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

"I'm not teaching you how to audit. I'm just explaining the actual situation in Handong to you. As the governor, I have a responsibility to report this to you, and this does not compromise the independence of the audit."

Zhu Jinting's expression remained unchanged:

“Fully cooperating with the audit is the local government’s obligation,” he said. “It is not a bargaining chip. Wherever the audit team is stationed, the local government has an obligation to fully cooperate.”

Qi Tongwei knew that Zhu Jinting was telling him—don't use "cooperation" as a bargaining chip.

“Auditor General, I understand. But I would still like to ask you to consider Handong’s difficulties,” Qi Tongwei continued.

“I understand your position. But what I’m worried about is that if the audit team digs up all the problems now, given the current situation in Handong, it’s very likely that ‘the law will not punish everyone.’ Too many people are involved, too many projects need to be investigated, and in the end, it may all be left unresolved. If that happens, those who have problems will be let off the hook.”

He looked at Zhu Jinting with a frank and sincere gaze.

“If you agree to a postponement, I guarantee that after this period, the Handong Provincial Government will fully cooperate with the audit, hold those responsible accountable, and punish those who should be punished. We will be strict and severe, and we will never tolerate any wrongdoing.”

The office fell silent.

Qi Tongwei has never opposed the fight against corruption; he only objected to Sha Ruijin's overly drastic methods. He also never intended to be a protector of the Zhao family's power.

Zhu Jinting frowned and remained silent.

Qi Tongwei didn't continue. He knew that enough had been said. Any further words would only be entanglement.

Zhu Jinting is not someone who can be entangled; he needs time to think.

The silence lasted for about half a minute.

Zhu Jinting withdrew his gaze and looked at Qi Tongwei. His expression remained unchanged, but something flickered in his eyes—not a change of heart, but a knowing "I understand."

Qi Tongwei stood up and took his leave.

"Thank you, Auditor General. Sorry to bother you."

Zhu Jinting did not get up, but simply nodded.

When Qi Tongwei walked out of the National Audit Office building, it was already dark. He stood on the steps, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then took out his phone to dial Han Shen's number.

I answered the phone after it rang twice.

"Uncle, the talks with the National Audit Office are over."

"How about it?"

"Neither agreed nor refused."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Han Shen said, "Not directly refusing is the biggest progress. You can go back now; I'll keep an eye on things here for you."

"Okay. Thank you for your hard work, Uncle."

"What's so hard about it? You're the one who's having a hard time. Go back quickly, Handong can't do without people right now."

After hanging up the phone, Qi Tongwei stubbed out his cigarette, threw it in the trash can, and got into his car.

“To the airport,” he said to Director Fang.

Director Fang glanced at him in the rearview mirror, didn't dare ask any more questions, started the car, and merged into the traffic. Outside the window, the city lights were just coming on, and the traffic on the Second Ring Road flowed silently like a luminous river. Qi Tongwei leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He wasn't sleeping; he was just thinking about what he would face on the journey from Beijing to Jingzhou.

He did not go home or see his wife and children during this trip to Beijing. There were too many things going on and things were too chaotic in Handong. He had to go back immediately.

It was already past nine o'clock at night when the plane landed in Jingzhou. Qi Tongwei quickly walked down the steps and got into the car that had come to pick him up. Liao Qingyuan opened the car door for Qi Tongwei, then sat in the passenger seat himself, holding a folder in his hand. He turned around and handed the folder to Qi Tongwei.

"Boss, I've summarized the situation from the past few days."

Qi Tongwei took it and opened it. Liao Qingyuan verbally reported from the side: "The reply from the National Development and Reform Commission has arrived, agreeing to change 'comprehensive verification' to 'self-inspection within a time limit.' The letter from the Ministry of Natural Resources has also arrived, requiring 'phased submission in batches,' not the previously mentioned 'submission of a comprehensive report within a time limit.' The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development directly withdrew its letter, saying 'further study will be conducted before notification.'"

Qi Tongwei flipped through the replies page by page, his expression unchanged, but a slight glint appeared in his eyes.

"What about the audit side?" he asked.

Liao Qingyuan paused for a moment, then said, "The special audit team received a notice this afternoon that three people have been transferred back to Beijing to participate in a major project."

Qi Tongwei breathed a sigh of relief.

Chapter 217 Facing Each Other

News of Qi Tongwei's return from Beijing reached him even faster than he himself did.

The mood in the Han Dong officialdom did not require formal documents.

The news that the National Development and Reform Commission's reply had changed to "self-inspection within a specified period" had already spread through the corridors of the provincial party committee compound before the document even reached the provincial government. The Ministry of Natural Resources' letter requiring "phased submission" had barely been received when photos of its contents circulated in several key WeChat groups. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development's withdrawal of its letter finally put many people's minds at ease after a two-week wait.

Although the National Audit Office has not officially given any indication, the news of three people being transferred back to Beijing has been interpreted as a sign that "the wind is changing."

