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

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On the sixth floor of the Provincial Party Committee building, Bai Jingwen was already waiting in the corridor.

Seeing Qi Tongwei emerge from the elevator, he approached him and bowed slightly: "Governor Qi, Secretary Sha is waiting for you. Please follow me."

There was no one else in the corridor. Bai Jingwen walked slowly, with Qi Tongwei following behind him. Their leather shoes made a steady, even sound as they stepped on the polished floor.

He knocked on the door, pushed it open, and Bai Jingwen stepped aside to let Qi Tongwei in.

Sha Ruijin sat behind his large desk, several documents spread out in front of him, a pen in his hand, his head slightly lowered. Hearing the noise, he put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and without getting up, merely gestured with his chin toward the chair opposite him.

"Comrade Tongwei, what's the matter?"

Bai Jingwen brought in a cup of tea, placed it in front of Qi Tongwei, and left without a word, gently closing the door behind him.

The moment the door closed, only two people remained in the office, and the temperature in the air seemed to drop a few degrees.

Qi Tongwei didn't rush to sit down. He stood there, looking at Sha Ruijin with a gaze that was neither humble nor arrogant, but lacked the obsequiousness of a subordinate meeting a superior. He simply met Sha Ruijin's gaze calmly and clearly.

"Secretary Sha, I've come all this way because I'd like to discuss something with you in person."

Sha Ruijin nodded. "Sit down, and speak."

Qi Tongwei sat down in the chair, without picking up the teacup, crossed his hands on his knees, and leaned back slightly.

"Secretary Sha, I learned about Comrade Li Dakang's matter this morning." His voice wasn't loud, but his enunciation was clear, as if every word had been pre-planned and rehearsed. "Procedurally, it's in accordance with organizational procedures for the Provincial Party Secretary to bypass the Standing Committee and directly request instructions from higher authorities through the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection to handle a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee. I have no objection to that."

This first sentence was stated in a steady and unassailable manner. It first confirmed the compliance of the procedure, leaving no room for anyone to question the organization's procedures.

Sha Ruijin nodded, his expression unchanged, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, producing a low, muffled sound. "Go on."

"but--"

The conversation took an abrupt turn here, and a sharp edge appeared in his tone.

"Comrade Li Dakang was a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and the Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee. He worked in Handong for a full thirty years. The current economic landscape of Handong and the development trajectory of Jingzhou over the years bear his deep imprint. I am not trying to excuse him; I am stating objective facts."

He paused.

"This afternoon, I received three phone calls. The first was from a key investor in the Guangmingfeng project, a major state-owned enterprise, who specifically called to ask if the situation in Jingzhou would affect the project's progress. The second was from a colleague from the Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, inquiring about potential major adjustments to the leadership of municipal state-owned enterprises. The third was from a leader from another province; he spoke in a roundabout way, but his meaning was clear: he was asking if Handong was planning any major developments."

His gaze did not waver, but fell directly on Sha Ruijin's face.

"Secretary Sha, I'm not here to plead for Li Dakang; the organization will make its own judgment on his case. What I want to tell you is—the sudden removal of a deputy provincial-level official at this juncture has long since transcended the boundaries of a mere cadre issue; it's impacting the confidence of the entire political and economic ecosystem of Handong. The provincial government was completely unprepared and was caught in a very passive position."

The office was silent for a few seconds.

Sha Ruijin's fingers stopped on the table. He looked at Qi Tongwei, his gaze not filled with offended annoyance, but with something deeper—scrutiny and a kind of inexplicable wariness.

"Comrade Tongwei, I understand everything you've said." His tone was unhurried, carrying a habitual air of composure. "Please keep an eye on things with the provincial government. Stabilizing the economy and the public is, after all, your duty."

This statement was delivered in a steady, appropriate, and suitable manner, effectively deflecting Qi Tongwei's words—I have received what you said, but that is your concern, not my responsibility to explain.

This is to send someone away.

Qi Tongwei understood, but he did not back down.

"Secretary Sha, stabilizing the economy and public sentiment is my duty, and I can do it." His tone remained calm. "But I need to know what other 'unstable' factors might emerge. If the Discipline Inspection Commission takes any further action, I hope Comrade Tian Guofu can inform the provincial government in advance. This way, I can prepare accordingly."

Sha Ruijin's eyebrows twitched slightly, and his gaze sharpened even more than before.

"Ventilation? What kind of ventilation?"

"A day or half a day in advance." Qi Tongwei's tone remained calm, but each word carried a weighty, hammer-in-the-woods quality. "You don't need to tell me the details of the case, you don't need to reveal any evidence, just tell me the direction—which area to target next, which level involved. This way, the provincial government can prepare contingency plans in advance, stabilize what needs stabilizing, and plug any loopholes that need plugging, so that we're not caught off guard every time."

Sha Ruijin leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest twice, without speaking immediately.

