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

Chapter 60 Secret Talk

Yi Xuexi nodded, his tone sincere: "We can learn from each other. You come from a ministry, you have a high platform and a broad vision, you can definitely bring us new ideas and new help."

He then turned to greet Vice Minister Wang of the Municipal Party Committee's Organization Department. Vice Minister Wang simply nodded, his smile faint, appearing rather indifferent, and even somewhat avoiding him.

Qi Tongwei silently observed all of this and understood what was happening.

There's clearly something going on between Yi Xuexi and this Deputy Minister Wang from the city.

However, being new to the area, he should not ask too many questions, nor should he show too much curiosity; he should simply maintain a polite silence.

Yi Xuexi seemed to have originally wanted to chat with Qi Tongwei a bit more and get to know this young cadre from the ministry better, but perhaps because Vice Minister Wang was present, the atmosphere was a little awkward, so he stopped talking, exchanged a few simple pleasantries, and politely ended the brief meeting.

Qi Tongwei then took his leave.

As expected, Vice Minister Wang did not leave immediately after leaving the county magistrate's office. Instead, he chatted with Zhang Guoqing, the director of the county party committee office, who was already waiting in the corridor. The two spoke in hushed tones, their expressions familiar, clearly indicating a good relationship.

Luo Xiangdong, director of the county government office, quickly stepped forward and said warmly to Qi Tongwei, "County Chief Qi, let me take you to settle in."

Luo Xiangdong was around forty years old, slightly overweight, and always had a smile on his face, which made him seem very good at handling things.

He personally led Qi Tongwei downstairs, through the county party committee and county government compound, to a relatively quiet row of family buildings at the back.

"The conditions are limited, so I apologize to Assistant Qi for the inconvenience." Luo Xiangdong opened the door to a one-bedroom suite on the second floor. The room was indeed small and simply furnished: a wooden bed, a wardrobe, a desk, two chairs, and a small ensuite bathroom.

But it was very clean, the windows were bright, and the bedding was all new.

"It's very nice and quiet here. Thank you so much, Director Luo," Qi Tongwei said sincerely. He didn't have high requirements for accommodation; he just needed something clean and tidy where he could read and rest in peace.

Seeing that he had no complaints, Luo Xiangdong's smile became even more sincere, and he then took him to see the cafeteria and the office.

The canteen is where county government officials eat together. It wasn't lunchtime yet, so it was a bit deserted. You could only see that the tables and chairs were neatly arranged and the hygiene was acceptable.

The office is located on the second floor of the county government office building, on the same floor as the offices of several deputy county heads.

The room was of moderate size, complete with a table, chairs, filing cabinets, and a telephone, and was spotless. However, the bookshelves and the tabletop were empty, making it seem somewhat deserted.

"Assistant Qi, please let me know if you need anything else," Luo Xiangdong said.

"It's already very good. Director Luo has made very thoughtful arrangements."

Luo Xiangdong then called over a young male clerk from the secretariat downstairs.

He introduced, "Assistant Qi, this is Luo Xuejun from the Secretariat of the County Government Office. He will temporarily act as your liaison, running errands and making contacts. Please feel free to ask him anything."

Luo Xuejun looked to be in his early twenties, with a youthful face. He wore a slightly oversized dark jacket and stood ramrod straight. Upon seeing Qi Tongwei, he became nervous and flustered, quickly bowing and saying, "Hello, County Chief Qi! I am Luo Xuejun. I just graduated from Luzhou Teachers College last year and have been working for less than a year. Please... please give me your guidance!"

Don't underestimate the county magistrate just because he's the assistant to the county magistrate. This young Luo is clearly very savvy, as he directly addresses him as "county magistrate."

Qi Tongwei was amused by his nervousness and took the initiative to extend his hand, smiling gently, "Don't be nervous. I only started working last year, so we're practically from the same cohort."

Luo Xuejun's face flushed red instantly. He quickly extended both hands to shake hands with Qi Tongwei, repeatedly saying, "No, no, how can I compare to you? You are a leader of a ministry..."

Luo Xiangdong watched with a smile and interjected, "County Chief Qi, why don't you get to know Xiao Luo first? If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask him. I still have some miscellaneous matters to attend to at the government office. Please call me anytime if you need anything."

"Okay, Director Luo, you're busy." Qi Tongwei politely saw him to the door.

After closing the door, only Qi Tongwei and Luo Xuejun, who was still somewhat uneasy, remained in the office.

Qi Tongwei walked behind his desk and sat down, pointing to the chair opposite him: "Xiao Luo, sit down, don't stand, let's chat casually."

Luo Xuejun then carefully sat down, his back ramrod straight.

With a friendly smile on his face, Qi Tongwei began a seemingly casual conversation.

"Is Xiao Luo a local?"

"Yes, County Chief Qi, I am a local. My home is in Chengguan Town, Daokou County," Luo Xuejun answered honestly.

Oh, he's a local. He's familiar with the situation and his connections are probably all in the local area, so he doesn't plan to stay in Lüzhou after graduating from university.

What did you study in college?

"I studied Chinese language and literature."

A certain level of basic writing skills and official document writing ability is required.

"What do your parents do for a living? Are they dating anyone?" Qi Tongwei asked in a more casual tone.

Luo Xuejun blushed slightly again: "My dad works at the county hospital as a surgeon. My mom works at the Chengguan Town Subdistrict Office. As for my girlfriend... I'm dating someone, she's my high school classmate, and she's teaching music at Chengguan Elementary School now."

This was a typical "Brahmin" family in the county town—a doctor and a neighborhood official, considered a prominent family with a good network of connections. Children from such families understand rules and social etiquette to some extent, but are also somewhat constrained.

After exchanging a few casual words, Qi Tongwei suddenly asked, "Director Luo Xiangdong... what's your relationship with him?"

Luo Xuejun was clearly taken aback by the direct question. He paused for a moment, a hint of nervousness flashing across his face, but he still answered honestly, "Yes... he's my cousin." Fearing that Qi Tongwei might misunderstand, he quickly added, "County Chief Qi, I was recruited through a formal examination. I passed both the written and oral exams."

Qi Tongwei smiled. These days, graduates from regular universities are still quite valuable, especially those who return to their hometown county and get jobs in government offices through exams; it's not uncommon for them.

He nodded, indicating his belief, and said in a gentle tone, "I didn't mean anything by it, I was just asking casually. It's a good thing to have a familiar elder to look after you."

Luo Xuejun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Next, Qi Tongwei began to ask more specific questions, mainly about the county's personnel situation: What are the respective areas of responsibility for the deputy county heads? When did they take office? Where did they work before? On the county party committee side, besides Secretary Li Duohai, what are the general situations of the deputy secretaries and standing committee members?

As expected of a "scion of a prominent family," Luo Xuejun had a clear grasp of this information. Although his expression was still somewhat immature, he could give a fairly accurate account of who was in charge, when they arrived, and their general background.

This is clearly not something that an ordinary staff member who has only been working for a year can easily figure out; it must be due to the influence of their family environment.

Qi Tongwei was secretly pleased. This young messenger had a relatively clean background, a clear mind, was familiar with the situation in the county, and was a newcomer who hadn't been completely corrupted by the ways of officialdom. He was just right for the time being.

He then inquired about the county's main economic industries, financial situation, and the characteristics of several key townships.

Luo Xuejun could also give a few points, although the depth was limited, the framework was clear, and it was clear that he usually paid attention to the work in the county, or that his family often talked about it.

"Not bad." Qi Tongwei praised, then instructed, "Xiao Luo, could you please go to the archives and get me a copy of all the official documents and meeting minutes issued by the county party committee and county government in the past year, as well as the main economic data reports for the whole of last year and the first quarter of this year? I need to familiarize myself with the situation first."

