Chapter 27

After the commotion caused by You Gou's brother, when they were "escorted out," the comrades looked at You Gou, who sat on a stool with his head hanging down, feeling helpless. For a moment, no one knew how to comfort him. After this incident, it wasn't just about comforting You Gou; he also needed to give an account to the party members. However, this matter involved both the party and You Gou's family. It was difficult to determine which was more important. Even a fair judge finds it hard to resolve family disputes, and this was indeed a very troublesome issue.

Not only You Gou, but Qi Huishen also noticed that the other comrades' gazes occasionally fell on him. While You Gou's family was involved, Qi Huishen's family was also inevitably implicated. Qi Huishen had been very busy lately and hadn't deeply discussed his father Qi Si'e's views on the special medicine. Occasionally, he asked a few times, but his father only smiled enigmatically and asked, "How do you plan to resolve this issue?" Qi Huishen was very familiar with this attitude; whenever Qi Si'e wanted to teach him some business tactics, he would say this. In the past, Qi Huishen would always avoid it, and this time was no exception. He could delay the confrontation with his father for as long as possible. As a son, he felt that his father was not easy to deal with.

However, You Gou's brother's statements had clearly implicated Qi Si'e. While Qi Huishen was busy with his own affairs, Qi Si'e must have taken some action. Qi Huishen desperately searched his memory for his father's past business experiences, hoping to find some ideas that could help resolve the current situation.

"Let's have a meeting," Chen Ke suggested.

Hearing this, the comrades moved their stools and gathered around the large table in the laboratory.

"We will continue discussing the previous agenda. I will give a report on the lecture situation," Chen Ke proposed, to everyone's surprise, not addressing the sudden incident.

"No!" You Gou said, his head still down. "Let's first clarify what happened with my brother."

"Everyone is here and has heard it. Didn't your brother explain it clearly?" Chen Ke replied.

"What did he explain?" You Gou's voice was low, almost like a cat growling in anger.

"He wants you to go back and open your own pharmacy to produce the medicine."

"Then what? Are we just going to listen to him?"

"Let's discuss this issue later, okay? Meetings have rules, You Gou. As a party member, you must follow the party's discipline. Meetings have their own procedures, and we all need to abide by them." Chen Ke calmly pointed out the facts. This was both a strategy and not a trick. Historically, the party relied on iron discipline to overcome all enemies. As the founder of this People's Party, Chen Ke could not undermine party discipline. Moreover, the issue You Gou faced was not just his problem but also involved the party. If he couldn't bring everyone's emotions back to the track of discipline, the subsequent discussion could easily get out of control. This was something Chen Ke was very concerned about.

You Gou looked up at Chen Ke, whose face showed no emotional波动, completely businesslike. This calmness suddenly made You Gou feel a grudge towards Chen Ke. If Chen Ke had shown sympathy or even dissatisfaction, it would have helped ease You Gou's emotions. But Chen Ke's calmness made You Gou feel very uncomfortable.

Looking at the others, some showed concern, while others just sighed. No one seemed to support You Gou. You Gou turned to Qi Huishen and asked, "If I want to add my agenda, what does the previous charter say?"

Qi Huishen thought for a moment and then asked He Zudao with an apologetic smile, "Zudao, I'm a bit confused right now. What are the rules for adding an agenda? Can you check for me?"

He Zudao quickly flipped to the previous records and read, "To add a temporary agenda, it must be announced to the party members in advance. If two-thirds of the attendees agree, it can be discussed earlier."

"Then let's vote," You Gou said immediately after hearing this.

Chen Ke nodded. There were eight members at the meeting: Chen Ke, Qi Huishen, Chen Tianhua, Hua Xiongmou, You Gou, Zhou Yuanxiao, He Zudao, and Qin Wuan. This meant You Gou needed six members' agreement to discuss his issue as he wished.

Only You Gou and He Zudao voted in favor.

You Gou's eyes sparkled. She seriously scanned the other comrades, her lips tight, and remained silent.

"The lecture is going well, especially the course You Gou is currently teaching, which has received excellent feedback. We express our respect to Comrade You Gou for her hard work," Chen Ke said, starting to clap. All the comrades, including Zhou Yuanxiao, showed their sincere respect. This was not just for show; there were already over 340 parents who had signed up, and even more hoped to contact the school directly. The school had not yet built a campus, and Qi Huishen had to announce the location in the coming days. Before the lecture, no one, including Chen Ke, had expected such results.

You Gou's face, which had been tense, gradually softened as the applause continued. Finally, she covered her mouth, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

Chen Tianhua watched all this and was deeply moved. Chen Ke's revolution was so unconventional that Chen Tianhua was also quite curious. The revolutions he had participated in were either led by gentry, a group of wealthy people designing armed revolutionary paths, killing this and that. Or they were led by students in Japan, full of resentment and the passion to participate in movements, which were very intense. However, the boiling emotions were always filled with fanaticism and an indescribable decadence. Anyone who refused to support them was considered a bad person, especially among the students, who were clearly divided into two camps.

