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

Preliminary Suggestions on Taking the Lead in Researching and Formulating a Systematic Guidance Catalogue for Industrial Restructuring to Promote the Systematization, List-based Approach, and Transparency of Industrial Policy Management

This proposal is by no means a simple "idea".

It requires a profound analysis of the current situation, a comparison and reference to domestic and international experience, a preliminary framework concept, and a feasible implementation plan. It must be logically rigorous, supported by strong data, and based on solid argumentation.

Otherwise, handing it over would only be seen as an unrealistic "brainstorming" by young people, and would instead expose their frivolity.

Qi Tongwei would certainly not make such a mistake. However, the information he had in his dormitory was far from sufficient to construct such a macro-level policy recommendation.

Time was of the essence. He glanced at the deep night outside the window and got up to go out without hesitation.

He went straight to Xu Li's dormitory in the commission. This deputy director Han Shen's chief secretary also lived in the commission's dormitory building.

Knocking on the door late at night is certainly presumptuous, but it's an urgent matter that necessitates this action.

Xu Li, who opened the door, looked tired and surprised. After listening to Qi Tongwei's concise request—not for an official position, but to consult historical archives in order to write an "important policy recommendation," he needed to temporarily borrow the key to Archive Room No. 1.

The reason for seeking out Xu Li was that the archives were also under Han Shen's jurisdiction, so Xu, the chief secretary, could naturally find someone there.

The key point is that Archive Room No. 1 does not involve classified information; it contains only general materials. He believed that Xu Li would not refuse, and indeed he did.

Xu Li scrutinized the burning urgency and clarity in Qi Tongwei's eyes, asked no further questions, took out his phone, and made a call to the staff on duty in the archives room—although cell phones are expensive, a liaison officer at the deputy ministerial level still needs to be provided.

"Thank you, Brother Xu!" Qi Tongwei grabbed Xu Li's hand and shook it tightly.

That night, a lamp in the corner of the State Economic Commission's archives burned until dawn. The rustling of turning the pages of files and the scratching of pens on paper mingled with the gradually rising gray-white morning light outside the window.

As the first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the tall window, Qi Tongwei wrote the last word.

His eyes were bloodshot and his face was tired, but his gaze was surprisingly bright.

The letter in front of me was already covered with dense handwriting, outlining the main points, providing solid data, and presenting a progressively stronger argument.

The initial five-page outline has been enriched, adjusted, and refined into a concise yet substantial draft of policy recommendations.

Instead of going back to his dormitory to wash up, he closed his eyes and pondered for half an hour before going directly to the door of Deputy Director Han Shen's office.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Chapter 41 Choice

"Enter."

Han Shen's voice came from inside the door. When Qi Tongwei pushed the door open, Han Shen had just sat down behind his desk and was holding a newspaper that still smelled of ink.

Seeing Qi Tongwei enter, he put down his newspaper and gave his usual, slightly formulaic smile: "Sit down. I heard you spent the whole night in the archives? Didn't you sleep?"

Qi Tongwei sat down opposite him, his back straight and his expression solemn: "Yes, Director Han. I've come up with some immature ideas and written a suggestion. I'd like to ask you to review it."

As he spoke, he handed over the thin sheet of paper with both hands.

Han Shen took it, his expression still relaxed, even a little joking: "Alright, then I'll see what brilliant ideas our promising young talents from Peking University have to offer."

However, when his gaze fell on the title, the relaxed smile on his face vanished as quickly as the tide receded. As his eyes moved down line by line, his expression grew increasingly serious, and his body unconsciously shifted from a relaxed posture leaning back in his chair to a more upright and serious one.

The only sound in the office was the faint rustling of papers turning.

Finally, he finished reading the last word. Instead of speaking immediately, he turned the letter back to the beginning and read it again very carefully, word by word.

After reading it a second time, he finally let out a long sigh of relief, as if he were trying to expel all the turmoil in his chest.

"Your suggestion..." He looked up at Qi Tongwei, his gaze complex, with a mixture of amazement and deeper scrutiny. "The entry point is accurate, the vision is broad, the understanding is thorough, and the thinking is far-reaching. No wonder you are a prized student whom your teacher regards with special regard."

"You flatter me, Director," Qi Tongwei said calmly.

Han Shen nodded.

Qi Tongwei still addressed him as "Director" instead of "Senior Brother," clearly intending to keep the conversation within the realm of official business. He also stopped beating around the bush and went straight to the point:

"This suggestion is excellent. Submit it, and the deputy director position in your industry will surely be yours." He made it clear that he knew about the matter and also expressed his attitude—he hadn't taken the initiative to intervene before because his value hadn't been demonstrated; now that Qi Tongwei had shown sufficient value, he naturally wouldn't hesitate to support him.

