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

Chapter 65 Confirming Friend or Foe

He returned to Handong with extreme caution, determined to "observe more, listen more, speak less, do nothing, and avoid making mistakes," and smoothly navigate this six-month period of professional development.

He instinctively and vehemently rejects anything that might involve taking responsibility or getting involved in trouble.

Moreover, in his judgment, Li Duohai's "mass development of the real economy" campaign was short-sighted and extremely risky. He was trying to avoid it, so how could he possibly offer advice and suggestions?

Li Duohai's sudden "high regard" and "seeking advice" today seemed very deliberate. He still couldn't be completely sure whether Li Duohai was simply attracted by his "high-achieving graduate from a ministry" and "successful experience," genuinely wanting to extract some "intellectual resources" to contribute to Daokou's GDP, or... whether there was something else going on, that he was being instructed by someone to set a trap for him?

Not urgent.

The bloody lessons of his past life, along with the earnest teachings of his teachers Li Yiqing and Gao Yuliang, taught him one of the most important qualities to cultivate amidst the fog: patience.

It's better to stay still than to act rashly.

No matter what Li Duohai is up to or what his scheme is, it's not Qi Tongwei who's worried.

His core support is in the Economic Commission, and his official position is within the ministry. He'll be gone in six months at most. If Li Duohai really wants to do something, whether through coercion or bribery, time is on Qi Tongwei's side.

Wait a while, and the other party's intentions will gradually come to light.

Of course, necessary precautions must not be neglected.

He called over Xiao Luo.

"Xiao Luo, how long does it usually take to compile and distribute the minutes of these special meetings of the county party committee?"

Luo Xuejun thought for a moment and said, "Usually it takes two to three days, but meetings that the Party Secretary values ​​may be a little faster."

"Okay, remind me when the records are ready," Qi Tongwei instructed.

He wanted to review the meeting minutes carefully to ensure that there were no words in them that distorted his statements or planted any potential problems with him.

The next morning, Li Duohai indeed summoned Qi Tongwei to the county party secretary's office again.

This time, Li Duohai personally got up and made Qi Tongwei a cup of tea, his attitude even more cordial than yesterday.

Qi Tongwei naturally acted as if he was "overwhelmed with gratitude" and "fearful of being overwhelmed with emotion," accepting the teacup with both hands and thanking him repeatedly.

Li Duohai first kindly asked him if he was used to the life there, if he had any difficulties, and how he felt at the crossing.

Qi Tongwei answered politely, thanking the organization for its concern and saying that everything was fine.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Duohai gestured for him to have some tea: "Assistant Qi, try this tea and see how it is."

Qi Tongwei took a sip as instructed.

The tea was indeed ordinary, even a bit rough and astringent, but his face showed just the right amount of appreciation: "This tea... has a mellow taste, a nice aftertaste, and a unique flavor!"

Upon hearing this, Li Duohai sighed, his tone somewhat candid: "It's just some local tea grown in the mountains, nothing fancy, only drunk by the people in the county. Assistant Qi has seen the world in Beijing, so a word of praise from you makes me feel much more at ease."

Qi Tongwei felt a slight alarm bell ring in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged. He simply smiled and said self-deprecatingly, "Secretary Li, please don't be so modest. In Beijing, I mostly drink cheap tea from tea shops. What knowledge do I have?"

Li Duohai then praised him a few more times for being young and promising and for not forgetting his roots. Seeing that Qi Tongwei did not respond, he took the initiative to steer the conversation in that direction.

"Assistant Qi just said that our tea is good, which means that the soil and climate in Daokou are suitable for growing tea. You are an expert in helping your hometown develop tea plantations. In your opinion, what if our county introduced some good tea varieties and vigorously developed tea planting and processing to create a distinctive industry? Would that be a good idea?"

Qi Tongwei immediately shook his head vigorously: "Secretary Li, I really wouldn't dare to say such a thing. Tea cultivation is a technical job. There are many intricacies involved, such as soil pH, altitude and climate, variety selection, field management, and processing techniques. You should ask the experts at the Agricultural Bureau; they are the most professional."

