Chapter 13

The bubbling liquids in the test tubes and flasks gave Chen Ke a sense of reassurance. Apart from a set of "modern" glass experimental equipment, the rest of the devices were "Chinese-style," meaning they were cobbled together from cheap furniture. Fortunately, Chen Ke was very adaptable, and You Gou was completely unconcerned. This was the situation on the fourth day of the experiment. For the previous four days, the work had been non-stop, but the alcohol lamp had not even been lit once.

Chemical experiments are a very arduous task, and even though Chen Ke and You Gou were undergraduate chemistry majors, their knowledge was still insufficient. In this era, the quality of foreign goods was not particularly high. Arsphenamine was not a particularly special substance, and there was no need to counterfeit it, but its purity was a major headache for Chen Ke. This was not the 21st century, where chemical reagents were labeled with a series of purity levels and were highly reliable. The first challenge You Gou and Chen Ke faced was to purify the substance to the required purity.

Chen Ke had the molecular formula for arsphenamine, and that was all he had. He did not remember all the parameters of arsphenamine. Despite this, You Gou moved in with her maid and simple luggage on the afternoon of the second day. Despite Hua Xiongmeng, Qi Huishen, and Zhou Yuanxiao leading three other "bold" young men as assistants, the first two days were spent in discussions and debates between Chen Ke and You Gou.

Initially, Chen Ke was worried that his experiments might be stolen, but he soon gave up on this concern. What Chen Ke needed to do was the "paperwork" to complete the experiment. Chemical experiments are extremely complex and arduous for those in the know. The other young men all had their own thoughts, hoping to learn something from the experiments. Chen Ke and You Gou made a list, and Qi Huishen and Hua Xiongmeng led the team to go shopping. Everyone went quickly and returned quickly, afraid of missing anything.

However, every time the young men saw Chen Ke and You Gou in front of the blackboard, writing all sorts of "strange symbols" with the "clay chalk" made by Chen Ke, they felt frustrated. Chen Ke, though his words were like a foreign language, at least spoke Chinese. You Gou often spoke in a foreign language (German) that they could not understand. Some of the young men tried to secretly copy what was on the blackboard, but the strange symbols and characters were quickly modified or erased and rewritten by Chen Ke or You Gou.

After just a day and a half, the young men became tired. They gave up the opportunity to learn and just listened numbly to Chen Ke and You Gou's enthusiastic discussions, which only they understood.

On the afternoon of the third day, the manual work officially began. The assembly of complex experimental equipment, water baths, distillation apparatus, filters, large tanks, furnaces, alcohol lamps, flasks, and test tubes. All these devices were combined. Various chemical raw materials were purified. Chen Ke and You Gou were busy with the experiments, discussing them verbally, and recording data on paper. It was like alchemists refining elixirs and casting spells, still completely incomprehensible to the others.

Humans are very resistant to doing things they don't understand under someone else's command, and it takes a lot of mental energy to overcome this resistance. Although the young men respected Chen Ke and were very eager to save He Zudao, after just a day and a half, they all felt extremely exhausted, more so than the hard work of dyeing cloth.

Chen Ke and You Gou looked as pale as their white lab coats. In the past four days, they had slept less than 20 hours. The result of their hard work was the clear, transparent liquid in the test tube. There were no cheers, no tears of joy. Chen Ke and You Gou slumped into the recliners, staring at the test tube like dead dogs.

"Miss, Young Master has brought food," You Gou's maid, Xiao Lan, called from outside the door. You Gou's family sent food every day. Chen Ke understood; during his university graduation experiments, his male classmates worked all night in the lab, and their families would often come to check on them and bring food. In 1905, it was even more unusual for You Gou, a girl, to move into the lab. After bringing the food, You Gou's family would also call the maid out to talk and keep track of You Gou's situation. Two girls surrounded by a group of boys would make any family uneasy.

You Gou's family was considerate, always bringing enough food for everyone in the "lab." At the work meal, the people exhausted by fatigue and boredom were silent. After finishing his meal, Chen Ke said to Qi Huishen, "Huishen, go buy some rabbits this afternoon."

"Rabbits?"

"Yes, rabbits. Buy about 30. 50 is fine too, but at least 10. You decide."

Chen Ke knew they would ask why, so he explained, "The rabbits are for experiments. To test if our medicine works."

"Already made?" Qi Huishen asked in surprise.

"It's made, but I don't know if it can save people or kill them," Chen Ke said wearily. Then he turned to Hua Xiongmeng, "Zhenglan, help me find Wu Xingchen. I need his help."

"Okay," Hua Xiongmeng replied.

"I need to sleep. Don't wake me unless it's important. Put the rabbits in the yard. Oh, and buy more cages. One rabbit per cage. Meeting adjourned." Chen Ke stood up unsteadily and walked towards the temporary "boys' dormitory."

You Gou covered her mouth and yawned, "Xiao Lan, I'm going to sleep too." She stood up, her steps as heavy and weary as Chen Ke's, and staggered towards the "girls' dormitory." Xiao Lan quickly helped her into the dormitory. Although she wanted to serve her mistress, You Gou lay down on the bed, pulled the blanket over herself, and fell asleep immediately. Xiao Lan adjusted the blanket and quickly left.

The people in the yard looked at each other in disbelief. "Is it done already?" Du Zhenghui asked, unable to believe it. Du Zhenghui came from a family of doctors, but he was passionate about building houses. Still, as a member of a "medical family," he was very interested in this drug-making process.

Before Du Zhenghui could finish his sentence, he stood up and quickly walked towards the lab. The others were stunned, but except for Zhou Yuanxiao, who remained seated, everyone else got up and ran to the lab. Inside the lab, nothing had changed. The equipment they didn't understand still looked the same, with no noticeable changes. Test tubes and bottles contained various liquids and powders, and the distillation apparatus slowly dripped distilled water. The large distillation apparatus, at least, they understood how to operate and its principle.

"Where is it?" Du Zhenghui asked.

Hua Xiongmeng and Qi Huishen observed the expressions of the others. Du Zhenghui was eager, the other two young men were curious, and Xiao Lan, though she kept her head down, was looking around, hoping to find the final drug. Qi Huishen and Hua Xiongmeng exchanged glances, and Hua Xiongmeng said, "Huishen, how do you plan to buy the rabbits?"

"Hmm, buying together would waste time. We should split up. Wenqing said at least 10, up to 50. Each person buys 10, and if they can't find enough, they can try elsewhere. Don't buy too many, so we can definitely get the rabbits without buying too many. I think this is the best way."

The others thought this was a good idea and agreed. They all left, heading in different directions. Before leaving, Hua Xiongmeng gave Zhou Yuanxiao a meaningful look. Zhou Yuanxiao pretended not to see and remained cold, saying, "Xiao Lan, let's clean up the table."

Xiao Lan quickly came out of the house and started to clear the table with Zhou Yuanxiao. Hua Xiongmeng pretended not to see and quickly left the yard. After walking two streets, Hua Xiongmeng slowed down, and soon Qi Huishen turned the corner and joined him. They walked slowly together.

"Huishen, the You family has a lot of tricks," Hua Xiongmeng said.

"Zhenglan, the You family has some influence."

"Your family is the same, and from what I know, your family is even more powerful."

"My father has no interest in industry. Besides selling foreign goods and buying land, I haven't seen him do anything else." Qi Huishen glanced at Hua Xiongmeng, "I didn't expect you to know so much about my family."

"Your family is so famous, I don't need to investigate." Hua Xiongmeng laughed heartily, "Without Wenqing, I can't afford to be unprepared. I thought making drugs was just a matter of internal and external use. Now, seeing how much effort Wenqing puts in, I can't even understand it. In this world, there are many people who will snatch and grab. Once this drug is made, it will be a target for everyone. I don't want Wenqing's hard work to go to waste."

Qi Huishen found this hard to hear, "Zhenglan, speak your mind. It's not right to hide things."

"I trust you, so I'm telling you. According to Wenqing, we are comrades."

Although the logic was sound, it sounded even more grating. Qi Huishen frowned, "Zhenglan, what do you mean?"

