Chapter 36

  A simple red cloth hung on the wall, with no edges or seams, looking rough and sloppy. "We Chinese people like the color red, and when we see it, we think of revolution. Let's temporarily set the party flag as a red flag for now. As for the emblem on top, there isn't enough time to decide today. We'll discuss it again at a meeting in the future." Chen Ke said seriously.

  No one raised any objections, and with so much work at present, it is indeed unnecessary to spend too much time on this.

  Chen Tianhua was very moved after hearing this. Whether it was the Hua Xing Society or the Tongmenghui, a lot of time was spent on details such as flags, emblems and other things. Especially the Tongmenghui, Chen Tianhua was still in Shanghai at that time. Later, when people talked about the situation back then, it really was like a farce.

  When discussing the flag of the Alliance and the future national flag of China, a fierce debate broke out among all parties. Sun Yat-sen advocated for the Blue Sky with a White Sun flag, but there were many objections. Some proposed the 18-star flag, some proposed the golden melon axe flag, Liao Zhongkai advocated for the well character flag, and others advocated for the five-color flag. Huang believed that the Blue Sky with a White Sun flag was not aesthetically pleasing, so Sun Yat-sen added red to the top, creating the Blue Sky with a White Sun on a Red Background flag, which still did not pass. After Liu Qiyuan mediated, various plans were reserved as pending cases. Although there was no fixed national flag, later revolutionary armies all used the Blue Sky with a White Sun on a Red Background flag as their emblem. Huang Xing succeeded as commander-in-chief and did not express opposition for the sake of the overall situation.

  To discuss the flag of an alliance, several drafts were spent, and it took more than three days. The so-called "future Republic of China" was far away in the sky. The comrades of the Alliance were abroad, many people were still wanted, and they couldn't even take a legitimate public road. However, for the sake of this illusory future national flag, they spent so much energy discussing and arguing, and the result was that the national flag scheme was "reserved as a pending case".

  Chen Tianhua was very clear that it's not about how difficult the conference flag is to paint, but rather all parties want to use the conference flag and emblem to strive for their own political ideology, and strive to establish their own political ideology as the mainstream.

  Compared with the People's Party, the Alliance is just a loose alliance of rivers and lakes, without a completely consistent political program. Even the most basic concept of political system, the Alliance cannot reach an agreement. Sun Yat-sen advocated for completely copying the American model, and Hua Xinghui reached an alliance with Sun Yat-sen only after accepting his national construction concept. Before that, Hua Xinghui did not even have a new Chinese political system concept, but only hoped to establish its own armed forces and eliminate the Qing dynasty's influence in Hunan. As for Guangfu Hui, it actually wanted to establish a new imperial dynasty and had no interest in the republican system.

  The People's Party was completely different, having established its own political ideology before the party was founded. Chen Tianhua himself acknowledged that this political ideology was far stronger than those of the Tongmenghui by several streets.

  Look at the comrades of the People's Party around, they only have eight people, and compared to those who participated in the founding meeting of the Alliance Society, this number is not comparable. However, the complexity of their background is not inferior at all. This political party that should have produced intense disputes did not appear at all. Chen Tianhua still remembers how people surrounded some trivial matters that now seem insignificant during the meetings of the Alliance Society. If Chen Tianhua had not met Chen Ke and written books on dialectical materialism with him, he would probably be trapped in such a chaotic situation as well.

  When Chen Tianhua tried to expound his political ideas at the meeting of the Alliance, he suddenly discovered a very ridiculous thing. Comrades from all sides of the alliance, why did they engage in that seemingly dull argument? Chen Tianhua suddenly realized it. Sun Yat-sen and these overseas Chinese, fundamentally did not regard China as their own country. Therefore, their claims were nothing more than wanting to seize leadership over China. Standing at a so-called moral high ground was a necessity for Sun Yat-sen. Since China was currently not under Sun Yat-sen's leadership, making any compromise or speaking out any "advanced ideas" would not bring any loss to Sun Yat-sen and his overseas faction. As long as someone responded to him, it was purely beneficial.

  The Restoration Society was a party rooted in the local Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, and their goal was to ensure that the interests of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang gentry class, which had been threatened by foreign powers, were guaranteed. They absolutely wanted to protect the basic economic foundation of the current regime - the landlords, who were China's true core force. The new dynasty they hoped to establish would be one that could defend the economic interests of the landlords and resist foreign invasion.

  As for the attitude towards these parties, Chen Ke had made it very clear to Chen Tianhua long ago. However, Chen Tianhua thought at that time that Chen Ke was "measuring others' hearts with his own mean heart". It wasn't until he met these "gentlemen" in person that he realized Chen Ke hadn't deceived or slandered him at all.

  Chen Tianhua stood in the meeting hall, he had already understood that the proposed concept of people's revolution would undoubtedly be opposed by the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Restoration Society. And Sun Yat-sen may not necessarily accept this more advanced concept either. Because Chen Tianhua was undoubtedly "stealing his business". So normally eloquent and loquacious Chen Tianhua would become timid and vague in his speech. Because he was also observing what effect his words were having. Every time the concept of people's revolution came up, the representatives from a landlord background would unconsciously frown, and Sun Yat-sen and other overseas faction members would show a disbelieving expression on their faces. Once Chen Tianhua changed his approach and his words conformed to a certain party's ideology, the people in that faction would have a satisfied look on their faces. And the opposing faction would start showing dissatisfaction.

  When Chen Tianhua finished speaking, he found that his entire speech was completely self-contradictory and extremely distorted. Compared to the systematic political ideology put forward by Chen Ke, Chen Tianhua was so ashamed at the time that he wanted to crawl underground. This is why Chen Tianhua gave up his position as a cadre within the Tongmenghui. This is also why Chen Tianhua took a group of young people who could accept the materialistic view of history back to the People's Party.

  He was thoroughly disillusioned with the Alliance.

  Before deciding to leave, Chen Tianhua and Song Jiaoren had a heart-to-heart talk. Song Jiaoren had no concept of people's revolution at all, and instinctively had no interest in it. Song Jiaoren became a constitutional republican. No matter how Chen Tianhua tried to persuade Song Jiaoren, Song Jiaoren was "obstinately ignorant". On the contrary, he strongly disapproved of Chen Tianhua's idea of "people's revolution being unrealistic".

  So Chen Tianhua made up his mind and left Japan, leaving the Alliance.

  What is the people, what is society, what is the state, and what is class. The People's Party's political ideology does not shy away from these fundamental questions, the People's Party's political ideology strives to explain its views on these fundamental questions, striving to let everyone see through the true face of the world. Comrades have a strong desire to learn and understand this unpretentious political ideology. At least Chen Tianhua himself is like that. The party's political program is like a magnet, which makes Chen Tianhua unable to help but gaze at it, draw closer to it.

  In the theoretical part that Tongmenghui dared not or was unwilling to touch and deepen, the People's Party almost poured all its strength. So when this red cloth was hung on the wall, Chen Ke asked everyone to take an oath of allegiance in front of this red cloth, but no one raised any objections. This is unimaginable in Tongmenghui, but it is a matter of course in the People's Party.

  Chen Ke faces everyone, with his back to the party flag, standing at attention, raises his right hand, and clenches his fist at shoulder height. The other seven comrades stand in a row facing the red flag, raising their right hands in the same posture.

  "I swear," said Chen Ke.

  "We swear." The comrades said in unison.

  "I volunteer to join the Communist Party of China."

  "I volunteer to join the Communist Party of China."

  "Uphold the Party's Program."

  "Uphold the Party's Program."

  "Abide by the Party's Constitution."

  "Abide by the Party's Constitution."

  “……”

  At first, everyone's voice was not quite in sync, and some comrades even had a hint of timidity and unease in their tone. But as they followed Chen Ke to recite the oath, the voices of the comrades became more and more uniform, and their emotions gradually stabilized and rose. When like-minded people are together, each person feels an even greater sense of power.

  "The Conservative Party's Secret."

  "The Conservative Party's Secret."

  "Loyal to the Party."

  "Loyal to the Party."

  "Work actively."

  "Work actively."

  “……”

  When Chen Ke swore the oath in the past, he thought that these oaths were just ordinary requirements and went through the motions. As he worked hard to establish the People's Party, he gradually came to understand the importance of these oaths. The party members at that time were also ordinary people, without three heads or six arms, nor could they fly in the clouds. However, the party's course was indeed engraved on Chinese history, and all party members fulfilled their promises and achieved unprecedented achievements. When leading his comrades to read the oath, Chen Ke did not observe them as he had thought, but instead, he himself was a little worried. As the founder of this political party, could he set an example by practicing this oath? Could he meet the standards of party members in every word and deed? Chen Ke was not very confident.

  "Be prepared at all times to sacrifice everything for the Party and the people."

  "Be prepared to sacrifice everything for the Party and the people at any time."

  "Never betray the Party!"

  "Never betray the Party!"

  The oath was not long and soon came to an end. Before the oath, Chen Ke had shown everyone the oath, and after finishing the last sentence, all comrades were somewhat excited, and many comrades looked at Chen Ke in a daze. The oath is just an oath, not some kind of magic spell. After speaking, there will naturally be no earth-shattering consequences. The lofty spirit can make people excited, but that's all.

  "Put your hands down." Chen Ke ordered.

  All comrades followed Chen Ke and put down their arms. Under Chen Ke's command, they sat back in their seats.

  "Our pressing tasks at present are, on the one hand, to develop our comrades and, on the other, to complete our existing work. Everyone should take out the document of disciplinary rules."

  The documents had not been collected yet, and everyone picked up their own copy in front of them.

  Chen Ke continued: "The party accepts new comrades, must be comrades who identify with our political program. At this stage, the party's important propositions must be kept confidential. On this issue, I think it is necessary to divide the party organization into two departments, one department responsible for propaganda of the party's program, and another department responsible for organizing production."

  "Is the current propaganda also aimed at these young people from Huangpu Book Society?" Qihui asked deeply.

  Before Chen Ke could answer, Hua Xiongmao immediately asked: "The production department should be in charge of making money from selling medicine, right?"

  Chen Tianhua didn't say a word, these two "old comrades", especially Hua Xiongmao, had already shown signs of mutual exclusion. Just talking about teaching, Chen Tianhua thought he should be able to become the person in charge, at least one of them. As far as he knew, Wu Xingchen was also involved in drug sales. Hua Xiongmao, as a more senior party member, if he took charge of the production department, would at least have a certain status. Moreover, Wu Xingchen's formal participation in the party meeting was even later than Chen Tianhua's, and Hua Xiongmao leading the production department was almost a certainty.

  Chen Tianhua raised his eyes and took a glance at Wu Xingchen, only to see that Wu Xingchen still had the same slightly cold expression as before. As for this underground competition, he had an air of being uninvolved, with a detached look on his face. Looking again at Chen Ke who was sitting in the chief seat, Chen Ke's face didn't look very good, and he didn't seem to be very satisfied with the comrades' voluntary efforts.

  In the Hua Xing Society and the Alliance, this personnel arrangement is the most hurtful. Originally, they were all equal comrades, but suddenly there was a distinction between high and low, which would inevitably lead to dissatisfaction. Therefore, each department of the Hua Xing Society was directly led by Huang Xing and Song Jiaoren, while Chen Tianhua and others completed their tasks independently after receiving them. In the Alliance, however, factions were rampant, and most of the so-called executive directors were temporarily appointed, with no guarantee of execution. How would Chen Ke deal with this problem? Chen Tianhua waited with bated breath.

  Chen Ke is very clear about the enthusiasm and "progressive heart" of his comrades. It's also interesting to say that in the past, Chen Ke was not concerned with this kind of "progressive heart" at all, nor did he have any interest in it. Along with his own party building, along with the construction of the party, he never thought about these things, and when he really encountered them, he could see them clearly.

  These disputes must be resolved. Chen Ke was dissatisfied with Hua Xiongmao's attitude, and felt that the revolution should not be like this. What he did was wrong. Chen Ke planned to talk to Hua Xiongmao privately after the meeting. The top priority now is to solve the current work arrangement.

  "Comrades, no matter how revolutionary we say it is, revolution can only be achieved through practical and down-to-earth work. Therefore, comrades responsible for spreading our ideology and developing new party members, on the one hand, should give lectures, and on the other hand, observe who among them are extremely interested in our courses and very enthusiastic, and list them as targets for development. The production department is not just about selling medicine and making money. Our school's construction site has already started work, and we let the young people from Huangpu Book Society go to the construction site to work, which is to observe who among them are diligent and hardworking, able to proactively complete their tasks, rather than just going through the motions."

  After saying this, Chen Ke's gaze swept over everyone. Seeing that everyone was listening to him seriously, Chen Ke continued: "We hold party meetings to communicate and summarize our work. Comrades from each department should report on their work and also listen to the progress of other departments. In the work of developing new party members, both the propaganda department and the production department should submit lists of active young people they have discovered. Then, we will select those who are politically active and also active in their work from these two lists as our key targets for development."

  After hearing Chen Ke's request, Chen Tianhua nodded in agreement. Not only Chen Tianhua, but other comrades also nodded one after another. Even Wu Xingchen slightly nodded his head.

  "Wen Qing, how is this positive standard set?" You Yun asked.

  "We work together to dye cloth and make medicine. What is diligence and hard work? What is being proactive? Don't you know?" Chen Ke asked back.

  "But Wen Qing led us in person at that time, to be honest, compared with you, I always have a feeling of inferiority. And didn't feel like I was very proactive."

  "If everyone were like you, then anyone could form a party." Huaxiong Mao said, "Wenqing, your idea is to let the party members take charge of work personally, just like we used to. You are a party member, and we follow you. Seeing how serious you are about doing things, we naturally want to do things with you. Is that right?"

  "That's right." Chen Ke replied.

  "I can come and do the work in this production department. The construction site on that side has started, and Wen Qing let the young people who came to listen to the class go to work, it seems that there was a plan early on." Huaxiong Mao's voice had a tone of pride and satisfaction besides praise.

  "Are you sure you can do it as well as Wen Qing?" You Yun asked.

  "Huh?"

  "Working as a Wen Qing is not just about being diligent, but also about taking responsibility for our own tasks. Can you do that?" Yu Yun's tone had a hint of malice to it by this point. "Working as a Wen Qing is not just about being diligent and hardworking. More importantly, it's about having a humble and cautious attitude. I've never seen any Wen Qing look smug or self-satisfied."

  Chen Ke didn't want to clarify this so early. Although it must be admitted that You Hou didn't say anything wrong, Hua Xiongmao was indeed pleased with himself. This is not right. However, it's better to discuss this privately, and publicly clarifying it like this can easily intensify the conflict and turn it into a matter of face-saving. Everyone present probably saw Hua Xiongmao's mistake, but nobody said anything. Chen Ke could have first criticized Hua Xiongmao in private, then persuaded him to make a public self-criticism. Every person has self-respect, especially in China where people are most concerned with saving face. Persuading Hua Xiongmao to make a self-criticism would be an extraordinary feat. This can be said to have opened the true precedent for "criticism and self-criticism" within the party. Chen Ke had originally thought of it this way.

  Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao got along for the longest time, understanding that Hua Xiongmao's personality was straightforward and not a bad person. However, even if Hua Xiongmao was a good person, in this era he was still an advanced young man, but he was also a product of the late Qing dynasty. In this era where everyone pursued status and privilege, where people believed that status and privilege were divinely ordained, no matter how progressive Hua Xiongmao was, it was impossible for him to achieve the level of thinking that many party members couldn't even achieve 40 years later. Moreover, the one who fired the cannon was You Yun, and You Yun was a woman. The idea of male superiority and female inferiority was deeply rooted in tradition during this era. No matter how much people talked about promoting gender equality, deep down they didn't really believe it.

  As expected by Chen Ke, as soon as You Yun finished speaking, Hua Xiongmao's face changed. Hua Xiongmao was a straightforward person and couldn't hide his emotions; his face showed only a small part of shame, but mostly anger.

  Seeing this, Chen Ke's brain began to spin rapidly. How could he both talk politics and take care of the method to solve this problem? The People's Party was just established and didn't have a political commissar yet, but Chen Ke was already the party's political commissar. Chen Ke knew that facing today's sudden conflict, he had to resolve this contradiction and problem, which was an inescapable responsibility for him. If Chen Ke couldn't do it, it would only prove that Chen Ke was an unqualified leader. Now with just a few party members, Chen Ke couldn't even do good political work. Not to mention the complex situation after the revolution develops in the future.

  Looking at the emotionally excited Hua Xiongmao, Chen Keqiang suppressed his anxious emotions and repeated to himself three times. "I must calm down. I must calm down, I must calm down." As he spoke, Chen closed his eyes.

  Article 36