Li Duohai nodded with a smile: "Of course, we should definitely consult experts on professional matters. I've already asked the Agriculture Bureau to organize a team to conduct research. If the experts also say it's feasible, Assistant Qi, you, as the 'tea mountain expert,' will have to give us plenty of advice and suggestions! You can't refuse!"

"Definitely, definitely. If it's truly feasible, I'll do my best," Qi Tongwei said with a smile.

Two days later, Li Duohai invited Qi Tongwei to his office for the third time.

This time, he simply took out a bound report and handed it over.

"Assistant Qi, take a look. This is a preliminary feasibility report issued by an expert group jointly organized by the County Agriculture Bureau and the Forestry Bureau, after on-site investigation and sampling analysis. The conclusion is that the soil and climate conditions in the Dianqian Township area of ​​our county are very suitable for planting high-quality tea trees, especially for making green tea."

Qi Tongwei took the report and began to read it.

The report was well-organized, with complete data tables, a rigorous argumentation process, and a clear conclusion pointing to the potential for tea cultivation in Dianqian Township.

He read it very carefully, turning each page and pausing occasionally to think.

But in reality, his mind was no longer on the specific content of the report; his brain was racing, analyzing the logical chain behind Li Duohai's successive moves.

A few minutes later, he closed the report, looked up, and asked with appropriate seriousness and a questioning expression: "Secretary Li, this report looks quite solid. So what are your next plans? How large of a tea plantation or tea garden do you plan to pilot first?"

Li Duohai picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and adopted a mature and composed demeanor: "My idea is to start with a small-scale pilot project to accumulate experience. I think we should first select a suitable village in Dianqian Township and set up a demonstration tea garden of about twenty acres to see how it goes. If the tea trees grow well, the tea quality meets the standards, and the market response is good, then we can summarize the experience and gradually expand the scale. Assistant Qi, what do you think?"

Qi Tongwei nodded in agreement: "The secretary's consideration is thorough."

Li Duohai smiled with satisfaction and pushed the report towards Qi Tongwei again: "Then, Assistant Qi, I'll trouble you to put in a lot of effort on this matter. Based on this report and your experience, study it carefully and bring me a detailed pilot implementation plan later. It doesn't need to be too complicated. Just clearly list the site selection, varieties, budget, expected benefits, possible risks, and countermeasures."

“Okay, Secretary Li, I’ll take it back and study it carefully first, and then go to Dianqian Township to take a look in person.” Qi Tongwei took the report and agreed readily.

I walked out of the county party secretary's office, through the empty corridor, and back to my own quiet office.

He closed the door and laughed.

Sure enough, the ghost wouldn't leave.

Now, he was 100% certain that Li Duohai's seemingly reasonable and meticulous actions were definitely backed by the Liang family and were aimed at him, Qi Tongwei.

Just now in Li Duohai's office, everything we talked about sounded so normal, as if we were really just discussing a promising agricultural project. Li Duohai appeared reasonable, even a little "overly" cautious—only a 20-mu pilot project, proceeding slowly.

But it is precisely this "prudence" and "reasonableness" that exposes his true stance!

Lee Da-hae is fifty-three years old this year.

At this age, in his position as county party secretary, if he doesn't produce any significant achievements in the short term, his political career is likely to come to an end, and he will be relegated to the second line in disgrace.

Given his impatient and aggressive attitude at the mobilization meeting for "vigorously developing the real economy," how could he possibly have the patience to conduct a "20-acre pilot project," "accumulate experience," or "gradually expand"?

Once these twenty acres of tea seedlings have been planted, and once his so-called "gradual expansion" takes effect, Li Duohai himself will probably have been transferred somewhere long ago, or he might have simply gone home to take care of his grandchildren!

A county party secretary nearing the end of his career, eager for a final push, would never waste his energy on a tea pilot project that is long-term, slow to yield results, and initially insignificant in scale!

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation.

The only explanation for Li Duohai's sudden change to being "reasonable" and "far-sighted" is that this "tea project" itself may have nothing to do with the development of Daokou County, but rather has ulterior motives.

"Heh..." Qi Tongwei chuckled softly, his eyes showing no fear, but rather a long-lost sharpness.

