"Knowledge is power!" Regardless of how low the character of Bacon, who said this sentence, was, the sentence itself pointed out part of the truth and reality.

Ren Qiying didn't know about Bacon's personal affairs. When she stood on the platform and told the comrades below about the future expectations mixed almost entirely from Chen Ke's literature and You Gou's statements, looking at the dumbfounded comrades below, Ren Qiying really felt a kind of illusory powerful force.

Although Chen Ke's literature also had some descriptive content, as far as Chen Ke's mentality at the time was concerned, these descriptions were cold. But this was just Chen Ke's own view. If he saw Ren Qiying describing with an almost "sacred" attitude that tractors only need maintenance but can work regardless of wind or rain, cold or heat, Chen Ke might feel caught between laughter and tears.

Tractors replacing large livestock is not just because of the power of tractors; the maintenance of mechanical equipment is actually simpler than raising large livestock. Tractors also have problems, but compared to the complex diseases and feeding of large livestock, they are easier to solve. When Chen Ke wrote these things, what arose in his heart was just an engineering student's feeling about practical application. But the cadres who had used large livestock felt that an absurd and bizarre brave new world was unfolding before their eyes.

Whether a suggestion made by a cadre in the base area can get everyone's support depends largely on whether this cadre can turn Chairman Chen Ke's meaning into words that everyone can understand. Ren Qiying didn't really understand why the base area would eventually become like this, but she intuitively felt this model. Sure enough, after learning that "mechanization" was Chen Ke's idea, more comrades began to support Ren Qiying.

Yuwen Badu watched all this, and the taste in his heart was really not good. In fact, Yuwen Badu knew why there was such an effect. In the traditional political organization model, the people at the top actually do the least practical work and are mainly responsible for the operation of the system. Yuwen Badu could have such a profound understanding not because he had such a level of understanding of politics, but because as one of the nine Standing Committee members, he could participate in the highest-level meetings and training, which were all content Chen Ke had talked about.

When mentioning the current base area construction, Chen Ke pointed out the difference between the People's Party and other political forces. The official system, or bureaucratic system, of the People's Party is a "system of affairs officials." That is to say, the officials of the People's Party are not so much "officials" (*Guan*) as "clerks" (*Li*). They are all officials promoted from specific work, executing various specific tasks. Those acting as "political officials" in other political forces are "Party members." Party members are not produced by reading the Four Books and Five Classics, nor by imperial examinations. Party members are comrades selected after learning "revolutionary theory," joining the Party voluntarily and earnestly, and passing the test of revolution.

Compared with the current system of the Manchu Qing, the "officials" of the Manchu Qing represent the interests of the ruling class group, while the Party members of the People's Party are the vanguard of the revolution, representing the interests of the Chinese masses. The "clerks" of the Manchu Qing are the lower-level lackeys of the ruling class, while the "officials" of the People's Party are formal government employees serving the people, or called "public servants." From the perspectives of organization, discipline, and regularization, the organizational model of the People's Party comprehensively surpasses the Manchu Qing, and can even be called one of the most advanced in the world.

With Yuwen Badu's cognitive ability and level, he could only barely understand these. His understanding of these party and government organizations mentioned by Chen Ke was relatively "mass-oriented," that is to say, he realized that all the "science, democracy, and liberation" promoted by Chen Ke practically developed productive forces, reduced labor intensity, improved labor efficiency, and allowed more people to effectively invest in social labor. So life in the base area took on a new look.

In Yuwen Badu's view, the entire base area was like a spinning top. No matter how big the top was, the real pivot point was only such a small sharp cone. The tip of the cone was undoubtedly Chairman Chen Ke. The layer up was the nine Standing Committee members, further up were Party members, above Party members were cadres and the army, and above this cone bore the cylindrical main body of the spinning top. This main body was undoubtedly the people of the entire base area. No matter how huge this main body was, without the small sharp tip at the bottom, no matter how huge this main body was, it absolutely had no way to stand up.

After having such cognition, Yuwen Badu also had his own ideas about revolution. Without high-speed rotation, the spinning top cannot stand up either. The "high-speed rotation" driving the operation of the People's Party and the base area is the "revolution" Chen Ke talked about. The people need a better life and need to obtain their own liberation and dignity; this is the motive force for the spinning top to rotate. Before the People's Party led by Chen Ke, including Yuwen Badu, arrived in Anhui, the main body of the people could not stand up relying on any political force as a pivot. So this huge main body was blown by wind and rain, ravaged by natural disasters, trampled by corrupt officials, rolling helplessly and wailing. Until Chen Ke led the People's Party as a pivot to prop up the people, the people in the base area got rid of the painful life of the past and marched towards a life with hope, future, and dignity.

Being able to be a member of the "People's Party" bearing the interests of the people, especially as a member of the lowest "nine Standing Committee members" next to Chairman Chen Ke in the "spinning top," Yuwen Badu consciously realized that his actions were not for his own interests alone, but bore the heavy "hope" of the people. Yuwen Badu felt a kind of fear. He was afraid that he would do wrong things, disappoint Chairman Chen Ke and the people, and cause losses to this flourishing life. This was what Yuwen Badu worried about most on weekdays.

Every time a job was completed, and a matter was settled normally, this fearful mood would temporarily dissipate. At this time, what filled Yuwen Badu's heart was a kind of true pride. So Yuwen Badu gradually discovered one thing: he never knew he was actually a person with extremely strong jealousy. Leaving aside the nine Standing Committee members with the same status as him and other members of the Politburo of twenty-five, every time he saw comrades with lower status than him showing excellent talent, a strong sourness would rise in Yuwen Badu's heart. He extremely longed to possess talents overriding these comrades. Although he himself could consciously and voluntarily submit to Chairman Chen Ke and follow and look up to Chairman Chen Ke, Yuwen Badu didn't want to look up to others.

Ren Qiying's advantage in knowledge allowed her to gain a lot of support temporarily, but she was not Chen Ke after all. If Chen Ke talked about mechanization, comrades would support unconditionally regardless of whether they could understand it or not. These issues regarding agricultural mechanization were not thought up by Ren Qiying herself after all, but obtained by reading literature and listening to others' explanations in a short time. When He Yaqing, Deputy Director of the County Party Office, asked "When can this mechanization process begin next year?", Ren Qiying discovered her fatal problem. — She herself was dazzled by the prospect of this mechanization.

Everyone in the base area knew that Chairman Chen Ke didn't talk big. So after reading the literature written by Chen Ke and getting "news" from You Gou, Ren Qiying habitually took this unknown thing as the basis for establishing her own policy. And the prospect of mechanization was so wonderful. Not only Ren Qiying, but even You Gou was unusually excited when mentioning this matter. She talked to Ren Qiying about the benefits of machinery and even took Ren Qiying to see the coal gas internal combustion engine.

The huge steel body of the coal gas internal combustion engine and the rumbling sound emitted during operation made Ren Qiying feel fear. This coal gas internal combustion engine drove the water lifting system of the People's Party waterworks. As the settled population in Fengtai County increased, the supply coverage of the tap water network naturally became larger and larger, and the original water supply power was far from enough. The coal gas internal combustion engine was first used in the waterworks. Ren Qiying had become accustomed to using clean and convenient tap water. In just over a year, she could no longer get used to the way of carrying water in rural areas. This was also one of the many reasons why she was willing for her family to give up rural land and enter urban life.

You Gou was the same. Although Fengtai County was now just a small county town in Anhui, the level of mechanical power used per capita was not much different from Shanghai, and even above Shanghai in many aspects. You Gou was not a hedonist, but she would absolutely not refuse an easier life. You Gou firmly believed that mechanization must be accelerated, and successfully instilled this concept into Ren Qiying, making Ren Qiying's heart surge and blood boil.

Hearing He Yaqing ask whether the mass production of hot bulb engines could be determined next year, the always emotional Ren Qiying finally recovered some calmness. She realized that all her expectations were actually built on absolute trust in Chen Ke. Whether the base area could complete the manufacture of hot bulb engines, the only one who could truly be counted on was Chen Ke. Ren Qiying used to obey orders and listen to commands. She always placed herself in a position below Chen Ke, at least she thought so herself.

When Ren Qiying tried to promote her own policy for the first time, she suddenly realized she was wrong. Chen Ke was never high above. Only when facing danger and difficulties would Chen Ke appear at the very front of the line. In ordinary times, Chen Ke was always at the bottom. Everyone who hoped to obtain better methods and better tools could get support and help from Chen Ke. If Ren Qiying wanted to promote mechanization, apart from Chen Ke, no one in the base area could give Ren Qiying real support.

Suddenly discovering that the operation mode of the base area was not the traditional top-down mode, but the completely opposite bottom-up mode, Ren Qiying was stunned by her discovery. She stood on the platform tongue-tied, completely at a loss. Thousands of thoughts and memories in her mind were quickly guided and recombined under this new understanding. Then a clear result was reached. All changes in the base area now came from Chen Ke alone. All science and new methods were provided by Chen Ke without exception, or at least guided by Chen Ke.

It was unknown how long the dazed state lasted. "Comrade Ren Qiying, are you okay?" The surprised shout called Ren Qiying's thoughts back to reality. She saw the comrades below looking at her in astonishment. Ren Qiying knew she was distracted, but the new understanding was like a huge torrent, making Ren Qiying unable to hold other thoughts in her heart. She forced herself to say, "Comrades, my thoughts are a bit messy right now. Please allow me to leave for a while." After speaking, without everyone's consent, Ren Qiying walked quickly out of the conference room. She just wanted to straighten out her thoughts quietly, so she rushed to the dormitory in the County Party Committee courtyard. As soon as she entered the door, she closed the door tight and then covered herself tightly with a bed sheet.

When Ren Qiying tried to spread her wings and fly towards Chen Ke's figure she thought existed, she suddenly found that she was standing on Chen Ke's shoulder originally. The tall figure she saw originally was just a fantasy she imagined. When the so-called flying was just leaping into the void of nothingness, this huge contrast made Ren Qiying feel a kind of panic and suffocation. At this time, what was in Ren Qiying's mind was not only theoretical summary but also realistic considerations. If she wanted to promote agricultural mechanization, someone must provide mechanization. Ren Qiying wanted to promote it next year, so this person must guarantee to provide machinery before next year. If this person was Ren Qiying's subordinate, Ren Qiying could request and order. But this person happened not to be Ren Qiying's subordinate; this person was Chen Ke, the highest leader of the base area. So Ren Qiying found she was wrong, and wrong ridiculously. She had no power or reason to demand Chen Ke to complete the task.

The error of this thought brought Ren Qiying a great sense of fear. She knew Chen Ke was not a petty person. Even if Chen Ke knew about this, Ren Qiying could imagine that Chen Ke would show a very simple smile and then say: "Comrade Ren Qiying, some things are not accomplished just because I want to accomplish them." Chen Ke had always been very tolerant of excessive demands from subordinates. Ren Qiying hadn't seen this kind of response just once or twice.

Thinking of Chen Ke's tolerance, Ren Qiying felt much more relaxed in her heart. Another thought immediately appeared in her mind: "Is the way to achieve one's goal downward rather than upward?"

Ren Qiying's father Ren Yugang liked a sentence in Laozi's *Tao Te Ching* very much: "The highest good is like water. Water is good at benefiting all things without striving, dwelling in places that the multitude detest, so it is close to the Tao. In dwelling, it is good to be close to the land; in heart, it is good to be deep; in giving, it is good to be benevolent; in speech, it is good to be trustworthy; in government, it is good to bring order; in affairs, it is good to be capable; in action, it is good to be timely. It is only because it does not strive that it is without fault." This was Ren Yugang's way of conducting himself, and also one of the moral standards Ren Yugang taught Ren Qiying.

