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

"Second, we need to address the root of the problem. The Dafeng Factory issue has dragged on for so long, repeatedly resolved only to relapse, and the key lies in the continuous coordination and instigation by a central figure—Comrade Chen Yanshi. If it weren't for his role as a former leader and former chief prosecutor, constantly facilitating communication, giving the workers hope, and even personally 'directing' the demolition of Dafeng Factory, the resistance to the demolition wouldn't be so great. To solve the problem, we must deal with Chen Yanshi, the crux of the issue. Either we persuade him to change his stance and help us appease the workers; or..."

Qi Tongwei didn't finish his sentence, but the pause made everyone understand that he hadn't said anything more.

Everyone's gaze involuntarily drifted to Sha Ruijin on the screen. Chen Yanshi's use of "Little Jinzi" and his special relationship with Secretary Sha were no secret among the higher-ups.

How to deal with Chen Yanshi requires Sha Ruijin's approval.

Qi Tongwei seemed oblivious to everyone's gaze and continued to raise the third point, which was also the most crucial one:

"Third, let's get to the root of the problem. Is the most fundamental reason for the conflict at Dafeng Factory really the misappropriation of workers' equity? I've studied the materials carefully. Dafeng Factory was already insolvent; its factory buildings, equipment, and technology were practically worthless. The workers' so-called 'equity' would have been almost entirely wiped out during the factory's normal liquidation. The reason they are fighting so desperately, even being incited to resist, is because the land has appreciated in value, reportedly worth nearly a billion yuan. They feel that they deserve a share of that billion yuan."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room. He noticed some people exchanging knowing glances, while some of the younger standing committee members looked puzzled. He slowly unveiled the final, and most sensitive, layer of paper:

"However, there is a crucial legal fact here: the original land of Dafeng Factory was industrial land, worth only tens of millions of yuan, which was far from enough to cover the debt. It was only after the urban planning was adjusted and the land was changed to commercial development land that the land value soared to the billion-yuan level. According to my country's Land Administration Law and its implementing regulations, when the land use is fundamentally changed, the land use right should, in principle, be revoked and re-auctioned through public bidding. In other words, the later valuable piece of 'commercial land' has, from a legal procedural standpoint, no longer necessarily a relationship of ownership with Dafeng Factory, which originally held the right to use 'industrial land'."

The conference room fell into a deathly silence.

It wasn't that people were unaware of this legal provision; quite the opposite, many present were fully aware of it. However, during the demolition of Dafeng Factory, relevant departments from the district to the city, and even the province, tacitly remained silent, as if this law didn't exist.

why?

Because after Dafeng Factory's equity was used to offset debts to Shanshui Group, the "golden plot of land" that had already undergone a change in ownership was not legally reclaimed and re-auctioned. Instead, through some kind of "operation," it was directly transferred to Shanshui Group's name! This is equivalent to Shanshui Group using tens of millions of yuan in debt to "buy" a piece of land worth one billion yuan!

This is the fundamental reason why Chen Yanshi has been so persistent about this matter.

Cai Chenggong and the workers at Dafeng Factory were blinded by the enormous wealth of 10 billion yuan, which is why they rushed forward recklessly. Chen Yanshi simply took advantage of their greed.

Chen Yanshi has been forcibly involved in the vortex of Dafeng Factory, clinging to Shanshui Group, not because he is concerned about Shanshui Group's encroachment on the equity of Dafeng Factory workers. Dafeng Factory has long been privately owned. How could the conflicts between private enterprises have any impact on an official of Zhao Lichun's level!

What he has been clinging to is that Zhao Ruilong used Zhao Lichun's influence to embezzle 10 billion yuan of national assets!

This was the sharpest knife he was preparing to hand to Sha Ruijin to deal with Zhao Lichun and his son!

However, until the time is right, he can only use "worker equity" and "pilot responsibility" as cover.

It's just that in the previous life, Chen Hai was in a car accident, and later Qi Tongwei and Gao Yuliang acted too aggressively, and Sha Ruijin couldn't control the situation, so the higher-ups had to put Zhao Lichun under investigation ahead of time, which meant that this matter couldn't be used.

This secret, which many people present understood without tacit agreement or even tacitly approved, was now laid bare by Qi Tongwei on the table of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee without any scruples.

On the other end of the video call, Sha Ruijin and Tian Guofu's expressions instantly turned extremely serious, their eyes exchanging a mixture of shock and deliberation. Having been sent down on a special mission, they naturally knew about the Zhao family's problems, but Qi Tongwei's early and direct revelation of this issue at a high-level meeting still surprised them. Would this alert the enemy?

