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

When Zhao Ruilong got out of bed at the Shanshui Manor, it was already past ten in the morning.

He rubbed his temples, which were still throbbing from a hangover. He had been in a bad mood the night before and had drunk quite a bit. The effects of the alcohol hadn't worn off yet, but the thought of the billion-dollar "loss" was like a steel nail stuck in his mind, keeping him constantly occupied.

He quickly washed up, changed into a dark suit, and instead of wearing his flashy Rolex, opted for a more understated Longines. In the mirror, he looked like a respectable businessman, not the playboy from Beijing.

He grinned at himself in the mirror, a hint of self-deprecation in his eyes: "Damn, I have to go myself this time. That old fox Liu Xinjian is as cowardly as a mouse. He kept making excuses on the phone. I have to put him in his place."

Zhao Ruilong drove straight to the headquarters of Handong Oil and Gas Group.

The glass-walled building stood tall in the high-tech zone, its entrance lined with official vehicles and tanker trucks. The security guards, recognizing his license plate, respectfully let him through. He knew the area well, heading straight to the top floor, to Liu Xinjian's office.

When Secretary Wang saw him enter, she stood up to greet him, "Young Master Zhao, what brings you here in person? President Liu is in a meeting, would you please wait a moment?"

Zhao Ruilong waved his hand, a cynical smile on his face: "Wait my ass, go tell Liu Xinjian that I'm here and it's urgent."

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Xiao Wang's face, but he dared not delay and quickly went inside to report.

A moment later, Liu Xinjian pushed open the door and came out, dressed in a sharp suit, his hair slicked back, and wearing a standard official smile: "Oh, Ruilong, what brings you here? Please, have a seat! Xiao Wang, bring some tea!"

The two sat down, and Liu Xinjian personally poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to him, his eyes narrowed to slits, his tone polite yet probing: "Ruilong, what brings you here?"

Zhao Ruilong took the teacup, took a sip, casually placed it on the table, crossed his legs, and got straight to the point: "Brother Liu, let's not beat around the bush. You know about the Dafeng Factory land, it was supposed to be a done deal, but now it's turned into this mess. The higher-ups are pressuring me to pay an additional 1 billion yuan in land transfer fees. I'll have to get that money from you. Uh, I misspoke, not take, I'll borrow. I'll use the Dafeng Factory land as collateral to borrow 1 billion yuan from the oil and gas group, with interest rates at market rates, and pay it off in three years."

Liu Xinjian frowned slightly, put down his teacup, his smile unchanged, but a hint of wariness flashed in his eyes: "Ruilong, this isn't a small amount. The oil and gas group is a state-owned enterprise, and there are regulations on how funds can be used. How can I just lend it out like that? What about your father's side..."

Zhao Ruilong interrupted him, raising his voice slightly, his tone arrogant and unruly: "Brother Liu, don't bring this up with me. My dad is about to retire and doesn't want to deal with this mess. But Brother Liu, you followed my dad up from the bottom, haven't we treated you well? Now that I'm in trouble, you're making excuses, are you trying to switch sides?"

Liu Xinjian's smile froze for a moment, and he quickly waved his hand: "Ruilong, what are you saying? I, Liu Xinjian, have been Secretary Zhao's man for life. This matter... I need to think about it. The procedures have to be followed properly. The collateral is good, but the board of directors needs to approve it, and the reporting is troublesome. What if the higher-ups investigate..."

Zhao Ruilong sneered, leaned forward, stared into Liu Xinjian's eyes, and said in an unquestionable tone, "Procedures? You handle it. I'll have someone prepare the mortgage documents thoroughly, ensuring no one can find fault with them."

Zhao Ruilong was confident. Before, when he approached Liu Xinjian, he was doing business with no capital. Now, he had actually mortgaged a piece of land worth 10 billion yuan. What problems could there be?

