Chapter 26

Wu Xingchen was tall and strong, his 195 cm height making him look powerful and imposing. Usually, his face had a somewhat dull expression typical of tall people. But now, his face showed a mocking look, without any trace of fear.

Chen Ke was not at all pleased with himself for uncovering Wu Xingchen's background. At this moment, Chen Ke had no intention of threatening anyone. The party's history had never believed that threats could serve any purpose. To the party, any member who had not been tested could not be trusted. Let alone expanding the party's influence through coercion or inducement. This was not propaganda but the truth. Because that great party understood human nature and chose the path of utmost transparency. Internally, it refused to accept anyone who was not genuinely committed. Externally, it did not engage in assassinations or coercion.

What benefit would Chen Ke gain from threatening Wu Xingchen? Apart from forcing Wu Xingchen to eliminate him at all costs, there was no other possibility.

The two of them remained silent for a long time. Chen Ke poured a cup of tea for Wu Xingchen and one for himself. After taking a sip, Chen Ke said, "Brother Wu, I want to tell you that I am a revolutionary. You know how harsh the Qing Dynasty is towards revolutionaries. It's not that I don't trust you, Brother Wu, but I'm afraid of being targeted by the Qing."

Wu Xingchen was not moved by Chen Ke's words. He looked at Chen Ke with a wary gaze and asked, "Why did you expose my background, Wenqing?"

Chen Ke understood Wu Xingchen's thoughts and regretted his impulsiveness. "I know Brother Wu won't forgive me. And from my perspective, what you're most worried about now is that I'm using you as a pawn, deceiving you to work for me. I know that's the nature of revolutionaries."

Hearing this, Wu Xingchen's hostility diminished slightly. "Then, Wenqing, you shouldn't have revealed my background," Wu Xingchen continued.

"Brother Wu, since I've been rash, I have two points to make. First, I absolutely don't want you to work for me. But since we are collaborating, you will eventually find out I'm a revolutionary. I want to ask you, Brother Wu, will you betray me? The reason I wanted to confirm if you are from the Boxers is that, at most, we won't collaborate. But as a Boxer, you would never sell me out to the Qing Dynasty or the foreigners."

Wu Xingchen did not answer directly, but it was clear that Chen Ke's words still made him wary.

"Second, I genuinely want to collaborate with you, Brother Wu. Do you want to continue working with me, a revolutionary? I must say upfront that I won't ask you to overthrow the Qing Dynasty now or in the future. My revolutionary party only accepts voluntary members. Of course, we need to collaborate with many people. Brother Wu, I'm telling you this now to remind you. Before we take action, we will inform you. We won't let you bear the blame alone."

Wu Xingchen remained silent, waiting for Chen Ke to continue.

"That's all." Chen Ke, having laid out his thoughts, could only accept the outcome. He was somewhat regretful, as a good collaboration might be ruined by his one impulsive remark.

"Wenqing is a revolutionary, right?" Wu Xingchen finally spoke.

"Yes."

"Then what does Wenqing want from me?"

"What we discussed before still stands."

"Selling medicine? Bodyguard?" Wu Xingchen looked at Chen Ke coldly and asked.

"Yes, whatever is due to you, I won't withhold a single coin."

"Is Wenqing planning to start a rebellion in Shanghai?" Wu Xingchen tilted his head slightly and asked.

"I absolutely won't start a rebellion in Shanghai. The foreigners and the authorities have too much power here. Starting a rebellion here would be suicide. I value my life too much."

"Then, Wenqing, you shouldn't have probed my background," Wu Xingchen continued.

"Yes, I was rash today. I shouldn't have done that."

Wu Xingchen stared at Chen Ke for a while, then suddenly laughed, though it was unclear whether he was happy or not. He seemed more relaxed. "Wenqing, I've always felt you're not an ordinary person. Your actions always made me think you had grand ambitions, but I never expected you to be a revolutionary. Sigh, I should have realized it earlier." As he said this, Wu Xingchen looked Chen Ke up and down, as if trying to understand him better. "Which revolutionary party does Wenqing belong to?"

"I formed my own party. I don't look at those insignificant revolutionary parties."

"Oh? Wenqing isn't Mr. Kang's disciple?" Wu Xingchen asked, his tone skeptical.

Chen Ke thought for a moment before answering, "Mr. Kang? Kang Youwei?"

Wu Xingchen nodded, his expression suggesting he wanted a straightforward answer.