Qi Tongwei is still not steady enough!

The other Standing Committee members, especially those who had dealings with the Zhao family, were deeply shaken and began to speculate: Did Qi Tongwei's daring to do this mean... the winds above had completely changed? Were they about to take action against the Zhao family? Or had this powerful Governor Qi received some definite signal?

Sha Ruijin took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and spoke in as calm a tone as possible: "Governor Qi, the issue of the history and legal procedures regarding the Dafeng Factory land is perhaps quite complex, involving policy transitions from many years ago. We need to study it more carefully and should not rush to conclusions." He had to stabilize the situation first and not lose his composure.

The original members of the Zhao family gang, now the Han University gang and the Secretary gang, breathed a slight sigh of relief, but were still uneasy.

Although the top leader had spoken, Qi Tongwei had a powerful background and was almost certain to become the governor. The two sides had different opinions, and those present were still uncertain.

Qi Tongwei seemed to have anticipated Sha Ruijin's reaction. He gave a calm smile and changed the subject: "Secretary Sha, comrades, there may be some misunderstanding. I am not suggesting that the Provincial Party Committee take any administrative or judicial action against Shanshui Group or the land issue immediately when I bring up this legal fact."

He looked around at everyone and said calmly, "The matter of Dafeng Factory has already reached the top of the list. At this point, we don't need to do anything. Shanshui Group will naturally take the initiative to make a response, either by paying the land transfer fee or by returning the land for us to re-auction."

Many things are understood without being said. As long as they're not brought into the open, they can continue to operate. But once they're exposed to the light of day and laid out on the table, then they must be done according to the rules.

Now, the sunlight is streaming in.

Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. Indeed, the matter had alarmed the cabinet; how could such a thing be kept secret? The Zhao family was anxious now, wishing they could return the land immediately. But the people present didn't care about that; they weren't required to pay anything. As long as the higher-ups didn't target the Zhao family, they, as former Zhao family henchmen, wouldn't be implicated, so it didn't matter.

Sha Ruijin and Tian Guofu also breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that although Qi Tongwei was sharp, he still acted with discretion.

When they came to their senses, everyone's gazes toward Qi Tongwei were still filled with complex emotions. Once the matter was explained clearly, everyone could understand the logic of the situation. However, Qi Tongwei's ability to sort out the relationships in such a short time required an extremely strong insight into personnel politics.

Sure enough, at such a young age, he's about to go from fourth to second in the province; he's definitely no ordinary person.

"Once the Shanshui Group has given a clear stance and the land issue has a legally sound path to be handled," Qi Tongwei added in conclusion, "we still need to ask Secretary Sha to contact Comrade Chen Yanshi."

Sha Ruijin nodded solemnly: "I will call him."

Once the Shanshui Group is forced to comply, Chen Yanshi's biggest bargaining chip will become ineffective.

In order to make amends and restore his reputation with Sha Ruijin, Chen Yanshi must do his best to tackle the tough issue of appeasing the workers.

He set such high a tone before, but now he's fallen hard. He'll have a lot to deal with in terms of appeasing the workers.

At this moment, Organization Minister Wu Chunlin coughed lightly and cautiously began, "Secretary Sha, there's another matter that needs to be reviewed by the Standing Committee. Previously, Governor Qi Tongwei communicated with me, suggesting that, given the serious errors in the deployment of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Provincial Procuratorate by Comrade Chen Hai in the Ding Yizhen case, which caused serious consequences, his position should be adjusted. What do you think…?"

He had already agreed to Qi Tongwei's proposal, but now he was unsure of Sha Ruijin's true attitude towards Chen Yanshi, so he had no choice but to raise the issue.

Sha Ruijin said almost without hesitation, “The Ding Yizhen incident has had a very bad impact. Comrade Chen Hai, as the on-site commander, bears unshirkable responsibility. Not imposing Party or administrative disciplinary action, but only adjusting his position, is already a lenient treatment after considering many factors. I agree to the adjustment.”

Sha Ruijin's domineering nature was on full display at this moment. Although Chen Yanshi's actions caused him to lose face in front of his superiors, a mature politician always puts aside personal emotions when he needs you, and all revenge is dealt with afterward.

Sha Ruijin, on the other hand, would use you for his work while simultaneously ruthlessly targeting your son. To say he lacked political finesse is already an understatement.

