Chapter 37

Hua Xiongmao was furious, or more accurately, he was angry and ashamed. You Gou's words were not entirely wrong; Hua Xiongmao knew that some of his actions were inappropriate. Being directly pointed out by a girl about his mistakes was indeed very embarrassing. If it were any other time, Hua Xiongmao might not have been so angry. Over the past few months, he and You Gou had developed a good relationship. In Shaoxing, there were no opportunities for young men and women to work together. Only in Shanghai, under Chen Ke, could they truly work together without causing any special issues. Hua Xiongmao valued the camaraderie among colleagues very much.

If You Gou had not publicly criticized him, Hua Xiongmao would not have been so angry, and he might even have listened to her advice. However, You Gou's comments at the party meeting were unacceptable to Hua Xiongmao.

Among these comrades, Hua Xiongmao was the earliest to follow Chen Ke. Their first meeting almost ended in a fight. Chen Ke's fierce demeanor indeed overpowered Hua Xiongmao. Hua Xiongmao's provocative conversation in the tavern was, in a sense, just a way for him to save face. Although Hua Xiongmao was a martial arts scholar, his family strongly encouraged him to study and take the exams to become a scholar and eventually an official. However, Hua Xiongmao was not suited for academic pursuits; he loved reading various legendary novels and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Hua Xiongmao had some self-awareness; he did not dare to compare himself to Cao Cao, Liu Bei, or Sun Quan. Whenever he read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Hua Xiongmao couldn't help but think of himself as Zhao Zilong, a hero in troubled times, following a wise leader to bring peace to the world.

Chen Ke's declaration of being a revolutionary deeply moved Hua Xiongmao's restless heart. Since he was going to venture out anyway, following Chen Ke, who seemed to be both scholarly and martial, might be a good choice. In the subsequent journey, Hua Xiongmao found that Chen Ke was indeed a virtuous Liu Bei. Chen Ke was wholehearted in his work, governance, and treatment of friends. Chen Ke's knowledge itself earned Hua Xiongmao's admiration. Chen Ke never kept anything to himself and taught everyone everything he knew. Over time, Hua Xiongmao was deeply attracted to Chen Ke's demeanor and became a devoted follower.

During the months of working with Chen Ke, some of Chen Ke's weaknesses also became apparent. However, Hua Xiongmao did not see this as a problem. If Liu Bei could conquer the world alone, what would be the point of the Five Tiger Generals and Zhuge Liang? A hero needs three helpers, and a fence needs three stakes. Hua Xiongmao understood this. Moreover, these weaknesses provided Hua Xiongmao with opportunities to contribute. Although he did not say it out loud, he hoped to become Chen Ke's most important pillar, or at least a very important one.

Regarding Qi Huishen's rise within the team, it would be inaccurate to say that Hua Xiongmao was jealous. What Hua Xiongmao could not accept was the relationship between Qi Huishen and Chen Ke. Although their private relationship was not particularly close, in Chen Ke's revolutionary endeavors, they were very much in sync. Hua Xiongmao felt that he was gradually being marginalized by Qi Huishen.

Recently, Chen Ke had devoted all his energy to the revolutionary cause, and Hua Xiongmao naturally hoped to take on more responsibilities. However, Qi Huishen was steadily moving into the position of "second-in-command." This filled Hua Xiongmao with a sense of competition. His desire to reclaim the position of Chen Ke's "most capable comrade" made his behavior increasingly erratic.

Now, You Gou had spoken the truth and subtly pointed out something that Hua Xiongmao was very concerned about—perhaps he realized that his actions were not right. After Chen Ke's party lessons, Hua Xiongmao understood the significance of the people's revolution. However, his participation in the people's revolution was driven by personal loyalty to Chen Ke. From a political perspective, Hua Xiongmao felt that he might have overstepped, but out of personal loyalty and the sense of "ruler-minister relationship and kinship" from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he believed he was not wrong.

Caught in this internal conflict, Hua Xiongmao found You Gou's words particularly hard to accept. But he did not know what to say. In this awkward and angry moment, Hua Xiongmao could not help but glance at Chen Ke.

Seeing Chen Ke's helpless expression and furrowed brows, as if he was about to say something, gave Hua Xiongmao a way out. He suppressed his anger and looked at Chen Ke, feeling somewhat relieved.

You Gou had not intended to really attack Hua Xiongmao; she did not know his true thoughts. Her comment was simply a simple expression of dissatisfaction with Hua Xiongmao's behavior at the party meeting. Seeing Hua Xiongmao's anger, You Gou also felt some regret. Since Hua Xiongmao did not respond, she turned her head to look at Chen Ke.

Chen Ke closed his eyes, looking like a shaman about to perform a ritual, which left everyone puzzled. Everyone looked at Chen Ke, waiting for him to continue.

Political work first requires listening, not just in political work but in dealing with people as well. Only one person talking is not communication. So Chen Ke decided to wait for the conflict to erupt before addressing it. Honestly, Chen Ke did not want a conflict, but it was inevitable.

