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

Chen Yanshi tended to many flowers and birds at the nursing home.

But Gao Yuliang is different today.

He talked about roses and peonies, from soil pH to the combination of different flowering periods. His enthusiasm for the conversation surprised Chen Yanshi.

Although Chen Yanshi was Gao Yuliang's former superior when Gao Yuliang was in the procuratorate, he was very tactful and never flaunted his seniority in front of Gao Yuliang.

Just like when he reported Zhao Lichun, he focused on details such as "the office air conditioning wasting national electricity"—this kind of political wisdom was ultimately not learned by his son Chen Hai.

Gao Yuliang was engrossed in his conversation, and Chen Yanshi, not wanting to interrupt, could only smile and nod in agreement, though his gaze involuntarily wandered around.

This garden is indeed exquisitely maintained.

But what distracted Chen Yanshi was the villa itself.

He had seen many luxurious mansions before, even larger and more extravagant ones.

But this No. 3 compound of the Provincial Party Committee, every brick, every tile, every step, every window, held a unique charm in his eyes. It was a manifestation of power, the pinnacle within the rules, a place that countless people looked up to.

Every time he stepped into this place, he felt a complex sense of immersion—the magnetic field of lingering power still held an irresistible attraction for an old man who was far from the center but had never truly forgotten it.

"Old Chen, what are you thinking about so intently?" Gao Yuliang's voice brought him back to reality.

Chen Yanshi, having recovered his composure, pointed somewhat awkwardly to the ground beneath his feet: "Oh, I see you've turned the soil in your garden quite deeply; it's loose and soft. No wonder the flowers are growing so well."

A barely perceptible unease flickered across Gao Yuliang's face, but he quickly masked it with a smile: "Well... I'm not quite sure. It's all handled by the Bureau of Government Offices Administration, which arranges for gardeners to maintain the landscaping regularly." He skillfully changed the subject, "By the way, Mr. Chen, I heard you recently published a collection of essays?"

Mentioning this, Chen Yanshi's face showed a mixture of pride and self-deprecation: "Hey, it was just a hobby. It cost me 15,000 yuan to self-publish. It was Zheng Xipo, the chairman of the union at Dafeng Factory, who helped me out—that guy used me as a guinea pig! He also compiled his own collection of poems, but when he saw that mine wasn't selling, he was too scared to publish it."

“Writing books and establishing theories is the ideal of a scholar.” Gao Yuliang’s tone carried a new and sincere interest. “If you send me a copy later, I will read it carefully.”

Last night's deep conversation with Qi Tongwei in the study, and the handover of the notebook, subtly changed Gao Yuliang's state of mind.

As the power I held tightly gradually slipped through my fingers, the idea of ​​"writing books and establishing theories," which I once thought was somewhat illusory, suddenly became concrete and alluring.

Of course, if he wanted to publish a book, the Handong University Press would naturally contact him, unlike Chen Yanshi who self-published and yet no one paid any attention.

“Okay!” Chen Yanshi agreed readily. “I’ll have Chen Hai bring it to you later. Speaking of Zheng Xipo…” He paused, observing Gao Yuliang’s expression, “He came to see me again yesterday.”

Gao Yuliang chuckled: "Your 'Second People's Procuratorate of Handong' has opened for business again?"

Chen Yanshi waved his hands repeatedly, but his face couldn't hide the satisfaction of being needed: "Don't mention it! I'm just helping the people reflect their sentiments and opinions."

"What's the report this time?" Gao Yuliang bent down and gently stroked a pine tree, asking casually.

"It's still about Dafeng Factory." Chen Yanshi lowered his voice. "Shanshui Group has been making a lot of moves lately, attempting to forcibly demolish the factory several times. Now, the workers at Dafeng Factory have organized a factory protection team, patrolling day and night, and the standoff between the two sides is very tense. I'm worried... something bad is going to happen."

Gao Yuliang straightened up, patted the dirt off his hands, and looked at Chen Yanshi with a knowing smile: "Old Chen, how old are you? Why are you still going to take on this risk?"

"We have no choice but to go!" Chen Yanshi's emotions surged. "Dafeng Factory borrowed a bridge loan from Shanshui Group, and now that they can't repay it, their shares have been taken away. But do you know what? The signatures of the workers on the loan agreement for 49% of the shares were forged by Cai Chenggong! Now the land price has skyrocketed, worth more than a billion yuan. The workers haven't received their money, and they've lost their land. How can they be happy about that?"