Chen Tianhua, with his passionate personality, indeed felt a great sense of enthusiasm in such movements. But as time passed, he became somewhat puzzled. Why couldn't the revolution convince people he liked? And why were there so many bad habits among the revolutionaries that he couldn't accept? This made Chen Tianhua very confused and even somewhat painful.

Although he had been here for a short time, Chen Tianhua saw an organization full of vitality and vigor, an organization full of human warmth. There was no resentment, no anger, and no peculiar arrogance that revolutionaries around him had. Every time he thought of Chen Ke's firmly proposed revolutionary program, Chen Tianhua felt a sense of shock. When he interacted with these people, he felt a harmonious and warm atmosphere, like genuine friendships. Everything here was substantial, sincere, and well-organized. Chen Ke maintained order, and the comrades abided by it. This was the revolution Chen Tianhua had been looking for.

While he was lost in thought, he heard Chen Ke continue, "Next, I have a few requests. First, does anyone know someone familiar with the Twenty-Four Histories? At least someone who can find the relevant content when I ask them to look up something. I need three assistants."

This request was quite high and somewhat mysterious. Chen Ke didn't want to keep them in the dark, "The article I wrote with Xing Tai is progressing slower than I expected, especially in terms of collecting materials. Now I need some people to help me find materials. Xing Tai has a remarkable memory, and I have truly experienced it. He remembers all the materials I need. Because of this, I originally thought of writing it briefly. Now I have changed my mind."

"Eh?" Hearing this, Chen Tianhua was even more surprised. Chen Ke's article was revised by Chen Tianhua, and its content was so detailed and extensive that Chen Tianhua had never seen anything like it before. Even the great scholars he had met only knew a part of it. Chen Tianhua was already immersed in the work of writing this great piece. He didn't expect Chen Ke to call it "writing briefly" and wondered how Chen Ke planned to "write seriously."

"To be honest, I define this article as our initial propaganda document, something that ordinary people can understand. But from what I see, once this article is published, its impact will likely be greater than I expected. Different ideologies will compete with us, which is inevitable. However, if there are any low-level errors, it will be a laughingstock. I must avoid this. Is there anyone with this expertise?"

"I know a few young scholars, but they are quite pedantic. If it's just about finding historical texts, I'm not sure if they can do it," Hua Xiongmou said.

"Since they are pedantic, we don't need them. We need to use our own comrades. What do you think?" Chen Ke said with a smile.

"Like our comrades? Honestly, they are hard to find," Hua Xiongmou also laughed.

"Our comrades' greatest strength is their willingness to work. Just find someone willing to work."

"How about finding a few students?"

"As long as they are willing to work. By the way, we can also post posters. In this era, there are many people who can find materials. The Qing Dynasty is about to abolish the imperial examination, and these scholars will find it hard to make a living."

"Okay, I will print some posters with Huishen," Hua Xiongmou thought this method was feasible.

"Then let's move on to the next agenda, about the special medicine," Chen Ke said naturally.

Everyone felt that the special medicine was a big issue, involving two senior party members. Once the discussion started, it would not be peaceful. That's why no one voted in favor earlier. He Zudao, feeling that You Gou was bullied by her brother and having a similar experience, supported You Gou to let her vent. His worried expression made it clear. Although no one blamed He Zudao, he felt he had made a huge mistake when he saw only he supported You Gou, and no one else did. He kept his head down, taking notes, not daring to look up.

When Chen Ke announced the discussion so calmly, everyone was surprised.

"This is not a matter of personal loyalty. For our party members, this is a different issue," Chen Ke said with a smile. "So let's not think it's a big deal. It's not that big. I will give a report on the special medicine."

Chen Ke took out a small notebook, found a page, and began to speak briefly. So far, 670 patients have been treated, and the net profit, converted into silver, is over 21,000 taels. After finishing, Chen Ke put the notebook back in his pocket and smiled at the comrades.

Everyone knew the special medicine would bring in a good profit, but they didn't expect it to be so large. Over 20,000 taels of silver was not a small amount in China at that time. Hua Xiongmou, who joined the earliest, knew Chen Ke started with 50 taels of silver. You Gou, who joined slightly later, knew Chen Ke's initial capital for making the medicine was less than 800 taels. Now, they had earned so much.

"Now you understand why You Gou's brother was so rude, right?" Chen Ke smiled.

Everyone nodded. No one could remain calm in the face of such profits.