Chen Ke closed his eyes as a form of avoidance. No matter how much everyone argued, he could still hear with his ears. Whether his eyes were open or closed did not affect his hearing. After waiting for a while, Chen Ke heard no sound. He quickly opened his eyes and saw everyone staring at him, Hua Xiongmao with concern and You Gou with curiosity. The argument had strangely ended, which surprised Chen Ke.

Although he was not sure what had happened, work came first. Chen Ke did not want to escalate the conflict. "Today we established the organizational principles of the People's Party. Previously, we also established the three styles of the People's Party members. Zhenglan, can you recite those three styles?"

"Ah?" Hua Xiongmao was surprised by the question. However, Chen Ke had repeatedly emphasized these points in the party lessons, forcing everyone to recite them each time. Hua Xiongmao had not forgotten the content. "The three styles of the People's Party members are: one, closely linking theory with practice; two, closely connecting with the masses; three, criticism and self-criticism."

After reciting the three styles, Hua Xiongmao understood Chen Ke's meaning. Among these three styles, Chen Ke was now emphasizing the third: "criticism and self-criticism." Although he was still不服气 (unconvinced), Hua Xiongmao's anger subsided.

"Regarding the development of new party members, we have the members, the theory, and the masses. In this work, I hope and require that comrades uphold the three styles of the People's Party," Chen Ke said.

Some comrades lowered their heads in thought, while others were puzzled. After a while, You Gou suddenly laughed, drawing everyone's attention.

"The three styles. It sounds a bit like an old scholar talking about self-cultivation, family management, state governance, and world peace."

"People's Party members are supposed to be sages. This is absolutely correct."

"Sages? Nowadays, everyone is desperately trying to make money and get rich and powerful. Instead, our People's Party is talking about sages and righteousness! We are a genuine revolutionary party, aiming to overthrow the old order. Ha, ha, hahaha." You Gou found it increasingly funny and ended up laughing loudly on the table. The other comrades smiled bitterly, and Wu Xingchen couldn't help but laugh a few times with You Gou.

You Gou had just mocked Hua Xiongmao, and Hua Xiongmao wanted to criticize her. But for some reason, he felt she was right. He could not bring himself to criticize her. In this strange atmosphere, Chen Ke first smiled bitterly, then suddenly burst out laughing. Since Chen Ke was laughing, the other comrades could not hold back their laughter and laughed according to their personalities.

Wu Xingchen alternated between cold laughter and loud laughter, You Gou and Hua Xiongmao laughed like children, Chen Tianhua laughed until tears streamed down his face, and Chen Ke and Qi Huishen's laughter was filled with helplessness and uncontrollable amusement. He Zudao and Qin Wuan were purely infected by the group's laughter, but after a while, they looked somewhat lost at the older comrades laughing.

Chen Ke was not angry; he had also asked himself this question. In the chaotic 21st century, as a communist, the first thing to establish is a firm moral code, and a genuine one. When he truly understood the necessity of this from a rational perspective, Chen Ke's emotions immediately erupted, and he laughed out loud on his bed. For the next few days, no matter where he was—on a bus, riding a bicycle, or at work—whenever he thought about this issue, he could not help but laugh. No amount of curiosity, surprise, disgust, or even contempt from others could diminish his laughter.

1905 and 2005, two years at the opposite ends of a century, had a strange cyclical relationship. In 1905, the old cultural traditions were already crumbling under the impact of industrialization, and the concepts of righteousness and morality, which had been dogmatized, had completely collapsed, leaving justice as nothing more than a concept on paper. This was strangely similar to 2005. Chen Ke remembered that it was in 2005 that he confirmed his communist and socialist ideals. In that era, China's industrial development was rapid, and the old dogmas were no longer respected. The concept of "morality," the pinnacle of dogma, was also questioned.

Chen Ke later had to confirm that materialism and communism were themselves ideological and moral systems. Adhering to this ideological system inevitably led to the reconstruction of morality. Several years later, someone suddenly criticized Chen Ke, "For you true believers, you have faith."

This statement was like a sudden enlightenment, and Chen Ke finally understood his own transformation.

Faith is a firm belief. Chen Ke could not remember how long it took for him to shift from being forced to use materialist dialectics to actively using them. However, he vividly remembered the inexplicable sense of absurdity and the laughter that followed when he first confirmed the significance of morality.

The comrades' reactions did not surprise Chen Ke. He had been tirelessly instilling materialist historical views in them, and they had genuinely accepted them. Therefore, like Chen Ke in the past, they felt the importance and necessity of morality and could only laugh. Chen Ke's work was indeed effective.

Chen Ke's laughter subsided, and his gaze became resolute. The comrades gradually stopped laughing, their eyes filled with vitality.

"Do you think we cannot be the moral standard-bearers of this era? Should we not be the moral standard-bearers of this era? Or is the concept of righteousness and morality itself wrong?" Chen Ke's voice was powerful.

"No, it's not wrong. But when I think about myself, someone who is criticized behind my back, being a model of righteousness and morality, a sage, I can't help but laugh," You Gou's face showed a desire to laugh. Or rather, the lower half of her face wanted to laugh, but her eyebrows were furrowed, and her eyes were red with tears streaming down. She wiped her tears and sat up straight, full of spirit. "Wenqing, what should we do next?"

