Rèn Dàxióng and Xú Guānzēng, held in labor reform farms in Shanxi, organized two groups: the “Chinese Communist Alliance” and “Scientific Communism.” In 1970, under the charge of “current counterrevolutionary rebellion,” thirteen people including Rèn Dàxióng and Xú Guānzēng were executed.

Rèn Dàxióng had been in the spirit world for nearly fifty years, still seething over the injustice. One day, he resolved to appeal to the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor, in the process of collecting evidence of injustices during Mao Zedong’s rule, warmly received these representatives of a larger group of victims. Seeing a man in his thirties, he asked directly, “What is your name, and what injustice did you suffer?”

Rèn replied, “Yes, I was wronged. My name is Rèn Dàxióng. Starting in 1967, Xú Guānzēng and I organized ‘Sci-Comm’ and ‘Com-Alliance,’ promoting true Marxism. We wrote 65 articles, over 300 poems, and 179 letters, presenting our political and economic views. For this, we were accused of attacking socialism and Mao Zedong. In 1970, following Mao’s ‘strike the three antis’ directive, thirteen of us were executed, and twenty-six others imprisoned. To this day, besides me, no one knows what happened to them. Even in the spirit world, I cannot find them. How can our grievances be redressed?”

The Jade Emperor asked, “What did you write that provoked the authorities?”

Rèn answered, “My misfortune began during the 1957 Anti-Rightist Campaign. I was from Hangzhou, Zhejiang. In 1955, I graduated from Peking University and became an assistant in the Mathematics Department. In 1957, I was labeled a ‘rightist.’”

The Jade Emperor asked, “On what grounds?”

Rèn explained, “In 1956, I posted my translation of Khrushchev’s ‘Secret Report’ on the Peking University library’s bulletin board, piece by piece over several days. For this, I was accused of ‘leaking Party secrets’ and labeled a rightist.”

The Jade Emperor asked, “Where did you get Khrushchev’s report?”

Rèn said, “I found the English version in the library’s newspaper section, in the British Workers’ Daily. Two others assisted me in translating it and were also labeled rightists. You may remember Lin Xīlíng, a rightist in the People’s Congress; her boyfriend, Cáo Mèngfēi, secretary to Hu Yaobang, borrowed the report from her and was sentenced to seven years for ‘leaking secrets.’”

The Jade Emperor remarked, “The CCP classified Khrushchev’s report as top-secret, restricted to officials of grade 13 or higher. You violated that, so you were arrested.”

Rèn said, “There was nothing secret. The Soviets made it public; newspapers worldwide published it. Mao claimed it was secret, so anyone sharing it was punished as a rightist. Why protect what is already public?”

The Jade Emperor replied, “Stalin’s crimes were widely known, which embarrassed Mao. To protect Stalin’s image, Mao made it secret. You broke that secrecy; thus, you were considered a counterrevolutionary.”

Rèn continued, “After being labeled a rightist, I was sent to Beijing First Prison. In 1966, during the Cultural Revolution, I was transferred to the Shanxi Datong labor camp and later labor reform farms. There, we founded ‘Scientific Communism.’”

The Jade Emperor asked, “Why create a new communist group when Mao claimed to have scientific communism?”

Rèn replied, “Mao had corrupted Marxism, leaving only the slogan ‘Rebellion is justified.’ ‘Monks holding umbrellas, lawless and unbound.’ Mao’s ‘highest directives’ were treated as truth. We could not accept this. We wanted to restore Marxism, to save the Party and China. But anything displeasing to Mao meant death.”

The Jade Emperor asked, “Where are the others now?”

Rèn said, “All killed by Mao’s regime, leaving no trace. Only judgment records remain. Historians cannot access files; the public has no knowledge. How can our spirits rest?”

The Jade Emperor asked, “Were you ever rehabilitated?”

Rèn replied, “No one cared. After the Cultural Revolution, our units saw no survivors. We presumed the rest had died. In the spirit world, I learned that in 2004, Russia published a CD listing 1.34 million victims and their cases, visible to all. China still conceals it completely. Our spirits remain unrecorded, except for me. That is why I am here tonight to appeal. Only if the mastermind admits guilt can we rest.”

The Jade Emperor said, “I understand. The guilt lies with Mao. In the spirit world, he will face retribution. Names of the fellow victims will also be recorded here.”

Rèn Dàxióng nodded and departed.

NEXT: 106. Xie Hongshui and the Happiness Society