Chapter 81

As the saying goes, "After reading a book three times, its meaning will naturally become clear." Chen Ke led his comrades in reading the organizational system document three times, explaining it in detail. He particularly emphasized the connection between theory and practice, using the recent Shanghai Municipal Court incident to explain how party members should abide by organizational discipline. After his explanation, everyone had a deeper understanding of the true meaning behind many organizational principles.

"The true core of the organizational rules, no matter how many times it is said, is only one: to struggle for the cause of communism and socialism for life. As long as party members have such an attitude, they will naturally grasp it," Chen Ke concluded.

The old party members had heard Chen Ke mention going to the Anhui countryside many times and understood the true meaning behind his words. The new party members who were smart also roughly understood Chen Ke's intentions.

Seeing that it was about time, Chen Ke indicated that his speech was over and it was now the turn for other comrades to speak.

Everyone was surprised that Chen Ke ended so simply; they had expected him to speak for a long time. After Chen Ke's speech, everyone lost interest in continuing to speak. They looked at each other for a while, and Wang Qian asked, "Comrade Chen Ke, is the matter in Shanghai just going to end like this?"

Wang Qian was from Guangdong. Since the opening of Shanghai, especially after it became a treaty port, many Guangdong people had come to Shanghai for business. During this demonstration, the Guangdong Association, the organization of Guangdong people in Shanghai, played a significant role. The number of Guangdong people among the dead and injured was the highest. Personally, Wang Qian found it hard to accept the sudden end of this incident.

Wang Qian's tone was filled with sorrow and anger, "Comrade Chen Ke, you just said that it was the people who saved us. So many people died, and the government definitely won't seek justice for them. Is our People's Party just going to ignore this?"

"This matter must be discussed at a formal party meeting with official party members," Chen Ke replied calmly.

"Isn't this a party meeting?" Wang Qian was very surprised.

"Official party members, not probationary members. At this official party meeting, we will discuss the admission of new members. I can assure everyone that our People's Party will not let the matter of foreign police killing civilians go unpunished. Everyone should discuss their stance over the next few days, and the party organization will talk to everyone soon," Chen Ke replied to Wang Qian.

Although he was very reluctant, Wang Qian and the other comrades had just learned about the party's organizational discipline. It would be inappropriate to violate it now. He sullenly said he had no other questions.

The probationary members had no other questions, and the official party members, hearing that Chen Ke would hold a formal meeting, knew it wasn't the right time to speak, so the meeting ended quickly.

"Comrade Wang Qian, stay after the meeting. Official party members, stay as well. Others can leave," Chen Ke said.

The probationary members reluctantly got up and left the meeting room. When most people had left, Chai Qingguo did not get up. The official party members' gazes naturally focused on him, but Chai Qingguo showed no intention of getting up. Many people's gazes then fell on Wu Xingchen. Wu Xingchen, unable to avoid it, turned to Chai Qingguo and said, "Qingguo, go out first, we need to have a meeting."

Chai Qingguo had experienced this in Beijing before, and last time it was Chen Ke, this time it was Wu Xingchen, whom he trusted very much. His face immediately turned grim. "Brother Wu, I want to become an official party member."

"We will discuss this. Go out first," Wu Xingchen said expressionlessly.

Chai Qingguo didn't dare to be disrespectful to Wu Xingchen. He reluctantly stood up but heard Chen Ke say, "Comrade Chai Qingguo, there are no big brothers or second brothers in the party organization. We are all comrades. So, I ask you to be more careful with your words at party meetings. At party meetings, there is only Comrade Wu Xingchen, not Brother Wu."

Chai Qingguo glared at Chen Ke and finally said sarcastically, "I understand, Comrade Chen Ke."

Chen Ke was not bothered by this, "Very good, Comrade Chai Qingguo, don't leave yet. I have a task for you."

Chai Qingguo didn't expect Chen Ke to say this, thinking Chen Ke was about to make things difficult for him. He stood there boldly, "What does Comrade Chen Ke need?"

"I want you to guard the door and make sure no one comes near. Ensure the confidentiality of the party meeting," Chen Ke said.

This request was quite unexpected. Chai Qingguo didn't understand what Chen Ke meant and looked at Wu Xingchen, but Wu Xingchen turned away and ignored him. Chai Qingguo finally nodded, "Alright, I'll guard the door."

After Chai Qingguo went out, a moment later, they heard him shout, "Don't stand by the door, go do your own things. Don't listen here." Then the sound of footsteps in the corridor indicated that Chai Qingguo had chased away those who were eavesdropping.

"Comrade Wang Qian, I have a question for you. Why did you join the People's Party?" Chen Ke asked straightforwardly.

"Comrade Qi Huishen asked me if I wanted to listen to a party class. I listened and found it very reasonable. So, under Comrade Qi Huishen's recommendation, I became a probationary member."

"You saw what happened in Shanghai this time. I heard you helped bandage the injured. The revolutionary path is very dangerous. What do you think about this?"

Hearing Chen Ke's very calm tone, Wang Qian was not deceived by this facade. Since Chen Ke could ask such a question, it meant the party organization was very interested in him. He quickly said, "I don't have much to say. In these times, I've seen many deaths. I think following the People's Party has a future."

"What kind of future? Promotion, wealth? I must clearly tell you, Comrade Wang Qian, the money from the pharmaceutical factory is not our party members' personal money, but the party's property. It is used for the revolution. Anyone who touches it will leave a deep impression. It will also leave a deep impression on other party members."

"I'm not after money, absolutely not for money," Wang Qian quickly said. He looked up at the comrades' intense gazes and suddenly felt a bit guilty. When he joined, Chen Ke was still in Shanghai, and Wang Qian had personally witnessed how the People's Party rapidly developed. He knew Chen Ke and his team were not easy to fool. But should he reveal his true intentions? He was a bit hesitant.

Seeing Wang Qian's hesitation and his eyes darting around, Chen Ke waited for a while before saying, "Comrade Wang Qian, just say what you have to say. Do you think it's meaningful to tell the party organization lies? By now, I think you should understand that the People's Party is about rebellion. We are not afraid of rebellion, so why should you be afraid to tell the truth?"

Wang Qian made up his mind and said somewhat nervously, "I hate foreigners. Not just the foreigners in China, but especially the foreigners in Southeast Asia. They are greedy and ruthless, exploiting the Chinese people mercilessly. I think driving the foreigners out of China is not enough. I hope China can take over Southeast Asia and drive the foreigners back to Europe. Although I have also met some revolutionary parties, their ideas don't seem right. Only in the People's Party do I hear ideas that truly seem revolutionary. That's why I joined the People's Party."

"We must first liberate China to liberate Southeast Asia. Even after liberating China, it will take a long time to prepare to liberate Southeast Asia. This might take decades. And in the revolution, there will be wars, and as party members, we will inevitably be on the front lines. We might die at any time. Are you prepared for this?"

This question was very sharp. Wang Qian suddenly felt like he was being treated as cannon fodder. Looking at Chen Ke's sharp and determined gaze, he suddenly felt dry-mouthed. After this trip to Beijing, Chen Ke had changed a lot. At least now, Wang Qian felt overwhelmed by Chen Ke's presence. As if automatically searching for information that could help him, Wang Qian recalled the party classes and suddenly asked, "Then who will I fight behind?"

Wang Qian's question was excellent, and Chen Ke was delighted. He still maintained his usual expression and said, "You will fight behind the comrades who joined earlier. First, I will definitely fight in front of you. But behind you will be comrades who joined later. If the comrades who joined earlier die, you will have to take over their flag and continue fighting. If you run away during the fight, we will punish you according to the party's rules. Are you prepared for this?"

Chen Ke's answer made Wang Qian feel a surge of excitement. If he wasn't being treated as cannon fodder, what was there to be afraid of? "I am, I can do it," Wang Qian said loudly.

"Then we plan to transfer the party organization to Anhui soon. Can you follow the organization's arrangements?" Chen Ke continued to ask.

"To Anhui?" Wang Qian had heard of Anhui but didn't know what it was like. But since the party organization was moving to Anhui, Chen Ke would definitely lead the way. Wang Qian answered, "I will follow the organization's arrangements. I will go to Anhui with the organization."

"Very good. You can leave now," Chen Ke ordered.

Seeing Wang Qian leave the room with excitement and agitation, Wu Xingchen personally got up to check outside and carefully closed the door. Qi Huishen then asked, "Why did you call Wang Qian first?"

"He is a medical student. We absolutely cannot lack doctors when we go to Anhui. We need some professionals, and doctors are one of the most important. In the countryside, being able to treat people is a great rallying point. So, our medical school must start immediately. We will train as many people as possible. In half a year, we can impart a lot of basic knowledge. We will gradually enrich their knowledge through practice."

"Will the entire party organization be transferred to Anhui in half a year?" Qi Huishen asked.

"I want to report my situation in Beijing to the party organization," Chen Ke detailed the entire trip to Beijing. The comrades were delighted to learn that in Anhui, there were officials like Shang Yuan and Bu Guanshui. Initially, everyone thought that being unfamiliar with the place, moving to Anhui would be very difficult. After hearing Chen Ke's report, a sense of relief appeared in everyone's hearts.

"They only provide some basic support for the revolution. The work still needs to be done by us. Don't think everything is fine. Many things are far beyond our imagination. Before the Shanghai Municipal Court incident, could anyone have predicted such an outcome?" Chen Ke did not want the comrades to be overly optimistic.

"Then who will Wenqing take to Anhui?" Qi Huishen asked a question that everyone was very concerned about.

"After completing the work in Shanghai, Comrade Wu Xingchen must return to the north. I'm not comfortable leaving Xing Tai alone in the north. Wu Xingchen and a few other comrades will stabilize the situation in the north."

"What work does Wenqing want me to complete in Shanghai?"

"I said at the meeting that the foreigners killed so many demonstrators. Since our People's Party was involved, we cannot let this go unpunished. My idea is to first rescue the four comrades in prison. If soft methods don't work, we will use hard methods. Then, I want to blow up the police station where the police who fired the shots are stationed. If possible, since the police fired from the Municipal Hall of the Shanghai Municipal Council, I think this place should also be blown up."

"Whoa!" Many people drew in a breath. Chen Ke talked about the explosions as if he was ordering a midnight snack. But these two places were not easy to attack.

"Is there any opposition?" Chen Ke asked.

"It's not that easy," Qi Huishen probed.

"I just want to blow up these two places. The number of people killed doesn't matter. Ha, I thought some people might oppose my use of revolutionary terrorism," Chen Ke suddenly laughed.

"Revolutionary terrorism?" The comrades were a bit confused by this term.

"I actually wish we had an army to arrest these people, publicly try them, and execute them. Unfortunately, we don't have the capability yet. By the time we do, most of these people will probably have fled before we enter Shanghai. Out of necessity, I decided to use explosions. This is already a last resort," Chen Ke said regretfully.

In those days, the revolutionary party's terrorist attacks were usually aimed at high-ranking officials of the Qing Dynasty, not foreigners. Everyone was surprised that Chen Ke intended to target foreigners. When Chen Ke's plan was revealed, everyone's first reaction was shock, and no one considered the "reasonableness" or "justification" of such a terrorist attack.

"Wenqing, is this just for revenge against the foreigners for killing Chinese people?" Wu Xingchen asked, "Or is it to force others to follow us?"

"Xingchen has a point. I haven't fully considered this matter. Let's first focus on rescuing the comrades who were arrested. According to the concession's customs, if we don't act to rescue them, they will likely face a grim fate."

Wu Xingchen was right. Since Chen Ke decided to rescue these comrades, he needed to unify the party's opinion. Once a retaliatory attack was carried out, the concession and the government would certainly join forces to investigate the "culprits." The Huangpu Book Society, which had chemical experts, would be a key target for investigation. Since Chen Ke and his team would already be in Anhui, other members of the Huangpu Book Society would likely be implicated. The consequences of this decision were severe, and Chen Ke could not make it alone.

After explaining his considerations to the comrades, everyone was silent. Chen Ke was right; although revenge was satisfying, the consequences were also severe.

Initially, the old party members thought it was inappropriate for Chen Ke to dismiss the probationary members, but now they realized this decision was correct. The meeting lasted a long time, and a plan was finally formulated. A vanguard team would be sent to Anhui to scout the county where Shang Yuan would serve as magistrate. Hua Xiongmao would lead the team, along with a few reliable probationary members.

Wu Xingchen would be responsible for mobilizing the forces of the Heaven and Earth Society to investigate the police station, the concession prison, and the Shanghai Municipal Council. Chai Qingguo would assist Wu Xingchen. You Gou would be responsible for preparing the explosives, with Chen Ke assisting him.

Qi Huishen would handle personnel coordination, trying to rescue the comrades through other means. After all, a prison break was extremely dangerous and might fail, resulting in unnecessary losses.

Chen Ke would visit Yan Fu, hoping to make a final effort to see if there were any conditions that could be used from the Shanghai government.

Although the work distribution was simple, the details were complex, and the discussion went on for a long time. They heard Chai Qingguo shouting outside, "There's a meeting inside, no outsiders allowed."

"I'm from the cafeteria, it's time for dinner," the person said in Shanghainese, which Chai Qingguo, a Shandong man, didn't understand. He asked, "What did you say?"

Qi Huishen looked at Chen Ke, who nodded. Qi Huishen went out and spoke to the cafeteria staff. He then returned, "Let's have dinner. It's getting dark."

Only then did everyone realize they were hungry and agreed.

Everyone waited downstairs for Chen Ke to call his wife to join them for dinner. When Chen Ke entered the room, he was immediately surprised. The room was almost fully set up. Everything was simple, but the simple room and simple setup instantly felt like a home. He Ying was sitting up in bed, leaning against a simple wooden board, with Chen Ke's travel map open on the bed. She was reading it. A few other books were on the table beside the bed. When she saw Chen Ke, she smiled.

"The room is so clean," Chen Ke praised.

"This building is very interesting. The tap in the water room is