The conversation between Cassie Lonergan and Gastens lasted for a long time, from afternoon to evening, from strange to familiar, and Gastens inquired in great detail about the experience of the revolutionary team led by Cassie, and expressed great encouragement and respect for him to be able to lead thousands of people out of such an environment. And Cassie Lonergan always felt a little ashamed of Gastens's praise of his revolutionary cause, which was not worthy of success. He and Gastens drank a pot of tea, and then a pot of tea, before they finally mustered up the courage to ask their own questions.

"Chairman Gastens, I don't think my revolution was a success. In the first 5,000 or so, some died and some fled, and the rest were only 2,000. We had no weapons, no money, and hid in the ravines all day doing the work of hunters. We are fighting to survive, not to revolution. The world we're trying to change is still the same, and the ideas we hold on to aren't being implemented. It's hard for us to even survive. Chairman Garstens, you said that we have succeeded, can you please tell me, where are we, where is our success? ”

"It's getting late, let's go eat."

Gastens stood up and did not answer Cassie Lonergan's question. He took Cassie Lonergan's hand, picked up the coat on the wall, put it on, and left the first factory with him. Cassie Lonergan didn't know why Gastens didn't answer his question, but he was too embarrassed to ask, and it was worth following him, leaving the factory and going into the cold outdoors.

Elena was a little cold and lonely in winter, and although it was late afternoon, Cassie Lonergan didn't see too many people on the way from the factory to the canteen. Occasionally, groups of workers passing by the side of the road would stop and call out to the chairman when they saw Gastens. And when Gastens encounters this situation, he will also wave his hand very warmly. The two guards who followed Gastens were silent all the way, and seemed to be accustomed to the chairman's way of life in close contact with the people. Cassie Lonergan saw it in his eyes and envied it in his heart. He longed, even desperately, that their small team would one day have a land like Morale, like Morale, and these people who really loved and supported the revolution.

"Here, this is our cafeteria, the conditions are simple, but it may be a little better than yours."

After Gastens finished speaking, he laughed twice and gently patted Cassie Lonergan on the shoulder. His movements weren't heavy, just the right amount of force to let Cassie Lonergan know he was joking. Cassie Lonergan followed Gastens open the two curtains and entered the cafeteria, his vision blurred a little by the rush of heat. And before he could see the scenery in front of him, a loud and neat "chairman" had already sounded.

"It's okay, I have to shout every time I come, just get used to it."

Still waving his hand, Gastens took an enamel rice bowl for Cassie Lonergan at the entrance and one for himself, and started to line up.

"This is the third canteen of the first factory, which is the closest to me, so I eat here most of the time. All of our canteens serve more or less the same food, and there will be additional preferential treatment for model workers. However, I have a requirement that all managers cannot enjoy the treatment of model workers, and only front-line workers can enjoy additional meals or vegetables. ”

Cassie Lonergan's gaze swept over the cafeteria, and it was easy to see the food of these people. A simple and thick rye porridge, one potato per person, and some kind of greens poured over the surface of the thick porridge. Most of the people here don't have meat in their bowls, and the few that do, it seems, are the model workers that Gastens mentioned.

"More work and more reward, less work and less income, production and reproduction under the communist system, we must grasp the scale of incentive policies......"

Gastens didn't know what was going on in his mind, and muttered to himself. But he soon realized Cassie Lonergan's confusion. He paused and changed the subject.

"You think you've failed, but I think you've succeeded, why?"

Hearing Gastens begin to answer his questions, Cassie Lonergan immediately gathered all his energy.

"It's not that difficult. From your own experience, your attempts to build political parties to promote communism through moderate reform movements and internal reforms in capitalist countries have undoubtedly failed. And after the failure of the reform movement, your party was torn apart, and the main leaders died and fled, and in the eyes of outsiders, the hope of a comeback has long been lost. But on your own, you raised a team in a strange city, won the first battle, and even briefly gained a foothold. You must know that in the eyes of many people, it is already a success to be able to get out of that environment! ”

"But we were still far from the victory of the revolution, and even we went to our last stronghold and had to hide in the mountains and forests......

