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

Gao Yuliang wisely chose to ask for instructions from higher authorities, which was both a sign of respect for the top leader and a way to transfer risk.

When the call connected, Gao Yuliang first spoke warmly about Sha Ruijin's speech at the provincial cadre conference, praising it as "insightful." Besides the initial pleasantries, Gao Yuliang was expressing his closeness to the top leader and also demonstrating his local influence.

Or rather, it's about showcasing one's own value, not about intimidating others.

He then gave a brief report on the Ding Yizhen case and the disagreements that occurred at the meeting.

Sha Ruijin hesitated for a moment on the other end of the phone, then suddenly asked, "Is Governor Tong Wei also present? What is his opinion?"

Gao Yuliang truthfully replied, "Governor Tongwei expressed his respect for the decisions of the Provincial Party Committee and the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and said he would listen to Secretary Sha's decision."

Sha Ruijin is a seasoned politician; he wouldn't easily accept such a challenge.

He laughed heartily, his tone relaxed yet firm: "Comrade Yuliang, I've just arrived in Handong and am not yet familiar with the situation. You have been in charge of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission for many years and are very experienced. As the deputy secretary, please represent the provincial party committee and make a decision based on the actual situation."

This result was within Gao Yuliang's expectations.

However, by going through this consultation process, his decision-making takes on the character of "being instructed by the main leaders of the provincial party committee," which makes it more advantageous to share responsibility should something go wrong in the future.

This is the conventional logic of power operation: the top leader enjoys the credit for leadership, but also needs to bear the responsibility for leadership.

After hanging up the phone, Gao Yuliang returned to the conference room, looked around at everyone, and said decisively, "Secretary Sha instructed that we should make a decision based on the situation. My opinion is that we can no longer hesitate. Chief Prosecutor Ji, Director Chen, please immediately follow the legal procedures to detain Ding Yizhen! Take her into custody and investigate the matter!"

"Secretary Gao!" Li Dakang still wanted to argue.

Gao Yuliang raised his hand to stop him, his tone becoming more forceful, and he cleverly used Sha Ruijin's momentum: "Comrade Dakang, Secretary Sha's attitude is biased."

These words were ambiguous, yet carried considerable weight. Li Dakang opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing more.

At this moment, Chen Hai, who was standing to the side, should have already received Lu Yike's call and learned that Ding Yizhen was missing.

He picked up his phone, seemingly wanting to send a message to Ji Changming.

The meeting was about to end with Gao Yuliang's decision, and everyone prepared to get up.

Just then, Qi Tongwei, who had barely spoken all night, suddenly spoke up.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, carrying a cold, penetrating quality. His gaze was fixed on the restless Chen Hai:

"Director Chen Hai, you look unwell and seem restless. Is something wrong?"

Instantly, everyone's eyes were focused on Chen Hai.

Chen Hai, having been called out, suppressed the turmoil within him. Knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, he had no choice but to speak, his voice filled with barely suppressed anxiety: "Just now... the on-site monitoring team reported that the target... Ding Yizhen, has disappeared!"

"What?!" Gao Yuliang jumped up from his seat, abandoning his usual scholarly demeanor, his face filled with shock and anger. "What happened?! A deputy mayor, right under your noses, how could he just disappear?! What were your plans?!"

Li Dakang, standing to the side, also showed a surprised expression, but a fleeting, almost imperceptible, complex emotion flashed across his eyes—Ding Yizhen had run away? The trouble wouldn't explode for the time being? The Guangming Peak project…maybe we can finally catch our breath?

Chen Hai's face was ashen, his tone filled with resentment and anger: "If we had made the decision to detain him sooner, this accident wouldn't have happened! Secretary Gao, Governor Qi, Prosecutor Ji, I must go to the scene immediately to take command!"

Ji Changming quickly tried to smooth things over, scolding, "Chen Hai! Watch your attitude! How dare you speak to your superiors like that? Secretary Gao, Governor Qi, Secretary Dakang, he's just too impatient..."

Chen Hai, however, had a sullen face and turned to walk out.

"Wait." Qi Tongwei's voice rang out again, not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority.

Chen Hai paused, turned around, and said stiffly, "Governor Qi, is there anything else? Time is of the essence!"

Qi Tongwei didn't speak immediately, but instead swept Chen Hai up and down with his sharp gaze before slowly opening his mouth, his questions like cold daggers, one after another:

"How many people were deployed on site? How could they lose sight of a key person under surveillance?"

Chen Hai: "I've arranged an action team! Governor Qi, if it weren't for the fact that the previous meeting and briefing already wasted a lot of valuable time, I would have to..."

"I'll ask you a question, you answer!" Qi Tongwei suddenly interrupted him, his voice rising sharply, and the air in the office seemed to freeze. "What authority do you, as the director of the anti-corruption bureau of the provincial procuratorate, have to arbitrarily deploy the arrest and surveillance of a deputy mayor of a provincial capital city at the ministerial level without going through a complete reporting and approval process? Who gave you that authority?"

Chen Hai paused: "The Supreme People's Procuratorate's Anti-Corruption Bureau has issued an order!"

