To put it subtly, Qi Huishen’s attitude toward foreigners was that he didn’t like them in the slightest. To put it bluntly, he found them absolutely repulsive. If it were the past, Qi Huishen would never have obeyed his father's order to interact with the British. This occasion was very special because he was going with Chen Ke. Otherwise, Qi Huishen likely would have given up.

However, as the rickshaw got closer to the British Consulate, Qi Huishen appeared increasingly uneasy.

"Wenqing, how does one usually deal with foreigners?" Qi Huishen finally asked.

"This matter, I..." Chen Ke almost slipped up. In truth, he didn't have much experience dealing with foreign devils either. Chen Ke congratulated himself on not misspeaking while he pondered.

"Let's hear what the butler has to say first. Since your father sent him, it wouldn't be a casual decision."

Qi Huishen didn't have a better idea, so he changed the subject. "Wenqing is never afraid of foreigners, are you?" This remark inadvertently revealed Qi Huishen’s inner thoughts.

"I’m not afraid of individual foreigners, but when encountering organized foreigners, I always believe one must be cautious. No matter how rotten the British organization is, it’s not something I can deal with alone," Chen Ke gave a vague answer.

Seeing Qi Huishen’s worried look, Chen Ke laughed, "But foreign devils are people too. If they are people, then the way they do things isn't actually that different. Treat them with courtesy, seek truth from facts in understanding their procedures, and you won’t encounter anything too excessive."

The three of them got off the rickshaw in front of the British Consulate. Before the two young men could speak, the butler had already started "lecturing on the rules." As Qi Huishen’s father, Qi Si'e, had said, both parties had already determined the general direction of the project. Chen Ke felt that if he hadn't misunderstood the butler, his and Qi Huishen’s job was simply to get stamps. A certain Counselor at the consulate was the British person in charge of this affair, and the first document needed to be issued from this Counselor’s hands.

Chen Ke didn't dare guess blindly; he straightforwardly told the butler his understanding. The butler nodded with satisfaction. Then the group began their work.

"Bureaucratic style" has always been a target of criticism in the industrial age: slow, rigid, endless documents, forms, and stamps. Anyone who doesn't understand the bureaucratic system will absolutely have no good impression after dealing with it. Chen Ke used to feel this way too, but ever since he personally went through bureaucratic procedures to accomplish a few not-so-small things, his view of the bureaucratic system changed. Compared to banditry or rule by man, the progressive significance of a modern bureaucratic system is quite large. Everyone’s criticism of bureaucracy lies in "not being able to find the person who calls the shots." Actually, if you are willing to listen seriously to the bureaucrats' explanations, you can actually find the person responsible. Chen Ke always felt that, compared to the bureaucratic system itself, those who believe the bureaucratic system can solve *all* problems perhaps make the greater error.

This affair verified Chen Ke's view. A Counselor named Humphrey issued the first document. Next, they had to find the official in the British Concession's education department responsible for this matter to sign it. Chen Ke didn't simply entertain that official, sign the document, and run away in a hurry. Instead, he spent some effort communicating with him.

Compared to Indians, the British were much more diligent. But compared to the Chinese, the British were relatively lazy. Because he practiced spoken English by watching American dramas, Chen Ke spoke standard American English, with a bit of a New York accent. When choosing words and phrasing, Chen Ke tried his best to use "May" instead of "Can" to sound a bit more London. The education official hadn't actually stayed in London for long; he was from Coventry.

That this short-haired Chinese man could speak English that was clearly not from mainland China made him less annoying. Chen Ke neither held obvious hostility toward the British like ordinary Chinese, nor did he curry favor like a comprador. So, this official answered a few of Chen Ke's key questions. Who exactly has jurisdiction over the school mentioned in this document? Which departments are responsible for leading the work for this school?

In the following days, Chen Ke did exactly this at every unit where a signature and stamp were required. Not every official was as amiable as the one responsible for education; there was more than one or two who treated Chen Ke with a terrible attitude. At these times, Chen Ke had to adopt another method, which was to say, "As long as you don't kick me out, I will get the steps you are responsible for done, strictly on a business basis."