"You've been able to stay in your position at the oil and gas group all these years thanks to my family's connections. Now that something's come up, don't tell me you can't handle it. Brother Liu, do me a favor, and I, Zhao Ruilong, will remember this favor. Although my father is retiring, the Zhao family's network of connections is still there. It's more than enough to guarantee you a minor position as the chairman of a state-owned enterprise at the ministerial level."

After a moment's consideration, Liu Xinjian's forehead was covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

He knew Zhao Ruilong's temper; relying on Zhao Lichun's remaining influence, he was used to being arrogant and could not be offended.

Moreover, the oil and gas group has had numerous shady dealings with the Shanshui Group over the years. He sighed and nodded reluctantly.

“Alright, Ruilong, since you’ve brought it up, I’ll give it a try. But we need to keep a low profile; the mortgage paperwork must be complete.”

Zhao Ruilong smiled with satisfaction and patted Liu Xinjian on the shoulder: "That's right, Brother Liu, you're a smart man. There's one more thing I'd like to ask you for a favor."

He paused, a sinister glint in his eyes: "That kid Chen Hai, he's been transferred to your group's inspection office now, right? His father, Chen Yanshi, stabbed me in the back. The whole Dafeng Factory thing was that old bastard's doing. Help me get revenge, find a reason to teach him a lesson. Don't make it too easy, let him know what's what."

Liu Xinjian was taken aback, his expression changing slightly: "Ruilong, this... is not easy. Chen Hai comes from the procuratorial system and has a powerful background. Chen Yanshi is an old revolutionary, even Secretary Sha has to give him some face. This is a business, not a political and legal department, touching him... is too risky."

Zhao Ruilong's eyes turned cold, and his voice, though low, carried an undeniable authority: "Brother Liu, what are you afraid of? Chen Hai has been demoted, with Sha Ruijin's personal approval. His father, Chen Yanshi, has gotten himself into serious trouble this time, and the higher-ups are holding him accountable. Secretary Sha wants nothing more than to stay away from him. Just find any project and have him investigate it, dig a pit for him, and let him jump in. He's new here; isn't that simple?"

Then, he adopted a serious tone: "We're all in the same boat now. This is a critical time. If we don't show some toughness, everyone will want to kick us while we're down."

Liu Xinjian's heart skipped a beat, knowing that Zhao Ruilong was using both soft and hard tactics. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and forced a smile: "Alright, alright, Ruilong, don't worry, I'll arrange it. Give Chen Hai a tricky job and let him deal with it himself."

Zhao Ruilong stood up, grasped Liu Xinjian's hand, and squeezed it firmly: "Thanks, Brother Liu! I trust you to handle things."

He was secretly pleased; not only had he transferred a billion yuan, but he'd also gotten his revenge. As he left, he dialed Zhao Xiaohui's number: "Second Sister, it's done. Liu Xinjian agreed. This time, he'll pay back the IOU he owes me."

Zhao Xiaohui reminded him over the phone, "Ruilong, don't be too high-profile. Handong is under pressure right now, and Sha Ruijin and Qi Tongwei are not to be underestimated. We need to keep a low profile."

Zhao Ruilong snorted: "I know, Second Sister. I'll go and get the paperwork done to pay the land transfer fee and secure the land."

After hanging up the phone, he drove straight to the Jingzhou Municipal Finance Bureau.

At the same time, the Supervision Office of Handong Oil and Gas Group.

Chen Hai carried his briefcase alone and walked into the secluded office.

The room was in a corner of the group's building, with the window facing the backyard parking lot, which was covered in a thick layer of dust.

He tidied up briefly, put his bag on the table, sat down in the creaky chair, looked around, and felt an indescribable desolation welling up inside him.

It's supposed to be the supervisory office of a large state-owned enterprise; the office space shouldn't be this dilapidated. This is clearly a targeted attack.

He sighed, turned on his computer, and logged into the internal system.

The group has a vast archive that covers oil and gas projects throughout the province.

He casually flipped through a few documents, and through his deliberate search, he quickly discovered several suspicious points: a natural gas pipeline project, contracted by a subsidiary of the Shanshui Group, involved frequent and substantial financial transactions. His heart skipped a beat: "Something's wrong!"

