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

Having just been severely criticized, Luo Xuejun became even more timid, stammering, "I... how could I possibly comment on County Chief Qi..."

"You've become timid again now?" Luo Xiangdong glared at him. "Speak up, there are only the three of us in this study, what can't we say?"

Luo Xuejun then mustered his courage and carefully recalled his resume: a PhD in Economics from Peking University, a first-class hero of the Ministry of Public Security, a core bureau-level cadre of the State Economic Commission, and a 29-year-old deputy division-level cadre... He carefully considered his words and cautiously said, "A disciple of the emperor, his future is limitless."

"Hmm, being cultured makes a difference; that's a pretty good summary." Luo Xiangdong rarely gave a compliment, but his expression immediately turned serious as he turned to Luo Xuejun, his tone becoming more serious, "Someone like him, who reached that level at 29, is someone I, Luo Xiangdong, have spent most of my life in the government and might not even have a chance to get close to! Do you know how many people your father and I pulled and how much effort we put into getting you into his circle, just so you could have a chance to be connected with him—even if it's only for six months, to leave some kind of connection?

He leaned forward slightly, staring intently at his nephew: "If he were the assistant to the county party secretary instead of the county head, do you think such a lucrative position, with such a convenient advantage, would have fallen to a young person like you who has just started working?"

Luo Xuejun was so shocked by this barrage of words that he broke out in a cold sweat and fell silent.

Vice Dean Luo Xiangwen, who was standing to the side, finally spoke slowly, his voice deep yet carrying an unquestionable authority: "Xuejun, remember this, for the next six months, you will do two things."

Luo Xuejun immediately perked up his ears.

"First, serve County Magistrate Qi well. Answer whatever he asks, without reservation. Treat him with the same respect and deference you would show him to your own father. Even if—" Luo Xiangwen paused deliberately, emphasizing, "even if he asks about what the three of us said in this study tonight, you must tell him everything, without hiding a single detail! Do you understand?"

Luo Xuejun nodded vigorously: "I understand, Dad."

"Secondly," Luo Xiangwen continued, "is 'learning' and 'memorizing.' People of this level, their words and actions, their way of dealing with people, their way of thinking, even a glance, a pause—all have profound meaning. If you can learn even a tiny bit of real skill from him, it will benefit you for a lifetime! During the day, you must pay attention to everything County Magistrate Qi does, what he says, who he meets, and what he handles, and write it all down in your notebook when you get home at night. I'm not asking you to be a spy, but to think about it repeatedly: Why did he say that? Why did he do that? What would you do in his place? Where is the difference?"

"Furthermore, starting tomorrow, do not reveal a single word of any news about County Chief Qi to me or Uncle Dong."

Luo Xiangdong then resumed his usual smiling demeanor and said, "You'd better learn from him, kid. Forget about a real dragon like County Magistrate Qi, even your father and I, two old guys who have been in Daokou County for half our lives, have a lot to learn from you."

Luo Xuejun nodded earnestly this time: "Yes, Uncle Xiangdong, Dad, I understand."

On the other side, in that quiet dormitory in the county committee compound.

Qi Tongwei looked at the materials for a while, and his eyes felt a little sore. He got up and washed himself briefly with hot water from the thermos, which helped to relieve some of his fatigue.

He sat down at the table again and wrote a letter to He Xuan.

Dear He Xian:

Seeing this letter is like seeing the person in person; opening it brings a smile to my face.

I have arrived safely in Daokou County today. Everything went smoothly, so don't worry.

Daokou County is a harmonious little county town...

I also met new colleagues. County Party Secretary Li was like a strict headmaster, County Chief Yi was like a village chief, and there was also Xiao Luo, the communications officer assigned to me, a big boy about your age, whose little thoughts were written all over his face...

……

Looking forward to your reply.

Best regards

春安

Qi Tongwei

Under the lamp in the dormitory of the Daokou County Party Committee

(P.S.: I'm wearing the scarf; it keeps me warm when it gets chilly at night.)

Chapter 61 Develop the real economy

The next morning, Qi Tongwei had a quick breakfast at the government canteen and then went to his office.

Xiao Luo arrived early, not only wiping his desk spotless but also washing his teacups thoroughly and brewing tea at the perfect temperature.

Qi Tongwei saw this but said nothing. He simply nodded, walked straight to his desk, sat down, and continued to review the documents he hadn't finished reading yesterday.

He came down from a central ministry to "gild" his resume. While he wouldn't put on airs, he certainly had no intention of lowering himself to make any humble visits.

People within the system are all intelligent, or rather, "political creatures."

Excessively lowering one's stance may only result in superficial politeness and underlying disdain, and often brings no real benefit.

He was certain that if he were to humbly and obsequiously visit each of the county party committee members and deputy county heads now, he would not only fail to earn genuine respect, but might even become the subject of their gossip over drinks years later.

"Hey, you mean that guy, the one who came down from the State Economic Commission, County Chief Qi, from Peking University! A PhD! I heard he's already at the XX level now? Back when he was on temporary assignment at our checkpoint, he was so respectful to me, calling me 'brother' and 'director' all the time..."

The level of that "XX" might even "inflate" depending on the speaker's alcohol content.

Qi Tongwei probably didn't care about the gossip behind his back.

However, human nature is subtle. Often, the more prominent your status and background are, the more humble you appear. Some people may secretly feel a distorted sense of satisfaction, and may even unconsciously want to "manipulate" you to satisfy some unknown psychological compensation deep in their hearts, similar to the "poor scholar indulging in the fantasies of a rich young lady".

When you maintain your appropriate pride, he will instead show his humility.

More importantly, the core purpose of his trip was not to achieve any remarkable political achievements in Daokou County, but to "get down to earth," complete the research, and smoothly get through the next six months.

To some extent, having a "no desires, no worries" mentality, his enthusiasm for "getting along" with local officials naturally diminished.

Xiao Luo hesitated several times, her eyes darting around, but Qi Tongwei pretended not to notice and focused on the materials in his hands.

Not long after, an official from the county party committee office knocked on the door and announced: "County Chief Qi, Secretary Li has informed us that a meeting to analyze the county's first-quarter economic work will be held at 9:00 a.m. in the county party committee's conference room. Please attend on time."

Qi Tongwei nodded to indicate that he had received the message.

At 8:50, he picked up his notebook and pen and arrived at the conference room five minutes early.

The venue was quite large, and many people were already seated.

In addition to county-level leaders and above, the heads of various bureaus, commissions and offices, as well as the party secretaries and township heads of various townships, were all present.

The conference room was filled with a buzzing sound as acquaintances talked in hushed tones amidst swirling smoke.

Qi Tongwei found his seat according to the nameplate on the table and sat down. As soon as he settled down, he felt many eyes, some open and some hidden, sweeping over him with curiosity, scrutiny, and even a little bit of subtle examination.

He ignored the stares, simply looking down at his notebook, preparing to take notes.

Before the discussion could begin, there was a commotion at the meeting room door, and County Party Secretary Li Duohai and County Head Yi Xuexi walked in one after the other.

Everyone quickly stood up, and Qi Tongwei followed suit.

As Lee Da-hae walked to the center of the stage, he casually waved his hand and said, "Sit down, everyone sit down."

After a series of rustling sounds from tables and chairs, the hall fell silent. Lee Da-hae cleared his throat, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said:

"Ah, comrades, let's begin the meeting!"

A series of faint sounds rang out from the audience: a fountain pen removing its cap, a ballpoint pen pressing its key, and a notebook turning its pages.

“Yesterday I went to the city to attend the city’s first quarter economic work and fiscal revenue analysis meeting.” Li Duohai’s voice was as serious as ever, even somewhat somber. “The situation in Daokou is not optimistic! The development progress has fallen far behind! Compared with the same period last year, GDP growth is only 1.3%! Is this what you call growth? This is called stagnation! At this rate, ah~ in another two years, we will be overtaken by Jinshan County!”

He tapped the table, his tone becoming more forceful: "What's the situation with Jinshan County? It's a notoriously backward and impoverished county in our Lüzhou! If they really surpass us, ask yourselves honestly, do you live up to the trust placed in you by the county party committee and government? Do you live up to the salaries paid to you by the people? The people will be talking behind our backs, cursing us for inaction!"

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping across the audience: "GDP development is the top priority of all our work right now! Why was Li Dakang from Jinshan County able to rise through the ranks and now he's the deputy director of the Provincial Economic Commission? Ah~ it's all because he did a good job with GDP!"

Seemingly realizing his words were inappropriate, Li Duohai coughed, took a sip of water, and tried to smooth things over: "Of course, I'm not saying I want to be the deputy director of the Economic Commission. I'm saying we should learn from them, learn their daring and enterprising spirit, and their drive to do everything possible to promote development! We must fully mobilize our initiative!"

He straightened his back and raised his voice: "After deliberation by the county party committee, it has been decided that, starting from the second quarter of this year, all sectors of the county will be mobilized and organized to vigorously establish economic entities! This is a major measure taken by the county party committee and the county government to quickly reverse the backward economic situation in our county, and it is a major action that the entire county must go all out to take! The whole party must be mobilized and the whole people must take action to do it well!"

