Chapter 44

Xie Mingxian, 24 years old, from Hunan, was a scholar. He was not tall, but his appearance was quite decent. However, what left the deepest impression on Chen Ke was Xie Mingxian's amber-colored eyes. Amber was not as light as yellow, nor was it dull. To be precise, Chinese people do not have black hair and black eyes, but a very deep brown, a color unique to China. It is a deep black with a slight hint of yellow, heavy yet warm. Compared to this deep color, amber stood out significantly. Xie Mingxian usually did not talk much, and his bright eyes calmly observed everything around him, as if he had something to express, yet he remained silent.

Chen Ke had a high opinion of Xie Mingxian. Whenever he asked Xie Mingxian to do something, Xie Mingxian always completed it well. Chen Ke still remembered when he first hired Xie Mingxian. At that time, this young man neither showed off nor flaunted his status as a scholar, but rather had a straightforward attitude of working for a living. In this era, such a quality was very rare. Later, when Chen Ke wanted to continue employing Xie Mingxian, Xie Mingxian expressed his desire to work more and earn more money. He was even reluctant to attend free political lectures. Chen Ke then said that he would still pay Xie Mingxian for attending the lectures, and only then did Xie Mingxian take out a notebook and listen attentively.

Worried about lecturing to the students of Fudan University, Chen Ke wrote a speech filled with "nationalist sentiment." For the seven young people, this kind of article was very inciting. Even in 2005, such an article would still have a significant market in China. However, Xie Mingxian's evaluation was actually "empty words."

Chen Ke knew that this kind of nationalist incitement was always empty. From Chen Ke's political perspective, all so-called nationalistic concepts were false propositions. Nationalism is a product of social development and will inevitably disappear as society progresses. As a communist, more accurately, a Maoist, Chen Ke did not like the concept of nationality. Class struggle is the root of social contradictions, and promoting nationalism is a means, not a real, intangible thing. In Chinese tradition, there was familyism and the distinction between Han and non-Han, but there was never a tradition of nationalism. Chu culture, which was a standard southern barbarian culture during the Spring and Autumn period, is now a treasure of Chinese culture. If we talk about bloodlines, the majority of Chinese people probably have ancestors who were once "barbarians." Chen Ke has type B blood, a Mongolian spot birthmark, and a double toenail on his little toe, which are typical signs of Hun blood. However, Chen Ke is first and foremost a thorough Chinese person, and neither he nor those around him have ever doubted this.

No one would think that Hun culture is part of Chinese culture, but Mr. Sima Qian clearly recorded in the "Records of the Grand Historian" that the Huns were also descendants of the Yan and Huang emperors. From the perspective of the great division of human society, the separation of nomadic and agricultural lifestyles created the nomadic Hun people in the north. This oldest nomadic enemy of China was merely a branch of the Huaxia. Later, when the Huns were re-integrated into Huaxia, countless "descendants of the Huns" sacrificed their lives to protect Huaxia, a number that cannot be quantified. As an ordinary person, Chen Ke felt the same way, so he did not like so-called "nationalism."

Xie Mingxian's ability to completely negate nationalism and consider Chen Ke's inciting speech as "empty words" was no ordinary insight.

Seeing Xie Mingxian's slightly bored expression, Chen Ke could not help but ask, "What do you really think, Mingxian? Please speak your mind."

Judging from Xie Mingxian's appearance, he had long wanted to say something to Chen Ke. His lips were slightly pursed, indicating he had made up his mind. Indeed, Xie Mingxian replied, "Mr. Wenqing, when I first met you, to be honest, I thought you were a fake foreigner. I didn't like you. Later, I found that your books made sense and were not heretical. I began to look at Mr. Wenqing with new eyes. But Mr. Wenqing, if you trust someone, you should trust them completely. Since you have employed me, please believe in me. Let me do what I need to do. If Mr. Wenqing believes in what you say, I will naturally follow your guidance. But now, you lecture every day, trying to make us think and act exactly as you say. No matter how well you lecture, what good does it do? Now you've written this piece, and I don't even know what Mr. Wenqing is planning."

These words were heavy. If it were anyone else, Xie Mingxian would not have spoken so frankly. But for some reason, Xie Mingxian believed that Chen Ke could understand his meaning and accept his thoughts. For some reason, although Xie Mingxian had many complaints about Chen Ke, he was confident in Chen Ke's tolerance. Xie Mingxian was a scholar and had met some famous teachers. To be fair, although he did not like Chen Ke at first, he genuinely admired Chen Ke's scholarship. Although he did not like Chen Ke at first, as time went on, he found that Chen Ke was not a detestable person. Moreover, Chen Ke could listen to others' opinions. Chen Ke was also relatively wealthy, and Xie Mingxian very much hoped to take on more work under Chen Ke and earn a substantial amount. However, although Chen Ke had many ways to make money, he did not seem to care much about it. Instead, he promoted new ideas. Xie Mingxian had been dissatisfied for a long time and could not hold back today, so he spoke his mind.

After finishing his speech, Xie Mingxian saw Chen Ke's serious expression and felt that he might have been too harsh. Although he did not earn much from Chen Ke, Chen Ke was still a scholar, and the work was not physical labor. If Xie Mingxian were to find another job now, he might not find one of this type. If Chen Ke got angry and turned against him... Thinking about this, Xie Mingxian felt uneasy and said, "This is just my opinion. If there are any inappropriate points, please forgive me, Mr. Wenqing."

Chen Ke fell into deep thought. He had not guessed Xie Mingxian's thoughts, and the things he was thinking about had nothing to do with Xie Mingxian. Xie Mingxian's complaints suddenly made Chen Ke realize a problem that had been troubling him recently: "How should the revolutionary work proceed?"

To be honest, Chen Ke was not a revolutionary who sought to break everything. Born at the end of the 20th century, when China had already completed its initial industrialization, Chen Ke had been instilled with the concept of "the system" from a young age. If the party had built a true industrial party in China, an agricultural country, through theoretical study, then Chen Ke's awareness truly aligned with Marx's original wishes. Marx's works were originally written for the people of industrialized countries, and Chen Ke was completely within this "scope of application."

Chen Ke knew what was "right" and "wrong," but he was not necessarily a person who dared to innovate. Without sufficient social practice, it was not easy to make theoretical breakthroughs. Returning to this era, everything Chen Ke did was "imitation," imitating his predecessors. However, Chen Ke's "system" nature made it impossible for him to accept "making mistakes." In the party's history, many mistakes were made during this period. This was inevitable; without experiencing failure, it was impossible to summarize experience and find the right path. Chen Ke had been a teacher, and during this not-so-long period of his life, he understood one thing: if a teacher really taught seriously, the teacher's gains in the teaching process were much greater than those of the students. Students only made their own mistakes, while the teacher saw countless mistakes through the students.

The correct path was not a straight line in theory; it was discovered through countless failures and mistakes. This process was not achieved through learning but through practice. Chen Ke used an analogy: to students, the future often seemed like an insurmountable mountain, but to Chen Ke, it was a path, or even multiple paths. This was not only due to Chen Ke's own practice but also the many things he learned from his students' practices.

From this perspective, Chen Ke should now let everyone practice the revolution and experience it. What Chen Ke needed to do was to analyze the results of these practices with everyone and explore the correct path. Chen Ke himself had no revolutionary experience. Even if he wanted to practice now, various tasks temporarily tied him down, and he did not have the time to go to the grassroots. As a result, Chen Ke was now desperately trying to instill theoretical knowledge into his students and comrades. However, the students did not seem to appreciate it.

Faced with the current challenges, what everyone needed were solutions and actions, not theories completely detached from practice. Xie Mingxian was an example, and the students in the school who were dissatisfied with Chen Ke were also examples. If they were given the opportunity to practice, the students and comrades would surely make significant progress.

However, Chen Ke also knew that once the practice phase began, things would definitely get out of his control. Reality was always stranger than the most exaggerated novels, just as the same physical theory could lead to completely different understandings among students. In high school, Chen Ke had a classmate who got every multiple-choice question wrong, even when there was only one wrong answer. The physics teacher was not angry; he thought the classmate had really studied hard. Otherwise, guessing the answers would not have produced such results.

Revolution was not a dinner party, nor was it an exam. If he let the comrades act, there would inevitably be various losses. Chen Ke did not have the confidence to solve all problems at any time. Moreover, the revolution would mercilessly abandon many people, a fact proven by countless examples. Chen Ke asked himself, when reading history books, he could still agree with "decisive action," but when it came to these classmates and comrades he saw every day, he could not make that decision.

While he was thinking, the door opened. Yu Youren pushed it open and, upon seeing Chen Ke, his face was full of surprise. "Mr. Chen has come."

Chen Ke quickly put aside his other thoughts, stood up, and said, "Mr. Yu, I have come to apologize."

Hearing this, Yu Youren laughed, "Students are young and hot-tempered. What does it have to do with Mr. Chen? If I were to apologize, wouldn't I be even more at fault as a teacher?"

After they sat down, Yu Youren briefly explained the incident. The fight was not a life-and-death struggle, not even a physical altercation. It was just some pushing and shoving, and a piece of clothing was torn. The students were verbally aggressive, and some of their words were quite "radical," but Fudan University did not take it seriously. In those days, students were naturally radical, and shouting about rebellion was common; no one really took it to heart. The matter was already resolved, and the two parties had returned to their dormitories.

Chen Ke's purpose this time was to resolve the internal conflicts of the Huangpu Study Society and to visit Mr. Ma Xiangbo. Regardless of the reason, the students' fight was his fault. If he did not show up, it would not be appropriate. Scholars, no matter how grand their words, would easily hold a grudge if the other party did not show basic respect. This had nothing to do with fame. According to the principle of a united front, this aspect could not be ignored.

When Chen Ke proposed visiting Mr. Ma, Yu Youren said that Mr. Ma was at the school. Chen Ke immediately said he wanted to visit now. Yu Youren led the way, and they walked through the campus to Mr. Ma Xiangbo's office. Chen Ke was a well-known figure at Fudan University, and many students had heard his lectures. When they saw Chen Ke, many students greeted him. The ordinary students were very friendly, but some members of the Huangpu Study Society were not very satisfied. Seeing Chen Ke, they looked at him uncomfortably, and two of them turned and walked in another direction, not knowing what they were going to do.

Upon arriving at Mr. Ma's office, Yu Youren opened the door, and Chen Ke immediately saw a familiar face inside. Upon closer inspection, it was Cai Yuanpei. Cai Yuanpei was also surprised to see Chen Ke. It had been more than two months since their last meeting, and neither of them had intended to deepen their relationship, but they unexpectedly met here today.

"Mr. Wenqing, do you know Mr. Heqing?" Mr. Ma Xiangbo asked, sensing something.

"I have met Mr. Cai once," Chen Ke smiled.

"Oh," Mr. Ma merely responded.

"This time, I have come specifically to apologize to Mr. Ma," Chen Ke said, not wanting to get entangled with Cai Yuanpei.

"Mr. Wenqing is too polite," Mr. Ma Xiangbo said magnanimously.

After some casual conversation, Cai Yuanpei casually interjected, "I read your work a few days ago. I didn't realize Mr. Wenqing had such talent when we met before."

"It's not just my work. When I wrote the book, Xie Mingxian helped a lot," Chen Ke introduced Xie Mingxian to Mr. Ma and Mr. Cai. Since Chen Ke mentioned it, both of their attention naturally turned to Xie Mingxian. Scholars meeting each other were always polite, and the conversation continued. After apologizing again, Chen Ke saw that Mr. Ma had no intention of blaming him, so he got up to leave.

As they left Mr. Ma's office, they saw a few people standing in the distance, led by Xiong Mingyang. Seeing Chen Ke come out, he walked straight over. Yu Youren was right; Xiong Mingyang was not injured, but seeing his clenched fists, swinging arms, and aggressive stride, Chen Ke stood still and waited for him to approach.

Xiong Mingyang walked up to Chen Ke, looked him up and down, and his face was full of mockery. He emphasized in a scholar's characteristic hypocrisy, "Mr. Chen, you actually came to the school to explain. I was drunk and said some nonsense, causing trouble for Mr. Chen. I apologize here." He then made a show of bowing slightly.

"Do you understand revolution? Do you think you can revolutionize just by reading a few books?" Chen Ke laughed.

"What?" Xiong Mingyang had not expected Chen Ke to start with such a question, and his mocking expression turned to shock.

"The Huangpu Study Society is about to start a social investigation to understand China's current situation. If you want to revolutionize, how can you do it without knowing what China is like?"

"Does revolution need investigation...?"

"Do you think ordinary people know about the cession of territory and indemnities? I'm not talking about ordinary people; even you, who think you know a lot. I ask you, do you know how many treaties China has signed with Europe and America? What are their contents? What impact have these treaties had on China? Can you tell me now?" Chen Ke's expression was very cold, and a mocking look appeared on his face.

Xiong Mingyang was accompanied by a few other students, who seemed to support him, and their faces were also full of dissatisfaction. After Chen Ke's sudden questions, Xiong Mingyang and the others immediately looked embarrassed, and their aggressive attitude vanished.

"Let's leave it for today. Gather all the members of the study society and meet at the society at 7 PM tomorrow. I will assign the social investigation tasks. Don't act on impulse." Chen Ke finished speaking and saw that Xiong Mingyang, though discouraged, still had some pride. Chen Ke handed him the manuscript he had written, "If you want to hear nice words, I have plenty. Read this; I wrote it casually today at school. See how it differs from my usual lectures."

Without waiting for Xiong Mingyang to respond, Chen Ke left with Xie Mingxian.

Only after leaving the school gate did Chen Ke ask, "Mingxian, you said you want to take on more work. What kind of work do you want to do?"

"Work that can earn money. I need to earn a substantial amount," Xie Mingxian said straightforwardly.

"Wanting to earn money is a good thing, but can you tell me why?"

"Well..." Xie Mingxian found it difficult to express his reasons when asked directly by Chen Ke.

"I have no other intentions. If you want to earn money, you need determination. Different reasons bring different levels of determination. If you tell me your reason, I can arrange suitable work for you."

Hearing Chen Ke's words, Xie Mingxian thought it made sense and gathered his courage to say, "I want to bring my mother out, and I need to establish a home for myself. So, Mr. Wenqing, no matter how hard or tiring it is, it's not a problem. I just need to earn money as soon as possible."

"That's a significant determination. But can you explain in more detail, Mingxian?" Chen Ke asked with a smile.

"It's a private matter for my family, and I cannot comply."

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