Like many of his peers born in the late 20th century, Chen Ke had participated in numerous startup ventures. Faced with one failure after another, he had been forced to analyze the underlying causes. One of his key conclusions was that the proportion of people within an organization directly engaged in production must be kept as close to 100% as possible. This cloth-dyeing enterprise was essentially a new commercial experiment. As both the investor and a core laborer, Chen Ke not only participated personally in all the work but also closely observed his current companions.

Hua Xiongmao, holding the rank of Martial Arts Graduate in the Qing dynasty, truly possessed the physical qualities befitting such a title. Whether it was moving bolts of cloth, tending the fire, or hanging fabrics to dry, as long as Chen Ke gave the orders and led by example, Hua Xiongmao worked tirelessly and without complaint. You Gou, a university graduate in chemistry, fully demonstrated the traits of her discipline. Her thinking was agile, her creativity robust, yet she strictly adhered to the discipline required for "chemical experiments." In controlling the temperature and duration of the dyeing process, and in recording experimental data, her performance was exemplary.

Chen Ke had originally positioned this business to focus on low cost and high volume. The color-changing fabric and cheap imported dyes drove their costs down to a level that ordinary dyeing workshops could not hope to match. Chen Ke, Hua Xiongmao, You Gou, and Zhou Yuanxiao—these four individuals were all working without wages, keeping labor costs so low that other dyers wouldn't even dare to dream of it. Through casual conversation, Chen Ke determined that the education level of the four workers, himself included, was at a height that ordinary Chinese people in 1905 could not reach in a lifetime.

Perhaps I really do possess that legendary "Protagonist’s Aura"? Chen Ke mused. For the past few days, acting as the project manager and assigning tasks according to each person's strengths, he had encountered no resistance from his three "colleagues," despite their high social status and education. Everyone worked side by side, scouring the cloth of impurities and dyeing it. You Gou was a girl, arriving at eight in the morning and leaving at five in the evening. The other three worked in shifts, keeping the workshop running twenty-four hours a day. In less than three days, they had finished dyeing the forty bolts of cloth.

After dyeing, the cloth had to be washed. Zhou Yuanxiao’s skills were truly superb; the washed fabric showed very little color fading. Zhou Yuanxiao was a man of few words; unless it was absolutely necessary, he remained silent except for work-related matters. Chen Ke found it puzzling how such a master craftsman could have fallen into such dire straits.

At noon on the third day, Chen Ke sent Hua Xiongmao back to their lodgings to arrange a meeting with Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin. At noon on the fourth day, when Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao returned, Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin were already waiting for them in Xu’s room. Hua Xiongmao placed a bolt of cloth on the table in front of Xu Xilin, giving him a start.

"This is the cloth you spoke of?" Xu Xilin patted the bolt; the texture was decent. He pulled out a few feet of the fabric and examined it against the light. The dark blue material felt smoother than ordinary coarse cloth, though it was significantly thinner. However, the color was something homespun cloth could never compare with. The dark blue was perfectly even, quite suitable for summer clothing.

Qiu Jin, being a woman, had a keener eye for fabrics. After inspecting it, she smiled and said, "Boxun, this cloth Wenqing has produced is truly impressive."

"Brother Boxun, I mentioned last time that I wanted friends in the Restoration Society who do business in Shanghai to help sell this cloth. I brought this freshly dyed bolt for you to look at, so you can see the real thing." Finally having a product of his own, Chen Ke’s voice rang with newfound confidence.

"I will naturally help with this," Xu Xilin replied. Chen Ke could tell that Xu Xilin had no real interest in the cloth trade.

"I’ve been busy with the dyeing recently. How are things going for you in Shanghai, Brother Boxun?"

"It’s a long story." Xu Xilin sighed after speaking, his face full of depression, looking far less spirited than Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao.

Lunch was a somber affair. Qiu Jin remained silent, and Xu Xilin buried his head in his meal. Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao didn't dare say much either. Since starting the dyeing business, Chen Ke hadn't thought about the revolution at all. The revolution wasn't about starving to death; a revolutionary who starved himself was definitely unqualified. After the meal, Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao took their leave.

Once outside, Chen Ke wanted to visit the streets where the textile merchants were concentrated. He had specifically scouted the area a few days ago, solely to find buyers once the cloth was dyed.

