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

Sha Ruijin nodded expressionlessly, without saying a word, and it was impossible to tell whether he had forgiven her or remembered it.

He picked up his phone and dialed Gao Yuliang's number directly.

Gao Yuliang was already asleep. In his view, the situation at Dafeng Factory had temporarily calmed down, the forced demolition had been halted, the risk of conflict had been eliminated, and the remaining equity dispute was a long-term issue that wouldn't cause any major trouble tonight. He could naturally rest easy.

Currently, in the entire Handong region, apart from Sha Ruijin, Bai Jingwen, and the mastermind behind the scenes, only Qi Tongwei knows the seriousness of this matter.

Awakened by the phone call, he answered somewhat blankly: "Secretary Sha? What happened so late?" He didn't immediately think of Dafeng Factory.

"Comrade Yuliang," Sha Ruijin's voice was devoid of emotion, "what were the specific details of the mass incident at Dafeng Factory that you reported on the phone before? How is it going now?"

Gao Yuliang composed himself and briefly recounted the outline of the equity dispute at Dafeng Factory, the risks of conflict that night, and the process of Chen Yanshi arriving at the scene to appease the workers. He then added, "...The situation is now under control, thanks to Comrade Chen Yanshi, who, despite his advanced age, stepped forward. It was also his insistence on reporting this situation directly to you."

Sha Ruijin had no time to listen to any of that; all he cared about was how to quickly extinguish the fire and mitigate its impact. "Understood. Give me Li Dakang's phone number; I'll communicate directly with him and the site."

After obtaining the number, Sha Ruijin immediately dialed Li Dakang's cell phone. Li Dakang answered almost instantly, his voice tense: "Secretary Sha! This is Li Dakang!"

Sha Ruijin didn't mince words, and severely criticized Li Dakang for his insufficient assessment of the demolition conflicts and his ineffective on-site handling, which led to the escalation of the situation and caused a negative impact.

But at this moment, he was overwhelmed with problems and had no mood to lament about "using an old body as a torch" like in his "previous life." All his words revolved around "immediately controlling the situation, eliminating hidden dangers, and calming public opinion."

Finally, he requested to speak with Chen Yanshi.

When Chen Yanshi received the phone respectfully handed to him by Li Dakang and heard him say "Uncle Chen," his heart, which had been hanging in suspense all night, finally settled down with a "thump," and he even felt an indescribable sense of warmth and excitement.

He called out affectionately:

"Hey! Little Gold!"

Sha Ruijin on the other end of the phone paused noticeably. This childhood nickname hadn't been used for many years; even his adoptive parents rarely mentioned it after he became an adult.

Hearing this suddenly in the middle of the night, amidst a flurry of activity and constant questioning, brings not warm memories, but a strange sense of unease, even a slight feeling of privacy being violated.

But the shrewd Sha Ruijin would never reveal his true intentions at this moment. He immediately responded with enthusiasm, chatted with Chen Yanshi for a few minutes, thanked him for his contribution at the crucial moment, and praised him for demonstrating the demeanor of a veteran party member.

Chen Yanshi felt reassured and that the relationship had become closer, so he wanted to further clarify his stance and "values." He deliberately spoke with a hint of "grievance," saying, "How can I talk about style... Sigh, just a few days ago, Vice Governor Qi publicly criticized me at a meeting for not being aware enough and causing trouble for the organization. I just can't stand seeing the workers' hard-earned money being plundered by those people from the Shanshui Group!"

Chen Yanshi said this not to complain, but to point out that he was on the opposite side of the "Shanshui Group" (Zhao family) and the currently powerful Qi Tongwei, implying that he could be a "lone minister" charging into battle in Sha Ruijin's camp.

However, at this moment, Sha Ruijin was preoccupied with how to clean up his mess, write a self-criticism, and deal with his superiors' accountability. He just felt that this old man had no sense of propriety and loved to cause trouble.

The same action can produce vastly different results depending on the timing and mindset.

Sha Ruijin offered a few perfunctory words of comfort before quickly getting to the point, his tone carrying an undeniable concern and command: "Uncle Chen, it's late. You're old; you can't stay up any longer, it'll harm your health. On behalf of the Provincial Party Committee, I promise you and the workers that we will not forcibly demolish Dafeng Factory until the problem is resolved legally and reasonably. Please advise the workers to go home and rest, and take care of their health. We will definitely resolve the problem. Please hand the phone back to Comrade Dakang."

