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

Tian Guofu continued, his tone unchanged, but his pace quickening slightly: "Before Secretary Sha came to Handong, he didn't know much about you. You reported the food court matter to him, and he believed you. You applied for a divorce, and he approved it. He thought you were a clean, capable, and good cadre. But look at you now! Secretary Sha had no idea you had so many problems back then!"

He paused, his tone turning serious.

"Don't even think about using Secretary Sha's previous approval of your divorce to drag him down. You've fooled Secretary Sha; you've taken his trust as a shield, and that won't save you!"

Li Dakang sat there, motionless.

He recalled the scene when he left Sha Ruijin's office that day. He knew then that refusing Sha Ruijin would not end well. He thought Sha Ruijin would make things difficult for him, transfer him away from Jingzhou, and leave him sidelined.

The safety incidents in the shantytowns have led him to consider stepping down from his position as a frontline worker, ahead of Gao Yuliang.

But he never expected that Ouyang Jing would have a "surprise" inside.

Li Dakang leaned back in his chair, as if he had lost all his strength. His back was no longer straight, and his shoulders slumped slightly, as if his spine had been removed.

Tian Guofu saw an opportunity and began to play the emotional card, trying to get the result he wanted. His words were full of hints.

Li Dakang naturally understood.

He chuckled. "If I were going to do something like this, I wouldn't do it now. I agreed to Secretary Sha's conditions back then. What? In Secretary Tian's eyes, am I such a weak person that once the tables turn and I'm imprisoned, I, Li Dakang, am no longer Li Dakang?"

"You underestimate me."

Tian Guofu looked at him without saying a word.

Li Dakang slowly raised his head and looked at Tian Guofu. His gaze held no anger, no resentment, no bitterness, only calm:

"As you just said, I only served as mayor for less than two years before being promoted to municipal party secretary. But in fact, throughout my entire political career, I grew up under the protection of the old party secretary."

"Anyone can bring down the old Party Secretary, but I, Li Dakang, cannot be brought down."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to be squeezed out from the very marrow of his bones.

"I may not be a famous minister, but I cannot be a villain."

Tian Guofu was silent for a few seconds, then said, “Comrade Li Dakang, I understand your feelings. But you also know very well that Zhao Ruilong gave Ouyang Jing that $1.3 million to drag you down with him. He has malicious intentions towards you, and he is using your wife as a pawn. Why should you stand up for him and his father? If you are unrighteous, I will be unrighteous in return. You should understand this principle.”

Li Dakang shook his head. It wasn't a refusal, but rather a sense of helplessness.

“Zhao Ruilong is Zhao Ruilong, and the old Party Secretary is the old Party Secretary. Can you guarantee to me that this matter will only stay at Zhao Ruilong's level and will not involve the old Party Secretary?”

Tian Guofu opened his mouth, wanting to say "yes," but swallowed the words back.

It wasn't that he couldn't lie; in this position, he had lied before and had seen others lie. But he knew that even if he made a promise now, Li Dakang wouldn't believe him.

Instead, it will only make you look like a petty person and make you a laughingstock.

He chose to remain silent.

Li Dakang looked at his silence, his lips twitching slightly as if he were laughing.

“The old Party Secretary feels guilty towards Ruilong.” His voice was low, as if he were talking to himself. “Moreover, he was too busy with work and neglected to discipline his child, which led to the current situation.”

He gave a wry smile and said self-deprecatingly, "Don't talk about him. Aren't I the same? Even a great man is bound to have an unvirtuous wife and unfilial children. I, Li Dakang, have been in officialdom for thirty years, and in the end, I can't even teach my own daughter well."

"Secretary Tian, ​​do you know who I envy the most right now?"

Tian Guofu looked at him but didn't reply.

“Gao Yuliang,” Li Dakang said, his tone carrying an indescribable tone, “Not to mention that he taught such a good student, I admire even more how well he raised his daughter. Gao Fangfang, studying and doing research abroad all by herself, without relying on her father, without using connections, without comparing herself to others. Gao Yuliang deserves what he has today.”

He paused, then lowered his voice.

"You still need to read more books."

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the fluorescent light buzzed like a fly struggling in a glass bottle.

