You Gou and Qin Tongren sat face to face on both sides of the table. Several sheets of paper with data lists were scattered on the table. "Comrade You Gou, is this your final view?" Qin Tongren asked. Although he used the standard term "Comrade," there was no "comradely warmth" in Qin Tongren's voice and expression; his tit-for-tat emotion with You Gou was very obvious.

Since the always calm Qin Tongren behaved like this, the passionate You Gou was even less likely to be cooperative. She pressed her hands on the table and stared closely into Qin Tongren's eyes. "Comrade Qin Tongren, I think this allocation is very reasonable. Each period should have different focuses."

Before the argument could continue, Chen Ke had already strode in from outside. "Comrades, good news!" Chen Ke's cheerful voice rang in the room.

Seeing Chen Ke carrying a bulging satchel diagonally, Qin Tongren and You Gou knew Chen Ke was here to assign tasks again. You Gou was not at all encouraged by the "good news" mentioned by Chen Ke. She stood up abruptly. "Chairman Chen, you can make the final decision; you come and make a judgment."

"What's wrong again?" Chen Ke was not surprised at all by You Gou's emotions. These days, You Gou and Qin Tongren had argued quite a few times, and Chen Ke was long used to it.

You Gou spoke before Qin Tongren. "I think we shouldn't use steel for steam engines in the near future, or even start large-scale steelmaking. It's better to produce more farm tools that women can use."

"And Comrade Qin Tongren?" Chen Ke looked at Qin Tongren with a smile.

Qin Tongren glanced at You Gou, then turned his head and said, "Chairman Chen, if we don't develop steam engines, what about power? We must have some long-term plans."

These two were responsible for the industrial development of the base area, and arguments had to happen every now and then. You Gou tended towards plans with short time and quick results, while Qin Tongren constantly thought about developing heavy industry. Chen Ke actually supported Qin Tongren very much from the bottom of his heart. The problem was that the various foundations of the base area were so weak that developing heavy industry was too difficult. So every judgment racked his brains. But today Chen Ke showed none of the previous embarrassment. He laughed, "This question is very well asked. If not for the good news brought this time, I really couldn't make a decision."

"What exactly is the good news?" You Gou was a young woman after all, easily moved by fresh things.

Chen Ke put the satchel on the table and said excitedly, "The coal gas internal combustion engines I mentioned last time are finally going to be shipped here. Our base area shouldn't stay in the steam age for too long. Everyone grit your teeth and head straight for the electrical age."

"Coal gas internal combustion engines." Qin Tongren felt very speechless. Since coal gas internal combustion engines appeared in the 1880s, they had never been the mainstream power source. Qin Tongren only knew about them but didn't research them much.

"It's the coal gas engine Wang Bin got, right?" You Gou asked excitedly.

"I still feel steam engines are more reliable." Qin Tongren was not too happy.

"Besides knowing 'Multi-rivet Steam Steel' (*Duo Mao Zheng Gang*), what else do you know?" You Gou immediately retorted. When Chen Ke chatted with everyone about industrial development before, he had talked about weapon development. When joking, he occasionally mentioned the "Multi-rivet Steam Steel Cult." You Gou remembered this clearly. Hearing a complaint from the 21st century suddenly, Chen Ke couldn't help laughing out loud.

You Gou didn't care about Chen Ke's loss of composure. She said with high spirits, "Senior Brother Qin, electricity will be the mainstream in the future. When I was in Germany, the Germans put a lot of effort into this."

Qin Tongren's sense of humor was not as rich as Chen Ke's. He also ignored Chen Ke and said seriously, "I also stayed in Germany and know very well about Germany's development of electricity. The problem is, have you seen a coal gas internal combustion engine? The size and weight of that thing are not much different from a steam engine. And it's much more complicated than a steam engine."

You Gou was not persuaded by Qin Tongren at all. She immediately retorted, "How complicated can it be? If you say the coal gas internal combustion engine is more complicated than a boiler, I believe it. If you say it's more complicated than a steam engine, I really don't believe it."

