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

Gao Yuliang nodded slightly to Yang Fan and smiled.

"Our school's outstanding students are economic experts! Qingping Township is doing a great job; it's worth learning from!"

Sun Jiapei picked up the thread. "This kid is just taking advantage of our school, trying to fleece us. Today he's trying to trick us into working on communications again. If Secretary Gao knew how he squeezed every professor's money out of him during those years in Qingping, he'd probably have to reconsider his opinion of this student."

Yang Fan straightened up and gave a slight bow. "Secretary Gao, I am Yang Fan."

Hearing the professors make such a joke, Gao Yuliang's emotions were in turmoil.

Because he was the head of the Department of Political Science and Law, he didn't have many teaching duties on weekdays, and he had little contact with Yang Fan during their time at school, so he had only heard that Yang Fan was highly regarded.

But isn't it a bit much for this young man that these senior professors treat him like their own son?

The expression in the eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses was unreadable; the person simply nodded slightly and then turned to Wang Jianmin.

"Principal, I'm here today because I have something I'd like to ask you about. It just so happens that all the professors are here, so please help me think about it."

Su Huaishan put down his teacup.

"Secretary Yuliang, what are you saying? You're a renowned legal scholar, wielding significant power in the political and legal system of Lüzhou. Is there anything you can't handle?"

"Yes," Wang Minhua said, leaning back in her chair with a hint of teasing in her voice.

"Comrade Yuliang is the face of our school's Department of Political Science and Law, and an authority in the provincial political and legal system. What could possibly make you make a special trip back here?"

Gao Yuliang nodded slightly, but did not continue the professors' teasing. He was silent for a few seconds, then looked up.

"There is a student in the Department of Political Science and Law named Qi Tongwei. You may all know him or have heard of him."

Yang Fan, who was leaning against the sofa, leaned forward slightly when he heard the name "Qi Tongwei".

Did he finally give up on the loneliness?

Gao Yuliang continued, speaking slowly, each word seemingly carefully chosen.

"Qi Tongwei took over Yang Fan's position and did a good job as the student council president."

"Yang Fan has completely mastered the 'Handong University model' and promoted it very effectively among the students. When it came time for job assignments after graduation, due to a personal emotional issue—I won't go into the details—he was assigned to the Yantaishan Judicial Office as a judicial assistant."

He paused, glanced around at the people present; some nodded, some frowned, but no one interrupted.

"I don't think it's a bad thing for outstanding graduates from Hanzhong University of Science and Technology to go to grassroots judicial offices for training. As the saying goes, 'The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold'—knowing the hardships at the grassroots level will make their work more solid in the future."

Gao Yuliang tapped his fingers lightly on his knee. "But last month, I was attending a meeting in the province and happened to run into Comrade Han Baotian, the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Yantai City. I casually asked him, 'How is our outstanding student union president doing in Yantai Mountain?'"

His tone suddenly turned somber.

"Secretary Han told me that Qi Tongwei is no longer at the judicial office; he's gone to the criminal investigation team!"

The office became even quieter.

"I originally thought that some leader had discovered his talent and transferred him there."

Gao Yuliang took off his gold-rimmed glasses and gently wiped the lenses with his cuff.

"As it turned out, Secretary Han said—he wasn't in the police force. He went undercover in a drug trafficking gang."

"What?" Wang Minhua spoke first, her voice not loud, but her brows were already furrowed.

Gao Yuliang put his glasses back on and looked at Su Huaishan.

"Although it involves confidentiality, this kind of thing shouldn't have reached me. But perhaps Qi Tongwei's situation is rather special!"

"A graduate student from Han University, who is also the student union president, being assigned to Yantaishan is already conspicuous—Secretary Han said a few more words to me." He paused.

"He said he was also surprised when the list came to him, because Qi Tongwei applied for it himself."

"You applied yourself?" Su Huaishan frowned.

"Yes, let's not even talk about how outrageous it is that a top student who graduated from Han University with a master's degree was sent to go undercover!" Gao Yuliang's voice suddenly rose an octave.

"Just to put it simply: if you want to go undercover in a drug cartel, the criminal investigation team has a very sophisticated training process." He counted on his fingers.

"How to develop informants, how to arrange rendezvous, how to evacuate in an emergency, and how to save yourself if your identity is exposed—you have to practice all of these things. You have to practice them until they become muscle memory. It's not something you can just rush in and do."

He lowered his hand, and his voice returned to its previous somber tone.

"But Secretary Han told me that, based on the timeline of Qi Tongwei going undercover in the criminal investigation team less than a week after he arrived, Qi Tongwei went there without any systematic training."

No one spoke in the office; the quartz clock on the wall ticked away.

"I've thought about it a lot, and I feel like this isn't right." Gao Yuliang leaned back on the sofa and tapped his fingers twice on the armrest.

"I happened to be in Jingzhou for a meeting today, so I went back to the school. I talked to Teacher Liang Lu—she was also very surprised and said she knew nothing about it, so after thinking about it, I decided I had to talk to Principal Su about it."

He raised his head and looked at Su Huaishan, his voice low, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Is it appropriate to send a top graduate student directly into a drug den without any systematic training? Isn't this a bit excessive by the city of Yantai and their subordinate units?"

He suddenly leaned forward.

"Qi Tongwei hasn't even been in the criminal investigation team for a few days yet; he's not even proficient with a gun!"

Gao Yuliang's voice wasn't loud, but his last sentence echoed in the office for a few seconds.

His usual gentle and refined demeanor was now cracked.

He took off his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose, and when he put his hand down, Yang Fan saw that his knuckles were white from clenching them.

At this moment, Gao Yuliang's eyes revealed deep sympathy and care. He was the only student union president who had emerged from the Department of Political Science and Law during his time at the university!

The professors all sat up straight. Wang Jianmin placed his water glass on the table with a dull thud.

Su Huaishan spoke first. "Secretary Yuliang, are you sure this news is true? After all, it's quite something—"

"Secretary Han Baotian told me himself," Gao Yuliang interrupted him. "He wouldn't make up something like this so casually. Besides, I've heard from other sources that Qi Tongwei has indeed been transferred to the criminal investigation team."

Su Huaishan fell silent.

"If it's true—" Su Huaishan pushed up his glasses, his voice low and deep, "this is definitely not right. Sending a young man who hasn't received any systematic training, who hasn't even handled a gun properly, into that—this isn't training, this is pushing him into a fire pit."

Wang Minhua slammed her hand on the table. "Which leader signed this? Didn't the leader who signed it think there was a problem with this decision? If something goes wrong, who will take responsibility?"

"The issue now isn't about taking responsibility," Wang Jianmin began, his voice low, but everyone fell silent. "The issue is—the person is still inside, and every second that passes increases the risk of exposure!"

He picked up his water glass, but didn't drink it, and put it down again.

"Okay, Huai Shan, first try to find out the situation indirectly through the school, without alerting Yantai City. After all, this matter involves confidentiality, so let's just get a general understanding first. Yu Liang, if we need you to contact Yantai later, the school will fully cooperate. Tong Wei is a student of Han University, and the school cannot allow such irresponsible treatment of Han University students to happen!"

"This kid," Su Huaishan suddenly blurted out, "also came from the countryside to get into university; it wasn't easy for him!"