The success of the People's Party's rescue operation had a very good influence within the Party, including within the Whampoa Book Club. Learning that the comrades were successfully rescued from prison, the depressed atmosphere of more than twenty days was swept away. For comrades rescued who had families in Shanghai, the party organization also arranged meetings with their families.

The advance team led by Hua Xiongmao had arrived in Anhui and started preliminary investigation work. Wu Xingchen also set off to return to Hebei. The party organization entrusted Wu Xingchen with a formal letter to notify Chen Tianhua to rush back to Shanghai to assist in the work of moving the party organization to Anhui.

Besides these field works, the People's Party and the Whampoa Book Club held general meetings successively. At the meeting, after not-so-intense discussions, the comrades agreed with the fact that the disparity in strength between the enemy and us in Shanghai was too great. Chen Ke's request to go to Anhui for work was approved. Then Chen Ke personally presided over the establishment of the Anhui Work Committee. The committee talked to people one by one, agitating them. Contrary to Chen Ke's expectations, the number of People's Party members willing to go to Anhui exceeded 70%, and the members of the Whampoa Book Club were even higher, exceeding 80%.

January 24, 1906, was New Year's Eve (*Chuxi*). The People's Party took a long holiday. Chen Ke didn't know when the comrades entering Anhui for work would be able to spend the Spring Festival with their families in a peaceful environment next time. That's why he mentioned this suggestion, and it received the unanimous consent of the Party members.

In the plan, after the Lantern Festival (15th of the first lunar month), the work of entering Anhui would officially begin. Several non-medical disciplines relying on Shanghai Renxin Medical College had already started recruiting students. The medical major of the school and affiliated schools would officially start classes after the beginning of spring. On New Year's Eve, the dormitory building of the school was really lively.

In November 1905, the Japanese government issued many decrees restricting Chinese students studying in Japan. The result was that many students studying in Japan returned to China. This group of people originally hoped to get a diploma and then return to China to "display their grand plans." Now forced to return, it aroused their "ambition" even more. For these people, the most effective way to achieve their goal was to "run a school." The problem was that running a school cost money in these times. Although these students had acceptable family backgrounds, their families' financial resources were insufficient to support running a school. Secondly, their families sent them to study abroad to "glorify the ancestors" and "get promoted and get rich" after success. Now, before earning money, they wanted their families to invest money in running schools; this group of people also knew it was unrealistic.

So they began to lobby investors everywhere. The Whampoa Book Club became a well-known gathering place in Shanghai. Before this Shanghai riot occurred, Qi Huishen had already been annoyed by this group of people. However, as the saying goes, "Misfortune leans on fortune"; when the police arrested Qi Huishen, he was facing the daily routine visit of these students. The group of people who came to visit were also taken away. This proved instead that Qi Huishen had no time to participate in this movement at all. Plus the British were not too willing to offend these Chinese students too ruthlessly, so they released them all. Now that Chen Ke returned to preside over the work, this group of people saw the limelight passed and gathered at the school again. Chen Ke had to be generous at any rate, so he simply let this group of people live temporarily in the school dormitory.

Chen Ke had heard of and occasionally seen women "cry, scream, and threaten suicide." But he had never seen men do this in real life. After a few of this group of returned students from Japan performed such a scene for Chen Ke, he began to regret the move of agreeing to let these people live in the dormitory.

On New Year's Eve, Chen Ke stayed up for the New Year with these students. There were still a few women among the students. The very few women sat at one table, and the boys occupied other tables in the cafeteria. Among this group of people, what Chen Ke cared about were the dozen or so students engaged in prospecting. After the People's Party entered Anhui, they would definitely face blockades in the future. Self-reliance, ample food and clothing. This was easy to say, but in actual economic operations, basic industries like prospecting, agriculture, and chemical industry were the top priorities. Even for these mining personnel whose true level was unknown, they were talents Chen Ke must get his hands on. Among these people, Yao Hongye was the one Chen Ke valued most.

