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

He wondered how long it would take for these words to reach Sha Ruijin's ears after today's meeting. Given Sha Ruijin's information channels, they might reach him in the afternoon, not even in the evening.

He doesn't care.

It was meant to be said to the outside world.

What he wanted was for Sha Ruijin to know—I don't object to you taking action against Li Dakang, but you can't make it impossible for me, the governor, to do my job. Economic data is declining, investors and businessmen are panicking, and you will be held responsible for these consequences.

After all, you are the provincial party secretary, not the secretary of the discipline inspection commission.

He picked up the documents and continued reviewing them.

---

At 6:30 p.m., Qi Tongwei's car was parked in front of Villa No. 3 in the provincial party committee compound.

He didn't let Liao Qingyuan come with him tonight. He got out of the car alone, walked up the steps, and rang the doorbell. Wu Huifen opened the door, wearing a dark-colored house dress, an apron tied around her waist, and holding a spatula in her hand.

"Tongwei's here, come in quickly." She stepped aside to let him in, then turned and called out, "Old Gao, Tongwei's here!"

Gao Yuliang came out of the study, wearing a light gray cashmere sweater, and wasn't carrying any books. He sat down on the sofa, gestured with his chin towards the person opposite him, and said to Qi Tongwei, "Sit down. Let's eat first, then we'll talk."

Dinner was simple: four dishes and a soup—steamed sea bass, braised pork ribs, garlic broccoli, cucumber salad, and a bowl of tomato and egg drop soup. Gao Yuliang sat at the head of the table, Qi Tongwei to his right, and Wu Huifen opposite him. Gao Fangfang didn't return, saying she had something to do in the lab.

The three ate quietly, exchanging a few words now and then. Wu Huifen asked about the children, and Qi Tongwei said that Huaiyin and Huaiyuan were both studying in Beijing, with heavy workloads, and rarely came home. Wu Huifen said that the children were grown up and had their own paths to follow, so she shouldn't worry too much. Gao Yuliang remained quiet, occasionally picking up a piece of food with his chopsticks, eating slowly, his expression calm, but somewhat absent-minded.

After the meal, Wu Huifen directed the nanny to clear the dishes. Gao Yuliang stood up and said one word to Qi Tongwei: "Come on."

---

The study was on the second floor. It wasn't large; a bookcase occupied an entire wall, and several books were spread out on the table. A desk lamp was on, casting a soft, orange glow on the table, pushing away the surrounding darkness. Gao Yuliang made two cups of tea and then sat down in the chair behind the desk, while Qi Tongwei sat down on the sofa.

The faint sound of dishes being washed in the kitchen downstairs drifted up, a gentle splashing sound, like a soft background melody.

Gao Yuliang leaned back in his chair, looked at Qi Tongwei for a moment, and then spoke first.

I heard about your speech at the meeting this afternoon.

Qi Tongwei showed no surprise.

Gao Yuliang looked at him, his eyes not filled with reproach, but with a hint of worry.

“Tongwei, your remarks today were too impulsive. You laid bare your dissatisfaction with Sha Ruijin. In the office meeting, in front of so many people, you said, ‘Some comrades don’t consider the consequences of their actions,’ and ‘If one person falls, the morale of ten people will collapse.’ How is that any different from pointing your finger at him and cursing him?”

Qi Tongwei remained silent.

Gao Yuliang's voice deepened: "If you express your dissatisfaction with him in public, what will he think? He will feel that you are challenging him and openly defying his authority. That is not a wise move."

Qi Tongwei put down his teacup, his expression calm.

"Teacher, I understand what you're saying. But I didn't act impulsively; I've considered it carefully."

He looked at Gao Yuliang, speaking slowly and deliberately, as if he were analyzing a game of chess rather than defending his actions.

"Things have come to this point, and I must make a statement. Sha Ruijin's actions against Li Dakang were procedurally compliant, but the method was problematic. He bypassed the Standing Committee and directly requested instructions from higher authorities to deal with a deputy provincial-level official, and even you and I, the two deputy secretaries of the provincial party committee, only found out afterward. This is not respecting the unity of the leadership team; this is launching a surprise attack."

He paused for a moment.

"If I don't say or do anything, what will others think? Will they think that I, Qi Tongwei, tacitly approved this, or simply believe that we had planned this together?"

Gao Yuliang was silent for a moment, then said, "So you're going to publicly challenge him?"

