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

As Qi Tongwei had predicted, the report was full of empty talk and lacked substance. Director Ma talked incessantly about "building the number one hot spring brand in East China," while Deputy Director Jiang emphasized the financial difficulties. Qi Tongwei listened patiently for ten minutes before interrupting, "Director Ma, did you bring the design drawings? Which company is the construction contractor? Do they have any experience in hot spring development?"

Director Ma's forehead was beaded with sweat: "The blueprints... are still at the design institute. For the construction company, we're considering the county construction company, they..."

"Has the leaking problem at the county hospital outpatient building, which was built by the county construction company last year, been resolved? The inpatient department has reported it three times, hasn't it?" Qi Tongwei asked in a flat tone.

Director Ma was speechless.

"Re-tender," Qi Tongwei instructed directly. "Tell the county construction company that just because a project isn't from the county doesn't mean it's theirs for the taking. I want to see a qualified, experienced team with a track record of success."

Qi Tongwei looked at Deputy Director Jiang: "Director Jiang, I know the finances are tight. But the renovation of Roma Lake is a key tourism project designated by the county this year, and the city has also provided 600,000 yuan in start-up funds. What your finance bureau needs to do is not complain about being poor, but help me think of solutions—which expenses can be reduced? Which can be paid in installments? Is it possible to apply for a special tourism loan?"

Deputy Director Jiang nodded repeatedly: "The secretary's instructions are correct. We will go back and recalculate."

"Three days." Qi Tongwei held up three fingers. "In three days, I need to see a complete report with blueprints, qualifications, a detailed budget, and a fundraising plan. If you can't do it, I'll find someone else who can."

The two men retreated hesitantly.

At 9:50, Liao Qingyuan came in and quietly reported: "County Chief Xu called. Director Liu is very satisfied with the progress of the provincial highway widening project, and he promised to take the supporting funding report back with him. County Chief Xu asked if you need Vice Minister Qian from the Organization Department to come over beforehand to discuss preliminary opinions on cadre adjustments, since you are receiving him tonight?"

Qi Tongwei thought for a moment and said, "Then please ask County Chief Xu to come to my office after the investment promotion meeting this afternoon."

At 10 o'clock, the Party Secretary of Dianqian Township came over to report on the preliminary survey and mobilization of villagers for the renovation of Malingshan Scenic Area.

After finishing reviewing the last document of the morning, it was already 11:40. Qi Tongwei closed his pen and rubbed his sore eyes.

Noises rose in the corridor; it was time to leave work.

He waited for ten minutes until the crowd dispersed before taking his lunchbox downstairs.

The cafeteria is located on the west side of the first floor. It is a large open space with more than a dozen round tables.

When Qi Tongwei went in, most of the seats were already occupied. He ordered his food: a plate of braised cabbage, a plate of stir-fried pork with green peppers, and four ounces of rice.

The food was packed in an aluminum lunchbox. He walked to a table by the window and sat down—that table was usually empty, reserved for the secretary by everyone.

Just as he took a couple of bites, Zhang Ming, the executive deputy county head, came over with his lunchbox: "Secretary, you don't mind, do you?"

"Sit down," Qi Tongwei said, pointing to the person opposite him.

Zhang Ming lowered his voice: "This morning, we received news from the development zone that the garment factory in Guangzhou might try to lower the price again. They heard that our county owes money to the bank and thinks we're in a hurry to close this deal to relieve the pressure."

Qi Tongwei picked up a piece of cabbage, chewed it slowly, and then said, "Tell them that Daokou has advantages in labor costs, transportation advantages from the soon-to-be-widened provincial highway, and the transfer of second-hand production lines that I negotiated with the province, as well as the three-year tax exemption promised by the county. If these are not enough, then forget it. Attracting investment is not begging."

Zhang Ming nodded: "That's what I meant too. By the way, what about Vice Minister Qian from the Organization Department tonight... I heard that besides the routine inspection, he might have other intentions for coming this time."

Qi Tongwei paused, his chopsticks still: "What's your intention?"

Zhang Ming's voice was even lower, "This inspection may focus on understanding the 'unity' of our team, especially... the cooperation between you and County Chief Xu."

Qi Tongwei remained expressionless: "County Chief Xu and I have been working very well together. For Daokou to develop, the leadership team must be united. That's a fact."

"That's right, that's right." Zhang Ming smiled and changed the subject, "Your little grape is almost three years old, right? Last time I heard her call 'Daddy' on the phone, her voice was so sweet."

When his daughter was mentioned, Qi Tongwei's face softened: "She's very mischievous. Her mother says she's always imitating me making phone calls, holding a toy microphone and saying, 'Hello, this is Qi Tongwei.'"

Both of them laughed, and the atmosphere at lunch became more relaxed.

After finishing his meal, Qi Tongwei washed his lunchbox and returned to his office.

After looking at the documents for a while, I took a thin blanket from the cabinet and lay down on the sofa fully clothed.

A 20-minute lunch break can effectively restore energy.