Except for Wu Xingchen, the other comrades also sat up straight, their eyes firmly on Chen Ke, waiting for his instructions.

"We represent the new righteousness and morality of China. We are destined to establish the righteousness and morality of China for the next hundred years." Chen Ke's voice was strong but not arrogant. "What we need to do now is to spread our ideas among the people. We face the Huangpu Book Club now, and in the future, we will spread our ideas throughout China. Therefore, I want to emphasize again that all People's Party members must firmly uphold the three styles of the People's Party: linking theory with practice, closely connecting with the masses, and criticism and self-criticism. There is still much to learn."

The comrades had calmed down, and their attention was more focused than at the beginning. The earlier tension between You Gou and Hua Xiongmao had long dissipated.

"Now, let's divide the tasks and arrange the work for developing new party members. Let's start the discussion," Chen Ke said.

The party meeting lasted from 6 PM to midnight. After analysis, discussion, and adjustments, the final personnel arrangements were quite different from everyone's initial expectations.

The production department was assigned to Qi Huishen, who would be fully responsible for school construction and hospital management. After all, this line was brought in by Qi Huishen. You Gou would be responsible for pharmaceutical production and chemistry lectures, as well as the administrative work at headquarters. Wu Xingchen would handle pharmaceutical sales. The clients Hua Xiongmao had brought in would be handed over to He Zudao. Hua Xiongmao and Qin Wuan would be responsible for labor on the construction site and personnel observation. Qin Wuan would also take on the role of accountant. Chen Ke and Chen Tianhua would be in charge of propaganda.

After the tasks were divided, everyone felt a great deal of pressure and a strong desire to recruit new party members. Even Hua Xiongmao, who did not want to be under Qi Huishen, now had no energy to think about it. He had been eager to take on the responsibility of evaluating the construction site, but now that the task was given to him, he was worried about whether he could do it well.

You Gou was right; Hua Xiongmao did not think he could command everyone as calmly, orderly, and modestly as Chen Ke. But since he had requested this task, it would be inappropriate to back out.

Chen Ke looked at his watch. "It's midnight. Let's adjourn. Zhenglan, you and Zudao take You Gou home."

Hua Xiongmao was pleased. You Gou had considerable organizational skills, and he could learn from her on the way home. Moreover, He Zudao was a good person who would not speak ill of others behind their backs. Even if he apologized to You Gou in front of He Zudao, it would not be embarrassing. He Zudao was also happy because he would be responsible for Hua Xiongmao's clients in the future, and this was an opportunity to learn from Hua Xiongmao.

The three of them got up and left. Everyone else went to rest, leaving only Chen Ke and Chen Tianhua in the meeting room.

"Wenqing, how should we handle the propaganda? Do you have a plan?"

"I need to write something. XingTai, share your thoughts first. I'll write while I listen, okay?"

Chen Tianhua watched as Chen Ke prepared paper and pen and couldn't help but laugh. "Another sleepless night, huh?"

"We've been staying up late together for a while now. Comrade, let's get to work."

"Will the article be long?" Chen Tianhua asked.

"About an hour."

"Then you write, and I'll read. We'll talk after you finish."

"Alright."

Chen Ke started writing. This was not a creative piece but a summary of the famous "Oppose Dogmatism" by the Chairman. Chen Ke quickly wrote down the outline.

1. No investigation, no right to speak.

2. Investigation is to solve problems.

3. Oppose dogmatism.

4. Without practical investigation, there will be insincere class estimation and idealistic work guidance, leading to opportunism or blind activism.

5. Social and economic investigation is to obtain correct class estimation and determine correct struggle strategies.

6. The victory of the Chinese revolution depends on the People's Party members understanding China's situation.

7. Techniques of investigation.

After finishing the outline, Chen Ke handed the page to Chen Tianhua. "What do you think, XingTai?"

Chen Tianhua looked at it for a while. "Wenqing, are you going to conduct a social investigation? What's this all about?"

"Know your enemy, know yourself, and you will never be defeated. To revolutionize, we need to understand what China is really like. We eat, drink, and sit here talking about revolution, which is easy."

"China is already in such a state. What don't we know?" Chen Tianhua was puzzled.

"Then tell me, what is the current state of China? You speak, and I'll listen."

Chen Tianhua naturally spoke about the general situation: national humiliation, suffering of the people, territorial cessions, and indemnities. In summary, it was the same old story that Chen Ke had heard many times. Chen Ke wrote quickly, nodding and humming in agreement when Chen Tianhua got emotional.

The content was not much, and since Chen Tianhua knew Chen Ke was well-versed in it, he ran out of things to say in less than ten minutes. Chen Ke looked up and asked, "So, I have a question. Territorial cessions and indemnities, and the suffering of the people. What is the specific connection between these two issues? How do territorial cessions and indemnities lead to the suffering of the people? Can you explain this, XingTai?"

"Uh?" Chen Tianhua was taken aback. He thought Chen Ke was just writing and considering his feelings, so he