"In this era, people always want a share. Huishen, you are focused on saving He Zudao, but to your father, as long as you see this drug through, he will want a share, and not a small one," Hua Xiongmeng said seriously.

"Zhenglan, you don't know, my father always..."

Before Qi Huishen could finish, Hua Xiongmeng interrupted, "No matter what issues you have with your father, he is still your father."

Hearing this, Qi Huishen was silent.

"Wenqing is not a fool. He is just too busy to handle this. We are comrades. I can't help much with the drug, but I can think ahead for him. Once this drug is out, it won't just be Shanghai; there are many people with syphilis across the country, including many wealthy and powerful people. We've listened to Wenqing's lectures for a long time. We need to have a plan. Otherwise, Wenqing will offend many people, and those who can get this disease are not good people. We can't let Wenqing suffer."

Qi Huishen was initially annoyed but slowly nodded. "What do you suggest, Zhenglan?"

Hua Xiongmeng took a deep breath, clearly reluctant to say, "I hate foreigners the most. Wenqing didn't tell you, but on our first day in Shanghai, we beat up two foreigners together. But Wenqing is right; business is business. Wenqing said, 'We must do business with devils if we must.' I think you should contact the foreigners." His tone was harsh, but he said it.

"Zhenglan, I never thought you would suggest using foreign power," Qi Huishen was surprised.

"If we don't do it, the You family might. If the You family doesn't, their family might. Even if the You family doesn't, once the drug becomes famous, your father might. Since we can't avoid it, we should find someone who can protect us. Sigh!" Hua Xiongmeng sighed deeply.

Qi Huishen agreed with Hua Xiongmeng. After a moment, he said, "Zhenglan, you are right. But since we have decided to follow Wenqing, we should discuss this with him when he has some free time. He should make the final decision."

Hua Xiongmeng nodded. At the next intersection, they went their separate ways.

Wu Xingchen was surprised when Hua Xiongmeng came directly to the Heaven and Earth Society's headquarters. When he heard the news, Wu Xingchen almost thought it was a mistake. Seeing Hua Xiongmeng, he confirmed it wasn't.

"Brother Wu, when is it convenient for you? Brother Chen wants to see you. He has something important to discuss."

"Hmm, what's so important?" Wu Xingchen didn't want to see Chen Ke. Chen Ke's speed in dyeing cloth far exceeded Wu Xingchen's expectations. When He Yifat returned from his errand, he ran to find Chen Ke, only to be sent away with a few taels of silver and a bolt of cloth. A few days later, when he went again, Chen Ke had already sold all the cloth. He Yifat was sent away again with a few taels of silver and a bolt of cloth. Chen Ke could fool He Yifat, but not Wu Xingchen. After investigating, Wu Xingchen knew Chen Ke had sold over a thousand bolts of cloth.

"I'm not sure, but Brother Chen said it's a big deal."

Wu Xingchen had heard this kind of talk too many times. Whenever someone said it was a big deal, it usually wasn't good. Big deals meant big expenses. There was no such thing as a free lunch. But thinking of Chen Ke, Wu Xingchen didn't want to refuse. Chen Ke left a strong impression on Wu Xingchen. Clearly, Chen Ke was not a gangster, but he wasn't stupid either. If Chen Ke was willing to seek him out, there might be a profitable opportunity. Thinking this, Wu Xingchen said, "I'll go now. Is it convenient for Brother Chen?"

Chen Ke didn't expect Wu Xingchen to come so quickly. Woken by Hua Xiongmeng, Chen Ke raised his head sleepily and saw Wu Xingchen standing by the door. He checked his watch; it had only been two hours.

"Brother Wu, you're here." Chen Ke struggled to stand up.

"Brother Chen, are you preparing to blow a horn?" Wu Xingchen said with a smile.

Chen Ke thought for a moment and understood. Wearing a white lab coat, he looked like a "filial son." It had been a long time since anyone spoke to him in Northern dialect, and seeing Hua Xiongmeng's puzzled expression, Chen Ke couldn't help but laugh heartily. "Brother Wu, that's a good one."

