He Rui’s memorial hall was only open to the public in the morning. In the afternoon, Hu Xiushan and Xu Chengfeng walked into the silent space. The staff remained at a distance, watching from afar as the two Marshals stood side-by-side before the crystal sarcophagus.

Even when Hu stepped forward to lightly touch the glass, no one moved to stop him. After all, he was an old comrade-in-arms who had followed He Rui for thirty years. During the Chairman’s life, the two had spent countless hundreds of nights working together.

Of course, the most practical reason was that Hu carried no metal objects. Had he approached with a hammer, even a Marshal would have been tackled by the guards.

Hu stood in silence for a long time before finally removing his cap and saluting. He turned to leave.

Xu Chengfeng spoke then. "Xiushan, I do not believe Chairman Li’s recent decisions align with the Chairman’s original line."

"I believe we should obey the decisions of the Center," Hu replied immediately, lacking his usual habit of careful deliberation.

"The Chairman's policies were always dedicated to unleashing the subjective initiative of the masses," Xu offered his own perspective.

Hu replaced his cap and turned to fix Xu with a steady gaze. "Chengfeng, what I mean is that we simply do not possess the capacity to judge the direction of the future. If we did, it wouldn't have taken us until the end of the Pacific War to finally grasp the Chairman's geopolitical vision. I am certain now that before he ever returned from Japan, he had finalized his entire strategic framework. And the foundation of that framework was a new global economic order. Thirty years later, I still haven't fully digested all of it. Have you?"

Hu rarely spoke at length, but his words struck Xu like a blow, leaving him with a sense of sudden dread.

Among the five Marshals, Xu Chengfeng was regarded as the most gifted leader. Even at the Baoding Military Academy, he had been a "Grade A" student, the cream of the crop. Compared to Cheng Ruofan’s "Grade C" status, Xu was considered steady and reliable. Compared to Hu Xiushan’s "Grade B," he possessed a distinct advantage in decisiveness and efficiency.

But Hu had his own strengths: he never made judgments based on imagination. Whatever he voiced was rooted in hard reality. In this instance, Xu was forced to admit the truth: he still could not say he fully understood the strategic vision He Rui had completed thirty years ago, let alone possessed the capability to execute it himself.

Yet Xu had been harboring these doubts for some time, and he wanted to speak his mind with his old friend. During He Rui's life, Xu had felt that "speaking foolishly" was, well, foolish. While Cheng Ruofan often indulged in such naive outbursts, Xu felt no need to emulate him. Now that He Rui was gone, Xu discovered to his shock that the ability to speak foolishly was actually a form of happiness.

To the world, Xu Chengfeng was a founding father, a Marshal of the Republic, and a brilliant commander who had never tasted defeat. He was a figure from legend. His words were truth; to everyone but He Rui, his name was synonymous with being correct.

Yet Xu knew well that faced with an unknown future, he was as bewildered as any ordinary man. Despite his vast experience and ability, there were simply too many things he felt uncertain about. His life’s record of victory and his sterling reputation had been built upon his ability to perfectly execute the resolutions of the Center.

Realizing this, Xu asked, "Has the time truly come when the Chairman's policies must be adjusted?"

Hu felt a touch of regret for his old comrade. In his view, of the five Marshals, Xu Chengfeng was the one most distant from He Rui. This wasn't a matter of character; He Rui had always said Xu was an idealist.

If there was a flaw, it was that Xu's ideals were too nationalistic. Nationalists easily fall into the trap of viewing China as a unique, special case—believing that China’s distinctiveness alone accounted for its rise. This was unscientific.

Hu believed China’s distinctiveness was merely the result of individuals who stood up at critical junctures throughout its millennia of history, allowing the nation to summarize its past and distill its history into a civilization.

Though he lacked confidence in his own academic depth, Hu did his best to explain. He Rui was gone; there were few people left who mattered to him, and Xu was one of them.

"Chengfeng, if China did not follow objective laws, it would have perished long ago. To find those laws amidst the chaotic complexity of reality is the work of politicians and strategists. Since we have both established that we are neither, we must naturally obey the resolutions of the Center. To make decisions on politics and strategy is their duty."

Xu knew exactly what Hu was saying. He realized that, however unconsciously, he had overstepped the boundaries of his power. Yet he could not master his emotions. He started to speak several times, only to fall silent. As he struggled for words, Hu pointed toward the crystal coffin.

"Chengfeng, the Chairman’s status was always higher than ours. Why did you accept that so frankly for thirty years?"

The question stunned Xu. No one had ever asked him that before, and he had never asked himself. After a long silence, he let out a heavy sigh. "I... I never gave it a thought."

"Were you obeying him as a superior, or as a man? Were you obeying his cause, or following the many ideals he pointed out?" Hu continued.

Xu felt the question should be simple, yet as he pondered it, he realized with shock that he had never truly followed He Rui’s *ideals*.

"The Chairman was great not because of the magnitude of his achievements, nor because his schemes were unmatched and his person invincible. He was great because he adhered to his ideals and never stopped learning and developing. Chengfeng, if you possessed those same ideals, you could do what he did." Hu’s tone turned sorrowful; he was disappointed in Xu, and that disappointment caused him a sharp pang of pain.

Xu remained silent for a long time. Finally, he whispered, "I cannot do it."

Hu’s mood lifted slightly. For the first time in thirty years, he saw the formidable Xu Chengfeng in such a submissive state. Usually, Xu radiated a presence of absolute confidence and reliability—a general with the world in his mind. Such a display of uncertainty was unprecedented.

"Brother, the reason you didn't dare voice your views openly in the meeting isn't because you were afraid of being rejected. I believe you simply wanted this current era of glory to last a little longer. But you also know that if the current system isn't adjusted, a massive crisis is inevitable!" Hu was speaking from the very bottom of his heart now.

Xu answered quickly this time. "I... I truly was somewhat unconvinced."

"If you trust the Chairman’s vision, you must trust his judgment of our comrades," Hu replied. "I have read Chairman Li’s speeches. A 'Full Industrial Chain' is a highly adversarial model. While China can use that advantage to crush the global industrial powers, we must be prepared for the entire world to unite against us. Not out of malice, but out of a primal instinct for survival. The new world order the Chairman envisioned was one where every nation has the space to develop and progress, not one where they follow behind China begging for scraps. Chairman Li clearly understands this strategic vision.

"I know we have worked hard to reach this pinnacle, and we naturally want to enjoy the view and talk of our triumphs. But economics is a cold reality. If you are unemployed today, you go tomorrow tomorrow. We have just struck down colonialism and imperialism; do we intend to immediately trigger mass unemployment and despair in Europe?

"I promise you, a despondent Europe will become a font of chaos. War will erupt again and again until they can truly solve that problem."

Xu was silent. He knew Hu was right; he had indeed hoped for a China that stood on high, looking down upon the globe. With his confidence in the military, he believed China could crush any European revolt at will.

But he also knew that this was not He Rui’s vision for the future. He Rui had envisioned a world where every nation, European ones included, could earn a better life through their own hard work.

A "better life" was not one of idle enjoyment, but one where people had the time and ability to continue learning and progressing, giving their lives positive value.

If China became a global vampire, its sheer size and strength would soon leave every other nation skeletal and gasping for breath. Forget progress; they would be lucky to survive.

"But that means China must sacrifice a great deal extra," Xu offered a weak objection.

"China has been disrespected for five hundred years because we contributed too little to the world," Hu countered. "Sacrifice is painful, but China is part of the globe. Only by creating a better world can China live better itself.

"I never thought of the Chairman as an unfortunate man, for he gave so much—and he never gave for the sake of personal reward. To give for reward is a path that inevitably ends in tragedy. China must never do such a thing; it would only harm us.

"But to give for the sake of human progress is never a mistake. Chengfeng, I spoke with many African comrades in North America. They had only been liberated for a few years. Given their status and ability, they could have led comfortable lives in Africa. Yet they went to North America to fight, and many died there.

"They did not die for a reward, but for the liberation of Black Americans. And their sacrifice yielded a positive return. Now, Black Americans finally realize that their happiness is not a gift from others, nor is it found in self-abasement.

"I saw it with my own eyes: those who were once branded an inferior race performed brilliantly in the fields, in the factories, and on the battlefields of land, sea, and air. They appeared 'clumsy' only because they had lacked the time and conditions to acquire skills through labor. Labor creates the human being!"

"And what of competition?" Xu asked. To this day, he still believed China had to win every contest to ensure its unshakeable position.

Hu smiled bitterly. "I must say, I also believe China must win. But what truly drives human progress has always been cooperation. If we are to move human civilization into a new era, we must learn the art of global cooperation. Despite my own concerns, I have decided to support Chairman Li’s views."

With that, Hu no longer lingered and walked out of the memorial hall. He was surprised at how much he had said to his old friend. He had never considered himself a man of words; he had simply spoken his heart.

Regarding that final question, Hu did indeed fear a Chinese failure in competition. But he felt that rather than treading upon the rest of the world, it was logically superior to help them develop.

He Rui had once said with absolute confidence: "China’s natural advantages dictate that the limits of other nations are not the limits of China. China's limits are not found in territory or resources, but in whether its civilization can continue to break through to a higher level, and keep breaking through."

Hu loved that vision of confidence and hope. As the Li Sao lamented: "The road ahead is long and far; I shall seek the truth high and low."