From Robinson Crusoe

The indigenous people's first celebration in the "New World" came to an end amidst the flickering campfire.

A half-moon hung in the sky, and clouds torn into shreds by the wind, along with a cluster of glittering stars, watched over the people on the hillside.

Zebra stroked its round belly, looked at the last small piece of fried fish on the plate, wiped the oil from the corner of its mouth, and gazed longingly at Sunday, the day the banquet was to end.

To be honest, he felt he could eat even more.

Of course, he wasn't the only one who thought this way; all the natives who had enjoyed the food shared the same idea.

The lively atmosphere subsided briefly after the banquet ended.

Soon, Saturday brought a new order from the chief—they could take the leftovers with them and eat them slowly over the next few days.

The indigenous people were filled with joy once again.

With excitement and gratitude, they selected their favorite foods.

Some people love grilled fish, some adore desserts, some have a passion for fruit, while others are drawn to spicy and vibrant chili stir-fries...

“What a great day!”

All the indigenous people thought so.

Although the word "beautiful" may not exist in their tribal language, at this moment, they truly understood the concept of beauty.

To help the natives preserve their food, Chen Zhou generously provided them with two large wooden crates and instructed them to finish the leftovers as soon as possible.

The island is extremely hot, and food spoils very quickly. If these natives were to preserve the delicious food they were reluctant to eat, it could very likely cause food poisoning, which would be a greater loss than gain.

……

When all the dishes on the long table were gone, the natives, under Saturday's direction, put the dishes, bowls, jars, and pots into wooden boxes, preparing to return to their settlement.

Chen Zhou, the new leader who had not shown his face throughout the entire banquet, finally pushed open the door of the cave dwelling and came out.

His appearance was completely different from usual.

Wearing a thin short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and if she were wearing slippers instead of boots, she would look about 90% like a modern person.

Having engaged in manual labor year-round and receiving ample nutrition in their diet, the natives were able to directly perceive just how strong their "new leader" was once Chen Zhou removed his outer clothing.

Chen Zhou's arms were thicker than their thighs, and his broad shoulders were almost equal to the combined width of two natives.

Just by standing on high ground, even without holding a weapon, the natives could still sense that their leader was an invincible warrior.

……

It had been a long time since he had worn such light and airy clothes, and the mountain breeze made Chen Zhou feel quite uncomfortable.

He strode up a hillside not far from the natives, and seeing their eyes all focused on him, he announced the start of the final part of the festival—distributing gifts.

Hearing Chen Zhou's words on Saturday and Sunday, which they had been looking forward to for a long time, they were overjoyed.

However, having lived with the natives for so long, the two understood that leaders cannot wear their emotions on their sleeves. Therefore, even when they were happy, their faces remained expressionless, just like everyone else's.

The two men were pretending not to react, but the natives genuinely didn't understand.

Chen Zhou spoke Mandarin, while the zebra among the indigenous people who currently has the most Mandarin vocabulary is only comparable to a three-year-old child.

The word "gift" was new to him. Faced with such an unfamiliar sentence, he could only roughly understand that they were about to receive some kind of item.

"New tools? To help us dig and cut down trees faster?"

Just as Zebra was wondering what would be distributed this time, he saw Chen Zhou call Saturday over and whisper some instructions to him.

……

After a not-too-long wait, I returned to the long table on Saturday, carrying the wooden crate.

The campfire had enough fuel, and under the bright firelight, Saturday opened the wooden crate and took out pairs of shoes.

These sacrificial garments, which were distributed to the natives during the day and then taken back in the afternoon, returned to them late at night.

Apart from zebras, who are the "shoe-owning" group, all the indigenous people have received their own shoes.

On Saturday, while handing out shoes to them, I explained to them what a "holiday" and a "gift" were.

After realizing that the shoes were a gift from their chief, all the natives were overjoyed, and even fearful, at this unexpected gain.

In the original tribe, working honestly would not earn any reward.

Only the bravest warriors could occasionally receive a reward from the chief, such as a few pieces of roasted meat or the privilege of enjoying women abducted from other tribes.

But brave warriors are only a very small minority.

Fighting in conflict is extremely risky; even if you kill the enemy and survive this time, you may not be able to escape unscathed next time.