No one publicly said, "Governor Qi has settled things," but everyone thought so in their hearts. Anyone who has been in officialdom for so many years knows exactly how much power, deep connections, and strong negotiation skills it would take to accomplish this, and what price would be paid.

The morning after Qi Tongwei returned to Jingzhou, he took the initiative to go to Sha Ruijin's office.

Sha Ruijin sat behind his desk, a few cigarette butts in the ashtray in front of him, which Bai Jingwen hadn't had time to clean up. He didn't look well, with a faint dark circle under his eyes, clearly indicating he hadn't slept well for the past few days. Seeing Qi Tongwei enter, he put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and pointed to the chair opposite him.

"Sit down. You must have had a hard time in the capital."

Qi Tongwei sat down and, without beating around the bush, said directly, "Secretary Sha, the situation has basically stabilized."

Sha Ruijin nodded, neither asking for details nor saying "thank you." He knew that Qi Tongwei was doing these things not for him, Sha Ruijin, but for Handong, and also for himself.

Objectively speaking, however, it did provide him, Sha Ruijin, with assistance, and he had to accept that favor. But in official circles, verbal gratitude was insignificant; he awaited Qi Tongwei's further instructions.

"Secretary Sha, there's one more thing I'd like to discuss with you." Qi Tongwei's tone was calm, but his words carried considerable weight.

"explain."

“There’s been a lot of talk outside lately. Investors are hesitant, officials are uneasy, and ordinary people are spreading all sorts of rumors. The economic data isn’t good, projects are progressing slowly, and people’s confidence is somewhat lacking. I think—” He paused, “we should convene an economic situation analysis meeting for the first three quarters ahead of schedule. We should invite mayors from all cities and heads of major provincial departments to come, lay the situation on the table, and deploy the work for the second half of the year. Let everyone see that the province’s work hasn’t stopped, and the province’s pace hasn’t been disrupted. As long as confidence is stabilized, the work ahead will be easier.”

Sha Ruijin looked at him and remained silent for a moment. He knew Qi Tongwei was right. Lately, his attention had been entirely focused on Zhao Lichun and Li Dakang, and economic work had indeed been relegated to a secondary position. As the governor, Qi Tongwei had proactively offered to focus on the economy and stabilize public sentiment; he had no reason to refuse.

"Okay, you can arrange it."

Qi Tongwei nodded, got up and walked out.

The economic situation analysis meeting for the first three quarters was scheduled for the fourth day after Qi Tongwei returned to Jingzhou. The venue was the provincial government conference center, a large conference room that could seat over three hundred people.

Such meetings are usually attended by mayors of various cities, heads of major provincial departments and bureaus, and heads of key provincial enterprises. This time, however, the situation was special. In addition to the Standing Committee members and the secretaries of the municipal party committees, it was already the scale of a provincial-level leading cadres' meeting. There were also some invited representatives of the National People's Congress and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

The meeting notice was sent out two days in advance. The content was simple—"Analyze the economic performance in the first three quarters and plan key tasks for the fourth quarter." But everyone knew that the focus of this meeting was not on economic data.

On the morning of the meeting, the parking lots in front of the conference center were full early. The top officials from various cities arrived early and chatted in small groups in the corridor, their voices low, but their expressions were much more relaxed than in the previous days. Some were talking about the National Development and Reform Commission's reply, some were talking about the news that the National Audit Office had "slowed down its pace," and some said directly, "Governor Qi's trip to Beijing this time was of great merit."

"That's right. If it weren't for Governor Qi's intervention, those projects would have stopped, and our city's GDP would have dropped by at least two percentage points in the second half of the year."

"It's not just about GDP. Before, the whole of Handong was in a state of panic. Governor Qi's trip stabilized not only the projects, but also people's hearts."

The meeting began at 9:00 AM sharp.

Sha Ruijin and Qi Tongwei walked into the venue side by side. Sha Ruijin walked in front, his expression serious and his steps steady, just as usual. Qi Tongwei followed behind, wearing a dark blue suit, a white shirt, and a navy blue tie, looking much more energetic than before he went to Beijing.

The two men were seated on the stage, next to Gao Yuliang, deputy secretary of the provincial party committee, Lin Long'an, executive vice governor, and other members of the provincial party committee standing committee. The vice governor in charge of industry, the director of the provincial development and reform commission, the director of the provincial statistics bureau, and others who were already seated on the stage were all sitting below the stage and could only go up on stage when they spoke.

The meeting was chaired by Lin Long'an. He first asked the director of the Provincial Bureau of Statistics to report on the main economic data for the first three quarters. GDP growth, fixed asset investment, industrial added value above designated size, total retail sales of consumer goods, imports and exports—one figure after another appeared, some good, some not so good. The GDP growth rate fell by 0.8 percentage points compared with the same period last year, and the fixed asset investment growth rate fell by 1.3 percentage points. The figures are not too bad, but under the background of the province's "stabilizing growth" policy, the pressure is considerable.

After reading the data, the director of the statistics bureau had a fine layer of sweat on his forehead. He closed the document and sat down hastily.

Then came the National Development and Reform Commission, and then the vice governor in charge of industry.

