Nominal: Intercepting Zhong Xiaoai, Dominating Handong

In April 1995, spring was in full bloom, and the development of Liping County was as vibrant as the season.

The county party committee meeting room was filled with smoke.

Gu Mingyuan sat in the main seat, listening to the work reports from various command posts, his brows sometimes relaxing and sometimes furrowing.

"Secretary Gu, the land leveling work for the modern agricultural industrial park is 80% complete, but we've encountered a problem." Zhang Jianguo, the commander of the industrial park command and deputy county head, put down the materials in his hand.

"According to the plan, the industrial park needs to be equipped with a small sewage treatment plant."

"But when the environmental protection experts came to look, they said that the site we chose had underground caves and was not suitable for building a factory."

"What about choosing a new location?" Gu Mingyuan asked.

"Within a three-kilometer radius, only that one piece of land meets the construction requirements."

"Other plots of land are either basic farmland or too close to residential areas," Zhang Jianguo said, looking troubled.

Silence fell over the meeting room.

Wastewater treatment plants are a crucial supporting facility for industrial parks; without them, companies entering the park cannot obtain environmental approvals.

Gu Mingyuan stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, Liping County is undergoing renovation, with scaffolding everywhere and tower cranes rotating.

This small town is changing at an unprecedented pace.

"How big is the cave? Can it be filled in?" he asked, turning around.

"Experts say that the cave system is complex, the cost of filling it is high, and there are safety hazards."

Gu Mingyuan pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "Since there's a hole underground, why don't we make use of it?"

"Use it?" Zhang Jianguo asked, puzzled.

"Yes! Build the sewage treatment plant on the ground, but don't discharge the treated wastewater; instead, pipe it to a cave for storage." Gu Mingyuan's thinking became clearer as he spoke.

"Caves are natural water reservoirs, and we can transform them into underground reservoirs."

"The treated greywater is stored and used for landscaping in the industrial park, road watering, and can even serve as a backup water source for fire fighting."

He walked to the whiteboard and drew a diagram: "This achieves three goals at once: First, it solves the sewage treatment problem. Second, it realizes the recycling of water resources. Third, it provides an additional emergency water source."

Discussions arose in the conference room.

"That's a brilliant idea!"

"But won't the water stored in the caves pollute the groundwater?"

Gu Mingyuan nodded: "Good question. That's why we need to do seepage prevention treatment inside the cave, just like building a reservoir."

"Although the initial investment is larger, it is both environmentally friendly and economical in the long run."

He looked at Zhang Jianguo: "County Chief Zhang, immediately organize experts in environmental protection, water conservancy, and geology to conduct a feasibility study. If it is feasible, adjust the plan immediately."

"Yes!" Zhang Jianguo's spirits lifted.

The second problem was even more difficult.

The Transportation Bureau reported that the tourist highway connecting Yunwu Township and Qingshi Township encountered a geological fault in the Longkoushan section. The original viaduct design was too expensive, exceeding the budget by 40%.

"If we follow the original plan, there will be a funding shortfall of eight million." Transportation Bureau Director Li Qiang said with a grave expression.

"The county's finances can't afford this, and applying to the city will take time, but the construction period can't wait."

Gu Mingyuan flipped through the geological report and suddenly asked, "How wide is this fault zone?"

"The narrowest point is 80 meters wide, and the widest point is 120 meters wide."

"How stable are the mountains on both sides of the fault?"

"Experts have assessed that it is all solid granite with excellent stability."

Gu Mingyuan closed the report and said slowly, "Then we won't build a bridge, we'll build a tunnel."

"A tunnel?" Li Qiang was taken aback.

"But tunnels cost even more to build..."

"This is not an ordinary tunnel." Gu Mingyuan's eyes gleamed with intelligence.

"Build an open cave."

Seeing that everyone was puzzled, he explained, "It involves excavating trenches in the fault zone, building reinforced concrete structures in the trenches, and finally backfilling with soil and rocks to restore the landform."

"This approach avoids geological faults, is cheaper than building viaducts, and minimizes damage to the natural landscape."

He paused, then added, "More importantly, the interior of Myeongdong can be designed as a scenic promenade."

"When tourists drive by, it's like driving through an art gallery showcasing the scenery of Liping."

"This in itself is a tourist attraction."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment, then erupted in exclamations of admiration.

"Incredible! Secretary Gu's idea is absolutely brilliant!"

"It solved both engineering problems and created tourism value!"

"Why didn't I think of that?"

Gu Mingyuan waved his hand: "This is not my idea; it's a case I saw while studying at the Provincial Department of Transportation."

"Developed regions have already done this, and we can learn from it."

He looked at Li Wen: "Director Li, can you organize the design team to come up with a plan for the Myeongdong tunnel within a week, and keep the cost within 90% of the original budget?"

"Yes! It's definitely possible!" Li Wen said excitedly.

After the meeting, Gu Mingyuan returned to his office and had just sat down when his secretary, Xiao Chen, came in.

"Secretary Gu, there's a phone call for you. It's from Handong Province."

Gu Mingyuan's heart tightened, and he took the microphone.

"Mingyuan, it's me." Gao Yuliang's voice sounded tired.

"Teacher Gao, what's wrong? Your voice doesn't sound right."

"Sigh, I just finished dealing with a really upsetting thing." Gao Yuliang sighed.

"About Qi Tongwei."

Gu Mingyuan asked, "What happened to Qi Tongwei?"

"He...he proposed to Liang Lu." Gao Yuliang's voice was complicated.

"He knelt down in public at the gate of Handong University."

Gu Mingyuan was stunned and speechless for a moment.

On the other end of the phone, Gao Yuliang continued, "Liang Lu only agreed after kneeling for three whole hours."

"The next day, Qi Tongwei's transfer order came down—captain of the Narcotics Enforcement Team of the Yantai City Public Security Bureau, at the level of a section chief."

"From the judicial office to the municipal anti-drug squad, that's quite a leap..." Gu Mingyuan didn't know what to say.

"Yes, that's the magic of power." Gao Yuliang's tone was filled with deep helplessness.

"I know Tongwei, he's ambitious and has a strong backbone."

"Even the toughest bone can't withstand such suppression and temptation."

After a long silence, Gu Mingyuan slowly said, "Teacher Gao, this is Qi Tongwei's own choice."

"Don't advise others to do good if you haven't experienced their suffering."

"I just hope... he won't regret it."

"Regret?" Gao Yuliang smiled bitterly.

There's no going back in life.

"Mingyuan, I'm telling you this to remind you that the path of officialdom is full of temptations and traps."

"One wrong step, and there may be no turning back."

"Don't worry, I will remember your teachings."

"Just remember that." Gao Yuliang paused.

"By the way, Liping is developing quite well. I've heard about it all over Hanjiang Province."

"Work hard, and you'll have the opportunity to do things and be a decent person, unlike Tongwei."

After hanging up the phone, Gu Mingyuan was quite emotional.

He walked to the window, looked at the distant, rolling mountains, and thought of Qi Tongwei from his university days—the young man who spoke passionately in debates, saying he wanted to uphold justice and speak out for the people.

Today, that young man knelt at the school gate, exchanging his dignity for a bright future.