Chapter 35

The day after Yan Fuguang visited Chen Ke, the People's Party accountant Qin Wu'an and Chen Ke together distributed the day's wages to the workers of the school construction team. After Chen Ke and Yüwen Badu agreed on the price, Chen Ke "took the initiative" to distribute wages to the workers every day. This was a loophole in the contract, as it did not specify who should distribute the wages. Qin Wu'an and Du Zhenghui, as supervisors, were responsible for the daily wage distribution.

Yüwen Badu looked as if he had eaten a sour persimmon, his face almost contorted. He had never seen such a "master."

As a contractor in 1905, Yüwen Badu was quite capable. Of course, he was familiar with all sorts of small tricks to save money. The most important of these was to firmly control the power to distribute wages.

In Yüwen Badu's impression, Chen Ke was a very shrewd and wealthy man, and from his attire, it was clear he was educated. Yüwen Badu had seen people like this before, most of whom were sharp-tongued and nitpicky. They rarely visited the construction site, and when they did, they looked at the workers with a mix of disdain and a sense of superiority. They would then pretend to inspect the site and find faults. Some of the more generous ones might claim to provide extra meals for the workers. The less generous ones would threaten to withhold wages.

No matter how they behaved, Yüwen Badu could always handle them. In fact, their behavior was not entirely bad, as it sometimes served to discipline the workers, who often slacked off. Since the power to distribute wages was in Yüwen Badu's hands, he could take advantage of these opportunities to withhold some wages.

So when Yüwen Badu lost control over the wage distribution, his pain and panic exceeded his own expectations. This was the first time in many years that Yüwen Badu had encountered such a situation. In the past, if things got too bad, he could always resort to a last resort: pulling the construction team away and spreading bad rumors about the owner. If the project was halfway done and suddenly abandoned, the owner would not be able to bear it and would eventually have to bring Yüwen Badu back.

Now, however, the construction site was not only busy with Yüwen Badu's team but also with a team that Chen Ke had formed himself, which was even larger than Yüwen Badu's. Pulling out would not have the same effect. Watching his fellow villagers line up neatly and receive their wages with smiles, Yüwen Badu felt a wave of anxiety.

At the party meeting that evening, after Qin Wu'an reported on the progress of the project, Chen Ke addressed the party members: "To win the support of the masses, we must first understand their interests. We must consider both their long-term and short-term interests. Let's start by trying to win over Yüwen Badu's Anhui team."

This was a formal party meeting, and as the chair, Chen Ke was assigning tasks to the members.

"To what extent should we win them over?" Qi Huishen asked. Within the People's Party, Qi Huishen was clearly the second in command. No one had tried to challenge his position, but Chen Ke knew that many members were already dissatisfied with Qi Huishen's control over all the work, such as Hua Xiongmou.

"Who will be responsible for this task?" Hua Xiongmou asked with a light tone. It was Hua Xiongmou who had introduced Yüwen Badu to Chen Ke, and Chen Ke had first mentioned the idea of winning over Yüwen Badu to Hua Xiongmou. Naturally, he hoped to lead this effort.

Qi Huishen already had a lot on his plate, and taking on this additional responsibility would be too much for him. However, Hua Xiongmou's words made Qi Huishen feel uncomfortable. Like Chen Ke, Qi Huishen worked tirelessly, waking up early and going to bed late. To Qi Huishen, Hua Xiongmou's words sounded more like mockery than a willingness to take on the task.

Before Qi Huishen could speak, Chen Ke took over. "We can't handle everything at once. I have a proposal."

Hua Xiongmou looked at Chen Ke with anticipation. The other members were not particularly concerned, as they did not expect the task to fall on them.

"Comrades, the first part of the party class is over. I believe everyone now understands the program and goals of the People's Party, right?" Chen Ke's words surprised the members, but everyone perked up.

"I understand," Hua Xiongmou said, speaking before Qi Huishen. Since Hua Xiongmou had spoken, no one else wanted to say anything.

"The program of the People's Party is to launch a people's revolution and establish a socialist new China. Do any of you have any objections to this?" Chen Ke asked.