Lin Long'an continued, "Next, please welcome Governor Qi Tongwei to speak."

Applause erupted. It was more enthusiastic than usual, not the perfunctory, polite applause, but a weighty applause carrying a sense of expectation and entrustment. Qi Tongwei moved the microphone closer, leaned forward slightly, and scanned the audience. His gaze was deep, and everyone he looked at unconsciously sat up straighter.

"Comrades," his voice was not loud, but clear, with an undeniable certainty, "today's meeting will mainly address three issues. First, how to view the current economic situation; second, the key tasks for the fourth quarter; and third, confidence."

The audience fell silent, and everyone looked at him.

"Let's address the first question. How do we view the current economic situation? In three sentences: Overall stable, but with concerns amidst the stability, and opportunities within those concerns."

He paused.

"In the first three quarters, the province's GDP grew by 6.8%, a decrease of 0.8 percentage points compared with the same period last year. This decline has both objective and subjective reasons. Everyone knows the objective reasons—the complex domestic and international economic situation, insufficient demand, and rising costs. As for the subjective reasons, I will not shy away from them—some things happened in Handong during this period, which caused some fluctuations in everyone's mind and affected their work to some extent."

He didn't name names, but everyone present knew what he was talking about.

"However, I want to emphasize that the economic fundamentals of Handong have not changed. Our industrial base is still there, our locational advantages are still there, and our cadre team is still there. As long as these are there, Handong's economy will not collapse."

Some people in the audience nodded slightly.

Qi Tongwei opened the materials in front of him, glanced at them, and then closed them again. He didn't need to look at the drafts; the numbers were all in his head.

"Second, the key tasks for the fourth quarter. I will talk about four things."

He held up one finger.

"First, major project construction. The supporting works for the Guangming Peak project must be 80% completed by the end of the year. The shantytown renovation project must complete its annual tasks by the end of the year. The port expansion project must complete its main structure by the end of the year. These three projects are the province's top priorities. Whoever's project is delayed will be held responsible."

The second finger.

"Second, the business environment. I want to make a statement here—the business environment in Handong will not change. All legal and compliant projects will continue to be promoted; all enterprises operating in accordance with the law will be protected. Any government department at any level that extorts money or bribes from enterprises, creates artificial obstacles, or pushes investors away—don't wait for the Discipline Inspection Commission to come after you, I, Qi Tongwei, will come after you first."

A chorus of applause erupted from the audience. It wasn't a scattered clapping, but rather a simultaneous burst of applause from several directions, quickly coalescing and echoing throughout the conference room.

Don't be fooled by Qi Tongwei's stern words and constant threats of accountability. In the current situation, it's fortunate that they can continue to do their jobs.

After the applause subsided, Qi Tongwei continued speaking.

"Third, the reform of provincial state-owned enterprises. The restructuring plan has been finalized, and the integration of the first batch of enterprises must be completed before the end of the year. The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission must keep a close eye on it, and the relevant enterprises must cooperate. Anyone who compromises or makes exceptions on this issue, I will deal with them strictly, regardless of their background."

Another round of applause broke out. This time it was even more enthusiastic than before, and some people were whispering as they clapped.

Qi Tongwei raised his fourth finger.

"Fourth, ensuring people's livelihood. For example, at the most basic level, we must ensure that all back wages owed to migrant workers are paid in full by the end of the year. We must ensure that all promised livelihood projects are fulfilled. We must ensure that the basic living needs of all people in difficulty are guaranteed."

The applause rang out a third time, lasting longer than the first two. Some people stood up and then sat down again. Several people in the back row clapped and nodded.

Qi Tongwei raised his hand and pressed it down slightly, and the applause gradually stopped.

"Thirdly, regarding confidence." His voice was a little deeper than before, but every word was clearer. "Comrades, there has been some discussion outside recently. There are all sorts of opinions. Some say that Handong is in chaos, some say that Handong is failing, some say that Handong's investment environment has changed. I'm here today to make it clear—Handong is not in chaos. Handong is still the same Handong. The problems we encounter are all problems arising from development, and they are all solvable problems."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience.

"As governor, my primary responsibility is to develop the economy, and my primary goal is to ensure that the people of Handong live a good life. This will never change. No matter what happens outside, the work of the provincial government will not stop, and the development of Handong will not slow down. Please rest assured, comrades, and please convey this message to investors, to the people, and to everyone who cares about Handong."

There was a moment of silence in the audience.

Then, applause erupted like a tidal wave. It wasn't just a formality; it came spontaneously from everyone's hearts, as if the anxiety and tension they had felt recently had vanished with the applause. The entire conference room seemed to be filled with applause, and the walls, windows, and ceiling vibrated slightly.

Qi Tongwei sat on the stage, his expression remaining calm, showing no sign of pride despite the applause.

Sitting to one side of the stage, Sha Ruijin also clapped a few times. His movements were perfectly measured, neither too light nor too heavy, neither too fast nor too slow, exactly the same as his clapping in any public setting. But there was an indescribable complexity in his eyes.