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

It can be said that it begins with character, is captivated by looks, and ends with talent. The order may differ, but it is simple and pure, and therefore it comes with extraordinary passion and naturalness.

Having experienced such complex entanglements, scheming, and betrayals in his past life, Qi Tongwei had long since given up on having any illusions about so-called "love."

He had thought his heart was as still as an ancient well, unlikely to be stirred again. But unexpectedly, he would meet such a girl... who seemed to embody all the beautiful things in life.

She was bright, sincere, intelligent, and playful, like a ray of sunlight that unexpectedly shone into a secluded valley, truly stirring up long-unseen, genuine ripples in his supposedly tranquil heart.

Qi Tongwei has never been an indecisive person, either in his past life or in this one.

Now that he was moved and had weighed the pros and cons, his mind was becoming clearer, and he would no longer hesitate or waver.

He wasn't really a naive young man in his early twenties, just beginning to experience love, who would hesitate and cultivate a relationship with a girl secretly for a few years before nervously meeting her parents like he was going through a series of challenges.

Now that he has decided to accept this potential relationship and seriously consider the future associated with it, he needs to make comprehensive plans and take the initiative to move forward.

Of course, it would be too abrupt and impolite to visit He Qing's parents directly at this time.

Even without meeting in person, there are still ways to enhance goodwill and express sincerity.

So he chose the most direct and effective step—to go find Han Shen.

During lunch break, Qi Tongwei knocked on Han Shen's office door.

Han Shen remained calm and composed, having just returned from lunch and slowly sipping his tea.

Upon seeing Qi Tongwei, there was no trace of his previous recommendation of his niece on his face, as if the matter had never happened. He simply smiled and asked, "Tongwei, what brings you here?"

Qi Tongwei smiled frankly: "Director, I'm here to see you about something personal."

Han Shen deliberately put on a stern face: "Since this is a private matter, why are you still calling me Director?"

Having already chosen Qi Tongwei as his political successor, he naturally wanted to deepen and solidify the bond between them, which, though not from the same class, made them even closer.

"uncle."

Qi Tongwei readily complied and shouted it out without batting an eye.

"Pfft—cough cough cough!" Han Shen almost spat out all his tea. To maintain his image, he swallowed most of it back, which choked him and made him cough repeatedly, his face turning red.

Qi Tongwei quickly stepped forward and patted his back with concern: "Uncle, what's wrong? You're not feeling well, you should go to the hospital to get checked out, otherwise He Qing and I will worry."

Han Shen coughed even harder, and it took him a long time to catch his breath. He pointed at Qi Tongwei, both laughing and crying, "You brat...!"

Qi Tongwei looked completely innocent: "What's wrong, Auntie..."

"Stop!" Han Shen quickly raised his hand to stop him. "Stop! Don't try to take advantage of me. Tell me, what do you want? If you're just here to get close to me, go back now. I want to take a nap."

"No, Y..." Qi Tongwei saw that Han Shen was about to glare at him again, so he immediately changed his words and smiled sincerely, "Senior brother, I have a question I would like to ask you."

"explain."

"He Qing... does she have any particular favorite things? I'd like to prepare a gift for her next time we meet," Qi Tongwei asked directly.

As a typical "straight man," he had no idea what young girls were thinking. Asking the elders who knew her best was the quickest and most effective way.

Moreover, he was very careful with his words. Even though he had jokingly called her "Uncle" just now, he still addressed He Qing as "He Qing" in a proper manner, without any affectionate nicknames or even "Junior Sister He".

He knew that before the relationship was fully clear, showing too much of a "getting the girl" attitude would only arouse the other party's elders' resentment and vigilance.

Upon hearing this, Han Shen chuckled: "Good heavens, you're like a thief running up to the police to ask about escape routes?"

Qi Tongwei also laughed: "It's not that serious."

"Why should I tell you?" Han Shen calmly picked up his teacup.

Qi Tongwei replied naturally, "Of course I've brought generous gifts."

Han Shen glanced at his empty hands and laughed, "You didn't come here to play the same trick as Liu Bang's 'congratulatory 10,000 coins', did you? I'm not Lü Taigong. Liu Bang could fool Lü Zhi, but your little tricks won't fool my precious daughter."

Qi Tongwei said solemnly, "I know how much you value He Qing. Ten thousand coins are not enough. I am here to present you with the 'Longzhong Plan'."

As soon as the words "Longzhong Dialogue" were uttered, the joking expression on Han Shen's face gradually faded.