After walking for a while, Hua Xiongmao spoke up. "Wenqing, I actually have a friend in Shanghai who deals in cloth. If you don't mind, we could see if he’s interested in buying this batch."

Chen Ke looked at Hua Xiongmao in surprise. "Zhenglan, why didn't you say so earlier?"

Hua Xiongmao smiled confidently. "You hadn't dyed the cloth yet back then, how could I bring it up? I didn't know what you discussed with my aunt and uncle either. Now that the cloth is finished... I can see that relying on my uncle to handle this is likely useless. Besides, Wenqing, you never asked me, so how could I volunteer myself?"

"Can that person absorb this much stock? I need to sell each bolt for at least one tael and five mace of silver," Chen Ke said.

"Why don't we go see him and find out?" Hua Xiongmao said, sounding like he had a card up his sleeve.

Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao went together to meet the friend in the textile business. He turned out to be from Wenzhou, and his business was quite substantial. After examining Chen Ke's cloth, they settled on a purchase price of one tael and six mace per bolt, and the man bought the entire batch. Upon learning that Chen Ke would have more stock, the Wenzhou merchant indicated he would buy it all. His only request was a specific order for 100 bolts of red cloth.

Zhou Yuanxiao’s dyeing workshop had been completely cleared of cloth. Sixty-two taels of silver sat on the table. Chen Ke, Hua Xiongmao, You Gou, and Zhou Yuanxiao each occupied one side of the table. Chen Ke had always believed that even brothers must keep clear accounts. Now that the first payment was in hand, they really needed to have a proper discussion.

"Brother Zhou, you've worked hard these past few days. We agreed last time that we would dye one thousand two hundred bolts of cloth using your workshop, and pay a usage fee of 30 taels. I haven't remembered that incorrectly, have I?" Chen Ke said with a smile.

The work had been grueling, and Zhou Yuanxiao was half exhausted and half indifferent. He replied listlessly, "That's correct."

You Gou, however, frowned upon hearing Chen Ke’s words, her phoenix eyes flashing, though she remained silent.

"Previously, I didn't know the extent of your skills, Brother Zhou. Now that I’ve seen your craftsmanship, I want to ask: how much do you intend to charge for each bolt of cloth?" Chen Ke continued.

"Just give whatever you see fit." Zhou Yuanxiao maintained his listless expression.

"That's not right. Giving one mace is giving, giving five mace is also giving. You must have a stance, Brother Zhou." Chen Ke’s expression turned serious. They were about to dye a massive amount of fabric; if Zhou Yuanxiao wasn't satisfied and decided to play some tricks, Chen Ke wouldn't be able to bear the loss.

Zhou Yuanxiao lifted his gaze to look at Chen Ke and gave a bitter smile. "Brother Chen is worried I might sabotage things. When I first returned to Shanghai, I wanted to open a dyeing factory. I must have wasted at least seven or eight thousand taels of silver in the end. Now, only this ancestral workshop remains. I see that Brother Chen and Brother Hua come from wealthy families, yet you never feel that doing manual labor is beneath you. I am very moved by this. Also, You Gou helped me greatly when I was in dire straits. Since she introduced you, I naturally will do my utmost. It doesn't matter how much money I get. But you cannot shortchange You Gou."

Hearing this, You Gou grabbed Zhou Yuanxiao’s wrist and said loudly, "Brother Zhou, I introduced this business to you because I wanted you to pull yourself together. With skills as good as yours, you’ll restore your family’s fortune one day. Don't worry about how I make money; I certainly won't shortchange myself. You’re wrong to act like this."

Zhou Yuanxiao shook his head but said no more.

Faced with this situation, Hua Xiongmao seemed quite moved by the loyalty between friends, but Chen Ke showed no sign of being touched. It wasn't that Chen Ke hadn't acted this way in his younger years, but the results of his failures had long since cooled his hot blood. He said seriously and earnestly, "Clear accounts make for long friendships. Miss You, since Brother Zhou has spoken, please give him some face. Why don't you decide?"

You Gou listened to Chen Ke, looked at the dejected Zhou Yuanxiao, and finally spoke. "If you ask me, you should give Brother Zhou six mace of silver for every bolt."

Hearing You Gou open her mouth so wide, Hua Xiongmao frowned. Chen Ke shook his head. "That won't do. Leaving aside the six mace, Miss You, how much do you plan to take, apart from the money for Brother Zhou?"

Hearing Chen Ke reject her proposal, You Gou said huffily, "I won't take a single cent, is that alright?"

"That won't do. Absolutely not." Chen Ke immediately rejected You Gou’s piqued remark.

"Why?"

Chen Ke said sternly, "I don't care how Brother Zhou failed in the past. In what we are doing now, we must follow the rules of the present. We are doing business together, so the accounts must be split fairly. Brother Zhou provides the workshop and leads the dyeing, so naturally, we cannot shortchange him. You, me, and Brother Hua are putting in the physical labor, so we must also receive our share of the profits. Accounting means those who work more get more, and those who don't work get nothing. Furthermore, your calculation is fundamentally wrong. We are calculating the dyeing fee, not the total sales price. Although this might sound harsh, if we don't calculate this way, the business is bound to lose money."

You Gou pouted and fell silent. Zhou Yuanxiao, on the other hand, who had been listless at first, suddenly raised his head upon hearing Chen Ke’s last sentence. He stared at Chen Ke with sharp eyes. "Then let's hear Mr. Chen's plan for dividing the money," Zhou Yuanxiao asked.

"This is our first collaboration. Let's cut the nonsense about how much we might earn in the future—if we can't make money now, there is no future. It's just us four. For every bolt of cloth, I will set aside six mace of silver. Brother Zhou gets three mace and five candareens. You Gou and I get one mace each. Brother Hua gets five candareens." Chen Ke laid out his plan.

"Oh, so you're taking the lion's share," You Gou mocked.

"I'm the one paying for the cloth and the dyes. Miss You, you wrong me with those words."

You Gou looked at Zhou Yuanxiao, and Chen Ke looked at him as well. Zhou Yuanxiao pondered for a moment and nodded. "I think that works. Mr. Chen's division makes sense."

With that settled, Chen Ke declared that the 62 taels on the table would not be divided yet but would be used entirely to buy more cloth and dyes. Since none of them were lacking money for food, everyone found this acceptable.

Leaving Zhou Yuanxiao’s place, Hua Xiongmao laughed. "I never expected I could earn 50 cash from a single bolt of cloth. That’s enough to cover my meals for a day."

"Does Zhenglan feel shortchanged? I was just about to tell you, for every bolt sold earning five mace of profit, I'll give you a share of one mace. Please rest assured on that point."

"Wenqing, that's not what I meant. I just wonder why you need to rope those two in."

"Those two are of great use. If we cooperate well, it will be worth far more than this little bit of money."

Receiving such a definitive answer, Hua Xiongmao could only shake his head and stay silent.

With funds in hand, Chen Ke bought another hundred bolts of cloth. The workshop resumed its bustling activity. With the experience from the last time, they finished dyeing the hundred bolts in just four days. Of the hundred, 80 were blue and 20 were red.

After selling the cloth, they distributed the money owed from the previous batch of forty bolts. Chen Ke announced a day off. The work had been exhausting, and everyone needed rest. You Gou was a girl after all, and physically couldn't compare to the three men. She suggested hiring two workers.

Chen Ke firmly opposed this suggestion. The reason was simple: if they hired workers, the wages would be high, and everyone’s profit would shrink. If the wages were low, the workers wouldn't do a good job. Addressing the most physically demanding tasks—moving and hanging the cloth—Chen Ke’s suggestion was simple: use small machinery to solve the problem.

Hearing this, You Gou mocked Chen Ke, saying his plan would cost even more money. Zhou Yuanxiao remained silent as usual. Hua Xiongmao knew nothing about mechanics; he wanted to support Chen Ke but didn't know what to say. Chen Ke then forcefully announced the meeting adjourned. Everyone was exhausted and too lazy to argue with him. Since no one wanted to press the issue, they all scattered.

Back at their lodgings, Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao slept like dead dogs for a whole day.

The next day, Chen Ke brought a carpenter to Zhou Yuanxiao’s workshop, where Zhou Yuanxiao and You Gou were already waiting. Chen Ke had long observed the ten square wooden beams in Zhou Yuanxiao’s courtyard. He had the carpenter nail several rows of tracks onto the relatively smooth beams and then installed pulleys that could be pulled. After the carpenter left, Chen Ke and the others assembled over a dozen pulley blocks. This set of small mechanical equipment could easily hoist the bolts of cloth and the bamboo poles used for drying. It also allowed them to freely move the position of the bamboo poles.