"Kang Youwei is nothing. He couldn't assist the emperor, leading to Emperor Guangxu's imprisonment on the YingTai. He couldn't save his friends, leading to the execution of the Six Gentlemen. Kang Youwei escaped, but what face does he have to face his fallen friends? Moreover, he incited Wang Wu to assassinate, which is not the way of a true hero. Fortunately, Brother Wu is skilled, or he might have lost his life. That would have been a betrayal of his friends."

Hearing this harsh criticism, Wu Xingchen only laughed, "Ha ha," without further comment.

"Brother Wu, the Qing Dynasty's warrant for you is just a passing storm. After a few years, it won't matter. But the Qing Dynasty is ruthless towards revolutionaries. I'm just a coward, so I said a few extra words. Brother Wu, please understand my predicament."

"I understand," Wu Xingchen smiled. "But Wenqing, you won't do anything to betray your friends, right?"

"Absolutely not. Brother Wu, you're so smart. If I wanted to deceive you, what would I gain?"

"That's true," Wu Xingchen smiled.

"Then, let me say one last thing. Brother Wu, I don't want you to risk your life, but you must join my revolutionary party," Chen Ke said with a smile.

"What?" Wu Xingchen looked at Chen Ke in shock. This was not what he expected. "That's different from what Wenqing said earlier."

"Revolutionary parties have members and peripheral organizations. Members are for the revolution, while peripheral organizations earn money to support the revolution. This is a clear distinction. But for someone like Brother Wu, we need a clear agreement. I don't believe we can truly collaborate without it. This superficial cooperation benefits no one. Either we work together, or we part ways. Hiding things will only lead to trouble."

Wu Xingchen remained silent, looking at Chen Ke. Chen Ke smiled, "I won't ask you to risk your life. You'll still do what we agreed. But so many Boxer brothers have been betrayed by the Qing. Wouldn't it be good to give the Qing a hard time?"

Wu Xingchen was silent, but Chen Ke's words stirred his thoughts. Wu Xingchen was the leader of the Hebei branch of the Heaven and Earth Society and had participated in the Boxer Rebellion. But he had a deep distrust of the Qing Dynasty and was always cautious. When he learned the Qing was planning to crack down on the Boxers, he fled with his brothers, saving their lives. So Chen Ke's invitation was not entirely unacceptable. What he couldn't accept was Chen Ke's approach.

"Brother Wu, since we're being straightforward, let's be clear. Either we work together, or we go our separate ways," Chen Ke said. He had not initially planned to mention joining, but since everything was out in the open, not discussing collaboration would be ridiculous. So he decided to be completely honest to avoid future problems.

Seeing Wu Xingchen's silence, Chen Ke thought the matter was over, but Wu Xingchen said, "Since Wenqing has been honest, I have something to ask for your help with."

"Brother Wu, please speak."

"Wenqing, you said that no matter how many people are involved in the Shanghai business, I get a share, right?"

"Yes."

"Then give me 2,000 taels of silver. I have something to take care of."

Hearing this amount, Chen Ke looked up at Wu Xingchen. Wu Xingchen appeared calm. Chen Ke thought for a moment and nodded, "No problem."

"These brothers will stay with Wenqing for now, following your arrangements. I'll be back in a few days after I get the money," Wu Xingchen said.

Chen Ke had Qi Huishen, who acted as the treasurer, give Wu Xingchen 2,000 taels of silver and saw him off. Chen Ke sighed regretfully, "I made a mistake." He muttered to himself.

Sometimes, the best state is when things are left unsaid. Clearly revealing one's identity without a common enemy only intensifies conflicts. This was the result of overthinking. But since he had made the mistake, he had to accept it. Chen Ke, though a time traveler, could not reverse time. He had no choice but to accept his fate.

At the party meeting that evening, Chen Ke reported the incident and self-criticized. The comrades were not particularly concerned. The People's Party was still acting as a "good citizen." Even if Wu Xingchen reported them, the Qing Dynasty would likely laugh it off.

"I've been arrested multiple times for posting revolutionary posters, even by the police. So what?" Qi Huishen said indifferently.

"These days, who among those who have studied abroad hasn't shouted about revolution or rebellion? If the Qing Dynasty arrested everyone, they'd have to arrest a lot of their own officials," You Gou said without concern.

Chen Tianhua, who had been wanted before, could still easily travel between China and Japan. The Qing Dynasty's enforcement was so weak that it was no big deal.

"I'm not afraid of the Qing Dynasty. I'm worried that this will affect our collaboration with Wu Xingchen," Chen Ke said.

"Cut it out, Wenqing. You know about Wang Wu. These days, many brothers in the underworld collaborate with revolutionaries. Brother Wu, being from the Boxers, wouldn't collaborate with the Qing Dynasty. You're overthinking it," Hua Xiongmeng comforted Chen Ke.

Encouraged by the comrades, Chen Ke didn't say anything more.

As they were talking, there was a loud knock on the door. The person outside was shouting, "You Gou, open the door."

You Gou's face changed. "It's my brother."

"Oh? Then let's welcome them in," Chen Ke said.

"Get rid of them," You Gou immediately rejected Chen Ke's suggestion and made this request.

"What's wrong?" Everyone looked at You Gou in surprise.

"Listen to me, it's right," You Gou said fiercely, a tone she had never used before, which startled everyone.

Chen Ke nodded, "We'll do as You Gou says. Everyone, get ready. When we open the door, act accordingly." Chen Ke said.

Everyone responded and began to prepare. Chen Ke walked to the courtyard and shouted, "Wait a moment." He was about to open the door but remembered something. He went back inside to get a flashlight. After testing it, he gave one to Hua Xiongmeng, and the two of them walked to the door and opened it.

As soon as the door opened, several people rushed in. Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmeng stepped back to avoid the rush. Then, they shone the bright flashlight beams on the faces of the intruders. The intruders, blinded by the sudden light, instinctively closed their eyes or raised their hands to shield their faces.

Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmeng saw clearly that four people had rushed in, two of whom were holding wooden sticks. Without a word, Hua Xiongmeng, with his strong arm, choked one of the men, rendering him unconscious. Chen Ke struck the other man's neck artery, causing him to collapse.

Hua Xiongmeng whistled, and two more men rushed out, engaging in a fight outside. Soon, they dragged two more men inside. These two were bruised and swollen, having put up a fight. Since they were You Gou's brothers, everyone was reluctant to be too harsh. They were given chairs to sit on. The two men's eyes widened when they saw the various glass instruments in the laboratory. You Gou found the tallest chair and sat down, looking down at her brothers. "What brings you here?"

Chen Ke looked at the two men, who were around thirty years old and bore a strong resemblance to You Gou, with a rather delicate appearance.

Seeing their sister's haughty demeanor, the two men became angry. One of them shouted, "Is this how you let people beat your brothers?"

Chen Ke immediately interrupted, "Do you know what kind of place this is?"

The man, who had been choked by Chen Ke, looked at him. Chen Ke's face was not threatening, but his superior position gave him an air of authority. Seeing the others' stern faces, the man's anger subsided.

Chen Ke continued, "Since you are You Gou's brothers, you must know what we do here. How could we know you weren't here to rob us?"

"We were impolite," the other man said, "I apologize for disturbing everyone."

The contrast between the two brothers surprised everyone, and all eyes turned to the man who spoke.

The man looked around and continued, "Fourth Sister, since you don't trust the family, I'll speak openly. You think that now you've made money, the family is trying to control you. When you went to Germany to study, spending so much money, did the family say anything?"

You Gou immediately retorted, "I said I don't want a dowry." Her voice was still harsh but showed a hint of hesitation.

"Even if you don't want a dowry, your parents still prepared one for you," You Gou's brother continued. "After you returned, you and Zhou Yuanxiao started a dyeing factory, and you wanted to start a chemical factory. You and Wang Bin also wanted to do business. The family has lost a lot of money. You know that, right?"

Hearing this, You Gou's face turned red, but she didn't argue.

"You brought the money home proudly and put it on the table. Yes, you made a lot of money, more than you spent. But at least you should thank your parents, right?" You Gou's brother paused, looking at her reproachfully.

You Gou turned her face away, still silent.

"We scolded you, but we were happy. You returned from studying abroad with skills. People have good and bad times. Now that you're doing well, we naturally hope you continue to make money. So we want to help you. Fourth Sister, you're not a child anymore, always going out and wandering around. Do you think your parents aren't worried? The people you associate with are still acceptable. Your parents love you and trust you, so they don't say anything. But I, as your brother, can't stand it. Many people have said bad things about you to our parents, but they didn't tell you. I've heard a lot about your wandering around," You Gou's brother said, becoming angry.

"Fourth Sister, you should think about the family," the other man added.

"Second Brother, shut up. I, as the eldest, am not afraid of losing face, but you shouldn't join in," You Gou's brother who had been speaking scolded.

This man was the eldest brother, and he had the demeanor of an elder. Chen Ke thought to himself. As he was thinking, You Gou's eldest brother looked at Chen Ke, "This is Mr. Chen Ke, right?"

Chen