Chapter 45

"I plan to travel north soon, to Beijing, to develop some new party members." Chen Ke said in a calm tone. The comrades either exchanged glances or didn't immediately understand Chen Ke's meaning.

"Beijing?" Chen Tianhua asked first.

"Exactly."

"Aren't you going to Anhui?" Hua Xiongmeng followed up.

"I'll go to Anhui myself after returning from Beijing," Chen Ke replied. Just as he finished speaking, Chen Ke suddenly smiled, "Zhenglan is so eager to go to Anhui, which is a good thing. I was worried that everyone wouldn't be willing to leave Shanghai."

"That won't happen," Hua Xiongmeng replied casually. But a moment later, Hua Xiongmeng realized his response was ambiguous—whether he really wanted to go to Anhui or didn't want to leave Shanghai. Just as he was about to rephrase, Qi Huishen interjected, "How long does Wenqing plan to stay?"

"Two months."

"When will you leave?"

"In October. Today is September 18th. I'll leave in two weeks."

Chen Ke appeared calm, as if going to Beijing was no different from going from a workshop to a school. This was a modern person's nature. Advanced transportation had made long journeys a simple matter. Chen Ke, who lived near the railway, had no psychological resistance to long trips even when he was very young.

Among those present, Chen Tianhua, You Gou, Wu Xingchen, and Hua Xiongmeng had also traveled far before, so they could勉强 understand Chen Ke's attitude.

"Before I leave, I need to confirm some things. When I return, I hope to see that everyone has done these things well." Although these words were domineering, Chen Ke couldn't help but say them. No one thought Chen Ke was wrong; everyone's attention was drawn to Chen Ke's trip to the north. Even if they weren't, Chen Ke's position within the party meant that no one would think he lacked the authority to say such things.

"Before I leave, I plan to develop a batch of probationary members. Let's start by selecting the candidates."

This immediately perked everyone up. The first party committee meeting was officially convened. Chen Ke and Chen Tianhua began circling names on the list, while Hua Xiongmeng and Qin Wu'an also started circling names on their own lists. Party members who led others, such as You Gou and Wu Xingchen, also began writing their lists and circling those they thought could become probationary members.

After everyone had prepared their lists, they followed the previously agreed method to filter and overlap the selections. Those who passed both ideological and work evaluations were listed. Ten people made the cut. Four were local Shanghai party members, three were returnees from abroad, including Mao Ping, who came back with Chen Tianhua, and three were Japanese students. The inclusion of Japanese people was quite surprising to the comrades, but organizational procedures were organizational procedures. There were no private agreements between the two groups; everything was based on individual performance. The 30% foreigner ratio on the list was truly shocking.

"This is really bizarre," Hua Xiongmeng subconsciously rubbed his head, "The Japanese devils are really performing well."

"Students at Fudan University are here to study, not to work for you," You Gou remarked indifferently, "What do you plan to do with these selected people?"

"First, we must strictly prohibit the use of the People's Party name. Everyone must strictly adhere to the party's confidentiality rules. Second, the organization will assign them tasks and evaluate their performance." Chen Ke tapped the list written by He Zudao, which included those who had passed a certain aspect of the evaluation, "Third, everyone should consider how to evaluate and select these people. Prepare for the development of the next batch of probationary members."

After saying this, Chen Ke closed his mouth and waited for everyone to speak. But everyone was waiting for Chen Ke to assign tasks, and the room fell into a silence with everyone staring at each other.

"Doesn't Wenqing have anything else to say?" Hua Xiongmeng broke the silence first.

"From today on, I plan to entrust these tasks to everyone. The revolution is not for me to fight alone. I am a member of the People's Party, just one part of the party. I can't make all the decisions. The work must be done spontaneously by everyone."

After these words, everyone exchanged glances. The first to tentatively express an opinion was Qi Huishen, "Does Wenqing have any objections?"

Chen Ke had expected Hua Xiongmeng to be the first to "protect" him, as Qi Huishen's revolutionary awareness was the highest among the comrades. Chen Ke thought Qi Huishen would have enough "political correctness." But he was wrong; Qi Huishen was the first to suspect that Chen Ke was dissatisfied with someone in the organization. Or, the first to speak up was Qi Huishen. Looking at Hua Xiongmeng, he seemed to be looking around, as if trying to identify the person Chen Ke was against.

Seeing the atmosphere becoming a bit tense, Chen Ke explained, "I'm about to go to Beijing, and all the work in Shanghai will be entrusted to the comrades. While I'm here, I can still attend meetings and offer my opinions, but when I'm not in Shanghai, you can't wait for me to return before doing anything. The work in Shanghai must continue to advance."

With this, Chen Ke had to think about some personnel issues, which he detested the most. Personnel struggles inevitably led to internal conflicts. There were many reasons, but ultimately, it was about individuals hoping their opinions would become the mainstream or hoping to prioritize their personal interests. Regardless of the reasons, once personnel struggles emerged, they inevitably led to tragic outcomes.

In the party's history, such issues had manifested in various ways, and different measures had been taken to address them. But these measures were often synonymous with fear in the minds of many people in later generations. For example, "rectification" and "counter-revolutionary purges." To ensure the smooth operation of organizational discipline, personnel struggles had to be suppressed. The party's iron discipline was not a joke but a reality. Even during the post-liberation period, when there were no brutal military struggles, at the most dangerous moments, whether voluntarily or not, party members always stepped forward to lead the masses in solving problems. In floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters, the first people the masses saw were party cadres, who always stood in the most dangerous places. If these people ran away first, no matter who they were or what background they had, they would inevitably face severe punishment.

Clearly, the discipline within the People's Party still had a long way to go to reach this level. Chen Ke absolutely had no intention of targeting anyone. He only hoped that the comrades would take the initiative to advance the revolution. So, even if he had various suspicions, he had to make his thoughts clear to the comrades.

"I once asked, what is the current task? Who can answer? Hmm, Wu'an, you answer."

Qin Wu'an didn't expect to be called on, and his surprised expression showed it, "The current task is to develop party members and prepare for the next step in Anhui."

"Correct, ten points," Chen Ke thought to himself. But he couldn't say such a frivolous remark directly. He just nodded, "I'm going to Beijing to develop party members. Everyone in Shanghai is also developing party members to prepare for the next step. We can't let the work in Shanghai stagnate just because I'm in Beijing. And things are always changing. I'm not some Zhuge Liang with a few brilliant strategies that can solve everything. At any time, everyone must take the initiative. Now we are just a few, but in the future, we will have hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of comrades. I can't lead everything."

This made sense, and after thoroughly understanding Chen Ke's meaning, Hua Xiongmeng, who had been tense, relaxed. The next question was quickly raised, "Wenqing's departure really feels like losing the mainstay," You Gou laughed.

"We organize our work through the party committee. Whether I am here or not, we must follow the party's organizational discipline. The party's organizational discipline must not fail. The party organization is the only mainstay," Chen Ke responded.

No one spoke. Chen Ke had been emphasizing party discipline, and over the past few months, everyone had gradually accepted the existence of organizational discipline. But with Chen Ke's departure to the north, the existing organizational structure suddenly changed, which was why everyone felt uncomfortable. This was precisely what Chen Ke hoped everyone would adapt to. The first generation of party leaders was not Chairman Mao. Li Dazhao, Chen Duxiu, and others founded the party, and as history progressed, the party also developed. The party grew because its core mission of saving China remained unchanged. Each generation of leaders fought for this goal. If the party became merely the organization of its leaders, it would be no different from the Tongmenghui, a corrupt gang.

Regardless of whether the comrades could fully accept it, Chen Ke said, "I estimate I'll return before the Spring Festival. After I return, I will report my work to the party organization. As the chairman of this party meeting, I want to discuss the arrangements for social investigations with everyone."

Social investigations were to help the comrades thoroughly understand China's current situation and social contradictions. The main purpose was to demonstrate the inevitability and legitimacy of the revolution. Although Chen Ke was not from this era, his understanding of social realities far exceeded that of anyone in this era.

In the end, three topics were agreed upon:

1. Why small-scale peasant economies are bound to fail.

2. The relationship between the rise in cotton prices and the invasion of foreign goods.

3. The current social structure and composition of China.

In addition, Chen Ke required the party organization to begin investigating the areas south of the Huai River in Anhui. He bluntly told everyone that they must go to the regions with the sharpest social contradictions to initiate the revolution. Where there is injustice, there is a call to action. Without sharp social contradictions, there would be no gathering of revolutionary forces. If the people were well-fed and clothed, they might complain about the government, but they wouldn't think of rebelling. Chen Ke felt this more deeply than anyone. The ugly faces of so-called democratic activists either incited the people to die for them, hoping to climb to the top of power on the people's blood, or they relied on foreign patrons, dreaming of foreign "royal armies" invading and then achieving success through betrayal.

There was a poignant comment on the forum Chen Ke often visited: "Revolution, let the 'elites' die first."

This was not just ridicule. The party had always been like this, with party members always standing in the front line, their chests closer to the enemy's guns than the masses. Now, including Chen Ke himself, could the People's Party members really withstand such a test? Chen Ke was determined to lead everyone and try.

With the guidelines set, the next step was detailed work division. In the following days, the People's Party began dividing tasks, and the Huangpu Book Society, as an external organization, was also mobilized. In the busy crowd, Chen Ke's presence was notably absent. As Chen Ke had expected, Yan Fu called him away.

Yan Fu, the old gentleman, was very organized. He called Chen Ke and showed him a letter. The letter was from Gu Hongming, the vice principal of the Imperial University of Peking. The gist was that after reading the books Yan Fu had sent, Gu Hongming greatly appreciated the book "The Inheritance of Chinese Culture and the Rise of Materialism" and hoped the author would come to Beijing to give lectures.

Seeing Chen Ke's surprised expression, Yan Fu briefly explained. After Chen Ke's book began public sales, due to its low price, Yan Fu bought twenty copies and sent them to his friends. Everyone highly praised the book, and Gu Hongming invited the author to Beijing.

Chen Ke, somewhat embarrassed, asked what the Imperial University of Peking was and who Gu Hongming was. Fortunately, Yan Fu had good composure, or he might have burst out laughing.

The Imperial University of Peking was the name used by Peking University from 1898 to 1912. It was the first national comprehensive university in China and also the highest educational administrative body at the time. The Imperial University of Peking had significant importance and was a focus of national attention, but due to the corruption of the Qing court, the government did not provide sufficient funding to the university. It was the first national comprehensive university in modern Chinese history, serving as both the highest institution of learning and the highest educational administrative body, overseeing schools in various provinces.

In 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance entered Beijing, and the Imperial University of Peking was damaged. On December 17, 1902, the university was restored. Zhang Bixi, the Minister of Personnel, served as the Minister of Education. Wu Rulun and Gu Hongming were the chief and vice principals, while Yan Fu and Lin Shu were the chief and vice directors of the university's translation bureau. The Imperial University of Peking also incorporated the Imperial College of Languages, founded during the Self-Strengthening Movement in 1862. In 1904, the first batch of 47 students was sent abroad for study.

Chen Tianhua's widely circulated "Wake Up, China" mentioned the Imperial University of Peking: "I won't talk about it, but the construction of a university in Beijing costs 300,000 silver taels, and the government says it's too expensive, so it hasn't been built yet. The Empress Dowager spent millions of silver taels to rebuild the Summer Palace. Every year, millions are spent on imperial tours, but can't 300,000 taels be found?"

Yan Fu knew Chen Ke was not someone who pretended to know what he didn't, so he explained when Chen Ke said he didn't know. Seeing Chen Ke's enlightened expression, Yan Fu said, "Wenqing, when I mentioned the idea of becoming a disciple, it was actually in preparation for your trip north."

Chen Ke now understood Yan Fu's intentions and couldn't say much in response to the elder's care. He steeled himself and said, "I will go to Beijing. As for other matters, I will follow Mr. Yan's instructions."

Seeing Chen Ke's compliance, Yan Fu didn't press further. He said, "I know Wenqing has difficulties. In other places, Wenqing's talents would be enough to ensure smooth sailing. But Beijing is different. So I wrote several letters, stating that Wenqing is my disciple. Wenqing can take these letters to meet some high officials in Beijing. I also have some relatives and friends in Beijing and Tianjin. If Wenqing has time, you can visit them as well."

Chen Ke agreed and carefully inquired about the characteristics of these people. Seeing Chen Ke's thorough preparation, Yan Fu decided to keep Chen Ke and detailed the people he hoped Chen Ke would meet and the propositions he wanted to make. Chen Ke took out a notebook and carefully recorded everything. Yan Fu was quite satisfied with this meticulous attitude.

Yan Fu particularly introduced Mr. Gu Hongming. The vice principal of Peking University's admiration for Chen Ke's book was not just to give Yan Fu face. In the early 20th century, Westerners often said, "You can skip the Forbidden City in China, but you must see Gu Hongming." Who was Gu Hongming? He claimed, "I was born in the South Seas, educated in the West, married in the East, and served in the North." He held 13 doctoral degrees, read English newspapers backward to mock the British, said Americans had no culture, and was the first to translate "The Analects" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" into English and German. With his eloquence, he lectured Japanese Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi on Confucianism, corresponded with literary master Leo Tolstoy about world culture and political situations, and was called the "most noble Chinese" by Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi.

Although this old gentleman held multiple foreign doctoral degrees, he was a staunch advocate of Chinese cultural heritage, just like Yan Fu. Yan Fu didn't reveal everything to Chen Ke. In fact, Gu Hongming had written two letters. The letter Chen Ke saw was written according to Yan Fu's instructions, intended for Chen Ke to read. The other letter was a private one to Yan Fu. After reading Chen Ke's book, Gu Hongming was particularly fond of Chen Ke's concept of "the inheritance of Chinese culture." In his letter, the old gentleman thought Chen Ke's knowledge of classical Chinese was not deep, but his ideas were excellent. He believed Chen Ke was a true talent who could lead Chinese culture into modernity.

What Gu Hongming liked most was the chapter on "Chinese Pinyin" in the appendix of Chen Ke's book. Modern Chinese Pinyin was the result of the efforts of many classical scholars, and its rationality far exceeded the level of scholars of that era. Gu Hongming, proficient in multiple foreign languages, highly praised Chen Ke's Pinyin. As an educator, Gu Hongming understood the role of Chinese Pinyin in cultural dissemination. Chen Ke's book adhered to the concept of "productive development," directly stating that China's linguistic diversity, where dialects vary every hundred miles, was maintained by a unified script. However, to develop productivity and reduce communication costs, a standardized language was necessary. If everyone could understand Mandarin, communication costs would be reduced to an unprecedented level.

Chen Ke's focus on "productive development" impressed Gu Hongming, who believed Chen Ke was a talent. Someone who could adhere to their ideas and reasonably explain the world was not an ordinary person. Gu Hongming was very interested in Chen Ke and inquired about his relationship with Yan Fu. In Gu Hongming's view, Chen Ke's book followed the lineage of Yan Fu's "On the Evolution of Species," suggesting a close relationship with Yan Fu.

Yan Fu naturally didn't show Chen Ke this letter. Seeing Chen Ke's acceptance of the "teacher-student" relationship, Yan Fu only told him to leave for Beijing as soon as possible.