Chapter 21

Wu Xingchen left after settling his matters. As soon as he was gone, Hua Xiongmou said, "Wenqing, now that the foreigners have come to our door as patients, can they replicate our medicine?"

"I can make it, and others can too. But given the current situation, whether foreigners can replicate it depends on their luck."

"They can't replicate it even if they have Wenqing's medicine?"

"Without our formula, they can only rely on luck."

After Chen Ke said this, Hua Xiongmou and Qi Huishen couldn't help but look at You Gou. Although they knew everyone had no ill intentions, You Gou couldn't help but say sternly, "Why are you looking at me? I will never betray everyone. Yes, I will never betray the party."

Everyone had seen how hard You Gou had been working these days. They had been working together day and night, and at least a basic trust had been established among the comrades. Since You Gou said this, Qi Huishen said, "You Gou, we all trust you. If you encounter problems you can't solve, you must tell everyone. We will definitely support you."

"Of course. This is not just my effort, but the effort of everyone. If someone covets this medicine, everyone must help me."

Chen Ke didn't want to get entangled in this matter, so the next topic became the content of the public lectures. Chen Ke's intention was very clear: this public lecture would be divided into two types. One type was for the school's public lectures. These lectures were to attract students to enroll. Everyone had no objections to this point. They were just unsure about how to run the school.

At that time, foreign-run church schools did not charge tuition. Uniforms and textbooks still required payment. The new school Chen Ke planned to open naturally could not charge fees.

Qi Huishen had attended a church school and had experience. According to Qi Huishen's introduction, students who were "outstanding" in church schools, meaning those who were close to foreigners, generally received recommendations and job opportunities after graduation. At that time, foreigners expanded their influence in China through schools, which were an important means of gathering talent and cultivating loyalists. Since attending school made it easier to find jobs, the enrollment rate of church schools was relatively high.

Chen Ke smiled after hearing this. His ancestors had attended church schools but did not go to work for foreigners. After graduating from high school, his ancestors studied engineering at a domestic "university." At that time, there was no distinction between junior college and undergraduate degrees. After attending a "university," one was considered a university graduate. Especially for engineering students, they could easily earn several hundred dollars a month as a "technician" in domestic auto repair shops. At that time, attending a church school was a very common way to change one's fate.

"We will also promote that after graduation, we will prioritize job placement," Chen Ke said.

"Will there be enough jobs to arrange then?" Hua Xiongmou asked.

"How do you know there won't be enough job opportunities then?" Chen Ke was being a bit argumentative, but Hua Xiongmou indeed had no reason to refute him.

"We have hospitals and factories, so we can definitely provide opportunities. As long as you have a skill, it's easy to find a job. The key is whether you go to school or not," Chen Ke continued.

Everyone could only agree with this.

The other part of the lectures was aimed at progressive youth, especially Qi Huishen and You Gou's friends. Chen Ke frankly told them that he would first teach them the basic knowledge of his revolutionary ideas. If he only talked about revolution, it would be "utopian socialism." The reason why Marx's communist theory is called "scientific" is that these theories are the product of modern scientific knowledge and dialectical materialism.

Since he wanted to promote his political ideas, simply presenting revolutionary ideas would be useless. Without a foundation in reality, revolutionary theory would seem vague and intangible. Besides "Das Kapital," Chen Ke also prepared to have the revolutionary youth study basic scientific knowledge, "The Theory of Evolution," and "Dialectical Materialism," the three most fundamental courses.

"Huishen, You Gou, you need to prepare for the establishment of cultural study groups and night schools. We need to act quickly. As long as young comrades are interested in our revolutionary ideas, we will pull them into the study groups and night schools. Let's just do it."

Chen Ke didn't want to be too selective. Without a base, nothing was possible. Moreover, the recent establishment of hospitals and schools provided enough positions to arrange for outstanding youth.

"Wenqing, although I am also called a revolutionary, I still don't know what kind of revolution Wenqing advocates. Since Wenqing has decided to recruit a large number of people, can you explain your revolutionary principles?"

This was the first time You Gou formally asked about Chen Ke's revolutionary program, and it was the first time someone formally raised Chen Ke's revolutionary theory at a party meeting. If it were before, Chen Ke would have thought carefully before speaking, but this time he answered the question straightforwardly. "My revolutionary path is a people's revolution. The target of the revolution is the ownership of capital."

At least Chen Ke had discussed some aspects of "Das Kapital" with the comrades, so they had some understanding of capital.

"Currently, capital is controlled by a few people and serves only a few. The core of my revolutionary view is to redistribute capital and have the state manage it."

"Who will manage the state?"

"Our party."

"Do you mean our party will rule the country?"

"The people will supervise our party."

"How will that work?"

You Gou was completely confused. He had not been exposed to any revolutionary theories and could not understand Chen Ke's words.

"Let's talk about the basics. For example, there are 100 people and 1,000 acres of land. If they cultivate it properly, everyone should have enough to eat. But in reality, 20 people own 850 acres, and 80 people own 150 acres. The 80 people are likely to starve. You Gou, are the 20 people afraid of the 80 people rising up in rebellion?"

"Probably," You Gou said.

