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

Director Wang was taken aback by his question and subconsciously turned his head away to avoid that gaze.

Seeing this, Qi Tongwei sneered, his tone growing even colder: "Since you never intended to get involved in the first place, why are you pretending to be a good person now?"

These words were like a needle, precisely piercing through Director Wang's carefully constructed composure. He deflated like a punctured balloon, his shoulders slumping, his voice tinged with helplessness and a hint of complaint: "I... I'm just a lowly director, how can I fight against the Liang family? I just want to protect myself! Why... why do you have to drag me into this? Besides..."

"Director Wang!" Qi Tongwei suddenly raised his voice, interrupting him, his eyes blazing. "How can I, a lowly police officer who isn't even a deputy section chief, possibly fight against the Liang family?!"

He took a step forward, staring intently at the other person. His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried immense weight, brimming with long-suppressed anger: "When powerful figures bully me, you stand by and watch coldly. When I fight back, do I have to be careful not to splatter blood on you?"

"I'd rather kneel and wait to die!!!"

Director Wang's lips moved, his face flushing red and then pale, as if he wanted to explain something, but in the end he couldn't utter a single word. He just sighed heavily, slumped onto his bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Qi Tongwei ignored him, picked up a basin and towel, and went to the washroom to wash up. The warm water washed over his face, soothing the emotional turmoil from their earlier confrontation. Back in his room, he acted as if no one else was there, picking up the newspaper from the table, leaning against the headboard, and reading intently.

He felt no remorse whatsoever for the situation that Director Wang might face.

He saw it clearly: the so-called "help" from Director Wang was actually insignificant and was merely a prelude.

The higher-ups arranged for him to live with them, hoping to use this seemingly friendly relationship to appease them and ensure that no mistakes were made during the conference.

However, to truly appease someone, you always have to offer something tangible—a sincere attitude, real resources to help, or a promise for the future.

But what about Director Wang? He didn't want to pay any price, nor did he want to associate too closely with Qi Tongwei, lest he displease the Liang family. So, after initially invoking the deputy director's warning and making it clear that "don't cause trouble," he immediately adopted a strategy of "avoiding and keeping his distance."

He might have been secretly pleased with himself, thinking that since Qi Tongwei came from a rural background and hadn't dared to speak frankly in front of Director Ding of the People's Public Security Daily last time, he figured that Qi Tongwei would be too incompetent to speak properly in front of such a powerful figure as the minister, and that nothing would go wrong.

These past few days, he's probably still basking in his own "wit" and "prudence."

Now that this has happened, although there is no direct punishment for Director Wang in terms of the incident itself, his previous deliberate aloofness and inaction have undoubtedly been noticed by many with ulterior motives. In the eyes of his superiors, this is dereliction of duty—he clearly failed to complete the "stability maintenance" task assigned to him by his superiors. He cannot escape this evaluation.

Qi Tongwei knew that Director Wang was the kind of "nice guy" commonly found in government offices, striving not to offend anyone or take sides. But precisely because he adhered to these two "no's," it was often accompanied by another "no'"—not doing anything.

This is not necessarily due to subjective laziness, but rather because this philosophy of survival makes it difficult for him to achieve anything: not taking sides means he lacks strong support from above; not offending anyone means he lacks the necessary deterrent power over his peers and subordinates.

Such people are often the hardworking "workhorses" in their workplaces, the pillars that keep things running, but they rarely get a chance to be promoted.

This incident, while not a major one for Director Wang—it won't violate any overt disciplinary rules or result in any formal punishment—is not insignificant either. It will inevitably affect his image and performance rating in the eyes of key leaders, potentially jeopardizing his already slim chances of promotion.

But Qi Tongwei didn't care at all: What does it have to do with me?

Although he had just made up his mind to walk the straight path in this life, the straight path doesn't mean becoming a saint.

After studying for half an hour, at 11 p.m., Qi Tongwei turned off the lights and went to bed on time. Only the two of them could be heard breathing softly in the room. They did not speak for the rest of the night.

……

The following morning, the conference held a grand and enthusiastic closing ceremony. During his concluding remarks, the minister specifically mentioned Qi Tongwei, saying in a loud and clear voice:

"...Our team is not only an iron fist in the fight against crime, but also a fertile ground for cultivating talent. Just like Comrade Qi Tongwei, who was recently awarded the title of First-Class Hero, he not only displayed bravery on the front lines of drug enforcement, but also never forgot to pursue progress, earning a doctorate in economics from Peking University through his own efforts! This fully demonstrates the high level of comprehensive quality of our public security officers, and also reflects the excellent environment in our country that respects knowledge and encourages learning! We hope that all comrades can be like him, maintaining their enthusiasm for learning, constantly improving themselves, and making greater contributions to the country and the people!"

In an instant, all eyes in the audience turned to where Qi Tongwei was. There was envy and curiosity in their gazes, but very little surprise—clearly, his story as a "model student" had spread through various informal channels among the attendees at all levels in just one night.

When it comes to spreading gossip, the Chinese have never been efficient in terms of age, status, or gender.

After the meeting and lunch, Qi Tongwei returned with the main force of the Handong Provincial Public Security Bureau. Along the way, almost no one in the group took the initiative to talk to him, but he could clearly feel that people were secretly pointing at him from time to time, accompanied by suppressed whispers.

Qi Tongwei ignored this and took out his economics books, immersing himself in his own reading world.

His calm and composed demeanor, coupled with his dedication to learning, drew even more whispers and gasps of admiration. Several older women with children couldn't help but murmur, "Look at him... if only our son were half as hardworking..."

When the train arrived in Jingzhou, it was already evening. Qi Tongwei acted as if nothing had happened, carrying his luggage and checking into the provincial public security bureau's single dormitory.

He's about to resign, everyone knows he's about to resign, but as long as his resignation letter hasn't been formally submitted, no one can stop him from staying here for any reason.

After putting down his luggage, he went straight to a phone booth. He first dialed Professor Gao Yuliang's home phone to inform him that he had been admitted to Peking University.

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuliang said "good" three times, his tone full of satisfaction. The two agreed to meet at Handong University the following afternoon for a detailed discussion.

Then, he called the Economics Department office at Aurora University. The staff member who answered the phone told him that Professor Shen Yi was not there, so Qi Tongwei asked the staff member to pass on a message to Professor Shen: "Please tell Professor Shen that Qi Tongwei has passed the exam."

After finishing all this, he returned to his dormitory. This time, he didn't immediately start reading. Instead, he took out paper and pen and quietly began planning his upcoming itinerary. He had a month's vacation left before his scheduled reporting date with Professor Li Yiqing. After deducting the four days spent waiting for the meeting at the Ministry of Public Security and the five days spent on the meeting and return trip, he had 21 days left.

He plans to visit Teacher Gao tomorrow, and then return to Yantai County to complete his resignation and handover procedures.

He gave himself two weeks for this task. Normally, two weeks wouldn't be enough for the resignation process, but since his case has "reached the highest levels," he'll likely be given special consideration.

Given that the situation is already settled and everyone is watching, the Liang family probably won't create any more obstacles; doing so would only make them seem petty.

If he had any spare time, he would go back to his hometown to see his parents. Since his rebirth, he had been busy breaking through his current predicament and preparing for exams, and hadn't seen them for a long time. Thinking of this, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

Chapter 18 Liang Family Dinner

Let's rewind to last night. While Qi Tongwei was still drinking with the heroes and role models at the awards banquet, the Liang family's villa was already in an uproar.

Despite her resentment at repeatedly failing to track down Qi Tongwei, Liang Jin had already accepted the money and had no choice but to proceed.

He approached his sister Liang Lu again, and with sweet talk and oaths, finally persuaded her to speak on his behalf to their father and get the personnel transfer that he was supposed to arrange for the money he was paid to be finalized.

As for Qi Tongwei, "He'll eventually go back to work in Handong. We'll find a way to get leverage over him then, and you'll be able to do whatever you want with him."

Seeing that her younger brother and sister-in-law were constantly circling around their father, fearing that she would be taken advantage of, Liang Yu followed closely behind, looking for an opportunity to gain some benefits.

At the time, the Liang family was holding a family gathering. Liang Qunfeng sat alone in the main seat. His wife had passed away early, and he had not remarried for many years.

His three children sat around him, while his grandchildren played around nearby. The atmosphere was harmonious, thanks to everyone's deliberate flattery. Liang Qunfeng enjoyed this rare moment of family bliss, but he was perfectly aware of his children's thoughts.

At the age of sixty-one, he knew that there was no possibility of further advancement in his career. At first, he did not care much about his children's requests, but now he gradually wanted to use family affection to fill the emptiness left by his waning desire for power.

He was already inclined to agree to his son's request, but he wanted to "pull things out a little longer" so that they would know how hard-won it was and cherish it even more—a little trick for managing both subordinates and family.

At this moment, Liang Jin was having his youngest son perform a program he had just learned for his grandfather. Liang Qunfeng was amused by his grandson's childlike innocence and burst into laughter.

There was a gentle knock on the restaurant door, and the nanny, Aunt Feng, pushed it open and announced, "Secretary, there's a phone call for you. It's from the secretary of Director Xu of the Provincial Department. It's urgent."

Liang Qunfeng's smile faded slightly. A phone call at this hour must mean something important. He got up and walked towards his study, and the atmosphere in the dining room suddenly cooled as he left.

Liang Yu and Liang Jin slowly drank their wine, while Liang Lu chatted idly with her two sisters-in-law. The two children clamored for another bottle of Coke.

About ten minutes later, Liang Qunfeng returned to the restaurant with a sullen face. Everyone quickly stood up, but he did not sit down. His gaze swept over his three children: "Eldest son, second son, and Xiaolu, come to the study."

After saying that, he turned and left. The three looked at each other in bewilderment and quickly followed him inside.

Inside the study, Liang Qunfeng sat down behind the large desk. After the three of them stood still, he got straight to the point: "Just now, Director Xu's secretary called," he said in a calm tone, yet with an undeniable authority, "At the Ministry of Public Security's commendation banquet tonight, Qi Tongwei announced in front of the Minister that he had been admitted to Professor Li Yiqing's doctoral program in economics at Peking University and offered his resignation. The Minister immediately expressed his support and offered encouragement."

Liang Lu immediately became anxious upon hearing this: "How can this be! Dad, he insulted me like that, how can we let him go so easily?"

Liang Qunfeng's face darkened: "Nonsense! The minister has personally stated his position and set the tone. Who would dare to play tricks on this matter?"

"I don't care!" Liang Lu retorted defiantly, her temper flaring. "You promised me you'd take care of Qi Tongwei when he got back! The minister isn't your direct superior, why are you..."

"Shut up!" Liang Qunfeng roared, slamming his hand on the desk. "You're so arrogant! Your mother died early, and I really spoiled you rotten! You think the minister is just the Minister of Public Security? He's also a member of the State Council, a real vice-G-level leader, two whole levels higher than your father! He set the tone, and I'm going to argue with him and slap him in the face for some personal feelings? Ridiculous!"

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, a complex admiration flashing in his eyes: "This kid... he's really cautious and patient. He passed the exam a long time ago, but he kept quiet until he found this opportunity to get the minister to personally endorse him. A promising young man indeed!"

He turned to his two sons, who had remained silent, and his tone became probing: "Even if the minister doesn't say anything, just the fact that he passed the doctoral entrance exam for Professor Li Yiqing, tell me, should I let him go?"

Liang Yu, being straightforward, muttered first, "I've seen plenty of lousy teachers. If the minister hadn't spoken up, who would have paid him any attention?"

Liang Jin, however, was more suspicious and hesitated before saying, "Dad, Qi Tongwei has shown so little respect to our family. Even if we let him go, we can't let him get away with it too easily, right? At least... in his file..."

Liang Qunfeng sighed. Although he had long known that his two sons were mediocre, he still couldn't help but feel sorry for them. Nevertheless, he asked, "Do you know Professor Li Yiqing's identity?"

Liang Lu interjected, "He's just a teacher. The fact that he can meet with high-ranking officials is like how Teacher Gao can contact you. What power does Gao Yuliang have? You don't necessarily have to listen to him!"

"Utterly foolish!" Before Liang Lu could retort, he changed the subject: "Do you know why the propaganda system is important, and why propaganda ministers are basically guaranteed a seat on the Politburo Standing Committee?"

He glanced at his three children and said earnestly, "Besides controlling public opinion and setting the tone, what's more crucial is that they control an important channel for superiors to understand the situation below. Leaders at any level must have multiple information channels in order not to be misled by their subordinates—reports from subordinates, inquiries from trusted confidants, and newspapers, internal reports, and television news from the propaganda system."

"Whether a policy, an official, or a political achievement is vigorously promoted by the propaganda system makes a world of difference in the leader's perception of it. A think tank chief like Professor Li, who can frequently meet with top leaders, is himself an extremely important information channel, and his influence far surpasses that of Gao Yuliang. If he were to casually mention it on some occasion, it might not directly do anything to me, but the indirect impact would be immeasurable."

"More importantly, once this matter attracts the attention of higher-ups and they order an investigation, many things will not stand up to scrutiny. In the end, Qi Tongwei will still leave, but we will have to pay an unnecessary price."

"Since the outcome cannot be changed, why choose a way that is harmful and useless to oneself? This is a foolish thing that a mature politician would never do."

He finally informed them of Director Xu's actual arrangements: "Director Xu's secretary said that the department plans to transfer Qi Tongwei to the Provincial Narcotics Control Brigade as a chief clerk in the Political Department, clearly at the level of a section chief. Then, they will process his leave of absence without pay and support him in pursuing a doctoral degree while still employed."

"I've already agreed over the phone."

This arrangement not only saved face for the minister and preserved his reputation for valuing talent, but also left a subtle connection within the institutional framework, making it watertight.

Chapter 19 Qi Tongwei's True Purpose

Liang Lu's scream shattered the tranquility of the study. Her delicate face was contorted with rage: "No way! I haven't made him pay yet, how can I let him just leave like this? And with a promotion?! What about all the effort I've put into suppressing him these past two years? I'll become the laughingstock of everyone at Handong University!"

Completely blinded by rage, she began to speak recklessly: "What's wrong with Xu Hong? He's completely disregarding the Liang family! Who gave him permission to promote Qi Tongwei without authorization?"

"Shut up!" Liang Qunfeng slammed his hand on the table, making the pen holder jump. "Lawless! How dare you call Xu Hong by his name? He's a deputy provincial-level cadre like me, the top official in the Handong Province Public Security System, in charge of 100,000 police officers, not your babysitter!"

He suppressed his anger and said, word by word, "Moreover, he and I are not on the same side; he is the governor's man. Although he is required to be under the leadership of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission according to regulations, I still address him as 'Comrade Xu Hong' whenever we meet."

"The things you've done have put him in a very passive position within the ministry, and he's already expressed his dissatisfaction with me. The fact that he only had his secretary call me just now is proof of that—although the secretary said he couldn't get away from the banquet, don't you understand the implications?"

Seeing that Liang Lu was about to argue, Liang Qunfeng coldly interrupted, "Besides, Qi Tongwei graduated with a master's degree from Handong University. According to regulations, he could be directly appointed as a deputy section chief upon graduation. Now that he has made a great contribution, it is only right to appoint him as a section chief. The whole department knows about this now. Although Qi Tongwei has maintained a facade of civility and hasn't said it outright, which of these old foxes doesn't understand? Appointing him as a section chief now is to make amends, to clean up your mess!"

He glanced at his three children, his tone growing increasingly stern: "Besides, in two or three years, after graduating with a PhD from Peking University and with Professor Li Yiqing's recommendation, he'll definitely start as a section chief in a national ministry. What does this section chief position mean to him, being on unpaid leave without a salary?"

"This position of chief clerk is not what he wanted; it's what we're going to give him so that the higher-ups can see."

What Liang Qunfeng didn't say was that there are some differences between taking a leave of absence without pay to pursue a doctorate and resigning to pursue a doctorate. Taking a leave of absence without pay allows for continuous calculation of seniority, and more importantly, in official narratives, it is seen as the organization's cultivation and recognition of talent, and is a prestigious resume.

Resigning to take the postgraduate entrance exam signifies a personal choice, often implying conflict with one's former employer, and carries the label of "outsider" or "latecomer."

This is similar to divorce. Even if it's entirely the other party's fault, outsiders will always view it with suspicion from the first impression.

Am I supposed to explain this to everyone I meet?

Professor Li Yiqing understood this point, but when he looked at Qi Tongwei's resume, he knew that this young man must be in a difficult situation at the grassroots level, so he took the initiative to ask him to resign so as not to embarrass Qi Tongwei.

As a professor at Peking University and a leading figure in academia, how could he not find any strong laborers at Peking University?

Moreover, he was confident enough—how could I, Li Yiqing's student, not be able to arrange a good job?

Liang Qunfeng naturally understood all this, but he would never say it out loud at this moment, lest he add fuel to the fire in Liang Lu's emotions. Besides, he and Li Yiqing shared the same opinion, believing that these two points wouldn't have a significant impact. With Li Yiqing's endorsement, these labels would naturally disappear after Qi Tongwei worked at the new unit for a while.

Qi Tongwei, who had spent two years navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, was also aware of these things. He had never been a perfectionist idealist. So, what was the purpose of this early planning and risky scheme?

In fact, when the interview notice arrived, Gao Yuliang had suggested that he discuss with Professor Li Yiqing about postponing the interview time.

He refused.

This is a perfectly legitimate request, and it would provide at least ten more days of preparation time. If Professor Li has subsequent meetings or research plans, it could even extend the preparation time further. For Qi Tongwei, who has only been studying for three months, every extra day of preparation means a greater chance of success.

He gave up the opportunity to be admitted to Peking University, which had a higher chance of success, and chose to face the minister directly at the banquet, taking on "unnecessary" risks. He also knew that as long as he was admitted, even without the minister's support, Liang Qunfeng would not stop him from leaving Handong to study.