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Liu Xinjian's secretary, Xiao Wang, walked in with a beaming smile: "Director Chen, hello. Mr. Liu asked me to come and ask how you've settled in. Please let me know if you need anything."

Chen Hai became alert, but responded politely on the surface: "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Liu. Everything is fine. I'm new here, so I'm getting familiar with the situation first."

He paused, then tentatively asked, "Is Mr. Liu busy? I'd like to pay him a visit and give him a report."

Xiao Wang smiled and said, "President Liu is in a meeting. I'll take you there when he's free." He handed over a document: "This is information on several key projects of the group recently. President Liu said you can take a look first. If you have any questions, just ask him directly."

Chen Hai took the document, outwardly calm, but inwardly he was thinking: Liu Xinjian's eagerness was definitely suspicious. He opened the document, and the first page was about the natural gas pipeline project, with the contractor being none other than the Shanshui Group.

He thought to himself, "Dad is right, there's definitely something fishy going on here. I have to be careful not to alert them."

After Xiao Wang left, Chen Hai came to the door and continued browsing.

He singled out all the projects and financial transactions of the oil and gas group and the mountain and water group, carefully investigated them, and looked for any illegal transactions.

As the sun set, he rubbed his eyes and muttered to himself, "Qi Tongwei, you wait, I will definitely come back."

Meanwhile, in Liu Xinjian's office on the top floor, Liu Xinjian put down the loan documents for Shanshui Group and asked Xiao Wang, who was standing next to him, "What has Chen Hai been doing all day?"

Secretary Xiao Wang replied, "I've been looking at documents in the office the whole time. The people in the technical department have been looking at them from the back office. They've only seen the projects and financial transactions between the group and the Shanshui Group."

Liu Xinjian was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "All of them? Without any attempt to conceal them?"

Xiao Wang: "Yes, I didn't expect that either."

The intranet only provides Chen Hai with publicly available information, but access records are left behind; it's just that generally no one specifically checks them.

Liu Xinjian smiled and said, "He's like a flower bud in a greenhouse. It seems we don't need to put much effort into him."

The Provincial Party Committee Building, Qi Tongwei's office.

Qi Tongwei leaned back in his chair, listening to Huang Qiaosong's report.

"Governor Qi, Zhao Ruilong went to the oil and gas group today and talked with Liu Xinjian for a long time. He came out with a smile on his face. I guess they reached some kind of deal," Huang Qiaosong said in a low voice.

Qi Tongwei nodded: "Did he pay the land transfer fee for Dafeng Factory?"

"Yes, one billion. There was no bargaining. The payment has been confirmed, and we are currently raising funds. The Jingzhou Municipal Finance Bureau has confirmed it."

Qi Tongwei smiled and said, "Young Master Zhao acted quickly, but he was still being petty. The money from the oil and gas group is not so easy to take, especially at this time. Keep an eye on it, especially the financial movements of the oil and gas group."

Huang Qiaosong responded and then said, "Secretary Gao asked me to tell you that he has recommended candidates for several key positions in the political and legal system. In particular, he wants to recommend Tao Qingjian, the executive deputy procurator of Lüzhou City, for the vacant position of director of the anti-corruption bureau of the provincial procuratorate. Tao Qingjian is an old comrade of the Handa clique, with sufficient qualifications and strong abilities."

A profound meaning flashed in Qi Tongwei's eyes.

Tao Qingjian was his preferred candidate, but he was also Gao Yuliang's confidant, decisive and swift as a knife.

Teacher Gao took the initiative to recommend him, and the two of them were in the same boat. He had already made contact with Tao Qingjian through Dong Dingfang, but when he actually came to Jingzhou, the specific execution would depend on his abilities.

More importantly, the head of the anti-corruption bureau is at the deputy director-general level, and the case must be submitted to the higher-level procuratorate for review, although it is generally not rejected.

