Chapter 738 - Flying Cloud Club

The decision was made on the spot: Zheng Shangjie would take up her position in Guangzhou and swiftly master operations at the Purple Tower. As for Qian Shuixie, the group concluded that rather than languishing as one of Lingao's "Redneck" basic laborers, he would be far better placed within the military. With his physical fitness and weapons proficiency, he outclassed many Senator officers already serving in the Army.

Qian Shuiting began mapping out assignments: "Brother, find a way into the military system. My estimate is that any Senator serving as an officer now will be at least a Major General within three to five years—and they'll be people who actually command troops. There's considerable reassurance in having genuine control over a force."

"Agreed." Qian Shuixie nodded.

"Master, you're responsible for helping Miss Mendoza learn Chinese. Miss Mendoza is also a Senator. We need her to play a larger role—she can't simply remain a housewife..."

"You look down on housewives?" Miss Mendoza said resentfully. "Being a housewife is my career ideal..." Her gaze drifted across the ship with complex emotions.

Qian Shuiting knew well that not a few foreign women aspired to be housewives, so he merely laughed off her comment. Nevertheless, Mendoza herself recognized the necessity of learning Chinese—after all, she was now surrounded entirely by Chinese speakers.

As for Zhou Weisen, everyone agreed that his "technical expert" identity carried too much weight for an immediate transformation. At this stage, his role—like Ai Beibei's—could only be speaking more assertively in the Senate as a Standing Committee member and engaging in political activities.

"Master, your expertise with firearms and diving ranks among the best of the five hundred Senators. Conducting more training sessions for everyone could draw a substantial following. The army and law enforcement agencies will also come to you for training. Eventually, your students will be everywhere..." Qian Shuiting grew increasingly pleased with his own brilliance. "Hahaha..."

Speaking of diving, Zhou Weisen was probably the only Transmigrator with a professional diving instructor license—not to mention the massive quantity of specialized equipment he had brought.

Zhou Weisen nodded thoughtfully. "The few of us brothers—setting other things aside—when it comes to firearms and sailing, very few among the five hundred Senators can match us. This is our advantage. If we capitalize on it—" He paused, working through the idea. "I think we should start a Diving and Firearms Club. We could join forces with 'Yellow Paw' and the others to organize camping training, barbecues, and similar activities. Most Senators would certainly be interested, and the Executive Committee won't object—it's skills training, after all."

"We use this club as an interaction platform!" Qian Shuiting caught fire with enthusiasm. "Colorful outdoor activities to attract the 'soy sauce crowd' Senators, subtly conveying our concepts to everyone!"

To prevent the outside world from perceiving their group as excessively exclusive, they agreed to choose a name—preferably one without obvious political connotations. After some deliberation, they settled on the "Zhai Club"—abbreviated as the "Zhai Party" or "Otaku Party." The rationale was straightforward: their primary development target was the vast population of "Zhai Nan" (Otaku men), and dropping the word "Nan" (men) might also attract some ladies.

"When our influence grows, Master, you can step forward to run for Speaker of the Senate. Seize that highest power institution!" Qian Shuiting said. "The position is currently vacant, and for the moment, no one seems willing to campaign for it."

"Excellent! I'm willing to pursue this." Zhou Weisen was eager for the challenge.

The Zhai Party's operational policy crystallized: attract the majority of Senators through rich and frequent interactive activities while propagating their political philosophy. In execution, they would emphasize tactical finesse—proposing only relatively realistic, specific demands each time rather than sweeping systemic reform. The targets of reform would be specific policies, not specific individuals.

Their ultimate objective was to establish a system of separation of powers, checks and balances, mobility, and transparency within the group—one that protected the interests of all Senators, especially Transmigrators who held no power under the current system. The most pressing task was building broad connections with other Transmigrators and, within the scope of basic Senator rights established by the new Common Program, opening channels for free expression.

Problems within the current system needed to be discussed openly. As a concrete step, Qian Shuiting proposed using their private assets—servers, routers, and software—to launch an independent website outside the Executive Committee's direct jurisdiction.

"What you're proposing is pointless," Zhou Weisen countered. "First, some people will accuse you of wasting resources—even though the equipment is ours, someone will inevitably complain about squandering limited computer hardware. An official forum used by only five hundred IDs doesn't consume much server capacity. If you open a second one, the intent to seize the public opinion ground becomes glaringly obvious." He continued, "Second, regarding content: the atmosphere on the official forum is quite free. All manner of posts appear—criticizing Executives, cursing the Executive Committee, attacking administrative officials—plenty of that. As long as posts avoid personal attacks, they're preserved. We can't use 'greater discussion scale' or 'freedom of speech' as propaganda to lure Otakus to shift platforms. A large portion of their discussion is specifically intended for the Executive Committee power-holders to see. Venting on a private forum would be pointless to them."

Qian Shuiting acknowledged the truth of this but remained reluctant to abandon the plan to seize public opinion ground. "We could use resource provision to attract Otakus..."

"We can't possibly match the official website's offerings," Ai Beibei frowned and interjected. "Last time I wanted to find some cartoons Duoduo hadn't seen. Unexpectedly, under the video-on-demand and download cartoon categories, there were over a thousand gigabytes of 18X and 21X content—even material that couldn't be publicly disseminated in the USA!"

Zhou Weisen remained pessimistic: "The official website's philosophy regarding 'food and sex are human nature' is far more permissive than the Saturn Community—nearly laissez-faire, even encouraged. They're using this to wear down the thoughts and will of the 'soy sauce crowd.' We're unlikely to outcompete them in resources; the official server holds the combined collections of five hundred Otakus. Just imagine the strange and exotic things available there."

Further discussion raised questions about implementation details—network jurisdiction, the right to dispose of private property and time within the group. Eventually, they reached a compromise: push for expanded speech systems on the official website, enabling expression not only through BBS verbal sparring but also through personal blogs, microblogs, and similar platforms.

With negotiations settled, everyone retired to their cabins. Before parting, Qian Shuiting privately urged his younger brother: work hard in the army, maintain good relations with colleagues, and establish prestige with subordinates. Get along well with everyone. Develop thorough understanding of the army and ideological currents within it, but avoid forming cliques. On political topics, he could state his position but shouldn't engage in arguments or try to persuade others to adopt his views.

"The Executive Committee crowd has established a special service agency—who knows if they're compiling dirt on people. The Political Security Bureau is a dark pit," Qian Shuiting cautioned. "We don't yet have the capability to expose their secrets. You must watch your words and actions daily—don't give anyone material to use against you." Qian Shuiting's generation was acutely sensitive to such matters.

"Rest assured. I know the limits! This isn't the old spacetime, after all—no one can cover the sky with one hand."

In the days that followed, the North American Branch moved energetically according to their established policy. Zheng Shangjie settled into Guangzhou Station and quickly assumed control of the Purple Tower's backend operations. Meanwhile, Qian Shuixie—by cultivating a relationship with Xue Ziliang through their shared enthusiasm for firearms—not only forged a personal connection with Bei Wei but also successfully joined the Special Recon Team under Xue Ziliang's recommendation, becoming Team Leader of the Sanya Detachment.

To prepare for his future campaign for Speaker of the Senate, Zhou Weisen began cultivating a "close to the people" image immediately. He moved to the Farm, where the biological laboratory was located. Practically everyone conducting biological research lived there: it was close to work, convenient for collaboration, and both the environment and food supply surpassed what was available in the collective dormitories of Bairen City. Persuading Mendoza to relocate required considerable effort on his part—he had to promise she could return to stay on the ship for a few days whenever she wished.

Observing everything proceeding smoothly, Qian Shuiting privately celebrated. He had originally intended to move himself and his family to Bairen City and hand over the yacht, but encountered Ai Beibei's resolute opposition: she herself would manage, but she absolutely refused to let Duoduo live in a prefabricated house. Furthermore, the Qian Shuixie couple also objected to moving. The yacht's complete kitchen and bathroom facilities represented what Zheng Shangjie was most reluctant to relinquish—in her view, handing the boat over would merely be wasting resources for nothing.

