"Ice-breaking meeting? What is that?" Zhao Tianlin was very puzzled.

"Let everyone sit together, get to know each other, introduce themselves, chat, and lower their guard. The purpose is to let everyone overcome the sense of unfamiliarity in a relaxed environment and integrate into the team as soon as possible."

Zhao Tianlin finally understood. "So that's it. Brother He acts very thoughtfully."

In this era, more than one person had said He Rui was thoughtful. He Rui himself didn't think so. From a management perspective, establishing mutual trust is the first step to good cooperation. It's just that some people do it instinctively, while others aren't aware of it. He Rui was merely executing a standard procedure; it had nothing to do with what he personally thought.

"If Brother Zhao thinks I am thoughtful, then let it be so," He Rui replied.

"Commander, we're out of flyers. Should we print another batch?" Xu Chengfeng ran over to offer a suggestion.

He Rui paused his guidance of cultural instructor Liu Jingsheng on silk-screen engraving, looked up, and replied, "Don't print any more flyers. Print this literacy manual instead."

Xu Chengfeng persuaded, "We are still short quite a few people. I think we should distribute another round of flyers."

"How are we short?" He Rui asked deliberately.

Xu Chengfeng took out a report that Zhong Yifu had produced. He Rui glanced at it. In the eight days in Tianjin, they had selected 35 people. There were also 41 candidates on the waitlist. At the bottom of the report, Zhong Yifu had also listed the passing rate.

Up to now, the number of people who decided to follow He Rui accounted for only one-quarter of the first-round candidates. Adding those who felt unsuitable after attending the ice-breaking meeting and voluntarily withdrew, the passing rate was only one-fifth.

According to this ratio, only about 8 people could be selected from the remaining 41 candidates. Adding the 35 already selected, the total would be only 43, two-thirds of the target of 64.

As they were speaking, Xu Jia also ran in. "Commander, should we distribute some more flyers?"

He Rui shook his head and sat down to start engraving the silk screen himself, simultaneously ordering, "We'll talk about it tonight."

The review meeting continued in the evening. Although Xu Jia frowned, his work attitude was still meticulous. Among the other reviewers, only Zhong Yifu could maintain basic composure. Someone impatient like Xu Chengfeng showed a clear tendency to lower standards.

*Reached the limit,* He Rui thought to himself.

This didn't mean that people couldn't be found in Tianjin, the largest city in the north with a population of one million. Sixty-four people wasn't even one in ten thousand for a population of this scale.

Nor was it that everyone wasn't working hard. Everyone wanted to finish the work as soon as possible every day. The effort and thought spent were no less than before.

The so-called limit was that everyone's tolerance for this matter had reached its limit. It was just that the current core cadres were young and couldn't realize this yet.

Since the limit had been reached, there was no need to hold on stubbornly. He Rui announced at the morning meeting the next day, "End all flyer distribution work now. We will no longer actively go out to recruit. Everyone, start making preparations to leave the pass."

Some young cadres felt relieved as if a heavy burden had been lifted, while others were obviously unwilling. Zhong Yifu asked, "Commander, what do we do now?"

"Wash clothes, clean up, and pack luggage."

"Clean up?" Zhong Yifu was puzzled by this.

"We've lived in the school for so long. Is it appropriate to leave it in a mess when we go?"

Zhong Yifu immediately replied, "Yes. I will lead everyone in cleaning."

Not long after the troops here started moving, Zhao Tianlin arrived. "Is Brother He leaving?"

Cheng Ruofan, who was following He Rui to organize the newly printed literacy manuals, looked at President Zhao Tianlin upon hearing this.

"Brother Zhao, we've recruited about enough people, and the Northeast is waiting for us. We will depart in the next two days. I intended to inform Brother Zhao after the cleaning was finished."

"What a pity. I wanted to ask Brother He for more advice. Brother He, remember to write to me sooner on your way to the Northeast. Thinking about what Brother He said these past few days regarding whom the law serves, I really feel enlightened."

"If Brother Zhao is truly interested in this, why not start preparing now? Although China is currently weak, it will never remain this way forever. When we regain independence and national liberation, the government will decide on formulating national policies. But compiling legal provisions will still require experts like Brother Zhao. When the time comes, we will look to Brother Zhao to display his lifelong learning and compile excellent legal texts."

Zhao Tianlin was stunned. He stared at He Rui for a while before breaking into a smile. "I only wish that day comes soon."

After Zhao Tianlin left, Cheng Ruofan asked carefully, "Commander, no one among us told President Zhao that we were leaving, right?"

"Probably not."

"Is this like what the Commander explained about why the Great Powers actually don't deceive each other? Does someone in a high position like President Zhao know we are leaving just by looking at us cleaning?"

"The Great Powers don't deceive each other because they all do things that way and are very clear about every detail. As for President Zhao, if he were leading students to borrow lodging like us, he would definitely clean up before leaving. So seeing the cleaning, he concluded we were leaving. Seeing things clearly often relies on the accumulation of experience. If it were someone who didn't think cleaning was necessary before leaving and hadn't learned the etiquette in this regard, seeing us do this, they would inevitably have to think and look again to know. Or, they might even suspect that our purpose in cleaning is to stay permanently."

"So that's how it is." Cheng Ruofan nodded in reply, appearing to have taken it in.

***

June 12th. He Rui led a unit composed of 6 officers and 43 cultural instructors to the train station.

Except for the officers, everyone had someone come to see them off. Relatives held the children's hands, giving earnest advice and asking He Rui and the young officers to take care of their children.

He Rui and the others naturally agreed one by one. Some of the cultural instructors' relatives showed the vulnerability of common folk before parting, hugging their kin and crying, adding a bit of sorrow to the platform already filled with the emotions of parting.

Just then, someone rushed over and shouted upon seeing He Rui, "Brother He!"

He Rui looked and saw it was Zhao Tianlin. Zhao Tianlin walked quickly to He Rui. "Brother He, parting this time, I don't know when we shall meet again. Brother He must take care of his health."

"Brother Zhao as well. Everything went so smoothly in Tianjin this time thanks entirely to Brother Zhao's help. Once I am settled in the Northeast, I will write to Brother Zhao. If Brother Zhao can come to the Northeast, I will definitely host you well."

At this moment of separation, Zhao Tianlin was obviously emotional. "Brother He, when the day of China's independence and self-strengthening that you spoke of arrives, we won't be too old, will we?"

"Rest assured, when that day comes, we will still be young!"

Hearing He Rui's words, Zhao Tianlin wanted to say something. However, the train's whistle blew, making it impossible for He Rui to hear Zhao Tianlin's voice clearly.

As soon as the whistle stopped, the train attendant shouted, "The train is about to leave. Everyone, get on board quickly!"

Zhao Tianlin reached out his hand and clasped He Rui's. "Take care."

Soon, amidst the sound of the whistle, the train slowly started moving. The parting crowd squeezed against the windows on the platform side, waving goodbye to friends and family.

This small team, established within a month, began to set off for its first destination: Fengtian. The train drove out of the station, leaving the city. Ignoring the sorrow and unease of separation, it carried its passengers toward a broader world.