"Where are the official cooperation documents, case filing documents, and legal procedures? Show them to me." Qi Tongwei stretched out his hand, his eyes blazing.

"The file... is still being transmitted, it will arrive soon!" Chen Hai's momentum weakened slightly.

"The documents haven't arrived, and the procedures are incomplete. Then tell me, which article of the Procuratorial Law grants you the power to make an arrest first? Do you even care about procedural justice?" Qi Tongwei's questioning pressed on relentlessly.

Chen Hai was speechless, his face turning red and white in turns.

Qi Tongwei, however, wouldn't let it go, continuing his analysis, his tone growing increasingly cold: "The target is attending a public meeting at a hotel, a mixed group of people in a complex environment. Why only send one team? Who conducted the risk assessment?"

"We... are short-handed!" Chen Hai explained.

"Why don't you formally report to Chief Prosecutor Ji Changming and request more manpower? If the provincial procuratorate doesn't have enough people, can the public security system coordinate? Did you report that?" Qi Tongwei's gaze swept over Xiao Gangyu, whose face was also not good.

Chen Hai was speechless.

Qi Tongwei stood up, walked to Chen Hai, and spoke in a low voice, each word striking a chord with everyone present, carrying deep disappointment and stern rebuke:

"Chen Hai, what kind of behavior is this? Are you using the power entrusted to the anti-corruption department by the state as a stage for personal heroism? No organization, no discipline, no procedures! Do you want to be a lone hero? After all these years at Handong University and the Provincial Procuratorate, is this all you've learned?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Gao Yuliang and Ji Changming before finally settling on Chen Hai's pale face, and concluded:

"If we catch the person, we might be able to make amends. But if they escape or disappear, as the person in charge of the operation, you will bear full responsibility for the deployment errors and procedural indiscretions! I will then formally propose to the Provincial Party Committee that you be severely punished and that your job be reassigned. Your current state and work style are no longer suitable for a frontline position!"

"You need to relearn the theory."

Chapter 105 Ding Yizhen has been found

The atmosphere in the office suddenly plummeted to freezing point; you could hear a pin drop.

Chen Hai's face flushed red, his chest heaving, but he ultimately didn't argue anymore. He squeezed out a "yes" from his throat and turned to leave.

Qi Tongwei, however, stopped looking at him and turned his gaze to Xiao Gangyu, who was sitting upright to the side. His tone became businesslike and calm:

"Director Xiao, Ding Yizhen has gone missing, and the situation is urgent. Please have your Public Security Bureau take immediate action, coordinate resources, and pay special attention to controlling all possible exit routes, including international airports, train stations, and ports, to ensure he does not escape the country. Report any developments to the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary Gao immediately."

Xiao Gangyu immediately straightened his back and said solemnly, "Please rest assured, Governor Qi, I will make immediate arrangements to ensure that the criminals do not escape!"

Qi Tongwei nodded slightly and said no more.

Xiao Gangyu, along with Ji Changming, who had a calm expression, and Chen Hai, who looked indignant, hurriedly left the provincial party committee office.

Qi Tongwei remained silent in his heart: Ding Yizhen's escape in his previous life was a plan he personally participated in planning, and he was clear about every step of it.

In this life, he was not involved in such matters, and being able to remind people to be careful at the airport was already the limit of what he could do based on "common sense".

If one rashly intervenes in the specific command, the public security system is Xiao Gangyu's territory. This person is slippery and unpredictable. If he pretends to comply but disobeys, it will not only be of no use, but may also get him into trouble and make a mess of things.

Li Dakang also got up to leave with a complicated expression. He needed to go back immediately to contact the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Guangming District to assess the potential impact of Ding Yizhen's disappearance on Jingzhou and Guangmingfeng.

In the blink of an eye, only Gao Yuliang and his apprentice Qi Tongwei remained in the office.

A heavy silence spread, a stark contrast to the heated debate that had just taken place.

Qi Tongwei broke the silence, sighed softly, and said with a sigh, "Teacher, it seems that the waters of Handong are deeper and more turbid than I imagined."

Gao Yuliang was indeed feeling exhausted. After all, he was not young anymore, and staying up late into the night, coupled with this mentally and physically exhausting scheming, had left him somewhat drained.

He took off his glasses, rubbed his temples, and said in a slightly hoarse and self-deprecating voice, "Tongwei, I'm sorry you had to see this. What a mess this is."

Qi Tongwei waved his hand, his tone calm yet meaningful: "There's nothing new under the sun. Where aren't there a few parasites? I just didn't expect that after so many years, Chen Hai... would become so impulsive and utterly disrespectful."

Gao Yuliang put his glasses back on, his eyes regaining their depth, but the weariness remained: "I've been too lenient with him, always thinking that he's the son of the old chief prosecutor, a graduate of Han University, and has strong professional skills... I've neglected to discipline him. This time, I should thank you."

Gao Yuliang is a man of great stature; how could he not understand?

Qi Tongwei's stern reprimand just now, on the surface, was to hold Chen Hai accountable for dereliction of duty, but in reality, it was to help Gao Yuliang clarify his responsibility and preemptively block any possible accountability that might point to "the leader's indecisiveness and missed opportunities."