Zhuge Liang divided the world into three kingdoms before even leaving his thatched cottage, and he always valued Qi Tongwei's vision and insight that transcended his age.

He put down his teacup and leaned forward slightly: "I'd like to hear the details."

Qi Tongwei did not immediately elaborate, but instead asked, "Tongwei would like to know first, the 'Lord's' will."

This may sound like a joke, but Han Shen understands that many times, important decisions and core understandings often begin with seemingly casual probing, and are even ultimately achieved in this half-joking way.

As the old saying goes, a ruler chooses his ministers, and a minister chooses his ruler. The following dialogue will directly determine whether Qi Tongwei is truly willing, and in what manner, to enter Han Shen's political succession.

Han Shen pondered for a moment, then replied cautiously, "Naturally, it is for the country and the people, and to go a step further."

As the one in a superior position, he held the initiative. This seemingly grand yet flawless statement was both a statement and a way of passing the buck back to Qi Tongwei, waiting for him to reveal his bargaining chips first.

Qi Tongwei pressed further: "Where has the progress been made?"

Han Shen smiled and said, "Naturally, I am in the Economic Commission, fulfilling my duties and living up to the trust placed in me." It was still the same official statement that would not leave any room for criticism.

Qi Tongwei smiled, but his tone carried a hint of discussing the future: "What if... the Economic Commission is no longer there? What will Director Han do then?"

This was a bold question, even somewhat taboo. But Han Shen did not refute it like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, asking "How could the Economic Commission not exist?" nor did he get caught up in the debate about "The Economic Commission must exist."

He looked sharply at Qi Tongwei and said in a deep voice, "State your reasons."

Instead of answering, Qi Tongwei asked, "Senior, what do you think is the greatest opportunity facing our country right now?"

Han Shen replied without hesitation: "Naturally, we should actively negotiate and strive to join the World Trade Organization (WTO)."

He briefly explained the rules of the WTO and the huge opportunities that China's accession to the WTO may bring, with a clear line of reasoning.

Qi Tongwei nodded in agreement, but then changed the subject, posing a seemingly unrelated question: "Our country's armed forces are directly led by the Central Committee, so why is it necessary to establish a Ministry of National Defense?"

Han Shen replied without hesitation: "It's for the needs of foreign relations. The Ministry of National Defense mainly undertakes diplomatic and propaganda functions related to national defense, and liaises with the defense departments of other countries. This is a necessary setup under international practice."

“That’s right,” Qi Tongwei continued. “Other countries have a Ministry of National Defense. If we don’t, it will create a lot of trouble in international exchanges and equal negotiations. Therefore, we have established a Ministry of National Defense with relatively ‘nominal’ functions to meet the formal requirements.”

He paused, his gaze becoming profound. "So, once we successfully join the WTO, facing the commerce ministries that other countries generally establish and wield significant power, should we also set up a 'fictitious' commerce ministry to deal with this?"

"Of course not." Qi Tongwei answered himself. "Unlike the Ministry of National Defense, international trade will be one of the core engines of future economic development, making a powerful and efficient Ministry of Commerce crucial. It is very likely that the current Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation will be the core, integrating relevant functions to form a new Ministry of Commerce. This is an inevitable trend."

“The other functions of our Economic Commission will be merged with the Economic System Reform Office and the Planning Commission into a new large department,” Qi Tongwei guided the discussion. “In fact, it can be seen from the formulation of the ‘Guidance Catalogue for Industrial Structure Adjustment’ that there is a lot of overlap between our functions and those of the Planning Commission in areas such as industrial policy and investment management. Will the higher authorities tolerate this situation of overlapping responsibilities and internal resource consumption for a long time? Merging and reorganizing to establish a more unified and efficient comprehensive economic management department is probably the inevitable outcome.”

Qi Tongwei looked at Han Shen and asked the core question: "At that time, what will you do, Senior Brother?"

Han Shen had unconsciously sat up straight. He was a deputy director who had been promoted from the director-general level less than four months ago. He was busy with specific affairs and coordination with departments and bureaus. Although he had a sense of the top-level trends, such a clear, concrete and logically rigorous top-level institutional reform deduction still brought him a great shock.

Moreover, this is by no means a baseless conjecture, but a rational judgment based on current contradictions and future needs.

Han Shen's talents may not be considered "off-targeted," but at least most of them lie in his outstanding execution, coordination, and steady maintenance of the status quo, as can be seen from the organization of the last closed-door campaign.

These abilities are enough to get him to where he is today, but if he wants to break through to the next level, these alone may not be enough; at most, he may only reach the position of executive deputy.

