Charlie Harry Warren is no stranger to chatting with Gastens, who likes to talk to them about capital, communism, and exploitation from an early age. Later, as their knowledge grew, Gastens would sometimes tell strange stories, which Charlie Harry and his companions listened to with great interest. He couldn't have been uncomfortable sitting at Gastens House and chatting with Gastens at home. But now, when he sat down in front of Gastens again, he found himself unable to say anything.

"Charlie Harry", Gastens seemed to understand Charlie Harry's state of mind very well, and took the initiative to open the topic, "What do you think, after the signing of the Ice Treaty, what kind of situation is our country in?" ”

Don't talk about corruption?

Charlie Harry Warren was a little puzzled, but that didn't stop him from answering Gastens' question.

"I think the overall international environment is stable, and it is impossible for several major adversary countries to engage in military confrontation with us unless they go crazy. Just as you said, we have entered a new era of economic construction and a new era of peaceful development. ”

This conclusion was reached by the Communist Party council, and Charlie Harry was familiar with these words and came to them with ease. He looked at Gastens, who was sitting across from him, and observed him. In the dim pyroxene light, Gastens, who was only twenty-eight years old, already had a slight gray hair and wrinkles on his forehead. Charlie Harry knew that was the price to pay for leading Anken Rein to his own path under intense pressure over a long period of time.

"You're right, it's a good thing not to fight, and it's a good thing to have peaceful development. However, peaceful development does not mean that we do not have enemies, the class enemies are always against us, and the selfish desires in our hearts are also against us all the time, and if we succumb to our selfish desires, if we succumb to the enemy, we will lose ourselves and our ideals. ”

"Boss ......"

Charlie Harry knew that when there were only two people left in this living room, there was no doubt who the leader was talking to. He hesitated, but he still couldn't hold back. After all, according to the habit of the party, it is the most basic requirement to be straightforward.

"Boss, I think that we people, fighting for life and death, have taken a lot of risk to get to where we are now. With such a big achievement, why should we be kind to ourselves? I don't say that I do things that violate the law and discipline, I just eat better, live better, and get more money for myself, right? In history, among the historical stories you have told us, which of those founding ministers is not a knighthood and half a country? I don't want that much money, and I can't spend that much money. But it's always right for me to eat a few bites of meat and sleep with a pretty woman, right? ”

Looking at Charlie Harry Warren with obvious bewilderment on his face, Gastens felt a pang of heartache. He suddenly realized that he was too negligent in the ideological management of the party? Although he has been pushing the party members to maintain good discipline and conduct in various ways, there have been few executions of people within Elena. Do these people feel that they are bullies because of this?

"Charlie Harry, you have a point," Gastens pondered his words, sipping his black leaf tea, "but, as I've always said, we can win because we have the support of the people. The enemy loses because they have lost the support of the people. And in this world, the people, peasants, and workers are the people with the brightest eyes. How you are an official, how you manage them, whether you have selfishness or not, they can see it clearly. If we members of the Communist Party are like you, we want to gain benefits for ourselves, and even do not hesitate to distort the power entrusted to you by the people in our hands. Then, the people will inevitably push you from this position one day in the future. So, Charlie Harry, although we won the war, it was difficult for us to win the hearts and minds. You know, this battle against the human heart may last for a long, long time? ”

"Boss ......"

Charlie Harry heard the boss say this, and knew that the leader did not agree with his opinion. He thought about it and said.

"But, sir, we fought to the death, and in the end we didn't catch anything, and some of the old brothers and buddies were wounded. This is not like the outcome of a winner. If we had known that we would not have gained anything in the end, perhaps many people would not have joined the revolution in the first place. ”

"Charlie Harry!"

Gastens's tone became heavier. He didn't expect Charlie Harry to have thought of this step, "Your idea is very dangerous!" We have launched a revolution never for our own selfishness, but for the liberation of the serfs and the working class, so that the proletariat can live a good life. By saying this, you are questioning the most basic goals of the revolution! ”

"Boss, I'm not!"

Charlie Harry stood up and pointed to the pyroxene elf on the table, "I'm a high-ranking official now, and I've seen some rich people in the province. These people made their fortune by doing border trade, and some of them were purely historical. Before the rebellion, I didn't think I would be with them as an equal. But now that the rebellion has succeeded, the revolution has succeeded, I find that I still can't be on an equal footing with them. Although many of their families have failed, they have a solid foundation and are not short of money. Looking at their lives and thinking about their own lives, I decided in my heart that it was not fair! Why are the exterminated rich still alive and well-off, and why are we living hard and hard? ”

"Charlie Harry, you know, the human heart is not content."

Gastens stood up and poured Charlie Harry a cup of tea. He picked up the pyroxene spirit, looked at it carefully, and then gently put it down.

"Once upon a time, such a pyroxene elf could sell hundreds of serfs like me. But now, you can have more than ten pyroxene spirits at any time if you want to. We're not who we used to be, we're free citizens, we can be rich, rich, even noble, right? People are always dissatisfied, and people are always moving forward. This is not a bad thing, but we must be careful not to let our desires cloud our ideals. ”

Charlie Harry looked at the pyroxene elf on the table, and met her gaze. The small pyroxene has a bumpy body, thin and transparent wings, and it seems that it will fan twice at any time and fly gently. He hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to continue speaking out.

"Boss, I'm a stupid person, and I can't hide things in my heart. I'll just say it bluntly, in the time of the revolution, we demand ourselves with the most arduous and simple ideas, and I understand this. But now we are the most powerful country in the world, and our products are sold to every country on this continent, and every country on this continent is selling us all kinds of products in the hope of exchanging our goddess coins. At such a time, why can't we let the brothers who fought the world together live a good life? ”

Gastens was silent again, he knew that on the road of revolution, someone would eventually part ways, but he didn't expect it to be so soon, and that person was so close to him.

