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

"This is a beneficial attempt to improve the modernization level of economic governance, and the direction is correct."

Supporters and opponents clashed in the meeting room, and it was difficult to determine who was right for the time being.

Zhong Zhengguo spoke again, this time directing his criticism at the person who made the suggestion: "This Qi Tongwei, if I remember correctly, graduated from the same school as Director Han Shen, right? He's only been at the Economic Commission for a few months? Has he even fully mastered his job yet, and he's already so eager to put forward such a comprehensive and disruptive suggestion? And—"

He paused deliberately, "This suggestion seems to have been submitted directly to Director Han without going through any discussion process within the Industrial Policy Department? Director Han is just spoiling him."

These words not only pointed out the mentor-student relationship between Qi Tongwei and Han Shen, but also criticized Qi Tongwei for being unrealistic and overly ambitious, and subtly accused Han Shen of violating procedures, protecting his own, and overstepping his authority.

Han Shen had been listening quietly until now, when he slowly spoke, his tone calm: "Comrade Qi Tongwei is young and wrote down some thoughts, asking me to take a look and offer my opinions. I felt that this matter was of great importance, so I took the initiative to bring it over for the director and all comrades to review."

Zhong Zhengguo pressed on: "Even so, is it not inappropriate for a young comrade to submit his initial thoughts directly to the director's office meeting without conducting in-depth research on the complex situations in various provinces and cities, or without going through the collective study of the relevant departments? Will it encourage certain bad practices?"

He continued to focus his attacks on the issues of "skipping levels" and "procedures".

Han Shen had been waiting for this moment.

He stopped dwelling on procedural details and dropped a bombshell: "This is precisely why I asked the director to convene a director's office meeting directly, instead of waiting until the next party group meeting to bring it up."

Zhong Zhengguo's gaze sharpened: "What insightful opinion does Director Han have?"

Han Shen glanced around at the deputy directors present, his voice not loud, but every word clear:

"Qi Tongwei, a young man who has only been with the Economic Commission for a few months, is already talking about developing a 'Guidance Catalogue for Industrial Structure Adjustment'..."

He paused briefly, allowing the weight of his words to settle.

"What if the comrades from the State Planning Commission bring it up first?"

The conference room fell silent instantly.

Those present were all politically astute individuals. It was not that they couldn't see the potential benefits of the catalog, but human nature dictates that they subconsciously resist any changes that might diminish their own power boundaries, and they sought various "legitimate reasons" for this resistance.

However, the words "Planning Commission" were like ice water poured over their heads, instantly waking them from the limitations of departmental interests.

The State Planning Commission (which was just renamed the State Development Planning Commission this year) had many overlapping functions with the State Economic Commission, and the competitive and cooperative relationship between the two was subtle and long-standing.

If the State Planning Commission had been allowed to propose and lead the development of such a guiding industrial policy document...

This becomes a classic "prisoner's dilemma".

The best solution is for neither side to take any action, but if the opponent takes action first, not only will they lose the initiative, but they may also be completely passive in future policy-making and approval authority!

Han Shen added casually, as if it were the last piece of the puzzle: "If we proceed step by step, we'll first submit it to the Industrial Policy Department for discussion... Gentlemen, there are many people in the department, and if word gets out, the State Planning Commission might find out and report it to higher authorities first..."

Yes! Even if you have less discretion, at least you still set the rules yourself. But if you lose even the right to set the rules...

Zhong Zhengguo's expression changed. He remained silent for a few seconds, and when he spoke again, his tone was different: "I agree. We should immediately start the research and drafting of the 'Guidance Catalogue for Industrial Structure Adjustment.' This matter should be done sooner rather than later."

"I second that."

"agree."

"It is indeed necessary."

Voices of support emerged one after another, and there were no further obstacles.

Seeing this, the director made his third statement at the meeting, making a final decision: "Good. Instruct the General Office to take the lead, select key personnel from relevant departments and bureaus, immediately form a drafting group, and produce a preliminary plan as soon as possible. Pay attention to confidentiality."

He paused, his gaze seemingly sweeping over Han Shen, before finally settling on the photocopy of the proposal, where he unusually added a sentence:

“Let Qi Tongwei get involved too. Young people, they’re truly formidable.”

Han Shen nodded.

Absolutely!

When Qi Tongwei calmly asked in his office, "Once the catalog is drafted, the Economic Commission's approval authority will definitely be reduced. Will the higher-ups at the Economic Commission agree?" he then whispered the crucial question in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"But what if... the Planning Commission brings it up first?"