Chen Ke didn't know Yao Hongye's history. This brother was born in 1881. According to the identity Chen Ke fabricated, he was one year younger than Chen Ke. From Xiumeitang, Yiyang, Hunan. Went to Japan to study in 1904, set up a road and mine school, and was the first to advocate protecting road and mine sovereignty. Joined the Tongmenghui in 1905. Returned to China in 1906 to protest the "Regulations on Retaining Qing Students" promulgated by the Japanese Ministry of Education aimed at prohibiting Chinese students' activities. In Shanghai, together with Qiu Jin and Yu Youren, rented a house to start a school, founded the China Public Institute (*Zhongguo Gongxue*), pioneering private new learning. Later, due to difficulties in funding and school buildings, plus slander and rumors, he threw himself into the Huangpu River and died on Qingming Festival (March 7) after Chen Tianhua's coffin arrived in Shanghai.

Since Chen Tianhua joined the People's Party, naturally there would be no more suicide problems. And this classmate Yao Hongye didn't follow the old path of history either; he returned to Shanghai in December 1905. At this time, both Chen Ke and Chen Tianhua were active in Beijing. Yao Hongye first participated in the social investigation activities launched by the People's Party with Qiu Jin. During the social investigation activities, he strongly lobbied Qi Huishen to invest in a mining university. Qi Huishen was very interested in his plan, but naturally, it was inconvenient for Qi Huishen to decide on such a major event. After Chen Ke returned to Shanghai, classmate Yao Hongye personally met Chen Ke and continued to lobby Chen Ke to open this school. Chen Ke's reply was simple: opening a school was naturally possible, but the main campus of this school must be set up in Anhui. Shanghai could only open a branch campus.

Yao Hongye's full enthusiasm was doused by a basin of cold water. He originally wanted to open a school in this place, Shanghai. Chen Ke wanted to take them to that remote hinterland of Anhui; this was psychologically unacceptable for sure. Chen Ke wasn't afraid that Yao Hongye would disagree in the end. Anyway, without others' investment, this mining school still on paper would either be aborted or obediently obey Chen Ke's plan. If Chen Ke knew that Yao Hongye historically committed suicide by throwing himself into the river due to lack of funds, he would have been more confident.

In fact, not only Yao Hongye, but most of the students staying here had signed long or short work contracts with Renxin College. One fresh trick eats all over the sky (a single skill ensures a living). In the two months Chen Ke left Shanghai, the production of special medicine earned huge profits. It could be said thanks to Wang Qinian, the sales of special medicine in Southeast Asia expanded again and again, reaching a record of 3,000 person-doses in January, earning one hundred thousand taels of silver. By January 1906, the People's Party's existing funds exceeded two hundred thousand taels. With money in hand, there is no panic in the heart. If just engaging in a few new majors, the wages of a hundred or so people really didn't matter.

Moreover, the People's Party had a plan for whom to recruit; liberal arts students were basically not wanted. This bunch of people weren't figures like Lu Xun; wanting liberal arts students was useless. Those who cried, screamed, and threatened suicide in front of Chen Ke were liberal arts students. Among liberal arts students, except for those studying law, Chen Ke didn't recruit a single one.

Staying up for the New Year generally started with eating and drinking. But for several hours, you couldn't just eat and drink continuously. Qiu Jin didn't go home for the New Year this time. Celebrating the New Year with everyone at this time, as a revolutionary propagandist, Qiu Jin's interest came after a few cups of wine, and she began to explain revolutionary principles in public. Chen Ke didn't care too much either. Anyway, the propaganda of this era was stuff heard many times. Plus they were going to Anhui soon. Facing hard grassroots work, you blew it up so big first, stirring up everyone's emotions; when seeing the remote hinterland, this gap blow would be too big.

The students naturally loved this. For these students who temporarily had no power or influence, at least the revolution painted a beautiful big cake. Whether they could eat it or not, feast their eyes first. The audience's emotions were getting higher and higher. When Chen Ke talked with those key selection targets, he had already explained the hardships of working in Anhui, and at this time, he didn't want to pour cold water anymore. Seeing his wife He Ying had no interest in Qiu Jin's speech, he secretly winked at He Ying and then slipped out. Not long after, He Ying also slipped out. The couple walked hand in hand in the school.

Chen Ke and his wife weren't the only ones outside. Many students set off firecrackers and fireworks on the campus. The crackling sound of firecrackers was also very lively.

"Homesick?" Chen Ke asked.

"En," He Ying answered honestly.

Chen Ke wanted to apologize but felt there was really nothing to apologize for. Since they were married, live a good life together. "I'll play the piano for you," Chen Ke said.

"Okay," He Ying still answered honestly.

The couple slipped into the school's music room. Chen Ke had been here a few times these days. After arriving in Anhui, where would there be time to play this petty bourgeois stuff? Chen Ke, as a leader, playing the piano for his wife; if this was imitated by subordinates, it would be terrible. So Chen Ke felt it necessary to play for his wife a few more times now.

The piano sound was melodious; it was "You Are There Along the Way" (*Yi Lu Shang You Ni*). "Do you know, loving you is not easy, it also needs a lot of courage..." Chen Ke sang. He Ying's face changed a bit as she listened. Chen Ke concentrated on playing and singing, not noticing his wife's expression at all. After finishing a song, Chen Ke felt it was quite good. But he saw He Ying lower her head and suddenly ask, "I miss my aunt."

"We'll go see her in a few years," Chen Ke answered heartlessly. After saying this good sentence, he saw He Ying's face change, becoming even more unhappy. Chen Ke's brain turned before understanding, and he quickly explained, "This tune and lyrics were not written by me at all; I just think it sounds good, absolutely no other meaning."

He Ying seemed dissatisfied with this answer. Chen Ke felt a bit wronged now and explained again, but the more he explained, the darker it seemed to get. He simply switched to "My Motherland" (*Wo De Zuguo*) and sang. This song was very pleasant to hear. He Ying actually didn't really care that much originally. It was just a girl's inexplicable emotion. Seeing Chen Ke stopped explaining, she didn't pursue it. After playing and singing several songs in a row, footsteps suddenly sounded in the corridor; it was the sound of a group of people coming up. Then came Qiu Jin's slightly drunk voice, "Wenqing hiding here being lovey-dovey really makes us envious." As soon as the voice fell, a group of people poured in. The leader was Qiu Jin, and surprisingly, Chen Tianhua was following closely behind her.

As soon as Chen Tianhua returned, the students seemed to have a backbone. This was also the effect Chen Ke pursued. Sure enough, some students who were originally not too enthusiastic about going to Anhui finally expressed their willingness to work in Anhui. Especially under Chen Tianhua's persuasion, Yao Hongye finally expressed willingness to join the school with those classmates studying mining. However, Yao Hongye stated that the main campus must be set up in Shanghai, but he personally guaranteed to send a batch of students to Anhui to work in a year. Plus Chen Tianhua's mediation, although Chen Ke didn't trust their enthusiasm and guarantee too much, he couldn't be too picky.

After the Lantern Festival, comrades returned to work one after another. By February 10, comrades from the Beijing Party Group also hurried back. The number of people coming this time was far more than imagined. Mao Yibo, Xu Dian, Su Wuming, and others brought a dozen comrades to Shanghai. Qin Tongren didn't come with the team because there were still many things in Beijing that needed him to wrap up, and Qin Tongren was also working hard to recruit more people. As long as there was a clue in Anhui, he would lead the "large troop" to come and meet the comrades.

By February 18, Shang Yuan also hurried to Shanghai. On February 19, the **First National Preparatory Meeting of the People's Party** was officially held in Shanghai.

Many years later, regarding what level of meeting the First National Preparatory Meeting of the People's Party counted as, many comrades in the Party discussed it spiritedly. What exactly was the difference between the status of the First National Preparatory Meeting and the First National Congress? This was not a small issue. It determined the order of seniority within the Party. In this preparatory meeting, there were fifty-three formal Party members and probationary Party members. Those from north of the Huai River occupied 23 seats, and those from south of the Huai River occupied 23 seats. It actually presented a wonderful balance of power. Formal Party members and probationary Party members came from eleven provinces across the country, including Taiwan, and even included seven Japanese comrades.