"Charlie Harry, what did you want a good life when you were a serf?"

"Have a full meal, rest for the day, take a shower, and have a house that doesn't leak rain and has no smell."

Charlie Harry replied quickly.

"And now? Have you fulfilled these wishes? ”

"I made it happen. But—"

"But you want better, I know," Gastens said, standing up and pacing, "there's nothing wrong with wanting better, but you can't use public power for your own personal gain, let alone break the law." That's my bottom line, and that's the people we hated before. If you become the person you hate, you turn yourself into an exploiting class, do you think our revolution has succeeded? ”

"I'm not an exploiting class!"

"Isn't it exploitation that you took the pyroxene elves from them?"

"This ......"

Charlie Harry stopped. He knew that Gastens was not like himself. The legendary figure who founded the country doesn't seem to have any selfish desires at all. In his sight, it seems that there is only this country, and the people of this country.

"Okay, bro", Gastens knew that Charlie Harry had a completely different idea than he did, "you have come with me so far, I don't want to give up on you." So, from tomorrow onwards, you don't want to be prime minister, you go down, go to the province of Amber, go there to be a peasant, go and see, go and walk. Okay? ”

"Why?"

Charlie Harry raised his head, his eyes puzzled, and there was a slight fear. He didn't want to go back to the old days, and he didn't want to lose his power.

"Because only by remembering the past can we know why we set out in the first place", Gastens shook Charlie Harry's hand, "I'll give you a month to hide your identity and not give you the guards." Think of yourself as a new serf who wants land, and go to Amber Province, okay? ”

"I ......"

Charlie Harry hesitated for a moment, but finally made up his mind.

"I'll try."

"Good."

Gastens nodded, poured himself another cup of tea, and said seemingly unintentionally.

"Before leaving, hand over all the things you collected."

Charlie Harry shuddered, nodded, and stopped talking. The two of them drank the pot of tea in silence. Charlie Harry got up to say goodbye, and Gastens was delivered to the door.

"Brother, I want you to come back."

Gastens looked at Charlie Harry as the glow of pyroxene came from his back, illuminating Charlie Harry's face. The country's deputy prime minister had a face with furrows, wrinkles, and vicissitudes on his face.

"I ...... I will be back. ”

Charlie Harry saluted and disappeared into the darkness. Gastens sighed softly and closed the door.

——————————

Three days later, the Communist Party Council announced the establishment of the Disciplinary Inspectorate, headed by Zink Warren.

Five days later, Gastens launched a purge campaign that arrested 124 Communist Party officials across the country and held separate public meetings to try them for corruption. The people attending the meeting all applauded. Of the 124 officials arrested, 119 were sentenced to death by hanging because of the aggravating circumstances. The remaining five were sentenced to exile. And Jimmy Warren's name does not appear in the list of those five people.

A month later, Gastens waited for Charlie Harry Warren. As he had done more than a month earlier, the deputy prime minister, who had been a farmer in the province of Ambor for a month, sat in Gastens's living room.

"How does it feel?"

Gastens smiled, the black leaf tea in his hand swayed slightly, and the bitterness was fragrant.

"It's hard."

Charlie Harry Warren spread out his hands, his palms were some freshly ground calluses, red and tender, not yet formed, "I thought I was an old crop, and I also participated in grassroots labor every week." But this time as a farmer, I still feel difficult. ”

"Farmers work hard," Gastens asked casually.

"Well, it's hard."

"But aren't they happy?"

Gastens asked again.

"Indeed, after all, I was a serf before," Charlie Harry nodded, "Chief, I know what you mean. Our lives are much better than those of peasants and serfs, and we don't have to be the best and richest, right? ”

"Yes and no," Gastens smiled slightly, "we need to make everyone rich so that our country can be sustainable." These new farmers, they are now satisfied, because they have turned over and become masters. However, as time goes on, they, like you, will have new and more needs. If we can't meet their needs and give them a good life, that's our failure. And if we patronize ourselves to live a good life, regardless of these peasant brothers, what do you think they will think? ”

"I see, sir."

Charlie Harry Warren nodded solemnly, "Give me a chance, and I'll prove myself." ”

"The deputy prime minister can't give it to you, you made a mistake, it's impossible for me not to punish you."

"Let me go to Amborg", Charlie Harry made a new request, "It doesn't matter how big or small the official position is, I want to go over there and do something." ”

"Very good, very good", Gastens smiled even more happily, "Well, how about you go to Ambour, which is Ambor in Ambor Province, and then, give you the director of the Agricultural Bureau?" ”

"Good!"

Charlie Harry nodded, "I'll prove myself, I'll look from below, to understand, to do what you ask!" ”

"That's good."

Gastens smiled and handed the teapot in his hand to Charlie Harry, "This is for you, I hope you can remember the lesson this time." ”

Charlie Harry took the teapot and shook it. It was an ordinary tin pot, produced in the Elena 18 factory, plain without a trace of pattern, only the bottom of the pot has a mark indicating the production factory. Charlie Harry was very familiar with that factory, and he himself used to have such a teapot. It's just that he didn't expect that Gastens still had this teapot.

"Don't worry, head."

"Okay, I trust you."

Gastens sent Charlie Harry to the door, and sighed softly as he disappeared into the glow of the pyroxene street lamp.

Above his head, the moonlight was bright and clean, unstained with dust.