At that moment, Han Shen felt the same shock and determination that was happening at the conference table now.

The younger generation is truly formidable!

Chapter 43 Ruan Lingling's Attack

Qi Tongwei did not go back to his dormitory to catch up on sleep in the morning.

Firstly, he was worried that the director's office meeting in the morning might need to ask him for details on short notice—although the possibility was extremely small, he had to be prepared.

Secondly, the fatigue after intense mental exertion is intertwined with the excitement of the situation being resolved, creating a peculiar state of "hyperactivity," where the cerebral cortex remains active and there is no sleepiness whatsoever.

So, after having breakfast, he went straight back to his office.

His colleagues were shocked to see his bloodshot eyes and excited expression.

But when everyone saw Ruan Lingling come in with a similar, obviously sleep-deprived look, they tacitly "understood" that the deputy director position was vacant and that the two strongest contenders were probably having a sleepless night and using their own methods.

Qi Tongwei's mind was not on this at all, and he did not notice that from the moment he entered the room, Ruan Lingling's gaze had been repeatedly scanning him like a probe.

Time seemed to grow thick with anticipation. Finally, just before lunch break, Xu Li appeared at the office door.

Qi Tongwei's heart settled abruptly with a barely perceptible look of affirmation from Xu Li.

Immediately afterwards, an overwhelming sense of exhaustion suddenly struck, as if every part of my body was filled with lead.

Everyone knows that working overtime late into the night and staying up late online feel completely different.

As one of only two secretaries attending the director's office meeting that morning, Xu Li was well aware of the ripples Qi Tongwei's proposal had caused at the meeting, and also understood the weight of the "merit" this young man had made.

The two already had a good relationship, and now Xu Li was even more eager to befriend this potential future talent, speaking in an exceptionally friendly tone:

"Tongwei, you look exhausted. Don't push yourself this afternoon, go home and get a good night's sleep. I'll put in a good word with Director Ning for you."

Qi Tongwei had indeed reached his limit, so he didn't refuse. He thanked Xu Li and left the office without even going to the cafeteria.

His departure made Ruan Lingling, who had been keeping a close eye on him, feel uneasy and even more anxious.

"This Xiao Qi... went with Secretary Xu? Is it because Director Han wants to see him? Or has he already made a private lunch appointment with some leader?" She wondered to herself, feeling uneasy as if she had a nail in her seat.

During her lunch break, she made a point of looking around the cafeteria and didn't see Qi Tongwei, which confirmed her suspicions.

Back in the office, everyone would usually take a short nap at their desks, but Qi Tongwei's seat remained empty.

Ruan Lingling herself stayed up until midnight last night analyzing the situation and discussing countermeasures with her husband. After lying down, she tossed and turned and finally dozed off for a while before dawn.

At this moment, I should be sleepy, but I am overwhelmed by a strong competitive anxiety, which makes me nervous and physically exhausted, yet my mind is unusually clear, and I am caught in a typical case of insomnia-related anxiety.

"A lunch that takes this long? They must have had a very pleasant conversation... Could it be that the boss has already given him a definite answer?" The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became.

More than an hour had passed since the afternoon shift started, and Qi Tongwei still hadn't shown up. Ruan Lingling stared intently at the empty seat, her palms slightly sweaty.

"This kid isn't coming this afternoon? He must have taken leave!" She couldn't contain herself and wanted to go to Director Ning Gaoyuan's office to find out, but she found that Ning Gaoyuan's office door was closed and he wasn't there.

"Could it be... that they ate lunch together?" This thought made her even more confused.

Just as she was lost in thought, there was a noise at the office door. Director Ning Gaoyuan walked in, followed by Deputy Director Jiang Ming, who should have been studying at the Party School.

Ruan Lingling perked up and immediately sat up straight, her gaze fixed intently on Ning Gaoyuan—Jiang Ming's early return meant that the deputy director position had already been decided.

However, Ning Gaoyuan did not announce the personnel appointments. He simply glanced around and said, "Everyone, let's meet in the small conference room."

When Group One arrived at the meeting room, they found that Group Two was also present. The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became unusually tense.

Ning Gaoyuan ignored the tense atmosphere and got straight to the point: "Urgent notice: The Commission is about to launch a major special project with a very high level of confidentiality. During this period, no contact with the outside world is allowed. It will be led by Deputy Director Han Shen, with our Industrial Policy Department taking the lead, and multiple departments such as the Economic Operation Bureau, Enterprise Reform Department, Investment and Planning Department, and Policy and Regulation Department participating in coordination. It can be seen as a 'closed-door offensive'."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over his elite team: "Besides myself and Director Jiang, our department needs to select two core business personnel. The initial idea is for each of the two groups to send one person. You can discuss the candidates within your groups and submit the list to me before the end of the workday tonight."

