Official title: Refused to stay at the university, started his career in a rural town.

The next morning, the Handong Daily published an article on its front page.

The title is: "Contemporary Practices and Innovations of Rural Economic Cooperativization Models: A Case Study of Qingping Township, Anyang County, Ningzhou City".

Author: Zhou Shiping, School of Economics, Handong University.

The article begins with a quote: "The historical lessons of the collectivization movement are profound, but to confuse collectivization with cooperatives is a logical fallacy of generalization. The former was a top-down administrative order, while the latter was a bottom-up market choice; the two are not comparable!"

Next, starting with the property rights system, we dismantled the cooperative model of Qingping Township layer by layer—government guidance, village collective shareholding, farmer shareholding, and voluntary entry and exit.

Each point is supported by classic economic theories, and each point is distinguished by comparing it with the lessons of the collectivization movement.

The entire article is less than nine hundred words long, and it doesn't mention the Jingzhou Daily once, nor does it target any provincial leader. But everyone who has read the article, "Beware of Turning Back the Wheel of History," can see who it is refuting.

The Handong Daily is a newspaper that all units at or above the division level in Handong Province are required to subscribe to.

In other words, this article was presented to all cadres in the province.

The news spread quickly. At nine o'clock in the morning, Wu Xiang's office was ringing off the hook with phone calls.

The first call was from Wu Chunlin, who only asked one question: "Have you read that article?"

Wu Xiang said he had seen it.

Wu Chunlin was silent for a moment. "Work hard with Yang Fan!"

The second call was from Wu Aiguo, who had already returned to the county. His voice was filled with barely suppressed energy: "Secretary Wu, has anyone contacted Handong University?"

Wu Xiang glanced at Yang Fan. "No one has contacted us. It's probably just some of the teachers' opinions."

"Great! Great!" Wu Aiguo exclaimed twice. "This article is excellent; it's insightful and worth studying!"

After hanging up the phone, Wu Xiang put the newspaper on the table and adjusted his glasses.

He glanced at Yang Fan a few times, remembered what his uncle had said, shook his head and smiled.

As the top leader, am I supposed to work under the second-in-command? That's going against the natural order!

However, if you really work with him to achieve results, your path to promotion to deputy director level will be smooth sailing.

Thinking about it this way, Wu Xiang suddenly wanted to say to Yang Fan, "Brother, you're really good!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Meanwhile, in Jingzhou, thousands of miles away, at the provincial party committee compound.

Zhao Lichun sat on a mahogany chair, holding the day's Handong Daily in his hand. He took off and put on his reading glasses again and again. It took him almost half an hour to read an article of less than nine hundred words.

Zhao Ruilong leaned back lazily on the sofa next to him.

"Dad, is it really that big of a deal? He's just a professor. What else can he do besides writing articles? In terms of power, he'd be no match for the mayor."

Zhao Lichun did not look up.

"Yes, in terms of authority, a professor is nothing special, and even the principal and vice-principal have no real use outside the university!"

He put the newspaper down.

"But have you considered this—the principal and vice-principal's words may not carry weight outside, but do you know what kind of people the parents of Handong University students are?"

Zhao Ruilong was stunned for a moment.

"Wouldn't people be happy to give a shout-out to such a prestigious university?"

Zhao Ruilong's lips twitched.

"Besides, you didn't go to university in China, so you wouldn't know." Zhao Lichun took off his reading glasses. "At the bottom of the stairs leading to the president's office at Handong University, there's a list of honorary alumni. Do you know who's on it?"

Zhao Ruilong remained silent.

"A century-old university, with countless graduates—is that just empty talk? Every top university has produced at least a few figures on par with the Seven Warlords of the Sea or the Twenty-Four Heavens."

Zhao Ruilong's face darkened. "Dad, is that it for this time?"

Zhao Lichun picked up his teacup but did not answer.

"I—" Zhao Ruilong wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Zhao Lichun's gaze.

Zhao Lichun raised her eyelids and looked at him. "Didn't you think highly of that cooperative model?"

Zhao Ruilong frowned.

"Go ask your second sister for some money." Zhao Lichun's tone was very calm, as if he were talking about something insignificant. He seemed to have returned to being the Zhao Lichun that everyone would praise as a "kind person".

"Since things have come to this, why not just go to Qingping Township and hitch a ride? I think that model is good and has great potential. It's a win-win situation; we can get things done and also build a good reputation. Why not?"

Zhao Ruilong opened his mouth, then closed it again. He understood; his father wanted him to admit defeat decisively.

It's not negotiation, it's not a game.

The order was for him to be decisive and clean, to wipe the slate clean of the past, and to lay a solid foundation for the cooperative with his own reputation, so that it could take off!

Then treat the cooperative as a good project and work together for mutual benefit.

This round is over! Zhao Ruilong has lost!

"And then there's Handong University... never mind..."

Zhao Lichun wanted to give some instructions, but in the end he didn't say anything.

Zhao Lichun is a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee. This time, he seems to be standing up for his son, but what he actually wants is never the controlling stake in the cooperative. He doesn't care about those petty gains at all.

The reason he said "getting cocky" at the Standing Committee meeting that day wasn't simply to vent his anger for his son, but to warn—to warn everyone who wanted to challenge his authority in Handong.

However, issuing a warning is also a form of investment, and once you invest, you have to calculate the returns.

He stopped today, not because he was afraid of Handong University, but because he had calculated the costs: continuing to suppress it would be too costly.

It's not worth it for a cooperative, Qingping Township, and two low-level cadres to go head-to-head with those old guys from Handong University over such a small matter.

Moreover, he knew Wang Jianmin well—if you really angered that old man, who knows what kind of bigwig he might bring out to give you a lecture on the Party.

But taking it back is a different story. If you back down in time, you can at least earn a reputation for being pragmatic. Letting Zhao Ruilong invest in Qingping will also give you a reputation for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Subduing the enemy without fighting is certainly impressive, but knowing when to back down when you can't subdue them is also a skill!

He's only fifty, still young! It's the perfect age to strive and make the best of a bad relationship!

Zhao Lichun picked up the herbal tea, took a sip, found it a little astringent, but swallowed it.

Meanwhile, in Qingping Township, a thousand miles away, Yang Fan stood by the office window, holding an enamel mug in his hand.

The newspaper articles, the power struggles within the province, and whether Zhao Lichun would accept the challenge—none of these matters to him anymore. Now, doing his job well is what Yang Fan, the mayor of Qingping Township, should be doing.