You Gou frowned, and with a woman's intuition, she sensed that there was more to these words. "I have no objections. What exactly does Wenqing plan to do? Or rather, what does Wenqing plan to do with the People's Party?"

"I plan to reorganize the People's Party," Chen Ke answered straightforwardly.

Most of the members looked surprised. Zhou Yuanxiao remained cold, while Chen Tianhua and He Zudao looked slightly nervous. Wu Xingchen appeared indifferent, while Qin Wu'an listened attentively.

"I must clarify that our work will now enter the first stage, with the goal of establishing a base and launching an armed uprising. This is a rebellion. No, it is already a rebellion. I ask everyone to seriously consider whether they are willing to participate in the revolution."

Chen Ke scanned the room. After explaining the materialist conception of history, the members knew that Chen Ke intended to rebel, but hearing him say it so clearly still left everyone stunned.

"Can I leave?" Zhou Yuanxiao broke the silence.

Chen Ke nodded. "You can. I won't force anyone to stay. Zhou brother, I will discuss the workshop with you later. As a friend, I hope you will keep some of our secrets."

Everyone's eyes were on Zhou Yuanxiao. He stood up, looking somewhat relieved, and responded to Chen Ke's reminder, "Wenqing, rest assured, I will never betray anyone."

You Gou wanted to say something, perhaps to persuade Zhou Yuanxiao to stay, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. In the end, she turned away, not wanting to see Zhou Yuanxiao leave. Chen Ke noticed this and gave her a gentle smile. You Gou saw Chen Ke's smile but looked down.

Zhou Yuanxiao walked quickly to the door, but his pace slowed as he approached. He did not want to participate in the rebellion, as it meant opposing the government, and if caught, it could mean death. He wasn't foolish; halfway through the class, Zhou Yuanxiao knew that Chen Ke was determined to rebel. Although Chen Ke had promised not to involve him in armed struggle, would that promise hold if the rebellion began?

Zhou Yuanxiao had joined Chen Ke's party out of desperation. If Chen Ke had rebelled back then, Zhou Yuanxiao might have followed. He remembered Chen Ke's confident words: "Brother Zhou, once you become a party member, you will become a new person."

Indeed, after becoming a party member and attending the party classes, Zhou Yuanxiao had changed. The classes Chen Ke gave to the students were just the surface. After the public classes, Chen Ke delved deeper, covering not only the materialist conception of history but also "Das Kapital." Zhou Yuanxiao had never known such truths. Beneath the complex surface of the world, there were unseen laws governing its operation. With plenty of time to reflect, Zhou Yuanxiao finally understood where he had gone wrong in the past and why he had failed so miserably.

"If I could do it again, I would never fail," Zhou Yuanxiao said to himself. This confidence made him less interested in the revolution. For him, it was better to seize the present and restore his family's fortune than to wait for uncertain revolutionary results.

Zhou Yuanxiao could see that these people were truly planning a rebellion. Once he made his decision, he was afraid to voice it. Chen Ke seemed gentle, but his relentless work ethic made Zhou Yuanxiao realize that Chen Ke was not easy to deal with. Qi Huishen and Hua Xiongmou were not to be trifled with, and Wu Xingchen, who always smiled sardonically, had seen translators who offended You Gou and Chen Ke beaten to a pulp. Zhou Yuanxiao knew he could not afford to cross Wu Xingchen. If these people deemed him unreliable, he would not escape the People's Party's grasp.

Zhou Yuanxiao had been worried about when he could bring up his desire to leave the People's Party. He never expected such an opportunity to come so soon, and he was even more surprised by Chen Ke's understanding. Chen Ke warned him not to reveal the group's secrets, which Zhou Yuanxiao would never do. At this point, the group had taken no action, and even if he reported them to the authorities, what could be done? Moreover, Qi Huishen, who was so passionate about the revolution, was also the son of the Qi family. Even if the People's Party were caught, it was unlikely that anything serious would happen.

Even if the government executed Qi Huishen, and Qi family's patriarch learned that Zhou Yuanxiao had betrayed his only son, Zhou Yuanxiao's fate would be sealed.

With a sense of urgency, Zhou Yuanxiao walked quickly to the door but stopped. A strong sense of discomfort suddenly overwhelmed him. Among the people behind him was You Gou, who had helped him in his darkest hour. That was a debt of gratitude. Chen Ke, without whom he would not have found his way again, was also there. More importantly, the past few months of close interaction had made Zhou Yuanxiao feel at home. Leaving now felt like being exiled from a warm family. Standing at the door, he felt his legs heavy, unable to take the final step to freedom.

Zhou Yuanxiao turned back. The others were still sitting as they had been, and from a distance, the accusing looks he had seen earlier were no longer clear. He saw You Gou lift her head, her face showing a look of expectation. Chen Ke looked at him and smiled, a smile of understanding. Zhou Yuanxiao made up his mind and said loudly, "I will never betray anyone. You can count on me." Then he turned and walked out without looking back.

Seeing Zhou Yuanxiao leave, Chen Ke breathed a sigh of relief. From his observations, Zhou Yuanxiao was not a true revolutionary. Even if he had stayed, Chen Ke would not have given him important tasks. Zhou Yuanxiao's courage to leave was a good thing. With his example, other members who wanted to leave might feel more confident. An organization must retain only those who are willing to stay; otherwise, disloyal members would become a threat.

"Is there anyone else who wants to leave? If you are unwilling to rebel, you can leave now."

No one spoke. After a moment, no one left.

"Comrades, the People's Party is not just about overthrowing the Qing government. As a party, the People's Party is an organization with its own discipline. I have drafted this organizational discipline. Please review it." Chen Ke then handed out a stack of documents.

Chen Tianhua received the document and saw Chen Ke's legible handwriting, not a printed document. He wondered if Chen Ke had drafted this program without consulting Qi Huishen. Looking at Qi Huishen, he saw him reading the document intently. Chen Tianhua kept his doubts to himself and began reading.

1. The party shall be named the "Chinese People's Party."

2. The party's program is as follows:

(1) The revolutionary army must overthrow the Qing government, which is composed of the landlord and aristocratic classes, and support the working and peasant classes until the class distinctions in society are eliminated.

(2) The dictatorship of the proletariat must be recognized until the class struggle ends, i.e., until the class distinctions in society are eliminated.

(3) Private ownership of land must be abolished, and a modern industrial state based on public ownership must be established.

(4) The party must join the Second International.

3. The party recognizes the representative meeting management system, organizes workers, peasants, and soldiers, and recognizes the fundamental political goal of implementing a social revolution. Members of the Chinese People's Party must sever all ties with parties and groups that oppose the party's program. Members must strictly adhere to the principles of individual obedience to the organization, minority obedience to the majority, lower levels obedience to higher levels, and the entire party obedience to the central committee, regardless of whether they are ordinary members or cadres.

4. Any person who recognizes the party's program and policies and is willing to become a loyal member, regardless of gender or nationality, can be admitted as a member upon the recommendation of one member. Before joining, they must sever all ties with parties and groups that oppose the party's program.

5. The procedure for admitting new members is as follows: probationary members must be evaluated by the committee in their area, with a probation period of at least two months. After the probation period, they can be admitted as members with the approval of the majority of members. If there is an executive committee in the area, it must also approve.

6. When the party is in a secret state, the party's important policies and member identities must be kept confidential.

7. Where there are five or more members, a committee must be established.

8. Committee members, upon introduction by the secretary of their local committee, can transfer to another committee.

9. Committees with ten or fewer members must have one secretary. Committees with more than ten members must have a financial officer, an organizational officer, and a propaganda officer. Committees with more than thirty members must elect an executive committee from among the committee members. The rules for the executive committee are to be determined separately.

10. Where there are many members in the local organizations of workers, peasants, soldiers, and students, they can be dispatched to other areas to work, but they must be strictly supervised by the local executive committee.

12. The financial, activities, and policies of local committees must be supervised by the central executive committee.

13. Where there are more than five hundred members or five committees in the same area, a ten-member executive committee must be appointed by the national representative meeting. If this requirement cannot be met, a temporary central executive committee must be established