Qi Tongwei tidied up his manuscript and mailed it out.
Guessing that the manuscript was about to arrive, Qi Tongwei used the unit telephone to call Gao Yuliang.
"Hello, this is the Department of Political Science and Law at Handong University. I am Department Head Gao Yuliang."
"May I ask who is calling?"
Hearing these words, Qi Tongwei felt a strange and inexplicable sense of familiarity.
So Teacher Gao liked to talk like this even before becoming a leader of the Provincial Party Committee!
Qi Tongwei: "Teacher Gao, it's me, Qi Tongwei! Didn't I mail you a manuscript a few days ago? I wanted to ask for your advice on it."
Gao Yuliang: "Tongwei, I received that manuscript. I read it carefully and it's very well written. It's just that the subjectivity is a bit too strong!"
Listening to Gao Yuliang's words, Qi Tongwei thought that strictly following history wouldn't work either. After all, later generations had proven through practice that this path was viable.
Still, since these were opinions raised by his teacher, Qi Tongwei felt he should show respect.
Qi Tongwei: "Teacher, my ability is limited, and since it is a historical novel after all, some subjectivity is inevitable!"
Gao Yuliang didn't dwell on it too much; overall, the writing was still quite good. As for some subjective issues, an author's personal perspective was inevitable.
Gao Yuliang: "There are also some issues with phrasing and word order. I'll make notes on them for you, and you can come and take a look."
Qi Tongwei said: "Thank you, Teacher Gao. You truly live up to your reputation as an expert in Ming history—you spotted the problems right away."
Gao Yuliang: "Tongwei, you are getting more and more smooth-talking these days..."
Gao Yuliang: "I happen to know someone at a publishing house, I'll recommend you to them when the time comes..."
Hehehe...
After some conventional polite talk from Qi Tongwei...
Gao Yuliang continued: "Tongwei, recently I will be moving to work in the government as well. Old Secretary Liang Qunfeng has named me to serve as his Secretary-General, so that I can better serve the people!"
Hearing this, Qi Tongwei realized that the trajectory of history had indeed begun. Gao Yuliang was also about to step onto the political stage. In less than two years, Zhao Lichun would also take office as Governor, and later as Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee. Handong was about to enter the era of Zhao Lichun...
Thinking of this, Qi Tongwei grew even more anxious. He could not just watch Teacher Gao walk down a mistaken path. Although this Teacher Gao was not greedy for money, he was obsessed with infinite power and would compromise for the sake of it. Being a typical academic figure, he certainly could not be a fence-sitter like Li Dakang! In political struggles, this was also a fatal weakness.
Yet if he remained unable to get transferred, and Qi Tongwei still made no progress after turning thirty, his future political career would undoubtedly become even more difficult! If Qi Tongwei stayed like this, his words would carry no weight by then, and Gao Yuliang would never listen to his advice.
At this thought, Qi Tongwei could no longer afford to put on airs. He said: "Teacher Gao, is there any news about that transfer we talked about before?"
Gao Yuliang was silent for a moment before saying: "Tongwei, your matter isn't actually that difficult. After all, it's just a transfer between deputy section-level posts, which logically should be quite easy for those classmates to handle. But earlier, Old Secretary Liang Qunfeng said you needed to be tempered..."
"You also know that Secretary Liang Qunfeng is the Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, so it's not easy for anyone to dismiss his opinions..."
Hearing Gao Yuliang say this, Qi Tongwei almost dug his fingernails into his palms...
"Teacher Gao, this isn't fair... And as for what he said about tempering, do you believe him?"
At this point, Gao Yuliang also had some misgivings... After all, Liang Qunfeng was his direct superior, and it wouldn't do for him to plead for Qi Tongwei either...
Qi Tongwei: "Teacher, it's not like I'm asking to go to some provincial party department; I just want a lateral transfer. I'm willing to go to the poorest township in Handong—I really want to accomplish some practical things."
Qi Tongwei said with lingering resentment: "Teacher, I spent seven years studying, nurtured by the Party and the country for seven years. My parents raised me for over twenty years, and step by step, I hauled myself out of the mountains to pass the exams. This journey is something I will never forget."
Qi Tongwei said with deep sorrow: "I truly cannot bear to stay any longer in a judicial station up in the mountains..."
Gao Yuliang felt Qi Tongwei's desolate sorrow. He seemed to see a child in a leaky classroom looking out at the outside world with full of hope, and for a moment, his heart actually softened.
He felt the injustice suffered by his most proud student. How could he not feel heartbroken? Yet, after all, Gao Yuliang's voice carried little weight right now...