“It’s not about challenging him, it’s about drawing a clear line.” Qi Tongwei’s tone was very firm. “What I want to do is to agree on differences but not on them—I support him on the big picture; but I have my own stance on the specific methods and approaches, and I can’t follow his lead. Only in this way can I minimize the impact on myself in the upcoming turmoil.”

Gao Yuliang frowned slightly. He gleaned something from the phrase "the upcoming turmoil," and looked up at Qi Tongwei: "What do you know?"

Qi Tongwei shook his head.

“I don’t know anything. But Zhao Lichun is no pushover.” He looked at Gao Yuliang. “Teacher, you’ve dealt with Zhao Lichun for so many years. Based on your understanding of him—is he the kind of person who sits and waits for his doom?”

Gao Yuliang remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

“Zhao Lichun can’t touch Sha Ruijin’s own problems,” Qi Tongwei continued. “He is not greedy, does not embezzle, and does not engage in power-for-money transactions; that’s for sure. So if Zhao Lichun wants to retaliate, he definitely won’t take that path—that would be too foolish and wouldn’t hit the mark. He will definitely start from the entire Handong level, targeting a point that Sha Ruijin cannot defend against. Zhao Lichun has been deeply involved in Handong for over twenty years; the projects he’s handled, the cadres he’s promoted, the traces he’s left behind are too numerous. He can dig too many pits and plant too many landmines.”

He leaned back on the sofa, his gaze lingering on the lamp above him for a moment.

“Teacher, I have to do this. On the one hand, I need to express my stance—I am the governor, and my responsibility is to develop the economy and stabilize people's livelihoods, not to get involved in factional infighting. On the other hand, I need to do my best to avoid being affected. When Sha Ruijin and Zhao Lichun's forces clash, the situation in Handong will become unstable. If the situation becomes unstable, everything could break. I need to get out of the way before the broken pieces hit me.”

Gao Yuliang remained silent for a long time.

“Tongwei,” he finally spoke, his tone much gentler than before, “I understand the reasons you’ve given. But you need to think clearly about one thing—how will Sha Ruijin interpret your remarks today? In his eyes, there’s no such thing as ‘harmony in diversity,’ only ‘listen to me’ and ‘disobey me.’ Your actions today have placed you in the latter category.”

Qi Tongwei nodded: "I know. But I have no other way to go."

Gao Yuliang sighed and didn't try to persuade him further. After a moment of silence, he changed his approach: "Do you have any predictions about Zhao Lichun's possible actions?"

Qi Tongwei thought for a moment and then shook his head.

"There is no specific plan. Zhao Lichun is a man of bold and outspokenness. He will not fuss over trivial matters. Once he takes action, it will inevitably be at the level of the entire Handong region, and it is very likely that he will start with the economy. This is the main reason why I spoke this afternoon."

Gao Yuliang nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

The two chatted for a while longer, and the topic gradually shifted back to Li Dakang, which was unavoidable.

Gao Yuliang looked slightly downcast, and his tone was much softer than before, almost muttering to himself.

"It's a pity about Li Dakang."

Qi Tongwei looked at him but didn't reply.

"China's reform and opening up can be described as a mighty and sweeping movement, in which everyone is caught in the torrent. Many people, through their own efforts or luck, have risen to the forefront. The forefront is full of glory, temptations, and risks; it all depends on how you seize the opportunity."

He paused for a moment.

“Everyone has their own destiny. But one thing is certain—in hindsight, every step was crystal clear; in the midst of it, every step was shrouded in mist. This time, Li Dakang simply fell off the crest of the wave.”

"It's not easy to get safely to the other side."

-

As Qi Tongwei left Gao Yuliang's villa, he glanced back at the light on in the study on the second floor of the Provincial Party Committee's No. 3 villa and frowned slightly.

Despite his innocent and victim-like demeanor in Gao Yuliang's study, he was well aware that he had been in Handong for a long time, and the acting governor had been in office for nearly two months. The government had essentially grasped the situation and was now considering taking action.

Having watched the drama unfold for so long, the struggle in Handong has now reached a fever pitch, a life-or-death situation. He is ready to take advantage of Zhao Lichun's momentum and personally get involved.

He wanted to achieve the goals he set when he first came to Handong.

He figured that Teacher Gao must have guessed it too, otherwise he wouldn't have offered some advice at the end.

After so many things happened, Teacher Gao's mindset has changed, and she has become more conservative.