It had to be said that the effect of this contraption was that the hanging position of the cloth was lower than with the previous manual method, so the drying efficiency was slightly worse. But the upside was that the labor intensity was drastically reduced, and efficiency increased several times over. Most importantly, the total cost was less than two taels of silver. Hiring two workers would have cost much more than this outlay. Seeing the rig Chen Ke had built, Zhou Yuanxiao was quite interested. You Gou didn't say anything, but she didn't object either. Hua Xiongmao, who had been doing the heaviest lifting with Chen Ke, found this equipment most helpful and praised it repeatedly.

Although Zhou Yuanxiao’s workshop wasn't small, they had nearly 400 bolts of cloth this time, so the drying space was limited. With just 50 bolts dyed, the space in the workshop was already filled with hanging fabric.

"Hey, move that cloth a bit closer to the inside!" You Gou shouted at Hua Xiongmao.

"If I move it any closer, they'll touch. Didn't Wenqing say we have to pay attention to the volatilization speed?" Hua Xiongmao said, looking up as he pulled the rope.

"What volatilization? It's called evaporation!" You Gou didn't even have the energy to mock him; she just explained seriously.

The use of small machinery brought a problem Chen Ke hadn't anticipated: the arrangement of the workflow. Previously, Zhou Yuanxiao decided how to hang the cloth. This time, with the large quantity and the use of pulley blocks, labor intensity was down and efficiency was up. You Gou showed great interest in how to utilize the space more effectively. Chen Ke was a layman in this regard, and Zhou Yuanxiao didn't have a better solution. So, You Gou and Hua Xiongmao, who had learned a lot of new knowledge through the labor, began a new discussion.

Chen Ke turned a deaf ear to the new discussion. He pulled the rope, hoisting a bolt of cloth out of the large vat. This was the last bolt that needed drying. Zhou Yuanxiao pulled the transverse rope, dragging the cloth over the washing trough. Chen Ke loosened the rope slightly, and Zhou Yuanxiao untied the knot. Work that originally required three people and a lot of effort was now finished by two people in a few minutes.

Enduring the soreness in his arms, Chen Ke scrubbed the cloth diligently. *If only I had a washing machine*, he thought. Although he knew it was a stupid thought, he couldn't help but hope.

Improvements in production technology meant increased labor efficiency. With the same physical expenditure, more work could now be completed. But this required a more effective workforce. Previously, dyeing forty bolts took three days. When it averaged about ten bolts a day, Chen Ke felt it was manageable. Later, at twenty-five bolts a day, he felt he was working at full capacity. Now, having churned out 50 bolts in 36 hours, Chen Ke was numb.

Fortunately, he was exploiting himself; Chen Ke finally understood the term "sweatshop." If he were working in someone else's factory, working day and night for the capitalist's profit while having to ensure product quality, Chen Ke estimated he would have already gone off to join the labor movement.

Zhou Yuanxiao washed the cloth alongside him without a word. Like Chen Ke, his face was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. Thanks to You Gou’s help, they had analyzed the data from the large batches to determine the optimal force for washing. Chen Ke and Zhou Yuanxiao’s "professionalism" exerted enough power that, despite being near exhaustion, both still did their utmost to ensure the quality of their work. If this had been ordinary workers, Chen Ke wouldn't have dared to trust the quality of their product at all.

As a self-proclaimed materialist communist, Chen Ke never thought there was anything wrong with capitalists using machines for production, even if it led to mass unemployment. Compared to machines, workers were indeed unreliable. This grueling dyeing job had thoroughly proven this point. Let alone workers, Chen Ke didn't even trust the average work quality of himself, the investor. The four people in the dyeing workshop all possessed high-quality character and sufficient passion for the work. Even with these four cooperating fully, the work wasn't guaranteed; if they used hired laborers, Chen Ke was definitely not optimistic about the efficiency and quality.

While letting his thoughts wander, Chen Ke’s hands and feet remained agile, cleaning the cloth quickly. You Gou and Hua Xiongmao adjusted the space left for the last bolt and came over to help. Finally finishing, they hung the cloth up to dry. The four of them sat around the table, rubbing their sore necks and arms.

Everyone was exhausted. No one spoke; they just rested in silence. You Gou had brought a pillow from home. A few days ago, she had complained that it smelled of dye, but now she couldn't care less about such discomfort. She placed the pillow on the table, slumped onto it, and fell asleep immediately.

