October 17, 4602 (1904) in the Yanhuang calendar.

Shanghai, Huangpu Jiangpu East Port.

In October, Shanghai is already in early autumn, and the river fog that permeates the river surface has gradually dissipated under the light of the sunshine of autumn. The warm sun shines on the earth, the breeze blows softly from the river, and the mist is like smoke in the early morning.

The huge hull of the 12,500-ton cruise ship "Sailing" seems to be moored in the harbor like a giant, the "Qicheng" is a large fast cruise ship purchased by the shipping company from the German company Hamburg-Americas, the age of which is only 5 years old, this cruise ship is just like its name, for the Chinese, this ship carries the hope of a nation.

This giant cruise ship was originally purchased by the company in order to open up the company's ocean-going passenger routes, and on the other hand, it was the need for the ruling axe to send an inspection delegation, including the students accompanying the group, as many as 2,700 people. However, this delegation carries a kind of hope of the Chinese people to a certain extent, especially the students who go to study abroad with the group.

Today is the day when the "Set Sail" departs, and on the dock, there are many people and traffic. Mail trucks and freight trucks shuttle back and forth. If you look at it from a distance, you can only see the huge hull of the "Sailing", and people are wriggling like ants on the deck of this behemoth...... More than a dozen luxury sedans of the latest model, the "F03", which will be used as the vehicles for the expedition, were hoisted into the ship, and as the boom moved, it reached the dense crowd. There are those who board the ship and those who see them off...... All kinds of people gather on this pier to gather in the ocean of Chengren, which is magnificent.

Tens of thousands of people waving national flags to see off the crowd crowded the wharf, although crowded, but on the wharf, there was a large square team of more than 2,000 people, standing upright on the wharf, the square team was all composed of young people who were no more than 11 or 2 years old, and the elderly were only 17 or 8 years old.

The boys lined up in a square line, there were men and women, the men wore black or navy blue new clothes, and the girls wore dark clothes or gowns, and the clothes on their bodies were all customized by the ruling axe to the Han Tang Fang, and at the feet of the teenagers, there was a salute, these two thousand two hundred and twelve teenagers were the second batch of Chinese government-sent students selected nationwide after rigorous examinations and selections, and perhaps the world's largest expatriate students.

Around the team, the parents and relatives of the teenagers looked at these sons or daughters who will go to the United States, Britain, France, and Germany to study abroad, which means glory to a certain extent, and behind this glory is that their children are tens of thousands of miles away from China.

Even from the very beginning, the protagonists here are no longer the officials who went to the foreign countries for investigation, but these international students who "reopened the trend of young children studying abroad", and in the words of the ruling government, "they carry the hope of the re-emergence of our country!" ”

When the officials gave speeches to see them off, Yu Wanjie, who was standing in the square, raised her head, "The boat is so big!" ”

Look at the biggest guy she's ever seen. Then, she turned her head and told her brother next to her.

"Brother, is it the Sailing? Are we going to take it to the United States? ”

"Hmm!"

Yu Guoliang nodded and replied, he looked at his sister who was only eleven years old with his spare eyes, and then looked at his younger brother in the front row, among these expatriate students, how many of them are brothers and sisters who go to the United States together, there are church schools, there are new schools, everyone here is carefully selected.

He didn't look at the person who saw them off, because he knew that his parents in Sichuan would not come to see them off, and that the selection of international students might be related to the fact that his parents sent them to the church school, where he and his younger siblings were learning English.

The horn caught the girl's eye, and she turned to see a car coming this way, and the crowd dodged a passage to let the car enter the dock.

The car door opened, and a man with a mustache, dressed in a military uniform and a military hat, got out of the car, his slightly thin face was confident, and the slightly upturned corners of his lips seemed to indicate that he was in a good mood, and at the moment when the car door opened, until Chen Moran got out of the car, the flash light flashed on the dock, and the sound of the magnesium explosion echoed on the dock.

As he walked towards the team, Chen Moran nodded to the people who saw them off from time to time, and at yesterday's send-off banquet, he had personally told these teenagers that he would come to see them off today.

"Good governance!"

When Chen Moran walked on the stage and did not speak, the teenagers in the audience and the people around him bowed and saluted, but the teenagers became a little excited, most of them originally thought that the ruling would not come.

"Kids!"

Looking around at the young men lined up in a square line, Chen Moran said in a surprised and friendly tone.

"Today you are leaving your family and going to a foreign land tens of thousands of miles away to start your own school career......

Looking at the teenagers, Chen Moran's voice became deeper and deeper.

“…… Now our country, after 260 years of slavery, we do not have a single scientist, we do not have a professor, this is our country, now the nation has recovered, although the people of the country are catching up to achieve the goal of enriching the people and strengthening the country, but the lack of qualified personnel has become one of the most difficult problems in all aspects of our country's construction...... The country wants to be rich and strong, but industry and commerce are not prosperous, how can we talk about being rich and strong, and how can we talk about developing industry and commerce if we lack talents,...... In your body, you carry not only the glory of the individual, but the choice of a nation to seek knowledge in the world and the hope of this nation to achieve prosperity and strength! ”

The deep words made the boy on the dock understand the responsibility on his shoulders.

