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

Qi Tongwei's mind raced. He was no longer the poor, rootless student he once was, and the Liang family wouldn't dare to do anything to him openly.

But he went down there to "gild his resume," to accumulate grassroots experience, and to pave the way for the future.

If Liang Qunfeng were to secretly sabotage him, there are plenty of legitimate and legal methods that could make him suffer terribly and even leave him with a bad record.

Moreover, Liang Qunfeng will be retiring from his second-tier position in a few years. If an official doesn't want to be promoted, he will at least have fewer scruples in his actions, if not completely unscrupulous.

Although it has been more than three years since the last contact with the Liang family, Liang Qunfeng, as the deputy secretary in charge, will inevitably see the list of personnel exchange between the ministry and local governments this time.

At that time, it will be inevitable to recall the past, and one's own situation will largely depend on the other party's decision.

It is unwise to hand over the initiative to a former adversary.

Han Shen could naturally use his connections to find someone of sufficient influence to speak on Liang Qunfeng's behalf.

But using that level of personal favor on a "trivial" six-month temporary posting is simply too inefficient. It's not that Han Shen is unwilling to invest in Qi Tongwei, but rather that the same resources could perhaps play a greater role at a more crucial moment—such as crossing the threshold from a division chief to a deputy director-general level.

Using it now would be counterproductive.

Qi Tongwei pondered for a moment and asked, "Director, how long will this temporary assignment last? Are there any specific tasks or project targets?"

He knew that many ministry officials were seconded to lower-level positions with specific projects or coordination tasks, which made their goals clear and reduced interference.

Han Shen shook his head: "Just six months. There are no hard and fast tasks this time. The main thing is to conduct in-depth research at the grassroots level, understand the actual situation, and then submit a substantial research report. The main purpose is to help you connect with the people and broaden your horizons."

Upon hearing this, Qi Tongwei made up his mind and said, "Director, how about this? This time when I go down, I won't be called 'Deputy County Head,' but 'Assistant County Head.'"

Han Shen's eyes lit up: "Hmm? That's good!"

The title of assistant county head sounds like a secretary, but it is actually a deputy-department-level position, usually a transitional position for young cadres before they are promoted to deputy county head.

The key point is that county magistrate assistants generally do not oversee specific government departments. Their main responsibility is to assist the county magistrate in handling comprehensive affairs, participating in research, coordination, and document drafting. Their power boundaries are relatively blurred, and their responsibilities are relatively small.

The deputy county head is different. Regardless of which area they are in charge of, such as science, education, culture, health, agriculture, forestry, or water conservancy, once they take charge of a particular area, they have clear responsibilities and authority and need to assume corresponding leadership responsibilities.

Although the primary responsibility usually rests with the local party and government leaders and their teams, as the leader in charge, one is inevitably bogged down in specific matters and is more likely to be found to have "manipulation" opportunities in specific work.

In just six months, it takes two to three months to get familiar with the situation. If you really want to do something substantial that can be considered your own achievement, time is very tight and it is very easy to touch the existing interest structure.

Given the looming threat from the Liang family, forcibly pushing forward the work would be too risky.

If he were to actually take up a post, the assistant county head would indeed be significantly less qualified and have less influence than the deputy county head. Qi Tongwei might grit his teeth and choose to take the deputy county head position.

However, the difference in the "gilding" effect between the two positions is not significant, even though both positions are only for six months. On the contrary, the position of "assistant county head" is more detached and more conducive to his implementation of the temporary assignment strategy of "observing, listening and thinking more, and intervening less directly in specific conflicts".

At the same time, appointing him as assistant county head on the grounds of his lack of experience can also silence some of the discussions that he was "promoted by a rocket".

Han Shen looked at Qi Tongwei, his eyes filled with even greater admiration.

He has always admired Qi Tongwei's strategic vision and ability to assess situations. This "retreat to advance" approach not only reduces potential risks but is also practical.

This made him even more certain that his previous choice was correct.

"I think this adjustment is acceptable," Han Shen nodded. "I'll coordinate it; it shouldn't be a problem."

"Thank you, Director." Qi Tongwei breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "By the way, Director, who is the county head of Daokou County? What is his background and resume? I'll do some research beforehand."

Han Shen thought for a moment and said, "I mainly paid attention to the county party secretary's situation before... Let me check the information." He flipped through the notes on his hand, "The county head's name is Yi Xuexi. His previous resume... is quite interesting. He used to be the county party secretary of Jinshan County, but because of some things... I guess you could say he made a mistake, he was transferred to Daokou County as the county head."

Chapter 59 Easy to Learn

Easy to learn?

This was one of the cadres promoted by Rocket after Sha Ruijin was parachuted into Handong in his previous life.

He skipped two levels from being a county party secretary to become a member of the Standing Committee of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Jingzhou is a sub-provincial city, and the members of the municipal party committee standing committee are at the level of a full-fledged department director, and they are very influential department directors.

At the time, he was already mired in his own troubles and had no time to take care of himself, so he naturally had no mind to carefully study the detailed resume of this political upstart. He only vaguely remembered that this person had an excellent reputation and was known for his integrity and pragmatism.

Unexpectedly, Yi Xuexi had once served as the county magistrate of Daokou County, and even more unexpectedly, their paths would cross at this point in time and in this way.

The temporary assignment was thus settled, and what followed was a somewhat rushed but orderly preparation.

The official notification from the ministry was issued quickly, and the temporary post was indeed adjusted to "assistant to the county magistrate" as Qi Tongwei had suggested.

The trip is scheduled to begin in mid-April and will last for six months.

On the eve of their parting, Qi Tongwei and He Xuan were together.

We didn't go to any romantic restaurants, but just strolled slowly along the familiar tree-lined path near her house.

The spring night breeze still carried a slight chill, but new leaves were already sprouting along the roadside, exuding a faint scent of grass and trees.

"Half a year...that's a long time." He Xuan clung to Qi Tongwei's arm, her fingers unconsciously twisting his sleeve, her voice muffled.

“It will be soon.” Qi Tongwei stopped and turned around, gently holding her shoulders with both hands, looking at her slightly lowered eyelashes. “I’ve calculated it, about six months, around after National Day. If I have the chance in between, I will come back to see you, and we can write letters.”

"Write a letter?" He Xian looked up, his eyes brightening for a moment before dimming again. "That's so slow. Don't people just make phone calls these days?"

“Of course we’ll make phone calls,” Qi Tongwei smiled and patiently explained, “but writing letters is different. Some things feel more solemn and meaningful when written down. You can write down whatever you want to say, and I’ll write you the first letter as soon as I get there and settle in.”

He paused, his eyes softening: "Besides, I've heard that the scenery there is beautiful. I can send you some gifts in my letters, or perhaps a local leaf or flower. I can't do these things over the phone."

He Xuan was captivated by the scene he described and finally smiled slightly, but her eyes were still a little red: "Then it's a deal, you have to write often! One a week... no, at least one every five days!"

"Okay, I'll try my best." Qi Tongwei nodded, gently pulling her into his arms, feeling the warmth of her snuggling against him. "You have to write to me too. Tell me what interesting things happened at school, what delicious food Auntie made, what new books Uncle bought... anything is fine."

"Mmm!" He Xian nodded vigorously, burying her face in his chest, her voice nasal, "Then you must be careful, eat on time, and don't overwork yourself. And... don't look at other girls!"

Qi Tongwei chuckled and tightened his arms around her: "You're all I see and think about, how can I see anyone else?"

As night deepened, the two bid each other a reluctant farewell under the streetlights.

He Xian watched him walk away until his figure disappeared around the corner before turning back home, already planning which kind of nice stationery and stamps to buy.

---

The departure day arrived quickly. Following organizational procedures, Qi Tongwei first reported to the Personnel Department of the Ministry and received relevant documents, a letter of introduction, and instructions.

A deputy director from the personnel department had a brief conversation with him, emphasizing the significance, disciplinary requirements, and safety issues of the temporary assignment.

Subsequently, accompanied by a section-level cadre from the Personnel Department, they went to Handong Province.

Upon arriving in Handong, the provincial capital, I first completed the handover procedures at the Organization Department of the Provincial Party Committee.

The director of the Second Cadre Division of the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department received them. He was polite but followed strict procedures. He checked the official letter from the department and Qi Tongwei's personal materials. After confirming that everything was correct, he issued a letter of introduction to the Organization Department of the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee.

The entire process was standardized and efficient, revealing a mature operational model for communication between superiors and subordinates within the system.

The procedures of the Organization Department of the Lüzhou Municipal Party Committee are also largely the same.

A vice minister met with Qi Tongwei and the accompanying ministry officials, exchanged a few pleasantries, and expressed his welcome and appreciation.

It was also this Vice Minister Wang who personally escorted Qi Tongwei to Daokou County, which was an exception to the rules.

Generally, when a county head takes office, it is usually accompanied by a deputy minister.

The car left the city and headed towards Daokou County.

The road gradually changed from a wide asphalt road to a slightly bumpy provincial highway, and the dense buildings on both sides were no longer replaced by continuous farmland and rolling hills.

Qi Tongwei gazed at the scenery outside the window, his feelings somewhat complicated.

Vice Minister Wang was a talkative middle-aged man who introduced the basic situation of Daokou County to Qi Tongwei along the way: population, area, main industries, last year's economic indicators, and so on.

The tone was objective, but one could subtly discern that Daokou County, among the counties and districts under the jurisdiction of Handong Province, did not rank highly in terms of economy and belonged to the region that needed to "accelerate development".

"Assistant Qi is a high-achieving student from a national ministry. He is knowledgeable and experienced. His visit to Daokou will surely bring new ideas and a fresh perspective to the county's development," Vice Minister Wang said with a smile.

Qi Tongwei responded modestly, "You flatter me. I'm here to learn and grow. My main task is to conduct in-depth research at the grassroots level and learn practical work experience from local colleagues. I would appreciate your and the county leaders' guidance."

About two hours later, the car entered Daokou County.

The county town is not large, and the main roads are lined with five- or six-story buildings, which look somewhat old, but the streets are relatively clean.

The car drove straight into the county government compound. The buildings in the compound were typical of the late 1980s and early 1990s, square and simple.

The county party committee and county government leaders at all levels who had been notified were already waiting downstairs.

Zhang Guoqing, director of the county party committee office, informed him that Secretary Li had received a notice from the municipal party committee that morning regarding an emergency meeting and had already rushed to the city.

"Secretary Li specifically instructed me to convey his welcome and apologies to Assistant Qi. After he returns from his meeting, he will convene another meeting of all county-level leaders and cadres," the secretary politely relayed.

Qi Tongwei expressed his understanding.

In government-affiliated work, meetings with superiors are naturally the top priority.

Then, Zhang Guoqing added, "County Chief Yi said that the meeting couldn't be held for the time being, and he went upstairs to work first."

Qi Tongwei was stunned.

This was the first time he had truly experienced the uprightness and pragmatism of County Magistrate Yi.

Although he and Vice Minister Wang were both only deputy division chiefs, one came from Beijing and the other was from the Organization Department, a crucial department. Ordinary people would not treat them so coldly.

Vice Minister Wang, on the other hand, remained calm, clearly used to it.

The people from the county government office led the two to the office of County Magistrate Yi Xuexi.

After knocking on the door and receiving a steady "Come in," the group pushed the door open and entered.

The office was small and simply furnished, even somewhat rudimentary.

A large, old desk, behind which is a bookcase crammed with books and documents, and opposite it are two wooden sofas for guests.

Behind the desk was a huge urban planning map of Daokou County.

Yi Xuexi was writing something at his desk when he heard the sound and looked up.

He looked to be around forty years old, of medium build, with a thin face and slightly dark skin from years of travel. His eyes were sharp and focused, exuding the spirit unique to a pragmatist.

He was wearing a plain gray jacket over a white shirt, the collar buttoned up meticulously.

"County Chief Yi, this is Comrade Qi Tongwei, who is on temporary assignment from the State Economic Commission as Assistant County Chief. These are the letters of introduction from the Ministry and the city." Vice Minister Wang stepped forward, handed over the documents, and introduced him.

Yi Xuexi put down his pen, stood up, took the letter of introduction, quickly glanced at it, and then looked Qi Tongwei up and down.

The gaze wasn't offensive, but it carried a heavy, weighty scrutiny, as if it could weigh its own weight.

"Comrade Qi Tongwei, welcome to Daokou." Yi Xuexi spoke, his voice not loud, but his words clear, with the slightly harsh accent characteristic of local cadres, and he extended his hand.

Qi Tongwei immediately stepped forward and grasped Yi Xuexi's hands with both of them: "County Chief Yi, hello. I'm new here and unfamiliar with many things. I hope you and the comrades in the county will give me more guidance and help in the future."