Qi Huishen accompanied Chen Ke throughout these few days. In Qi Huishen’s imagination, handling affairs meant finding the person in charge, conducting open or private negotiations, and then reaching a result. This was his first time struggling against a modern bureaucratic system. Seeing the British with gloomy faces and unkind tones, yet seeing Chen Ke exchange opinions with them without fear and follow their directions... Many demands that seemed unreasonable to Qi Huishen, Chen Ke was able to run back and forth repeatedly to complete.

Stamping official documents, filling out forms, stamping again, changing forms. Going to a department today, and having to go again tomorrow—the purpose of seeking out the same person was entirely different. On the afternoon of the fourth day, Chen Ke finally brought a final document back before Counselor Humphrey.

Counselor Humphrey looked at the two Chinese youths, Chen Ke and Qi Huishen, with a somewhat surprised gaze. As a Briton who knew the power of the bureaucratic system well, he rather appreciated the steadfast persistence of these two young men. Actually, the British bureaucratic system in Shanghai wasn't that large; he had long known of Chen Ke's actions within it. Chen Ke didn't strictly follow the steps to sign documents; without touching the "stance" held by Counselor Humphrey, Chen Ke figured out who to find, and then went to find that person for the stamp himself.

As one of the characteristics of the bureaucratic system, subordinates had long since come to Humphrey, hoping to know if there was anything fishy about this matter. Humphrey had just one sentence: "Follow the procedure." The subordinates naturally wouldn't misunderstand; this meant "just don't deliberately look for trouble."

This school matter wasn't a critically important affair. Ever since the Americans used the Boxer Indemnity to open schools in China, the British had similar intentions. But the British, relying on their "international status," were unwilling to be as blunt as the Americans. This school project fell into this category. If not for this background, Counselor Humphrey might not have let Chen Ke pass so readily.

Following the butler's specific instructions, Chen Ke placed the bank draft together with the final document. Counselor Humphrey signed a receipt for Chen Ke and sent the two away.

"You mean, the British are using China's Boxer Indemnity to build schools to buy off the Chinese?" Outside the consulate, Qi Huishen asked Chen Ke. "And for this school, the British Consulate in Shanghai is making my father pay for it while they don't lift a finger. They created that whatever... Wenqing, what was that term you used just now?"

"Political achievement project."

"Right, political achievement project. You mean the British Consulate has created a political achievement project."

"If not for this reason, the two of us definitely couldn't have finished this task."

After saying this, a relaxed and happy look appeared on Chen Ke's face. Qi Huishen didn't share Chen Ke's good mood; he only felt that the busy work of these past days was merely to set up an empty shell of a school, and for the service of the British at that. This made him very unhappy.

"Huishen, this is revolution. Our revolutionary cause has achieved a major breakthrough. Haven't you always wanted to recruit revolutionary comrades? Through this school, the process of recruiting comrades will yield twice the result with half the effort," Chen Ke persuaded.

"Although we can gather comrades, we are mostly finding a bunch of people to serve the British. I still feel it's not right." Qi Huishen still couldn't figure it out.

"Huishen, what exactly do you think revolution is? A bunch of comrades holding guns and knives, wiping out all the enemies? I think you shouldn't be that childish anymore."

"But it shouldn't be this result either. Brother Wenqing, you say we need revolution, but the more I look, the further what you do seems from revolution. In the past, at least you explained revolutionary principles to us. These days, you don't even talk about revolutionary principles."

Chen Ke did not agree with Qi Huishen’s view. "Ha, when I talked about revolutionary principles, you weren't revolutionary comrades yet. Now that we've even established a Party cell, I actually feel my revolutionary work is remarkably effective."

"Then what do you plan to do next, Wenqing?" Qi Huishen knew he couldn't out-debate Chen Ke, so he asked directly.