He glanced at Yi Xuexi, who was scribbling in his notebook, and added, "Oh, County Chief Yi, this year you're focusing your main efforts on organizing labor export. As for 'developing the real economy,' the county party committee will take the lead, with the relevant leaders in charge of specific tasks."

Yi Xuexi seemed not to hear, and without even looking up, continued writing something.

Li Duohai withdrew his gaze and continued to deploy: "The specific requirements are: all county-level Party and government organs, people's organizations, and public institutions that are funded or subsidized by the county finance must establish at least one or two economic development projects this year! Special units that are explicitly prohibited from establishing economic entities by the state must also actively organize their surplus staff to find ways to establish economic entities!"

"Our policy is: large, medium, and small projects all at once! Industrial, agricultural, technological, and service-oriented projects all at once! Collective, shareholding, cooperative, and individual projects all at once! Establishing, leading, leasing, and contracting projects all at once! In short, we will do whatever is most conducive to development and whatever yields the fastest results!"

"The county party committee has decided to launch a competition across the county called 'Establishing Businesses to Enrich the People and Strengthen the County'! There will be monthly inspections, evaluations, and announcements, and the results will be broadcast on the county television station!"

He looked around the room and said, "Now, everyone, please share your thoughts and let's work together."

A brief silence fell over the meeting room. The Finance Bureau Director cautiously asked, "Secretary Li, this… where will the start-up capital for establishing this entity come from? The county's finances are tight right now…"

Zhang Guoqing, a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee and Director of the County Party Committee Office, immediately took over the conversation, speaking in a calm tone: "To support the overall development of the county, all units must overcome difficulties and raise appropriate funds. The specific amount can be discussed and studied based on the actual situation of each unit."

That sounds nice, but the meaning is clear: each unit should find its own way to "raise funds".

This was undoubtedly an offensive move. Li Duohai would not say it himself, but since Zhang Guoqing said it, everyone understood that this was what the Party Secretary meant.

When it came to spending money from one's own workplace or even one's own pocket, the atmosphere in the room noticeably cooled down, and no one spoke up easily anymore.

Seeing this, Li Duohai softened his tone: "Of course, we won't let everyone's investment go to waste. The investment can be converted into shares, and when the business becomes profitable, we'll distribute dividends according to the shares! As long as the project is chosen well and managed properly, maybe everyone can even get rich! Look at Sanshui in Guangdong, how successful is 'Jianlibao'!"

He told a joke that wasn't very funny, but a burst of somewhat dry laughter still rang out from the audience.

Li Duohai waved his hand: "Of course, it's unrealistic to rely solely on everyone raising funds. The county will coordinate with banks and credit unions to prepare matching loans. In short, there's always a way to overcome difficulties! After the meeting, the heads of each unit must personally take charge and submit their respective business plans within a week!"

The meeting then discussed several other matters before concluding.

As the saying goes, small matters should be discussed in large meetings, and big matters should be discussed in small meetings.

The decision to "vigorously develop the real economy" was clearly made at yesterday's five-person county party committee meeting. Today's meeting was merely to convey the directives, unify thinking, and exert pressure.

Qi Tongwei listened quietly from the audience, taking it all in.

This is a vivid microcosm of the pursuit of economic growth at the grassroots level in this era of "GDP-only" mentality.

Li Duohai's approach was simple and crude, bearing the strong imprint of the times and a strong sense of short-sightedness.

Hearing him cite the example of "Jianlibao" in particular, Qi Tongwei shook his head slightly. This secretary was clearly thinking too simply and was not a capable person who deeply understood economic laws and market risks.

However, this matter has little to do with him, who is only serving as the county magistrate's assistant on temporary assignment.

He was determined not to interfere or show off his abilities, but simply to be an observation sample.

Back in his office, he prepared to continue burying himself in documents and data.

He planned to first thoroughly understand the general materials, and then go to various townships to conduct on-site investigations and collect firsthand information in order to produce the first draft of the research report as soon as possible.

Why start writing so early?

He thought he could send the first draft to Professor Li Yiqing later and ask the professor to review it and give him some pointers.

With the teacher's guidance, the quality and significance of this report will definitely improve, and winning first place will be no problem.

I had only read a few pages of the material when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Enter."

The door opened, and the temporary communications officer, Xiao Luo, walked in. His face showed obvious hesitation and nervousness. Standing in front of the desk, he stammered, "..."

"County Chief Qi, I...I have something I'd like to report to you."

Chapter 62 The Pledge of Allegiance

Qi Tongwei raised his head, a gentle smile on his face, and looked at Luo Xuejun, who was noticeably more nervous than yesterday: