Chapter 928: Study Room Talk

Zhou Weiguo didn't answer directly; instead, he raised his hand and pointed upward.

Old Master's expression changed immediately: "You mean he wants to see Su Yang?"

Zhou Weiguo said: "Originally, I called the institute's office to schedule a New Year's visit with the leader, but the office staff told me the leader wants us to come this afternoon at 5, and also said to bring Su Yang along."

After hearing this, Old Master's expression grew even more solemn, because he knew better than anyone what a great opportunity this was for Su Yang. If he seizes it, every step forward will attract attention; even if someone wanted to harm Su Yang, they'd have to tread carefully.

"But if Su Yang makes any mistake in meeting the leader, causing the leader to take offense, his career path could be blocked forever."

"These old-timers may have some influence; even during yearly holidays, when senior leaders routinely visit the elderly, they are always present and especially respected by the leaders."

"But respect is one thing; getting approval at a critical moment is another. If other leaders are deputy officials, perhaps he wouldn't value them so highly, since the institute's deputy officials can speak up, and their opinions are seriously considered by the institute's deputy leadership."

"But this one is different; every decision he makes can be said to affect national policy."

Immediately, Old Master said: "Weiguo, you and Su Yang come with me to the study."

Su Yang's heart was pounding; the last time he saw an institute leader, it was the Number Two. Though that was already a top leader, compared to this one, it's an entirely different matter.

This was also his first time in Old Master's study, which was pretty much as he imagined: no valuable calligraphy or antiques, just a simple bookshelf and a large desk. On the wall hung a few pieces of calligraphy, all written by Old Master himself. The bookshelves behind held mostly photos from important meetings during his tenure, as well as pictures with the current leader.

After closing the door, Old Master sat down and said: "I didn't expect the higher-ups to value Su Yang this much. It seems his earlier small moves down below attracted some attention. But that doesn't make sense—at this level, only officials who resolve major local crises through extraordinary measures get noticed, and even then they aren't usually given such weight."

Zhou Weiguo said: "No, when the leader previously talked with me, Su Yang happened to be there too. I reported my ideas combined with his to the leader, after which the leader became interested and asked to see Su Yang."

"I told you about this before; back then we mainly discussed macroeconomic regulation and future development. Su Yang said we should vigorously develop real estate, which would cause the nation's GDP to surge."

"That's just how it was said; I never imagined the leader would take it so seriously. After several months of meetings, the institute likely set the tone and may now be moving ahead with this development, which is why Su Yang has drawn the institute leadership's attention."

"I had been mentally prepared, but I thought it would be the institute's Number Two leader who might see me and Su Yang alone after the wedding; this time, however, it completely exceeded my expectations."

Then he looked at Su Yang and said: "Su Yang, I told you on the phone to do some mental preparation. Do you have any ideas? If so, you can share them with us first, we can discuss and see if we can proceed."

"Your every word and action will almost decisively shape your future prospects. It shouldn't be completely off-mark, but neither should we demand that the leader be entirely satisfied."

"You should know the institute has a dedicated policy research office staffed by scholars and experts who have absolute insight on economic and livelihood matters. So my thought is: we don't need it to be outstanding, just avoid mistakes—scoring a bare sixty percent pass is enough."

Old Master Zhou also said: "Xiao Su, frankly, your performance this time affects not only you but could also impact Weiguo."

"Just like last time, if you speak poorly and your suggestions aren't adopted or valued, it won't affect Weiguo much; but if your proposals are outstanding, Weiguo will bask in your reflected glory."

"What happened last time wasn't told to anyone; indeed, we deliberately let that news spread. Weiguo's transfer to Jiangnan Province is largely due to your economic development views presented to the leader; otherwise, the post would have rightly gone to you folks from Ganzhou Province."

"Does that sound fantastical? Actually, it's not; that's the fact. From a national standpoint, if we could roll out a policy that benefits the country and its people, and have a fast track for economic development, compared to a provincial governor's appointment, it would be nothing short of heavenly."

"With so many provinces nationwide, leaders don't demand that each locale be superbly governed; they just want steady, progressive development. But for our nation to give its all, we must achieve breakthroughs in both economy and military, so forward‑looking theories or viewpoints are crucial."

Su Yang actually felt dazed at this point; frankly, given his rank and age, it's normal to be nervous when meeting a provincial Party committee leader—so much so that he might not even perform at his usual level, let alone face such a top leader.

Su Yang said: "Grandfather, Dad, after hanging up the phone last time, I've thought about it seriously for several days, and on the economic front I have no new ideas left."

"The nation's fast‑track for economic development will essentially be real estate; of course, e‑commerce will also peak, especially in the south, where it will take off first, and even strong e‑commerce firms could rapidly grow into domestic corporate giants, even gaining significant standing internationally."

"But this time I want to start from livelihood. Our country has over a billion people, eighty‑nine hundred million of whom are farmers; only when farmers' lives improve and their livelihoods are secured will our nation become more prosperous. So my idea is this: rural areas, even remote towns..."

Su Yang was about to speak when Zhou Weiguo's phone rang. He didn't want to answer, intending to hang up, but seeing the caller ID, his expression turned grave instantly, and he even stood up: "Director Kang, hello."

On the other end, who knows what was said two sentences; after hanging up, Zhou Weiguo's expression grew even more solemn.

The old master saw Zhou Weiguo's expression and asked, "Is that the chief secretary of the institute leadership?"

Zhou Weiguo said, "Yes, Director Kang just called and told us to come over right now; the institute leadership might still have an event to attend tonight, so the time has been moved up to 3 o'clock sharp. We don't have time to discuss it here—let's leave now."