But there were no more invitations for Chen Yanshi to speak on history at the Standing Committee meeting.

After handing over the phone, Sha Ruijin ordered Li Dakang to immediately withdraw most of the personnel and equipment, leaving only necessary personnel to maintain order and ensure absolute stability on site.

The turmoil was temporarily quelled thanks to direct intervention and commitments from the highest levels of government.

But Sha Ruijin knew in his heart that the real trouble had just begun. He instructed Bai Jingwen to make arrangements immediately to convene an extraordinary provincial party committee standing committee meeting (online) the next morning to specifically study the Dafeng Factory issue—this matter itself might not be at the level of a standing committee meeting, but once it was targeted and held accountable by higher authorities, it had to be dealt with at the highest level.

Then, he asked Bai Jingwen to invite Tian Guofu, who was staying at the same hotel.

During these days of joint research, Tian Guofu had successfully expressed his willingness to cooperate, and Sha Ruijin had initially accepted him. Faced with such a difficult and unexpected event, he needed someone he could consult with.

When Tian Guofu heard that things had escalated to this point, he gasped and frowned.

Bai Jingwen, who was standing to the side, was about to speak up and apologize again, but Sha Ruijin waved his hand to stop him, his face gloomy: "Now is not the time to pursue the details. I also did not expect that a demolition dispute could escalate so quickly and so fiercely through the internet, even reaching overseas and attracting the attention of higher authorities!"

Tian Guofu astutely grasped the key point: "Secretary Sha, the speed of this spread... is abnormally fast. There is likely someone deliberately pushing and amplifying public opinion behind the scenes."

Sha Ruijin's eyes sharpened: "Just as I thought. Have the Public Security Bureau's cyber security department intervene immediately and investigate! I need to know who's behind this!"

Bai Jingwen immediately contacted Xiao Gangyu.

The Provincial Public Security Bureau was extremely efficient. Soon, preliminary information about "Zheng Qian" and his manipulation of online trolls and live streaming reached Sha Ruijin's room.

"My father is Zheng Xipo, the chairman of the trade union at Dafeng Factory. Zheng Xipo... has close ties with Chen Yanshi?" Sha Ruijin looked at the briefing, his fingers tapping on the table as his mind raced. "Is Chen Yanshi... plotting against me? What's he after? Has he got the guts to do this? Or... is someone behind it all?"

He quickly filtered through the possible candidates: Governor Liu? Gao Yuliang? Qi Tongwei? The first two were already past their prime, so it wouldn't be worth taking such a risky move.

Moreover, Gao Yuliang didn't seem to be faking it on the phone just now; he genuinely didn't know the seriousness of the matter.

So...Qi Tongwei?

"What exactly is the relationship between this Chen Yanshi and Qi Tongwei?" Sha Ruijin asked Bai Jingwen.

Bai Jingwen was already intimately familiar with the network of relationships among the important figures in Handong: "According to the information I have, Qi Tongwei was in a relationship with Chen Yanshi's daughter, Chen Yang, when he was in college, but Chen Yanshi forcibly broke them up on the grounds of their unequal social standing and married Chen Yang off to the capital. This caused a grudge between the two sides. Not long ago, Qi Tongwei publicly criticized Chen Yanshi and his son Chen Hai, so their relationship must be quite strained."

Sha Ruijin nodded: "I've heard of that."

Bai Jingwen: "Could this be a ruse?"

Tian Guofu shook his head: "No, it must be a coincidence."

Bai Jingwen looked at Tian Guofu.

Sha Ruijin laughed and said, "Xiao Bai, I said I wouldn't blame you, so I won't. Don't overthink it. I've thought about it carefully. If it was Qi Tongwei who schemed, he worked so hard and racked his brains to come up with so many twists and turns, but he left the most crucial part to luck."

Bai Jingwen: "What?"

Tian Guofu: "How can he be sure that Director Bai will either block the phone or report to Secretary Sha?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Jingwen lowered his head in shame once again.

