"Governor, will the Mitsui family's advance payment arrive on time?" Wu Youping asked.

"Just treat Mitsui as an ordinary partner. Business activities are business activities; just act according to the agreed commercial contract. The Mitsui family is not more important than other merchants, nor less important than other merchants."

Wu Youping relaxed and asked the next question. "Governor, the military uniform factory can start running. Comrades in the troops expressed that the uniform style is different from the Republic of China military uniform."

"The samples are out?" He Rui showed a smile. He Rui had drawn the style of the Siping Army's uniform himself, but he hadn't had time to attend to this matter.

Here, Zhao Tianlin couldn't help but take over the conversation. "Brother He, I have already written to my mentor, asking him to help invite people who do art design to come and set up an Art Department. However, for fine arts, we still have to look to European countries. This is another expense."

He Rui laughed. "No matter. This money should be invested. Aesthetic design, as well as photography and videography, are very important works. We want to build such a school."

Now even Zhao Tianlin was a bit surprised. But seeing He Rui's firm attitude, Zhao Tianlin looked at Wu Youping, who managed the money. At this time, Wu Youping didn't raise a different opinion but continued to ask, "Governor, since the military uniform factory can already run, how many orders should we give them?"

He Rui laughed. "Since the uniforms are ready, why not let Xu Chengfeng and the others wear them out for a look?"

Before long, a dozen young officers of various ranks appeared in front of He Rui wearing military uniforms. It was also Zhao Tianlin's first time seeing the new military uniform, and he was stunned. The uniform was very special when designed, but he didn't expect the feeling when worn to be even more different.

Large lapels, large buttons, wide belts. At first glance, one felt the soldiers had good figures; at second glance, one felt the soldiers' temperament was completely different from the Beiyang Army.

After looking at the military uniform, Zhao Tianlin could only sigh, knowing it was good but not knowing *why* it was good. "This uniform really looks good on them."

He Rui didn't comment. He examined the uniform carefully and raised improvement requirements. "Raise the collar at the back of the neck a bit higher, and lower the position of the front collar. Let the hollow at the base of the throat [suprasternal notch] show."

Cavalry Company Commander Zheng Silang asked in confusion, "Won't that be cold?"

"Of course it will be cold in winter. So the troops will be issued shirts as underwear, and also scarves."

"Without a discipline hook [collar hook], isn't that inappropriate?" Xu Chengfeng didn't quite agree with the small collar.

He Rui shook his head. "If military discipline could be solved by a hook, the Beiyang Army's discipline wouldn't have become what it is now."

Speaking, He Rui pulled Cheng Ruofan out and forcefully adjusted the uniform to the appearance he just described according to his own view. Wu Youping was watching when he heard He Rui order, "Youping, take off your shirt and let Cheng Ruofan wear it. Also, invite the tailor master to come and watch."

Before long, Cheng Ruofan was surrounded in the middle as a model. Zheng Silang looked left and right and couldn't help laughing. "Wearing it like this, Ruofan looks a lot smarter."

Hearing this, Cheng Ruofan immediately retorted, "Bullshit! I wasn't stupid to begin with!"

Zhao Tianlin praised, "Wearing it like this, he immediately has a scholarly air."

"Of course." He Rui was also very satisfied. The uniform in front of him was a copy of the WWII German uniform; it would be strange if it didn't look good. He borrowed a scarf from Zhao Tianlin and put it on Cheng Ruofan. Everyone couldn't help sighing with emotion; Cheng Ruofan already had a refined and gentle feeling.

This was also what He Rui pursued. The design of WWII German uniforms emphasized the shaping of body lines, trying to add visual effects of straightness, indifference, and wisdom. The inner elements of the design produced amazing visual effects, creating a classic in the history of military uniforms.

Of course, some people thought the combat effectiveness of such uniforms was sacrificed, but He Rui believed a scarf could keep one warmer than any discipline hook. Seeing it was about right, He Rui asked, "Master, the winter cotton overcoat must cover the calves. For ease of movement, the uniform itself isn't thick, so it needs to be longer to strengthen wind protection. How long does one set of such a uniform take?"

The tailor master estimated for a good while before answering, "If a few people rush this uniform, it takes ten days. If done normally, fifteen days."

"Good. Please write down the process arrangement for making this uniform for us, Master."

After the tailor left and everyone changed their clothes back, He Rui ordered Wu Youping, "We have two thousand people now, and the troops will be expanded to five thousand. Make the uniforms for the current troops and police first; adding them up, it's nearly three thousand sets."

Wu Youping replied, "Governor. Wait a moment." After speaking, he picked up a pen and calculated. Before long, Wu Youping calculated a number. "Governor, the uniform factory has four hundred people now. Three thousand sets of clothes require forty-five thousand man-days. To finish them all, it takes 112 and a half days. Four months. Governor, should we recruit more people?"

