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

It's only 270 kilometers from Leishan to Bianxi City, but it took more than four hours to drive there.

Fortunately, this time I rode in Qin Xuefeng's Santana, which was much more comfortable than the Jeep.

Even so, Qi Tongwei still felt a numbness in his buttocks when he got off the bus.

Instead of going to the guesthouse, the two went directly to the Grand Bazaar under Qin Xuefeng's guidance.

Qin Xuefeng was very familiar with the area, and he led Qi Tongwei around for a while until they found a shaomai restaurant.

The restaurant was tiny; it didn't even have a storefront.

If it weren't for the steamer baskets at the entrance, you really wouldn't know it's a shumai restaurant.

The two sat down, and Qi Tongwei finally got to eat the delicious shumai that Qin Xuefeng had described.

Unlike the shumai in the south, the shumai here have very thin wrappers with a layer of white flour on top.

The filling is even more unique; it contains no rice, but is filled entirely with mutton, and the oil drips out with every bite.

Qi Tongwei made a fool of himself when he ate this kind of shumai for the first time.

When the shopkeeper asked him how many taels of shumai he wanted, Qi Tongwei replied without hesitation, "Three taels."

When the shumai arrived, Qi Tongwei was dumbfounded. There were three large steamers full of them, a total of 24 shumai.

Qin Xuefeng explained to him with a smile.

"The owner of this shop is from Inner Mongolia. In Inner Mongolia, shumai is made by counting the skin but not the filling."

Qi Tongwei understood instantly.

No wonder Qin Xuefeng didn't order shumai; he was just waiting to embarrass himself.

Qi Tongwei wasn't annoyed at all; he simply pushed the shumai in front of Qin Xuefeng.

"Secretary Qin, you're messing with me... I can't handle this, you'd better figure it out..."

Qin Xuefeng and he exchanged a glance, and then both burst into laughter.

There's another meeting tomorrow.

After finishing their meal, the two didn't wander around much and went straight back to the municipal party committee guesthouse.

After checking in, Qi Tongwei was about to review his speech when there was a knock on the door.

Upon opening the door, Qi Tongwei was taken aback and quickly stepped aside to gesture for him to enter.

"Brother Bai, what brings you here?"

Baimaiti didn't move, a cigarette between his fingers, and nodded at him with a smile.

Have you had dinner?

"I ate. I had shumai with Secretary Qin. Come in and sit down..."

Seeing that Bai Maiti was not moving, Qi Tongwei reached out to pull him, but Bai Maiti stopped him.

"I'm not sitting down. I'm here on a mission. Secretary Wang wants to see you."

Qi Tongwei was stunned again, then quickly grabbed his coat and stepped out the door.

He had just stepped out of the room when he went back in and picked up his briefcase.

......

They drove in silence into the municipal party committee compound and parked downstairs in front of Wang Quanyou's building.

Baimaiti gestured to Qi Tongwei with his chin, "Go ahead, I'll wait for you here."

Qi Tongwei knew that Wang Quanyou wanted to talk to him alone, so he opened the door and got out of the car.

Just before closing the car door, Qi Tongwei grinned at Baimaiti.

"Wait for me to come out, then we'll have a late-night snack together."

Qi Tongwei arrived at the door and gently knocked.

The door opened, and it was the same nanny from last time who opened it.

When she saw Qi Tongwei arrive, she nodded to him, said nothing, and led him directly to the study.

"Secretary Wang is waiting for you, please come in."

Qi Tongwei smiled and thanked him, then pushed open the door and went inside.

Inside the room, Wang Quanyou, wearing reading glasses, was looking at a document.

When he saw Qi Tongwei arrive, he took off his reading glasses and greeted him with a smile, inviting him to sit down.

Qi Tongwei didn't stand on ceremony and obediently sat down on the sofa, his back ramrod straight.

Wang Quanyou looked him up and down, then smiled and nodded.

"He's gotten darker and thinner, but he looks much more energetic. Looks like he suffered a lot in Leishan."

Qi Tongwei smiled, a genuine smile:

"I'm not afraid of hardship, I'm just afraid of not doing a good job and embarrassing you."

Wang Quanyou chuckled twice, took out two cigarettes, and tossed one to Qi Tongwei.

Qi Tongwei quickly got up and lit a fire for Wang Quanyou, but he didn't dare to light one for himself.

Wang Quanyou didn't refuse any further. He took a deep drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled.

"You're upset because we didn't make you our official wife, aren't you?"

Qi Tongwei waved his hands repeatedly, his answer very sincere:

"Not at all. I've been by your side for almost half a year, so I'm aware of that."

He was telling the truth.

He was promoted one rank shortly after being demoted, and then promoted again in less than six months. He himself felt that it was too fast.

Moreover, Qin Xuefeng's decision to put him in charge of the work was already quite clear, so there was no need for him to rush.

Wang Quanyou stared at him for a few seconds, then smiled and nodded.

He took a deep drag of his cigarette, then suddenly changed the subject and asked a question.

Have you ever thought about coming back?

This question came as a surprise, catching Qi Tongwei off guard.

He hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking.

"I'm afraid that coming back after less than a year... will draw criticism and have a negative impact on you."

Wang Quanyou didn't respond, stared at him for a long time, and suddenly laughed, a hearty laugh.

He stopped laughing and pointed at Qi Tongwei.

"Have you thought this through? After a full year, you might not see me again."

Qi Tongwei's heart tightened suddenly, and he didn't dare to respond.

A leader of Wang Quanyou's caliber never makes a statement without reason.

His words were almost a clear indication that he was going to make adjustments, and that he was very confident about it.

He couldn't accept that, much less dare to; hearing about personnel changes of this magnitude was a crime.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Wang Quanyou didn't press him to express his opinion.

He took a deep drag of his cigarette and continued:

"There are advantages to coming back, including the following."

"You have a macro perspective, which allows you to participate more effectively in overall operations."

"As for what comes next... it's easier to achieve results and hone your skills."

"Don't rush to answer me. Think it over carefully and tell me after the meeting."

Qi Tongwei nodded, his voice carrying a hint of solemnity:

"Thank you for your guidance, Secretary. I will definitely consider it carefully."

Wang Quanyou nodded, glanced at the briefcase at Qi Tongwei's feet, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Tongwei, your ability to find a way to squeeze in something has really improved. What's up? Speak up."

Qi Tongwei was taken aback. Seeing Wang Quanyou looking at his briefcase, he suddenly realized what was going on.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Old people who don't die are thieves; the old man is truly shrewd."

Seeing that Wang Quanyou had already seen through him, Qi Tongwei did not hesitate.

He took a document out of his briefcase and handed it to Wang Quanyou with both hands.

"Secretary Wang, Leishan County wants to build a road. This is the feasibility study report; please take a look."

Wang Quanyou took the document, put his reading glasses back on, and began to look through it.

The document was short, maintaining Qi Tongwei's consistent style: plenty of substance and minimal fluff.

Wang Quanyou read it quickly, skimming through it.

He took off his reading glasses, looked at Qi Tongwei, and said with a smile.

"You little rascal, you've got some nerve. Trying to become a mountain bandit and extort tolls?"

Qi Tongwei scratched his head and spoke with an embarrassed smile.

"I wouldn't dare. This is what I'm thinking: once this road is open, it will connect the northern frontier."

"Special products from Heshan, Leishan, and Tubo can all be transported out, directly to Gansu Province..."

Wang Quanyou nodded and patted the documents on the table:

"Letting you go was definitely the right thing to do; it was a very good idea. Now, tell me, what do you need me to do?"

Qi Tongwei quickly stood up and handed the teacup on the table to Wang Quanyou.

"The county has no money, so I've come to beg you for food."

Wang Quanyou took the teacup, laughed, and muttered a curse:

"You can't even give me a gift when you want money?"

He hesitated for a moment, then his voice became more serious:

"The city has poverty alleviation funds; I can give you two million. The rest, you'll have to figure out yourself."

Qi Tongwei frowned, wanting to continue pleading poverty, but was stopped by Wang Quanyou.

"Get out of here! If you push your luck any further, you'll lose everything. There are so many people watching..."

Qi Tongwei shrank his neck, then stood up with a smile:

"Okay, thank you, Secretary!"

......

It was almost eleven o'clock when I left Wang Quanyou's house.

Qi Tongwei and Baimaiti arrived at the same old place, the same halal restaurant.

Both of them had already eaten dinner, so they only ordered one serving of roasted pork belly and two bottles of Laojiao liquor.

After the wine was poured, Baimaiti raised his glass and clinked it with Qi Tongwei's.

"What did you go to the Party Secretary for?"

Qi Tongwei was taken aback, but calmly ate a piece of roasted meat:

"What nonsense are you talking about? How could I dare ask the Party Secretary for anything..."

Baimaiti put down his wine glass and pursed his lips:

"The Party Secretary called you in because he was worried you might be upset... Could you two really talk about this for so long?"

Qi Tongwei sighed, inwardly reflecting on his feelings.

Are all the people in the municipal party committee shrewd and calculating? They can smell even a fart.

He put down his chopsticks and confessed truthfully:

"The county wants to build a road, so I've come to the Party Secretary to ask for donations."

Baimaiti picked up his glass and took a sip: "Not enough, and you're still worried, huh?"

Qi Tongwei was taken aback, then clinked glasses with him: "Brother Bai, I really admire you."

Baimaiti pursed his lips and sighed:

"The city is also in a tight spot; there are too many wolves and not enough meat. If they can give us a million or two, that would be a miracle."

Qi Tongwei nodded, said nothing, and downed the wine in his glass in one gulp.

He's obsessed with money right now; without it, he can't do anything right.

He even began to consider whether to follow Li Dakang's example and set up an quota in Leishan.

But he rejected the idea as soon as it came to mind.

The western border is not like the eastern border; if trouble arises there, it will become an ethnic conflict, and no one can afford to take responsibility for it.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Baimaiti chuckled and muttered something under his breath:

"Alas, those who build well benefit the world..."

Qi Tongwei was taken aback, then suddenly looked at Baimaiti: "Can it work?"

Baimaiti blinked and pretended to be clueless: "Huh?"