Chen Ke also slumped on the table to rest. In his semi-conscious state, thoughts of revolution and saving the country had long flown to parts unknown. Only one thought remained in Chen Ke’s mind: *This batch of cloth needs a day to dry, and my colleagues, myself included, need a day of rest.*

He didn't know if he had fallen asleep or how much time had passed, but Chen Ke heard someone shouting outside the door, "Is anyone inside?" They were speaking the local Shanghai dialect.

No one in the courtyard made a sound. The person outside shouted again, then started banging on the door. This kind of disturbance during sleep was the most annoying. Chen Ke sat up and saw Hua Xiongmao, who was sleeping groggily, looking up with bleary eyes. Opposite Chen Ke, Zhou Yuanxiao had also sat up; hearing the voice, his face darkened. You Gou had heard it too, but she simply turned her head gently like a cat, buried her face into the pillow, covered her ears with her upper arms, and continued sleeping.

Chen Ke hauled Hua Xiongmao up. The three men went to the gate together. Chen Ke rubbed his face to wake himself up before opening the main door.

Outside stood two men, one tall and one short. The short one was obviously a local Shanghainese, in his forties, not tall, with a wiry frame. The eyes of Chen Ke, Hua Xiongmao, and Zhou Yuanxiao moved from the short man and then simultaneously traveled upward. The tall man looked to be under thirty. Standing on the bluestone steps of the entrance, his head almost touched the lintel. Aside from his iron-tower height, he was exceptionally sturdy, his broad shoulders almost blocking the gateway. Looking up at him, Chen Ke estimated he must be at least 1.95 meters tall and weigh at least 190 *jin*. The man had a round, fleshy face characteristic of stout people. He wore a faint, ambiguous smile on this round face, looking down at everyone with a rather imposing air.

"Which one is the boss?" the short man asked.

Hearing the voice, everyone shifted their gaze back to the short man. Chen Ke suddenly had an inexplicable association: if there were a rope tied around the short man's neck, with the other end in the tall man's hand, it would be the standard image of a massive brown bear leading a monkey.

Chen Ke and Zhou Yuanxiao stepped forward at the same time. "I am the boss," Chen Ke said first.

"Boss, I'd like to discuss some business with you," the short man said.

"We have no business to discuss here. Please leave," Chen Ke refused flatly. You absolutely could not give hooligans an opening. Once you let them in the door, they would inevitably become entangled with you. Thinking of this, Chen Ke took another step forward, blocking the doorway. "Really, there is no business to discuss with you."

Seeing Chen Ke physically block the door, the short man became anxious. He shouted a few sentences in the local dialect, but his speech was fast and his accent heavy; Chen Ke had no idea what he was saying.

"I don't understand what you're saying. Hurry up and leave," Chen Ke said.

"You'll definitely understand what I'm saying," the tall man suddenly said in a Hebei accent.

Chen Ke paused. He had just used Putonghua, so pretending not to understand the tall man's Hebei dialect wasn't appropriate. Chen Ke had to brace himself and reply, "What advice does this brother have?"

"I just want to get rich together with you, brother. Seeing your dyeing business booming, and with the world in such chaos, haven't you thought about finding a few people to help guard the place? In case of a fire, or if bad people come to cause trouble. It’s definitely better to have help, isn't it?" The tall man spoke without the ruffian air he had displayed earlier. Although his words were threatening, his demeanor seemed sincere. Listening only to his tone, it sounded like the genuine concern of a good friend.

*So I've run into a protection racket,* Chen Ke thought helplessly. Struggle was something one could absolutely not retreat from. Chen Ke replied, "We can handle things ourselves, so we won't trouble you two."

Before the two could speak, Hua Xiongmao behind Chen Ke suddenly uttered a few phrases of slang. The two men opposite froze. Hua Xiongmao walked up to them and exchanged some triad jargon with them for a while. The two men cupped their hands in salute to Hua Xiongmao, turned, and left.

"They're from the Heaven and Earth Society," Hua Xiongmao said.

"What do they want?" Chen Ke was more concerned about this.

"They invited us to drink tea tomorrow. I think a gift of money will settle it." All traces of sleep had vanished from Hua Xiongmao's face. He said, "We don't need to give anything else. Just give them a bolt of this cloth and a few taels of silver to appease them. But we need to hurry up with this dyeing business."