Sha Ruijin remained silent, continuing to ponder: "Chen Yanshi specifically emphasized his conflicts with Shanshui Group and Qi Tongwei on the phone... Is he trying to use this farce as a 'pledge of allegiance' to me?"

A complex, cold smile appeared on his face. "They tried to use a ladder to lean against my kiln, almost causing my house to collapse?!"

Chapter 115 Accountability

Leaving aside the secret meeting between Sha Ruijin and the other two at the Yantai Hotel for the time being, let's turn our attention back to Jingzhou.

Although the crowd had been dispersed at the Dafeng factory site, the tense atmosphere remained like the cold fog of early morning, not completely dissipating.

Chen Yanshi wanted to maintain his "down-to-earth" persona, so he rode his old electric scooter to leave.

But Li Dakang, at this moment, naturally wouldn't let such a thing happen.

Although in this life, Sha Ruijin did not utter any highly inflammatory or emotionally charged words like "holding up an old bone as a torch," nor did he immediately invite Chen Yanshi to the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee to talk about history, the faint "Uncle Chen" that came from the microphone and was keenly caught by Li Dakang, and Chen Yanshi's perfectly natural "Little Jinzi," were enough to explain a lot.

The personal relationship between Sha Ruijin and this old man is probably deeper than the outside world knows.

Li Dakang will maintain at least the respect due to Chen Yanshi's status.

This was a matter of saving face, but more importantly, it was a display of political acumen. His reverence for Sha Ruijin was genuine; even if the other party was merely a "distant relative" of Sha Ruijin, he would not neglect him—this was fundamentally different from the almost obsequious and eager flattery of Qi Tongwei in his previous life.

At that time, Qi Tongwei needed to seize every opportunity to show his loyalty to the new secretary, while Li Dakang, as a veteran member of the Standing Committee and an economic expert, only needed to curry favor with Sha Ruijin himself. Maintaining politeness and care towards Sha Ruijin's relatives and friends was merely an extension and manifestation of this currying favor.

In the early spring night in Jingzhou, the air was bitterly cold. Chen Yanshi was getting on in years, and after standing in the windy area of ​​the factory for half the night, his body was starting to feel the strain.

He made a token refusal twice, then readily agreed and got into the car that Li Dakang had specially arranged.

The vehicle drove smoothly toward the nursing home, leaving the chaos and lingering smoke of the scene behind.

In the nursing home, Wang Fuzhen was restless and unable to sleep. Hearing the sound of a car engine and familiar footsteps outside, she immediately put on her coat, got up, and went out to greet them.

Seeing that Chen Yanshi looked tired but his eyes were shining with barely suppressed excitement, she finally felt a little relieved.

After seeing off Li Dakang's driver, the elderly couple helped each other back to their room.

As soon as the door closed, Wang Fuzhen asked anxiously, "Old man, how is it...?"

Chen Yanshi straightened his slightly hunched back, his face beaming with barely suppressed smugness: "Don't worry! With me in charge, how could there be any problems? Not only did we talk, but I called him 'Little Jinzi' and he responded! This shows he hasn't forgotten our old friendship and still considers me his uncle!" He lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming. "When he finishes his research and returns to Jingzhou, we'll invite him to our home for a casual meal. Then, we'll tell him all about the Zhao family gang and the Shanshui Group's secrets... With this connection, plus this 'pledge of allegiance,' what's there to worry about for Xiao Hai's future?"

Looking at his excited expression, Wang Fuzhen wanted to say something, but in the end she just sighed and silently went to pour him hot water to soak his feet.

The old man has been a strong-willed man all his life, scheming for most of his life. Hopefully, this time, his wish will come true.

The night passed seemingly peacefully.

The online temporary standing committee meeting, urgently notified by the General Office of the Provincial Party Committee, was held on time at 10:00 a.m. the next day.

The Standing Committee members who were in Jingzhou gathered in the small conference room of the Provincial Party Committee, while Sha Ruijin, Tian Guofu, and a Standing Committee member who was away on a business trip joined via video link.

When the time came, Sha Ruijin on the screen looked slightly tired, but his eyes were sharp.

He didn't exchange any pleasantries and went straight to the point, his voice low and imposing:

"Comrades, let's begin the meeting. There's only one agenda item: the mass incident that occurred last night at the Dafeng Factory in Jingzhou."

