The crisis at the end of the Qing Dynasty greatly stimulated Chinese intellectuals, and they made many explorations on the road to saving the nation and ensuring survival. However, Chen Ke himself didn't feel much about the awakening of intellectuals in the late Qing Dynasty. From the perspective of historical materialism, the efforts of these people were indeed the foundation for the later emergence of the Party. However, the direction of their efforts was overwhelmingly wrong.

To save the country, one must know the strategy for saving the country. History has already proven one thing: to save China, industrialization must be realized in China. New China spent 61 years, and in 2010, the total output value of industry and agriculture historically surpassed that of the United States, completing what Chairman Mao said back then: "Catch up with Britain and surpass the United States." The total amount of steel reached more than 600 million tons, which was more than the total output of the second to tenth place countries in the world combined. From 1949 to 1978, New China basically completed the establishment of an industrial system, forcibly building China from an agricultural country into a preliminary industrial country. True, the level of industrialization in China in 1978 was still relatively low, but nothing can be accomplished in one move. China in 1978 was like holding a broadsword of poor quality to contend with an opponent holding sharp weapons. But at any rate, everyone had weapons; compared to the bare-handed state before 1949, it was a world of difference. Compared to building the country, whether it was the Manchu Qing, the Beiyang, or Chiang's regime, they could all go bang their heads on the ground in shame.

And the foundation for realizing industrialization is to build a new order that conforms to industrialization. No matter how those people clamored about how various movements "destroyed Chinese culture," in Chen Ke's view, by 1978, various movements had completely smashed the institutional and ideological obstacles hindering the development of industrialization. After that, the process of China's industrialization no longer had any substantial enemies and developed vigorously just like that.

Historically, Peking University produced many "public intellectuals" before the establishment of New China. In the history Chen Ke knew, this bunch of people didn't play any obvious role in promoting China's industrialization. On the contrary, people who hindered industrial development were everywhere among this bunch. Chen Ke still hoped to save these people as much as possible through lectures. In his vision, if he could live to personally build New China, he didn't have the slightest concept of leniency for liberal arts students. In the era when Chairman Mao fought the rightists, there was no Internet. If there had been an Internet back then, it's possible the people would have hung the rightists on lampposts. Leaving aside other things, the "guide-the-way party" (collaborators) of the 21st century would absolutely not be spared.

Since he held such thoughts, Chen Ke's class was even more straightforward. Facing the students of the Imperial University, Chen Ke talked about the development of productive forces, paying special attention to the development of industrialization. When talking about the organizational model of modern industry versus the current system of the Manchu Qing, and the conflict between the two, Chen Ke didn't shy away but spoke bluntly.

Listening to Chen Ke gushing about the modern industrial structure, the functions of various industrial departments, and how to build and develop these industrial departments, the Imperial University was first silent, then everyone began to whisper, and finally, some people completely stopped listening to the class and simply started arguing.

Chen Ke put down the chalk and looked at the students below without saying a word. The students whispering slowly quieted down, but the few who were arguing became more and more excited. When they realized there was no sound around them, everyone's eyes fell on them. After all, they were students of the Imperial University; they still had this style. Since they had already disturbed the class, they didn't feel embarrassed. One of them simply stood up and spoke, "Mr. Chen, listening to your wonderful narration, developing industry seems easy. Can you give a simple example?"

*Fortunately, they didn't entangle me with historical data.* Chen Ke felt a lot more relieved. *An example?* Chen Ke quickly thought of the honeycomb briquette project. He nodded and described this project to everyone.

The conditions for making honeycomb briquettes in Beijing were quite mature. Beijing had anthracite, there was no lack of a market for honeycomb briquettes, and mechanical equipment wasn't difficult either. And this new product could vigorously promote economic development and drive the development of many peripheral industries. It was a project with a hundred benefits and no harm.

After explaining this project, Chen Ke asked, "This student, what do you think of this project?"