"Have a nice trip! Returning home as soon as possible! ”

In the last blessing, the military band played the national anthem, and during the recovery period, the "Return to the Han and Tang Dynasties" sung throughout the country was selected as the national anthem without exception.

"The leaves are pale, and the white dew is frost. Wide sleeves fluttering, where is it now. After several vicissitudes of life, several times of mourning. The clothes are insignificant, and they will eventually become a sound. I would like to return to the Han and Tang Dynasties and play the role of the palace merchant again. Wearing the clothes of my Han family, I am a state of etiquette. I am willing to return to the Han and Tang Dynasties, and rise again in the Han Dynasty, why not be afraid of the road obstacles, look at my Huaxia son......"

When the tricolor national flag was slowly raised on the wharf in the song, the 2,200 students on the wharf sang the national anthem in unison, watching the Chinese flag fluttering in the wind, everyone knew that this might be the last time they participated in the flag-raising ceremony on Chinese soil, and no one knew when the next time it would be.

Maybe it's 10 years, maybe 15 years, or even longer, in the luggage that each of them carries, in addition to books and clothes issued by the Ministry of Education, there is also a flag and a bag of soil, the flag is the Chinese flag, and the soil is the soil of their hometown.

When the national flag was raised, everyone secretly made an oath in their hearts, and they knew the responsibility of going abroad.

"Toot!"

When the students boarded the boat one by one, the people who saw them off waved their arms or cried, and at the same time, the flashes of magnesium lights came and went, and for the reporters on the dock, this was a grand event in China's history, the first time that China sent students to a foreign country on a large scale, which was the biggest step taken by China on the road of seeking knowledge in the world.

The "Set Sail" began to ignite.

The passengers quickened their boarding, and the crowd on the pier waved their arms again, and the crying on the pier grew louder and louder...... Seeing that the child was about to leave, the mothers with their little feet cried and cried, hugged their children, and did not want them to leave, and finally with the help of the father, the mother let go of her hand, and when the children were released, they knelt on the ground and kowtowed to their parents before they got on the boat.

Amid the noise and cries, the steam seedlings roared, and the huge chimney on the ship smoked thick smoke, mixed with snow-white steam, and danced in the air in distinct colors...... This giant ship is about to lift anchor, carrying a nation's desire for prosperity and strength, and beginning its voyage of seeking knowledge in the world.

The propeller in the stern of the ship was activated at the same time, because the water level of the pier was shallow, so when the river was stirred, the mud at the bottom of the river was turned over, like a bomb exploded underwater, and in an instant, the river became turbid...... "Goodbye! Rest assured, we're going to learn something useful. ”

Squeezing into the crowd gathered around the side of the boat, Li Qipeng affectionately shouted his heartfelt sigh to the wharf that was gradually leaving, and when he sighed, more teenagers knelt down in front of their relatives and kowtowed to their parents on the wharf.

Sun Yat-sen, who was waving to the people on the dock on the side of the ship, couldn't help but sigh as he watched the children kneeling on the deck and kowtowing to their elders.

"They, they are the hope of this country!"

"Brother Zhongshan, this trip, we have a great responsibility!"

Zhang Feng, who gave up the side of the gunwale, looked at Sun Yat-sen, who also gave up the side to the teenagers, and said with a smile.

The main purpose of this visit is to inspect the laws of various countries, and "putting law first and education first" is the focus of this inspection formulated by the ruling government, followed by the political system, military, and economy of various countries.

"yes!"

Sun Yat-sen nodded, looking at the young vice minister of justice in front of him, he felt a little strange about this route arrangement, India, India is the first stop of the investigation, followed by Egypt, along the way to the Ottoman Empire, Italy, France, Germany, and then from Germany to the United Kingdom, and then from Britain to Brazil, Argentina, through the Strait of Mageren into Chile, Peru, Colombia, and then into Mexico, and finally from San Francisco to the United States, and then by train to inspect the United States.

"This route ......"

Before Sun Yat-sen could finish speaking, Zhang Feng pointed with his hand, the teenagers who were crying on the side of the board.

"On the one hand, this route was arranged for our delegation, but it was also arranged for them!"

"Why is that?"

"We are at least still a country, and these teenagers will know that if they say yes, if they don't work hard, the status quo of India and other countries is the future of China!"

Zhang Feng's words made Sun Yat-sen stunned for a moment, and then nodded thoughtfully.

The bow of the "Qicheng" is as sharp as a knife and splits the surface of the Huangpu River and sails forward, and the white waves that open the bow are the powder brought out by the broken gems, the sun pierces the originally somewhat gloomy sky, and the golden sunlight sways on the huge hull of the "Qihang", at this time, it seems that everything in the world is blessed, wishing these teenagers a smooth journey...... The colorful sunset formed half of the sky into a glowing brocade, and the blood-red sunset slowly sank in the scattered clouds and glow.