"Okay, County Chief Qi, I'll get right on it!" Luo Xuejun immediately got up and left with great enthusiasm.

Qi Tongwei spent the entire morning in his office reviewing the documents and reports that Luo Xuejun had been sending over.

The data was dry, and the documents were mostly formulaic notifications, reports, and arrangements, but he read them very carefully, trying to piece together the true picture of Daokou County's operation, the focus of its conflicts, and its development bottlenecks.

I had a simple lunch in the cafeteria. The food was so-so, but the portions were generous.

He noticed that County Head Yi Xuexi was also dining in the canteen, alone at a table. He ate a simple meal, finished quickly, and left, hardly talking to anyone during the meal.

County Party Secretary Li Duohai was nowhere to be found.

Shortly after starting work in the afternoon, I received a notification that County Party Secretary Li Duohai had returned from the city and was going to convene a meeting of all county-level and above leading cadres.

The meeting was held in the county committee auditorium. Li Duohai sat in the center of the rostrum. He was in his fifties, somewhat overweight, with a slightly balding head and a shiny forehead under the lights. His eyes were not large, with slightly drooping corners, and when he wasn't smiling, he naturally had a stern, even somewhat fierce, look.

Wang, the deputy minister of the Organization Department of the Municipal Party Committee, was also sitting on the stage.

The meeting was chaired by the deputy secretary of the county party committee.

First, Vice Minister Wang read out the notice from the Municipal Party Committee's Organization Department regarding Comrade Qi Tongwei's temporary appointment as Assistant to the County Head. He also briefly introduced Qi Tongwei's background, emphasized the significance of ministerial cadres going to the grassroots level for training, and requested the county to make proper arrangements and support his work.

When it was Qi Tongwei's turn to speak, he walked to the microphone at the front of the stage and spoke concisely:

"Respected leaders and comrades: Good afternoon. I am very grateful for the organization's trust in assigning me to Daokou County for a temporary assignment and learning. I am well aware of my lack of grassroots experience and unfamiliarity with the county's situation. Over the next six months, I will humbly learn from all leaders and comrades as a student, conduct in-depth investigations and research at the grassroots level, familiarize myself with the situation as soon as possible, strive to complete the tasks assigned by the organization, and contribute my modest efforts to the development of Daokou County. I sincerely request your guidance and assistance in my future work. Thank you!"

He adopted a very humble attitude and spoke sincerely, without any airs of a ministry official.

Finally, County Party Secretary Li Duohai spoke. He first emphasized the importance of the city-level meeting and demanded that all levels and departments earnestly implement its directives. Then, he shifted his focus to Qi Tongwei's arrival: "Comrade Qi Tongwei is an outstanding young cadre from the national economic management department. He is highly educated and has broad experience. His arrival adds fresh blood to our Daokou County leadership team. The County Party Committee attaches great importance to this. We hope that Comrade Qi Tongwei will quickly integrate into Daokou, leverage his expertise, and offer valuable suggestions for the county's economic development. At the same time, all levels and departments should actively support and cooperate with Assistant Qi's work, creating favorable conditions for him to carry out his duties."

That being said, Lee Da-hae's tone and demeanor always gave people a sense of routine and even slight worry, clearly indicating that his mind was not on this matter, but was just relying on his years of meeting experience.

County Magistrate Yi Xuexi sat on the stage the entire time, expressionless, and did not speak.

After the conference, Li Duohai immediately convened a meeting of the county party committee standing committee (a five-person group), clearly intending to unify thinking behind closed doors and convey or study the core content of the city meeting that morning.

Qi Tongwei, who was serving as the county head's assistant on temporary assignment, was naturally not qualified to attend such a core meeting.

After seeing Vice Minister Wang off, he calmly returned to his office, closed the door, and continued to bury himself in those dry but crucial documents and data.

