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

He was now as if he were on a fire, being roasted on both sides.

Fearing both offending Han Shen behind Qi Tongwei and Liang Jin's retaliation, deep down, she even harbored an ostrich-like mentality of escapism: she wished that Qi Tongwei would continue his "in-depth research" forever, that the plan would remain on paper forever, so that she wouldn't offend either side, and that time would eventually let it go.

So, faced with Qi Tongwei's suggestion to "start over," Li Duohai showed no sign of surprise, instead displaying an expression of "understanding" and "support": "Yes, Comrade Tongwei's rigorous and pragmatic attitude, which starts from reality, is excellent! Research must be thorough, and plans must be refined repeatedly. No rush, no rush, we'd rather take it slow and lay a solid foundation. The county committee fully trusts you, so go ahead and do it!"

Thus, after the May Day holiday, Qi Tongwei spent another half month in "in-depth research" and "repeated refinement," a period that seemed calm but was actually turbulent undercurrents.

However, what is destined to come will inevitably come.

On a sweltering afternoon in mid-May, the phone on Li Duohai's desk rang urgently. His heart sank when he saw the caller ID.

It really was Liang Jin.

The voice on the other end of the phone was visibly impatient and condescending: "Secretary Li, how long has it been? How's my matter going? Are we still going to proceed with the tea plantation project?"

Li Duohai's palms were sweating, but he forced a smile and carefully explained, "Director Liang, listen to me, things... have changed a bit. Recently, Assistant Qi's secretary... well, the secretary of Deputy Director Han Shen from the ministry personally came to the road crossing, bringing Director Han's niece with him. It seems their relationship... is quite unusual. So, shouldn't we... reconsider this matter? Perhaps we should take a longer view?"

He tried to phrase his words tactfully, pointing out that Qi Tongwei now had "someone backing him up," hoping that Liang Jin would back down.

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a cold snort that was hard to decipher, and then a "click" sound as the call was disconnected, leaving only a busy tone.

Lee Da-hae held the microphone, stood there for a moment, and then slowly put it down.

He slumped into the chair, letting out a long sigh of relief, but instead of feeling relieved, he felt even more uneasy.

Liang Jin said nothing; this silence was more unsettling than any angry outburst.

He now only hopes that this second young master Liang will give up. Even if he can't get on the Liang family's ship, he'll be grateful as long as he doesn't capsize and drown because of this.

Unfortunately, things rarely go as planned.

Once the seeds of cause and effect are sown, they are not easily eradicated.

---

In a private room at a high-end club in the provincial capital, Liang Jin slammed his phone onto the soft leather sofa, his face so dark it seemed to drip water. He grabbed the crystal glass in front of him and downed the amber liquid in one gulp, the spicy kick unable to quell the rage burning within him.

The previously noisy atmosphere in the private room instantly froze. The henchmen exchanged glances, not daring to utter a sound.

In the eyes of a wise person, after learning that Qi Tongwei had a powerful background, Liang Jin's most rational choice would have been to take the initiative to make amends and resolve the old grudges.

After all, having more potential friends is always better than having more powerful enemies.

However, humans are not absolutely rational machines.

Emotions, likes and dislikes, personality, especially the arrogance and narrow-mindedness cultivated by long-term indulgence, often dominate behavior.

Just like in high school, everyone understands that studying hard is the best way to change one's destiny, especially for people from ordinary families, but how many people can truly be single-minded?

Students from ordinary families are more likely to become addicted to games and escape the hardships of reality.

The same goes for Liang Jin.

Rationally, he may vaguely know what is "correct," but deep down he cannot accept that someone he once regarded as an ant and could be manipulated at will can now stand on the same level as him, and may even make him suffer because of a stronger background.

This severely wounded his fragile self-esteem, which was built upon the power of his father.

He was like one of those troublemakers on campus. When a classmate who used to have poor grades, came from a poor family, and had a grudge against him suddenly got into the same school through hard work.

Even if he was the one who started the conflict, he would find it difficult to remain calm. Instead, he would be more likely to intensify his efforts to exclude and bully the other party, using the suppression of the other party to reaffirm his illusory "sense of superiority".

As for the possible consequences? The teacher's appeasement and his father's "cleaning up the mess" emboldened him. As for potential future retaliation? He either couldn't think that far ahead, or subconsciously underestimated the other party, believing that a "peasant" couldn't cause any trouble.

His current anger stems largely from a sense of powerlessness—he finds that he can no longer easily trip up Qi Tongwei through Li Duohai as he used to.