He pondered for a moment: "I agree, let's proceed with the procedures."

Qi Tongwei hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair.

The Han University clique was his foundation, but he wanted to control it more deeply and could not take over all of Gao Yuliang's old subordinates.

He wanted to cleanse the chaotic parts and inject fresh blood. Tao Qingjian... was a touchstone, and also his first tentacle reaching into the political and legal system.

Just as Qi Tongwei was about to get up and return to his temporary residence, the landline on the table suddenly rang again.

Caller ID: Zhong Zhengguo.

Qi Tongwei was slightly taken aback. Although Zhong Zhengguo was originally his superior, they were not from the same faction and rarely communicated. Why was Zhong calling him?

He answered, his voice steady and respectful: "Hello, old leader, why are you calling so late? What's up?"

On the other end of the phone, Zhong Zhengguo's voice carried a familiar deepness and authority; his speech was slow, but every word was clear:

"Tongwei, I won't beat around the bush with you. The position of Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Handong Province is vacant, and I know that you and Sha Ruijin are both keeping an eye on this candidate."

Qi Tongwei smiled and leaned back in his chair: "You're very well-informed. There is indeed a vacancy, but we've already decided on a candidate."

Zhong Zhengguo paused for a moment, then got straight to the point: "I would like to recommend someone—Hou Liangping, my son-in-law."

Qi Tongwei raised an eyebrow slightly, but his tone remained calm: "I know Director Hou. He's the head of the First Investigation Division of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, highly capable, incorruptible, and outstanding. Elder Zhong's intention... is to bring him to Handong?"

“Yes.” Zhong Zhengguo said without the slightest bit of politeness.

Qi Tongwei was stunned for a moment. Zhong Zhengguo probably didn't like this son-in-law. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let Hou Liangping, who was on such a big platform as the Supreme People's Procuratorate, remain just a director of the investigation department after so many years. He was even inferior to Chen Hai.

Now that Hou Liangping has almost reached the top, why are they concerned about his future?

Qi Tongwei smiled slightly: "Old Zhong, I have never doubted Comrade Liangping's abilities. But this position is sensitive, and the local authorities have their own considerations. I'm afraid..."

Zhong Zhengguo's voice was low: "I know there are voices of opinion locally, and Gao Yuliang definitely has his own candidates. But Tongwei, you are now the executive vice governor, the actual person in charge of the government, and a young cadre that the central government is focusing on cultivating. In this position, you have a lot of say."

He paused for a moment, his voice softening:

“I’ve always let him and Xiao Ai grow up on their own, but they’ve always been very filial to me. Now that I’m about to retire, seeing their current situation, and with Xiao Haoran still so young, I’m always worried about them. Sigh, I’ll help them out if I can!”

The paternal love was touching, but Qi Tongwei was cold-hearted and did not reply.

Zhong Zhengguo sighed and said, "Consider it a favor I owe you."

Qi Tongwei immediately smiled and said, "Comrade Liangping is highly capable and politically reliable. Handong is in dire need of such talent."

Chapter 122 Zhong Xiaoai's Husband Training

Beijing, a residential compound for employees of a ministry.

The cool autumn night breeze seeped in through the cracks in the half-open window, causing the curtains to sway gently.

Hou Liangping leaned back in his chair in the study, his mind replaying the phone call Zhong Zhengguo had made that afternoon.

"Liangping, the situation in Handong is complicated right now, but that's where you started. Your performance in previous years... was mediocre. Now, if you want to catch up, you can't just follow the old ways; you have to go all in. Think this through carefully; this might be your only chance in this lifetime."

My father-in-law's voice still echoed in my ears.

He rubbed his temples and heard the sound of a wardrobe opening and closing coming from the bedroom.

This life was arranged directly by Zhong Zhengguo, which saved Director Qin the trouble of asking him to go home and consult Zhong Xiaoai.

Pushing open the door, Zhong Xiaoai was standing in front of the open wardrobe. A dark gray suitcase was spread out on the floor, with several spare shirts already folded on it.