The faint sounds of the county town drifted in from outside the window, and in the distance, the sputtering of tractors could be heard. Further away, the train station occasionally let out a long whistle.

He closed his eyes, and his breathing gradually became even.

The investment promotion meeting in the afternoon did not go very well.

As expected, the Guangzhou merchants made things difficult regarding prices and payment methods, and Xu Hongbin almost slammed his fist on the table.

Qi Tongwei remained calm throughout, and finally stood up and said, "Mr. Zhang, Daokou is sincerely looking to attract investment, but sincerity does not mean unconditional concessions. The payment terms you proposed have crossed our bottom line. How about this, you reconsider, and we will also study it further. Cooperation depends on fate; it cannot be forced."

The merchant's expression changed, but he ultimately said nothing more.

After the meeting, Xu Hongbin followed Qi Tongwei back to his office, closed the door, and started cursing: "What kind of people are they! Do they really think we can't function without them?"

Qi Tongwei poured him a glass of water: "Calm down. People who act arrogantly just because they have some money will only cause trouble. We are looking for partners who are truly willing to settle down in Daokou and develop together, not saviors who come to give alms."

Xu Hongbin took a sip of water to calm himself down: "The secretary is right. By the way, tonight, Deputy Minister Qian from the Organization Department..."

"Normal work report." Qi Tongwei sat back in his chair. "The road crossing team is united and focused on development; that's a fact. As for anything else, we don't know and we don't care."

Xu Hongbin gave Qi Tongwei a deep look and nodded: "Understood."

At 3:30 PM, Director Wang of the Petition Bureau reported on the operation of the county mayor's hotline. In the second quarter, the hotline received over 1,200 calls from the public, primarily concerning environmental sanitation, road damage, and the rude attitude of some officials. The on-time response rate was 92%, and the public satisfaction rate was 85%.

"What are the main reasons for the 15% who are dissatisfied?" Qi Tongwei asked.

“Some are historical issues that can’t be resolved in a short time. Some are due to excessively high expectations from the public.” Director Wang paused for a moment. “And some departments are just being perfunctory and their replies are as good as no replies at all.”

Qi Tongwei wrote in his annotations on the report: "Compile the three cases of perfunctory responses and repeated complaints from the public into a document, and the Standing Committee will issue a report next week. The main responsible persons of the relevant units should make explanations."

The 4 PM phone interview was brief.

When asked several questions about the development plan for tourism in Daokou by a reporter from the Lüzhou Daily, Qi Tongwei gave a pragmatic yet open answer: "Tourism in Daokou is still in its initial stage. We will not engage in unrealistic promotion. We will focus on laying a solid foundation first. We welcome reporters to come and visit us in person when they have the opportunity."

After hanging up the phone, he checked his watch; it was 4:30.

The sky outside the window began to turn gray, and the days of autumn were getting shorter.

Liao Qingyuan knocked on the door and came in, holding a document in his hand: "Secretary, this is a fax from the Municipal Party Committee's Organization Department, which clarifies the requirements for speaking at the symposium. Also, these are photos of dilapidated school buildings in primary and secondary schools throughout the county; I had the Education Bureau collect some."

Qi Tongwei took the photos. The black and white photos showed cracked mud walls, rotten rafters, and a classroom supported by wooden sticks... a shocking sight. He looked at each photo one by one, remaining silent for a long time.

"Notify Director Li of the Education Bureau to come to my office at eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Yes."

The guesthouse is located diagonally opposite the county government compound, in a three-story building.

When Qi Tongwei arrived, Xu Hongbin, Zhang Ming, and others were already there.

Deputy Minister Qian of the Organization Department was in his early forties, fair-skinned and plump, always speaking with a smile, but with sharp eyes.

The dinner was not high-standard, consisting of six dishes and a soup, served with local wine.

Vice Minister Qian was very talkative, discussing everything from the provincial cadre exchange to the economic development of Lüzhou, and then "casually" inquiring about the situation of the road checkpoint leadership.

Qi Tongwei's answer was watertight, affirming the work of Xu Hongbin and other comrades while also frankly acknowledging the poor infrastructure and numerous shortcomings at the crossings, requiring concerted efforts from top to bottom.

Xu Hongbin cooperated very well, raising his glass several times: "The key to the changes in Daokou today is Secretary Qi's leadership. Our team is very convinced."

Vice Minister Qian smiled and nodded, not asking any further questions.

The party ended at 8 o'clock.

After seeing off Vice Minister Qian and his entourage, Qi Tongwei refused to be driven, saying he wanted to walk around. Xu Hongbin and Zhang Ming exchanged a glance and went back first.

On the way back, the county town gradually quieted down.

He stopped as he passed by Chengguan Elementary School.

The campus was pitch black except for the guardhouse, which had a light on.

Liao Qingyuan's ex-girlfriend, Jiang Ping, teaches here. He recalls Liao Qingyuan's clear and ambitious eyes, and his words, "I'm planning to settle down here."

Everyone has their own path.