“You should go talk to Li Dakang about this,” Gao Yuliang said calmly.

“Li Dakang?” Chen Yanshi snorted. “He wouldn’t see me! He wouldn’t answer my calls, and when I went to his office, he said he was in a meeting. I had no choice but to go to Governor Qi’s on-site meeting…” He paused here, glancing at Gao Yuliang’s reaction. “Who knew that Tongwei, who was so upright when he was young, now speaks official jargon and platitudes just like Li Dakang!”

Gao Yuliang just smiled and didn't reply.

Chen Yanshi realized his slip of the tongue and quickly tried to cover it up: "Oh dear! Tongwei is your prized student, and he's about to take over your job. How could I say anything bad about him in front of you?"

This "succession" certainly doesn't refer to the position of deputy secretary of the provincial party committee, but rather to the power of the "Han University clique." Chen Yanshi's words were clearly a test.

Gao Yuliang's smile faded slightly, but his tone remained calm: "Old Chen, what are you saying? You're picking a fight with me. A few days ago, at the provincial party committee meeting, Secretary Dakang said that you kept advocating for Dafeng Factory, which raised suspicions about your motives. I even spoke up for you then."

Chen Yanshi paused for a moment, then suddenly grinned, revealing his sparse teeth: "You know what, Li Dakang was right! That Boss Cai from Dafeng Factory used to come to my place quite often, bringing me cigarettes and alcohol. He's been taking my money, so of course I have to speak up for him!"

"Can't you be serious for once?" Gao Yuliang was finally amused. "Who doesn't know that you neither smoke nor drink? Alright, you've finished looking over here, go over there and take a look at the newly planted camellias."

The two strolled slowly along the gravel path. The morning mist had dissipated, and the sunlight was beginning to brighten.

Chen Yanshi hesitated several times before finally bringing the topic back: "Yuliang, that Shanshui Group, I looked into its background, it's not simple. Behind it..."

“My dear Mr. Chen,” Gao Yuliang interrupted him softly, his voice revealing an unusual weariness. “I’m too busy taking care of myself right now to have the energy to deal with these things.”

Chen Yanshi stopped and looked at him in surprise: "You, such a high-ranking leader, are still too busy taking care of yourself?"

Gao Yuliang also stopped, his gaze fixed on the outline of the provincial party committee's main building in the distance. After a long while, he slowly said, "You said before that you wrote two letters to Li Dakang, but he was too arrogant and ignored you. As for me, I'm about to retire to the second line. The people below are all getting restless, eager to find their next job."

These words were so blunt that Chen Yanshi didn't know how to respond. He could only vaguely say, "With such a good student like you here, how can anyone want to run away?"

“The students are getting older, and they’re harder to manage.” Gao Yuliang turned around and looked at Chen Yanshi with a complicated expression. “Some of them are eager to get things from the teacher and can’t wait a moment. And some of them… when something happens, they try to push the blame onto the teacher.”

Chen Yanshi was startled and immediately realized that this was referring to Chen Hai.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was a little dry: "Some kids may be a little clumsy and reckless, but they have good hearts..."

“I know the students have good intentions,” Gao Yuliang interrupted him, his tone still calm but like a dull knife cutting flesh. “It’s just that the students’ parents have too many concerns, making it difficult to handle. Don’t you think so, Mr. Chen?”

Chen Yanshi's expression changed. Gao Yuliang's words were clearly a dig at him—Chen Hai might be naive, but his father, through the Dafeng Factory, was making connections everywhere.

Although he didn't know his relationship with Sha Ruijin, Gao Yuliang probably already saw right through his intention to bet on Sha Ruijin.

“You’re implying something, Yuliang,” Chen Yanshi’s voice turned serious.

Gao Yuliang suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with both desolation and relief: "Just kidding. Old Chen, I'm in a precarious situation right now, like a city gate on fire, barely able to save myself. I can't manage the affairs of Dafeng Factory, and I don't intend to get involved."

He raised his wrist to check his watch: "It's getting late, I have a meeting this morning. Mr. Chen, you should go back now."