"Thank you for your guidance, Director." Qi Tongwei bowed.

Han Shen tapped the proposal lightly with his fingers, then changed the subject: "What do you plan to do with this?"

"I'll follow the director's instructions." Qi Tongwei kicked the ball back, adopting a very humble posture.

Han Shen smiled, his eyes sharpening: "I have three methods here, listen to them."

"First, take the report back and give it to your Director Ning Gaoyuan. He's one of my men, so he won't take credit for your work. He'll report it to the Industrial Policy Department according to procedure, and then the department will submit it to the Party Committee. You've given your department a lot of face, and with me saying a word at the right time, the department will definitely push you to get that deputy director position."

"Secondly, I will submit this suggestion directly to the main leaders of the commission or even the party group meeting, bypassing the Department of Industrial Policy, which is more efficient. That deputy director position will still be yours."

He paused, his gaze fixed firmly on Qi Tongwei, and slowly stated the third option:

"Third, the authorship of this report belongs to me. I will find another opportunity to compensate you with other merits. I will still ensure that you get that deputy director position."

After saying that, he leaned back in his chair, his tone returning to its usual calm: "What's your choice?"

Qi Tongwei showed no surprise and calmly asked, "What does the director want me to choose?"

Han Shen seemed to appreciate his directness and smiled, "I hope you choose the third one."

"Thank you for your kindness, Director," Qi Tongwei replied immediately.

"Oh?" Han Shen raised an eyebrow, asking with interest, "How have I taken care of you? Tell me."

Qi Tongwei spoke clearly and calmly: "The first method will give the lion's share of the credit to the Industrial Policy Department, and even mainly to Deputy Director Zhong, who is in charge of the department. This will have limited benefits for our overall 'pie'."

He pointed out that the Industrial Policy Department was Zhong Zhengguo's territory.

"The second method, although the credit can stay on our side, is a major taboo in the system for reporting to higher levels, especially since it involves bypassing two levels and the direct supervisor. Even if I get the deputy director position, I will definitely have a hard time moving forward in the Industrial Policy Department. The higher-ups will see this and think that I don't know the rules and am arrogant."

“The third method,” Qi Tongwei emphasized slightly, “is to allow the credit to circulate and be absorbed internally. I have made a visible contribution to…our side.” He omitted the specific words “Peking University faction” here, but the meaning was clear. “Director, you certainly won’t treat me unfairly. This is the safest option and the one that best serves the long-term interests.”

After listening, Han Shen smiled with satisfaction and nodded slowly: "Tongwei, you are really perceptive. You understand it immediately and see it clearly."

He leaned forward, his tone becoming solemn, as if making a promise: "This credit is indeed considerable, and you can't handle it right now. If you give me the authorship rights, I guarantee you'll be firmly in the position of department head within three years. As long as you don't make any fundamental mistakes during that time, I'll make up for all the resources and paving the way for you."

He picked up his teacup, seemingly convinced the matter was settled: "Alright, let's proceed with the third method. Leave the proposal here, go back and get some rest. I'll have Xu Li help you ask for half a day off."

However, Qi Tongwei did not get up and leave.

Meeting Han Shen's gaze, he said clearly and calmly, "Director, I choose the second one."

Han Shen paused almost imperceptibly in the hand holding the teacup. Given his composure and status, he would not lose his composure, but the smile in his eyes quickly vanished, replaced by a deep, still expression.

"Tell me your reasons." He put down his teacup, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

Qi Tongwei had already thought it through thoroughly.

However, given his educational background and the "reputation" he gained from this suggestion, if he proceeds step by step in the next few years and steadily achieves results, his promotion to director will be a natural progression, and he will have a solid foundation and walk the path with dignity.

Accepting Han Shen's "recommendation" may seem like a shortcut, but in reality, it reveals a weak foundation.

His prestige will come entirely from Han Shen's patronage, rather than from his own talent and achievements. From now on, within the Economic Commission, he will find it difficult to shake off the label of "Han Shen's man," his independence will be greatly reduced, and he will be almost a dependent.

Han Shen was merely a senior apprentice, not a blood relative. The other party's primary concern was naturally the consolidation and expansion of their own political power. If this proposal were submitted in Han Shen's name, it would become an important policy asset for Han Shen.

But Qi Tongwei refused.