He Rui shook his head. "I don't plan to recruit more people in the uniform factory. But we must expand the manpower. Youping, send people to the villages and tell the villagers that if the village organizes people to participate in production, we will pay."

"How do people in the village know how to make military uniforms?" Wu Youping immediately expressed a different view.

"They don't need to learn how to make a complete uniform. Each village only needs to be able to complete one link in the production of the uniform. Making a set of uniforms only involves dozens or a hundred links. There are definitely villages that can complete them."

Wu Youping thought for a while and still shook his head. "Just organizing them and training them will take a lot of effort. If we expand the scale of the uniform factory, it's easy to organize and produce, and we can control product quality. We can also save a lot of effort."

He Rui didn't answer immediately but asked everyone to sit down first, then said, "The report mentioned a situation: the policies we promote in the countryside are greatly supported by the people of tenant backgrounds. The reaction of middle peasants is not enthusiastic, and the reaction of rich peasants is even more average. As for landlords, it's good enough if they don't oppose. Why?"

The one answering was Statistics Bureau Chief Xu Jia. This burly young man said in his pleasant baritone, "Everyone has two sides. Tenants benefit purely from land reform, while the wealthier classes, although benefiting, also suffer some damage. Moreover, after land reform, land trading is prohibited. Those owner-peasants and rich peasants can no longer become landlords. They feel we have blocked their upward channel. Of course, they feel they are losing out."

He Rui continued to ask, "Then why do these people feel their upward channel is blocked?"

Xu Jia thought for a moment and answered, "This... our policy doesn't allow them to become landlords."

"Let's change our thinking. A modern state is established on the basis of rights and obligations. Until now, tenants, owner-peasants, rich peasants, and even ordinary landlords haven't established a relationship with the government based on rights and obligations. The government didn't want to establish such a system, nor did anyone propagate it to them. As long as there is no major disaster, the government unilaterally obtains agricultural products and taxes from the countryside. For these people, they can only rely on themselves to obtain class advancement. From owner-peasant to rich peasant, from rich peasant to landlord. Then cultivate their children to study, pass imperial exams, and become members of the power class."

Xu Jia understood immediately and picked up his notebook to start recording.

The others also understood more or less. Wu Youping asked, "Governor, is cooperating with villages to produce military uniforms to give everyone a new path?"

"First, point out the new path of participating in industrial production through propaganda and education. Then, by providing opportunities to the countryside, let some of them join industrial production. Uniform production is just one of them. Perhaps some villages are better at weaving, breeding, breeding seeds, or logistics. There is no need to impose special content on a certain village. Through cooperation, guidance, and judgment, decide the direction of cooperation. This is also one of the contents to be trained for cadres like Village Heads and Village Militia Captains next."

Zhao Tianlin agreed with He Rui's view very much but was still a bit worried, so he asked, "What about efficiency?"

"Different levels have different standards for evaluating efficiency. From the perspective of a garment factory, the highest work efficiency, higher pass rate, and lower defective rate mean higher efficiency. From the perspective of the local economy, pulling more people into socialized production increases the social labor participation rate, and the overall efficiency is higher. If three thousand sets of uniforms are finished in one month, do you think the efficiency is high or not?"

Thinking of the difficulty of the work, Wu Youping frowned but answered firmly, "Governor, I will do my best to promote this matter."

"The first step in promotion is propaganda and education. When Shang Yang carried out reforms in the State of Qin, the first thing was to win the trust of the people. If we can't let the masses know what we are doing, how can we make the masses support us? Let me give another example. Why did the Mitsui family cooperate with us?"

Hearing this, everyone immediately broke free from the mood of fearing difficulties. The fact that Mitsui Yasuki suddenly cooperated with He Rui after days of sightseeing made the comrades very curious. None of them believed Mitsui Yasuki was a shallow person.

"Because after observing me for several months and coming personally, Mitsui confirmed one of our policies: the government and the army must serve economic development. Precisely because of this, Mitsui felt there was a basis for cooperation."

Zhong Yifu was somewhat unhappy. "Governor, we are executing such policies for the country and the people. Mitsui is just to make money for himself."

"We executed a more reasonable policy that is more conducive to developing productive forces. Even capitalists come to seek cooperation; the people will surely see this clearly too. And our work is to follow the laws of human cognition: first let the people know such a thing exists, then help more people have the ability to join the ranks of developing productive forces. As long as we recognize the laws and act according to them, there are no masses we cannot cooperate with."

Wu Youping sighed, "Just considering this workload, I feel we must strengthen cadre training!"

"Correct," He Rui agreed. "So next, military cadres like Xu Chengfeng must also rotate to work at the grassroots level in the countryside."

After speaking, He Rui said to Wu Youping, "Now seize the time to inquire in Tianjin, Shanghai, and other places about the requirements for military uniforms, shoes, socks, leggings, etc., in Europe. It's best if we can manufacture them ourselves. If we can't, try to find suppliers who can provide these products."