You Gou led the way slowly, her hands clasped behind her back, with Chen Ke walking alongside her. Xu Xilin and Hua Xiongmao followed behind as the group strolled leisurely down Baochang Road. You Gou remained silent, and the others found it awkward to speak. Unlike men who clasped their hands behind their backs, You Gou’s slender, interlaced fingers were lightly gripped together. Xu Xilin, already displeased with You Gou for drinking with "foreign devils," found her walking posture—which appeared to Chen Ke as full of youthful feminine charm—to be "rather frivolous" by his standards. He quickened his pace to catch up with Chen Ke and said, "Wenqing, I have matters to attend to elsewhere. Since we've found Miss You, I will take my leave." Without waiting for a reply, he ignored You Gou completely and walked straight off.

Hearing Xu Xilin’s words, You Gou stayed silent, though her pace slowed even further. Chen Ke watched as her gait increasingly resembled the strolling dawdle of a young girl in a sulk, and he almost burst out laughing.

"If you want to laugh, just laugh. What’s the point of holding it in?" You Gou’s Southern accent was soft, but her enunciation was clear and brisk.

Chen Ke didn't reply, but Hua Xiongmao stepped up to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him. He answered, "Lass, we just beat up some foreign devils, so you’d better walk a bit faster. Those two foreigners don't look like they’ll let this go easily. If they bring people back to fight, Brother Chen here and I can protect ourselves, but I’m afraid we can’t protect you while fighting them off at the same time."

"If you're scared, you can run away first," You Gou replied, pretending not to care.

"Naturally, I can run, but I reckon Brother Chen wouldn't be willing to. I can't do something as disloyal as leaving the two of you to be besieged. Let’s find a place quickly to discuss business, then we’ll walk you home, and we’ll go home too. It’s convenient for everyone."

Though the words sounded blunt, they made sense. You Gou let out a cold snort but turned into a nearby teahouse. There weren't many customers in the afternoon. Seeing the three enter, the waiter quickly led them to a prime empty table. You Gou ordered a pot of Biluochun tea, and the waiter hurried off to brew it. The three sat around the table. Only then did Chen Ke take a good look at You Gou. Her skin was fair and fine, her face long, and beneath a pair of slender brows, her phoenix eyes radiated a sharp intelligence. The earlier thrashing of the foreigners seemed to have put her in high spirits; the hostility in her eyes had completely vanished.

"I wonder what business you gentlemen have with a little woman like me?" You Gou had stopped speaking English and sat properly at the table. Her manner was dignified, resembling a lady from a noble family. The drunken woman who had propped her head up with one hand while holding a wine glass was nowhere to be seen.

"I am Chen Ke. I heard from a friend that you are familiar with people from foreign trading firms, Miss You. I would like to buy some foreign cloth and dyes. If possible, I’d also like to purchase some mechanical equipment," Chen Ke said.

"I only know people involved in the chemical trade. I can get dyes, but I don't know anyone in the cloth business."

"Then could I trouble you to make some inquiries and give me a price, Miss You?"

You Gou looked Chen Ke up and down before replying, "The deposit is one tael. I can't guarantee I'll be able to contact the right people for you."

Chen Ke had intended to simply pay the money, treating it as the cost of making a friend. But when he looked at You Gou, he caught her glancing at him out of the corner of her eye before turning her head to drink tea as if nothing had happened. Chen Ke immediately swallowed his words of agreement. No matter how he looked at it, this Ms. You did not seem like someone who would be interested in a single tael of silver. Whatever she actually wanted to say, she hadn't said it.

*I absolutely cannot say the wrong thing now,* Chen Ke told himself silently. If he spoke wrongly, there would be no future cooperation. "Is this one tael of silver really what you want?" Chen Ke suddenly asked in English.

You Gou’s body trembled slightly at these words, and the teacup in her hand nearly fell onto the table.