He got straight to the point, setting a somber tone: "The impact of this matter is extremely negative, it has generated significant public opinion, and it has even spread overseas. This is not just a problem in Jingzhou, nor is it just a demolition dispute; it has seriously damaged the image of Handong and undermined the overall stability. Higher-level leaders attach great importance to this and will hold our provincial party committee leadership accountable."

He cleverly transformed the leader's questioning of him personally into "accountability to the provincial party committee," distributing the pressure among everyone present.

Li Dakang was prepared. He immediately stood up, bowed slightly towards the camera, and began his self-criticism in a heavy tone: "Secretary Sha, comrades, I must offer a profound self-criticism. As the Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee, I am primarily responsible for handling the Dafeng Factory issue. This incident exposed serious shortcomings in the work of our Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee and Government: insufficient assessment of the complexity of historical conflicts, inadequate anticipation of potential group risks during the demolition process, indecisive and forceful on-site handling, and untimely and inaccurate information reporting, leading to the escalation of the situation and its development into a major public opinion crisis, putting the province's work in a passive position. I bear primary responsibility and request disciplinary action from the Provincial Party Committee."

Sha Ruijin looked at Li Dakang on the screen, his face expressionless: "Comrade Dakang, you are the top leader of Jingzhou, and stability is your primary responsibility. This incident occurred in your jurisdiction and caused such consequences, so you certainly bear the main responsibility that you cannot shirk. Your self-criticism must be formally submitted to the Provincial Party Committee in writing after this meeting."

"Yes, Secretary Sha." Li Dakang sat down, his expression solemn.

Sha Ruijin's gaze swept over each Standing Committee member, both online and offline, and he continued to call out names:

"Provincial Public Security Bureau, did you fail to investigate or perform your duties in the initial intelligence assessment, on-site police deployment, and public opinion risk control? Comrade Xiao Gangyu, you must investigate this thoroughly and provide an explanation."

In one corner of the screen, Xiao Gangyu, who had been specifically asked to attend, nodded repeatedly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Did the Provincial Party Committee's Publicity Department and the Cyberspace Administration of China monitor such a significant online public opinion event in a timely manner? Were their analyses accurate? Were their guidance effective? Why was negative information allowed to spread so rapidly, even flowing overseas? How did they defend their ideological and propaganda positions?"

The Standing Committee member in charge of publicity, the head of the publicity department, looked serious and quickly took notes.

"How do the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission and the Provincial Letters and Visits Bureau conduct routine investigations and resolutions for long-standing petitions and disputes, such as those involving Dafeng Factory, which pose significant stability risks? Is there an early warning mechanism? Why didn't they intervene in advance to resolve the conflicts at their nascent stage?"

Gao Yuliang's expression remained calm, but his eyes were slightly downcast; the director of the Provincial Letters and Visits Bureau felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

"Has the Provincial Federation of Trade Unions fulfilled its responsibilities of guidance, supervision, and protection on issues involving the vital rights and interests of workers?"

Sha Ruijin's questioning was clear and incisive, breaking down the Dafeng Factory incident into the responsibilities of each link, making the leaders in charge of each relevant department feel the heavy pressure.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy, with only the scratching of pens on paper and the occasional suppressed cough.

Qi Tongwei sat in his seat, notebook open in front of him, pen moving steadily as he took notes, his face expressionless. He was like the calmest point in the eye of a storm, calmly observing its shape and direction.

About half an hour into the meeting, as Sha Ruijin was making initial requests regarding the aftermath, the door to the temporary office behind him was gently pushed open in the video footage.

Secretary Bai Jingwen hurried over to Sha Ruijin's side, trying his best to control his voice, and whispered a few words in his ear.

On the screen, Sha Ruijin's face visibly darkened rapidly, and his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

He raised his hand to signal Bai Jingwen to stop, then faced the camera, his voice even colder than before:

"Everyone, this is an emergency. The higher-ups have called directly to demand accountability. I'll go answer it. Use this time to think carefully about how to thoroughly handle this matter, how to mitigate the damage, and how to explain it to the Party and the people. I'll be right back."

After saying that, he got up and quickly left the camera's range.