Most native warriors have never received the favor of their chief since birth.

But today, on this island where they have only lived for a little over twenty days, they have all received treatment they had never received in most of their previous lives.

A big table of delicious food, a night's rest, and now I've even received shoes.

The indigenous people stood there dumbfounded, holding the "gifts" distributed on Saturday, looking completely bewildered.

When it really matters, it's the zebra, with its honest-looking face and quick mind, that's the first to set an example.

Although he didn't receive the new shoes and was left empty-handed, his reaction was definitely the most positive.

Ignoring the fact that he would get his clothes dirty, he immediately imitated the gesture he made on Saturdays and Sundays when he swore allegiance to Chen Zhou, kneeling on one knee and placing his fist on his chest.

Even the most slow-witted natives, having come from a strictly hierarchical tribe, immediately knelt down upon seeing the zebra's actions, clumsily clenching their fists and pounding their chests.

……

The row of natives, some at the front and some at the back, knelt crookedly, their backs hunched and heads down, clearly a motley crew.

Chen Zhou looked down at them, a unique sense of pride welling up inside him.

……

From surviving alone, overcoming various crises, achieving food self-sufficiency, manufacturing production tools, and building shelter.

Today, there are only three or five small houses, abundant supplies, and trenches and barricades covering both ends of the mountain.

From unhealthy modern people who couldn't even use a flint and steel to start a fire, to master craftsmen who are familiar with farming and skilled in rattan weaving, woodworking, stonemasonry, bricklaying, and blacksmithing.

From an ordinary person with a weak will, terrified by a corpse, to an iron-fisted ruler who shot natives, killed young warriors, and hanged Spaniards.

In less than three years, he has experienced a lot, thought a lot, and changed a lot.

His own strength and the increase in his skills gradually gave him confidence and courage.

In the past, he would never have dared to attack more than twenty savage natives alone, let alone risk entering the forest and giving the native warriors a chance to fight him in close combat.

According to the traditional Chinese age reckoning, today is his 28th birthday.

On this special day, he did not prepare a special birthday gift for himself, nor did he even light a single candle.

While the natives were feasting, he was still eating ordinary rice and a stewed fish.

For Chen Zhou now, material enjoyment seems to be insignificant.

When these natives, some older than him, some younger, some taller, some shorter, all knelt on the ground, he received an even more precious gift—loyalty.

This unique gift brought him not physical pleasure, but spiritual enjoyment—

The taste of power.

……

Standing on high ground, quietly watching the natives illuminated by the campfire, Chen Zhou cleared his throat and gestured for Sunday to come to his side.

"I'll say a sentence, and you translate it." After saying this, Chen Zhou remained silent for a moment, then began his unscripted speech with a relatively calm remark.

"I know what kind of life you lived in your former tribes."

I know what kind of oppression you have suffered.

You know how those people from the sea trample on your heads, insult you, and whip you.

Know how your former leaders and priests treated you, and how they used your harvest to enrich their lives.

I know you have concerns, whether it's about the women in your families or your children.

I also know that you are confused, both longing for a brighter future and often getting caught up in memories of the past.

"Perhaps you have many confusions and many questions."

They don't know this place, and they don't know me either.

But starting tonight, starting with this holiday.

Facing the stars in the sky, facing the mountains and the sea, facing the flames and the light, as your new leader, I can make a promise to you.

Here, anyone who puts in the effort will receive the reward they deserve.
Here, any brave warrior will be rewarded and honored;
Even if you are a shepherd managing cattle and sheep or a farmer cultivating fields, as long as you complete your work, you will never again suffer from hunger or be humiliated by others.

There are severe punishments here, but also generous rewards.

I am not your former leader, nor do I believe in your old gods.

This is a strange world for you, full of unfamiliar rules.

But I can tell you that as long as you are loyal enough, there will be many steps to climb here.

And our power will surely expand gradually as you grow, until our supreme glory is spread to every corner illuminated by the stars!

……

Chen Zhou's voice became increasingly powerful and resonant as the content of his speech unfolded.

As his translator, Sunday was full of pressure.

The tribal language has a very limited vocabulary, and many of the words Chen Zhou used could not be successfully expressed in the tribal language.

