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

Qi Tongwei had already figured out his thoughts and said in a deep voice, "Li Duohai was driven to a dead end by Liang Jin, so he simply overturned the table."

"He deliberately passed the message to me through Xiao Luo to show that he had been forced into a corner by the Liang family and that we had to make a choice."

"Either we contact him and take over the pressure from the Liang family, or we contact the Liang family directly, whether it's through an exchange of benefits or..."

Qi Tongwei paused for a moment, then continued, "It's better to use force to intimidate others. This way, he can get away unscathed after this storm is over. That's his primary goal."

Han Shen remained silent, ignoring his words about "using power to oppress people".

Qi Tongwei continued, "Either we ignore his threats, since I have indeed explicitly opposed them."

"Then he will control the situation and make it escalate, showing a firm stance in carrying out the Liang family's mission. When things get out of control, and there is no way to prove it, the game will escalate to a pure contest of relationships and backgrounds. No matter the outcome, in order to maintain the authority and stability of the entire faction, especially in the sensitive period when he is about to retire, Secretary Liang may be forced to 'accept' Li Duohai's side, at least temporarily, and then he will probably have to retire early."

"No matter what we choose, it will not bring any real benefit to Li Duohai himself, and may even ruin his political life. I speculate that Liang Jin has enough fatal dirt on him to force him to disregard the consequences and even ruin his own future in order to drag both of us into the mess and muddy the waters so that he can have a glimmer of hope."

Han Shen nodded slightly and asked with a smile, "So, do you think I should contact Liang Qunfeng now or wait for the situation to develop?"

After a moment's thought, a sharp glint flashed in Qi Tongwei's eyes: "Director, I think we can hold off for a bit and let Li Duohai move first."

Having said that, he took out a heavy kraft paper envelope from a hidden compartment in his briefcase and placed it steadily on Han Shen's clean desk. "Director, this is my backup plan. When I went down to my post for temporary assignment, I was careful and brought Xiao Xuan's camera with me. For all the meetings I officially attended, when the meeting minutes were compiled and sent to me for signature, I... also took photos of the relevant pages." (Chapter 72)

The official meeting minutes of the county party committee were not signed on the spot. Instead, they were compiled and transcribed by the county party committee office and then distributed to the participating leaders for review and signature.

This gave Qi Tongwei room to maneuver.

Although Li Duohai was cunning and deliberately chose to hold a crucial small-scale meeting when Yi Xuexi was away on a business trip, Qi Tongwei's caution allowed him to obtain more original and irrefutable evidence.

The devil may be one foot tall, but the righteous will be ten feet tall!

“Once Li Duohai launches his attack and throws the smear campaign of ‘adopting my suggestion’ at us, and it creates a certain impact, we can release these photos at the opportune moment. This will not only completely clear my name, but also put the Liang family in an awkward position of ‘abusing influence, forcing local authorities to operate illegally, and retaliating against officials.’ At that time, we can use this as leverage to extract greater benefits from the Liang family.”

Han Shen's gaze fell on the envelope, and a smile slowly spread across his face.

That smile contained admiration for Qi Tongwei's foresight and thoughtful consideration, but more than that, it conveyed a deeper, more profound understanding of the ways of the world.

"The preparations are indeed thorough." Han Shen's voice was calm, yet it seemed to contain a certain weight. "However, Tongwei, this time, the course of events may not unfold exactly as you planned."

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

"Go in," Han Shen called out.

Xu Li pushed open the door and entered, his expression as usual, but the content of his report shocked Qi Tongwei: "Director, this is the private phone line of Liang Qunfeng, Deputy Secretary of the Handong Provincial Party Committee. Please answer it."

Han Shen seemed unsurprised and nodded to Qi Tongwei: "Come here and listen together."

Qi Tongwei immediately walked to the side of the desk and held his breath.

Xu Li transferred the call to me.

Han Shen picked up the special red telephone receiver, his tone calm and appropriately polite: "Secretary Liang, hello. Do you have any instructions?"