"So, the 20 people come up with a set of justifications, saying that their ownership of 850 acres is natural and just. Is this set of justifications problematic?"

You Gou thought for a moment and suddenly smiled, "If I were one of the 20 people, I would naturally say this justification is correct. If I were one of the 80 people, I would naturally think this justification is completely wrong."

Chen Ke nodded in agreement. You Gou's understanding, or his pragmatic attitude, greatly impressed Chen Ke. "My revolution aims to break this justification. Because my revolution stands on the side of the 80 people."

"Isn't this just robbing the rich to help the poor?" Hua Xiongmou asked.

"If it were just a matter of land distribution, it wouldn't be called a revolution. Revolution is a broad and complex issue, which is why we need to give lectures. But ultimately, my revolution is not about the 80 people killing the 20 people. That would be meaningless. If the 80 people kill the 20 people but the justification is not broken or abandoned, what's the difference from before? The target of our revolution is that set of justifications. Not only that, we also need to help everyone produce more food and goods, open factories, and improve everyone's lives."

This statement left everyone puzzled again.

Chen Ke stood up and wrote a passage on the blackboard, a famous quote from Chairman Mao: "Who are our enemies? Who are our friends? This is the primary question of the revolution. The basic reason for the limited success of all past revolutionary struggles in China is that the revolutionaries could not unite their true friends to attack their true enemies. The revolutionary party is the guide of the masses. In no revolution has a revolutionary party led the revolution to success when it led the masses astray. For our revolution to avoid going astray and to have a certain chance of success, we must pay attention to uniting our true friends to attack our true enemies. To distinguish true friends from true enemies, we must make a general analysis of the economic status and attitude towards the revolution of each class in Chinese society."

Chen Ke had never been able to clearly articulate his ideas. After writing this passage, he felt much more relieved.

"Let me brag a bit. I am a revolutionary. Comrades, you are the masses. I want to be friends with the comrades. I can't lead everyone into a pit. So, in the past, I couldn't shout slogans like 'Overthrow the Qing Dynasty' or organize armed uprisings or assassinate officials. I could only accumulate funds and wealth for the revolution. I continuously expanded social relations, befriended true friends like the comrades, and continuously promoted the progress of the revolution. And we must not become lackeys of the Qing Dynasty and imperialism. We must maintain the purity and independence of the revolution. The Qing Dynasty, the mafia, and imperialism are our enemies. We are constantly fighting against them. He Zudao is our friend, and we must save He Zudao."

"So, how does Wenqing determine who is a comrade?" You Gou still felt confused, even though she thought this made sense.

"Whoever stands on the side of the revolutionary people is a revolutionary. Whoever stands on the side of imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism is a counter-revolutionary. Whoever only verbally stands on the side of the revolutionary people but acts differently is a verbal revolutionary. If someone stands on the side of the revolutionary people both in words and actions, he is a complete revolutionary." Chairman Mao's words were eloquent, and Chen Ke directly quoted them to answer You Gou's question.

"So, standing on the side of the 80 people... no, standing on the side of the revolution, breaking the rules set by the 20 people, and promoting the revolutionary system Wenqing talks about, that makes someone a comrade?" You Gou slowly said, "But I still don't understand Wenqing's revolutionary rules."

Hearing You Gou's words, Chen Ke's face turned slightly red. He seriously self-criticized, "This is my fault. In future party meetings and lectures, I will clearly explain my revolutionary system or everything I have learned. I apologize for not being able to do so before."

Hearing Chen Ke apologize, You Gou smiled, "Wenqing, you don't need to apologize. Although I don't understand your revolutionary principles, I trust you. I have never met a good person like you. No matter what, I will be Wenqing's comrade."

"That's right, I have never met a person like Wenqing. I just want to follow Wenqing. Since we will eventually have a revolution, following someone like Wenqing means I don't have to worry about being deceived. I won't do the foolish thing of being sold and helping count the money," Hua Xiongmou laughed.

Qi Huishen had long been in agreement with Chen Ke and did not rush to express his opinion. He glanced at Zhou Yuanxiao, who had been silent the whole time, and saw that Zhou Yuanxiao was deep in thought.

For some reason, Qi Huishen did not want to force Zhou Yuanxiao to take a stance. He had a strange intuition that if Chen Ke's theory could eventually make Zhou Yuanxiao speak in favor of it, that would be a true success. At that time, Qi Huishen would unhesitatingly follow the revolutionary path Chen Ke pointed out and never regret it.

After Wu Xingchen left, the drug sales did not decline but maintained a steady upward trend, especially with the increase in foreign patients. After the party group's discussion, the comrades decided not to rush to expand sales but to invest the money in the construction of the affiliated hospital. This reduced the overall workload significantly.

Lectures required lecture notes, and Chen Ke prepared them intensively. Each time the notes were ready, he would first explain them to the comrades. The audience was not just the five party members but also the original young people and some new arrivals. Chen Ke did not make anything special. His first lecture was Faraday's famous science popularization, "The Story of a Candle." This lecture was a significant science popularization that inspired many young people to pursue chemistry, and it was also a book Chen Ke had loved in his childhood.