Regarding such a high moral level, Ren Qiying actually had quite a few criticisms in her heart. She never thought she could really meet such a person. Even her father Ren Yugang, Ren Qiying felt that her father might not have reached this moral realm. Until experiencing this matter, Ren Qiying realized what true "dwelling below" was. Everything Ren Qiying obtained now was not suddenly obtained at this moment; everything was accumulation and preparation from before. Without her father's education since childhood, without study and experience in the People's Party, Ren Qiying absolutely couldn't understand everything now. Everything was built on accumulation. Anything Ren Qiying used now came from her father, from Chen Ke, from the accumulation of those walking at the very front.

The reason Ren Qiying felt these people "did not dwell below" was only because what she saw was the superior status of these people. Now it seemed that these were just superficial illusions. Because these statuses were not self-appointed by them, but given and recognized by others. Just as no one in the People's Party dared to challenge Chen Ke's status now, even Ren Qiying elected Chen Ke as the Party Chairman willingly. If Ren Qiying proclaimed herself the Chairman of the People's Party without knowing the height of the sky and the depth of the earth now, would anyone recognize it?

Why was everyone willing to give Chen Ke this status? Because Chen Ke gave everything of himself to everyone. Through the hard work of People's Party comrades, these forces changed the lives of the people in the base area. As long as they were laborers, they could get a better life by relying on themselves, so everyone followed Chen Ke and followed the leadership of the People's Party willingly.

"The People's Party is really a group of hopeless fools." Ren Qiying couldn't help laughing out loud. Lying there, tears ran down her cheeks from the corners of her eyes.

Working so hard for the happy life of others should have been something only fools would do. Why did she not feel absurd at all in her heart? Why did she feel very happy? Ren Qiying wiped her tears randomly with the bed sheet. Why didn't she feel wronged at all? Was it because there were people working harder, striving more, and seeking less reward than herself?

Ren Qiying didn't join the revolution to save others. She just intuitively felt that the People's Party could be dealt with. In the flood, only such a group of people could be relied on and cooperated with. So for her parents and younger siblings, she could only choose to stand out and sacrifice herself. Perhaps the reason she decided to choose the People's Party at that time was the so-called "birds of a feather flock together"?

Ren Qiying, who held the idea of sacrificing herself for the family, walked together with another group of people who decided to sacrifice themselves for this country. Ren Qiying never thought of leaving this team. She felt very strange herself. Thinking about it now, comrades including Ren Qiying were following behind that biggest fool. Was it because that most foolish guy walked at the forefront of this team that she felt she could go on together?

Although she still didn't understand what "liberating the whole of China" was all about, Ren Qiying could already feel that this group of big fools, including herself, no matter what purpose they had, relied on serving the happiness and interests of others to have everything today. Precisely because everyone sank to the very bottom, the people trying to break free from the flood had a support point and a foothold. And the one located at the very bottom of these fools was Chen Ke, the biggest fool.

Taking a deep breath, Ren Qiying felt the inhaled air mixed with a faint salty taste, which was the smell of her tears. "I want to follow this person." Ren Qiying thought. Only now did she understand why people like You Gou, Shang Yuan, Hua Xiongmao, and He Zudao, who were far older, smarter, and more powerful than You Gou (Note: Should be "than herself" or referring to You Gou being smarter than Ren Qiying, text says "than You Gou" which might be a typo in source or comparison to the young Ren Qiying. Context implies these capable people follow Chen Ke), would be with Chen Ke. Because everyone knew Chen Ke was serving others, everyone would consciously or unconsciously believe in Chen Ke, believe that the unknown new world Chen Ke wanted to create would definitely come.

"I also want to follow this person." Ren Qiying made up her mind.