The Paris Peace Conference did not bring explicit benefits to China, but merely acknowledged the existence of numerous conflicts of interest between China and the powers. The People's Party's newspapers only simply reported these facts, and the only evaluation was that these problems would be resolved one by one in the future.

The young comrades within the party were quite surprised by this. Until now, the People's Party had been invincible both domestically and internationally. Comrades who had not participated in the Paris Peace Conference thought that the peace conference would be like a domestic battlefield, a place where the People's Party could run freely. Therefore, some comrades almost openly accused the delegation of ineffective work on this matter.

Anyway, there was discipline within the party, as well as various forms of notification mechanisms and study meetings. After the comrades who personally participated in the peace conference returned to report their experiences, through urgently convened layer-by-layer study meetings and guidance within the party, no matter what the comrades thought in their hearts, they at least verbally admitted that they must continue to struggle hard and contribute to China's construction cause.

However, many domestic newspapers were not operated by the People's Party. For various purposes, various comments began to appear in these newspapers. "Criticism of the People's Party's weak diplomacy" soon became the mainstream of such comments. Even dogs dislike those who have been in charge for three years. For those running newspapers, even if not out of hostility, simply openly criticizing and mocking the powerful People's Party was indeed a very pleasant thing.

Zhang Yu had already accumulated a bellyful of anger at the Paris Peace Conference. When he returned to China and looked at the newspapers, the overwhelming articles were actually mocking the incompetence of the People's Party. Although they didn't dare to directly say comments like "humiliating the nation and forfeiting its sovereignty," various nonsensical remarks mixed with sarcasm and far-fetched associations based on speculation really made Zhang Yu feel furious.

"We have to deal with these birdmen properly!" Zhang Yu said angrily at the Standing Committee meeting.

Chen Ke laughed: "Then what law do you think they violated?"

"Newspapers are full of nonsense, but can they talk nonsense on this kind of thing?" Zhang Yu said angrily.

Chen Ke didn't want to say anything for the time being. He had seen too much nonsense without a bottom line than these reports. Considering from a more positive angle, at least no newspaper now said how kind Britain and France were and that China should willingly sell its sovereignty to Britain and France. Just this point was much more principled than a considerable number of newspapers in the 21st century. Of course, in this era of Chinese national rejuvenation, in an era where the masses really dared to smash newspaper offices, newspaper offices also had to consider their own safety.

Seeing Chen Ke silent, Zhang Yu turned his head annoyedly, and as a result, he saw Xu Dian at a glance. He asked: "Xu Dian, you are in charge of the judiciary. Is there any way judicially?"

Xu Dian expressed helplessly, "The newspapers are only publishing comments now and haven't reached the point of fabricating facts. They have freedom of speech."

"According to what you say, can't we punish these birdmen?" Zhang Yu said angrily.

Seeing that Zhang Yu wanted to get real, Chen Ke advised: "Alright, alright, let's leave this matter as it is for now. Newspapers also rely on gimmicks to make a living, and they are not official newspapers. We just need to selectively tell some truths, and they can't tell any truths either. In this world, everyone has to compromise."

Whether appeasing or forcibly suppressing, Chen Ke finally managed to make Zhang Yu temporarily suppress his boiling anger. The topic continued back to business. "Comrades, I am going to do something very unrealistic, that is, map expansion."

After speaking, Chen Ke asked someone to bring out a map. This was the result of more than a year of struggle by the Beiyang Literature and History Institute and the National Library under the People's Party. In the vast South China Sea, combining all intelligence from China and foreign countries, whether exposed above the water or not, wherever there was a place name, China named it and encircled it into China's territorial waters.

Chen Ke said: "If our ships can go there, then go there. If they can't go, we also have to shout it out first. Whether these islands are above water all year round or underwater all year round, it doesn't matter. What matters is that they have been China's inherent territory since ancient times. They are an inseparable part of China."

Looking at the sea area half the size of China, the Politburo did not fully understand Chen Ke's meaning for a moment. "Chairman Chen, what do you mean?"

"I mean, this map must be propagated. Don't care whether other countries agree or oppose it; that's not important. What is important is that this sea area is China's territorial waters, and these islands are China's national land since ancient times." Chen Ke emphasized the words "since ancient times" very heavily, and the comrades of the Politburo quickly understood some of Chen Ke's meaning.

"Then to what extent should we emphasize it? Submit to the League of Nations, or military confrontation?" Qi Huishen asked.

"Just let them know there is such a thing. Don't make people feel that we will resort to force for this. But we must declare first. In the system after the Treaty of Versailles, it's probably whoever claims ownership first possesses greater legitimacy. Ultimate legitimacy is determined by cannons. Since we don't have actual existing cannons, then let's use mouth cannons (verbal attacks/claims) first." Chen Ke replied.

This was one of the historical achievements of Beiyang back then. Chen Ke had seen the map of the South China Sea drawn by Beiyang, which was much more exaggerated than the one by the Kuomintang. As a latecomer in history, Chen Ke believed that he had no reason to do worse than Beiyang.

Chen Ke followed up with an explanation: "I have to entrust comrades to do this matter; I feel I can't do it well myself. Moreover, this is completely a mouth cannon problem in diplomacy, purely mouth cannon, it's fooling people. So the attitude cannot be tough. If we can make various countries feel that this is a joke we made, that would be best. We should also make full use of the nonsensical remarks of some domestic newspapers. Anyway, this is a kind of public opinion. We are under strong pressure from public opinion."

Zhang Yu blinked a few times and suddenly laughed out loud. Even Shang Yuan, who felt Chen Ke's suggestion was too ridiculous, couldn't help showing a wry smile.

After discussing the map expansion, the Standing Committee continued to discuss more practical issues. By July 1919, the development of the People's Party's industrial strength, especially the steel production level, reached a new high. The domestic 15-ton open-hearth furnace finally passed the acceptance check, and the domestic oxygen top-blown converter also entered the finalization stage. After a large number of newly built steel mills were put into production, it was estimated that steel output could exceed 2.4 million tons in 1919. In the plan for 1920, crude steel output was likely to reach or even exceed the level of 3.6 million tons.

"The steel mill exhaust gas collection system, and small turbine generators utilizing exhaust gas, are all being worked on. But there is absolutely no certainty about the progress." You Gou reported work to other Standing Committee members.

Fortunately, Chinese, especially the modern Chinese system "planned" by Chen Ke, had basically taken shape. Even if the Standing Committee members didn't understand technology, they could probably have a minimum concept upon hearing the terms.

"Utilizing exhaust gas?" Zhang Yu was relatively interested in technology, so he asked.

"Yes, simply put, it can save a lot of costs. Of course, technological project establishment and development, as well as the establishment funds for the basic categories of related national laboratories, it is estimated that thirty years later, or after the scale of our steel mills expands fifty times, there will be a day when the costs can be recovered." You Gou was a bit incoherent.

"What exactly does this mean?" Zhang Yu didn't understand.

"What I mean is that the state must support these technologies, and not just for a year or two. This is a long-term investment process. Fortunately, Chairman Chen proposed the principle design and practical ideas, so we don't have to grope out of thin air." You Gou instinctively explained in the language of the technical department.

However, seeing the comrades seeming to understand but not really understanding, You Gou directly switched to another line of thought, "...Let's put it this way, half of the money we earned from selling vigor pills (stimulants) to Europe and America has now been invested in this."

Now all Standing Committee members and the two non-Standing Committee members attending the meeting understood You Gou's meaning. Everyone except Chen Ke changed their expressions; the comrades knew what a huge sum of money that was.

You Gou's expression didn't change because she had changed her face countless times when facing various industrial plans. Anyway, You Gou accepted project development directly entrusted by Chen Ke, and the success rate was surprisingly high. Even for unsuccessful ones, everyone knew where exactly they got stuck and in which aspects continued investment was needed. So You Gou replied very proudly: "I have to correct a wrong idea of comrades. The basis of industrialization is continuous investment. Industrialization will make production and life more and more convenient, but industrialization itself can only become more and more expensive. Because this is a system, the industrial system needs to precipitate countless money and countless labor. This is something piled up with human labor and even human lives."

"Why does this sound like a demon?" Zhang Yu laughed.

You Gou replied with an unhappy look: "If Minister Zhang, you really prepare to understand it this way, I don't want to refute you either. We have paid human lives on every project. This is not my exaggeration; this is a fact. Because of that exhaust gas, it's not that we haven't poisoned people to death. It's not just one or two people who got caught in the fan and chopped up. I have even seen these things with my own eyes, so I also hope comrades have a certain understanding."

Looking at Zhang Yu's somewhat ugly expression, You Gou replied: "It's not just on the battlefield that there are martyrs; we in the industrial sector also have many martyrs. But you can also call them not paying attention to labor safety protection, but without these lives, it is impossible to awaken workers' concern for labor safety protection."

The Standing Committee members nodded slightly. Anyway, what they heard every day was all kinds of news, among which bad news and unfavorable news accounted for the vast majority. Even for good news, there were also many unknown sacrifices behind it. This is modern industrial society. If in agricultural society, deaths could be attributed to natural and man-made disasters, in modern industrial society, human lives are used to fill a path that continuously moves forward. So sometimes, this society seems even more "inhumane."

"Okay, next question. Navy construction issue!" Chen Ke continued to the next topic.