At that time, entertainment was scarce, and Faraday's weekend science popularization series at the Royal Institution in Britain was always packed. In 1905 China, it also sparked enthusiasm.

You Gou, who specialized in chemistry, was very fond of the lecture notes Chen Ke wrote. Encouraged by Chen Ke, You Gou volunteered to give the lecture. As Chen Ke expected, although You Gou was usually outgoing, she suddenly turned red, her mouth went dry, and she stuttered when she first stood in front of everyone. Fortunately, they were all familiar, and although they laughed, no one heckled. Seeing You Gou's flustered appearance, Chen Ke just smiled. His first lecture had not been much better. But this was the first step. Chen Ke did not know when the first female teacher in China appeared, but he believed that in the history he was in, You Gou would be the first woman to give a public science lecture and would be recorded in the glorious annals of history.

The lecture was public, and the door was not closed. A young man with shoulder-length hair entered and was surprised to see You Gou, a woman in a suit with a ponytail, standing in front of the blackboard, with various experimental instruments on the podium, explaining chemistry in a slightly nervous Shanghai dialect. In front of You Gou, many men were sitting on benches. After listening for a while, the young man became interested and stood at the back of the crowd to listen to You Gou's lecture. Chen Ke, who was also standing in the crowd, noticed this spirited young man and smiled at him. The young man smiled back, looked at Chen Ke's short hair, and asked in a Hunan accent, "Excuse me, do you know a Mr. Chen Ke?"

Chen Ke, not knowing when he had made a Hunan friend, replied, "I am. Who are you?"

"I am introduced by Mr. Qiu Jin. My name is Chen Tianhua."

Among all the revolutionaries of the old era, Chen Ke believed that the only one he should recruit was Chen Tianhua. In December 1905, Chen Tianhua committed suicide by drowning in Japan. There were various theories about his death, but Chen Ke did not delve into the reasons. Among the revolutionary martyrs, those who dared to commit suicide were few. A person who was not afraid of death, if used well, would be a great help.

But thinking was one thing, and seeing this living young man in front of him, Chen Ke almost couldn't resist asking Chen Tianhua why he had committed suicide.

Then Chen Ke couldn't help but laugh. If he said this without thinking, Chen Tianhua would definitely think he was crazy. Next, Chen Ke was infinitely grateful to Qiu Jin. Although he trusted Qiu Jin's character, she was so busy that he was not very confident she would remember his request. But Chen Tianhua's appearance here was enough to prove how much effort Qiu Jin had put in.

Chen Ke knew that Chen Tianhua came from a poor background and was particularly skilled in propaganda. Chen Ke was not worried about his theoretical ability but was concerned about his propaganda skills. Among the major propagandists of the revolutionary parties at the end of the Qing Dynasty, Chen Tianhua and Zou Rong were the best. Zou Rong had already died in prison, and as a time traveler, Chen Ke had no ability to bring him back to life. But Chen Tianhua was still alive, and Chen Ke wanted to try to recruit him into the revolutionary ranks.

Seeing Chen Ke's smile, Chen Tianhua also smiled and said, "I respect Mr. Qiu Jin. Mr. Qiu Jin said that Brother Chen is an unparalleled talent among revolutionaries. She told me that Brother Chen wanted to meet me and persuaded me to meet him no matter what. And with Brother Chen's generosity, I came here." Chen Tianhua, in his Hunan accent, continued, "I have been waiting for this day for a long time. I am very happy to finally meet Brother Tianhua. Let's go inside to talk, as it's noisy here."

It turned out that Qiu Jin had already arrived in Japan. After arriving, her first task was to find Chen Tianhua and arrange for him to meet Chen Ke. Chen Tianhua had heard of Qiu Jin and received the "tea money" Chen Ke had entrusted Qiu Jin to bring. He was moved by Chen Ke's generosity. Persuaded by Qiu Jin, Chen Tianhua decided to meet Chen Ke directly.

After chatting for a while, they heard a burst of friendly laughter from outside, probably because You Gou had made a joke.

"I didn't expect Brother Chen to have a female teacher giving chemistry lectures," Chen Tianhua laughed.

"Our revolutionary party advocates gender equality, so having a female teacher is not unusual. She is just giving a trial lecture now. When she gives formal lectures, there will be hundreds of people listening."

"Oh? Advocating gender equality, Brother Chen, your revolutionary party is quite unique."

After the trial lecture, Chen Ke dismissed everyone and had a few core members stay to welcome Chen Tianhua. Chen Ke went out to buy food and drinks, leaving the other comrades to entertain Chen Tianhua. When he returned to the workshop with the food and drinks, he heard someone singing in a Hunan accent. The core members of the party group were sitting around Chen Tianhua, who was singing, "Here they come! Here they come! What's coming? The foreigners are coming! It's bad! It's bad! Everyone is in trouble... From now on, we will all be cattle and sheep in the foreigners' pens, fish and meat in their pots, to be killed or cooked at will, unable to move an inch. Alas! This is the day of our death! Oh, oh, oh! The silver and property we have worked hard for will all be taken by the foreigners; our beloved wives and children will be forcibly separated by the foreigners..."