"Regarding this issue, my thoughts are as follows: the ownership of this money is unclear. I'm not talking about You Gou's brother or Qi Huishen's father. I'm talking about two things. First, how should this money be accounted for within the party? Let's clarify this first."

No one spoke, not even You Gou, who had insisted on speaking earlier.

Chen Ke looked around. You Gou and Qi Huishen looked hesitant, as did Hua Xiongmou. Zhou Yuanxiao's lips were tightly pressed, as if making a decision. Chen Tianhua and He Zudao looked puzzled. Qin Wuan, however, remained calm, ready to listen to everyone's opinions.

Chen Ke raised his left arm, his thumb and index finger touching his chin, and his right arm resting on his left elbow. After a while, he smiled, "Now that we have the money, everyone is embarrassed to talk about dividing it?"

Still, no one spoke. Chen Tianhua looked at everyone, feeling a strange sense of dissonance. A revolution that could earn and distribute money was something he had never seen before.

Chen Ke waited for the comrades to speak, feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety, though he looked relaxed. In reality, his inner turmoil was more intense than he had anticipated. The money from selling the medicine, at least this amount, was something the comrades had every right to share. This was not just because the initial terms were unclear but more importantly, their hard work deserved a reward.

However, if this door was opened, would there be a next time? Revolution needed money, and revolution also required dedication. But Chen Ke could not refuse the comrades; he absolutely could not refuse this time.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it. In the history of the revolution, the party never earned so much money; the party's funds were donated by the comrades. Later, when the party's operations were on track, only party members paid party fees, and no one shared the money. Chen Ke knew this, but he did not think it was right to refuse the comrades. This conflicting thought troubled him, and he covered it with a smile. But one thought he couldn't hide was, "Am I making a mistake?"

Chen Ke had "revolutionary awareness"; his life was not luxurious. Apart from a few work clothes, he had not bought anything for himself. But this political party, or perhaps a commercial enterprise, had no reason to refuse sharing the money.

After what felt like a long time, Qi Huishen finally spoke, "Let's set a salary. But this money should be the party's funds. We cannot divide it among ourselves. If we do, other comrades will have the right to divide the profits from their projects. We cannot set this precedent."

Chen Ke, though pretending to be calm, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

All the comrades agreed. Hua Xiongmou laughed, "Wenqing, you contributed the most, and we all know you don't want the money. If you don't take a single coin, we naturally can't take any either."

"Let's work together for the revolution," Chen Ke said.

The vote resulted in a monthly salary of 10 taels of silver for each person. Chen Ke introduced the concept of party fees, and all the comrades agreed. It was set at 10%, deducted directly from the salary.

Subsequently, the party organization established a rule: no party member could privately operate their own business without the party's arrangement. All additional income must be reported.

These rules were passed more smoothly than Chen Ke expected. But he didn't want to nitpick. Since the comrades had this awareness, it was not yet time for a political review.

"Then the second issue, about the special medicine. My suggestion is that at the end of this large lecture, we will publicly disclose the final formula but not the synthesis process. We will disclose the formula for 606. I will explain that we produce 914. The main difference is that 606 is more toxic and has a higher mortality rate, but its effectiveness is stronger than 914."

This suggestion truly shocked everyone. No one expected Chen Ke's solution to be this.

"Why do it this way?" You Gou was very puzzled.

"First, we don't have the armed forces to protect our interests. Second, relying on the Qing Dynasty is unreliable. Relying on the British is also unreliable. Relying on compradors is also unreliable."

"Plundering and robbing, this is indeed unavoidable," Qi Huishen sighed.

"But many compradors have signed contracts with the British, and it hasn't happened," You Gou asked.

"That's because they are making money for the British. Now we are making money from the British. They won't let us go," Qi Huishen said helplessly.

"Then why not continue as we are? Isn't it still profitable?" You Gou was still不服气.

"You don't know how many people are after us. They just haven't figured out our situation yet, so they dare not act. Some of my friends have already warned me that people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are constantly inquiring about us. You think your brother is just arguing with you, but they are already being very polite."

You Gou knew Hua Xiongmou wasn't lying, but she was unhappy that her hard work would be in vain. "Foreign joint-stock companies are doing well, so why not in China?"

"Then let's have a revolution. As Wenqing said, build a new world. When that time comes, You Gou, you can be as fair as you want," Hua Xiongmou laughed.

Chen Ke finally understood why Hua Xiongmou was so supportive of the party's property issue. It seemed the external situation was becoming quite unfavorable.

"Human nature is like this. They can't stand to see you make money or get rich. There's nothing we can do about it," Chen Ke advised.

"But, but..." You Gou was speechless with anger.

"But we must believe in the goodness of human nature. If we disclose the formula, at least we have saved their lives, and they won't try to kill us. If we hold their lives in our hands, they will fight us. And since we are not seeking