Chen Hai's performance tonight, especially the unspoken subtext "Report, report, the person is gone," was practically shifting the blame for the poor handling of the case onto Ji Changming, who was requesting instructions, and Gao Yuliang, who was presiding over the meeting.

Ji Changming has a good temper and is nearing retirement, so he might be able to tolerate it, but how could Gao Yuliang tolerate this? However, as Chen Hai's "mentor" and superior, there are some things he cannot say in person. Saying them would only make him seem petty and suppressing his subordinate.

This is similar to a story from the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, where Zhang Juzheng's students submitted a memorial impeaching him. If Zhang Juzheng himself were to personally refute the memorial, it would become a joke regardless of whether he was right or wrong.

Gao Yuliang needs someone to "clean house" for him, or at least to show his stance.

Qi Tongwei used "procedural justice" and "organizational discipline" as his starting points, acting with integrity and uprightness, making him the most suitable "sword."

Faced with Gao Yuliang's implicit gratitude, Qi Tongwei smiled slightly and said sincerely, "Teacher, you are too kind. Back in Handong University and later in Luzhou, how many times did you protect and guide me, both openly and secretly? I have always remembered it. Whenever I have the opportunity, I naturally want to share your burdens and do what I can to help you."

His words were clear: I, Qi Tongwei, am a grateful person. What you have given me, I will repay. This repayment naturally includes stepping up to help you stabilize the situation when you need it, and even... taking over the mess you left behind and making it better.

Gao Yuliang's eyes flickered, and he understood.

However, he did not respond to the topic of "repayment" and "handover" at this moment. He simply smiled and nodded, seemingly accepting the student's goodwill. He then steered the conversation toward Sha Ruijin's speech during the day, exchanging a few inconsequential observations.

Seeing this, Qi Tongwei didn't continue the conversation and got up to take his leave.

He never expected that a single in-depth conversation would make Gao Yuliang completely reveal his secrets.

The ability, stance, and willingness to defend the teacher demonstrated tonight were sufficient.

Gao Yuliang is a smart man, so he will naturally weigh the pros and cons and think about it.

After Qi Tongwei left, Gao Yuliang sat alone in the quiet office for a while, then picked up the red phone and dialed Xiao Gangyu.

"Director Xiao, how's the situation? Any progress?" Gao Yuliang's voice returned to its usual calm and steady tone.

On the other end of the phone, Xiao Gangyu's voice sounded full of confidence: "Secretary Gao, don't worry! We've laid a tight net, with all major transportation routes, train stations, and airports under strict control. In particular, following Governor Qi's instructions, we've strengthened screening and monitoring at the airports. The technical department is conducting facial recognition on passengers from international flights over the past hour, and the Skynet system is searching the entire city. As long as Ding Yizhen is still in the country, he definitely won't escape!"

Gao Yuliang gave a few instructions to "be extremely careful" and "report promptly," and then hung up the phone.

Provincial Public Security Department Command Center.

Xiao Gangyu put down the phone and said to Chen Hai, whose face was still as black as the bottom of a pot, "Chen Hai, don't worry. The airport is stepping up the verification process. As long as he hasn't flown out, they'll dig him out no matter what."

Chen Hai simply nodded, remaining silent.

Ji Changming glanced at Chen Hai, shook his head inwardly, and turned to Xiao Gangyu politely, saying, "Director Xiao, thank you for troubling your police comrades this time. It's so late and you still have to mobilize the whole team."

Xiao Gangyu waved his hand with a beaming smile: "Prosecutor Ji, what are you saying? The public security, procuratorate, and court are all one family. Upholding the dignity of the law and cracking down on crime is our bounden duty!"

Just then, Chen Hai's phone rang, and the name "Hou Liangping" appeared on the screen. He walked a few steps away to answer it.

"Chen Hai! You wouldn't believe how much money we found in Zhao Dehan's house, that petty official who was incredibly corrupt!" Hou Liangping's voice came through the receiver, excited and thrilled with the triumph of a great success.

Chen Hai had no time to listen to this and interrupted him curtly: "Monkey, Ding Yizhen has run away."

"What?!" Hou Liangping's voice suddenly rose, his tone agitated. "Chen Hai, we're comrades in arms! You can't just betray me like this, can you? I've put so much effort into this case, and we were about to close the net today. How could something like this happen?!"

Chen Hai suppressed his frustration: "I'm in the police command center right now. Even if it takes us to the heavens or the earth, we'll catch him today!"

Hou Liangping panicked and blurted out, "If you had reported less, this wouldn't have happened!"

"Liangping!" Ji Changming walked over unnoticed, took Chen Hai's phone, and said in a serious voice, "You monkey, you have no sense of propriety! According to you, I, the chief prosecutor of Handong, should step down and let you two decide how to arrest people, is that it?"

On the other end of the phone, Hou Liangping was clearly taken aback for a moment, and his tone immediately softened: "Chief Prosecutor Ji? You're here too... I'm just in a hurry! My case is so big, I can't let it fall apart with you guys, can I?"