"Besides, aren't you planning to use this yacht as a club? Mendoza needs to come back and stay sometimes. Someone has to manage the club anyway—we can simply serve as administrators. We only occupy a few bedrooms. It doesn't hinder anything."

Unable to overrule his wife, Qian Shuiting agreed to retain the ship exclusively for club use. The upper entertainment area would be converted into a public space open to all Transmigrators. A yacht of this configuration had been a luxurious venue accessible only to the wealthy few, even in the spacetime the Transmigrators had left. Once opened, it should prove more popular than the cafés currently operating in the city.

Qian Shuiting sought out Xiao Zishan to express his proposal: establish a non-profit clubhouse on the ship, moored by the Wenlan River pier outside Bairen City. Their pitch to Xiao Zishan was straightforward: since Transmigrators were now permitted to form associations and clubs, why not transform this ship into a clubhouse named the "Flying Cloud Society"? Priority usage would go to club activities, but it could also serve as a private gathering and leisure venue for Transmigrators—reservations accepted. To ensure fair access, continuous reservation and occupation by any society or individual would be restricted.

The ship would continue to be managed and maintained by Qian Shuiting and the others. He emphasized that this would not become a profit-making venue; the Qian Shuiting couple and Mendoza would handle regular oversight. Apart from the club's own activities, appropriate usage fees would be charged for other societies and individuals.

As for consumables, Senators would pay corresponding costs from their own pockets—these would be purchased by the Flying Cloud Society at fair prices with a partial loss charge; no profit markup would be added.

The North American Group's calculation was clear: disguised transfer of partial usage rights could shed their burden of appearing detached from the masses without surrendering ownership or access to the Flying Cloud. By giving everyone more opportunities for amusement and leisure—attracting Senators to gather here—they could transform it into a platform for expression and communication, an auxiliary tool for mass mobilization and parliamentary reform.

Additionally, Qian Shuiting hoped this public venue might provide deeper insight into ideological currents within the group.

Plan in hand, Qian Shuiting walked to the Executive Committee compound to discuss the matter face-to-face with Xiao Zishan. He felt confident Xiao Zishan wouldn't veto the proposal—there was no good reason to oppose something beneficial to all Senators. Should he object, Qian would leak the matter on the BBS first, questioning the General Office's service consciousness toward Senators.

After registering and queuing, he was granted an audience.

"I'm Xiao Zishan. And you are—Qian... Qian Shui... you have something to discuss?"

Qian Shuiting knew Xiao Zishan, of course, but clearly the other party wasn't particularly familiar with him. He hastened to introduce himself: "I'm Qian Shuiting from the Planning Commission—ah, now called the Planning Agency. Executive Xiao, I have a matter requiring your guidance..."

"Just call me Xiao Zishan." The man wore a gentle smile and rose busily to greet his visitor. "Please, sit. Or 'Comrade' works too."

"Very well, Comrade Xiao..." Qian Shuiting felt awkward saying it—he was accustomed to the Chinese diaspora's semantic transformation of "Comrade." Nevertheless, he explained the proposal to open a club on the Flying Cloud.

"...It's not quite proper for our three families to occupy this ship entirely. Solitary joy is not as good as shared joy! It could also enrich the cultural life of our fellow Transmigrators..."

Xiao Zishan remained silent for a moment, seemingly waiting to see if there was more. Then he spoke: "The Flying Cloud—it was stated from the beginning that it's property confirmed to belong to your three North American households. Bringing it out for public use like this seems inappropriate."

"This is our voluntary contribution as a public entertainment venue; property rights remain ours." Qian Shuiting had anticipated Xiao Zishan using property rights as an argument and had prepared his response.

Xiao Zishan ultimately agreed to the request. However, the location couldn't be on the Wenlan River.

