Qi Tongwei: Sign-in relationship started during student days

Chapter 1081 Bianxi ProvinceDongjiang Province (2)

"Once this system is broken, it will be like opening Pandora's box, and it will become the key for corrupt officials to seize absolute power."

Ten years is a systemic limit on the potential for corrupt power. Once this limit is broken, there will be no longer any time limit for corruption, because you will never know who holds absolute power.

Therefore, I hope you will always remember that in the future, the use of power, no matter what the motivation is, must be within a reasonable system.

Only in this way can our country truly move from rule by man to rule of law.

Qi Tongwei felt a chill run down his spine and nodded seriously, "Secretary Pei, I understand."

Pei Yihong smiled and stopped there, "Alright, let's get back to the main topic. You haven't told us your plans yet. Do you want to go to Bianxi Province or Dongjiang Province?"

Qi Tongwei said earnestly, "I have no objection. Wherever the organization needs me, I will go."

Pei Yihong nodded, "Alright, then you can wait for the organization's notification."

"Yes."

After speaking with Pei Yihong, Qi Tongwei went to see Zhao Anbang.

Coincidentally, Yu Huabei was also there.

The two seemed to be discussing Ningchuan's problems. When Qi Tongwei walked in, he only heard the words "Qian Huiren" and "corruption."

Qi Tongwei was startled. Qian Huiren was the mayor of Ningchuan City and a confidant of Zhao Anbang. If she was corrupt, would it affect Zhao Anbang's succession in the next election?

Before Qi Tongwei could listen carefully, the two noticed him and tacitly stopped the conversation.

Qi Tongwei could only pretend he hadn't heard anything and went up to greet him.

"Governor Anbang, Secretary Yu."

"Tongwei is here."

Zhao Anbang stood up, shook hands with Qi Tongwei, patted him heavily on the shoulder, and said with deep emotion, "Tongwei, this journey will be long and arduous. I don't know when we will meet again."

Upon witnessing this scene, Yu Huabei couldn't help but shed tears.

Among the group, Yu Huabei and Qi Tongwei had the deepest relationship. Since the millennium, Qi Tongwei had truly regarded Yu Huabei as an elder, and every time he returned to the provincial capital, he would stay in Yu Huabei's No. 3 villa.

Faced with the two people's sincere expressions, Qi Tongwei could only express his gratitude and had nothing else to say.

These three giants of Hanjiang really have nothing but praise for him; Beishan was able to rise so quickly.

Besides his accurate identification of the right direction, the support of the three individuals also played a crucial role.

Many projects were brought in by the three of them from above, for which they received a lot of complaints from their subordinates about favoritism.

After a few sighs and reflections, the atmosphere in the room gradually calmed down.

Zhao Anbang and Yu Huabei exchanged a glance, as if they had planned it beforehand, and began to give each other long, detailed instructions.

From how to balance the voices of different factions within the leadership team to how to find a path for development within the red lines of policy.

From the research methods of going deep into the grassroots to listen to the truth and understand the real situation before making decisions on major projects, to the balance of adhering to principles and being considerate of the people's feelings when facing petitioners.

They talked back and forth, as if they wanted to pour out all the experience and lessons they had learned in their decades of official careers and stuff them into Qi Tongwei's mind.

Their tone and expression had completely lost any semblance of the authority of provincial leaders; they were clearly two elders earnestly instructing a younger generation about to embark on a long journey.

Qi Tongwei listened very attentively, every word resonating deeply with him, and he felt he had benefited greatly.

The political acumen of these two individuals is beyond question; they would not be out of place serving as provincial party secretaries anywhere.

During his instructions, Zhao Anbang suddenly seemed to remember something, turned to look at Yu Huabei, and a smile appeared on his lips: "Old Yu, over the years, people in Hanjiang have always said that Tongwei's political style is very similar to mine back then."

"Old Yu, tell me, do we look alike or not?"

Yu Huabei nodded and said seriously, "It's just like it, it's so similar."

They are all people with a pioneering spirit in their bones, daring to try new things, bold and decisive. Once they've made up their minds, no matter how many obstacles lie ahead, they dare to make a firm decision and get started.

When Zhao Anbang was in charge of Ningchuan, he stepped on the red line of "self-funded development" and managed to transform a mediocre prefecture-level city into a pioneer of reform along the Han River, making it the first economic city in the province with a GDP exceeding 100 billion yuan.

As for Qi Tongwei, he settled in Beishan, a major industrial city in the north. Faced with a mess of workers leaving the country and financial deficits, he relied on his quick thinking and indomitable spirit to crack down on the chaos, attract investment and upgrade industries. He pulled an old industrial city on the verge of bankruptcy out of the mire and achieved a phoenix-like rebirth.

Beyond that, what's even more similar is that unyielding spirit ingrained in their bones, that political acumen to dare to draw their swords and win even when facing powerful forces.

"He's practically a carbon copy of you back then."

But then again, Tongwei is much more capable than you. Back when you were implementing reforms, you ran into a lot of trouble and almost failed.

Tongwei is different; not only did he make reforms remarkably successful, but his political skills are also far superior to yours back then.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Anbang immediately glared at him feigning anger, then laughed and scolded, "You still have the nerve to say that? If it weren't for you, the deputy secretary of the provincial discipline inspection commission, keeping a close eye on me back then, would I have ended up with so many bumps on my head?"

Several times, I almost got caught up in it and ended up with a 'political downfall'!

Upon hearing this, everyone laughed, and the atmosphere in the room immediately became more relaxed, as if the previous sorrow of parting had faded somewhat.

Zhao Anbang asked Qi Tongwei, "Old Pei talked to you, right? Where are you going this time?"

Qi Tongwei reported the facts truthfully.

Upon hearing that it was one of those two provinces, the two men frowned.

“You should go to Dongjiang Province,” Yu Huabei said.

Zhao Anbang, however, had a different opinion: "Hey, Lao Yu, why go to Dongjiang Province? You should go to Bianxi Province. I think Tongwei is needed there more."

Yu Huabei waved his hand, "Anbang, I know what you mean. You want Tongwei to carry out sweeping reforms."

But is it really that easy to reform the western border region?

Putting aside everything else, the resistance alone is unimaginably high.

Take Beishan and Hansteel as examples. If they don't take the final step, do you think the higher-ups will support a thorough reform?

Ben Tsai province is now incredibly wealthy; every time the coal mines are opened, money is made.

If Tongwei dares to reform and touch the coal mines, he will likely face malicious suppression from all sides before he even begins.

I think it's best to wait until the higher-ups are truly determined to carry out thorough reforms before Tongwei goes.

Besides, he's still young and lacks experience; it's best to give him more experience.

Zhao Anbang immediately fell silent.

Undeniably, what Yu Huabei said makes a lot of sense. Rather than wasting time going there now, it would be better to wait for the right opportunity and accumulate a few years of experience first.

Of course, Zhao Anbang wasn't unaware of this principle; it was just his personality that made him unwilling to back down when faced with difficulties.

Reform should be pursued relentlessly; retreat is the excuse of a coward.

"Tongwei, what do you think?" Zhao Anbang asked.

"To be honest, my opinion is similar to that of Secretary Yu. Both of you leaders know that I got my deputy provincial-level position through opportunism, so I was destined to never be a member of the Standing Committee."

Arriving in Bianxi Province, I had dozens of superiors to rely on. Facing such immense resistance, implementing reforms was truly difficult. But since the organization had this idea, I could only accept it and do my best.

"Is this what Committee Member Zhong means?" Zhao Anbang was skeptical. How could Zhong Wei not understand such a simple principle, which was clear to people in North China?

"Probably. There might be other reasons involved. Judging from what Secretary Pei said, it seems that the Xia family played some role in it."

Yu Huabei roughly understood, "Tongwei, they're trying to torment you."

Even though Qi Tongwei seems to have the Zhong family backing him up after going to Bianxi Province, he probably wouldn't dare to let Qi Tongwei do as he pleases, given that it's the energy hub of the entire province and even the whole country.

They might even be used as pawns.

The change made the Zhong family "indispensable" and "recognizing talent with discerning eyes".

If they fail, Qi Tongwei will be the first to be pushed out as a scapegoat.

Charge: Reckless and impulsive, disregarding the big picture.

If you don't want to do it, fine, then you can slowly accumulate seniority, and you'll probably still be stuck at the deputy provincial level in twenty years.

Yu Huabei advised, "Tongwei, if you really go to Bianxi Province, then do what you do best. As for reforming the energy sector, take it slow and use delaying tactics."

Zhao Anbang remained silent upon hearing this, seemingly acquiescing to Yu Huabei's plan.

"Don't worry, leaders. I know what to do and I will never act impulsively."

……

With three days left before leaving Beishan, Qi Tongwei began visiting relatives and friends.

His first stop was naturally to visit his older brother, Sha Ruijin.

Sha Ruijin was promoted to member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and Secretary of the Provincial City Party Committee before the Lunar New Year.

Although Tianzhou's development in recent years has not been as dazzling as Beishan's, it can still be considered steady and commendable.

Given his performance in the Tianzhou coal mine collapse incident, Sha Ruijin's promotion was a logical step.

After all, Sha Ruijin is not as "young" as Qi Tongwei, so there won't be too many concerns from above if he is promoted.

In the morning, Qi Tongwei strolled out of the No. 3 villa and wandered over to the No. 12 villa.

When I rang the doorbell, Ye Mei opened the door.

"Mayor Qi."

"Reporter Ye, oh, no, sister-in-law," Qi Tongwei joked with a smile.

Ye Mei blushed. "Mayor Qi, please just call me Reporter Ye or Ye Mei."

Ye Mei really wasn't used to Qi Tongwei calling her "sister-in-law," especially since she was more than ten years older than Sha Ruijin.

Qi Tongwei seized the opportunity to change his tone and formally asked, "Alright, Comrade Ye Mei, is Comrade Ruijin here?"

Qi Tongwei knew what the other person's inner conflict was, so he didn't address Sha Ruijin as "Old Sha".

"Yes, I am." Ye Mei stepped aside.

The villas on Gonghe Road are all different in style, mainly European, but Sha Ruijin's is Spanish style.

The living room is the heart of the entire building, with a nearly four-meter-high ceiling, exuding a calm and tranquil atmosphere.

The off-white plastered walls stretch from the ground to the dome, without much embellishment. Only a ring of dark brown solid wood trim is inlaid at the base of the walls, echoing the dome line hanging from the ceiling. The simplicity reveals the blank space of Chinese aesthetics and the solemnity of European architecture.

Sha Ruijin was tidying himself up, preparing to go out, when he saw Qi Tongwei come in. He quickly stopped what he was doing and shook hands with Qi Tongwei.

"I was just planning to call you today, but I didn't expect you to show up."

Qi Tongwei didn't believe it at all. "Old Sha, don't tell me those kinds of sweet talk to women. I'm not Comrade Ye Mei."

Sha Ruijin said seriously, "Tongwei, don't ruin my reputation. I didn't coax Comrade Ye Mei into this; I won her over with my sincerity."

"Sincerely?" Qi Tongwei scoffed and teased, "Don't flatter yourself. In my opinion, Comrade Ye Mei just pities you, a bachelor. She's kind-hearted and helps the poor."

"Haha." Sha Ruijin couldn't keep up the act anymore after Qi Tongwei's words and burst into laughter.

The two bantered back and forth, making Ye Mei blush deeply.

Ye Mei raised her eyebrows and said in a feigned tone, "You two are both provincial leaders, can't you be a little more serious?"

Qi Tongwei immediately nodded seriously to Sha Ruijin and echoed, "Yes, yes, Lao Sha, we need to be careful about our image. We don't want Comrade Ye Mei to expose us in the briefing and let all the cadres in the province see our behavior."

Sha Ruijin said, "Don't worry about that. My wife will never expose me. As for you, well, that's hard to say."

Qi Tongwei quickly begged for mercy, saying, "Reporter Ye, you have to go easy on me!"

Ye Mei didn't want to pay attention to the two of them, so she went upstairs and called Sha Xiaoqian to have breakfast.

Once Ye Mei left, the two returned to their main topic.

Sha Ruijin was buttoning his shirt when his gaze swept across Qi Tongwei in the mirror. He calmly cut to the chase: "What's the current status of your transfer?"

Qi Tongwei recounted the story, saying, "Committee Member Zhong hopes I will go to Bianxi Province to preside over the special project on energy transformation. The tasks there are arduous, and it's easy to achieve tangible results."

Sha Ruijin abruptly stopped, his fingertips still resting on his buttons. He pondered for a full half minute before slowly saying, "My opinion is Dongjiang Province."

No matter how impressive Ben Tsai Province's results are, they are all useless to you.

In the current cadre appointment framework, the normal age for promotion to the provincial or ministerial level is 50 to 55, while 48 is the age for exceptional promotion. You are 32 years and 3 months old this year, which means there is a 16-year window of opportunity.

Sixteen years is enough for an official to mature and become competent, and it is also enough for some so-called achievements to become fleeting memories.

Going to the western provinces is like playing with fire; energy transition is not so simple and requires strong national support. At present, the country does not have such determination and capability.

The software and hardware are both lagging behind; if you force it, it will likely backfire.

Sha Ruijin's words make a lot of sense.

Despite the country's emphasis on energy reform and sustainable development in recent years, we should not be complacent.

But all that talk was loud, and all that action was weak.

The reason is simply that the current situation does not allow it.

If coal-fired power is phased out, what will replace it?

Can hydropower, wind power, and nuclear power shoulder the burden now?

Absolutely not.

So frankly speaking, everyone was just shouting slogans; no one dared to gamble their career with taking any real action.

Success is certainly a remarkable achievement, but can it be achieved under the current conditions?

"Dongjiang Province is different. It has a solid foundation and a long-term plan. As long as you stay there, you will achieve results sooner or later."

Besides, the one thing you have plenty of right now is time; there's no need to get involved in the mess in the west.

Qi Tongwei nodded. "Your opinion is the same as that of Governor Anbang and Secretary Yu. They do not support my going to Bianxi Province."

But I understand this principle perfectly well; it's just that Committee Member Zhong's support for me is a debt that can't be repaid with just a few words. He personally appointed me, and it would be unreasonable and morally wrong for me to refuse.