Qi Tongwei has powerful backers, just like when he clashed with Zhao Ruilong, the police would often try to smooth things over rather than take sides. Although he was unwilling to admit it, subconsciously he had already categorized Qi Tongwei as someone who "needs to be taken seriously."

His bad mood was the "barometer" of his small circle. Seeing him berate several of his followers over trivial matters, the atmosphere in the private room became tense, and everyone felt uneasy.

Only after he had vented his anger and seemed to have calmed down a bit did the "strategist" seize the opportunity to cautiously approach and ask, "Brother Jin, what made you so angry? Is it something about the road crossing..."

With a gloomy face, Liang Jin repeated Li Duohai's words.

The strategist's eyes darted around quickly, then he lowered his voice and said, "Brother Jin, the police aren't taking sides because they're a neutral third party, and they don't need to offend the other side for your sake or Zhao Ruilong's. But Li Duohai is different! He's already made his move, and his shoes are soaked. Now, it's not going to be so easy for him to get out of trouble."

Liang Jin glanced at him sideways: "Go on."

"The police can remain neutral because of your pressure, with Young Master Zhao's side acting as a check and balance. But what about Li Duohai? He's already chosen sides. Once Qi Tongwei finds out he tried to frame him, will he still stand up for him? He'll be lucky if he doesn't settle scores later!" The strategist analyzed logically. "More importantly, Secretary Zhao and Secretary Liang are both in Handong, and their influence is real. No matter how strong Qi Tongwei's connections are, they're still in Beijing, far from the emperor's reach. 'A local official is more powerful than a distant one.' Qi Tongwei will only be in office for six months, but Li Duohai still has to stay in Handong. Would he dare offend you?"

He observed Liang Jin's expression and continued to fan the flames: "If you take a tougher stance and force him to choose between two options, tell him that either he gets the job done and we can still be 'friends,' or he tells Qi Tongwei about his plan and we will retaliate against him with all our might... Hehe, he can weigh the pros and cons himself and decide which side he should stand on! I guarantee that he will eventually have to listen to you!"

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin's expression indeed improved somewhat. He chuckled and patted the strategist on the shoulder: "You little rascal, you're really good at dragging people down with you! It's a shame you're not a brothel madam!"

The strategist chuckled awkwardly and pointed to the female student next to him who was serving drinks: "I'm just... doing that right now."

Liang Jin burst into laughter at his joke, and the atmosphere in the private room finally livened up a bit.

Seeing that his mood had improved, the strategist cautiously added, "Brother Jin, but speaking of which, Qi Tongwei has a powerful backer now, shouldn't we... be a little more discreet? So as not to really cause a huge mess."

Liang Jin waved his hand dismissively: "What's there to be afraid of? Let's teach him a lesson. At least it'll give me some satisfaction. I've been fighting with Zhao Ruilong for so long, have you ever seen Secretary Zhao personally intervene and say anything? What has my father said? It's all just playful banter between the younger generation!"

The strategist thought to himself: "You two have no hope for your official careers, so naturally your families don't bother with your kids' squabbles. But Qi Tongwei... he's clearly being groomed for a top position. How can that be the same?"

But seeing Liang Jin's attitude, he dared not speak out and had to swallow his words.

---

The next morning, at the Daokou County Party Committee.

After hanging up Liang Jin's second, more direct and even threatening call, Li Duohai seemed to have all his energy drained away. He slumped into his chair and sighed deeply.

Just what I feared most has come to pass! A moment of greed has indeed dragged me into a quagmire where I have no way out.

Now, Liang Jin has blocked their escape route.

He had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep going.

He rubbed his throbbing temples, pressed the intercom button, and asked his secretary to invite Qi Tongwei over.

When Qi Tongwei knocked and entered, Li Duohai had already quickly adjusted his expression, and his face once again displayed that usual smile that conveyed the care of an elder and the expectations of a leader.

He even got up and personally made Qi Tongwei a cup of tea, his attitude being more "friendly" than before.

"Tongwei, sit down." Li Duohai gestured for Qi Tongwei to sit down, then returned to his seat, picked up his teacup, and blew on it. "How's the new tea plantation project progressing?"

Qi Tongwei reported as usual: "Secretary Li, I am currently reorganizing the framework and adding details based on my on-site observations. It may take some more time."

Lee Da-hae listened patiently, narrowed her eyes, her smile unchanged, but her tone carried an undeniable "concern":

“Tongwei, I’ve seen your diligence and meticulousness. However, there’s a saying, ‘Two heads are better than one.’ It’s not a good idea for you to work alone and work in isolation. You’re prone to getting stuck on details and overlooking potential problems in actual implementation.”