Liang Qunfeng's deep and steady voice came through the receiver, carrying the tone characteristic of high-ranking officials—both friendly and distant: "Director Han, you're too kind. There's no instruction whatsoever. It's just that there's something I felt I should let you know. It's about that... Comrade Qi Tongwei, who was seconded from your Economic Commission, once worked in Daokou County. Their county party secretary, Li Duohai, was formally placed under investigation by the Provincial Procuratorate's Anti-Corruption Bureau this afternoon for suspected serious disciplinary violations, and coercive measures have been taken against him."

Han Shen's expression remained unchanged, but his tone was slightly wistful: "Oh, is that so? This is a matter for your local area, and our ministry fully respects the local party committee's handling of the matter."

Liang Qunfeng's voice remained calm, revealing little emotion: "The main consideration is that Comrade Qi Tongwei performed quite well during his temporary posting in Daokou. He is young, promising, and professionally competent. The incident involving the main leader of Daokou County may have some impact on grassroots work, but it will not affect the organization's objective evaluation of the temporary posting cadres. Some of our comrades in Handong also feel that it is rare to find an outstanding young cadre like Xiao Qi who has the vision of central ministries and has also been exposed to the realities of grassroots work. I wonder if Director Han will be willing to let him go down to a more important position in a few years, to give him more experience?"

make up.

This is clear and unambiguous compensation, and it also marks the end of the matter—I have dealt with Li Duohai, and the matter ends here. I will use my influence to further promote Qi Tongwei's temporary post in Handong.

In a few years, within three years, or any longer, Liang Qunfeng will retire.

Given Qi Tongwei's abilities, he should be promoted to the rank of director within three years if he is assigned to a temporary post. The position of deputy director-general is too ostentatious and his foundation is unstable. As for the temporary posting, which is the compensation offered by the Liang family, he should become the county party secretary, not the county magistrate.

Han Shen responded with a smile, his tone impeccable: "Secretary Liang's appreciation for talent is truly admirable. Comrade Tongwei is still young and has much to learn. Future work arrangements will certainly be subordinate to the overall organizational situation and his personal development needs. We have taken your suggestion to heart. Thank you, Secretary Liang, for your concern for the young cadres of the Economic Commission."

Liang Qunfeng: "Hehe, of course. Then I won't bother Director Han any longer."

Han Shen: "Okay, goodbye, Secretary Liang."

The phone hangs up.

A brief silence fell over the office. Han Shen put down the receiver and looked at Qi Tongwei, his gaze deep.

Qi Tongwei immediately understood.

Liang Qunfeng knew about it in advance and acted quickly, accurately, and ruthlessly, taking down Li Duohai on the grounds of "suspected serious violations of discipline".

In Li Duohai and Qi Tongwei's original deduction, Liang Qunfeng, being in a high position and busy with many affairs, would not be able to pay attention to his son's petty squabbles, much less get involved in a county-level incident too early.

Liang Jin's recent arrogant behavior, including frequent conflicts with others and "making connections" for them, will never reach Liang Qunfeng's desk unless she causes a major disaster.

Do you really think the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee just drinks tea and reads newspapers all day?

Yes, it must have been when Liang Jin had something on Li Duohai that Liang Qunfeng found out.

And indeed, Qi Tongwei's guess came true.

When Liang Jin used her connections with the provincial anti-corruption bureau to directly take away Li Duohai's distant cousin for "assistance in the investigation," the force and direction of this action had already crossed a certain line, enough to trigger the alarm in Liang Qunfeng's office.

Liang Qunfeng must have been paying attention to the matter at that time and quickly grasped the whole picture.

He immediately realized that allowing Li Duohai to continue his crazy performance under Liang Jin's pressure would only drag the Liang family into an unnecessary and potentially uncontrollable political quagmire, especially at this sensitive time when he was about to retire.

So he decisively took action and extinguished all the flames.

Old ginger is spicier! Its spiciness is almost ruthless, and its efficiency is chilling.

Lee Da-hae's attempt to force a power struggle between the two sides by "flipping the table" and thus survive was as naive as a clumsy farce in the face of higher-level, more realistic political considerations and crisis management. It was easily crushed by the hand of a higher dimension in an instant.

He himself became the first and only sacrifice in this brief turmoil.

Old ginger is spicier!

Qi Tongwei took a deep breath to suppress the dread in his heart.

