In the Lingbao Gold Mining Area of Sanmenxia City, Zhang Yu saw for the first time what chemical alchemy was all about. When zinc powder was added to the black liquid, a lot of bubbles immediately appeared, and the liquid was almost churning. As zinc powder is added, the air bubbles gradually decrease, and the color of the liquid becomes much lighter. What is deposited at the bottom of the liquid has a dull golden glow.

"This is chemical substitution?" Zhang Yu once heard Chen Ke talk about this method of using "aqua regia" to dissolve alchemy, and Chen Ke talked about making a porcelain jar in the field for alchemy. Because what he said was vivid, it made Zhang Yu suspect that Chen Ke was making up the story. However, the gold ore powder is dissolved with hydrocyanic acid several times and then replaced and reduced with zinc powder. The displacement gradually changed from black to gold, and the process was exactly as Chen Ke said. The facts in front of him made Zhang Yu have to admit that at least Chen Ke was not wrong.

"Yes, that's chemical substitution." The staff in charge of gold smelting replied, "At present, the high-temperature smelting technology is still not mature enough, so this chemical replacement method can only be used temporarily." ”

Zhang Yu nodded, from the smelting workshop in the middle to the heavily guarded crucible refining workshop, the final product was indeed gold bars. Zhang Yu picked one up casually, looking at it as a small piece, it felt extremely heavy to start, and it was really gold.

Putting down the gold nuggets, Zhang Yu looked around again, the soldiers with loaded guns were monitoring both sides of the production line, and the recorders were recording all kinds of data all the time. It's easy to forget that the product in front of you is gold of great value.

There was also Chai Qingguo, and when he came out of the workshop with Zhang Yu, Chai Qingguo said with a smile: "I didn't expect Chairman Chen to joke with us before." ”

"Hmph, Chairman Chen really doesn't like to joke." Zhang Yu said with a sneer.

Chai Qingguo, acting commander of the Henan Military Region, was very puzzled by Zhang Yu's performance, "Secretary Zhang, why do you look unhappy." ”

"I just think Chairman Chen's background is too outrageous." Zhang Yu replied, "Lao Chai, it's not once or twice that we have listened to Chairman Chen's story, and it seems that you also remember the matter of gold." I want to ask you, has Chairman Chen talked nonsense with us? ”

Chai Qingguo shook his head, "I used to think that Chairman Chen liked to joke, but now I don't dare to think like that anymore." ”

Zhang Yu said with a gloomy expression: "If Chairman Chen hadn't been to Sanmenxia and hadn't seen alchemy in the field with his own eyes, he wouldn't have been able to tell us that story." But do you really think Chairman Chen has been here? Before us, no one in Sanmenxia had ever heard of the term hydrocyanic acid. ”

When Chai Qingguo heard this, his face became serious, "Old Zhang, what do you mean?" ”

"Chairman Chen told us stories because he trusted us. I mean, let's not tell the story of Chairman Chen in the future. I've heard you talk to others about Chairman Chen's story, and that doesn't seem appropriate. I looked into it, and then I felt like I couldn't do it any further, but some people who had heard the story didn't necessarily stop. What do you think? After Zhang Yu finished speaking, he stared at Chai Qingguo.

Chai Qingguo and Zhang Yu looked at each other for a while, and then twisted their heads. Chen Ke's background is a big mystery in the People's Party, and Chen Ke has issued an extremely rare order in his capacity as chairman not to investigate Chen Ke's experience in his youth. If it weren't for Chen Ke himself, I am afraid that the People's Internal Affairs Committee would have taken away the unidentified guy for strict scrutiny. But Chen Ke used to occasionally tell his comrades about his youth, and everything seemed extremely mysterious, just like a storyteller. But apart from the fact that the protagonists of these stories are, there is nothing wrong with the stories themselves. Just like the matter of alchemy, Chen Ke clearly described the location, method, and technological process. Just by following this operation, Lingbao, the largest gold smelting base of the People's Party, has been created.

"Lao Zhang, I know. I'll keep my mouth shut in the future. Chai Qingguo replied. Zhang Yu's reminder is correct, no one among the senior cadres of the People's Party doubts Chen Ke, even if they know that Chen Ke's origin is a mystery, no one really wants to solve this mystery. As the founder of the People's Party, Chen Ke's central position, as well as the role he played in promoting the revolution over the years, made the comrades not care what Chen Ke did when he was young. But Zhang Yu and Chai Qingguo can really not care, and other comrades may not care. If someone is using this to make a fuss, it's really tricky.

"It's good to know." Zhang Yu himself didn't want to talk too much about Chen Ke's background, as far as Zhang Yu's heart was concerned, he couldn't wait to forget about it completely, "There will be a war in more than a year, and our Henan will definitely bear the brunt." As far as the current situation is concerned, it is impossible for the Beiyang Army not to enter Henan. So to what extent they let them fight, I don't know how much I have in my heart. Looking at the situation in Henan, Lingbao will definitely become the front line, and as a result, there is still a gold smelter here. Chairman Chen said not to be afraid of breaking the bottles and cans, but Chairman Chen has this heart, and I don't. The things in our People's Party house are originally expensive, and I feel distressed when it is broken. ”

In addition to serving as the acting commander of the Henan Military Region, Chai Qingguo's official posts are also the commander of the engineering corps and the railway corps. Without even looking at the map, Chai Qingguo could recall the map in his mind, as well as the relevant place names on the map and the local situation.