Chapter 113 The 116 Incident

Dong Dingfang's early defection was like a boulder thrown into a lake, creating ripples throughout the local system of the "Han University Clique." Soon, several key municipal officials and powerful figures in provincial departments openly or covertly offered their "pledges of allegiance" to Qi Tongwei.

The power transfer seemed to go smoothly, but discerning people noticed a subtle phenomenon: the core and most closely connected political and legal system of the Han University faction remained unusually silent.

None of the officials in the political and legal system, including Xiao Gangyu and Chen Qingquan, have publicly expressed their intention to switch sides.

Some people see this as a sign of an "invisible break" between Gao Yuliang and Qi Tongwei—the teacher ultimately kept something in reserve, not easily handing over the most crucial weapon.

However, truly mature politicians know this perfectly well: as long as there is no public falling out and both sides are maintaining a semblance of civility and procedure, it can already be considered a peaceful transfer of power.

Demanding that everyone be satisfied and that every step be seamless is a story from fiction and fairy tales.

History is never a gentle and sentimental story. Even when Liu Bei entrusted his son to Zhuge Liang at Baidi City, wasn't there a resentful Li Yan?

Privately, some people naturally criticized Qi Tongwei for being "too eager to make a profit" and "not respecting his teacher enough." But a considerable number of people also admired his assertive, decisive, and unwavering style of seizing opportunities: in a rapidly changing era, hesitation and sentimentality often mean missing out on opportunities.

Qi Tongwei paid no attention to these discussions. He had already achieved his real goal: he successfully took advantage of the "window of opportunity" when Sha Ruijin was conducting in-depth research at the grassroots level and had no time to attend to other matters, and without the direct intervention and scrutiny of this top leader, he relatively smoothly took over a group of relatively clean and capable local and business cadres under the Handa Group.

These people will form the foundation for his future governance in Handong and the implementation of his own ideas.

At the same time, the "silent perseverance" of Xiao Gangyu, Chen Qingquan and others was interpreted as a rare kind of "loyalty".

In private discussions within certain circles, Xiao Gangyu's reputation even improved considerably as a result.

"I never expected that Lao Xiao, who usually keeps a low profile, would actually show such integrity in a critical moment."

"Yes, it's not easy for him to remain calm when Secretary Gao is about to retire and Governor Qi is at the height of his power."

"It seems like someone who cherishes the past and values ​​relationships."

Faced with these praises, whether genuine or not, Xiao Gangyu could only manage a humble, even awkward, smile, but inside he felt a mix of emotions, filled with bitterness.

Was it that he didn't want to surrender? Or was it that Qi Tongwei simply didn't want him?

He knew the reason clearly: on the one hand, Qi Tongwei had too deep a grudge against the Liang family, and his status as the Liang family's son-in-law was an indelible stain.

On the other hand, he speculated that perhaps Gao Yuliang was unwilling to relinquish all the core power in the political and legal system at the last minute. After all, there was still nearly a year before the official reshuffle; who would hand over all their cards at once? Let alone a student, even a biological son would probably have to keep some trump cards up their sleeve. Too many people are used to holding power tightly in their hands until the very last moment.

Those who relinquish all power ahead of schedule, like Governor Liu, are ultimately a very small minority.

Xiao Gangyu asked himself, and he knew he absolutely couldn't do it.

However, the wheels of history do not turn according to individual will; they roll on with a roar, splashing mud and sparks.

A week later, under Li Dakang's almost obsessive and forceful push, the Guangmingfeng project, especially the demolition work on the Dafengchang site, made difficult progress, inch by inch, amidst numerous obstacles.

The standoff is escalating, and the tension is rising.

Everything was going according to Qi Tongwei's expectations, and everything was gliding along a predetermined track, gradually overlapping with the memories of his "previous life".

As night fell, the conflict between the fake police and the factory workers' protection team escalated from pushing and shoving to physical confrontation, and then to a melee. Zheng Xipo's trembling fingers dialed Chen Yanshi's number.

Listening to the noisy background noise on the other end of the phone and Zheng Xipo's tearful narration, Chen Yanshi's hand gripping the old-fashioned mobile phone turned white from the force, but his eyes shone frighteningly brightly in the dimly lit living room.

“The opportunity… has come,” he murmured to himself, as if announcing a prophecy.

Wang Fuzhen, who had been woken up by the noise, came out wearing a coat, looking worried: "It's so late and cold, why are you getting involved in these things? Don't you value your life?"