He paused, observing Qi Tongwei's expression, and continued, "How about this? You first organize the existing ideas and framework into a relatively complete first draft."

"We'll discuss it at the meeting and give you some ideas."

Chapter 73 The Picture Ends

Politics is never a battleground of either/or.

Those who get carried away by obstacles and bet everything to fight head-on are acting like reckless fools.

When one's own side is at a relative disadvantage, it is a clever strategy to reasonably delay time and exhaust and squeeze the opponent's strategic window and patience.

In military strategy, this is called a "delaying tactic".

However, when the delay reaches its limit and cannot continue, and one's own side is still at a disadvantage, constantly showing weakness and making concessions will only embolden the opponent and allow them to press forward step by step.

At this point, it is necessary to clearly and appropriately demonstrate your bottom line and firm stance, telling the other party: I am not a dough to be kneaded.

Lee Da-hae's proposal to "discuss the tea plantation plan at the meeting" seems reasonable on the surface, demonstrating democracy and the pooling of wisdom.

But Qi Tongwei knew perfectly well that once the meeting process, which was firmly controlled by Li Duohai, began, the so-called "discussion" could easily turn into a mere formality.

Lee Da-hae could have used his absolute authority and personnel advantage at the meeting to quickly push the plan through, or even make the final decision on the spot.

At that time, the entire project will be incorporated into the formal administrative process, like a train being put on a predetermined track. Qi Tongwei will completely lose control of the situation, transforming from a "plan proposer" into a "passive executor" and even a "responsible party," truly becoming "a fish on the chopping block."

Therefore, he absolutely cannot submit the project proposal!

In a flash, Qi Tongwei shed the facade of a somewhat naive and energetic young cadre that he had been deliberately maintaining for the past month.

He sat up straight, his back as straight as a pine tree. His posture, which had been slightly leaning forward to indicate that he was listening, was subtly changed. He leaned back on the sofa, appearing calm and even somewhat aloof.

He met Lee Da-hae's gaze and said clearly and calmly:

"Secretary Li, I think it's inappropriate to discuss this at a meeting now."

Li Duohai's smile froze almost imperceptibly for a moment, but he quickly recovered, his tone still carrying the advice of an elder: "Tongwei, don't worry. Everyone at the meeting is just helping to offer suggestions and refine the details. In the end, your plan will be the one to take precedence..."

He stopped abruptly before he could finish speaking. He noticed that the young man on the opposite sofa was no longer as respectful and awkward as before.

Qi Tongwei sat with his body stretched out, his gaze calm yet piercing, exuding a heavy pressure.

That's not the look a young, inexperienced person looking for approval from their superiors should have.

Lee Da-hae subconsciously stopped his platitudes of persuasion.

Qi Tongwei continued, his tone calm but his words clear: "When I came to Handong for my temporary post, I was initially appointed as deputy county magistrate. It was only after I specifically requested Director Han Shen that it was changed to assistant county magistrate." He paused, his gaze fixed on Li Duohai.

"It's precisely so that we don't get involved in specific matters or directly intervene in specific tasks. If we don't do it, we won't make mistakes."

Lee Da-hae frowned slightly, still trying to soothe him with his usual words: "Young people shouldn't be so... so lifeless, they should dare to take responsibility..."

“Secretary Li,” Qi Tongwei interrupted him directly, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable penetrating force, “Let’s be frank. Which young master or young lady from the Liang family contacted you? Liang Jin? Or Liang Lu?”

Lee Da-hae's smile vanished as quickly as the tide receded, disappearing without a trace.

He neither admitted nor denied it, but simply looked at Qi Tongwei in silence, a hint of seriousness flashing in the depths of his eyes.

The air in the office seemed to freeze instantly.

Qi Tongwei deliberately adopted a distant, almost condescending attitude, speaking in a calm tone as if stating a fact unrelated to himself:

“My old grudges with the Liang family are none of your business, and you shouldn’t be getting involved in this.”

"If you want to use me as a ladder, be careful not to break your own leg."

Xu Li's visit and He Xuan's appearance have already provided the most direct background endorsement for him.

At this moment, he must demonstrate the confidence and toughness that match this background.

Having said all that, Lee Da-hae dropped the pretense. The amiable expression on his face vanished completely, his gaze sharpening like a hawk's as he locked onto Qi Tongwei, his voice low and menacing: "So, you were just putting on an act with me all along?"

Qi Tongwei's gaze remained unyielding as he calmly replied, "Likewise."

Lee Da-hae stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly let out a long sigh, leaned back in her chair, and showed just the right amount of helplessness and exhaustion on her face. Her tone softened as well: