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

Liang Jin's men staked out Yantai for a whole week, but didn't even catch a glimpse of Qi Tongwei. They went to the judicial office where Qi Tongwei worked to inquire, but the reply was always, "Comrade Qi is on vacation and hasn't returned yet." They staked out several locations he frequented, but to no avail.

The people in charge of the stakeout became suspicious. Through some shady channels and by spending some money, they finally got definite information from a loosely worded staff member inside the judicial office: Qi Tongwei had been granted a three-month long leave by the provincial department for his meritorious service and injury, and had not returned to Lincheng at all!

When the news reached Liang Jin, he smashed a teacup in anger. The carefully laid trap had yielded no prey, leaving him with a frustrating feeling of punching cotton.

"A three-month long vacation?" Liang Jin's face was gloomy as he paced around the office. "He didn't go back to his poor mountain hometown, nor did he show up in Jingzhou... Where could this kid have gone?"

He instinctively sensed something was amiss. How could a young cadre who had just made a great contribution and was on the rise in his career suddenly disappear without a trace? This didn't make sense. Qi Tongwei's "disappearance" was like a dark cloud, quietly casting a shadow over Liang Jin's heart, making him vaguely feel that this lad from the countryside was not as simple as they had imagined.

Chapter 10 Qi Tongwei's Whereabouts

Liang Jin paced anxiously in her office as the messenger sent to Yantai returned with another message—Qi Tongwei was still nowhere to be found. More than half of the three-month holiday had passed, and it was as if he had vanished into thin air.

At that time, the railway system was not yet networked, and ticket purchases did not require real-name registration. Trying to track someone's whereabouts without their knowledge was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, since this matter was done behind the back of the old man Liang Qunfeng, Liang Jin dared not use official power to investigate openly. He could only rely on those shady underworld connections, which was inefficient and limited in scope.

His eagerness regarding Liang Lu's situation wasn't due to sibling affection. Rather, it was because the leadership transition was imminent, making personnel changes easier at this time. Missing this window would require expending more political resources, and the old man might not agree then.

What he didn't know was that once the reshuffle was over, and Liang Qunfeng was certain that he couldn't advance any further and could only retire as the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee and secretary of the political and legal affairs committee, and then go to the National People's Congress or the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, his mentality would change drastically, and he would actually be easier to talk to.

Just when Liang Jin was at her wit's end, a turning point appeared.

In the faculty dormitory of Handong University, Liang Lu and Wu Huifen were sitting facing each other, drinking tea.

In the TV series, due to the actress, Tao Huimin's face is still too authoritative, which makes people mistakenly think that they are from two different generations and have a friendship despite the age gap.

But in fact, Tao Huimin is 10 years older than Qi Tongda, and Gao Yuliang is 13 years older than Qi Tongda. Wu Huifen and Liang Lu are actually the same age.

At this point, Liang Lu is completely different from the character in the later part of the drama who is somewhat submissive in front of Wu Huifen and needs to rely on the Gao family's connections. She comes from a privileged background, is about the same age as Wu Huifen, and has always been the one in control and confiding in her in their interactions.

Wu Huifen, a scholar who studies the history of the Ming Dynasty, is deeply sensitive to and yearns for the power structure. In addition, her husband, Gao Yuliang, is at a critical juncture in his transition from academia to politics. She values ​​her "best friend" Liang Lu even more, and her words inevitably carry a hint of flattery.

"Huifen, where exactly did that Qi Tongwei go?" Liang Lu took a sip of tea, her tone full of frustration and resentment. "Just thinking about how he made me lose face makes me so angry! I have to teach him a lesson he won't forget!"

Wu Huifen put down her teacup and comforted her, "Xiaolu, why get so worked up over someone who's not even related to you? He's just a young man with no connections, how could he possibly fly out of Handong Province? He'll show up sooner or later."

"I just can't swallow this!" Liang Lu said bitterly. "When have I, Liang Lu, ever suffered such humiliation? If I can't even handle him, how am I supposed to stay at Handong University?"

Wu Huifen looked at Liang Lu, her mind racing. She knew Liang Qunfeng's influence in Handong and was also aware that if Gao Yuliang wanted to smoothly enter politics, the Liang family was the only "powerful figure" he could rely on at this stage.

Moreover, there's a growing sense that Liang Qunfeng's style isn't as "upright" as it used to be. Especially during this ambiguous period of transition, it's crucial not to offend Liang Lu, the link connecting the Liang family. Any risk that might displease Liang Lu must be nipped in the bud.

In order to further appease Liang Lu and to show that the Gao family and the Liang family were "on the same side," Wu Huifen decided to reveal this seemingly insignificant but sincere information.

She lowered her voice and said in a self-deprecating tone, "Xiaolu, don't worry too much. This is nothing. Yuliang wired a sum of money to Aurora University in Shanghai a few days ago. It was a lot, ten thousand yuan. I asked him what he was going to do with it, but he wouldn't say. Maybe he's keeping a mistress outside. I should be the one worrying."

"Shanghai? Ten thousand yuan?" Liang Lu keenly caught these two keywords. Although she didn't know the specifics of Qi Tongwei's doctoral plans, her intuition connected "Shanghai" with "Qi Tongwei's disappearance." She immediately stood up: "Huifen, I suddenly remembered something, I'll be going now."

Wu Huifen pretended to try to persuade Liang Lu to stay, and as she watched Liang Lu's hurried departure, she revealed a knowing smile.

After leaving the Gao family, Liang Lu immediately contacted Liang Jin and told him that "Gao Yuliang wired 10,000 yuan to Shanghai."

"Shanghai?!" A glint flashed in Liang Jin's eyes, as if he had finally seen a lighthouse in the fog. "I understand! This kid must have run to Shanghai to lay low, or... he has other plans!" He immediately ordered the men he had sent to Lincheng to head to Shanghai and use his connections there to find Qi Tongwei's whereabouts.

However, the transmission of information and the mobilization of personnel both take time. When the people Liang Jin had arranged arrived in Shanghai, weary from their journey, and began searching the area around Aurora University and other possible hideouts, they were once again disappointed.

At this time, Qi Tongwei, after two months of focused and intensive study in Shanghai, had quietly returned to the judicial office in Yantaishan District, Lincheng City. He knew that his accumulation of economic theory knowledge could not be bridged in just two or three months, and that he could not close the gap with his competitors who had formal training and years of experience. These two months of study may have raised his economic literacy from the passing grade of "60" to a good grade of "70", or even touched the threshold of "75", but there was still an insurmountable gap between him and the top level of "95" or above required for a doctoral degree in economics at Peking University.

His real advantage lies not in his mastery of existing theories, but in his vision that transcends the present by thirty years and his accurate grasp of future economic trends. Therefore, his strategy is not to bury himself in books, but to transform this forward-looking vision into a "stepping stone" that can impress admissions professors.

He chose to focus his paper on Yantai City, a place he was most familiar with and where the principle of "integrating theory with practice" could be best exemplified. While a Shanghai-based approach would allow for a more expansive paper, a mere two-month visit would inevitably raise doubts and lack a solid foundation. Yantai City, particularly its impoverished mountainous areas, was where he had worked and fought, making the situation familiar and data relatively easy to obtain. This approach better reflected his thought process of "coming from practice and applying it to theory." He plans to write a paper exploring the economic development path of Yantai City, especially its impoverished mountainous areas, combining topics such as township enterprise development, specialty agriculture cultivation, labor export, and guiding returning entrepreneurs to propose suggestions that seem forward-looking now but have proven effective in the future.

On the other hand, he was also well aware that the commendation from the Ministry of Public Security was about to be issued. This was not merely an honor, but also extremely important political capital and a high ground in public opinion. He had to make good use of this upcoming "tailwind" to create a more favorable situation for himself. How to use this commendation to his advantage, and even how it would relate to his next key strategic move, he already had a preliminary plan in mind, just waiting for the right moment.

Upon returning to Yantai City, Qi Tongwei didn't rush back to the Yantai County Public Security Bureau to cancel his leave. Instead, he rented a small apartment in the city and lived a secluded life, devoting all his time to brainstorming for his thesis and collecting data. He lay low in this small room, quietly waiting for his opportunity, while also remaining vigilant against potential troubles lurking in the shadows.

He knew that Liang Lu would definitely retaliate against him. By now, the anti-drug squad of Yantai County must have been thoroughly infiltrated. Although some leaders and colleagues had been very kind to him, for him at this moment, staying away from them was the best way to repay them.

Chapter 11 Interview Notification

In the quiet of the night in the cramped room on the rocky platform, Qi Tongwei completed the final draft of his thesis.

The paper, titled "An Exploration of Economic Development Path in Impoverished Mountainous Areas of Yantai City—Based on the Perspective of the Linkage between Township Enterprises and Specialty Agriculture," has finally been completed. This work, which embodies his extensive field observations and forward-looking vision, may not reach the pinnacle of pure theoretical depth, but its incisive awareness of current problems, profound understanding of the difficulties at the grassroots level, and highly practical suggestions based on future experience are enough to impress any discerning scholar.

He carefully copied the manuscript and sealed it together with handwritten recommendation letters from two economics professors at Aurora University, which Professor Wang Dayu had helped him obtain, in a thick kraft paper envelope.

The recipient on the envelope was Professor Li Yiqing of the School of Economics at Peking University!

This titan of economics is renowned not only for his in-depth research on market economics but also as a key member of a think tank capable of influencing national economic policy. More importantly, he has numerous protégés, many of whom are current and future political leaders.

In 1997, my country officially established a "single-track" system for doctoral student admission, consisting of a preliminary examination and a re-examination. However, the current system still relies on recommendations for doctoral admission without examination, requiring recommendations from two professors in the same field.

Both professors were contacted with the help of Professor Wang Dayu. Qi Tongwei also passed the examination of the economics professors at Aurora University before he was accepted. One of them even intended to take him under his wing, but he declined, saying that Peking University was his childhood dream.

The day after sending the letter, Qi Tongwei took a bumpy long-distance bus from the city back to the anti-drug squad in Yantai County.

What I saw and heard after returning to the team was like a miniature version of the ecology of grassroots officialdom.

Those colleagues with keen senses who knew he had offended important figures avoided him with averted eyes; a few who had been secretly informed slipped away to make phone calls shortly after he appeared; his comrades who genuinely admired his bravery were sincerely happy for his return; while some shrewd individuals speculated that his high level of education and this achievement might earn him a deputy squadron leader position, so they began to curry favor and flatter him in advance.

However, all of them underestimated the scale and impact of the upcoming awards ceremony.

The day after Qi Tongwei returned to his unit—which was also the time Qi Tongwei had calculated—an urgent document from the Ministry of Public Security arrived at the provincial department and was immediately passed down through the ranks to Yantai, a remote mountainous area.

He was officially awarded the title of "National First-Class Heroic Model of the Public Security System" and was required to travel to Beijing in a month to attend a grand commendation ceremony.

It was at the same time that the news spread like wildfire that the group of people arranged by Liang Jin, after experiencing the twists and turns of searching in Yantai and Shanghai, finally returned to Yantai, this remote mountain county, with the help of a local informant, like hunting dogs that had caught a scent.

But when they arrived, dusty and weary, ready to set up that despicable "honey trap" again, they were shocked to find that their target had vanished once more—Qi Tongwei had been notified to quietly leave Yantai and head to Jingzhou, the provincial capital, to make preparations and receive relevant training for his trip to Beijing to receive an award, under the unified arrangement of the Provincial Public Security Department.

Communication was extremely inconvenient in the 1990s. A mobile phone cost as much as 5,000 yuan, and the network access fee was another 5,000 yuan. The monthly fixed package cost 150 yuan, not including the high call charges.

Even though Qi Tongwei was well aware of the importance of mobile communication in future information transmission and the construction of personal networks, he could only rationally put it aside for the time being in the face of this huge expense that could instantly drain all his savings (including the money given to him by Gao Yuliang).

This would make his financial margin too low, making it difficult to cope with other critical junctures that may require more money in the future.

Those underlings who were driven by Liang Jin and mingled at the bottom of society would naturally be even less likely to be equipped with such expensive communication tools.

Therefore, when Liang Jin went to great lengths to convey the message that "the target has been shifted to Jingzhou" to Yan Tai, Qi Tongwei was already in his dormitory at the Provincial Public Security Department, keeping a low profile and focusing on preparing for his trip to Beijing under the guidance of the Public Security Department's office.

Jingzhou was the Liang family's stronghold, where a complex and pervasive network of relationships existed. Qi Tongwei was fully aware of this, hence his heightened vigilance.

He declined all invitations to so-called "welcome banquets" and "victory celebrations," whether from casual colleagues or former classmates.

Even when a classmate he shared a dorm room with for four years in college, with whom he had a deep relationship and who had absolutely no connection with the Liang family—a fact proven in his previous life—sincerely invited him, he hardened his heart and firmly declined, citing the need to calmly prepare, even if it displeased the other party.

In Qi Tongwei's value system, so-called "face," "favors," and even fleeting friendships are all insignificant and can be discarded in the face of fundamental interests concerning his future, fate, and personal safety.

Just as in his previous life he could do all sorts of undignified things like kneeling, crying at a grave, and hoeing the ground in order to climb the social ladder.

In this life, he would never again expose himself to any uncontrollable risk because of momentary embarrassment or the allure of superficial excitement, even if such risk seemed insignificant to others as mere "overthinking."

He has read and studied too many case files and knows how many carefully planned schemes have been ruined by a moment of luck, negligence, or so-called "embarrassment".

This extreme, almost obsessive, cautious approach is also reflected in his arrangements for key aspects of Peking University's doctoral admissions process.

He had already anticipated that if he passed the initial screening, the interview or further contact would most likely be made by phone.

In some dramatic and clumsy scenarios, the contact information might be left as the public phone number for the Yantai Narcotics Enforcement Team, making it known to everyone and adding unnecessary complications.

Or perhaps they leave Gao Yuliang's phone number, and if Wu Huifen answers it, or even if Liang Lu happens to be there and overhears it, it will cause further complications.

In his view, such self-inflicted suffering is meaningless and a low-level mistake that mature politicians must avoid.

After two months of getting to know and observing him, he basically confirmed the character and reliability of Shen Yi, the young lecturer at Aurora University.

So he frankly shared some of his plans and concerns, which earned Shen Yi's understanding and support. Ultimately, the contact information he gave to the Peking University Admissions Office was the phone number of the Economics Department office at Aurora University, with a clear note that it should be relayed by Professor Shen Yi.

In this era where landline phones were the norm, it was common for notifications to be transferred by others. He, Shen Yi, and Gao Yuliang had formed a simple yet effective chain of confidentiality: after receiving a notification from Peking University, Shen Yi would call Gao Yuliang's department head's office to confirm the environment was safe before informing him of the situation; Gao Yuliang would then notify Qi Tongwei, who would then call Peking University back at a safe time.

Twenty days after he sent out his letter of recommendation and the paper, he received a message from Gao Yuliang in the afternoon. When he arrived at the office's phone booth, Gao Yuliang's voice was as calm as ever, revealing little emotion: "Tongwei, come to my office."

Qi Tongwei put down the phone, took a deep breath, dialed another number, talked loudly for a few minutes, and then left the phone booth. He knew that the first crucial response that would determine whether he could escape the quagmire of Handong had perhaps arrived.

After straightening his clothes, Qi Tongwei regained his usual composure and strode towards the Department of Political Science and Law of Handong University.

Chapter 12 Going to Beijing

Qi Tongwei entered Gao Yuliang's office, cautiously looked around, then walked to the gramophone in the corner and skillfully selected a vinyl record. Melodious jazz music flowed slowly through the office.

Seeing this, Gao Yuliang couldn't help but chuckle: "So you've come here to arrest a spy?"

Qi Tongwei smiled slightly: "Teacher, better safe than sorry."

Gao Yuliang wasn't offended and said seriously, "Let's get down to business. Professor Li Yiqing from Peking University called personally and wants you to come for an interview in five days." He paused, his tone carrying a hint of approval, "That's really good, it's Professor Li himself calling. Usually, the admissions office handles these kinds of matters, which shows Professor Li is very interested in you."

He stood up, walked to the window, and said with a sigh, "I never imagined you would catch Professor Li's eye. He's a leading figure in the field of economics in China, with countless brilliant students under his tutelage. If you could become his student, it would truly be like a tiger returning to the mountains, or a dragon returning to the sea."

Qi Tongwei bowed respectfully: "It's all thanks to the teacher's excellent teaching."

Gao Yuliang glanced back at him: "I never taught you economics."

"But you taught me principles of conduct and methods of learning, which will benefit me for a lifetime," Qi Tongwei said sincerely. "If Liang Lu hadn't been so pushy, I would have loved to continue my studies under your tutelage. Your character and knowledge are something I could never learn in a lifetime."

Gao Yuliang couldn't help but chuckle, pointing at Qi Tongwei and shaking his head: "You, when did you become so glib?"

"These are my heartfelt words," Qi Tongwei said solemnly.

Having spent twenty years under Secretary Yu Liang's tutelage in his previous life, he was well aware of his teacher's temperament, and those words just now almost came out spontaneously. Sure enough, although Teacher Gao pretended to be serious, the subtle lines at the corners of his eyes betrayed his joy. Although the current Gao Yu Liang was mature, compared to the unfathomable Secretary Yu Liang twenty years later, he still retained some of the frankness of a scholar.

Gao Yuliang coughed lightly, changing the subject: "Let's get down to business. The interview is in five days, and the award ceremony at the Ministry of Public Security is in ten days. The provincial department definitely won't let you act alone now."

This award ceremony held by the Ministry of Public Security was not a standalone event, but a large-scale conference lasting five days, with the award ceremony for first-class heroes being just one important part of it. Events of this caliber are usually led by the vice governor or the director of the public security department, with strict discipline, and would never allow a minor figure like him to leave the group without permission—even if he was one of the main recipients of the awards.

But that's the interesting thing about politics: for such an important event, taking leave only requires approval from the provincial department office responsible for organizing the trip to Beijing, and even the deputy director can make the decision.

Gao Yuliang pondered for a moment: "Jin Ming, the deputy director of the provincial department's office, is an alumnus of Han University. I'll put in a good word for you." As he spoke, he reached for the phone.

"Teacher, please wait," Qi Tongwei quickly stopped him, "I already made a phone call before coming here."

Gao Yuliang's hand froze in mid-air: "You're very familiar with Vice Director Jin?" He wasn't surprised that Qi Tongwei had Jin Ming's contact information—after all, he was once the student union president, so it wasn't surprising that he had some alumni resources. What he was concerned about was the depth of their friendship.

Qi Tongwei quickly explained, "Teacher, you've misunderstood. I don't have a close relationship with Deputy Director Jin. I was just calling back to my hometown."

Gao Yuliang's face darkened: "Nonsense! What's the use of calling home now? This is a critical moment, don't be childish!"

"Deputy Director Jin's stance is unclear; asking him for help might alert the enemy," Qi Tongwei calmly analyzed.

Gao Yuliang thought about it carefully and couldn't help but nod in agreement. Although they were both alumni of Han University, it was only natural for them to help each other out, but this matter involved Liang Qunfeng—Jin Ming's superior's superior. On such a sensitive issue, Jin Ming's attitude was indeed hard to predict.

There are no small matters when it comes to a leader's affairs.

After all, he has not yet officially entered politics, so his considerations are inevitably not thorough enough.