Tian Guofu opened the file, then closed it again. He looked at Li Dakang, a complex and indescribable emotion welling up inside him.

In the officialdom of Handong, Li Dakang had always had a bad reputation—too tough, too cold, and unapproachable.

But today, Li Dakang sat opposite him, without begging for mercy, without anger, without arguing, without bargaining. He just sat there, said what he wanted to say, and then waited for the final verdict.

Tian Guofu took a deep breath and decided to make one last effort.

“Comrade Li Dakang,” his tone softened slightly, “I understand your feelings. But there are some things I still need to say. Regarding Ouyang Jing’s case, she herself is a key witness. If she actively cooperates, she can receive a lighter sentence. As for your daughter, Li Jiajia, she is not deeply involved in the case. You sold the house and returned the money, so the main responsibility lies with Wang Dalu. If you can actively cooperate with the organization, Li Jiajia can apply for a suspended sentence. I can advocate for this with the organization.”

He paused, looking at Li Dakang.

"Even if Ouyang Jing doesn't mention it, don't you feel guilty towards your daughter? Don't you think about her?"

Li Dakang's hand trembled slightly.

He lowered his head, not wanting Tian Guofu to see the struggle in his eyes.

It wasn't fear of scrutiny, nor worry about his future, but guilt towards his daughter. He bore responsibility for Li Jiajia's current predicament. He was too busy, too busy to care for her in China, too busy to know what she had been through abroad.

His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but then he closed them again.

He remembered what Li Jiajia looked like when she was little. She had two little braids, wore a floral dress, and ran around in the courtyard of the county committee's residential compound, her laughter as clear and crisp as a bell.

When he came home from get off work, she rushed over and hugged his legs, calling "Daddy, Daddy," which softened his heart.

But immediately, his hesitation vanished like the tide, and his eyes regained their firmness:

“I do feel guilty towards Jiajia; it is my responsibility not to raise her well. But she is already an adult and should take responsibility for her own choices.”

Chapter 208 Watching the Tide

The news of Li Dakang being taken away spread very quickly.

It happened as fast as an autumn wind, blowing from the provincial party committee compound to the provincial government compound, from the provincial government to various departments and bureaus, and from various departments and bureaus to various districts and counties. By the afternoon, no one in the Jingzhou officialdom was unaware of it.

Qi Tongwei and Gao Yuliang were naturally the first to receive detailed information.

Luo Xuejun pushed open the door to Gao Yuliang's office, holding a mobile phone in his hand, his expression slightly more tense than usual.

He walked to Gao Yuliang's desk and whispered, "Secretary Gao, it's Governor Qi on the phone."

Gao Yuliang took the phone, held it to his ear, and waited for the other end to speak first.

On the other end of the phone, Qi Tongwei's voice remained calm, as still as a deep pool of water that had completely sunk in autumn, without a ripple.

"Teacher, did you hear the news?"

"I heard you."

What do you think?

Gao Yuliang did not answer directly.

His decades-long cultivation of inner strength was quietly broken at this moment—he sighed softly, so softly that it was almost inaudible, yet enough for Qi Tongwei to hear clearly.

Li Dakang. This long-time political rival, who had been at odds with him during his tenure in Lüzhou and challenged him at every meeting of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, has now ended his career in this way.

Gao Yuliang paused for two seconds, then said something that seemed unrelated:

"Tongwei, over there, the work at the provincial government can't stop. The economy can't be thrown into chaos."

Qi Tongwei responded with a "yes" on the other end of the phone. He knew Gao Yuliang was right, and he also knew that his teacher had much more on his mind when he said those words than just that.

Li Dakang's arrest not only shook the officialdom of Jingzhou, but also the entire political ecosystem of Handong. The sudden disappearance of a cadre of this rank from the political arena leaves a void, prompting everyone present to re-evaluate their own position. Especially at times like these, chaos is unacceptable. Meetings must be held, documents must be signed, and projects must proceed. Maintaining normal operations is the greatest reassurance and the best promise the governor can offer to this region.

"I understand," he said. "Teacher, what about you over there?"