But how could Han Shen be content with that? At this level, no one is easily satisfied with the ceiling.

He composed himself and asked, "In your opinion, when will the Ministry of Commerce be established?"

"I think the most likely time is during the next leadership reshuffle," Qi Tongwei said, giving a specific timeframe.

That's 2003, about five years from now. Han Shen did the mental calculation, and it basically matched his own judgment.

While connections with superiors are certainly important for promotion within the system, if you are outstanding enough that everyone feels a key position is rightfully yours, then many potential competitors and those with connections will often wisely turn to other targets.

After all, there are more than one important position, so why bother with the toughest one? Just like the recent competition for the deputy director position in the industry, those with stronger backgrounds did not linger too much in this position.

“So,” Han Shen leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Qi Tongwei, “which direction do you think I should strive for? The future ‘new department,’ or the ‘new Ministry of Commerce’?”

Upon hearing this, Qi Tongwei simply smiled and remained silent.

At this time, it's best not to give specific advice on other people's important life choices.

If he listens, he is likely to subconsciously romanticize the path he never took once he encounters setbacks, thus harboring resentment.

If he doesn't listen, then the act of "not listening" itself may sow the seeds of resentment—if he succeeds, he may think you're nothing special; if he fails, he may resent that you weren't firm enough in your advice, or even suspect that you were laughing at him behind his back.

It pleases neither side.

Han Shen naturally understood this principle, but at this moment, his mind was shaken by this grand theory, and he subconsciously wanted to get a more definite answer from Qi Tongwei, as if only in that way could he put his mind at ease.

So he changed his question: "And you? Which department would you prefer to work in?"

This is actually a problem. Since Qi Tongwei intends to become his political successor, he will naturally have to be in the same system or a closely related department as him in the future; otherwise, there is no point in talking about "succession".

Han Shen wanted to glean insights into Qi Tongwei's strategic inclinations and risk assessments from his personal choices.

“I don’t care,” Qi Tongwei said casually but firmly. “I’m fine with anything.”

He looked relaxed, his eyebrows slightly raised, and his powerful confidence seemed to radiate light, infecting Han Shen.

We just talked about Liu Bang and Zhuge Liang, and now it seems we're seeing the shadow of the military genius Han Xin as well.

Just like Han Xin boasted to Liu Bang: "The more, the better."

“If you decide to go to that new comprehensive department that may have more centralized power and more opportunities in the future, I will work hard with you there; if you choose the more professional and internationally aligned path of the Ministry of Commerce, I can also look for opportunities to go down to the local level and make achievements in attracting investment and opening up to the outside world by taking advantage of the Ministry of Commerce’s information resources and network.”

It seems like I didn't answer anything, yet it also seems like I answered everything.

Han Shen knew that this was the clearest statement Qi Tongwei could give at the moment.

He stopped asking questions, leaned back in his chair, and fell into deep thought.

Over the years, he has been diligent and dedicated, achieving remarkable results. But deep down, he is well aware that "tactical diligence" cannot mask "strategic laziness."

Qi Tongwei's words today have almost outlined a political roadmap for him for the next five years, and he needs time to digest and weigh them.

Qi Tongwei spoke again at this moment, a relaxed smile on his face as if the deal was done: "Senior brother, isn't my 'gift' generous enough?"

Han Shen let out a long sigh of relief and nodded, "Big enough, big enough." He got up and walked to the bookshelf, taking out a beautifully packaged original English book. "Xiao Qing loves literature, especially classics. This English version of 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' was specially brought back by a colleague who went abroad. I originally planned to give it to her for her birthday. Now, it's yours."

Qi Tongwei took the book, his fingertips brushing the cover, his smile deepening: "This return gift isn't enough, Uncle."

Han Shen no longer cared about his changed form of address and naturally understood what he meant. He smiled and nodded at him, "I'll help you talk to Xiao Qing's parents. As long as Xiao Qing is willing, they will never be an obstacle to you. Is that alright?"

Qi Tongwei's smile remained, but he shook his head: "It's still not enough, Director."

They changed the name again.

The smile on Han Shen's face gradually faded.

He understood Qi Tongwei's unspoken message. Qi Tongwei had already demonstrated foresight and value worthy of the title of "heir," and now it was Han Shen's turn to offer corresponding sincerity and guarantees.

Either demonstrate his strength, or add to his promises.

The office was quiet for a moment.

Han Shen sat back down in his chair, looking at Qi Tongwei with a calm and profound gaze, and slowly spoke, each word clear and forceful: