Chapter 9: The New Society and the Old Society

Online discussions covered both the preparations for the穿越 (time travel) itself and the policies for future穿越 (time travel): including organizational structure, military framework, industry, agriculture, education, and government organization, etc.

Every day, there were numerous updates on the discussion group's message board. Those who signed up to participate in the穿越 (time travel) operation could engage in synchronized discussions at any time.

Parliamentary democracy? Separation of powers? Constitutional monarchy? Authoritarianism? Nationalism? Socialism?

Everyone wanted to be a theorist of the new world.

The discussions were very lively, with a constant stream of various viewpoints and opinions. Many people dreamed of being historical revisionists, altering the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, what kind of new world to build was clearly a matter of individual perspective. From whether to establish a democracy or a dictatorship, peace or militarism, a parliament or an authoritarian regime... to the style of clothing, whether to implement universal compulsory education, what language the army should use for drills, and even the system of nobility, people were arguing about everything. For a time, insults and curses flew, and accusations and attacks were rampant.

The Executive Committee maintained a stance of non-participation and non-commentary on the heated discussions. Since everyone was willing to argue, they might as well argue to their heart's content. It was better to argue now than on the beaches of Hainan. Moreover, people tend to reveal their true nature online, which could help deepen the understanding of these individuals and select suitable core members.

It was hard to say how the Executive Committee was organized and what principles of election it followed. It was also unclear on what basis they chose who could enter the committee. This seemed incomprehensible to modern people who valued democratic rights. But it wasn't really surprising: the穿越者 (time travelers) had not held a full assembly during the year-long preparation period, nor had they ever elected anyone to a position. In fact, it was impossible—participants were always changing. An active member at one meeting might not show up at the next, while new people would constantly request to join. Xiao Zishan had been trying to compile a list of participants, and it took him about half a year to achieve this. Given the unstable composition of the group, Wen Desui, Xiao Zishan, and Wang Luobin, who had been leading the daily preparations for the穿越 (time travel), naturally became the core of the Executive Committee.

At this point, they were not in a hurry to expand the Executive Committee. Although the three of them came from different backgrounds, living environments, educational levels, and work environments, they could understand each other in many aspects. When some people requested immediate reporting, the Executive Committee unanimously responded without discussion: the current infrastructure was not yet complete, and they needed to wait for another phase. They were very clear that the more穿越 (time travel) capital they accumulated now, the more important their position would be in the future power structure of the穿越 (time travel).

In Xiao Zishan's view, seniority was always a valuable intangible asset, especially in such a social organization. The length of seniority often determined one's speaking power and prestige within the organization. Currently, they had limited understanding of many穿越者 (time travelers). Allowing them to join too early would give some people seniority disproportionate to their abilities, which would be detrimental to future work.

Wen Desui's considerations were more practical: this era was not short of restless and talkative people—those who were more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything. The best way to filter these people was to wear them down with time.

Of course, this period of silence could not be too long. The preparations involved too much specialized knowledge and skills, which the three of them could not handle alone. The Executive Committee needed fresh blood. After a small meeting, they decided to act without delay, to make another trip to secure enough funds for substantive preparations.

"The master has instructed that when the gentlemen arrive, they should change clothes first. The master will come out shortly." A steward respectfully led them into a small courtyard.

The courtyard was small and exquisite, with lush flowers and trees, very elegant. On the table, there were several wooden trays with clothes, towels, shoes, and hats.

Wen Desui and the others did not know that Mr. Gao had already sent the mirror powder box and some other rare items to over a dozen influential officials and dignitaries with whom he had a good relationship, which immediately caused a sensation throughout Guangzhou. Glass mirrors, let alone the common people, even the wealthy had heard of them but rarely seen them. As for the box itself, it was something they had never heard of. The demand at his shop was constant. A powder box that cost ten taels was resold for fifty taels and was quickly sold out.

Mr. Gao had been trading in foreign goods for over twenty years, and although he had made a considerable fortune, this was the first time he had such a high-profile success. In the past half month, his fellow merchants had truly worn out the threshold of his house, each trying to find out where the goods came from. These seasoned traders in the maritime trade knew that neither the Portuguese, the Dutch, nor the British merchants had such goods, and it was not their shipping season.

The most likely scenario was that a new foreign merchant had arrived in Guangzhou, and Mr. Gao had taken them in. Many people regretted their lack of information, and there were more and more suspicious figures lingering around Mr. Gao's residence and shop. This made Mr. Gao wary. Although he had the support of Eunuch Yang, the people in Guangzhou who dealt with foreign trade were not to be trifled with. He became more cautious and temporarily put on hold the house purchase that Wen Desui had entrusted him with.

At this point, Gao Ju was no longer concerned about the suspicious nature of these people. The primary characteristic of a merchant was to seek profit. What he was most worried about was that the appearance of the Australian sea merchants was too conspicuous, which was why he made these arrangements. He did not want anyone to know the source of his goods—this immense fortune must be firmly in his hands.

Wen Desui and Wang Luobin exchanged glances and roughly guessed what Mr. Gao was up to. However, not drawing attention was in line with their intentions. They changed their clothes.

But how to wear Ming dynasty clothing was a real puzzle. These people were not Hanfu enthusiasts, and after much fumbling, they finally managed to put on the clothes. The steward came in to serve tea and saw their disheveled appearance, so he called in a maid to help them change.

In wealthy families in Guangdong, it was common to keep maids. The steward knew that these merchants were people the master wanted to befriend, so the maids he called were naturally not inferior. Two of them were charming and graceful teenage girls, who entered and gracefully bowed before helping them take off their poorly worn clothes. Wen Desui, who had experienced some worldly scenes, found it hard to resist the soft touch of the young girls' hands as they undressed him, thinking to himself that this was truly a paradise for men!

While he was lost in thought, he noticed that Xiao Zishan also had a wistful look on his face. He whispered with a smile:

"Are you moved too?"

"Yes, this is the life a man should lead." Xiao Zishan thought of his ex-girlfriend's domineering attitude: the feudal society also had its bright side.

"Exactly!" Wang Luobin said indignantly, "Modern society is a complete mess." He then began to complain about how his wife, a graduate of the physical education department, was, expressing his frustration, which gave Xiao Zishan and Wen Desui a full understanding of his wife's power.

The two maids stood to the side, seeing Wang Luobin talking incessantly but not understanding much, only seeing his animated face and constant gestures. The cap he had just put on was already askew, hanging over his forehead, and they both lowered their heads and smiled.

Xiao Zishan nudged the passionate Wang Luobin: "Wang Gong, what do you think of this little girl? Should we ask Mr. Gao to take her back?"

Wang Luobin shook his head repeatedly: "She's a middle school student, how can I do that!"

"Would you do it if she were a high school student?" Xiao Zishan continued to tease him, "Keep her around, and in a few years, she'll be ready..."

"Are you planning to raise a lolicon?" Wen Desui interjected, "I'm quite interested." He then looked the girls up and down: these two girls, though slightly thin, were fair-skinned and had delicate features. If they were given better nutrition, they would be good prospects...

Just as the wolf's eyes were roving over the rabbits, the curtain was lifted, and Mr. Gao entered with a dignified air. Seeing the scene, he could not help but smile. These sea merchants, who had been at sea for years, were all hungry for women when they came ashore. The red-haired Portuguese and the Dutch were even more so—any woman would do.

He did not say much, only bowed and said, "Gentlemen, how have you been?"

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