Qi Tongwei at the start: Not relying on Liang Lu, but winning by a single move against Heaven.

At the moment of parting, Qi Tongwei and Zhong Xiaoai were affectionate with each other again on the platform.

Having experienced two separations, Zhong Xiaoai has matured a bit.

Although she was still crying, she was much better; there were no more tears and snot running down her face.

The train slowly started moving, and Zhong Xiaoai ran after it.

Qi Tongwei leaned out of the car window and waved goodbye.

Neither of them noticed that two thin girls were hiding behind the bus stop sign.

The two women held hands, looked at Qi Tongwei, and silently shed tears.

Train T52 originates in Shanghai and takes four days to reach Bianxi.

It wasn't even the fifteenth day of the first lunar month yet, and the New Year celebrations weren't over, so there were hardly any people on the bus.

Qi Tongwei spent his time in the car either sleeping or reading.

The rest of the time I just stare blankly at the scenery outside the window.

The train departed from the water towns of Jiangnan, crossed the Qinling Mountains, and only entered the Hexi Corridor on the third day.

Along the way, the scenery outside the window gradually changed from the gentle beauty of Jiangnan to the desolate landscape of the northern frontier.

Outside the car window, the scenery rushed past.

Qi Tongwei felt a pang of melancholy, as if he were witnessing his past life.

After his rebirth, he was constantly being pushed around by events, leaving him little time to think.

After serving in a remote area for six months, I was promoted from deputy section chief to section chief.

For the average person, this is an incredibly fast promotion.

But for him, it was still far from enough.

His goal is Handong; he intends to return to Handong within three years.

They also need to have a certain degree of influence.

He had considered dedicating himself to cultivating the western border region for ten years, and then parachuting into Handong at a crucial juncture.

But the idea was too impractical and he rejected it.

Under the current policy, he can be promoted one level every three years, and in ten years he can at least advance to the department-level.

It won't be so easy for him to go back to Handong then.

Although in principle, the rule for cadres supporting border areas to return to their place of origin is to go back to where they came from.

However, the transfer of officials at the department level involves too many aspects.

Getting a job in a powerful department in a specific province is even more difficult than climbing to the sky.

During his free time on the journey, Qi Tongwei almost always used it to plan for the future.

In his mind, a clear path gradually took shape.

Since he cannot take the secretary route, it will take Wang Quanyou at least three more years to get into the provincial party committee leadership.

He couldn't wait three years; his term as a border support worker would only have two and a half years left.

He needs to secure a transfer opportunity as soon as possible.

When T52 pulled into Bianxi Railway Station, it was already 6 p.m.

Qi Tongwei returned to the guesthouse, packed his things quickly, and went straight to Wang Quanyou's house.

He planned to return to work tomorrow, but before that, he needed to let the Party Secretary know that he was back.

When we arrived at Wang Quanyou's house, he was reading a newspaper in the living room.

He was somewhat surprised to see Qi Tongwei arrive, and greeted him with a smile, inviting him to sit down.

"Xiao Qi...come and sit down."

Qi Tongwei didn't stand on ceremony and sat down to the left of Wang Quanyou, carrying his things.

"Secretary, I just got back and came to report for duty."

Wang Quanyou didn't respond, but waved to the nanny.

"Make two cups of tea...the one I usually drink from..."

After saying that, he looked at Qi Tongwei: "Have you checked off your leave yet?"

Qi Tongwei replied with a smile:

"Not yet, I just got off the train and came straight here... I'm reporting to work tomorrow morning..."

Wang Quanyou didn't respond, but nodded with a smile.

"Try...the tea from my hometown..."

Qi Tongwei picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Hmm! Good tea... very fragrant with bean flavor, and the aftertaste is pleasant..."

He paused slightly, then gave an awkward laugh.

"I also brought you two packets of tea... I'm almost embarrassed to take them out..."

Wang Quanyou was taken aback, but then his interest was piqued.

"Oh? Let me see it..."

Qi Tongwei said he was sorry, but his actions were not hesitant at all.

He took two boxes of Rizhao Green tea from his bag and placed them on the coffee table.

"I don't really know much about it either. The tea seller said it's newly harvested tea..."

Wang Quanyou glanced at the tea leaves, then burst into laughter, laughing heartily.

"Silly boy, you've been fooled."

"Rizhao green tea doesn't harvest its spring tea until April and its autumn tea in September... so there's no new tea available at that time."

As he spoke, he looked with interest at the bag on the ground.

"What other treasures did you bring...? Let us see them all..."

Qi Tongwei scratched his head and took out the local specialties he had brought one by one.

There weren't many items, just three: a bag of radishes, a bag of pancakes, and a bag of braised duck.