But often, making progress is like rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you fall behind.

He had no choice.

Chapter 210 Lu Lu

Since Li Dakang was taken away, the officialdom in Handong has been as if an invisible hand has choked it.

On the surface, everything seemed normal. Provincial Party Committee documents were issued as usual, provincial government meetings were held as usual, and cadres of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee went to work as usual. But beneath this thin layer of "normality," another emotion was surging and accumulating—not anger, not sympathy, but fear.

Zhao Donglai, the director of the Jingzhou Public Security Bureau, was the first to feel that fear.

He was the director of the Jingzhou Public Security Bureau. Although he wasn't promoted by Li Dakang, he was definitely one of Li Dakang's own people.

Back then, Li Dakang was transferred from Lincheng to Jingzhou, and Zhao Donglai had just been transferred from the Provincial Public Security Department.

For four years, Zhao Donglai has worked with Li Dakang, solving cases, maintaining stability, and wholeheartedly supporting Li Dakang's work.

He considered himself one of Li Dakang's men, which wasn't a bad thing. Li Dakang was a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and the Municipal Party Secretary; following him meant a promising future.

He felt the pressure when Li Dakang was suspended from his post, but at that time there was still a possibility that Li Dakang would be reinstated.

Later, Dong Dingfang arrived.

Now, Li Dakang has fallen.

When the news arrived, Zhao Donglai was in his office reviewing a case report. Political Department Director Liu pushed open the door, his face contorted as if he'd swallowed a fly. He closed the door, walked to Zhao Donglai's desk, and said in a low voice, "Director, Secretary Li has been taken away by the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection."

Zhao Donglai's eyebrows twitched violently, and he suddenly looked up at Lao Liu without saying a word.

"This morning, people from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection went directly to my home and took me away. I heard the procedures were completed and it was approved by the higher-level Commission for Discipline Inspection."

Zhao Donglai put down the report in his hand and leaned back in his chair. He was silent for a few seconds, then asked, "What crime?"

"I don't know. I heard it's related to Ouyang Jing, and her overseas assets."

Zhao Donglai didn't ask any further questions; the specific charge wasn't important.

He nodded and said, "Understood."

Old Liu stood there, not leaving. He looked at Zhao Donglai, hesitant to speak. Zhao Donglai saw what he was thinking and waved his hand: "You can go out now, I'll think about it."

Old Liu left, and the door closed. Zhao Donglai sat alone in his office, his mind blank. He was thinking, what would he do now that Li Dakang had fallen?

He wasn't worried about having any problems—he wasn't greedy, didn't take advantage of others, and didn't engage in power-for-money transactions.

He was worried that Li Dakang's people would be seen as problematic by the new leader.

In the afternoon, he received a phone call. It was from a deputy director of the provincial public security bureau, surnamed Wang, with whom he usually had a good relationship. Deputy Director Wang sounded urgent on the phone: "Donglai, how's the situation on your end?"

"what's the situation?"

"About Secretary Li's matter. You've been with him for so many years, has the Discipline Inspection Commission ever spoken to you about it?"

"No."

"That's good, that's good." Deputy Director Wang paused. "Donglai, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart—you need to be prepared. Li Dakang's matter is serious. If you can find an opportunity to proactively report the situation to your superiors, perhaps—"

“Director Wang,” Zhao Donglai interrupted him, “I have nothing to report. I know nothing about Secretary Li’s matter, and I am completely innocent. That’s what I say to anyone who comes to talk to me.”

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then the call ended.

Zhao Donglai placed his phone on the table and stared at it for a long time.

He understood what Director Wang meant; he simply wanted to be a tainted witness. It wasn't that he was particularly loyal to Li Dakang, but on the one hand, he genuinely didn't know, and on the other hand, the consequences would be too great.

That afternoon, Zhao Donglai heard Qi Tongwei's speech at the government office meeting, and when he heard the sentence "If one person falls, the hearts of ten people will scatter," he immediately sensed that his way out had arrived.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately contacted the secretary of Dong Dingfang, the current Party Secretary of Jingzhou, and said that he had a report to Secretary Dong about the security situation in Jingzhou.

He breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the message from Dong Dingfang that he should go there now.

Zhao Donglai knew that as long as Dong Dingfang was willing to see him at this time, he should have passed this hurdle.

If he performs well, he might even be able to dream of becoming the head of the Public Security Bureau in a few years.