Chapter Three: Division of Labor in the Revolution

After a moment, Old Duan steadied himself and said, “Those people aren’t ordinary farmers. I fear there’s something very suspicious about them.”

Old Liu, his ears sticking out, looked unconcerned and replied, “Old Duan, you’re making a fuss over nothing. Anyone can tell at a glance there’s nothing odd about them. You’re just being paranoid. Revolutionary experience tells us, we mustn’t—”

Old Duan, seeing Liu’s dismissive expression, felt at a loss for words and interrupted, “It’s so late. Even if they were traveling at night, why would they need to cross Houfeng Mountain to get to Huang’s Terrace? They’d have to spend half the night on the road, at the very least.”

“Well, maybe they have something urgent to take care of. Besides, maybe they just don’t know the way...”

“Hmph, Old Liu, haven’t you noticed something off about those people? All in black, tight clothing, each with a bright red sash around the waist, and there’s a faint earthy smell about them. But the strangest thing is their black cloth shoes—after walking so far through the mountains, not a speck of mud or grass is stuck to them. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

As he spoke, Old Duan pulled a Red Mantian cigarette from his pocket, squinted, and brought it to his lips.

“Er, now that you mention it... it does seem strange. You know, there was an odd smell about them. Old Duan, not only are your ears sharp, your nose and eyes are something else too—better than Da Huang, our factory’s guard dog!”

“Get lost, you’re the dog,” Old Duan spat. “Just now, I flashed my torch at them, and they dodged it easily. With skills like that, they’re certainly not ordinary people—clearly trained fighters.”

Director Liu gave Old Duan a once-over, as if meeting him for the first time, amazed that this normally taciturn, mediocre chess player could have such keen powers of observation. Was it that he himself wasn’t fully awake, or had Old Duan knocked his head and suddenly gotten smart?

Lighting his own Red Mantian, Director Liu fixed his gaze on the direction those people had gone, his mind churning through countless thoughts, all colliding in his head. He thought, after Old Duan’s analysis, these people are certainly up to no good. Entering the mountains late at night, dressed strangely, and the last few seemed to be carrying black cloth sacks. All these abnormal details make it easy to connect them to the recent spate of relic thefts and grave robberies. If that’s the case, it would be another major case in Qingyang County. If I report this to the county police now and they catch the gang, I’ll be credited with the top merit—maybe even recognized by the county or province. With that on my record, the factory will have to promote me to a proper official post, and I’ll finally be rid of this nominal warehouse manager title, no longer stuck watching a pile of scrap parts every day.

“Hey, hey, Old Liu, are you alright?” Old Duan waved his hand in front of Liu’s face.

“Ah, no... nothing’s wrong.”

“Good, then stop grinning foolishly and wipe that drool off your mouth.”

“...”

A bit embarrassed, Director Liu coughed into his hand and paced around the room. But then he thought, if I go to report it, by the time I get back, maybe the gang will have scattered, and all my efforts will be for nothing—the commendation will slip away. Or if I let Old Duan report it while I follow the gang, the main merit will still elude me. Worse, if they discover me, my life could be in danger—just the thought made him shudder.

After weighing his options, Director Liu’s eyes lit up with an idea. He turned to face Old Duan and declared solemnly, “Old Duan, the situation is urgent. As exemplary proletarian workers and peasants fighting on the front lines, we must remember the Party’s teachings: always remain vigilant, defend our country, and bring these lawbreakers to justice!”

The speech was delivered with such righteous indignation, his gestures and tone blending seamlessly, that Old Duan was left stunned, unable to react for a long time.

“Uh... I say, Old Liu, you’re not suggesting that the two of us—barely enough to be called a ragtag squad—should go capture these criminals ourselves, heroically sacrificing ourselves, are you?”

“The Party always teaches us that struggle means sacrifice, and a person’s value lies in whether it is as light as a feather or as weighty as Mount Tai. Can we really let these criminals run free, allowing our country and people to suffer great losses?”

Seeing Old Duan’s deflated expression, Old Liu’s spirits rose and his voice grew louder.

“Old Duan, now is the time for the Party and the people to test us. We must face hardship head-on, charge to the front, and not fear sacrifice.”

This impassioned speech left Old Duan speechless, unsure how to respond, so he replied cautiously:

“But, Old Liu, you saw it too—those people aren’t to be trifled with. They’re probably armed. If we go in recklessly, it’ll be like eggs thrown at a rock. I’m not afraid of sacrifice, but I worry our sacrifice would be meaningless, that we’d fail to contribute to building the country’s Four Modernizations, and be unable to shine where our country needs us most, like good little cogs in the machine.”

Noticing the glint in Old Duan’s eyes, Old Liu realized he’d nearly convinced him. His tone softened, and he patted Old Duan’s shoulder, speaking gently, “Old Duan, revolutionary struggle requires a spirit of sacrifice, but we can’t act rashly. Marxism-Leninism teaches us to use the right methods to overcome difficulties on the road ahead. The road is tortuous, yet the future is bright. Of course, just the two of us going after these people isn’t very realistic.”

At this, Old Duan breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking Old Liu was about to drag him into battle to capture the gang.

“But here’s what we can do: one of us quietly tails them without being discovered, while the other rushes to the county police to report the crime and bring them to help catch these lawbreakers.”

Director Liu’s suggestion was reasonable, but the question remained—who would report the crime and who would do the following?

“Old Duan, I’m a Party member, so I should take the lead and do the hardest work. I think you should do the following. I’ll run down to the county police and bring them up to meet you. You just need to follow them at a distance and not reveal yourself.” Even as he said this, Director Liu’s ears turned red, though he kept his tone righteous and firm.

“Old Liu, I think I should be the one to go report it. I’m faster on my feet, and I could be back before dawn. You should do the following—”