The student who stood up to question Chen Ke was tongue-tied and couldn't speak. Chen Ke explained it very clearly, but after listening, he felt as if something key was missing. But he felt he couldn't grasp this pulse. He wanted to say something but couldn't say it. Plus, with the surrounding gazes falling on him at this time, he felt even more amiss. This brother looked almost thirty years old and wore a queue. Although it was autumn and the auditorium wasn't hot, his forehead became bright as if he was sweating. Chen Ke didn't want to make things difficult for him and waved his hand to let him sit down.

Chen Ke turned around, wrote the few elements he just mentioned on the blackboard, drew a few lines on these elements pointing to the blank space in the center of the elements, and Chen Ke heavily wrote two big characters in the blank space: **Government**.

"This project looks simple, but the departments that need to be contacted are actually not simple. Mines, transportation, steel—these basic industrial departments all need to be contacted. And it also involves municipal construction issues such as urban land use and factory site selection. If it were a mature industrialized government, these would all be simple. If it is the current government, there is the problem of incomplete functions."

Chen Ke scanned the students below again. Compared with the students of Fudan Public School in his memory, everyone's expression was not very friendly. Chen Ke laughed, "I know. Those who can come to study at the Imperial University are all outstanding talents of the time. If everyone finds this project interesting, I welcome people with lofty ideals to cooperate with me to do this project."

The students' reaction wasn't very enthusiastic. Just as he was about to let everyone take a break, the young man who asked questions yesterday stood up. "Mr. Chen, your learning is quite amazing, and I admire it very much. But why do I feel that you are always unwilling to say some things clearly? I wonder what Mr. Chen's view on the government actually is." After speaking, the student stared at Chen Ke with burning eyes, as if he wanted to see the answer on Chen Ke's face.

Hearing these blunt words, Chen Ke smiled. "I actually don't know what you all are thinking. If I have time these days, I will ask everyone for advice. But in my opinion, the purpose of the government should be to develop productive forces. In the process of developing productive forces, we allow everyone to get rich. But, whether it is the Chinese government or foreign governments, the current purpose is to get rich. In order to get rich, they have to develop productive forces. In my opinion, this is putting the cart before the horse. If China wants to surpass Europe and America, it must establish a government with the development of productive forces as the core, a government that enriches the common people rather than enriching officials and the gentry. That's what it's about."

Hearing Chen Ke's words, a buzz of commotion erupted among the students. Chen Ke didn't care about that much. "Now rest for fifteen minutes. Then we will continue the lecture."

"Enrich the common people, not the officials and gentry. Is this possible?" someone said in a mocking tone.

"The principle is not wrong." This voice contained uncertainty.

"Isn't this rebelling?"

"The common people are the foundation of the world. What kind of rebellion is this?" Someone immediately retorted.

"It is ruling the world with the scholar-officials, not ruling the world with the common people."

"One person rules the world; the world does not serve one person."

The students discussed spiritedly. Chen Ke didn't care about that much and walked straight out of the auditorium. The sky was very blue, and the sun felt warm on his face, but the temperature had really dropped a lot. When the wind blew, it was still chilly. *God knows what path these students will choose in the end.* Chen Ke hadn't made a comparison before between the Confucian idea of Great Unity and Marxist Communism. Or rather, where the difference between Socialism and the World of Great Unity lay. This might be a good topic. While he was letting his imagination run wild, the young student who asked the question just now leaned over. "Mr. Chen. You said just now that you want to make that honeycomb briquette. Is it true?"

"Yes. It's true." After speaking, Chen Ke sized up this young man. "May I ask your surname, brother? My surname is Su, Su Wuming."

*Wuming (Comprehending Brightness)? Why not Wukong (Comprehending Emptiness)?*

Seeing Chen Ke's expression, Su Wuming smiled. "My father believes in Buddhism, so he gave me such a name."

"Listening to your accent, Brother Su is from Shaanxi, right?"

"From Xi'an. And Brother Chen?"

"From Zhengzhou, Henan."

"Brother Chen's statement about honeycomb briquettes is quite interesting. I have a few friends. If Mr. Chen is really interested, I can help Mr. Chen contact them."

"That would be best."

"Mr. Chen, listening to the government you described, it seems to have extremely great authority. I wonder what this government should actually look like."