"Yuan Shikai will not only go to Henan, he will also send troops to Shandong. After Jining, to the south is Weishan Lake and Zaozhuang, where we have a coal-iron composite group, and further south to Xuzhou has our heavy industry base. Speaking of this, Chai Qingguo simply asked the guards to take out a map of the whole country, and he drew his fingers along the border between the People's Party and Beiyang. On the border, with the exception of the Yimeng Mountains, there are industrial bases that are extremely important to the People's Party. Not to mention the fact that Qingdao, an enclave, is home to many German industrial enterprises controlled by the People's Party. Just one Sifang Machinery Factory is now the most important railway machinery production center of the People's Party.

"But we can't go it all alone." Chai Qingguo sighed.

"Do you remember Chairman Chen's prediction for the next 30 years?" Zhang Yu asked.

"I've only heard about it, but I wasn't in Anhui at that time." Chai Qingguo replied.

"At that time, no one in the party really believed what Chairman Chen said, and now I see that Chairman Chen is not wrong. I think Chairman Chen is waiting for the European powers to start fighting in Europe on their own, and when they have no time to take shares in the east, we can liberate China. At that time, Chairman Chen said that by 1915 at the latest, the European devils would start fighting. The comrades who went abroad this time brought back the news that Britain and Germany were easing relations. Some people think that Europe can't fight, at least Britain and Germany are in control. But my thoughts are different, what do you think we are doing with Beiyang at the moment? Expand the armament war! If the base area really completes the recruitment and training of 3 million troops, then it will be able to start fighting for any reason. Just like Yuan Shikai is preparing to build 100 divisions and 2 million troops. After he got so many people, he wanted to fight us for any reason. I think Europe is ready. Zhang Yu said.

Chai Qingguo naturally didn't think that Zhang Yu would care about the Europeans, Zhang Yu's purpose was Yuan Shikai, and judging by Zhang Yu's meaning, he hoped to start fighting under the current situation where the People's Party had advantages in numbers, training, and equipment. As a military commander, Chai Qingguo believes that with the current strength of the People's Party, it may not be enough to completely eliminate Yuan Shikai, but it is not a problem to drive Yuan Shikai out of Hebei and completely occupy the old nest of Beiyang, that is, Hebei and Shandong.

This plan seemed quite attractive, Chai Qingguo felt a little tempted, forcibly resisted this temptation, Chai Qingguo said: "It is impossible for Chairman Chen not to see this problem, his ability to grasp the strategy is above ours." ”

Zhang Yu replied hatefully: "I know that Chairman Chen is more strategically powerful than us, but he doesn't talk to us about strategic considerations now, but just keeps his head on construction and preparation." I don't think it's acceptable. ”

Chai Qingguo now thoroughly understood why Zhang Yu came with him to Sanmenxia, which had just been occupied for a short time, and Zhang Yu did not accept to give up these areas at all. Although the current gold production plant in the Lingbao mining area is completely an enlarged version of Chen Ke's "wild alchemy", it will run away after it really runs. Beiyang does not have the ability to produce industrial acids on a large scale, and it is useless to occupy Lingbao. However, Henan's coal mines, iron mines, and the grain producing areas of the Huanghuai Plain are not something that people can bear to give up.

Just thinking of the People's Party's investment in the railway, Chai Qingguo replied: "If you want to ask the Central Committee about this matter, I am willing to join you in a joint letter." ”

That's what Zhang Yu wanted to hear, he knew that it was impossible for Chen Ke to be moved, at least not to be moved by Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu also did not have the ability to move Chen Ke to change the formulation of the campaign. Therefore, it is necessary to unite with Chai Qingguo in order to make Chen Ke react. After all, Henan bears the greatest pressure, there is no danger to defend on the Great Plains, and if Beiyang really has 2 million troops, it is possible for them to rush all the way to Xuzhou.

"So what do you think of generating electricity in the name of the Henan Provincial Party Committee?" Zhang Yu asked.

Chai Qingguo is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, and if the Provincial Party Committee generates electricity, some unnecessary misunderstandings can be avoided.

"That's not necessary, I think it's better to ask in the name of the military region. We can ask Comrade Gu Lu to report to Chairman Chen. Then on behalf of the military district, he asked about the work of the purely military aspect. Chai Qingguo replied.

Zhang Yu never expected that Chai Qingguo, who was very serious in his ordinary life, would also play this trick, and he couldn't help laughing. "Lao Chai, let's stop playing this trick in front of Chairman Chen." Zhang Yu replied.

"I believe in Comrade Gu Lu." Chai Qingguo said with a smile.