When night falls, in the spacious banquet hall of Pudong Industrial Hotel, Shanghai's celebrities and dignitaries gather here, this is a banquet held by the Shanghai business community for the ruling party, Shanghai as the foundation of the ruling party, for the Shanghai business community, every time, prepare a banquet for the ruling party, subscribe for bonds at the banquet, perhaps it is a way for them to express their support for the ruling party.

The banquet began in the evening, and the offerings were staggered and crowded. The people in the banquet hall greeted each other and were polite. This is an indispensable social occasion entertainment, wine is like a stimulant, stimulating people's senses to the nerve endings, this kind of banquet is not different from the traditional banquet, but a Western-style banquet, compared to the Europeans in the banquet to the **, the body under the cover of the evening dress warms up, the language becomes presumptuous and bold, the behavior becomes frivolous, here is still maintained the oriental style of elegance, although the banquet is over, the band is playing music, the dance party begins, but there are only a dozen people on the dance floor.

At the banquet, from time to time chatting with these business gentry about the ruling axe's views on the economy, Chen Moran occasionally turned his eyes to a corner, in that corner, there were some ladies, this may be one of the changes after the recovery, under the guidance of the political axe, intentionally or unintentionally, women began to walk out of the family, but most of these business gentry brought their own concubines or daughters.

For them, the young and delicate concubine is one of the capitals to show off, and bringing their daughters here has another purpose, some are eyeing the ruling party with only one wife, of course, more people are eyeing the young officials who have come here with the ruling party, and those young officials or generals who have taken up prominent positions can be described as having a bright future.

And Chen Moran occasionally seemed to intentionally and unintentionally cast his eyes on the girl sitting alone at the table, her indifferent expression was in strong contrast to the lively banquet.

She is indeed beautiful, and what catches Chen Moran's eyes is a stunning face, and a pair of big eyes that convey affection make her slightly arrogant expression with a hint of charm. She has the beauty of a vibrant wild surname, and her big black eyes, which are sometimes passionate and innocent, sometimes blank, flashed with elusive connotations...... At this time, Li Yijing, who was sitting at the dining table, really realized what sorrow was, she looked at those people who gathered around the prominent ruler in a beautiful military uniform, greeted him, echoed him, and laughed or sighed with his words and smiles, feeling sad for them, when they tried their best to please him, how could they know that in his eyes, they were so small, as small as sand.

“…… Not only will the gold be exhorted, he said that after the national system is decided, the political axe will also introduce further incentives for industry, and when the industry comes, the scope of tax exemption for new factories may be wider and longer, and the political axe will give medals to successful industrialists, well! If it is a popular monarchy, I personally will not hesitate to confer knighthoods on all successful industrialists and financiers! ”

Chen Moran's words only made the gentry around him gasp in shock, everyone's eyes showed a look of longing, some of the older ones even flushed because they were too excited, taking this opportunity, Chen Moran once again cast his eyes on the girl who made people feel amazing and had a completely different wild surname, at this time, she had already stood up, her slender and plump body wrapped in a well-cut skirt to attract people's reverie, she stood up, and walked towards the balcony, When he secretly screamed in his heart that it was a pity, a little girl wearing a Western-style lady's skirt and a pink carving came up to him, and performed a Western-style lady's ceremony skillfully and dexterously.

"Your Excellency, can I invite you to do a dance?"

The sudden appearance of a girl who looked to be only seven or eight years old only made Chen Moran stunned, and he didn't react for a while.

"Ruling power, this is the youngest daughter of Song Jiashu, the manager of Fufeng Flour Company!"

"Song Jiashu?"

Chen Moran is not familiar with this name, and it should not be among the people who are sincere to him.

Looking at the little girl in front of him, thinking of his daughter at home, Chen Moran's face was full of slight, and he stretched out his right hand like a gentleman and made an inviting gesture.

"Can you please do a dance? My Miss! ”

I want to fulfill this little girl's heart's desire.

The little girl laughed happily when she heard this, and immediately accepted his invitation, holding her hands Chen Moran to teach her to dance, although she was very short, but Chen Moran could also take her to dance.

With the little girl, the two danced to the music, her cheeks were red with delight. At this time, people all looked at the ruling who was teaching the little girl to dance, especially when Song Jiashu heard the happy laughter of his daughter on the dance floor, he almost couldn't believe his eyes, before Meiling said that he wanted to invite the "emperor" to dance, he thought it was Meiling joking, but he didn't expect ...... "Yaoru, although the daughter is young......

Song Jiashu couldn't hear what the person next to him was saying at all, he just stared blankly at the ruling who was dancing with his daughter, in his imagination, no emperor in China would accept the invitation of a little girl.

Finally the song ended, letting go of the little girl who was still giggling, Chen Moran politely took the girl's hand and took her outside the dance floor, when a middle-aged man walked over with some apologies on his face.

"Children are sensible, please govern no wonder!"

Song Jiashu was apologizing, and looked at her daughter and said sternly.

"Meiling, don't apologize to the ruling government soon!"

Meiling? Song Jiashu...... She...... She is Song Meiling!

(To be continued)