"This hundred-plus ton ship can't reach Bairen Beach pier," Xiao Zishan explained. "And the Wenlan River is currently undergoing segmented water conservancy projects—navigation isn't very convenient. I think the Flying Cloud should relocate to Lingao Cape."

Thus the Flying Cloud moved to Lingao Cape near Wu De's Villa. In the atmosphere of comprehensive "liquidation of privileges" following the Second General Assembly, Wu De had immediately handed over the villa to the General Office for use. Recognizing the area's beauty and relative security, Xiao Zishan decided to make it the core of a leisure and entertainment zone for Senator use.

With the Flying Cloud now seeking to operate a club, Xiao Zishan saw an opportunity for public-private partnership. He arranged for the Flying Cloud to anchor in the bay fronting Wu De's Villa, where a trestle bridge and waterfront platform had already been constructed. Plans were also underway to build vacation cabins around the villa.

Just as preparations for the Flying Cloud Club's opening reached fever pitch, news arrived that the government army had launched an encirclement campaign. Partial mobilization followed; all non-essential construction projects ground to a halt. Then came centralized military training for Senators and large-scale militarized mobilization. When Zheng Shangjie withdrew to Lingao with Guangzhou Station, trade between the mainland and Lingao was completely severed. The Qian brothers and Zhou Weisen could no longer obtain the supplies needed for the Flying Cloud Club's opening.

A cascade of events followed—the trade blockade, the Chengmai Battle, victory celebrations. Although Qian Shuiting, Zheng Shangjie, and others used Li Mei and Fang Fei's influence to pass the resolution for holding an "Annual Meeting," the problem of interrupted trade and scarce materials persisted after victory. Then the Pearl River Campaign began, and the matter was delayed yet again.

At last, through the Pearl River Campaign, rights such as reopening trade were secured. From Executives down to ordinary Senators, everyone finally found themselves in a mood for celebration. Under Qian Shuiting's tireless advocacy, the resolution to continue the Annual Meeting passed in the Senate. Not only would many Senators from Guangzhou and Leizhou return to Lingao for the event, but even some Senators from Sanya would make the journey. Qian Shuiting felt the moment had arrived—time to seize this opportunity and establish the Flying Cloud's reputation!

He immediately threw himself into action. His own wife had little time to spare—the Health Department was the busiest department in the Transmigrator Group. He himself was scarcely better off. The Planning Agency faced crushing post-war demands, with massive statistical reports flooding in. Towers of numbers accumulated on every desk; almost everyone had to work until late into the night just to finish the day's reports.

However, since his sister-in-law's return to Lingao from Guangzhou, apart from participating in debriefings and attending hearings, she had been idle. This was combat power that could be effectively deployed.

Zheng Shangjie did not disappoint. During her idle time in Lingao, she cultivated a close relationship with Li Mei. The two found much to discuss regarding business, especially concerning the Lingao version of the Purple Tower, which Li Mei held in high hopes. Both sides conducted extensive discussions.

Since the cooperative's nationalization, Li Mei's passion for commerce hadn't diminished—this was clearly her calling. She sensed that the Transmigrator Group's momentum toward comprehensive nationalization couldn't last indefinitely; sooner or later, "system reform" would occur. Even if Senators couldn't share in the State-Owned Enterprise pie, autonomous business rights would surely be permitted eventually—and when that day came, pooling capital to start an enterprise wouldn't be difficult.

Zheng Shangjie promised to have Qian Shuiting raise this matter when the Senate next convened. Li Mei's favorability toward her rose dramatically. Regarding the Annual Meeting, Li Mei's interest ran equally high. She pledged to strongly support the Flying Cloud Society's activities at the event.

Zheng Shangjie then lobbied Fang Fei, proposing that the Flying Cloud Society fully undertake the Annual Meeting event—including complete planning, partial venue provision, and various entertainment activities. Fang Fei, burdened with her own responsibilities, was delighted that someone was willing to sponsor. The two quickly reached agreement and confirmed their partnership.

(End of Chapter)