It should be noted that even though Zhang Xiu killed Cao Cao's son Cao Ang and his general Dian Wei, the Prime Minister still accepted Zhang Xiu's surrender. Only after thoroughly pacifying Wancheng did Zhang Xiu's surrender come as a surprise.

As for why Zhang Xiu killed Cao Ang and Dian Wei, that's none of your business.

Sensing Sha Ruijin's inclination, Wu Chunlin cautiously asked, "What position would be best for him?"

Sha Ruijin: "What position?"

Wu Chunlin considered for a moment: "Handong Oil and Gas Group is currently short of a director of the supervision office. It is a division-level unit, but we can also appoint a deputy director-general level official."

This position wasn't the one he initially decided on; it was a more peripheral one. He only changed it at the last minute because he sensed Sha Ruijin's attitude.

Sha Ruijin nodded slightly: "Okay. Let's vote by raising our hands."

After he finished speaking, he was the first to raise his hand in the video.

Sha Ruijin raised his hand, followed closely by Tian Guofu. In the conference room, Gao Yuliang lowered his gaze and slowly raised his hand. Qi Tongwei raised his hand expressionlessly. Li Dakang glanced at the screen and also raised his hand. The other Standing Committee members, regardless of their inner thoughts, also raised their hands at this moment.

Passed unanimously.

Chapter 117 After the Meeting

The online Standing Committee meeting has ended, and the squares on the screen have gone dark one by one, like a grand play temporarily coming to a close.

However, every participant knows full well that the real contest never takes place on the open.

The amicable agreement or disagreement on the screen is just the tip of the iceberg.

Beneath the surface, the private exchanges, the communication of interests, and the probing of opposing camps are only just beginning.

The members of the Standing Committee who were present disconnected in twos and threes.

Those who are close to each other and belong to the same political ecosystem will immediately regroup through other, safer channels, digesting every signal and every foreshadowing revealed in the meeting.

Sha Ruijin and Tian Guofu, who were in the same small conference room, naturally found it easiest to communicate.

In the conference room of the Yantai Hotel, as soon as the camera was turned off, Sha Ruijin breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in his large chair, but the seriousness on his face did not lessen at all.

Tian Guofu sat to his side, moving a little slower, his expression showing lingering fear.

“This Qi Tongwei,” Tian Guofu picked up his cold tea and took a sip, breaking the silence, “I was really scared out of my wits just now. When he first proposed to thoroughly investigate the Dafeng Factory land issue ‘in accordance with laws and regulations,’ I thought… he saw that Zhao Lichun was already a grasshopper in autumn and couldn’t wait to kick him while he was down.”

He paused, a hint of relief and relief on his face: "Fortunately, he still knows his limits."

However, Sha Ruijin frowned, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, his eyes filled with seriousness, clearly preoccupied with something.

Tian Guofu's heart tightened slightly, and he cautiously probed, "Secretary Sha, is there any other problem? Qi Tongwei's final statement was very convincing and stabilized the situation. The Zhao family's power in Handong shouldn't make any misjudgments because of this and cause new turmoil."

Sha Ruijin slowly shook his head, his voice low: "I'm not thinking about the matter itself. From the perspective of emergency response and loss mitigation, his approach was indeed much better than Li Dakang's stubborn and reckless approach. If it weren't for his final proposal, if we had really followed Li Dakang's initial idea of ​​'government backing up,' we would probably have lost more points with our superiors and faced harsher accountability. For this, both publicly and privately, I am grateful to him."

"So you're considering how to communicate with and appease Comrade Chen Yanshi?" Tian Guofu guessed.

“Chen Yanshi?” Sha Ruijin let out a barely audible sneer, a laugh filled with undisguised contempt. “What’s there to consider? Since he’s gone to such lengths, even creating chaos, to squeeze onto my side, he’s no longer some 'selfless' old revolutionary or old prosecutor. He… has no right to negotiate with me now. He needs to demonstrate his abilities to pave the way for his son Chen Hai’s future, not for me to make any promises to him.”

"Just tell him directly."

In his eyes, the "knife" that Chen Yanshi painstakingly honed, which he thought was incomparably sharp and could serve as a pledge of loyalty, not only failed to pave the way for him in the 116 incident, but instead cut him, the knife-wielder, first. Now the blade itself has broken.

What right does a useless, potentially harmful, dull knife have to be valued by its owner?

Sha Ruijin abruptly changed the subject, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Tian Guofu, posing a more crucial question that had been bothering him: "Secretary Tian, ​​have you noticed a detail?"