After finishing get off work, he went to the cafeteria for dinner, then took some materials back to his residence to continue his research.

-

Meanwhile, after nightfall, Luo Xuejun, led by his father Luo Xiangwen, the vice president of the county hospital, knocked on the door of Luo Xiangdong, the director of the county government office, carrying two bottles of local liquor that were not particularly expensive but still presentable.

Luo Xiangdong had just finished dinner and was sitting in the living room watching the news. When he saw his cousin and nephew arrive together, he knew exactly why they were there. After exchanging a few polite greetings, he led the two men into the relatively private study.

Closing the study door shut out the sound of the television from the living room.

With two clicks, Luo Xiangdong took out cigarettes, first handing one to Luo Xiangwen, and then lighting one for himself.

A light mist quickly filled the study.

"Xuejun, what did County Chief Qi talk to you about this afternoon? How did they talk? Tell me everything." Luo Xiangdong exhaled a smoke ring and asked with narrowed eyes.

Luo Xuejun was a little nervous, but he didn't dare to hide anything from his father and uncle. He recounted his conversation with Qi Tongwei that afternoon in detail, including what questions Qi Tongwei asked, how he answered them, and even Qi Tongwei's expression and tone of voice. He tried his best to describe them clearly.

Luo Xiangdong listened quietly, the cigarette between his fingers burning silently.

Only after Luo Xuejun finished speaking did he lightly flick his cigarette ash, narrow his eyes even more, and look at Luo Xiangwen: "Brother Xiangwen, did you hear that? Xuejun, that kid... has a bit of a shrewdness, huh?"

Luo Xiangwen frowned, took a deep drag on his cigarette, and didn't reply, but his expression was slightly serious.

Luo Xuejun, observing his father's expression, realized that he might have made a mistake in his performance during the day, but he didn't quite understand it, so he looked to his father for help.

Luo Xiangwen forcefully stubbed out his nearly burnt-out cigarette in the ashtray with a soft hiss, then looked up at his son with a serious expression: "What did your Uncle Xiangdong tell you before? He told you to be 'completely honest' with County Chief Qi. Why didn't you mention a single word about County Chief Yi this afternoon?"

Luo Xuejun was stunned, and subconsciously retorted, "But...but Uncle Xiang Dong, aren't you...the county magistrate's man?"

In his mind, he was following his second uncle, Luo Xiangdong, who was one of County Magistrate Yi's men. Therefore, he should naturally be on "the County Magistrate's side." There were some things about County Magistrate Yi that he shouldn't easily tell outsiders, even if the other party was the County Magistrate's assistant or someone he was serving.

Director Luo's face still wore that usual smiling expression, but his words came down like icicles, each one clear and calm: "I'm the county magistrate's man, what does that have to do with you?"

Luo Xuejun was stunned by the question: "But... in the entire government office, who doesn't know I'm one of your people?"

Luo Xiangdong's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable force: "You are now County Chief Qi's liaison. You can only be his person, do you understand?"

Luo Xuejun was still a bit confused and asked, "But... isn't County Chief Qi only going to be on secondment for six months? Do we... really need to do this?"

Looking at his nephew's still somewhat clueless expression, Luo Xiangdong sighed, his tone softening, but the content becoming more direct, even somewhat harsh: "Xuejun, don't blame me for being blunt. Once you leave this house, no one will say this to you."

He paused, his gaze sharpening: "Who do you think you are? Trying to have your cake and eat it too? You should know your own limitations. I don't even have that right, so what makes you think you can?"

These words were utterly merciless, and Luo Xuejun's face flushed red instantly. He lowered his head in shame.

Luo Xiangdong changed the subject: "You've seen County Magistrate Qi's publicly available resume, haven't you?"

Luo Xuejun replied hesitantly, "I've seen it... Before I came, Uncle Xiang Dong showed it to me."

"Tell me your thoughts," Luo Xiangdong pressed.