He looked again at Han Shen, who was sitting upright in the chair—this senior brother was no pushover either.

Based solely on his description of Li Duohai's unusually "high-profile" actions, he astutely predicted that Liang Qunfeng was likely already paying attention and about to intervene, which is why he said, "Things may not develop as you expect."

Han Shen spoke slowly, his voice calm and unwavering: "You see? On the chessboard, there are not only the two players. Sometimes, the direction of the storm does not depend on who stirs the wind."

Qi Tongwei's body trembled slightly, and he nodded solemnly: "Yes, Director, I understand."

He knew that his senior brother was giving him pointers.

Since his rebirth, thanks to his foresight and information asymmetry, many of his plans and schemes have seemed to go smoothly, with each step calculated. This is certainly an advantage, but it has also unconsciously fostered a certain arrogant mentality of "everything is under control." He has subconsciously underestimated the intuition, decisiveness, and control of veteran politicians who have been immersed in the pinnacle of power for decades.

Heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river!

Han Shen paused, then looked at Qi Tongwei: "This matter ends here. What are your thoughts on Secretary Liang's proposal and your future development?"

P.S.: In 2026, I wish everyone's New Year's plans will come true, just like Director Qi's.

Chapter 83 Planning

Qi Tongwei firmly believes that tactical diligence cannot mask strategic laziness.

When it comes to career advancement, which determines one's fate, long-term career planning is undoubtedly the most important aspect of strategy.

Since his rebirth, he has never stopped thinking about and deducing this, and his mental draft has become clearer and clearer after several revisions.

Faced with Han Shen's question, he did not rush to answer, but instead immersed himself in thought again, carefully sorting out the feasibility and potential risks of each step, and also organizing his thoughts.

Han Shen didn't urge him. He picked up the warm teacup, took a slow sip, and waited patiently with a calm gaze, giving him ample space to think.

About three minutes later, Qi Tongwei raised his eyes, his expression cautious and serious as he spoke:

"Director, based on my current plan, an ideal path would be for me to continue working diligently in the Department of Industrial Policy for about two more years, further honing my expertise and building connections; then, I would strive to be transferred to the Department of Foreign Economic Coordination, where I would secure a position at the division chief level; after working in the Department of Foreign Economic Coordination for about one or two years, I would leverage the favor or tacit understanding that Secretary Liang 'owed' me, seeking an opportunity to be transferred to a county-level Party secretary position in Handong Province. After several years of governing at the grassroots level and honing my comprehensive leadership skills, I would aim to return to the ministry around the age of thirty-five and secure a position at the deputy director-general level."

Han Shen put down his teacup, tapped his fingertip lightly on the armrest, and asked, "So, what happens next?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Tongwei gave a frank yet slightly helpless smile: "Director, anything further ahead is beyond my ability to plan precisely right now. Circumstances are beyond our control, and there are too many variables in the future. We can only wait and see what opportunities arise, taking one step at a time while considering three steps ahead."

Han Shen nodded slightly, acknowledging his pragmatism, and then raised a crucial question: "Why insist on getting a division-level position in the Department of Foreign Economic Coordination? Wouldn't it be more logical and less resistant to stay in the Department of Industrial Policy, which you are familiar with, and follow the established procedures?"

Qi Tongwei had already given this much thought and replied fluently, "Director, at my current level with relatively more options, if possible, I still hope to explore different fields and develop myself comprehensively. By broadening my horizons, I will have more opportunities in the future."

Developing skills is one aspect, but more importantly, it paves the way for future possibilities.

The higher you climb in the ladder, the scarcer the key positions become, and the more comprehensive the competition becomes.

For example, if one were to follow the established path and confine oneself to the political and legal system as in the previous life, the range of options would likely be very narrow once one reaches the provincial or ministerial level.

Even the few positions available in the political and legal system are facing competition from the party and government systems.

Since 2013, the public security system has strengthened the trend of cross-sector appointments. The Ministry of Public Security has seen a leader with no experience in the public security system, and local party and government cadres have been appointed as public security bureau chiefs in various provinces.

However, if one can consciously enrich and diversify their resume early in their career—possessing both domestic industry knowledge and international trade expertise; having both a macro-level perspective from ministries and government agencies and local governance experience—then in the future, whether vying for a vice-ministerial position in a ministry, a vice-governor position in a province, the top party and government leader in an important city, the head of a large state-owned enterprise, or even a leadership position in a highly specialized and crucial department, they will be qualified to compete for these key positions when they become vacant.

In this life, Qi Tongwei deliberately left the familiar political and legal system in order to reach a higher level.

His decision not to choose the financial system, which seems to offer faster career advancement, is also based on considerations of long-term stability—the "fast" overdraft in the early stages may require double the repayment later.

As for targeting the Department of Foreign Economic Coordination this time, in addition to adding the crucial piece of the puzzle of "international perspective" to his resume, Qi Tongwei also had a time point in mind - 2001, which was an important year that will surely be recorded in history.

He will inevitably try to gain political benefits from this.

Han Shen naturally understood the weight of the "international perspective" label in the selection of senior cadres, but he was also well aware of how high the threshold was and how difficult it was to adapt to in this day and age.

Many outstanding domestic cadres tried to get this label, but failed due to not adapting to the local environment. For a long time, this was almost the exclusive domain of overseas returnees.

"Are you confident?" Han Shen asked the most crucial question directly, his eyes piercing.

Qi Tongwei met Han Shen's gaze, his eyes resolute, his tone filled with unwavering confidence: "Director, please rest assured. I've long been fully prepared for the language barrier, the thinking barrier, and the professional barrier. Just watch my performance."

Han Shen stared at him for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Qi Tongwei's performance so far has never disappointed him, so he will naturally place more trust in him.

He then turned to another crucial point: "So, what are your thoughts on going to Handong as the county party secretary? Although Liang Qunfeng should be retiring by then, he has cultivated deep roots in Handong for many years. The county party secretary is a position that requires concrete actions and achievements, unlike this temporary assignment. If the other party intends to create obstacles for you within the framework of the rules and regulations, it will be enough to make your progress difficult. This position is certainly important, but given the grassroots political insight you demonstrated in this research report and the impression you left on the higher-ups, I could easily arrange for you to go to another province. Why insist on returning to Handong?"

Qi Tongwei had clearly given this matter considerable thought, and he analyzed it clearly: "Director, you're right. A county party secretary needs to be able to take charge independently, which is a huge challenge. But my choice of Handong is not blind. According to the current trend, the successor to Liang Qunfeng's political legacy should, without any surprises, be my teacher, Gao Yuliang. This year, Secretary Liang is transferring to the CPPCC, and before his official retirement in two years, he will concentrate his last resources to push Teacher Gao to take another step forward and become the party secretary of an important city, and Lüzhou is the most likely candidate."

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice: "If this assessment comes true, I will try to secure the position of Party Secretary in a county under the city where Professor Gao is in charge. With Professor Gao around, the Liang family, who have retired and whose influence is gradually fading, will hardly pose a substantial obstacle to me. The key is that with the complete trust and support of the Party Secretary of the higher-level city, I can eliminate interference to the greatest extent possible, act freely, and truly achieve some tangible political achievements."

He didn't rule out any possibility, after all, the butterfly effect of rebirth could change many things: "Of course, if Professor Gao fails to take charge of a region smoothly, or if the situation changes, then everything will naturally follow your arrangements, Director, and he will be sent to a more suitable province for training. Handong is just the best alternative based on the existing information."

After listening, a hint of admiration flashed in Han Shen's eyes.

"You have a clear and well-defined plan for your future, and you're taking things one step at a time with a solid foundation. That's good." Han Shen finally gave an affirmative evaluation. "I don't have any better suggestions for now. Let's just follow your envisioned path and take it one step at a time."

Qi Tongwei felt a warmth in his heart and solemnly said, "Thank you for your guidance and trust, Director!"

Han Shen waved his hand, a gentle smile returning to his face, tinged with a casual, homely air: "Alright, let's leave business at that. Xiao Xuan is probably getting impatient waiting outside. Don't keep her waiting too long. Come to work on time tomorrow, head to the Policy Research Office first, and help them finalize and polish your research report. The director has given his approval, so we need to hurry and get this published in the internal reference as soon as possible."