"Miss You, you seem so free-spirited. I once had days like that too. But it was just frustration, feeling that I had abilities with no way to use them. If it is really just for this one tael of silver, I feel it is an insult to you." Chen Ke’s English proficiency was limited, so he chose his words slowly, afraid of causing any misunderstanding. "I feel that I have the capability to move heaven and earth, but without meeting like-minded friends, without building a team, and without running that team well, I am nothing more than a failure. Therefore, I want to try working together with you, Miss You. Since you have the money to buy drinks every day, you wouldn't care about a single tael of silver. If I can make money, it will be far more than one tael. I hope you can give me this chance to try and realize my ambitions."

You Gou slowly put down her teacup and turned to look closely at Chen Ke. Chen Ke’s square face wore a solemn expression, but being scrutinized by her made him grin like a child, baring his teeth. "Please believe in me, Miss You."

"Are you sure you can succeed?" You Gou asked.

Chen Ke looked straight into her eyes. "I will certainly do my absolute best."

You Gou nodded slowly. "Noon, two days from now. Wait for me here."

Two days was neither long nor short. Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin spent their days with the members of the Restoration Society, leaving Hua Xiongmao and Chen Ke to spend a lot of time together. After fighting the foreigners together, Hua Xiongmao and Chen Ke seemed to get along even better. Whenever there was free time, Hua Xiongmao would ask Chen Ke to talk about revolution. Chen Ke selected topics that Hua Xiongmao could relate to. Hua listened very seriously, asking Chen Ke whenever he didn't understand something.

The two strolled through the streets of Shanghai, spending half their time discussing revolution. Hua Xiongmao was fairly cautious and didn't speak carelessly in crowded places. Now, Chen Ke had stopped in a busy area to look at posters. There were so many posters in this era. Apart from the lack of the ubiquitous adhesive stickers of the 21st century, judging by the current economic scale, the density of advertising was not low.

In the 21st century, Chen Ke was essentially no different from an ordinary otaku and not a particularly patient person. However, after returning to this world, the immense change in environment had brought about a huge change in him. At the very least, he had the patience to look at things he had never liked watching before. The content of the posters was truly a feast for the eyes. Chen Ke was most interested in a poster printed on yellow paper.

"Foreign Affairs English Cram School opening in Hongkou District, taught by a returned professor. Excellent teaching environment, affordable fees. To register, please go to Hongkou District..."

The text below was obscured by a large red paper with a handwritten advertisement for a brothel pasted over the address: "Huichun Hall welcomes Japanese ladies today, dignified in appearance and gentle in temperament. We hope gentlemen of refined taste will come and enjoy themselves. Address..."

The address had been torn off. Beneath this poster, on a large sheet of white paper, a text was written in flamboyant calligraphy: "Suona players and drummers for weddings and funerals, filial sons available. This shop undertakes funeral services." This address was complete, but Chen Ke had no interest in reading further.

Most of the posters were promotions for various goods, ranging from daily necessities to service industries; everything was there. Chen Ke really wanted to open a cram school, or even a proper school. This wasn't just because he had promised Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin. More importantly, a cram school was a crucial venue for the Communist Party to discover and develop comrades.

Hua Xiongmao had no interest in these things. Watching Chen Ke examine them one by one, he finally couldn't hold back. "Wenqing, what exactly do you want to buy? I don't think these advertisements are very reliable."

"Zhenglan, what do you think about us opening a cram school?" Chen Ke asked. Hua Xiongmao’s courtesy name was Zhenglan, and they were already addressing each other by their courtesy names.

"A cram school?" Hua Xiongmao found the suggestion strange.

"A new-style school, like the foreign affairs academies. If we can earn money, we might as well open a proper school."

"Opening a school is a good thing. But where will the money come from?"

"Mainly the school building. The school has to be in the city; being too far away isn't good. As for teachers, I’ll teach personally. Or maybe you can come and teach too, Zhenglan," Chen Ke laughed.

Hua Xiongmao laughed loudly upon hearing this. "Are we opening a martial arts school? If you want me to teach students fist fighting, that wouldn't be bad."

After finishing with the posters, Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao walked back to their lodgings together. "Zhenglan, do you really want to engage in revolution?" Chen Ke asked as they walked.

"Why not? The key is that you need to come up with a charter, Wenqing. If you ask me to go carry out assassinations, that won't do," Hua Xiongmao said openly and honestly.

"Naturally, there won't be assassinations. I do have some ideas for a charter. But, Zhenglan, why do you want to revolt?"

"Actually, anyone with eyes can see that if the world doesn't revolt today, it will revolt tomorrow." It wasn't clear if Hua Xiongmao had always liked walking with his hands behind his back or if he had picked up the habit after meeting You Gou, but he walked leisurely with his hands clasped behind him as he spoke. "As for me, I just can't stand the faces of those officials. They all look human enough, but in reality, they are filthy."

"Is that all?" Chen Ke felt this wasn't very convincing.

Hua Xiongmao glanced at Chen Ke, looking like he wanted to say something but stopped. Finally, he made up his mind and spoke. "Wenqing, I have some reputation on the streets of Shaoxing. In recent years, there have been more and more of those rascals and hooligans. Although the newcomers aren't exactly decent, they aren't bad people either. But this world is just declining bit by bit. There's no sign of improvement anywhere. Not just in Shaoxing; I travel to do some business, and it's the same everywhere I see. The foundation of this world has been shaken. To patch it up, I'm afraid nothing short of a revolution will work."

"The foundation of the world?" Hua Xiongmao seemed impulsive and reckless, yet he could see this point. Chen Ke really didn't know how to evaluate him.

"The Imperial Court can't save the world anymore, but the new system you mentioned last time, Wenqing, has its merits. It’s not that I haven't met revolutionaries before; quite a few wanted me to join them, but I turned them all down. Becoming friends with a revolutionary like you is truly a happy occasion. You seem to know how to go about it. This world won't work without a revolution, but I really can't listen to the bullshit manifestos of those other revolutionaries. When you talk about revolution, Wenqing, it sounds feasible. If you ask me to join, I don't think I would refuse," Hua Xiongmao finally spoke his mind.

"Brother Hua, you are a Martial Arts Graduate, after all," Chen Ke asked in disbelief.

"Can't a Martial Arts Graduate rebel? When we come to power, we'll do a better job than the Court no matter what," Hua Xiongmao said carelessly. "The key is that you need to produce a more detailed charter. The good thing about me is that I have some self-knowledge; I can't handle big matters. I can only do small things."

This statement left Chen Ke speechless. He didn't know whether to call Hua Xiongmao a natural-born revolutionary or a natural-born pragmatist. In such an era, let's just consider him a comrade for now, Chen Ke thought to himself.

The day of the appointment with You Gou arrived. Chen Ke was woken up early by the light. Jet lag wasn't much to speak of, but actually experiencing it was quite killer. Shanghai was over a thousand kilometers east of Zhengzhou, which meant it greeted the dawn much earlier every morning. Chen Ke looked at the watch by his pillow; it was exactly four o'clock in the morning.

The morning weather was cool and refreshing. Chen Ke didn't want to waste time, so after a quick wash, he stood in a horse stance in the room to practice his form. The sky grew brighter, and the others got up one after another. After breakfast, Xu Xilin went out. Qiu Jin didn't go with him; she claimed she wanted to meet this bold woman, You Gou.

The three of them strolled through the streets in the morning. As noon approached, they were already waiting at the teahouse from last time. Chen Ke checked his watch: 11:45. Opposite him, Qiu Jin couldn't resist lifting her wrist to check her watch as well. Just as she lowered her wrist, she heard someone say from behind, "So shiny and golden, it’s blinding, truly blinding."

Turning around, they saw You Gou standing not far behind Chen Ke with two men. Last time, You Gou had worn ordinary Chinese women's clothing with her hair tied up. This time, she wore a Western suit, her hair tied in a ponytail draped over her back. The two men behind her looked to be in their twenties or thirties. The tall one wore the Western suit common to foreign firm employees and had short hair. The shorter one wore a long gown and mandarin jacket, looking like a merchant.

The three at the table stood up. You Gou brought the two men over. "An older sister has come too; I'll sit with her." With that, You Gou stood generously next to Qiu Jin. The two men who came with her seemed used to this. After exchanging greetings with Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao, Hua Xiongmao gave up his seat on that side. The six of them sat around the table.

"Mr. Chen Ke, this is my friend from the foreign firm, Wang Bin. This is a friend of mine who dyes cloth, Zhou Yuanxiao. And, sister, my name is You Gou. I am currently a person of leisure," You Gou introduced them openly.

"I am Chen Ke. This is Ms. Qiu Jin. This is Hua Xiongmao. Mr. Wang, Mr. Zhou, greetings to you both."

After a few pleasantries, You Gou said, "I've brought the people to you. I wonder what requirements you have, Mr. Chen Ke. Wang Bin is from the foreign firm; you can ask him anything."

"Many thanks, Miss You." Chen Ke smiled and nodded. "Mr. Wang, as far as I know, there should be foreign merchants with white cloth stuck on their hands that they need to offload. Please inform me about this matter." Chen Ke was actually bluffing; it was absolutely impossible for him to know such news. He said this partly to bully Wang Bin a little. When he met Wang Bin just now, Chen Ke noticed a small detail: Wang Bin subconsciously waited for You Gou to move before acting, which looked like respect for a lady. But in this era, such "gentlemanly conduct" didn't exist. Most of the people Chen Ke had seen like this lacked their own assertiveness. And since Miss You Gou was clearly a dominant woman, Chen Ke chose a dominant approach.

As expected, Wang Bin was slightly stunned. He spoke somewhat haltingly, confirming his lack of assertiveness. "There are a few. But they deal in Indian white cloth. And these batches have been shipped here for over a year. The quality of the cloth isn't very good."

"Is the cloth rotten?" Chen Ke asked in a relaxed tone.

"Not that far gone, but due to improper storage, the color has started to yellow. It won't sell for a good price."

"How much is there?"

"Over one thousand two hundred bolts."

"Can we inspect the goods this afternoon?"

"Of course."

"Can Brother Wang provide the dyes?"

"Yes."

"Then there's no rush for this moment. Let's eat first. It's high noon; we can't go look on empty stomachs," Chen Ke said with a smile.

With the general direction settled, everyone began to chat about other things. You Gou was very interested in Qiu Jin's watch. Since wearing the watch, Qiu Jin had stopped wearing bracelets. You Gou held Qiu Jin's wrist to look at it for a while, then asked her to take it off for a closer look. Qiu Jin liked this cute girl very much, so she took off the watch and handed it to her. You Gou examined it carefully for a while, then put it to her ear to listen. Her brow furrowed. She handed the watch back to Qiu Jin and said to Chen Ke, "Mr. Chen Ke, may I see your watch?" Chen Ke took off his watch and handed it to her. You Gou examined it closely for a while before handing it back.

"Mr. Chen, this watch isn't cheap," You Gou said.

"It's just a watch; cheap or not, as long as it works, that's fine," Chen Ke replied.

"Haha, Mr. Chen really has money. I studied in Germany, and from what I can see, this watch must be worth several thousand taels. You say 'as long as it works'—tsk tsk. Impressive." You Gou’s tone was full of sarcasm.

"Why is this watch expensive?" Chen Ke became interested. He had bought the watch purely for etiquette; wearing a watch made him look more formal when discussing business. Personally, he relied on his mobile phone for the time. As for the quality of watches, Chen Ke knew absolutely nothing.

"Tourbillon. Your watch uses a tourbillon. The way the hands move is different. Listening to the movement inside, it's even more distinct."

"It seems Miss You is the one truly from a wealthy background. I just bought it to use; I never understood what was inside. Miss You is the expert on watches. My apologies, my apologies."

He had intended the remark to liven up the atmosphere, but unexpectedly, You Gou’s expression darkened upon hearing it. A faint shadow seemed to cast over her young face, and You Gou, who had been chatting and laughing freely, suddenly fell silent.

Qiu Jin didn't want the meal to turn cold, so she patted You Gou’s arm. "Sister, let's not talk about that with these men. I heard you can hold your liquor. I like to have a couple of drinks myself. Come, drink with me."

