At the Standing Committee meeting, Chen Ke agreed with Zhang Yu's judgment on Britain. Chen Tianhua had rich experience in local work, but he felt somewhat unable to grasp the changes in the recent international situation. He asked: "How exactly do the British plan to deal with the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)? Are they going to wage war against them?"

Although Shang Yuan did not engage in party affairs, he was very sensitive to more specific interests. "The contradiction between Britain and the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) is not Britain's main contradiction yet. This contradiction level will only escalate after the war in Europe ends." After speaking, Shang Yuan paused for a moment before continuing: "So Comrade Lenin is indeed a person with very strategic vision."

Qi Huishen replied: "After all is said and done, the path he chose is also the one our People's Party has walked."

Hearing this comparison, Chen Ke almost laughed out loud. It wasn't that he dared to mock Comrade Lenin; Chen Ke knew very well that the strategic choice of the People's Party was actually copying Comrade Lenin's path. However, this expression was misunderstood by the comrades. Although Xu Dian did not manage strategy, having worked hard with the comrades for more than ten years, his level as a master of hindsight was naturally more than enough. He also laughed: "Revolution is indeed nurtured among the people. In the intelligence we received, the Bolsheviks were able to seize power only by calling for opposition to continuing the war. Comrade Lenin's idea of using the period of imperialist war to complete the domestic revolution is indeed good. What we worried about most back then was the situation of imperialists joining hands to interfere in China. Up to now, we have finally avoided this situation by every possible means. It is a pity that the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) prepared too late. If they could have prepared purposefully a few years earlier, I'm afraid the situation would have been basically settled by now."

Shang Yuan also sighed: "This can only show that their strategic vision is still not enough. But looking back now, we really danced on the tip of a knife all the way. If we had advanced rashly a little bit, or slackened a little bit, we wouldn't have the situation today."

"We avoided the crisis of joint siege by domestic and foreign enemies, but it is difficult for the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) to get such an opportunity. I'm afraid our China will also become a member of the siege against the Bolsheviks." Zhang Yu's personality was full of the characteristics of advancing with the times. Summarizing the past is certainly important, but everyone lives in the present. The arduous trek of the present and the rolling future are more important. Since the British side has already expressed its attitude, Zhang Yu believed that determining China's stance might be the top priority.

Chen Tianhua did not wish for the demise of a Marxist political party. Hearing Zhang Yu speak so murderously, he asked: "Strategically speaking, if we join hands with the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks), or maintain benevolent neutrality towards them, will it trigger a siege by the Entente Powers?"

"It is definitely not us who can deal a fatal blow to the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks), and our help may not be of much use to them either." Zhang Yu cleverly put forward his thoughts and stance.

Hearing Zhang Yu's words, Chen Tianhua simply clarified the topic, "Then let me put it this way. Based on our experience, in the early stages of the war, when we still couldn't afford to lose, the Beiyang Army that came to encircle and suppress us used that... ah, Divine Body Protection Pill. We would very likely suffer heavy losses. That would be a heavy blow to the revolution. The old army indeed lacked the will to war and revolutionary ideals; they were a group of paper tigers strategically. But in real sword and gun battles, these old armies also had combat effectiveness, not to mention the old armies that had experienced war."

The Standing Committee members of the Politburo were now confident in fighting any army that took drugs. Moreover, the drugs developed by Chen Ke were used on the European battlefield after all, and everyone could even use this to joke. However, once the army of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) engaged directly with the old Russian army, which was not bad in quantity and equipment, they would probably suffer considerable losses in the initial stage. Taking the People's Party as an example, as long as the Beiyang Army could achieve a one-to-one exchange ratio with the People's Party back then, it would have been difficult to determine who would be the winner of the Chinese civil war.

You Gou also lost the mood for joking from a while ago. Seeing other comrades arguing quite fiercely, she couldn't help shaking her head, "I study chemistry. Drugs can not only treat diseases specifically, achieving the effect of curing the disease as soon as the medicine is taken, but can even change the mental state of human beings specifically. I should have felt very proud. But now I also feel very sad."

Zhang Yu replied coldly: "That is the user's problem, not the developer's problem. Chairman Chen knew the usage of this thing before developing it; why did we never use it? Opium, morphine, and even heroin are indeed very good products when used as medicine. Some people insist on using these drugs to find excitement; is it also the drugs' fault?"

Hearing that everyone actually led the discussion to war ethics, Chen Ke hurried to interrupt this meaningless discussion, "The All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) will definitely face fierce wars, and we don't need to be the first to express our stance at this time. If they are willing to sign a border treaty with us first, we will have a reason to express to the Entente Powers that we don't want to obtain excessive benefits. It is okay to support Comrade Lenin behind the scenes."

"Don't want to obtain excessive benefits?" Chen Tianhua felt very strange about Chen Ke's usage of words.

Chen Ke nodded, "Yes, as the saying goes, when a wall is about to fall, everyone pushes it. If the Bolsheviks can't hold on, all countries will want to cut a piece of flesh from them, and we can't stay out of it either. The British will definitely not support us swallowing the Asian part of Russia, but if we don't show a coveting for benefits consistent with our strength, the British will definitely think we are abnormal and must think we have ghosts behind us. At this time, if we make a statement consistent with our strength, it will not attract attention instead. Moreover, this is our last chance to reclaim the old northern territories. We just want to restore the Treaty of Nerchinsk, which is exactly within the range acceptable to the Entente group. If we make a request even a tiny bit more, the Entente group will think we must pay greater benefits. So the key is timing. Making appropriate requests at the appropriate time is the best way to solve problems."

The Standing Committee members and members of the Politburo naturally knew that this timing was very important. How to choose the timing specifically had always been Chen Ke's job. The comrades all wanted to hear Chen Ke's opinion.

Chen Ke stood up and pointed to the map, "Our best choice at the current timing is to unify the whole country. A complete China itself has huge value and bargaining capital. To move against Russia, we ourselves cannot have handles in the hands of others."

"Hasn't the Military Commission already started marching on the North Route and West Route?" Shang Yuan asked.

"The North Route has the business of wool and animal husbandry. Herdsmen are naturally willing to conduct comprehensive cooperation with us. As for the West Route, what I care about most is how to quickly change the local situation." After Chen Ke finished speaking, he pointed to the location of Baidi City in Fengjie on the map, "Leaving Baidi at dawn amidst colorful clouds, returning to Jiangling a thousand miles away in one day. The sounds of apes on both banks cry ceaselessly, the light boat has already passed ten thousand mountains. In my opinion, Li Taibai's poem has quite a strategic meaning."

Baidi City in Fengjie is located on the north bank of the Yangtze River, about 15 li east of Fengjie City, hidden in lush green trees. It is the west entrance of the Three Gorges and the gateway to Sichuan. Due to its perilous terrain, it has been a place contested by military strategists throughout the ages. At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, Gongsun Shu occupied Shu and built a city on the mountain. Because a well in the city often emitted white gas like a white dragon, he took the title of White Emperor (Baidi) and named this city Baidi City. After Gongsun Shu died, locals built a temple on the mountain and erected a statue of Gongsun Shu, calling it the Baidi Temple. Since Gongsun Shu was not orthodox but a usurper, in the seventh year of Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty (1512), the Governor of Sichuan destroyed the statue of Gongsun Shu and worshiped the River God, Earth God, and Ma Yuan instead, renaming it "San Gong Shrine."

In the twelfth year of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1533), it was changed to worship Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, named "Zhengyi Shrine"; later, statues of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were added, forming a pattern where there was no White Emperor in the Baidi Temple, but Shu Han figures were worshiped for a long time.

A fleet of the People's Party composed of ten ships arrived at Baidi City on March 4, 1918. Sichuan has always been affluent, but faced the situation of difficult Shu roads. The scenery of the Three Gorges is certainly beautiful, and the strange peaks and rocks are pleasing to the eyes of well-fed tourists, but it is by no means a gospel for boatmen, and can even be said to be a disaster for boatmen. In the era of sail power, ships sank in the Three Gorges every year, and the chanting of Sichuan boat trackers pulling boats has echoed on this waterway for thousands of years.

The fleet going upstream had an average tonnage of about a thousand tons. The ships were equipped with the latest steam engines of the People's Party, or more accurately, steam engines produced by the People's Party with blueprints provided by the United States. Even so, the fleet going upstream also felt that the horsepower of these steam engines was still not quite enough.

Thousand-ton steel ships naturally could not be called light boats, and their speed could not achieve a thousand miles a day. However, seeing these steel beasts parting the waves and going upstream, all the sailors and boatmen on other ships along the way stood on the side of their own ships closer to the People's Party fleet, watching dumbfounded.

At the head of the fleet was naturally the gunboat opening the way, with thick muzzles, towering masts, and lights and flag signals providing guidance to the entire fleet. And there was also a "scientific research ship" in the People's Party fleet, which puzzled the comrades. This ship, constructed with design ideas jointly proposed by the School of Mining and the Naval Academy, looked unremarkable on the surface but was loaded with many measuring instruments. From water speed, water temperature, water depth measurement, to equipment for collecting various ore samples. Although the volume was not particularly large, it was said that the entire cost was far higher than any other ship in the fleet. Due to the existence of this scientific research ship, the originally not fast enough sailing speed of the entire fleet was even more discounted.

Baidi City was actually not big, and Fengjie was not a big city either. An important reason for the relative prosperity of this city was that there was a scenic spot called "Yanyu Huilan" (Yanyu Swirling Waves) here.

"That big rock is the Yanyu Pile, right?" The fleet commander pointed ahead and asked after ordering the fleet to anchor.

Only to see a huge stone pillar standing in the center of the not-so-wide river surface at the mouth of Qutang Gorge below Baidi City. Saying stone pillar was not enough; it could even be called a small island.

The political commissar and the fleet commander stood side by side at the bow. The river surface was turbulent, and higher up, mist filled the air. Looking up at the sky, the mountain peaks were almost entirely submerged in clouds and mist. Higher up on that mountain, the figure of Baidi City could be seen faintly. The political commissar couldn't help reciting: "Yanyu is as big as an elephant, Qutang cannot be ascended. Yanyu is as big as an ox, Qutang cannot be stayed at. Yanyu is as big as a horse, Qutang cannot be descended. Yanyu is as big as a bundle, Qutang cannot be touched. Yanyu is as big as a turtle, Qutang cannot be peeked at. Yanyu is as big as a soft-shelled turtle, boats cannot travel in Qutang."

The fleet commander did not have such refined interest. He pointed to the Yanyu Pile and said: "As long as this big rock is still here, no matter if it looks big or small, no matter what it looks like, ships passing through here shouldn't think of having a good time. Am I right in saying this?"

The political commissar also laughed: "That's right."

"Isn't our task to blow it up?" The fleet commander continued to ask.

"Yes." The political commissar nodded in agreement.

The fleet commander continued to ask: "Besides, before blowing up this big rock, don't we need to take more photos? Chairman Chen actually sent someone to take photos earlier, and those photos were used as materials for this operation."

"That's right," the political commissar replied.

Only then did the fleet commander turn his head, "Then Political Commissar, I have a question. Why did I hear before this operation that someone linked Feng Shui with this operation? This is completely a channel clearing job; what does it have to do with Feng Shui?"

The political commissar was not stumped by the fleet commander. He laughed: "Things like Feng Shui, you don't believe, but some people believe. You don't say, but some people say. We are here to work, so hurry up and blow up this Yanyu Pile. Just looking at the fuel consumption now, we may not necessarily be able to sail the ship to Chongqing."

Many years later, the elderly in Fengjie would still talk with relish to the young people visiting Baidi City about how they saw with their own eyes the People's Party blowing up the Yanyu Pile, and the Sichuan opera troupe even specially arranged a play called "Blowing up Yanyu." There were various versions of legends like the destruction of the Yanyu Pile changed the fate of Sichuan.

However, the military history records of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army were far less romantic and fantasy-like. In the military history records, the naval fleet of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army drove steel pillars into the rocks by the river and pulled up steel cables. Naval officers and soldiers and engineering corps officers and soldiers went up to the Yanyu Pile first, drilling holes with electric drills and nailing steel cables on it. To complete this work, a power supply warship accidentally hit a reef, causing a hole in the hull. It was only thanks to effective damage control that a major accident of capsizing and sinking did not occur.

Divers tied with hundreds of jin of steel ingots dived down to carefully measure the size and scale of the Yanyu Pile. Demolition experts also went underwater for on-site investigation and formulated a demolition plan after careful calculation.

Starting from March 15, 1918, after three consecutive days of blasting, the Yanyu Pile was finally blown into fragments. The fleet did not end its work after the Yanyu Pile disappeared from the river surface. They had nailed many steel rods on the Yanyu Pile before the blasting. Divers used the steel rods on the residue of the Yanyu Pile sunk in the river to tie steel cables, used ships to drag the largest piece of Yanyu Pile residue away from the center of the river, and used explosives to continue blowing up other residues into small pieces that would not affect shipping.

The largest residue was dragged to the riverbank with a winch, and a stone tablet was erected in front of the residue, inscribed with "Residue of Yanyu Pile."

At the beginning, the masses in Fengjie were very puzzled by the inexplicable actions of the People's Party. Plus, ships mostly had to stop at the Yanyu Pile to wait for local pilots. Seeing the large warships of the People's Party and receiving the news that the People's Party blocked the shipping route, the fleets were extremely afraid and dared not take the risk to look for trouble and touch bad luck.

When the blasting of the Yanyu Pile began, the people of Fengjie and the ship owners, sailors, and boatmen of the fleets knelt down. This was not fear in their hearts, but they really knelt down.

The Yanyu Pile was indeed a gate of hell, but it had existed for thousands of years and was already a sacred object existing in the hearts of everyone on the Yangtze River. The People's Party simply and roughly blew up the Yanyu Pile until not even a shadow could be found, and even "displayed the corpse" of the Yanyu Pile to the public. Not many Sichuan people could figure out their mood at this time.

Even for the pilots who relied on the Yanyu Pile for a living, this craft was mostly passed down in the family, and the Yanyu Pile had claimed the lives of how many generations of their ancestors. So kneeling and crying loudly was actually mixed with joy in sorrow. The people sailing ships knew that once the Yanyu Pile was gone, sailing would be much more convenient from then on. But looking at the empty and strange river surface, they felt extremely lost. Kneeling and crying loudly was joy mixed with sorrow.

The fleet of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army completely ignored the reactions of these people. Some ships in the fleet were damaged. Moreover, fuel consumption exceeded expectations. After discussion, the fleet decisively turned around and returned. The fleet decided to return to Wuhan for rest and reorganization before going up the river again. On March 25, 1918, the fleet left Baidi City and went downstream.

By early April 1918, the news that the People's Party blew up the Yanyu Pile spread through most of Sichuan.