Gao Yuliang understood the question "How are you over there?"—it wasn't asking "How are you feeling?" or "Are you busy with work lately?", but rather "Will this matter affect you?"

"I'm fine." Gao Yuliang's tone carried a faint smile. "Teacher Wu is trustworthy in this regard. Besides, I'm about to retire, who would bother keeping an eye on me?"

"Teacher," Qi Tongwei said, "I'll come over to see you tonight."

Gao Yuliang opened his mouth to say "No need," but stopped himself. In the past, visiting at this time would have been a sensitive matter, but given the current situation, he couldn't care less. Besides, at this moment, probably no one had the time to speculate about the relationship between the master and disciple.

"Come on," he said. "I'll have your teacher's wife cook a couple more dishes."

---

After hanging up the phone, Qi Tongwei did not pause and immediately dialed the number of Lin Long'an, the executive vice governor.

"Comrade Long'an, please come here."

Lin Long'an arrived quickly. When he entered, he was carrying a folder, his expression as usual—composure or dull, he always maintained that expressionless demeanor. He sat down on the sofa, placed the folder on the coffee table, and waited quietly without opening it.

Qi Tongwei walked out from behind the table, sat down opposite Lin Long'an, and got straight to the point:

"Have you heard about Li Dakang's situation?"

"I just found out," Lin Long'an said calmly.

What do you think?

Lin Long'an thought for a moment and said, "Comrade Li Dakang's case is an isolated incident and will not affect the normal work of the provincial government. The projects under my supervision are all progressing according to plan."

Qi Tongwei glanced at him, his lips twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything.

This is the safest answer Lin Long'an could give in his position. He rose from an ordinary staff member in the Planning Commission to the executive vice governor in nearly thirty years, dedicating his entire life to the implementation level, avoiding factionalism, making statements, and taking sides—this philosophy of survival has brought him to where he is today, and it also makes him weigh every word he speaks with great precision.

"So, what do you think will happen next?"

Lin Long'an was silent for a few seconds, then slowly said, "Governor Qi, no matter which way things go, I think it's enough to do my own job well. The rest is beyond my concern."

Qi Tongwei nodded and did not pursue the matter further.

He asked this question not because he genuinely wanted to get any judgment from Lin Long'an, but to confirm one thing—whether this person was involved. Only after confirming that he wasn't could he assign the next tasks.

"Li Dakang's situation might affect the investment environment in Jingzhou. The Guangmingfeng project is at a critical stage, and at this juncture, investors are most afraid of uncertainty. You need to proactively communicate with Dong Dingfang's side, reassure them, and give them sufficient confidence. On the provincial government's side, have the finance and statistics departments closely monitor Jingzhou's economic data, and report any abnormalities to me immediately."

"Governor, rest assured, I will arrange it immediately."

Lin Long'an closed the door and left. Qi Tongwei turned around, walked back to the table, picked up the phone, and dialed Dong Dingfang.

"Comrade Dingfang, keep an eye on the investors' sentiments in Jingzhou. Lin Long'an and I have already spoken to them; please cooperate fully. Also, the supporting infrastructure projects for Guangming Peak cannot be halted, and the progress of the shantytown renovation cannot be slowed down. Once an economic hole appears, no one can fill it."

"Don't worry, Comrade Zheng Hong is keeping an eye on the economy. I've spoken to him about it, and he knows what's going on."

"That's good." Qi Tongwei paused. "There's one more thing—keep an eye on Yi Xuexi. Don't interfere, but also be careful not to let him cause too much of a commotion."

"I see."

He made several more phone calls, explaining everything that needed to be explained, one by one. Finally, after hanging up, he turned to Liao Qingyuan, who was standing to the side, and said:

"Contact Bai Jingwen and tell him I want to see Secretary Sha, and ask him when is a convenient time."

Liao Qingyuan didn't ask any further questions and immediately took out his phone to make a call. The call was answered after two rings. He whispered a few words, then turned and reported, "Director Bai said Secretary Sha is in his office now and requests your presence."

Qi Tongwei nodded, sat quietly in the chair for a moment, closed his eyes, and went through the day's events in his mind one last time to make sure nothing was missed before getting up and walking towards the provincial party committee compound.