Insufficient balance

  Seeing that tall and majestic figure completely blocking the door, Chen Ke smiled all over his face and stood up to welcome him, "Wu brother, you've finally arrived."

  "Brother Chen is giving me face, how could I dare not come?" Wu Xingchen said with a stiff smile.

  Chen Ke ignored Wu Xingchen's sarcastic tone and said with a smile, "Let's go eat, let's go eat. Everyone go together."

  Zhou Yuanxiao and You Yun declined the invitation to go out for dinner, citing that they had to take care of the workshop. Qi Hui Shen and He Zu Dao also politely declined the invitation to dinner. Chen Ke and Hua Xiong Mao accompanied Wu Xingchen to the same restaurant as last time. This time, Wu Xingchen was different from before, he didn't say a word, but just ordered whatever dishes he thought were delicious. With his tall and sturdy build, Wu Xingchen had an appetite to match, and was seen drinking wine in big gulps and eating meat in large bites, and whenever he found something delicious, he would ask for another serving. If one only looked at the way they were acting, it seemed as if Wu Xingchen was treating them to dinner.

  For Wu Xingchen, since this meal was Chen Ke's treat, there was no reason to save Chen Ke money. Chen Ke had specially invited himself to eat, and he must have had a request for himself. If he acted cautiously, it would only make Chen Ke look down on him. As the saying goes, "a strong dragon does not oppress the local snake." No matter how capable Chen Ke was, he would not dare to take action against the master of the Tiandi Society. Moreover, this impolite way of eating cost a lot, and if Chen Ke really had a request for himself, then in the future, he could ask for more from Chen Ke. If just one meal had to be so expensive, Wu Xingchen would have to put in more effort to get things done, and he would definitely ask for more.

  Looking at Wu Xingchen's messy eating, Chen Ke indeed felt some pain. So far, the fabric business has been pretty good, but this one meal of Wu Xingchen's cost Chen Ke a lot of money. Chen Ke can afford to pay for this meal, thinking that this meal alone spent so much money. Wu Xingchen's future prices will not be low.

  Chen Ke felt a bit embarrassed at this point, and Hua Xiongmao suddenly laughed and said: "Wu brother, let's eat. Although the brothers are tight on hand, this meal is still a small matter."

  This sentence woke up Chen Ke, if you want to make friends with Wu Xingchen, the etiquette should be in place. He invited Wu Xingchen to dinner and complained that he ate too much. If others heard this, they would probably laugh at themselves. Thinking of this, Chen Ke felt quite ashamed. As soon as he decided to firmly implement his own ideas, he made such a big joke, Chen Ke had a feeling of being at a loss.

  Wu Xingchen was eating and drinking while observing Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao's behavior clearly. He secretly laughed at Chen Ke, thinking that he was too inexperienced and had revealed his true nature after a slight test. He also felt curious, as when he first met Chen Ke, Chen Ke seemed clever and capable, but now he was completely different from the petty guy in front of him. What had happened in the past few days? Or was everything Chen Ke did before just an act, and the real mastermind behind the scenes was Hua Xiongmao beside him?

  Thinking back to that time when Chen Ke provoked He Yifeng, he was thoroughly humiliated. Wu Xingchen began to offer wine and dishes to Hua Xiongmao, completely ignoring Chen Ke. Hua Xiongmao understood the ways of Jianghu, so he and Wu Xingchen drank a cup together and ate some food before laughing and saying: "Brother Wu, originally I thought that as the leader of the Tiandihui, we would just pay our respects according to custom. But Wen Qing thinks highly of you, Brother Wu, and says you're a unique individual who he definitely wants to befriend. Since Wen Qing is in charge here, I can only listen to him. Ha ha."

  Hua Xiongmao's straightforward statement made Wu Xingchen feel a sense of emotion. Although Hua Xiongmao was very rude, everything he said proved that he was a good brother. When his friend made a mistake, Hua Xiongmao immediately made up for it. Thinking about the mess He Yifah had caused again, Wu Xingchen felt another surge of anger. He sneered coldly and said, "Since Brother Hua has already spoken so frankly, what advice does Mr. Chen have for me this time?"

  Hua Xiongmao helped Chen Ke out of the awkward situation, and Chen Ke finally found his footing again. He asked: "Wu brother, last time you came to find me, aside from wanting to capture White Wolf empty-handed, did you have any other ideas?"

  "Last time I didn't even get a chance to react, this time you still have ideas, isn't that just asking for trouble?" Wu Xingchen said with a cold smile.

  "I'd like to do a deal with Brother Wu in the future, and this is something that Brother Wu can definitely handle. If there's any wind blowing or grass moving on Shanghai beach, it won't escape Brother Wu's ears and eyes, I'll buy some information from him." Chen Ke added, "If Brother Wu has other cooperation, I'm also willing to do so."

  "What's the point of looking for him?" Wu Xingchen asked with a mocking expression.

  "He Yifei can't be compared with Wu Xiongdi at all, he is far from being comparable."

  "I'm also the master of the hall, Brother Chen wants me to do something for him, I'm not that easy to fool. Just looking at Brother Chen inviting me to dinner makes me feel like he's being stingy. In the future when doing things for Brother Chen, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up." Wu Xingchen's tone was full of mockery.

  Chen Ke's face slightly flushed, "Wu brother, I don't have much money now either. This time the hospitality is simple. But that doesn't mean I'll never have money in the future. I've always thought that having more friends means having more paths to take. Having a friend like you, Wu brother, makes my path even wider. You say, isn't it?"

  Wu Xingchen glanced at Chen Ke, seeing that he had already returned to normal. His evaluation of Chen Ke rose again in his heart. Moreover, since Chen Ke could befriend someone like Hua Xiongmao, he might not be without prospects after all. Thinking this, Wu Xingchen nodded, "If Brother Chen has any instructions, just come find me. I'll be waiting respectfully." Although the words were polite, the tone was quite sufficient.

  The conversation ended here, what surprised Chen Ke was that Wu Xingchen ordered many dishes, but he ate them all clean. As the saying goes, "knowing how to eat a few bowls of plain rice", this point alone made Chen Ke quite admiring.

  The scene dispersed, Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao walked back together.

  "Thank you very much this time, Zheng Lan." Chen Ke expressed his gratitude.

  "You've been abroad for many years, so I suppose you haven't met any heroes in the jianghu. They all talk about brotherhood and loyalty, but it's all nonsense. What they care about is saving face. Whether they're heroes or just pretending to be, they'll try to intimidate you with their aura. Don't let them scare you, and you'll be fine."

  "Thank you, Zheng Lan, for telling me this."

  "Hmm, no need to thank me. I was just thinking of listening to Wen Qing talk about revolution. Last time at Mr. Cai's place, Wen Qing talked about revolution and it made my blood boil with enthusiasm. With 40 million people in the world wanting revolution, who can stop this trend? If I could really see such a world and lead so many people to revolution, then my life would be worth it."

  “……”

  Chen Ke was speechless in the face of Hua Xiongmao's admiration. In history, the Communist Party had only a hundred million people as its base, and the Nationalist Party, which was several times stronger on paper, was defeated. The newly established China was weak, but it still managed to drive the Americans back to the 38th parallel from the Yalu River in Korea. If four hundred million Chinese people could really participate in the revolution in the early 20th century, China would be able to shake the entire world. However, Chen Ke did not want to tell Hua Xiongmao about the great hardships and sacrifices that had to be made in the process.

  For the liberation of China, the Communist Party sacrificed 3.5 million party members. In human history, no organization has paid such a huge price for national independence. In the predicament where there was a generational gap with the enemy in terms of weaponry and industrial strength, it was precisely this unprecedented sacrifice that brought about China's liberation.

  Chen Ke had never been a person who dared to make sacrifices or was willing to sacrifice himself. When blood needed to be drawn for biological experiments, requiring a needle to prick his skin, Chen Ke mustered up the courage to prick himself three times before finally breaking through the skin and squeezing out a drop of blood.

  Facing the revolutionary path that could have led to death at any moment and in any place back then, Chen Ke had no confidence in himself. Putting himself in others' shoes, Chen Ke did not believe that Hua Xiongmao was that kind of "naive and straightforward" person who would "look up at the sky and let out a loud cry before charging forward to his death".

