Chapter Thirty-Four

  The next day after Jiang Hua's visit, Dao Jing followed his own revised plan and took Hou Rui to attend a regular meeting of the Peking University Esperanto Society. It was in the evening, in a not-so-large classroom on the Red Building, where more than thirty young men and women were seated - most of them were students from Peking University, but some were not. Among these young people's black hair, there were also two professors with gray hair sitting. This made Dao Jing feel surprised, and even Hou Rui's eyes, which were far apart, blinked with a look of surprise.

  Because they were both introduced to attend, people didn't find it strange looking at them. Everyone sat down, and the classroom door was closed by a student. Under the dim light of the fluorescent lamps, dozens of faces held their breath, silent as cicadas in winter. How strange, this neither looked like a class - because there was no professor standing on the podium, nor did it look like a tea party, because everyone was sitting properly in their seats in the classroom. After such silence for a while, a young man in his twenties with a fair complexion stood up and said: "Has everyone brought the lecture notes and materials?"

  Lecture notes and materials with Esperanto characters were placed on the table, but people's eyes weren't looking at them. Instead, they were all staring at Han Linfu's face, some of them exchanging glances with each other. What was going on? Why did this academic conference have such a heavy atmosphere?... Lin Daojing couldn't help but glance at Hou Rui beside him, as if asking what was happening. But Hou Rui's eyes were also fixed on Han Linfu's face, seemingly deep in thought, and didn't respond to Lin Daojing. At that moment, Han Linfu began speaking. With a composed tone, he said: "We've received many requests from Esperanto club members. Everyone can no longer focus solely on the letters a, b, c... They demand that before learning Esperanto, we take some time to discuss current events and the issues everyone is most concerned about. According to their requests, shall we try this approach in today's meeting?"

  Like a burst dam, the young men and women sitting in their seats shouted out with one voice: "Agreed! Agreed!......"

  "Too good! Too good!......"

  The professor with a white beard and a slightly younger professor wearing glasses also looked at each other, their mouths curled up into faint smiles.

  "That's great. Since everyone agrees, let's start discussing now. To make it convenient for everyone to speak, why don't we set a topic for discussion? Today, let's discuss the issue that concerns us most - 'Where are we going?' How about that?"

  "Great!……" Another burst of excited cheers. However, the astute Han Linfu immediately waved his hand to suppress this excited voice, looked at the professor wearing glasses, turned around and said to everyone: "In order for everyone to be more prepared to speak, let's first ask Professor Chen from our economics department to explain this issue to everyone, how about that?"

  A faint, long sigh expressed how much fervent hope and suppressed melancholy! When Professor Chen stood up and began to speak in a low voice, the classroom was so quiet that even a dropped needle could be heard.

  Professor Chen said calmly and slowly: "Historical facts from ancient times to the present, both at home and abroad, tell us that a great nation will not be without a way out. But where is the way out for the Chinese nation now? The Northeast has been occupied for more than four years; North China has long since lost its name; the wooden people's play (referring to the puppet government of Manchukuo) in Changchun still drums and trumpets loudly; and Ji Dong has added another pseudo-organization. The shame of 'July 7', 'May 9', 'May 25', 'September 18', and 'January 28' has not been avenged, and now the enemy is preparing a new set of chains to put on our heads. The Chinese people are struggling on the brink of death from hunger and cold every day, with resentment and anger reaching a boiling point. No matter who it is, everyone in their heart has raised this question: 'Where are we going?'..."

  Professor Chen was not tall, probably only in his forties, but he spoke clearly and logically, and within a few sentences, he had everyone's attention focused on him. Dao Jing was observing the students' emotions and behavior, but she couldn't help being drawn in by Professor Chen's charming words. She glanced at Hou Rui beside her and the young people throughout the classroom, continuing to listen as Professor Chen spoke: "There are two completely different paths for China: one is the path that the masses of people must take, and the other is the path that the upper-class gentlemen must take. These are two entirely different roads. Now, I'll first analyze the path that the gentlemen must take, in an attempt to throw out a brick to attract jade."

  "Gentlemen, the roads you are taking all lead to a dead end, but each of you has your own theory. The most representative ones are as follows: One is the pessimistic theory - they say China is beyond salvation."