Back at the foot of the residential compound, he looked up at the third-floor window, which was dark.

He went upstairs, opened the door, and turned on the light. In the sixty-square-meter apartment, only his breathing could be heard.

He poured himself a glass of water and sat down at his desk.

On the table lay reports from the Education Bureau, tourism planning maps, draft investment agreements, and a summary of the county mayor's hotline calls... These were all part of Daokou, his responsibility, and also his stage.

Outside the window, Daokou County town slept peacefully in the night.

On the outskirts of the city, at the construction site of the soon-to-be-widened provincial highway, there may still be workers on the night shift busy at work; by the shores of Lake Rome, the plan for the hot spring renovation is still on paper; in those classrooms with cracks, the children will still have classes as usual tomorrow.

He picked up his pen and wrote a line in his notebook:

"Be realistic and proceed step by step."

Then I closed the notebook and turned off the light.

Outside the bedroom window, a crescent moon hangs in the deep blue sky, its gentle light spilling onto the rooftops of the quiet county town.

Autumn insects chirped intermittently in the corner of the wall, and further away, the faint sound of a night train could be heard, passing through fields, across rivers, through the sleeping night of this small county, heading towards an unknown distance.

And a new day will arrive again in a few hours, accompanied by the shouts of vendors selling spicy soup and fried dough sticks.

Chapter 94 The Jiang Family and the Chen Family

The news of Jiang Ping, daughter of Jiang Dazhao, deputy director of the Finance Bureau, getting engaged to the son of the mayor of Chengguan Town has been circulating for almost half a year, but the Jiang family has never sent out invitations to a wedding banquet.

When people in the county government compound occasionally talk about this, they always exchange knowing smiles.

Jiang Ping was originally a cheerful and pretty girl, but recently she has become much quieter and rarely smiles.

In the dead of night, watching her daughter's preoccupied figure, Jiang's mother finally couldn't help but turn over in bed and whisper to Jiang Dazhao, who was leaning against the headboard reading documents, "Dad, I've noticed that Pingping has lost a lot of weight lately... Why don't we just go along with her and let her be with Xiao Liao? If this drags on any longer, the child will suffer."

Jiang Dazhao looked up from the document and frowned: "Nonsense, you're all talk and no action."

"How am I so short-sighted?" Jiang's mother said, somewhat displeased, as she sat up. "Isn't it because I feel sorry for my daughter?"

"Should we send Pingping back to Liao Qingyuan now?" Jiang Dazhao took off his reading glasses and rubbed his nose. "Wouldn't that be an utter humiliation for the Chen family? Although Chen Weiguo has retired, he still has connections, and Chen Jiaquan is in his prime. If we break off the engagement now, wouldn't we be slapping the Chen family in the face?"

Jiang's mother lowered her voice, a hint of probing in her tone: "But Xiao Liao is... Secretary Qi's secretary now. What can the Chen family do to Secretary Qi's people?"

"Secretary Qi's man?" Jiang Dazhao sighed, his tone complicated. "Secretary Qi will only stay at Daokou for a few years at most? Three? Five? After he's promoted and left, can Liao Qingyuan, with his limited qualifications, really fly with him? Secretary Qi is being considerate by arranging a deputy mayor and deputy secretary position for him before he leaves; that's more than enough. A secretary and a leader have a working relationship, not a father-son relationship! Once that opportunity is gone, will it come again?"

Jiang's mother paused for a moment, then muttered softly, "A deputy mayor... that's not so bad. You've been a deputy section chief for all these years, haven't you?"

“What good is a deputy section chief?” Jiang Dazhao said irritably. “Old Master Chen is the vice chairman of the CPPCC. The Chen family has been operating in Daokou for three generations. They have deep roots in the business. You’ve offended the local bigwigs for the sake of a former secretary to Secretary Qi. How will our family maintain our standing in Daokou in the future?”

Jiang Dazhao's parents were both farmers, and he was the first cadre in the Jiang family.

He paused, his voice lower, tinged with helplessness: "Besides, a deputy mayor... Hou Zong from Dianqian Township, he's been in the deputy section chief position for almost twenty years, his ambition has long been worn away, and now all he does is get involved in those messy things. A cautionary tale."

Jiang's mother was silent for a while before saying, "The Chen family is the same. They keep talking about engagement, but it's been so long and they haven't mentioned marriage at all. We're the bride's family, we can't just rush to pressure them, can we?"

“Chen Jiaquan is shrewd.” Jiang Dazhao put his glasses back on, his tone regaining its calmness. “He is currently the mayor of Chengguan Town. Next year, the county will have a reshuffle, and he wants to make some moves. At this time, he has to wait and see, to see Secretary Qi’s attitude, and to see Liao Qingyuan’s influence.”

Jiang's mother recalled Liao Qingyuan's slender and upright figure and his calm eyes, and couldn't help but feel sorry for him: "It's such a pity about this child... If we hadn't forced Pingping back then... he would be Secretary Qi's favorite now. If our son-in-law had put in a good word for you, you might have been able to..."