"The government I hope for. The Manchu Qing can't compare. First, there will be no private land under heaven; land will belong to the state. The industrial system will also be under government control, and countless large factories will be state-owned. The examination system will be at least a million times larger than the current imperial examination. All common people, whether willing or not, must go to school and learn knowledge. It will all be included in the imperial examination. Generally speaking, 'Imperial power stops at the county level'—this practice will not exist in the new government. The government can directly manage anyone in the village."

Listening to Chen Ke talking with fervor and assurance, Su Wuming's eyes widened. "This... you're not joking, are you?"

"It can be done, believe me," Chen Ke said. When Chairman Mao was alive, the Party established an unprecedentedly powerful social management system. What Chen Ke mentioned were all realities that had been realized.

"Then this world won't be named Aisin Gioro anymore, right?" Su Wuming asked in a low voice.

Chen Ke looked at Su Wuming and saw no malice, but rather a somewhat excited look. The Imperial University was equivalent to the Imperial College (Guozijian). Students of the Imperial College all had such problems. This fate of the Manchu Qing...

But Chen Ke couldn't express his stance publicly. He asked back, "What do you think?"

Su Wuming just gave a dry laugh but didn't say anything more.

The lecture that followed went both smoothly and not smoothly. The students had extremely many questions. Everyone was very interested in the new government Chen Ke proposed. The students of the Imperial University were not easy to deal with, and their questions were quite tricky. The departmental settings of the new government, function design, and what relationship these designs had with productive forces. Everyone's train of thought was quite clear. It seemed they had done some research on the New Policies.

Chen Ke wasn't afraid of questions; he also knew these questions wouldn't make him lose face. At any rate, he was a transmigrator and was clear about the organization of the new state apparatus. But if he really explained these clearly, everyone would probably know Chen Ke was a revolutionary. Having finally finished the class, Chen Ke hurriedly left the school, this place of trouble. He finally got in the door before dark.

The originally empty courtyard was now piled with a lot of things. When Chen Ke left at noon, he left a list of items that needed to be purchased. Now, big vats, wood blocks, coal lumps, red clay, and tools like ropes were piled up like a small mountain.

Seeing Chen Ke return, Chen Tianhua said, "Wenqing is back. Except for that iron thing you mentioned, everything else has been bought. The blacksmith said the thing you want can only be brought out tomorrow."

"Then let's get to work." Chen Ke changed into coarse cloth clothes, called Wu Xingchen, Pang Zi, and a few other friends, and got busy.

A hole had already been made at the draft door position under the big vat. Chen Tianhua and the others had already asked the carpenter to split a wooden stake into eight petals according to the drawing Chen Ke drew. The appearance was not an ordinary equal division, but four pieces were large outside and small inside, and four pieces were small outside and large inside. After cutting out the core in the middle of the eight wood blocks, they were reassembled into a circle, a simple thick wooden stick was inserted in the middle, and the outside of the wooden stake was tied with rope.

In the afternoon, Pang Zi was quite puzzled seeing that a piece of wood had to be sawed open with such great trouble. Chen Ke didn't explain either. He first filled the big vat with earth. After filling a layer of earth, he used a wooden mallet to tamp the red clay solid. Everyone was young, and they really worked with the vigor of dragons and tigers. After the soil level was higher than the position of the air vent on the side of the vat, Chen Ke put a few bought iron rods into the vat, adjusted them to a ninety-degree position with the draft door, and then stood that strange wooden stake in the vat, continuing to fill and tamp the earth. After tamping the red clay solid, Chen Ke stood on the earth inside the big vat and struggled to pull out the thick wooden stick in the middle of that pile of strange things tied together. Next, because the eight pieces of wood on the outside were in a geometric shape of small outside and large inside, they could be pulled down easily. After dismantling the wood, the rope on the outside could be easily removed. In the middle of the red clay, an irregular hollow was created.

Then Chen Ke and Chen Tianhua used a wooden strip to grind the hollow round, and used an iron rod to dig in from the hole at the draft door position. By the time the lamps were lit, a rough, simple honeycomb briquette stove was made.

Firewood was burning in the furnace; this was to dry it. Wait until the honeycomb briquettes were made tomorrow, and it could be used.

The crowd filled a newly bought kettle with water and put it on the stove to boil. Standing by the fire, the warm feeling was really nice. At this moment, they heard someone knocking on the door. It was Chen Tianhua who went to open the door. Chen Tianhua had learned Pinyin quite well these days. Only heard him ask in a mouthful of Hunan Mandarin, "Excuse me..." and then there was no sound. Chen Ke felt strange. Just as he turned his head, he heard someone outside ask, "Is Mr. Wenqing in?" It was Steward He's voice.

"I am here," Chen Ke responded.

"Mr. Wenqing, my master invites you over." Steward He's voice was very respectful, quite unusual.

"I'll go right now."

A carriage was parked at the gate of He Ruming's house. Chen Ke didn't see it when he came back just now; it should have just arrived. Following the steward into the living room of the He residence, He Ruming was standing in the living room with his hands behind his back. Seeing Chen Ke, he immediately went up to meet him. "Wenqing is here," He Ruming said with a strange expression.

After Chen Ke greeted He Ruming, his gaze fell on another person in the living room. That was a soldier, long face, wearing a queue, with a faint scar on his left cheekbone, relatively eye-catching. What was even more eye-catching was the blue military uniform this person was wearing, a jacket with four pockets, riding breeches, and a military belt. Except for a bead on the hat like a rank knob that was neither fish nor fowl, it was basically no different from modern military uniforms.

*Could it be that my class this afternoon caused some problems?* This was Chen Ke's first thought. On second thought, the students in the school shouldn't be so bored as to inform on him. *Then what is He Ruming doing finding a military officer to see me?* Turning back to look at He Ruming, he saw a mixture of anger, helplessness, and some anxiety in his expression. Before Chen Ke could ask, He Ruming said, "Wenqing, do you have some of that new medicine with you?"

"A little bit." Chen Ke brought enough medicine for a hundred people, but he dared not say it too fully.

"How many people can it cure?"

"I wonder how many people Lord He wants to treat?"

"Medicine to cure ten people first, do you have it?"

"Yes."

"That's great." He Ruming obviously breathed a sigh of relief. "I want to ask Wenqing to treat a few people."

"Lord He, my medicine is very toxic. When I was in Shanghai, treating people required signing a written pledge first. If a life is lost, I cannot be responsible."

"I have read the newspaper about this and know a little. Wenqing, rest assured, a written pledge will also be signed here. But treating the illness is important. I still hope Wenqing will take action."

Chen Ke glanced at He Ruming. It shouldn't be this old handsome man who caught the disease. If someone in his family caught the disease, why would there be a military officer in the living room?

"I wonder where we are going to see the patients?"

"Let me introduce you. This is the New Army Military Assistant Second Class, Commander Pu."

The official system names of the Beiyang were quite long, and Chen Ke didn't understand them. But that soldier, hearing He Ruming's introduction, stood at attention with neat military bearing, clicked the heels of his leather shoes, and saluted Chen Ke. "I am Pu Guanshui."

Chen Ke hurriedly went up to shake hands with Officer Pu. "I am Chen Ke."

"Mr. Chen, I have a few patients here. I would like to ask Mr. Chen to take a look." Pu Guanshui spoke very politely. He probably knew what disease it was, so there was quite a bit of shame in his expression.

"No problem, no problem. I'll go get the medicine now."

Going back to get the medicine, Chen Ke told everyone that he was going out. He estimated he would come back very late, or simply not come back. He asked everyone to rest as early as possible. However, Chen Ke didn't dare let everyone see him off. Listening to the history Wu Xingchen and Pang Zi recounted yesterday, this room full of people and the Beiyang Army were mortal enemies. If they saw Chen Ke mixing with a Beiyang officer, heaven knows what would happen.

Taking the medicine back to the He residence, He Ruming and Pu Guanshui were already waiting in the courtyard. Led by Pu Guanshui, Chen Ke got into the carriage. The coachman urged the horses, and amidst the rumbling sound of wheels, the carriage disappeared into the dark night in He Ruming's line of sight.