Moreover, Sunday had only studied Chinese for about half a year, and most of his vocabulary consisted of practical words. Understanding some of the obscure words used by Chen Zhou was undoubtedly a challenge for him.

Nevertheless, thanks to her excellent on-the-spot reaction, Sunday still managed to express Chen Zhou's meaning slowly and accurately.

……

In resource-poor primitive tribes, survival is always the top priority.

The promises made by the chief are often only tied to food and women; he has no other rewards to offer.

The limited vocabulary meant that even before a major battle, the leader's morale-boosting rhetoric remained the same invariably—

If we win, everyone will have enough to eat; if we win, everyone will get a woman.

From birth until now, the indigenous people have never imagined that their simple vocabulary could have such a rich and unique combination of words.

Of course, what surprised them even more was Chen Zhou's promise—

An unprecedented life, an unprecedented vision.

This is not just empty promises.

Two people serve as role models on Saturdays and Sundays;

The delicious food I just ate serves as proof;
There were clothes on their bodies and shoes on the ground, all kinds of metal tools, huge cows and sheep running all over the mountains, and lush crops...

For the natives, this was indeed a completely new world, a new world that was different from the past in every way.

……

They listened in silence until the end of the speech, and everyone was captivated by the future outlined by the new leader.

"It's time to show our loyalty to the new leader!"

The natives thought this, but didn't know what to do, so they could only continue to kneel on one knee, like dead tree stumps.

……

At the crucial moment, it was Saturday, the equally passionate local boy, who stepped forward.

Being a more emotional person, he was easily swayed by emotions, and his face turned red after hearing Chen Zhou's words.

He had just been standing beside the natives, watching how they expressed their gratitude, when he immediately knelt down on one knee and led the natives in shouting the slogans he had been preparing for a long time.

"Flames and stars bear witness to our loyalty; we will forever remain devoted to you!"

He shouted his first word in the indigenous language.

After the natives joined him in chanting, he repeated it in Chinese on Saturday.

……

The evening breeze on the hillside carried the scent of burning firewood, a fragrance of fire.

The natives' awkward Mandarin startled the birds that were roosting in the forest.

The somewhat chaotic shouts were a little different from the pledges of loyalty Chen Zhou had hoped for, but he enjoyed the feeling.

In modern society, power may be powerful, but it is not as naked as the power here, which has absolute control over life and even dignity.

Desire, fame, and fortune—things that can be obtained through hard work or reincarnation in modern society—are insignificant compared to the allure of wielding the power of life and death.

Chen Zhou, who had never served as a class leader more than a few times since childhood, fell deeply in love with the feeling of unconditional obedience after arriving on the island and experiencing others' unconditional obedience.

However, along with power comes responsibility.

As the leader, he must be accountable for every word he says and must lead the natives toward the bright future he has promised.

This concerns whether his rule is stable and can last.

Such stability and longevity cannot be sustained entirely by violence or by one new pie after another.

……

The special atmosphere of the festival prompted Chen Zhou to make a promise to the natives without any prior preparation.

Although the speech came in a hurry, the effect was unexpectedly good.

Once the shouts of the natives had dissipated in the evening breeze and spread throughout the woodlands and mountains, Chen Zhou signaled for everyone to stand up and announced the end of the festival.

……

Of course, although the holiday is over, there is still one last step in the gift-giving process—Zebra will be there on Saturday and Sunday, and everyone will be empty-handed.

The remaining natives were dismissed, and they were allowed to return to their settlement to sleep with the food they had prepared.

Chen Zhou returned to the courtyard and took out the three gifts he had prepared in advance.

On Saturday, I received a real quill pen, a bottle of pink pineapple ink from a pineapple tree, and a thick stack of clean white A4 paper.

He received a pair of sneakers on Sunday—his future activities would be much farther than on Saturday—so after much consideration, Chen Zhou decided to give the shoes to him.

Zebra received an unopened can of yellow peaches.

Chen Zhou had originally planned to give him a canned food jar, but since he was in a rare good mood today, he changed the gift at the last minute.

Holding the yellowed metal can, Zebra was somewhat at a loss, completely clueless as to what it was for.

His dazed expression only made Saturday and Sunday envious; they had long wanted to know what was inside those peculiar little jars. (End of Chapter)