"The Party relies on Party members. To distinguish whether a person is a Party member, we don't look at what he says. Instead, we look at what he does. I said I am a revolutionary; why did you believe me? I presume it wasn't because I spoke endlessly to you about revolutionary principles. But because I led the comrades to do work earnestly together. And we were able to get things done. Why can the comrades get along well? Because everyone is working earnestly. Not just for themselves, but for our common cause."

Hearing this, Qi Huishen fell silent and nodded slightly. Chen Ke could dye cloth, make medicine. Now he could also get this approval document. If there were no special circumstances, Chen Ke should be able to do many things. Qi Huishen complained that Chen Ke wasn't revolting now only because he believed Chen Ke should also be able to get a revolution going. Just as Chen Ke said, through the experience of working together these past days, even though Qi Huishen had joined accidentally because of an accidental injury, he still liked these guys. He hoped to make revolution together with these guys. Rather than with those who were at a loss when facing hard work, or who simply ran away.

Seeing that Qi Huishen was persuaded, Chen Ke felt very gratified. And to be able to say such words to Qi Huishen today, Chen Ke felt very happy in his heart.

The success of the Communist Party, especially the myth-like success before 1949, had an important external manifestation: what the Communist Party told the people, she achieved. She even achieved far more than she said. Chen Ke didn't think that when the country was founded in 1949, the comrades in the Party really all understood the theory of communism. Chen Ke believed that it would be pretty good if no more than 4% of the Party members back then truly understood communist theory. As for the Chinese people of that time, those who understood communism were definitely less than 1%.

But why could this political party crush all reactionaries like dry weeds and rotten wood? Because this political party relied on "seeking truth from facts" to do practical things beneficial to the people. It was the result of millions of Party members implementing the Party's program and organizational discipline from top to bottom.

Chen Ke felt regretful that he couldn't mention these things to Qi Huishen. Even if he did, Qi Huishen wouldn't believe it. For Chen Ke, he could only lead by example, letting the comrades realize the power of the new political party through actual actions. This political concept and organizational model could liberate China, and even liberate the whole world.

Chen Ke strongly agreed with that widely circulated fable: in a country composed of madmen, the normal person is the madman.

If one cannot speak with facts, then everything is a lie that can never be clarified.

But a journey of ten thousand miles begins with a single step. Now that the initial outline was there, there were many things Chen Ke could do. "What does Huishen think of this bureaucratic system of the British?" Chen Ke asked.

"Too tedious. I really can't understand it. It's thanks to you, Wenqing, that you could figure out what they were doing."

"Then for the New China we want to build in the future—oh, let's not talk that far ahead. For the new school we are about to establish immediately, and the new factories and enterprises, how do you prepare to set up the management system, Huishen?"

Qi Huishen really hadn't thought about these things. Since he joined Chen Ke's team, he didn't need to consider these things; there was always endless work in front of him, and the team ran very well. Qi Huishen subconsciously thought that this was the best model.

"Huishen, I said before, our Party speaks of democracy. For the future organizational structure, decisions made after everyone meets and discusses must be obeyed unconditionally by all Party members. When we have meetings, you can't act like this with me. You must speak your own views."

When Chen Ke said this, Qi Huishen remembered that such a thing had indeed been said. Since Chen Ke said a Party meeting was needed to determine how future development would proceed, that meant revolutionary work would continue to be pushed forward. Thinking of this, Qi Huishen became happy again.

These past few days, Chen Ke and Qi Huishen ran errands for stamps during the day and treated patients at night. Seeing the sun already slanting west, it was almost time for treating patients. According to their usual schedule, they should rush back to the workshop now, change into white coats, carry their medical kits, and rush to the patients' homes. But holding that receipt in his hand, Chen Ke absolutely dared not let Qi Huishen take it to Old Master Qi Si'e. This wasn't because he didn't trust Qi Huishen, but if Chen Ke let Qi Huishen take the receipt back, a person like Qi Si'e would only think Chen Ke didn't know how to handle affairs. Facing this figure he absolutely could not afford to offend, Chen Ke couldn't make any mistakes.