The dispute in the industrial department entered a common situation again, and Chen Ke was unwilling to mediate anymore. He interrupted You Gou's words. "Comrades, we only have tens of thousands of tons of iron now. No matter how you toss about, it's just 'doing a dojang in a snail shell' (making do in a small space). Without our own steel plant, everything is useless. It is serious business for us to catch up with the electrical age quickly."

Qin Tongren felt Chen Ke's words were a bit biased. He replied without enthusiasm, "Chairman Chen, it's not like we can catch up just because you say so. Chinese industry is so far behind Germany. Our base area is not an advanced area in China either."

Chen Ke was too lazy to educate Qin Tongren anymore. He made the final decision decisively. "It is precisely because we are backward that we must catch up in thinking first. Don't just think of steam power, steam power when considering mechanical power sources. Turn this idea around for me first; consider power from electricity first. Steelmaking should continue, but this steel is mainly used as parts for repairing firearms. We got a lot of copper back this time. Everyone start researching copper wire processing and prepare to make electric motors."

After speaking, Chen Ke opened the satchel. Inside were part of the technical core outline of the electrical age written by Chen Ke, and various motor knowledge Chen Ke could recall.

You Gou sat back in her seat with a triumphant smile. Seeing that Chen Ke had made up his mind, Qin Tongren picked up a pamphlet and prepared to look through it.

Before this discussion meeting started, Chen Ke said with a serious expression, "One more thing. I entrusted someone to buy a lot of technical books and materials from Europe. Translation work needs to be done by everyone. I can't participate in the preliminary translation myself; you have to cultivate manpower yourselves. I plan to establish the Ministry of Industry. One of the jobs of the Ministry of Industry, besides engaging in industry, is to establish its own school system."

Qin Tongren was somewhat strange. "Isn't there a Ministry of Education for education?"

"The Ministry of Education now manages basic education. Even if people are educated, can your industrial department use them immediately? So, on one hand, you recruit professional workers for me, that is, workers who no longer farm and specialize in industrial production. In addition, you have to provide vocational education for them. Eliminating illiteracy can rely on the Ministry of Education, but the Ministry of Education doesn't know what kind of workers the Ministry of Industry needs. This can only rely on yourselves."

Hearing this, Qin Tongren and You Gou couldn't help looking at each other. This time, neither saw any hostility in the other's eyes; they saw the same heaviness.

Qin Tongren said, "Chairman Chen, then you have to send us people. If you want immediate results, you have to send us people from the army. The Engineer Battalion is best."

As soon as Qin Tongren finished speaking, You Gou added, "Also need to send cadres, cadres from the army. I want political commissars."

"Political commissars again, and Engineer Battalion. You think beautifully!" Chen Ke laughed. "I don't have a single person here. You don't look; I am still singing the 'Empty City Stratagem' in Fengtai County myself. Compiling courses, setting systems, I might be able to help. You want people? Wait until the year after next."

Qin Tongren said seriously, "If we want to catch up with European standards as soon as possible, it won't work without suitable people."

"Everyone is very confident. Asking me for some backbones will catch up with Europe as soon as possible. Europe has been engaged in industry for more than a hundred years. It is unrealistic for you to want to catch up in a few years. Use whatever we have in our hands. And don't retake the old road of the European steam age. Europe's electrical age has also just begun not long ago; let's start from the electrical age."

After Chen Ke finished speaking, he didn't entangle with the two from the industrial department anymore. He began to talk about the basic characteristics and organizational model of the electrical age.

When Chen Ke left exhausted, You Gou was so tired that her eyes were dim. Because of excessive mental consumption, she lay on the table drowsily. Qin Tongren pressed his temples with his fingers, which was his usual way of recovering his spirit. After rubbing for a long time, Qin Tongren spoke, "You Gou, Chairman Chen studied industry before, right?"

Hearing this question, You Gou propped up her upper body. "I actually think Chairman Chen went to a military academy."

"Why do you say that?" Qin Tongren was very surprised.

You Gou's voice was ethereal, like sleep-talking. "I see him doing everything like commanding a battle. First formulate a plan and deploy troops, then rush forward with a single order." After speaking, You Gou lay back on the table. "I'm sleepy. I want to sleep here for a while."

"Why not go back to the dormitory to sleep?"

"Used to it. It was like this when I followed Wenqing in Shanghai. We made medicine together. If he was sleepy, he slept on the table, and I continued working. If I was sleepy, I also slept on the table, and he continued working. We worked desperately like that back then, making medicine to earn money. Otherwise, where would there be money for revolution?"

Qin Tongren had heard that You Gou and Chen Ke made medicine together before, but it was the first time You Gou mentioned things from that time herself. Hearing You Gou speak of the hardships of the past in a nostalgic tone while half-asleep, Qin Tongren suddenly felt a little envious.

You Gou continued to say what she wanted to say as if in a delirium. "At that time, everyone dared to do anything. Knowing the molecular formula and equation, we bought chemicals and started making them. We never thought that if we failed, we would lose everything. Not like now, clearly having things in hand, but daring not do anything easily. Before working, start arguing first."

Hearing this, Qin Tongren was unhappy. "Wait, Comrade You Gou, what do you mean by this?"

"I am saying you don't cooperate at all. When we had no money back then, we didn't think about any ambitious goals. We just picked projects that could make money immediately and started working. Finish what can be done first. So the goal was clear, and the effect was significant. You shout about steam engines and big industry all day long. Use this energy to fire glass and porcelain properly. Iron farm tools haven't even been popularized in the base area. In many newly opened base areas, three or four people share one hoe. You still insist on using steel to build steam engines. I think this is wrong."

Although You Gou was tired, she didn't let go of the dispute with Qin Tongren not long ago. This persistence peculiar to women made Qin Tongren feel sincere admiration.

"To develop industry, what to do without reliable mechanical power?" Qin Tongren asked.

"I'm not talking about these things. I think you haven't understood one thing until now: we are engaging in revolution. The things we produce are to be used for the revolution. Of course, industrial construction requires manpower and material resources, and these manpower and material resources must be obtained from the revolution." You Gou recovered some spirit; she looked up at Qin Tongren while speaking.

Qin Tongren was obviously not interested in You Gou's revolutionary theory, which could be seen from his impatient look.

Seeing Qin Tongren so unenlightened, You Gou snorted from her nostrils with a feeling of wishing iron could turn into steel. "Senior Brother Qin, let me speak plainly. I actually think your idea is correct, but your method is wrong. If you think you can't solve the problem, go to Wenqing for ideas, people, and things. Instead of arguing with me here. What's the use of the two of us arguing back and forth?"

Qin Tongren disagreed with You Gou. "Chairman Chen can't conjure things out of thin air either. It's useless for me to find him."

"Even if Wenqing doesn't have things, he knows how to get things out. You feel a lack of power; Wenqing knows about the lack of power better than you. So you go talk to Wenqing early. He can definitely tell you what to do."

You Gou's words left Qin Tongren speechless. Judging from the present, Chen Ke indeed hadn't ignored industrial work because of military and political work.

Seeing Qin Tongren finally stop refuting her, You Gou said heavily, "I think the problem of our industrial department now is very simple: disunity of opinion. I do mine, you do yours. Unless fighting for things, you don't come to see me at all. You don't listen to me; I can understand. Now you don't even want to listen to Chairman Chen's opinion; you just know to take your group of people and do what you want to do. This is wrong. Many things have been delayed like this. If you had asked Wenqing for instructions early, you wouldn't have clung to the steam engine. I can tell you today, we have already produced some of the insulating ceramic components needed on electric wires. What preparations have you mechanical guys made? I think you haven't prepared anything, right?"

Hearing this, Qin Tongren's face didn't change much, but his heart was churning. You Gou wasn't wrong; the industrial department was indeed factually split now. Qin Tongren could only temporarily suppress his subordinates so that they wouldn't try to overthrow You Gou's leadership position. But these subordinates of the Beijing Gang also had a strong centrifugal force. Most of them didn't understand electrification, and these people's ideal was to rebuild a Tianjin Machinery Bureau in Anhui. Chen Ke had no time to manage the industrial department, and these people didn't listen to You Gou, so the "Beijing Gang" led by Qin Tongren was completely unprepared for the electrical age.