Gastens smiled softly after listening to Cassie Lonergan's words. He took the rice bowl handed to him by the master, and then took the rice bowl of Cassie Lonergan and handed it to the master before continuing.

"If you have watched "Fluorite" and know about guerrilla warfare, you should remember a sentence, the enemy advances and I retreat. Now that your forces are weak in front of the army and government of the Third Republic, if you don't hide, do you have to fight them head-to-head and then die all of them to be considered successful? ”

"But how can we win if we farm in the mountains like this?"

"Why can't you win?" Gastens pulled Cassie Lonergan to an empty table and sat down. Two of his guards stood straight behind him, not eating.

"They can't eat at this time, lest they be taken advantage of. When the time comes to turn back, someone will naturally change shifts with them. ”

Garstens explained, took a bite of the sweet potato, chewed it twice, and watched as Cassie Lonergan began to eat with him before continuing.

"Everything is small to large, weak to strong. Our team of Elena started out as serfs of dozens of death squads, and they could die at any time. At that time, how could we have imagined that we could have the current Elena? ”

Gastens said a few words and began to eat. He ate quickly and deliciously, and his movements and demeanor did not seem to be fake at all. Cassie Lonergan was led by him and ate too. He didn't recognize the greens that the master had poured on the rye porridge, but it tasted salty. And the sweet potato also has a faint salty taste. These two foods made Lonergan prefer his porridge, and the somewhat rough rye grains floated and were very satisfying to drink.

"Our vegetable supply is not enough, and it will be winter soon, so we can only make it salty and let everyone eat more", Gastens chewed a few bites, stopped again, picked up the tea jar and ate a big bite of porridge, "After a while, the greens are gone, so we can only eat turnips, fortunately we still have radishes." ”

"We only grow food in the forest, but there are some fruits and wild vegetables in the forest to eat, but when we wait until winter, we don't think it will be easy......

Cassie Lonergan looked at Gastens in front of him, and then at the porridge in the bowl, and suddenly felt a little dazed. He seemed to have forgotten what the two had discussed earlier, and remembered life in the forest.

"Good days will always come, just as bad days will always pass", Gastens looked at Cassie Lonergan, "we must not only have theory, masses, and environment to carry out revolution, but also opportunities." The war with the Negru Republic was an important factor in why Elena has come to this point. It is because of the diplomatic war that we low-level serfs have been given the opportunity to turn over, and it is also because of the diplomatic war that we have the opportunity to grow up in the cracks. Unlike you, the Third Republic of Fern now has a stable overall environment, and although there are foreign enemies, it is not likely to break out into a national war. So your government can focus all its energy on suppressing communism. If you want to use the seasons as an analogy, when you were promoting the communist movement, the Third Republic of Fern was in winter, and its environment was not suitable for the budding growth of communism. And you, being able to preserve the flame of revolution in the cold winter is a remarkable thing in itself. That's why I say you're the victor, because you perpetuated the revolution. And only the continuation of the revolution, no matter how humble and small, will have a chance to wait until the next spring, right? ”

"But where is the spring?"

Cassie Lonergan watched Gastens finish his meal and ate his own in two bites, followed him with the rice bowl and squatted in the sink by the door to wash the dishes. The water in the sink was cold, making Lonergan's fingers stiff.

"Spring may be a war or an economic crisis for you. When the external pressures restraining and restraining the communist movement are weakened, if you can preserve your strength and survive in that forest, you will have the opportunity to go out again and lead more workers in the pursuit of happiness", Gastens stood up, and put the rice bowl in another sink and placed it on a small table. Cassie Lonergan did the same and put away his rice bowl.

"So our task now is to farm the land well?"

Cassie Lonergan asked with some confusion that he wanted the victory of the revolution, not a peasant.

"Survival is the premise of everything, including revolution", Gastens leads Cassie Lonergan on the path of Elena. Most of the people who passed by them were dressed in blue overalls, greeting Gastens from time to time, with smiles on their faces.

"I envy you."

Suddenly, Cassie Lonergan didn't hide her thoughts. He looked at the people passing by him, "When will we have a life like this?" ”

"A year ago, we didn't know we would have lived like this," Gastens continued, the pyroxene lamppost in the center of Chaoyang Square was already within reach.

"The unknowability of the future is the driving force behind our progress, isn't it?"

“…… Also. ”

Cassie Lonergan nodded and followed Gastens to Chaoyang Square. The square is not big, but it is very neat, and in everything in the square, there are a few gallows, empty, and quiet.

"What do we do next? How can I live, how can I wait until spring? ”

For some reason, Cassie Lonergan's awe and admiration for Gastens faded with the experience he had just experienced. He looked at Gastens sitting next to him, and felt like he was looking at a familiar co-worker who lived next door to his dormitory, and he had a natural sense of intimacy.

"I have some articles that might give you the answer."

Gastens clapped his hands and stood up.

"Sometimes I envy you, really. At least you know what path you're going to take now. ”

Cassie Lonergan frowned, if he knew his path, how could he come back to Elena? He didn't understand Gastens' words, but instead of asking, he followed him back to his office on the third floor of Factory No. 1.

"This is "On Guerrilla Warfare", this is "Some Thoughts on the Construction of Base Areas", this is "Who is Our Enemy", and these, these are some of my usual thoughts, and many of them are also from the wisdom of my predecessors", Gastens rummaged through his bookcase and introduced to Cassie Lonergan behind him, "Many of these articles have been published in "Fluorite", and you should have read them. However, they are not something that can be understood by looking at them once, and if you have the time, you can naturally find your way. ”

Cassie Lonergan took the books and the neatly bound "Fluorite" and carefully put it away, "Thank you, Chairman, these are our very valuable assets." ”

"It's also my precious treasure," Gastens said of rummaging and sitting back in his chair. He placed the books on his desk, was silent for a moment, and then suddenly sighed softly.

"Chairman?"

Cassie Lonergan stepped forward and looked at Gastens with some puzzlement. He is the closest man to the Grand Magus, the one who has successfully defeated the twin attacks of the Negru Republic and the Anken Rein royal family. He, why sigh?

"These things used to be all my guidance and direction," Gastens said, reaching for a book and saying in a somewhat nostalgic tone, "but as I did, I found myself on a different path." That magic changed Elena's fate, and it changed my fate. The situation is different in every base area, and every revolution is different. This knowledge may be more helpful to you. For me, it can't light all the way ahead. ”

Cassie Lonergan felt like he didn't understand, but he still wanted to say something.

"But, at least you know which way to go, don't you?"

"Hah, that's right."

Gastens laughed, but there wasn't much joy in his tone. He stood up, carefully put the books away, and handed them to Cassie Lonergan.

"These are all books in Rein, and you may not look good. In the next few days, I will find someone to translate for you, and I hope it can help you. ”

"Thank you, Chairman!"

Cassie Lonergan took the book and thanked him happily. Gastens looked at him, paused for a moment, and suddenly asked a question.

"Lonergan, have you ever thought about bringing your people to me? What do you do with me? ”

Lonergan's hand rubbing through the stack of books stopped. He looked at the book "The Class Contradictions of Anken Rein" placed at the top, and fell silent.

Coming to Elena? Come to this place that is almost like heaven?

Take those brothers out of the mountains and forests, leave the Third Republic of Fern, where there seems to be no hope in sight, and come to Gastens? To be part of a more successful and greater cause?

Why not?

Cassie Lonergan bowed her head and was silent. Gastens looked at the foreigner in front of him, and the emotion in his eyes was intriguing. And the moonlight outside the window has already unconsciously filled the room.