Qi Si'e called Chen Ke and Qi Huishen into the living room. Chen Ke first handed the receipt to the old master. Qi Si'e looked at it and passed the receipt to the butler beside him.

"Wenqing, I've seen the receipt, no problem. This matter is done."

Chen Ke breathed a sigh of relief. "I can finally give you an account."

"Haha, Wenqing handles affairs very cautiously." The old master laughed, then he turned his head and immediately scolded Qi Huishen, "Do you know now that things are not easy to do?"

Although Qi Huishen was somewhat unconvinced, he didn't dare contradict his father. He responded obediently.

"This is because Wenqing is sensible that it could be done so quickly. If you went to do it, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to get this done in a month," Qi Si'e said.

"Uncle Qi, this relied on you having paved the road for us long ago. They didn't make things difficult for us at all. If we had to do it ourselves, it wouldn't be a matter of running errands, but that it simply couldn't be done," Chen Ke hurriedly said.

Seeing that Qi Huishen didn't talk back, and since the matter was accomplished anyway, Old Master Qi didn't want to say much more about his son. He looked at Chen Ke again. "Wenqing, I haven't run a school. Nor do I understand how to run a school. How do you plan to help me, Wenqing?"

"I really want to do this school project. But for this matter, I can only do the work; as for how to do it, Uncle Qi, you still have to make the decisions." As Chen Ke spoke, he took out a manuscript. "Uncle Qi, I studied abroad. I copied and guessed based on what schools look like abroad and wrote an outline. I'd like to ask Uncle Qi for your guidance."

This was the material for Cai Yuanpei; Chen Ke changed the name slightly and brought it over to use.

"Wenqing, regarding this matter, I originally thought that since the British asked me to do this, I would just treat it as spending five thousand dollars in vain. Spending money to avoid disaster. I didn't expect that you, Wenqing, could actually do this, and this son of mine rarely wants to do some proper business. I won't worry about the school matters. If you two feel that my five thousand dollars shouldn't be spent in vain, then run it for me. If you need me to do anything, say the word, and I'll handle it for you. If you can't run this school, I originally thought this money was thrown into the water anyway. It doesn't matter."

"Uncle Qi, I originally wanted to open a hospital. I didn't expect to encounter such an opportunity. This school is a medical school, and every medical school has its own affiliated hospital. It’s truly my luck that my hospital can lean on this big tree. Please rest assured, I will definitely assist Huishen in running this school well."

Qi Si'e nodded with satisfaction. "This school, although said to be established by the British, is paid for with my money. So I told the British that they can send people to be school directors, but the Chairman cannot be British. How about this: Huishen will be the Chairman. Wenqing, you be the Principal. You two run the school well for me."

"I will definitely assist Huishen with all my strength."

"By the way, Wenqing, are you a revolutionary?" Qi Si'e suddenly asked.

Hearing this, Chen Ke was startled. Seeing no malice in Qi Si'e’s words, although he was speaking to Chen Ke, his gaze fell on Qi Huishen.

Chen Ke said, "I used to clamor about revolution, but now I don't dare to talk nonsense like before."

Qi Si'e hummed. He said to his son, "Revolution, revolution. Apart from making trouble everywhere, what else can that bunch of revolutionaries do? Isn't it good to honestly do business and run a school? Isn't it better than wandering around outside all day?"

Chen Ke recalled Qi Huishen’s words: as long as he didn't go make revolution, his old man would support whatever he did. It seemed these words were no joke.

Although the times are different, the mood of parents loving their children has no distinction. Qi Si'e criticized and educated Qi Huishen for half an hour, until Qi Huishen, annoyed to no end, guaranteed that he would concentrate on the school in the future. Only then did the old master let his son off.

After the family education ended, Old Master Qi Si'e invited Chen Ke to have dinner together. Chen Ke was very relieved; if not for the grand reason of "treating patients," he really couldn't have refused.

After Chen Ke took his leave, Qi Si'e said, "Wenqing is busy today, so I won't delay his proper business. Regarding that medicine business Huishen said he's doing with Wenqing, we'll talk when we have time."