There are not many memoirs about this preparatory meeting. The vast majority of participants didn't live to the age where they had leisure to write memoirs. Apart from the formal secretarial records of the meeting, the most important status was occupied by Wang Qinian's diary. At that time, Wang Qinian had already passed away. Records from France proved that Wang Qinian had received a "baptism" ceremony in a Protestant church in France in 1900 and became a Protestant believer. Under the background of the Republic eradicating the three major Christian denominations, Wang Qinian's manuscripts after death were comprehensively inspected, thus discovering those dozens of diaries.

Of course, after research by staff, how much difference there was between Wang Qinian's belief in "Christ" and belief in "Guanyin Bodhisattva" was really unknown. When "summoned by the Lord," Wang Qinian himself didn't show any intention of asking religious figures for "final comfort." Plus, after joining the Party, Wang Qinian never had any words or deeds that could prove he had any resistance or confusion about materialistic atheism. So the search work ended with "Wang Qinian, in his youth to early adulthood, before contacting materialist theory, accidentally participated in a certain Protestant religious activity due to spiritual depression." It still concluded Wang Qinian's identity as a materialist.

And the record of the First National Preparatory Meeting of the People's Party in the diary is like this:

"On the first day of the meeting, there were people from all over. Many people spoke basically unintelligibly; especially the northern comrades couldn't understand the accents of the southern comrades. Everyone's speech had to be translated; the venue was noisy."

"When Wenqing explained entering Anhui for work to the comrades, he didn't say any encouraging words at all. Not only that, he repeatedly emphasized the hardship of rural work like a Puritan. He asked everyone to abandon all high-and-mighty mentalities, sink down, sink among the people to do the most practical work."

"I have lived in the countryside and know the hardship of farmers. I think Wenqing's attitude is very strange; his description seems like cheering himself up. Everyone knows Wenqing returned from overseas and has never been to the countryside. But next, aiming at improving the development of rural productive forces, Wenqing proposed his targeted solutions one by one. Moreover, Wenqing stated bluntly that the work of going to the countryside this time is to completely seize all administrative power in the locality. All power must belong to the People's Congress led by the People's Party. These terms are very fresh; this is the first time I heard them."

...

"At the meeting on the second day, Wenqing's speech required everyone to implement the Party's organizational program, obey commands in all actions, and have only one work goal: to overcome all difficulties to complete the tasks assigned by the organization. Many comrades saw Wenqing adopt such a tough attitude for the first time. It seemed many comrades were somewhat dissatisfied. If Wenqing weren't the initiator of the People's Party, plus the old Party members were all convinced by him, with such impolite wording, someone would definitely have made a big scene in public. Even so, many people privately felt Wenqing's attitude was too domineering."

...

"The meeting on the third day was to assign tasks. Anyway, I treat illnesses wherever I am, and I won't go to Anhui to work until June. In the first semester of the medical major, my task is to find students willing to work in Anhui. Of course, many students in the school signed apprentice contracts with the school. They must unconditionally obey the school's arrangements within seven years. Xu Dian from the north seems to study law; he had some objections to this issue. Wenqing told everyone that after these students arrive in Anhui to work, their contracts will automatically be voided. If voided now, those people definitely won't follow. In these times, whatever is scooped into the basket is a vegetable (take what you can get); can't care about so many means. I think what Wenqing said makes sense. Understand a bit of medical skills, especially those who understand Western medicine; who is willing to follow you to the countryside in these times? If Wenqing hadn't expressed that he would lead the team to the Anhui countryside personally, I wouldn't go to the countryside either."

The meeting was held for three days and basically determined the Party's development program and goals in the base area. This was the main point of discussion on seniority between the representatives of the First National Preparatory Meeting and the representatives of the First National Congress. As everyone knows, the formal determination of Chen Ke's status in the Party, as well as the complete revolutionary program and revolutionary direction determination, were all fully completed at the First National Congress. While in the First National Preparatory Meeting, the revolutionary direction had already been mentioned, but Chen Ke's status was not discussed at all.

On February 24, 1906, the third day after the end of the First National Preparatory Meeting of the People's Party, the People's Party began to dispatch the first formal Anhui Dispatch Delegation. Party members led by Chen Ke and other comrades officially embarked on the journey to Anhui.