After they sat down, Chen Ke explained that he was making a drug to treat syphilis and needed to take pus from a patient's sores for the experiment. As soon as he finished, Wu Xingchen almost exploded in anger. Before he could react, Chen Ke invited him to the next room. Wu Xingchen, suppressing his anger, entered the lab and saw the strange equipment. His anger immediately subsided.

Chen Ke pulled out a chair, and the three of them sat down. "The others went to buy rabbits," Chen Ke said, picking up a syringe. The experiment involved injecting a small amount of pus from a syphilis patient into a rabbit's testicles. Soon, the rabbit's testicles would develop sores, and then the drug would be tested on the rabbit. Chen Ke explained the process, yawning, and said, "Brother Wu, you have influence in Shanghai. If I can get results, I definitely want to work with you. You find the place, and I'll do the extraction. Once the drug is made, we'll test it on those people. You'll know if my drug works."

Wu Xingchen had never dealt with someone like Chen Ke before. Seeing Chen Ke's pale face and constant yawning, but still alert, he realized Chen Ke wasn't on opium. To gain the upper hand, Wu Xingchen asked, "Brother Chen, how long have you been awake?"

Avoiding a direct answer was Wu Xingchen's way of maintaining control. By changing the subject, he believed Chen Ke would come to him again.

"Three days, less than six hours of sleep. I've been working hard on this drug. Since we have met, we will meet again for this drug. Brother, now we are discussing this drug as comrades. In the future, if you come to me, talking about comradeship will be like telling a lie."

Wu Xingchen couldn't tell if Chen Ke was being honest or lying. Seeing Chen Ke's sleepy appearance, he believed it was the truth.

"Brother, I need to work with foreigners. The current government is afraid of foreigners. But no matter what, this matter needs the help of your brothers. The money I make is not much. For the Heaven and Earth Society, it's not much. The Heaven and Earth Society can either take it all or send someone like He Yifat to work with me. I'd rather work with someone like you than a waste like He Yifat. The money is not much, but we will split it fairly. Why should a fool like He Yifat make money?"

Chen Ke, though drowsy, spoke directly to Wu Xingchen's heart. Wu Xingchen looked at Chen Ke, whose eyes were red and face pale from lack of sleep. Every word Chen Ke said hinted that Wu Xingchen should fight for his own interests.

"Others would find this task embarrassing. Finding a few prostitutes with syphilis would be a disgrace. But I want you to see the effectiveness of my drug with your own eyes. This can't be faked. If it works, it works; if it doesn't, it doesn't. You'll see. I think you are a capable person. If we do this, it will be good for both of us. Saving lives is a good deed. Brother, even after we die, when we meet the King of Hell, the people you save will remember your kindness. Let's do this together. It's a good deed."

Hearing this, Wu Xingchen felt an urge to hold the Buddhist beads on his wrist. They were blessed by the abbot of Shaolin Temple when he was ten, and his mother had personally sought them. Wu Xingchen felt an indescribable feeling. What was originally a discussion about dividing the spoils between two gangsters had become, in Chen Ke's words, a noble deed.

Hua Xiongmeng, listening to Chen Ke, felt a mix of disappointment and admiration. Today, he and Qi Huishen had discussed the profits of this special drug, ensuring they didn't fall into the wrong hands. But Chen Ke never talked about it, having already thought through the future.

Since meeting Chen Ke, Hua Xiongmeng had felt that Chen Ke was not an ordinary person. Today, Chen Ke's words reinforced this belief. At the same time, Hua Xiongmeng felt a bit resentful. Why didn't Chen Ke tell him these things earlier? Had he been overthinking?

At that moment, Hua Xiongmeng saw Chen Ke turn to him with a slight smile. Hua Xiongmeng saw the slight apology and encouragement in Chen Ke's bloodshot eyes. Instantly, Hua Xiongmeng understood Chen Ke's meaning. Chen Ke was not acting on his own; he simply hadn't expected Hua Xiongmeng to bring Wu Xingchen so quickly.

No matter what, Chen Ke would explain everything to him. Hua Xiongmeng was confident he had not misjudged Chen Ke. Although Chen Ke was pragmatic, he was not someone who only thought of himself.