I knew this trip to Handong wouldn't be smooth sailing.

Yeah.

A calm sea can never produce a truly excellent sailor.

A minor county party secretary whose career is nearing its end, attempting to secure last resources by siding with someone and showing loyalty, plus a persistent, spoiled brat who only knows how to use underhanded tactics behind the scenes...

Let me show you what kind of methods and mindset Qi Tongwei possesses now that he has been reborn, apprenticed under a prestigious family, and matured through experience.

Now that the other side has set the stage for this performance, Qi Tongwei doesn't mind playing along.

However, the script may not go as some people wish.

Chapter 66 The Visitor

Having identified the potential source of hostility and the opponent's intentions, Qi Tongwei did not hesitate at all; the first thing he did was dial Han Shen's office number.

He reported to Han Shen clearly and systematically his recent observations, his several contacts with Li Duohai, the oddities of the tea project report, and his judgment based on Li Duohai's personality and situation.

He did not hide his vigilance and frankly stated his suspicion that the other party might be setting a trap.

He had absolutely no foolish idea of ​​"solving it alone".

Having chosen to join Han Shen's faction, seeking protection and support is only to be expected.

The "lone wolf" mentality of going it alone and acting like a hero is the most undesirable naiveté within the system.

On the other end of the phone, Han Shen listened quietly, almost without interruption.

Only after Qi Tongwei finished speaking did he reply in his usual calm tone, "Okay, Tongwei, I understand. You handle the county's affairs yourself for now, and be careful not to misbehave."

This answer did not surprise Qi Tongwei.

He never naively thought that becoming Han Shen's "political successor" would mean he could rest easy and have everything handled by the "patriarch".

Even the crown prince is at risk of being deposed, let alone an "heir" whose value has not yet been fully proven? He needs to constantly demonstrate his abilities, character, and value in order to secure Han Shen's continued resource investment and political protection.

The primary purpose of this proactive report was to ensure that Han Shen understood the situation and was fully informed.

If the Liang family uses higher-level forces to exert pressure, or if Li Duohai's actions go beyond the county level, then a force of Han Shen's caliber will be needed to intervene and shield him from the pressure from above.

This is the core function of "background" and "powerful backer"—to prevent the endless escalation of trouble caused by "beating the small fry and then the big fish coming."

As for the political turmoil at this level within Daokou County, Han Shen clearly viewed it as a real-world test for him.

It tests his ability to use wisdom, methods, and rules to protect himself, and even to exert counterbalance, in a complex and hostile grassroots environment.

Han Shen's decision not to directly intervene was both a training exercise and an observation.

And this was exactly what Qi Tongwei wanted. He was already satisfied with Han Shenhui's tacit promise to intervene at a higher level if necessary. What remained was his own battlefield.

Next, we need to plan calmly.

First, we must identify the primary and secondary contradictions.

His core mission is always to successfully complete his six-month secondment, return safely to the Economic Commission with a compelling research report and down-to-earth evaluation, and lay a solid foundation for his next promotion.

Under these circumstances, if the opportunity arises, we can then consider launching a counterattack against Li Duohai and even Liang Jin.

Acting like a reckless youth, disregarding consequences, escalating conflicts, and even affecting one's own primary tasks is certainly not the behavior of a mature cadre.

The Liang family was in decline, while he was like the rising sun.

Time is always his friend.

Based on this, the core of his first step strategy can be summed up in one word: delay.

The disparity in strength between the two sides is enormous.

He was an outsider serving as the county magistrate's assistant, with no personnel authority, no financial power, and no connections. The only person he had under his command was Xiao Luo, who could barely be considered half of his own people.

In that era, county party secretaries wielded highly centralized power, especially within their counties. Calling them "local tyrants" or even "local emperors" was not an exaggeration.

Qi Tongwei remembered a news report from his previous life: when a county party secretary brought his mother to the county, he openly pointed to the boundary marker and said, "Mom, this hundred miles to the east is all your son's!"

Although this person was later brought down, it shows the extent of the power the county party secretary wielded at that time.

Fortunately, the enemy is currently in the open while we are in the dark.