After struggling with himself for a moment, driven by his conscience, Gao Yuliang said:
"Tongwei, don't worry, the Party and the country will not fail you. I will call the Secretary and mention it again..."
Hearing this, Qi Tongwei knew this was the greatest effort his teacher could make for him. He expressed his thanks a couple of times and hung up the phone...
Qi Tongwei looked up at the sky!
Two streams of clear tears fell down. So being Director Qi really was this difficult... Seven years of schooling, taking three bullets... yet it was still this hard, to the point where he couldn't even compare to an ordinary person!
Suddenly, he understood why Director Qi had knelt on that playground!
At that moment, Wang Xianhai watched as Qi Tongwei's transfer order was finally approved. In seven days, this "hero" would have to go back to the mountains...
Gao Yuliang stared at the telephone in a daze. After a while, he picked it up anyway. The sense of justice in Gao Yuliang's heart wouldn't let him watch his student get bullied, wouldn't let a fine young man's time be wasted in vain!
Gao Yuliang: "Hello, Secretary, it's me, Gao Yuliang. There is something I'd like to report to you?"
Liang Qunfeng: "Little Gao! Is something the matter?"
Gao Yuliang cleared his throat and said: "Didn't you say before that you wanted to temper Qi Tongwei through grassroots experience? He told me he's already been tempered for several years and would like to transfer his job to try out grassroots work at a lower level. What do you think, is this appropriate?"
Liang Qunfeng sat at his desk, tapping his fountain pen, and spoke into the phone: "Little Gao, look at you—you're starting to get into work mode even before taking up the post."
"Don't rush, I'll keep this matter in mind. For now, focus on preparing well and wait for the organization's appointment. That's all for now."
With that, Liang Qunfeng hung up the phone directly and said to his secretary: "This Gao Yuliang hasn't even assumed office yet, and he's already starting to slip me eye-drops. Who doesn't know Qi Tongwei is his prized student..."
"Gao Yuliang is still too driven by emotion..."
Secretary Liu took a roundabout approach and said: "This just goes to prove that Director Gao will be able to carry forward your spirit, Secretary, when the time comes..."
Liang Qunfeng was also awakened by his secretary's words. The more emotional Gao Yuliang was, then when he himself retired later on, the Liang family might really be able to rely on him for help. There weren't many outstanding people left in the Liang family, and since Gao Yuliang had some distant kinship ties and valued relationships, things wouldn't turn cold just because people were gone...
Yet this Qi Tongwei was also a headache for Liang Qunfeng. Although Qi Tongwei was only a section-level cadre, precisely because he was a section-level cadre, if Liang Qunfeng kept suppressing him time and time again, people might start criticizing him for abusing his power. And since he would be retiring before long and couldn't climb any higher, his reputation was still very important.
Still, whenever he thought of his injured daughter, a sense of guilt welled up inside him. If sacrificing one or two people for his daughter's happiness wasn't out of the question, then he should still ask for his daughter's opinion.
With no other choice, Liang Qunfeng placed a call to Liang Lu: "Daughter! Is that Qi Tongwei still pursuing you?"
Liang Lu didn't know why her old man was suddenly asking about Qi Tongwei, so she said directly: "Dad, Qi Tongwei is still something to consider. After all, he was my student!"
Liang Qunfeng fell silent for a moment: "Your Director Gao just called me, saying Qi Tongwei wants to go to the grassroots to be tempered. What do you think?"
Liang Lu suddenly felt that suppressing Qi Tongwei was rather meaningless. Moreover, recalling what Qi Tongwei had said last time, she really couldn't bring herself to tell her father to continue suppressing him.
"Whatever you like! The grassroots aren't that easy to work in anyway."
Hearing his daughter's voice, Liang Qunfeng felt a pang of heartache: "Liang Lu! Exactly—why fixate on a Qi Tongwei? There are so many fine young men in Handong. Don't be afraid; just tell your dad whenever you like someone!"
Without taking up her father's thread, Liang Lu said directly: "Dad, I'm going back to work..."
Watching his daughter hang up the phone, Liang Qunfeng could only shake his head helplessly. No matter how high one's position was, everyone had their own difficult scriptures to chant...
Secretary Liu walked in at that moment: "Secretary, Governor Luo's secretary came over to ask if you'll be attending this afternoon's meeting together?"
Liang Qunfeng furrowed his brow in puzzlement. He and Luo Lijun were like fire and water; what kind of medicine was being sold in this gourd for him to suddenly want to attend a meeting together?
"Tell him yes!"
Liang Qunfeng wanted to see just what Luo Lijun was up to.