"Comrade Tongwei, the work of the Discipline Inspection Commission is governed by its own discipline and confidentiality regulations. Some things cannot be disclosed before a conclusion is reached—you're a veteran comrade, I think you understand this principle."

"I understand," Qi Tongwei replied quickly, "but Secretary Sha, I'm not just a veteran comrade anymore. I'm still the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee. The work of the Discipline Inspection Commission is carried out under the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee. What I need from you isn't the case details, but a time lag."

He leaned forward slightly, and for the first time, a subtle sense of pressure surfaced in his tone:

"Knowing it a day in advance allows the provincial government to make arrangements a day earlier. Knowing it half a day in advance allows the provincial government to stabilize the situation half a day earlier. It's much better than me suddenly hearing the news at a standing committee meeting and being unable to offer an explanation in front of dozens of department heads."

That was said with a lot of emotion.

"Caught off guard in front of dozens of department and bureau chiefs"—this is an accusation that Sha Ruijin failed to consider the feelings of the provincial government and the coordination responsibility of the top leader.

The provincial party secretary was making decisions about cadres without consulting the governor, and the governor heard about it for the first time in front of everyone in the provincial government—this is not just a matter of cooperation, but a matter of whether the top leader respects the second-in-command.

Sha Ruijin paused in his finger movements. He looked at Qi Tongwei, and the look in his eyes changed—not anger, but the instinctive alertness that arises in a powerful person when their boundaries are crossed.

"Comrade Tongwei, are you here today representing the provincial government, or representing yourself?"

This is a clever question, like a probe trying to figure out the true meaning behind Qi Tongwei's words today.

Representing the provincial government—that is, expressing formal dissatisfaction on behalf of the government system to the provincial party secretary in the capacity of the governor—is a form of significant pressure.

Representing an individual—that carries much less weight; an individual's opinion is ultimately insufficient to shake the working methods of the provincial party secretary.

Qi Tongwei answered without hesitation:

"I represent the provincial government, and I represent myself." He paused, "But more importantly, Secretary Sha, I also serve as the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee. I have the right to know about the Provincial Party Committee's major decisions; I have the responsibility to cooperate in the implementation of the Provincial Party Committee's major actions. If I am the last person in the Provincial Party Committee to know, how can I, as the Deputy Secretary, cooperate in the work?"

Qi Tongwei did not say "Why didn't you tell me?" but instead said "I have a responsibility to cooperate".

The former is an accusation, the latter is a statement. An accusation makes one want to refute, while a statement makes one unable to refuse.

Sha Ruijin remained silent.

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

"Comrade Tongwei," he finally spoke, his tone slightly softer than before, but only slightly, "I've noted your request. I'll speak with Comrade Guofu later—in the future, regarding major economic cases or cases involving cadres in important positions, I'll try to inform you in advance."

Qi Tongwei nodded without saying anything.

He knew there was room for interpretation in those words. What constituted a "major economic case" and what the boundaries were for "cadres in important positions"—that was Sha Ruijin's decision.

Sha Ruijin can use these two modifiers at any time to decide which matters need to be mentioned in advance and which matters are not within this scope.

But he didn't pursue it any further. That was enough.

"Secretary Sha, there's one more thing." He didn't give Sha Ruijin a chance to catch his breath, continuing directly, "After Comrade Li Dakang was taken away, morale among the cadres in Jingzhou became somewhat unsettled. Although Comrade Dong Dingfang has taken office, he's still new to the position and hasn't firmly established himself yet; building his authority will take time. My suggestion is that the Provincial Party Committee arrange for a leader to make a special trip to Jingzhou soon to conduct some research and give them some support?"

Sha Ruijin glanced at him, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"That's a good suggestion. You make the arrangements, and I'll try to find some time next week to go to Jingzhou and take a look."

This is only to be expected – such a big commotion occurred in Jingzhou, and as the provincial party secretary and the instigator, it would be a dereliction of duty for him not to make a trip there.

Qi Tongwei agreed and then got up to leave. But he didn't turn around immediately; instead, he remained standing there, looking at Sha Ruijin, and uttered the last sentence he had prepared before coming here:

"Secretary Sha, I understand you have your tasks and your pressures. I won't pry or interfere. But there's one thing I want to make clear to you—Handong isn't just a chessboard; Handong has over 80 million people who need to eat, work, and make a living. No matter how the power struggles at the higher levels unfold, the economy cannot collapse, and the lives of ordinary people cannot be disrupted. This is my bottom line as governor, and it's also my original intention for coming here to work."

Sha Ruijin looked at him, his gaze gradually sharpening, as if it had been honed into a blade by those words.

After a second or two of silence, he spoke, his voice flat, devoid of any warmth:

"Comrade Tongwei, I understand your bottom line." He paused, "And you should remember my bottom line too—Party discipline and national law are non-negotiable."

The two locked eyes for a moment. In that instant, the air seemed to be sucked away, and the office was so quiet that you could hear the clock ticking on the wall.

