Chapter 38

On the morning of September 12th, when Yan Fu sent someone to the workshop, Chen Ke was just about to leave. Yan Fu's messenger came to inquire when Chen Ke would be available, as he intended to discuss the matter of establishing a pharmaceutical factory with Chen Ke. Chen Ke politely informed the messenger that he was unavailable that day. He would be at the hospital construction site all day and would visit Mr. Yan Fu in three days. The messenger seemed surprised by this response but did not say much and left immediately.

To be honest, Chen Ke did not really believe that Yan Fu could finalize the pharmaceutical factory negotiations in the short term. Given the efficiency of the Qing bureaucracy, Chen Ke thought it would be remarkable if the matter was resolved within two months.

On September 11th, You Gou had asked Chen Ke about the production plan for the pharmaceutical factory, wondering what to do if the factory was actually established. Chen Ke's response was concise: "We should be prepared for the factory not to start production until 1917." You Gou did not understand Chen Ke's joke, so Chen Ke had to explain, "By 1917, the headquarters might have moved to Anhui. By then, you might not even know if you will move to Anhui with the headquarters. Don't worry about such things now."

According to the plan, on September 12th, all members of the Huangpu Book Club would undergo team-building exercises. On the 11th, Chen Ke conducted a simple physical fitness test. At least, that was the surface reason. The test included a 30-meter shuttle run, standing long jump, and solid ball throw.

Young people love excitement, especially sports activities. Whether they wore traditional robes or Western suits, everyone participated. Cheers, encouragement, and the cacophony of discussion filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere. Everyone took part in the physical test, and those who performed poorly surrounded the judges, asking for a redo. It was a scene of laughter and joy.

Chen Ke was pleased with the scene but pessimistic about the results. The members of the Huangpu Book Club were not particularly fond of sports. By 21st-century standards, only half of them met the criteria. Chen Ke believed these people were not suitable for the original team-building plan. Therefore, the training venue was changed to the construction site.

The roster had already been prepared. One of the main purposes of the physical fitness test was to collect personal data, which was part of a social survey. Conducting a social survey without completing the data of one's own people would be not just a joke but a disgrace.

After sending off Yan Fu's messenger, Chen Ke led a group of young people to the workshop. Zhou Yuanxiao's workshop was at the end of Nanjing Road, a "historic building." Zhou Yuanxiao had never mentioned the history of this large workshop. The Shanghai Renxin Hospital, where Chen Ke was nominally the principal, was at the end of Sichuan Road.

Chen Ke's hometown had no wooden buildings. As a child, he lived in a workers' compound with red or blue brick walls, cement floors, and red-tiled roofs. As he grew older, he lived in red-brick apartment buildings. Later, he moved into a new apartment with a concrete structure, a blue-stone exterior, and floor tiles inside. When he started living independently, he moved into a house in a residential complex, which had no wooden components, not even the stair railings, which were electroplated metal.

Throughout his life, he had seen few wooden pillars, let alone wooden beams. In 1905 Shanghai, Chen Ke felt that, apart from the larger population, it was not much different from a county town in the 1980s. The wooden buildings on both sides of the street, however, had a certain charm.

The streets were mostly made of crushed stone, and there were many people. There were no green belts. The commercial district was lined with identical two-story buildings, brick walls, wooden doors, and wooden windows. What Chen Ke found most distinctive was that these buildings had narrow balconies enclosed by wooden railings on the street side. The wooden parts of these buildings were mostly painted red, giving them a lively appearance.

Most of the vehicles parked on both sides of the street were carts and rickshaws. There were many vehicles, and the drivers rarely moved, parking wherever they thought they could get customers, which blocked a significant portion of the street. Shanghai, the largest commercial city in East Asia, had a highly developed transportation industry.

The drivers wore coarse cloth jackets and trousers, with thick waistbands that also served as money pouches. Their skin was tanned dark yellow, and their exposed arms, though muscular and with large joints, were noticeably thinner and darker than those of modern people, lacking luster. The excessive physical labor and lack of meat in their diet made their arms appear veiny and their skin dry.

Chen Ke had specifically instructed the dress code, and the young people he led were noticeably fairer and had smoother skin. Chen Ke, in particular, had grown up in a modern city where people rarely went shirtless or wore shorts. He was accustomed to wearing long sleeves and long pants year-round, and this was also true in this era. After returning, he spent his days dyeing cloth, making medicine, and teaching, always in long sleeves and long pants. Today, he wore short sleeves, revealing his well-muscled arms. However, compared to the laborers, his skin looked pale and tender, making him feel somewhat inferior. He was supposed to lead a socialist revolution, but how could the people believe in such a pale and delicate person?

As this group moved together, they chatted and laughed along the way, and the rickshaw drivers naturally did not misunderstand and did not approach to offer their services. Although Chen Ke wanted to observe the surroundings, Mao Ping, a Chinese student who returned with Chen Tianhua, kept chatting with him. Chen Ke was impressed by this young man and was willing to answer his questions, which inevitably diverted his attention from observing the social landscape.

Mao Ping's ancestors were from Fujian, but he himself was a Fujian immigrant in Taiwan. After Japan occupied Taiwan, Mao Ping returned to the mainland with his family. His family was relatively wealthy and not conservative. Since Japan had defeated the Qing, there must be something worth learning. Mao Ping went to Japan to study medicine.

In Japan, he saw the more advanced technology and cultural atmosphere, and his hatred for Japan gradually shifted to the corrupt and backward Qing. Mao Ping's family had good education, and after reading "On the Origin of Species," he established the concept of "survival of the fittest." In the Sino-Japanese War, Japan was fighting for its national interests. If the Qing had defeated Japan, Taiwan would not have been lost, and the Treaty of Shimonoseki would not have been signed. Everything was determined by strength. Instead of hating Japan's invasion, it was better to hate the weak and incompetent Qing. Mao Ping could not change Japan, but he believed he could change the Qing.

Unconsciously, Mao Ping transformed from a youth who hated Japan out of personal resentment into a radical anti-Qing activist. He participated in every revolutionary activity among the students whenever he had time. His relatively idealistic attitude won the support of many students and even made him some Japanese friends.

Mao Ping had read Chen Tianhua's books and strongly agreed with his fierce anti-Qing stance. When Chen Tianhua arrived in Japan, Mao Ping immediately went to meet him. They got along well, and Mao Ping and his small group became a "little revolutionary party" firmly supporting Chen Tianhua.

When Chen Tianhua returned to Japan from Shanghai, he brought the book he co-authored with Chen Ke. Mao Ping was amazed by it. "The Inheritance of Chinese Culture and the Rise of Materialism" clearly explained the relationship between the development of productive forces and social development, and the connection between the Industrial Revolution and national development. Mao Ping felt that all his long-standing doubts were resolved. "If I hear the truth in the morning, I can die in the evening!" he exclaimed. The diligent Mao Ping began skipping classes for the first time, dedicating all his energy to organizing the "Reading Club."

Under Mao Ping's efforts, the Reading Club expanded to over a hundred members. When he learned that Chen Tianhua was returning to Shanghai to join "Mr. Chen Ke," Mao Ping insisted on going with him. In the end, over twenty Chinese and Japanese youth followed Chen Tianhua back to Shanghai.

Chen Ke did not disappoint Mao Ping. His lectures were far superior to Chen Tianhua's. Mao Ping felt that Chen Ke was an almost supernatural being, able to provide reasonable answers to any question based on the theories in the book. The revolutionaries, when faced with problems, would simply shout, "The Qing is the source of all evil." But they could not clearly explain what the Qing's crimes were. Chen Ke never said who was evil; he only analyzed the social phenomena, explaining how the participants acted and why they did so, even if they were forced to do so.

This gentle and rational approach was even more effective than the most radical opposition. Mao Ping was already very dissatisfied with the Qing, and before meeting Chen Ke, he was, in a sense, a constitutionalist. After listening to Chen Ke's explanations, Mao Ping completely transformed from a constitutionalist to a revolutionary.

Chen Ke was impressed by Mao Ping, not only because of his progressive ideas but also because of his excellent performance on the construction site. As the Huangpu Book Club rapidly expanded, Chen Ke set a rule requiring members to help at the construction site. They would spend half their time listening to lectures and the other half working. Chen Ke also paid them based on their workload.

This rule, according to Chen Ke, was "strongly recommended but not mandatory." The wording was polite, but everyone, being somewhat educated, could read between the lines. Initially, they went to the construction site with a "helping" mindset. Within a week, one-third of the students refused to go to the site anymore. The other two-thirds continued to persist. Mao Ping and his fellow returnees were among the two-thirds. They worked well, and after passing through the commercial district, they entered the residential area. Shanghai was in a phase of rapid expansion, and the residential areas were in the alleys, not clearly visible from the outside. Occasionally, they saw a few carts transporting firewood, but otherwise, the area seemed deserted, as everyone was likely at work.

Chen Ke did not intend to go inside to look. He could visit these places later when conducting social surveys.

The school's location was relatively far. The British established the school, and the local Qing authorities neither supported nor opposed it. The core area of Shanghai was the Bund. The British Consulate in Shanghai was initially set up in a large residence in the Shanghai county town. After the opening of the port, the British, citing the inconvenience of mixed Chinese and foreign residence and the provision in the Treaty of Nanking allowing British to rent land in the treaty ports, forced the Qing government to sign the Shanghai Land Regulations. On November 29, 1845, two years after the opening of the port, the Shanghai Daotai issued a notice: "Considering public sentiment and the circumstances of Shanghai, the area north of Yangjingbang and south of Li Family Village is designated for British merchants to build houses and reside." This area, 830 acres, became the British Concession.

In 1846, Balfour identified the land in Li Family Village for the new British Consulate. Li Family Village was located southwest of the confluence of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek. During the Opium War, the British warships breached the first line of defense at Wusong and destroyed the second line at Donggou. The confluence of the Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River was the third line of defense. On June 16, 1842, the British warship "Nemesis" bombarded the Li Family Village fort. Despite the defenders' fierce resistance, the fort was destroyed. This land, with its strategic location and historical significance, was repeatedly surveyed by Balfour. Despite the British prohibition on building embassies abroad, Balfour negotiated the purchase of the land with its owner, Shi Bingrong, and paid a deposit. Due to the lack of funds, the project was delayed until the second consul, Alcock, took over and secured approval from the British government.

The consulate building was hastily constructed, and on July 21, 1849, the British Consulate moved from the old town to the new building in Li Family Village. However, the building had issues and was demolished in 1852. Eighteen years later, on the night of December 24, 1870, the British Consulate caught fire. The fire hoses, due to the long and winding water supply route, were insufficient, and the fire destroyed the building and all documents. Therefore, it is difficult to find early photographs or documents of the British Consulate.

However, the Bund area was already overcrowded, and it was impossible to acquire any land. Chen Ke was not particularly concerned about the medical school. He planned to go to the countryside within a year, and the school would not yield any results. If the revolution failed, the investment would be wasted; if it succeeded, the school could be rebuilt as needed. Therefore, Chen Ke chose a location near the residential area. This was a suburban area with cheap land and few residents. Wu Xingchen and a few tall, strong Shandong men personally went to "persuade" the landowner, and they finally bought the land.

After walking for about half an hour, the school was in sight. After a month of construction, the main six buildings—two teaching buildings, one laboratory building, a library, and two dormitories—were taking shape. Tall scaffolding and various hoisting devices were attached to the buildings, and many people were working on them.

Seeing the destination approaching, the young people showed signs of joy. They quickened their pace and met up with the students who had arrived early at the school's simple gate. Chen Ke and Mao Ping soon fell behind. Chen Ke looked back and saw a few students, all Japanese, following them obediently.

"Let's hurry up; don't keep everyone waiting," Chen Ke said with a smile.

"Hai!" the Japanese students responded in unison.

The group gathered on the playground, which was built to modern standards. It was clear that the area had been cleared, with various building materials piled on the running track and half the field showing signs of hasty transportation. In the center of the playground, four wooden obstacles, about three meters high, were set up, along with some mysterious objects. The young people were puzzled by these simple contraptions. They had heard Chen Ke explain the significance of "team-building exercises," which were supposed to foster team spirit and creativity. While they found the concept intriguing, the simple setup did not seem to match Chen Ke's explanation.

Hua Xiongmao approached, "Wenqing, everything is ready." He looked at the curious young people and asked, somewhat worried, "Wenqing, will this work?"

"Let's see. We have to try it out," Chen Ke said with a smile. He then stood on a stool and called out, "Students, today's team-building exercise is just the first step. I now require you to form rows of ten."

This simple request, which fourth-grade students in the 21st century could easily accomplish, left the 1905 youth standing there, unsure of what to do.

Chen Ke pointed to Mao Ping, "Take five steps forward and stand there."

Mao Ping obeyed Chen Ke's command.

Chen Ke pointed to Mao Ping's position and called out to everyone, "Use him as the reference point and stand north and behind Mao Ping."

This command was followed, but the students began to position themselves haphazardly. Some stood south of Mao Ping, some in front of him, and others, seeing everyone rush, stood still, unsure of what to do.

Chen Ke called out the students' names one by one, ordering them to adjust their positions. After ten minutes, the students were finally divided into five rows behind and north of Mao Ping.

"How many people should be in each row?" Chen Ke asked.

"Ten," came the scattered responses from the rows.

"First row, count off!" Chen Ke ordered. This time, he not only had them count but also personally taught them how to do it.

Hua Xiongmao, seeing the chaotic scene and Chen Ke's skilled instruction, immediately dismissed his worries. Organizing such a large group and teaching them basic skills was no small task. He turned and left, as there was still much to do at the construction site.

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End of Chapter 38