Being pointed out the problem so clearly by You Gou, Qin Tongren felt quite panicked. You Gou usually didn't seem to like talking about big principles, and she and those following her were busy with "small projects." Qin Tongren thought You Gou was just an ordinary intellectual woman who could endure hardship and work. But hearing You Gou's words today, Qin Tongren finally understood why You Gou could sit firmly in the position of the nine Standing Committee members of the People's Party Central Committee. This was definitely not just because You Gou was senior and willing to work.

At this time, Qin Tongren knew that the situation had changed greatly. Chen Ke used to just give some specific work to the industrial department, only caring about the result and not interfering with the internal operation of the Ministry of Industry. Now Chen Ke had proposed the overall idea and direction of the Ministry of Industry, and You Gou was the highest leader of the industrial department. You Gou followed the future industrial direction proposed by Chen Ke very closely. Then the dominance of the industrial department had actually fallen into You Gou's hands. If the "Beijing Gang" continued to confront like this, You Gou could really strike the "Beijing Gang" comprehensively.

Facing such a situation, Qin Tongren could only determine You Gou's thoughts first. "Comrade You Gou, what do you think should be done?"

You Gou didn't look tired at all at this time. She stared at Qin Tongren with a stern look. "I think everyone must know what they are here for. Since I followed Wenqing, I knew I was here for the revolution, to overthrow the Manchu Qing and establish a new China. To achieve the goal of the revolution, the base area needs industry. So I came to engage in industrial work. But many comrades don't think so. They think they are here to realize their own life ideals. This ideal is to establish their own industrial system and industrial empire. To realize this ideal of theirs, they want to use the power of the revolution. I think this idea is wrong and must be corrected."

The bright gaze in You Gou's beautiful phoenix eyes made Qin Tongren feel guilty. For the first time in so long, Qin Tongren actively avoided You Gou's gaze. He was suppressed by You Gou in momentum.

Is this the true revolutionary Chen Ke talked about? Qin Tongren couldn't help thinking. You Gou usually had no airs and could get along well with everyone regardless of knowledge and status. Except for those who were dissatisfied with You Gou, everyone was also willing to be with You Gou. You Gou didn't like small talk or gossip. All words revolved around work, around how to do the work well. Working with You Gou was very hard. But no one complained, no one opposed, no one fled before battle or slackened. Because You Gou always arranged the work well.

Thinking of this, Qin Tongren suddenly recalled what You Gou said about Chen Ke: "I see him doing everything like commanding a battle. First formulate a plan and deploy troops, then rush forward with a single order." And when You Gou worked, she was exactly the same as Chen Ke. Also formulating a plan, deploying personnel, and then doing things step by step. Although the work was hard, the difficulty wasn't high. Plus You Gou set an example and would demonstrate personally in all links. She unknowingly gained the respect and obedience of the comrades.

But the "Beijing Gang" led by Qin Tongren was completely not like this. Facing specific work, they could also be forced to do it and complete it. But once there was no work pressure, everyone's thoughts were completely each for himself; everyone had ideas, everyone had plans. If not for Qin Tongren's absolute prestige, plus Yan Fu in the base area strongly supporting Chen Ke, heaven knows what these ambitious "Beijing Gang" members would have stirred up.

Thinking of this, Qin Tongren turned his head and said, "I will have a good talk with everyone about this matter."

Hearing Qin Tongren's words, You Gou responded with a firm tone, "Not a good talk. But must convince everyone. Senior Brother Qin, Wenqing respects you very much and believes in you very much. That's why when I applied for a political commissar, Wenqing didn't agree to transfer people to me. So I think you should take on the role of this political commissar. If you can't convince those people, I will definitely ask Wenqing to transfer a political commissar over. We are making a revolution, not playing house. Please think this through clearly."