"Director, what exactly is the content?" a team member couldn't help but ask.

Ning Gaoyuan shook his head, his tone serious: "I don't know, and I don't need to know. You shouldn't ask. Secrecy is an ironclad rule this time; finding out might not be a good thing, and could even lead to mistakes. Meeting adjourned!"

After the meeting, the crowd discussed and speculated about the content of this sudden "battle." Some guessed it was an emergency plan to deal with international financial turmoil, while others guessed it involved top-level design for a major industrial restructuring...

Ruan Lingling's heart began to stir. Jiang Ming's temporary recall from the Party School indicated that this "battle" was of extremely high importance, which also meant that the final appointment of the deputy director would likely be postponed until after the "battle" was over.

"I must get this spot!" She made up her mind instantly.

If one performs exceptionally well in this high-level, confidential mission, it will undoubtedly be a significant advantage in the competition for the deputy director position, and may even secure victory in one fell swoop.

She glanced at Qi Tongwei's still empty seat and felt a little more at ease: "That kid went out to pull strings and hasn't shown up yet. He probably drank a lot at noon. With this kind of urgent task, he might not even have time to react after being notified... I have to act quickly!"

She immediately took action, first finding two other colleagues in the group and having a heart-to-heart talk. The core message was that she was the most senior, experienced, and capable of handling complex situations, making her the most reliable representative for the group; Qi Tongwei was young and had only been there for a short time, and it would be difficult for him to handle such an important confidential mission.

If anything goes wrong, it will affect the reputation and future opportunities of the entire group.

The two colleagues had worked with Ruan Lingling for a long time and had a closer relationship with her. They also felt that Ruan Lingling was indeed more suitable and were indignant that the newcomer was taking advantage of them. They were quickly persuaded by her.

After securing the group members, Ruan Lingling immediately went to find the deputy group leader, Jiang Ming, hoping to finalize the spot while Qi Tongwei was away.

"Director Jiang, our team has discussed it internally and we think it's more suitable for me to go. Do you think we should finalize the list and submit it as soon as possible?"

Ruan Lingling's tone carried her usual competence and a hint of barely perceptible pressure.

Jiang Ming looked troubled. He was about to leave his post and really didn't want to offend anyone: "Well... how about we discuss this together when Xiao Qi comes back?"

Ruan Lingling was prepared and immediately said, "The director requires the list to be submitted before the end of the workday. If Xiao Qi can't make it back, does that mean we shouldn't submit it? Besides, isn't it ultimately Director Jiang who makes the final decision on the group's matters? Even if we hold a democratic vote, my colleagues in the group think I'm more suitable. We can't let the absence of just one person delay the entire department's arrangements, can we?"

Jiang Ming was speechless after her rapid-fire words, and not wanting to take responsibility, he could only resort to delaying tactics: "How about this, since the team is inclined to let you go, we'll decide on you. I still have work to do right now, I'll submit the list later."

This is where the tactic of delaying comes in.

If Qi Tongwei comes back before leaving get off work, it will naturally be him and Ruan Lingling arguing; if he doesn't come back, then there's no way to say anything bad about Jiang Ming.

But Ruan Lingling had no choice but to accept it.

At this moment, she had mixed feelings: before, she was afraid that Qi Tongwei would be out and about and wouldn't come back; now, she hoped that he wouldn't show up before she got off work.

Time passed by, and Qi Tongwei never appeared until the end of the workday bell rang.

Ruan Lingling breathed a long sigh of relief, finally feeling much more at ease.

For now, we've secured the spot.

She wasn't in the mood to pay attention to the situation of the second group, but she still sent the news on her own initiative.

Wu Zhong and Zhou Lin from Group Two were fiercely competing for this spot. Wu Zhong was an honest and hardworking "old ox," with solid qualifications but lacking outstanding achievements; Zhou Lin, on the other hand, was young and sharp, with connections and results, making him a formidable opponent.

The two argued endlessly, and it's said the argument even reached the department's leadership.

Ruan Lingling silently prayed that Wu Zhong, whose abilities were relatively mediocre, would win, which would reduce her pressure considerably; but reason told her that Zhou Lin, with stronger connections, might have a greater chance of winning.

That evening, she used her network to find out the final result. The news from the other end of the phone made her almost unable to believe her ears:

"It's decided, it's Wuzhong."