  "Heh heh. Zheng Lan, don't talk about those big things for now, let's focus on the dyeing business first, this is the current priority." Chen Ke didn't think that as a traverser, he could single-handedly bring peace to the world. The unfamiliar environment of 1905 made Chen Ke feel uneasy, and in order to not show this unease, Chen Ke had already spent a great deal of effort. No matter whether the revolution would succeed or not, at least he could do his current tasks well. Without accumulating now, there wouldn't be any future to speak of."

  After returning to the workshop, they continued to work. At around 4 pm, Hua Xiongmao's friend brought money to the workshop to pick up the cloth. Seeing that 100 pieces of cloth had been dyed and there were also many pieces of cloth hanging in the yard, this merchant named Wu Qixian was full of praise.

  The money arrived in hand and the accounts were settled, including the wages of Qi Hui-shen and He Zu-dao. Qi Hui-shen patted his pocket full of copper coins and laughed: "Wen Qing brother, now that we have the money, it's time to start the lesson, isn't it?"

  The work plan was completed, and Chen Ke did not decline. Six people gathered around the table. Chen Ke began to explain "Das Kapital". The first part of Das Kapital focuses on surplus value. According to what his political teacher had taught him back then, Chen Ke started explaining simply. Back then, students suffered in politics class, but this time Chen Ke's lecture was different. Everyone was colleagues, and Chen Ke used a dyeing workshop as an example to explain commodities, means of production, labor power, and social average production time. Now, how does this deal with the dyeing workshop make a profit higher than others by reducing costs and increasing production efficiency?

  The previous vocabulary definition is fine, but when it comes to the operation of the enterprise, He Zuodao and Zhou Yuanxiao are calm and collected, without any special performance. You Huan, Hua Xiongmao, and Qi Huishen have been thoroughly excited. Especially Hua Xiongmao, who is so excited that he can't sit still, standing up and sitting down in turns.

  Chen Ke Gang said that today's lesson is over. Hua Xiong Mao couldn't help but exclaim: "Doing business actually has such a profound theory. I've never heard of this before!"

  When the lecture just started, You Fen originally wanted to lie on the pillow and doze off. After listening for a while, You Fen was already spirited. From just now, she heard some key points and couldn't help but punch the pillow with her fist. At this time, she slapped the pillow hard, and the pillow made a dull sound. You Fen thought it wasn't loud enough, so she slammed her palms on the table several times, "Wen Qing, say more, say more!"

  Chen Ke knew that at this time China didn't have any business majors, let alone talk about Das Kapital. These young people originally came from good families, after hearing these "ordinary" truths of later generations, they naturally couldn't help but feel a certain way.

  Qizhui sighed deeply: "The things that Weng Qing brother talks about are based on the country. This vision is really far-sighted." As he said this, Qizhui patted his pocket, and the copper coins made a low rustling sound. "I earn money on one hand, and I can hear such wonderful lectures on the other, I've earned it!"

  Although Zhi Hui Shen hasn't been here for long, he has a "fought-out" relationship. He gets along well with everyone. How can it be said that he's the new guy who just arrived today, he doesn't dare say much. Yet he wants to say something, his face is even a bit red. On the other hand, Zhou Yuan Xiao, although still not speaking, has swept away his usual coldness, his sharp gaze is somewhat frightening.

  "Wen Qing, I have something to ask you." Zhou Yuanxiao's voice was filled with subtle enthusiasm.

  "Brother Zhou, please speak."

  Zhou Yuanxiao composed himself and explained the problems of several business enterprises to Chen Ke. After listening, Chen Ke smiled slightly, "Brother Zhou's idea is to improve product quality and sell at a high price. This needs to be investigated based on market conditions. Going back to what was said earlier, if the dyed cloth can't be sold, it's not called a commodity. Commodities refer to goods that have completed transactions. We dye cloth for sale, not just to produce something good."

  Zhou Yuanxiao's body shook violently as soon as he heard these words.

  "This time we took a cheaper route with a large quantity of goods. The cloth is cheap and someone will buy it, the more you buy, the lower the cost per item."

  "The quantity is more, how can it be cheaper?" You Wen asked.

  "He pointed to the newly installed small machinery, 'So many things need money, assuming we spent 50 taels and bought these things. Just dyeing one piece of cloth, the cost of this cloth is 50 taels plus the price of one piece of cloth. Dyeing 100 pieces of cloth, the cost of each piece of cloth is five cents silver plus the price of one piece of cloth. Calculating like this, the more cloth produced, the lower the cost of each piece of cloth.'"

  Everyone nodded in agreement, but Zhou Yuanxiao remained silent, his face turning pale. After a moment, he returned to normal.

  Before dinner, Qi Hui and He Zuodao got up and bid farewell to return home.

  Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao went out to eat, and when they came back, the sky was already dark. You Ou was playing with a flashlight, and Zhou Yuanxiao was holding another flashlight beside the dye vat, examining the situation. When she saw the two return, You Ou shone the flashlight under her chin, "Who~ are~ you?" she asked in a strange voice. This new trick of hers wasn't anything special, but Chen Ke suddenly remembered something from the past and couldn't help but want to laugh loudly. Feeling embarrassed, he covered his mouth with his hand and shook his shoulders uncontrollably.

  Wu Yun curiously asked: "What's wrong with Brother Wen Qing?"

  Chen Ke forced a smile and said: "In the past... when I was in middle school, there were no lights in the toilets..."

  "The toilet even needs lighting, what a luxury." said Hua Xiong Mao.

  Chen Ke ignored Hua Xiongmao's interjection and continued with a stifled smile, "After we finished our evening self-study session, a classmate went to the toilet. At that time, another classmate came from outside, feeling his way in the dark, and then urinated. The classmate who was squatting in the toilet shouted out 'Wang Tongle!' Wang Tongle was scared stiff and asked, 'Who are you?' Then the classmate in the toilet replied, 'I'm your dad.'" After finishing speaking, Chen Ke couldn't hold back his laughter anymore and burst into loud guffaws. Hua Xiongmao also laughed out loud after hearing this, while You Yun rushed over to punch and kick Chen Ke while laughing.

  Zhou Yuanxiao, who was beside him, suddenly let out a strange and eerie laugh, and after a moment, he laughed again with an even stranger tone. Finally, his voice turned into normal laughter. Zhou Yuanxiao, who had been depressed for a long time, laughed so hard that he bent over at the waist, slowly sliding to the ground, leaning against the dye vat and laughing loudly. Later on, Zhou Yuanxiao actually burst into loud sobs.

  A few young people who were making trouble looked at each other in dismay, none of them had expected that this rather rude joke would make Zhou Yuanxiao so excited. Everyone involuntarily gathered around Zhou Yuanxiao. "Brother Zhou, what's wrong with you?" Hua Xiongmao asked worriedly.

  Zhou Yuanxiao just let out a loud cry, ignoring Hua Xiongmao. You Yun grabbed Zhou Yuanxiao's shoulder and shook it back and forth, asking: "Brother Zhou, are you okay? Don't scare me." Zhou Yuanxiao let You Yun shake his shoulder, still crying.

  Chen Yan ventured to say: "Brother Zhou, there is no hurdle in this world that can't be crossed. If you feel that everyone gets along well and can cooperate, then cheer up. Past events, whether you liked them or not, are all over. We must look forward, right?"

  "Right, right! We must look forward." Huaxiong Mao hastily said.

  Chen Ke continued to persuade Zhou Yuanxiao, "Brother Zhou, whether you like it or not. You went to bed last night and woke up to a new day. Let's go out first, you can cry your fill and then come out for a cup of tea. We absolutely won't laugh at you. We're all friends."

  After finishing speaking, Chen Ke was about to walk out, but felt Zhou Yuanxiao's wet hand grasping his wrist. Chen Ke pulled hard and Zhou Yuanxiao stood up. At this time, he had stopped crying and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Zhou Yuanxiao said: "Let's go out for tea together."

  Chen Ke's joke was quite rude, but it made everyone laugh. Zhou Yuan Xiao caused a commotion and everyone felt uneasy again. The young people sat around the table, Zhou Yuan Xiao took a sip of tea, and then spoke in a soft voice: "Wen Qing, I used to do some wrong things, lost my family's fortune, and even my father was driven to death by me. Before he died, my father told me that if something is done wrong, it must be acknowledged. If the method of doing things is not correct, it will definitely go wrong. Later, I felt like I was in a dream every day. Every time I wanted to make a comeback, I would think of my father's words before he died, and then I would feel like I was in a dream again. Then I met you, Wen Qing, and I actually felt a connection with you, just like seeing the old me. Working with you made me very happy. Whatever I wanted to do or think about, you understood without me saying anything. That made me very happy. After hearing what you said today, Wen Qing, I suddenly realized where I went wrong in the past. And after hearing your joke, I felt like I woke up.

  At this point, Zhou Yuanxiao covered his chest and gasped for a while before continuing to speak. "Wen Qing, I've been filled with regret all these years. I'd rather die than live like this. But I don't want to die, I want to revive the family business. However, whenever I think about it, my heart feels like it's being cut by a knife. Wen Qing, do you have any way to comfort me?"

  "It's normal to regret, Brother Zhou. It's normal to regret. When we were in middle school, we studied 'The Record of Yueyang Tower', which says, 'Don't be happy with external things, don't be sad with internal ones.' As long as it involves one's own wealth and status, everyone will either rejoice or grieve. Whoever doesn't feel joy or sorrow, whoever thinks they shouldn't feel joy or sorrow for their own gains and losses... this person... is inhumane." Chen Ke spoke slowly and deliberately. Zhou Yuanxiang lowered his head, his rapid and unstable breathing gradually calming down.

  "I didn't attend any middle school when I was young, nor did I learn 'A Record of Yueyang Tower'. " You Yun looked at Chen Ke with some doubt, "Brother Chen, where did you go to middle school?"

  "He is not happy with material things, nor sad with himself. He worries before the world's worries and enjoys after the world's joys." Huaxiong Mao picked up his school bag.

  Chen Ke knew he had accidentally let the cat out of the bag, and at this moment, he was extremely grateful that he hadn't fabricated a fake background for himself. "A lie needs to be covered up with thousands of other lies." He never mentioned his background, even if it was just an occasional slip of the tongue like today, but after all, it was the truth, and even if someone had been collecting these truths, they wouldn't be able to piece together any contradictory facts. As long as he didn't reveal his origins, these slips of the tongue wouldn't have any flaws.

  With a determined look, Chen Ke continued to speak: "When it rains, the rainwater will fall down. If there is wind at this time, the rainwater will not fall straight down. You are not carrying an umbrella or haven't tilted it, you will definitely get wet. Brother Zhou, this isn't just you who will get wet, anyone who does this will get wet. What's there to regret? What's the use of regret?"

  Zhou Yuanxiao's breathing had completely returned to normal, and he let out a sigh. "I didn't understand these things before, and I still don't now. Wen Qing, you were right. Every time I think about the several thousand taels of silver that I squandered, every time I think about my old father who was driven to death by me, my heart feels like it's being strangled. I can't do anything." Zhou Yuanxiao lifted his head, and his eyes sparkled with tears. "Wen Qing, how come you understand these things? Maybe you've never had any regrets in your life?"

  Chen Ke couldn't help but burst out laughing after hearing this, completely ignoring Zhou's indignant gaze. He continued to laugh until he was satisfied, then said: "Brother Zhou, it's been a year or two since I've truly laughed from the heart. In the past, I was either filled with regret and heartache, feeling like I was going to die from the pain. Or I was like you, listless and without energy. I didn't dare think about anything, didn't dare do anything. But once I figured things out and thought back on what I did in the past, all I could do was laugh out loud. How pitiful I was back then, how ridiculous! What I did back then would definitely ruin everything, but I was so blinded that I still went ahead and did it. And yet, I have no regrets."

  After hearing this, You Yun nodded slightly, Hua Xiongmao did not comment, and Qi Hui bowed her head in deep thought. Zhou Yuanxiao paused for a moment before speaking again: "What does Wen Qing think? Do I have a chance to change?"

  Chen Ke leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table, and said seriously: "Brother Zhou, follow me to make a revolution." The sudden change of topic shocked everyone around. Chen Ke's thinking was far beyond anyone's imagination.