Wang Quanyou looked at the table full of local specialties and smiled happily.

"You, you... are all these local specialties you bought in Handong?"

Qi Tongwei smiled and nodded, answering honestly.

"Yes, I know you haven't been back to your hometown in a long time, so I bought you some local specialties."

This braised duck is a specialty of Jingzhou, and I brought it for you to try...

Wang Quanyou didn't respond, but reached out, broke off a piece of pancake, tasted it, and said with a smile.

"Well, of all these things, only the braised duck is authentic..."

After saying that, he patted Qi Tongwei's hand.

"But Tongwei, you've put your heart into it."

Qi Tongwei didn't respond, but muttered something under his breath:

"This whole thing is getting messed up..."

These things were indeed carefully prepared by him, but he was not fooled.

In the 90s, buying local specialties from other cities in Jingzhou was a joke, how could he not know that?

To ensure authenticity, he could easily make a trip to Wang Quanyou's hometown, but that would be too deliberate.

Whether the item is genuine or not is not important; what matters is the intention and the measure.

Seeing Qi Tongwei's embarrassed expression, Wang Quanyou suppressed his smile.

"You've arrived just in time. There's something I'd like to ask you about."

He paused slightly, then added another sentence.

"This is purely a private conversation and does not represent the organization."

Qi Tongwei's heart tightened, and he became more vigilant.

He understood that the more he spoke, the more it didn't represent the organization, and the bigger the problem became.

Qi Tongwei nodded slowly, adjusted his posture, and his expression became serious.

Please give me your instructions.

Wang Quanyou laughed again when he saw his expression.

"Don't be so reserved, relax..."

"So, are you satisfied with your work performance?"

Qi Tongwei was taken aback, but he had already guessed what was going on.

I took my annual leave in advance and missed the year-end organizational meeting.

Wang Quanyou is giving himself a heads-up.

Qi Tongwei pondered for a moment, then looked at Wang Quanyou with sincere eyes.

"I am basically able to complete the tasks assigned by my superiors."

"But there are also some shortcomings; some work could have been done with more detail..."

Wang Quanyou lit a cigarette and nodded slowly.

"Hmm. What are your plans for work this year?"

Qi Tongwei's heart tightened again, and he secretly glanced at Wang Quanyou.

This doesn't sound right. This isn't a question Qi Tongwei should be considering; he's just someone who gets told what to do.

But he didn't have time to think about it and could only reply with one sentence.

"I will obey the arrangements of my superiors and do my best to perform my duties."

This was a standard, generic response; how could Wang Quanyou not recognize it?

He smiled and pointed at Qi Tongwei.

"You're very capable...would you consider being assigned to a lower-level post?"

Qi Tongwei frowned slightly; this was a difficult question to answer.

The fact that he agreed so readily makes him seem too opportunistic and suggests that he wants to leave Wang Quanyou.

Refusing would be even worse, as Qi Tongwei's original intention was to be transferred to a lower-level position.

Only by being sent to a lower-level position can he have room for advancement, and he cannot let this opportunity slip by.

He hesitated for a moment, then looked at Wang Quanyou and frowned slightly.

"Going down to the grassroots level is certainly a good thing."

"But I've only been serving you for six months, and we've just gotten to know each other..."

He didn't say the second half of his sentence, but Wang Quanyou already understood what he meant.

Wang Quanyou smiled, patted the back of his hand, and said loudly.

"The cadres in Bianxi are all tough guys. They earned their reputation through hard work..."

He paused slightly, his voice lowering a bit.

"Having political ambitions isn't a bad thing; having ambitions but lacking the ability is..."

Qi Tongwei nodded but didn't respond.

He was waiting, waiting for Wang Quanyou's key point.

What Qi Tongwei didn't expect was...

Wang Quanyou didn't continue the conversation and directly changed the subject.

"You left Handong in a fit of anger, didn't you?"

Qi Tongwei was taken aback, but then he immediately understood.

I'm a graduate student from Wuhan University, and I applied to work in a remote area right after graduation.

Although he gave his reasons, Wang Quanyou, a cunning official, wouldn't believe him.

He could guess the reason after a little thought.

Qi Tongwei remained noncommittal, giving a wry smile.

"I come from a village... so my opportunities for advancement in Handong are indeed limited..."

Wang Quanyou glanced at him and waved.

"You must be exhausted from the journey... Go back and rest early."

Be prepared, the organization might want to have a talk with you...

Upon seeing that Wang Quanyou had given him the order to leave, Qi Tongwei immediately got up and took his leave.

As Qi Tongwei left Wang Quanyou's house, he realized that his back was soaked with sweat.

He took a deep breath, the cold air entering his throat, and he involuntarily shivered.

It's unclear when this organizational meeting will take place.