade Dong Dingfang served as the Party Secretary of Lüzhou for ten years, and his achievements are evident to all. Later, he served as the Vice Governor, in charge of science and technology, education, and industry and information technology, where he also did a great deal of work. This comrade is politically steadfast, experienced, pragmatic, and adept at handling complex issues. The Provincial Party Committee believes that Comrade Dong Dingfang is suitable to serve as the Party Secretary of Jingzhou City."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious.

"Here, on behalf of the Provincial Party Committee, I would like to make three requests. First, the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee must resolutely support the decisions of the Central Committee and the Provincial Party Committee, and unify its thinking and actions with the decisions and plans of the Provincial Party Committee. Second, after Comrade Dong Dingfang takes office, he should quickly familiarize himself with the situation and assume his role, uniting and leading the cadres and masses of the city to push all aspects of Jingzhou's work, especially the building of a clean and honest Party, to a new level. Third, all levels of Party organizations and the vast number of Party members and cadres in the city should fully support Comrade Dong Dingfang's work, thinking and working together to do a good job in Jingzhou."

His speech was short, about five minutes. It consisted entirely of official jargon and platitudes, which are considered basic skills for leading cadres.

After all, he knew in his heart that the top two leaders in Jingzhou were now surnamed Qi, so there was no point in going on at length.

If Dong Dingfang hadn't also served as a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, requiring the Provincial Party Secretary to attend as a sign of importance, he wouldn't have participated in this conference.

After Sha Ruijin finished speaking, Wu Chunlin invited Qi Tongwei to speak.

Qi Tongwei did not bring a prepared speech.

"Comrades, I completely agree with Secretary Sha's opinion. Comrade Dong Dingfang's assignment to work in Jingzhou is an important decision made by the Provincial Party Committee based on the overall situation of the province. I worked in the Provincial Government and had a lot of contact with Comrade Dong Dingfang. He is a pragmatic, responsible, and resourceful person; he is a capable and efficient cadre."

"Jingzhou is the provincial capital and plays a leading and exemplary role in the province's economic development. The provincial government will, as always, support Jingzhou's work and will give it preferential treatment in terms of major projects, funding arrangements, and policy support. We hope that after Comrade Dong Dingfang takes office, he will be able to quickly open up new prospects and push Jingzhou's economic development, urban construction, improvement of people's livelihoods, and other work to a new level."

His speech was even shorter than Sha Ruijin's, just over three minutes long. It was concise and to the point, without a single superfluous word. However, everyone noticed that Qi Tongwei made absolutely no mention of disciplinary inspection work or anti-corruption efforts. His focus was entirely on the economy—major projects, funding arrangements, and policy support.

Next, Dong Dingfang made a statement.

Dong Dingfang stood up, bowed slightly to the audience, and then sat down.

"Respected Secretary Sha, Governor Qi, Minister Wu, and comrades," he said, "I fully support and resolutely obey the decisions of the Central Committee and the Provincial Party Committee. From Lüzhou to the province, and from the province to Jingzhou, my position has changed, and my responsibilities have become heavier. Jingzhou is the provincial capital and the political, economic, and cultural center of Handong. Being able to work in Jingzhou is a sign of the organization's trust, but also a heavy responsibility."