Qi Tongwei nodded, said nothing more, and turned to walk out the door.

Chapter 209 Drawing a Clear Line

The afternoon meeting was the governor's office meeting.

The meeting was a routine affair, with the agenda already set – an analysis of the third-quarter economic performance, funding arrangements for several key projects, and the second report on the state-owned enterprise reform plan. Qi Tongwei sat at the head of the table, the agenda spread out before him, his expression unchanged from usual. The vice governors and directors of various departments took their seats one after another, and the meeting room quieted down, broken only by the rustling of papers turning.

The meeting lasted forty minutes, and everything proceeded as usual.

When it was the Provincial Development and Reform Commission's turn to report on the third-quarter economic data, Qi Tongwei suddenly interrupted.

"Wait a moment."

The director of the National Development and Reform Commission stopped and looked up at him.

Qi Tongwei flipped through the documents in front of him, his gaze landing on a particular page, his brow furrowing slightly. The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly tensed, and everyone's attention silently turned to him.

"Your report states that Jingzhou City expects fixed asset investment in the third quarter to decrease by 5.3 percentage points compared to the first half of the year. What is the reason for this?"

The director of the National Development and Reform Commission paused for a moment, quickly flipped through a few pages of materials, and found the relevant explanation: "The main problem is that the progress of several supporting projects for the Guangming Peak project is lagging behind, and the demolition of several areas in the shantytown renovation is not as slow as expected, which has dragged down the overall data. In addition... some investors are also taking a wait-and-see approach, and the expected funding rate for some projects is not high."

"Let's wait and see."

Qi Tongwei repeated those two words softly, as if weighing them in his hand to assess their significance, then putting them down again. "Observe what?"

The director of the National Development and Reform Commission opened his mouth but did not respond.

The meeting room was so quiet you could hear the low hum of the air conditioner. Everyone present understood the implication of Qi Tongwei's words, but no one dared to respond—the investors were observing the political situation in Jingzhou, wondering if there would be further turmoil after Li Dakang was taken away, and whether the investment environment in Handong could hold up.

Everyone in the meeting room had the answer in their hearts, but no one dared to say it aloud.

Qi Tongwei did not press the matter further.

He put down the materials and slowly glanced around the seats.

"Economic work is all about expectations. Stable expectations lead to stable investment; once expectations are shattered, even the best projects can't be implemented. Some of our comrades only focus on their own little corner of the world, thinking that if they take down one person, the problem is solved. Little do they know that if one person falls, the morale of ten people will collapse. If morale collapses, the team becomes difficult to lead. If the team is difficult to lead, how can we talk about economic development?"

It felt as if a layer of air had been sucked out of the conference room.

Executive Vice Governor Lin Long'an, sitting next to Qi Tongwei, paused slightly in mid-air, his hand holding the teacup still. He didn't look at Qi Tongwei; his gaze remained fixed on the table, unmoving. The other vice governors exchanged quick glances before abruptly looking away.

"I want to emphasize one point here," Qi Tongwei raised his voice, "No matter what happens outside, the provincial government's work cannot stop, and Jingzhou's development cannot slow down. Whoever's project it is, they are responsible for it; whoever's target it is, they are responsible for it. At the end of the year, the performance will be assessed based on the numbers. If you can't produce results by then, don't come to me with explanations."

He didn't name anyone, not "Li Dakang," not "Sha Ruijin," not even "Disciplinary Committee." But everyone present understood—"Some comrades act without considering the consequences, only focusing on their own little corner"—everyone knew who he was referring to; "If one person falls, the hearts of ten will scatter"—the situation he was describing didn't need to be explicitly stated.

This passage is profound and contains a wealth of information.

Lin Long'an put down his teacup, coughed lightly, and steadily took over the conversation: "The National Development and Reform Commission should go back and verify the data again, and submit a more detailed analysis report next week. Next topic."

The meeting continued. The subsequent topics progressed smoothly; no one mentioned Jingzhou again, nor did anyone mention investment growth. When the meeting adjourned, everyone packed up their materials and got up, walking faster than usual, as if they were all eager to leave the room.

Qi Tongwei was the last to stand up. He put the materials into his briefcase, picked up his thermos, and walked out unhurriedly. Lin Long'an was waiting in the corridor. He followed him, walked a few steps side by side, and said in a low voice, "Governor Qi, some things said at today's meeting... might be interpreted differently if they get out."

Qi Tongwei didn't slow down or turn to look at him, but simply said, "I'm talking about economic work. What's wrong with talking about economic work?"

Lin Long'an didn't say anything more, nodded, and quickened his pace to walk away.

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Qi Tongwei entered the office, placed his briefcase on the desk, and sat down in a chair. Liao Qingyuan followed him in, brought him a cup of hot tea, placed the documents that needed his approval for the day on the corner of the desk, then left, closing the door behind him.

He was the only one left in the huge office.