"This is the stage I've been waiting for!" Chen Yanshi's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement as he quickly pulled on his old cotton-padded coat. "Last time at Qi Tongwei's on-site work meeting, I didn't get to sing the lead role and almost botched my performance. This time, the stage is big enough, and the audience is big enough!"

"Have you thought this through? What if you can't control yourself..." Wang Fuzhen's eyes were full of worry.

"It's better if it gets out of control!" Chen Yanshi lowered his voice, but couldn't hide his calculating glint. "There are over a thousand workers at Dafeng Factory, plus the demolition team and the police, making at least two thousand people on site! Such a large-scale incident is bound to alarm the higher-ups, and alarm Sha Ruijin! Doesn't Zheng Xipo's son, Zheng Qian, have a group of people who run online trolls? I hinted to Old Zheng before that at times like this, we need to let the young people use new methods, like live streaming, to expose the scene online!"

He buttoned up his cotton-padded coat, his eyes blazing: "I'm not going there to put out the fire, I'm going to stand in front of the workers! The cameras are on me, the netizens are watching me—that's how I'm building my own image! If Sha Ruijin really intends to take action against the Zhao family gang, he needs an old guy like me—prestigious, outspoken, and someone who has directly clashed with the Zhao family's power! Even if I'm just a figurehead for now, a pawn in their game, he'll still have to treat me like royalty. When it's time to really make a move, I'll be the ready-made weapon! I'll cooperate with him, and he'll reciprocate—Xiao Hai's future..."

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar fervor in her husband's eyes, Wang Fuzhen knew she couldn't dissuade him, so she could only sigh, "I hope... it really goes as smoothly as you say. I'll have Xiao Hai arrange for a car from the procuratorate to take you there."

“No!” Chen Yanshi refused decisively. “At times like this, I have to ride my old electric scooter! In the words of Zheng Xipo’s son, this is called ‘being down-to-earth’!”

When Chen Yanshi braved the cold wind and sputtered along on his electric scooter to the factory area shrouded in flames, lights, and the cacophony of voices, the scene was already chaotic. The police loudspeaker echoed through the night: "Citizens, please remain calm, protect your rights according to the law, and do not take any extreme actions..."

Chen Yanshi's heart tightened, and he quickly searched for a higher vantage point. He saw Li Dakang and Xiao Gangyu beside the command vehicle, discussing something with grave expressions. He squeezed past them, his face displaying just the right amount of anxiety and confusion:

"Secretary Li! Director Xiao! What... what's going on? How did such a commotion happen? And... and they even fired shots?"

Li Dakang turned around and saw Chen Yanshi. His brows furrowed even more, but he still quickly went to greet him: "Old Chen? What brings you here?"

"How could I not come?" Chen Yanshi looked heartbroken. "Dafeng Factory is the place I'm in charge of! What exactly happened? Why are they even using guns?" His gaze swept across the scene, especially lingering on the faces of the emotionally charged workers.

Next up was Chen Yanshi's "personal show" time.

He took the megaphone, climbed to a high place, and began to speak in a slightly hoarse but extremely penetrating voice.

It must be admitted that Chen Yanshi's prestige and decades of honed persuasive oratory skills played a crucial role at this moment. The workers trusted him and were willing to listen to him.

With his mediation and assurances, the most dangerous twenty tons of gasoline were agreed to be shipped out.

When the oil extraction truck slowly drove into the factory area and began operations, Li Dakang, whose face had been tense the whole time, finally let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief.

This 20 tons of oil is a huge hidden danger, but to say it could actually flatten half of the Bright District is an exaggeration. An ordinary gas station often has a storage capacity of more than 15 tons.

Its danger lies more in the potential chain reaction and heavy casualties it may trigger, which are the truly unbearable political consequences.

Unbeknownst to Li Dakang, at the very moment he relaxed slightly, the online battle had already begun in earnest.

Under Zheng Qian's direction and encouragement, keywords such as "Jingzhou Dafeng Factory Conflict" and "Elderly Man Confronts Excavator" quickly rose to the top of the trending topics. The rudimentary mobile phone live stream footage, shaky camera, and mixed shouts brought an unparalleled sense of realism and impact. Countless netizens flooded into the live stream room, and Hou Liangping, who was in Beijing, also saw it and immediately called Gao Yuliang to inquire about the situation.