  The result of capitulation is subjugation; the result of war is also subjugation. Not resisting is subjugation; resisting is also subjugation. Since both are subjugation, what's the use of resisting?

  One is the defeatist theory - they have no confidence in China's victory. They see that China's planes and artillery are not as good as others, so they conclude that China will absolutely lose. They do not see the power of the masses, and they do not know that in a war of national liberation, what decides victory or defeat is not planes and artillery but people. This group can be represented by Dr. Hu Shih. The pessimists frankly admit that China has no choice but to perish; while Dr. Hu Shih's group still has some deceptive illusions. Hu Shih once said: "Although a ceasefire in North China cannot make the enemy withdraw one inch from the four northeastern provinces, at least it should prevent them from occupying more land outside of these four provinces..." This self-deceptive argument was thoroughly shattered by facts, but his theory that "resistance will only end in defeat, and not resisting may perhaps lead to survival" is still being peddled cheaply.

  "The third is the theory of capitulationism - these people believe that they can collaborate with imperialism, practice cooperation among East Asian nations, in short, openly sell out and surrender..."

  Professor Chen had gotten to this point, when dozens of angry eyes stared at him, as if he were the traitor who advocated for surrender. He couldn't continue speaking, and tens of arms rose up in anger, demanding to speak with voices like boiling water, hot air scorching people. Seeing this situation, Professor Chen smiled and sat down. One by one, students with flushed faces, some pale and trembling with rage, all spoke out against the Nationalist Party's non-resistance policy. Finally, a young man who looked only eighteen or nineteen years old, with a childlike face, stood up to speak, and the whole room fell silent again. This young man's voice was low but powerful, shaking people's hearts. He first raised a piercing question: "Is today's Beiping still Chinese territory? Fellow students, listen and look! Planes with red circles on their wings fly back and forth above our heads every day; over 1,000 mu of land near the Tianjin racecourse have been occupied by the Japanese to build a large airport; recently, not only was a puppet government established in Tong County, but also groups of Japanese soldiers, fully armed, are rampaging through various places in Hebei Province... What should we do? Where is our way out? Are we just waiting for the enemy to slaughter us, waiting to become slaves of a lost country?"

  The young man with a childlike face spoke with tears streaming down his face, and even the old professor (who had been listening all along without speaking) had tears welling up in his eyes. Dao Jing turned to look at Hou Rui again, and even he, who was not easily moved emotionally, was now flushed with excitement.

  "No, we must rise up and resist! No, we must be masters, not slaves!"

  The young man with a child's face, when people's emotions were at their most intense, suddenly raised his fist and shouted two sentences before sitting down. His words were short and powerful.

  This is not a classroom, nor a place to study Esperanto. This is a battlefield where we declare war on the reactionaries and the Japanese devils. As Dao Jing and Hou Rui walked out of the classroom together, walking on the desolate street, their hearts were still burning with passion. But they exchanged a glance, neither of them speaking. After a moment of silence, Dao Jing casually asked Hou Rui, "Who was that childlike person who spoke last?"

  "He is a junior in the history department. Li...Li, probably named Li Shaotong. Speaks pretty well, doesn't he?"

  "With passion, I see it representing everyone's heart in this class," Dao Jing said softly.

  "Yes." Hou Rui smiled slightly, because of the cold, he hugged his shoulders tightly, wanting to say something but didn't continue.

  They walked a few more steps together, the darkness surrounding them, and no one could see anyone's face. Dao Jing asked again: "Who initiated this meeting today? Are there any party members?"

  Hou Rui walked a few more steps before saying, "There are no current party members here. But there may be former ones. Han Linfu is very progressive. He actively participates in Esperanto associations and often organizes discussion sessions."

  "Hou Rui," Dao Jing stopped and brushed back her hair, which had been blown astray by the cold wind. Lowering her voice, she asked, "Did you notice anything unusual about today's discussion?"

  Hou Rui stopped in his tracks and said: "What's wrong? Didn't the masses perform very well?"

  Dào Jìng said: "It's not that. Has the question of 'where to go' been solved? Everyone is just angry and depressed, but can't come up with a good solution. After talking for half a day, apart from accusations, it's still unclear where to go."

  Hou Rui didn't make a sound for half the day. He seemed not to have heard Dao Jing's words, yet he appeared to be deeply pondering them. Suddenly, he stretched out his legs and took big strides forward. As he walked, he nodded and smiled at Dao Jing, who was left behind: "Let's meet again tomorrow night and check out the New Text Research Society. See you tomorrow!" With that, he turned into a small alleyway and vanished in an instant.

  Dao Jing stood on the road, watching Hou Rui walk into the small alley, and let out a heavy sigh before hurrying away.

  The next evening, they went to the meeting place of the New Script Research Association again. The situation was similar to that of the Esperanto Society. Studying new scripts became a cover for confusing enemies. As the situation in North China became more tense, young students took advantage of this place to denounce the crimes of the Japanese invaders and the Nationalist Party, and to express their personal grievances and confusion. However, like the discussions at the Esperanto Society, they could not come up with any specific proposals for the current crisis except shouting slogans to resist. Lin Daojing saw these situations that night and immediately invited Hou Rui to her residence, where they had a relatively in-depth conversation. With Jiang Hua's instructions and seeing the real power of the masses, Daojing's attitude became more resolute: "Hou Rui, let's continue discussing the issue from last night - why can't those active patriotic masses come up with specific answers to 'where are we going'?"

  Dao Jing had originally prepared to engage in a fierce debate with Hou Rui, but strangely, Hou Rui seemed to have everything under control and said calmly: "Lu Fang, thank you, there's no need to say anything more. I was guilty of conservatism or empiricism... I always used last year, the year before, when the White Terror was at its most frantic, and the masses' emotions were once low, as a reference for today..."

  Hou Rui's transformation made Dao Jing extremely happy. She couldn't help but grab Hou Rui's arm and shake it, saying: "Hou Rui, you're really a good comrade! ... Ah, I think the work at Beida will surely become much more lively from now on!"

  Hou Rui still spoke calmly, narrowing his eyes that were far apart, saying: "Lu Fang, thank you, and thank the Party, thank the masses. I didn't expect Beida to be a place where dragons and tigers hide, with so many scattered soldiers and roaming warriors. In the past, I also knew that classmates cared about the current situation, felt anxious, and some activists were very active. But I didn't connect them with the overall situation; I didn't value these forces, so Beida's work stagnated." Speaking to this point, Hou Rui let out a long sigh and stopped talking.

  Dào Jìng's expression was also very serious, she gazed at Hóu Ruì with contemplative eyes: "I think that if the party's work is not combined with the masses, it will be like a rootless grass without life or strength. But if the mass movement is not combined with the party's leadership, it will be like a headless bird, never achieving any results and never finding the correct path. It was only from the Esperanto Association discussion meeting that I deeply realized this truth. Hóu Ruì, don't you think so?"

  Hou Rui's expression was particularly special, he did not answer Dao Jing, but stared at her for a long time before suddenly saying: "Lu Fang, I have thought of a way! Let's attract those scattered soldiers and militia, those self-motivated active masses to our side, assign them specific tasks. Through them, organize a certain number of reliable masses in each class. In this way, the party and the masses' strength will be combined, I think those old fascists won't be able to stir up trouble. Then we'll re-elect the student union - take control of each class's student union one by one. So the school-wide unified student union will be ours, what problem could there still be?"

  "He was actually capable, but just didn't use it in the past." Dao Jing thought to herself as she looked at Hou Rui's eyes, which were shining with excitement and wisdom. Then Dao Jing also excitedly said to Hou Rui: "Hou Rui, you understand the situation and have a way to deal with it. This time we'll go class by class to mobilize and grasp control, I think the situation will definitely be different from last time. I think as long as we actively mobilize the masses and timely grasp their psychological distress to inspire and guide them, if the masses all stand up, what can those few old methods do?"

  Hou Rui nodded and smiled. That night, they had their first harmonious and unanimous discussion on how to quickly advance the work at Beida. After coming to Beida, Dao Jing also slept so sweetly for the first time.