"What's the problem?"

“When I clearly stated at the meeting that I rejected Qi Tongwei’s initial radical suggestion to thoroughly investigate the compliance of the Dafeng Factory land, although most of the Standing Committee members present breathed a sigh of relief—they were afraid of endless investigations and turmoil—but,” Sha Ruijin paused deliberately, emphasizing each word, “their faces still showed surprise and uncertainty. More importantly, more than one person, after I finished speaking, did not look at me first, but subconsciously and quickly glanced in the direction where Qi Tongwei was!”

Tian Guofu's eyes flickered slightly as he tried to smooth things over: "Well... after all, he was the one who first made that suggestion, so it's understandable that everyone wants to see his reaction."

“Secretary Tian, ​​there are only the two of us here, so you don’t need to play dumb.” Sha Ruijin waved his hand, his tone cold and insightful. “They went to see Qi Tongwei because they wanted to know his decision and confirm his attitude! What does this mean? It means that what I, as the top leader, said at the meeting, though seemingly decisive, didn’t actually carry any real weight.”

He stood up, walked to the window, his back to Tian Guofu, and his voice betrayed a suppressed anxiety:

"Weight equates to status, and status equates to power. The fact that everyone subconsciously checks Qi Tongwei's attitude, even if it's just a fleeting glance, is enough to show that in the hearts of many, especially the local bullies, my 'authority' as the new provincial party secretary has not yet been truly established, or at least, I haven't formed absolute control."

As the top leader, he is required to control all power; this is the requirement of his position and cannot be changed by any other will.

Even if a subordinate has a powerful background, receives support from local forces, or is exceptionally capable, if he cannot control them, it is his dereliction of duty.

But he wasn't afraid; instead, a surge of pride welled up inside him. This confidence, born from years of experience and holding great power, made him mutter to himself with self-assurance:

"It seems that I still have a long way to go if I want to really accomplish something in Handong and firmly grasp power in my hands."

On the other side, the Hantong Provincial Party Committee building.

After the online meeting ended, Qi Tongwei did not immediately return to his office like the others. He paused briefly, then quickened his pace to catch up with Gao Yuliang, who had left earlier.

Their eyes met, and without a word, they walked into Gao Yuliang's office one after the other.

The door closed, cutting off outside view. Gao Yuliang smiled gently and personally poured Qi Tongwei a cup of tea, his movements slow and deliberate, as if the tense online meeting had never happened.

"What? Aren't you going to avoid suspicion anymore?" Gao Yuliang gently pushed the teacup towards me, his tone teasing like an elder. "Rushing here to me at this hour, aren't you afraid that others will see us and suspect that we were 'pretending to fall out' before, but actually secretly having an affair?"

Qi Tongwei took the teacup, leaned back in the sofa with a relaxed posture, and smiled: "Teacher, quite the opposite. Such a big thing just happened, and there were so many witty exchanges at the Standing Committee meeting. If I didn't come to communicate with you, it would seem abnormal and would really arouse suspicion."

Mature politicians are not temperamental children.

As long as there's no public falling out or a life-or-death situation, necessary communication, coordination, and even private transactions will continue as usual under seemingly legitimate pretexts.

Superficial opposition and tacit understanding often coexist.

Qi Tongwei took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.

Gao Yuliang saw this and sat down opposite him, picking up his own cup as well. He asked with a half-smile, "What? Are you so happy to have sent Chen Hai to a place like Handong Oil and Gas Group? It's been so many years, why are you still holding onto this? You're about to take charge of a provincial government, you can't be so petty."

Qi Tongwei did not deny it, but nodded frankly and let out a long sigh: "In the end, I still couldn't hide it from your discerning eyes, teacher. The anger that I held in my heart when I was young somehow became an obsession, always stuck there. Now that I've finally let it out, I feel... a bit more relaxed."

Gao Yuliang shook his head slightly, with the感慨 of someone who had been through it all: "You... you can't say it all like that. Every cloud has a silver lining. If it weren't for Old Chen's firm opposition to your marriage with Chen Yang back then, your life trajectory might have been completely different. You might not have met He Xian, and you might not have had the opportunities and status you have today. From this perspective, you should thank Old Chen."

Qi Tongwei's smile faded slightly, and he shook his head in denial: "Teacher, I don't completely agree with what you said. What I want to thank is myself for not giving up when facing difficulties and setbacks, for struggling hard, and forging a path in the end, not for the difficulties and setbacks themselves. So, I don't thank Chen Yanshi at all."