Qi Tongwei naturally caught Sun Liancheng's underlying meaning, but he merely wanted to playfully tease him.
After returning from Beijing, however, Qi Tongwei had no intention whatsoever of seeking help from Zhong Zhengguo. Reform inevitably offended people—especially this round of state-owned enterprise reform, which stepped on the toes of insiders and countless ordinary citizens. The true beneficiaries were, in fact, mostly businessmen. Consequently, neither the grassroots populace nor certain government departments were very supportive. The only backing for this reform came from top-level decision-makers, those steering the broader strategy. Yet these higher-ups remained blind to the struggles of frontline execution, and if things went south, they wouldn't hesitate to use others as scapegoats.
Initially, Qi Tongwei might have balked, but his trip to Beijing served as a stark wake-up call: he could not afford to show weakness. Once he softened his stance, he feared he would truly be beyond redemption. After all, given that the initiative came directly from the high command and the Provincial Party Committee, these detractors couldn't actually do much to him—at worst, they could only try to disgust him.
Chapter 165