In his past life, he relied on Liang Qunfeng's help to quickly rise to the rank of director. After Liang Qunfeng retired to the second line, why was he so eager to curry favor with Zhao Lichun, even at the cost of making a fool of himself by "crying at a grave"? The root cause lies in his unstable foundation. He did not have any outstanding achievements or a solid team of his own. His subordinates were not convinced, and he could not be promoted through normal channels. He could only keep looking for new powerful figures to rely on.

Later, going to Chen Yanshi's place to "hoe the ground" was also a continuation of this path dependence.

Once a cycle of "dependence-promotion-re-dependence" is formed, one will fall into a vicious cycle: dependence weakens one's own foundation, and a weak foundation leads to a bottleneck in promotion, forcing one to seek stronger dependence... This cycle repeats itself, and eventually one loses control of one's own life and dignity.

Look at Zhao Donglai. What enabled him to calmly refuse some unreasonable demands from himself and even Li Dakang? It was his solid professional skills, the "hard currency" that Sha Ruijin and the central leadership knew he was a criminal investigation expert, and the genuine loyalty of his subordinates. This was the foundation of his rock-solid stability.

The third path Han Shen offered seemed much more respectable and efficient than attaching himself to the Liang family in his previous life, but the core principle remained the same.

Qi Tongwei is determined to take a different path in this life.

Instead of directly answering Han Shen's follow-up question about the reasons, he posed another question:

"Director, once this catalog is drafted and formally implemented, it will inevitably significantly reduce the discretionary power and approval scope of the Economic Commission, especially its various departments. Will the senior leaders of the Commission really support it?"

Chapter 42 The younger generation is truly formidable.

Han Shen took the proposal to the office of the director of the Economic Commission.

"Director, I have a junior colleague, Qi Tongwei, from the Industrial Policy Department. He's written something. I think it's necessary to convene an emergency director's office meeting to discuss it," Han Shen said bluntly.

This is because the Chief Director has always been mild-mannered and focused on practical work, and also because, as the Director of the General Office, he is undoubtedly one of the Chief Director's "own people".

No top leader would appoint a director of the general office who is not one of their own.

The chief director took the document and carefully perused it. After a moment, he looked up, his eyes filled with approval: "A very novel approach, and a broad perspective. This young man has a lot of ideas. Are you sure you want to hold a director's office meeting about this?"

"I'm sure," Han Shen said confidently.

The chief gave him a deep look, asked no more questions, picked up his pen and signed: "Then proceed."

……

Inside the small conference room of the Economic Commission, several deputy directors were already seated, discussing in hushed tones the topic of this impromptu meeting. Some guessed it was about conveying new directives from higher authorities, while others thought it might be a major policy adjustment.

No one would have imagined that the meeting originated from a competition for a deputy director-level position and a suggestion letter from a young person who had just joined the company.

A short while later, the head of the department and Han Shen walked in together.

The meeting room immediately fell silent.

The chief director sat down at the head of the table and cleared his throat: "Comrades, let's begin the meeting."

He then instructed his secretary and Xu Li to distribute copies of Qi Tongwei's proposal to each deputy director.

"Everyone, please take a look first. We'll start our discussion in fifteen minutes."

Time slipped away amidst the turning of pages and the occasional low gasps of surprise or murmur of contemplation.

Fifteen minutes later, the head of the department looked around at everyone and said, "Let's all share our thoughts."

Zhong Zhengguo spoke first, his brows furrowing slightly: "I disagree with this so-called guidance catalog. The situation varies greatly across the country. Is it not just a one-size-fits-all approach to classify things into 'encouragement' and 'elimination'? This will severely restrict the actions of local governments, stifle the enthusiasm and creativity of the grassroots, and is inconsistent with our consistent advocacy of seeking truth from facts and adapting to local conditions."

He was in charge of the Department of Industrial Policy and reacted most directly to this.

Another deputy director, who was close to Zhong Zhengguo, immediately chimed in: "We really need to consider this more carefully. While the current method is flexible, it is precisely what takes into account the special difficulties and actual needs of different regions. Creating a rigid catalog would probably do more harm than good."

Some voices of support have also emerged:

“I disagree. Catalog-based and list-based management is an internationally accepted practice. It can increase policy transparency, stabilize business expectations, reduce opportunities for local rent-seeking, and in the long run, it is conducive to standardizing the market and optimizing the structure.”

"Yes, the approval standards for projects are inconsistent now. Local governments are constantly lobbying higher authorities, and we are exhausted from dealing with them. A clear standard would be a relief for both sides."