Since Qiu Jin had spoken, You Gou didn't seem to want to spoil everyone's fun. She shouted, "Shopkeeper, bring wine and food." With that shout, the meal quickly began.

In the afternoon, Wang Bin took Chen Ke and the others to see the cloth. Chen Ke didn't know much about cloth, but based on his limited experience, the fabric didn't feel rotten. It was just that after being exposed to dampness, large yellow stains were distributed unevenly across it. After viewing the cloth, You Gou leaned in. "Mr. Chen Ke, how do you plan to deal with these colored patches?" she asked in a low voice.

During the chat at lunch, Chen Ke had learned that You Gou had actually studied chemistry in Germany. He also whispered, "What would you use to remove the color?"

"Probably sulfur dioxide," You Gou said.

Chen Ke felt both satisfied and a little nervous upon hearing this. You Gou was definitely not from a poor background. Since she could think of this, why didn't she do this business herself? Chen Ke was quite puzzled. And the fact that she brought a dyer implied she wasn't incapable of doing it.

As if hearing Chen Ke's thoughts, You Gou looked up at him with an unfathomable expression. "Don't worry, Mr. Chen Ke. I don't want to compete with you for this business. You said last time you had the ability to move heaven and earth. I'd actually like to see just how you move heaven and earth, Mr. Chen."

Any explanation now would only make You Gou look down on him, so Chen Ke didn't say a word.

After seeing the cloth, they went to see the dyes. Chen Ke suggested visiting Zhou Yuanxiao's workshop. Zhou Yuanxiao hadn't spoken much, but hearing this request, he simply nodded and led everyone toward his workshop.

It was a very large courtyard, but although it was big, there was nothing inside. Several racks that looked like they were for dyeing cloth stood empty. The whole courtyard was cold and deserted, forming a sharp contrast with the bustling flow of people on the street outside. Seeing the confusion in everyone's eyes, Zhou Yuanxiao smiled. "My workshop went under last year. Apart from these few stoves and some bamboo poles, nothing is left. Miss You dragged me here by force this time. If you want to use this courtyard of mine, pay thirty taels of silver and use it as you please. If you need manpower, give me some wages, and I'll work for you."

"Brother Zhou, you spent all those years abroad. How can you abandon yourself like this?" You Gou said, a bit angry.

"I only went to high school. What does it matter if I went to high school? Can't I still lose everything?" Zhou Yuanxiao laughed loudly. "You Gou, you finished university in Germany, but didn't you also hit a wall when you came back? I’ve figured it out now; doing honest work is enough. Some things, if you can do them, you can; if you can't, you can't."

You Gou looked like she wanted to speak but stopped.

*So these people have all spent time overseas. It seems I've really met a group of extraordinary fellows,* Chen Ke thought.

The next day, May 14th. Everything went according to Chen Ke's plan. The deal with the foreign merchant was settled. Both parties agreed that Chen Ke would buy all the cloth within thirty days. Chen Ke first spent sixteen taels to buy forty bolts of cloth, then another four taels to buy blue-black dye. However, the process of collecting the cloth surprised everyone else. Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao wore rushed-made masks and personally opened every bolt of cloth, checking them from end to end.

The cloth had been stored for quite some time, and upon opening them one by one, the smell inside was truly uncomfortable. Even with a mask on, Hua Xiongmao’s brow was tightly furrowed. As for Chen Ke, he remained calm and composed from beginning to end. He inspected the cloth unhurriedly, yet his movements were efficient. In the time it took Hua Xiongmao to check one bolt, Chen Ke had already gone through three. Chen Ke immediately stopped inspecting and exchanged a few words in a low voice with Hua Xiongmao. Hua Xiongmao paused, then as Chen Ke gestured and spoke, they exchanged a few more sentences. Hua Xiongmao stopped inspecting the cloth and instead took charge of unrolling it. This sped things up considerably. After viewing each bolt, Chen Ke would make a record.

"He really is an expert," You Gou whispered to Qiu Jin.

"It certainly looks that way," Qiu Jin replied. The object of their praise was definitely not Hua Xiongmao. After saying this, Qiu Jin suddenly asked You Gou, "Sister, how is your friend Zhou Yuanxiao's dyeing skill?"

"Impeccable," You Gou answered decisively.

"But his dyehouse..." Qiu Jin hesitated.

"Some things aren't about the quality of the skill," You Gou’s voice remained firm.

The cart for transporting the cloth was hired by Tao Chengzhang at Chen Ke's specific request. When the cart arrived in front of Zhou Yuanxiao's dyehouse, Zhou was already waiting there. When everyone moved the cloth inside, the stoves were already lit, and the hot water was already boiled.

Qiu Jin and Hua Xiongmao had known each other for a long time. Hua Xiongmao was from a wealthy family, and this kind of labor was usually done by ordinary servants. After Hua Xiongmao finished moving things with Chen Ke and gulped down a bowl of water, Qiu Jin found a moment to ask, "Zhenglan, seeing you work so hard is an eye-opener."

Hua Xiongmao finished the large bowl of water in a few gulps and exhaled comfortably, his handsome face full of the satisfaction of work. "Aunt, although I have a quick temper, I'm not the kind of person who refuses to work. Wenqing does things in an orderly manner, and he always explains clearly what I need to do. There is interest in the labor."

As they spoke, they saw Chen Ke and You Gou carrying out a large steamer. Qiu Jin and Hua Xiongmao looked at each other; the thing looked like a steamer for food, sitting atop a large wok, and it was a two-layered one. In the bottom compartment, Chen Ke and You Gou muttered as they placed some things, while the top layer contained the loosened cloth. Both Chen Ke and You Gou had put on coarse cloth clothes over their outfits, and coincidentally, they both wore them backward. That is, the back faced forward, and the buttons were on their backs. The two of them arranged and rearranged the cloth, arguing endlessly. Their words were about "sufficient contact," "degree of oxidation," and the like. Neither Qiu Jin nor Hua Xiongmao could understand. After discussing for a good while, Chen Ke and You Gou finally reached an agreement, fiddled with the cloth a bit more, and then put the lid on the steamer.

The fire under the large wok was stoked, and the water inside gradually heated up. The steam starting to rise from the steamer mixed the stale smell of old cloth with other odors. While the others couldn't help but avoid the strange smell, Chen Ke and You Gou both put on masks and lifted the steamer lid together to check the cloth. They argued again about pH levels before finally extinguishing the fire. After waiting a while longer, the two took the still-hot cloth out of the steamer and threw it into a large vat containing lime water. Chen Ke even kneaded the cloth. As the choking smell gradually dissipated, the others gathered around to look. Upon looking, almost everyone's eyes lit up. The cloth, originally covered in deep and shallow yellow stains, now looked white. Although a careful look revealed some clues, even these few people who knew nothing about dyeing knew that after applying dark dye, these slight discolorations would absolutely not be a problem.

"Wenqing, I wondered at first how you were going to wash this cloth. I didn't expect steaming it like this would work," Qiu Jin praised. She turned to look at You Gou, who was pulling at the cloth. "Sister, you look like someone who enjoys a comfortable life; I didn't expect you to have such hidden talents."

You Gou only responded to such praise with a bitter smile. "Sister Qiu, don't praise me. I spent so much studying in Germany; if I couldn't even handle these things, wouldn't all that money have been wasted?" After speaking, You Gou turned her head. "Brother Zhou, as an expert, what do you think of this cloth?"

Zhou Yuanxiao put down the cloth in his hand, his face expressionless. "We'll only know after dyeing. Looking at it now, the color won't be too even after dyeing. It won't fetch a high price."

These words sounded rather harsh, and Hua Xiongmao couldn't help but furrow his brows. He and Qiu Jin looked at Chen Ke simultaneously. Chen Ke not only didn't get angry but nodded in agreement. "The dyeing matter is in your hands, Mr. Zhou. I have great confidence in you."

Zhou Yuanxiao gave a noncommittal grunt, then beckoned Chen Ke to continue placing cloth onto the steamer.