From Robinson Crusoe

The rain was still falling, but the sunlight had already pierced a hole in the clouds.

The sunlight streaming down made the surface of the beach shimmer with gold, like a dazzling road.

The half-demolished wooden and stone wall was set aside, and the indigenous people, in pairs, held up wide wooden planks to cover the plastic boxes.

Chen Zhou took off the straw hat that was obstructing his view, hung it around his neck, bent slightly, and supervised the natives as they carried the precious energy storage batteries. He would occasionally order the natives to stop, and then wipe away the water droplets that had fallen on the plastic boxes with his coat.

Chen Zhou felt that he should be as cautious as possible with these four energy storage batteries. Even though the energy storage batteries were waterproofed, and there was only a one in ten thousand chance that they would be damaged by water, he dared not gamble.

Photovoltaic panels and energy storage batteries are two extremely important things.

With a stable power source, not only the appliances delivered in the past, but also the rewards delivered later can be put to good use, instead of being thrown into the storage room as scrap.

Once he receives CNC machine tools, 3D printers, electric drills, or similar tools, he can cut those Damascus steel billets into useful metal parts.

If you send electronic products such as monitors, computer towers, game consoles, or mobile phones, they can also be used.

Even in taming natives and establishing authority, electricity plays a far greater role than machinery.

After all, machines are things that can be seen with the naked eye. Even if the natives couldn't understand them, Europeans and people in more civilized regions in the 17th century could study and understand them.

Especially in Britain.

If Chen Zhou remembered correctly, England was in the midst of a bourgeois revolution at this time. In another twenty years or so, the new aristocratic class would overthrow feudal rule and establish a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.

The change in the system will greatly unleash productivity, and handicrafts, technical sciences and mathematics will develop rapidly.

If the waterwheels and the improved first version of the muskets he created were placed in the hands of craftsmen of this era and allowed to disassemble them, they could easily replicate the exact same versions in no time.

17th-century clockmakers were already able to manufacture extremely complex large mechanical clocks and spring-loaded guns. Chen Zhou's improved flintlock gun did not have any mechanical structure that was difficult for them to understand, and the materials of that era were also up to standard.

As for the Chen family's 1662 rifle, it was something that 17th-century clockmakers could not replicate.

Modern military-grade rifling seamless steel pipes, in terms of both materials and cold forging technology, are beyond the reach of 17th-century technology.

And electrical and electronic equipment.

Because they were so advanced, they were considered "miracles" by the natives and artisans of that era.

Craftsmen can figure out how a magnificent lantern emits light, but they can never understand how a powerful flashlight can emit a dazzling light comparable to the sun.

If you take apart an electronic device and see tiny parts that can only be seen with a magnifying glass, as well as circuits and nanometer-precision chips that are invisible to the naked eye, even if you tell them that these are the things that make the electronic device work properly, they will still think that it is an object that does not belong to the mortal world.

Even the Chen 1662 rifle might not have been enough to instill awe in the arrogant Europeans of the 17th century.

But electronic devices are highly likely to produce this effect—

When one person is slightly ahead of another, it can arouse envy, jealousy, or hatred.

If one person is far ahead of another, the gap between them is like the sky and the abyss, then there will be no more jealousy or hatred, only admiration.

……

The four energy storage batteries were slowly and steadily placed onto the flatbed truck.

Some indigenous people pushed carts, while others still set up wide wooden planks, slowly following Chen Zhou's steps.

While constantly checking whether the plastic box had gotten wet, Chen Zhou thought to himself that if he were to build another cart, he should build one with a canopy, specifically for transporting rewards that were afraid of water and moisture.

……

The team, which was already slow due to the need for multiple people to work together to shield themselves from the rain, slowed down even further once they entered the forest.

Laifu led the way at the front of the group.

Its originally impatient nature has been greatly tempered, and it is not as swift as it was two years ago when walking or running, but it is still much faster than this group.

From running to jogging, and then from jogging to walking slowly, even so, Laifu still unknowingly widened the distance between himself and the team transporting energy storage batteries by nearly ten meters.

The snail-paced pace made Lai Fu impatient. He could only stop and wait for Chen Zhou when he was too far behind the group, or simply turn back and start over.

……

The speed was so slow that not only was Lai Fu uncomfortable, but even Chen Zhou, who was personally escorting the shipment, was extremely anxious.

I thought I would have to slowly make my way back to the cave dwelling, but thankfully the weather cooperated and the light rain, which had been about to stop, finally ceased completely.

Sunlight streamed down from the sky, passing through water droplets hanging on spiderwebs and clinging to leaf tips, creating colorful beads that illuminated the faces of the natives and Chen Zhou.

When the world becomes brighter, people's moods naturally improve as well.

Urging the natives to quicken their pace, they instructed those carrying wide planks to carry them along with the group, just in case. Everyone seized the rare clear weather and rushed up the mountain, half running and half walking.

……

The clear weather lasted for an exceptionally long time, and it didn't rain again until all four energy storage batteries were placed in the cave dwelling.

While the natives continued to tidy up the beach and build wooden and stone walls, Chen Zhou excitedly opened four plastic boxes.

Just as he guessed, each box contained the same energy storage batteries.

Each battery comes with a charger, an instruction manual, and several adapter cables.

……

After carefully examining the surface of all the energy storage batteries and confirming that there were no scratches, dents, or watermarks, Chen Zhou estimated that they were not damaged and immediately turned to the instruction manual.

Energy storage batteries and photovoltaic panels can indeed be used together, but only if they are compatible. If the energy storage battery and photovoltaic panel are not compatible, then it can only be used as a disposable battery.

Having been tricked by the Time and Space Administration before, Chen Zhou is now "once bitten, twice shy," and dares not be too happy too soon.

……

In terms of capacity, these energy storage batteries are all 4 kWh each, totaling 16 kWh, which is quite a lot for Chen Zhou personally.

Looking further ahead, the first thing that surprised Chen Zhou appeared.

The energy storage battery has a built-in bidirectional inverter, which is plug-and-play and does not require a separate inverter.

Furthermore, the plugs are very diverse, including 220V 3000W interfaces, 27W QC interfaces, 10W 5V 2A USB interfaces, 30W Type-C interfaces, and 60W DC interfaces.

All the electrical appliances Chen Zhou currently owns can be charged using this energy storage battery.

Moreover, it has a 220V interface, so the energy storage battery can basically meet the needs of not only existing electrical appliances, but also other electrical appliances if they are delivered in the future.

Impressed by the advancements and convenience of modern technology, Chen Zhou quickly flipped to the page on charging methods to see how energy storage batteries are charged.

The result satisfied him as well.

This energy storage battery supports wireless charging, charging via household outlets, and charging via solar panels.

Although his two solar panels don't have high power output, they are enough to charge the battery. At most, the charging speed is a little slow, but that's not a disadvantage for him.

We're already this good, what more could you want?

……

He happily moved all the energy storage batteries to the deepest part of the storage room and placed them at the bottom of the sturdiest wooden shelves. It's still the rainy season, and it's cloudy and rainy all day, so the photovoltaic panels can't be used yet. Once it's past mid-April and the dry season begins, he'll be able to use electricity extensively.

Before leaving the storage room, Chen Zhou made a point of checking the remaining power of the four energy storage batteries.

Except for one battery with a charge level below 60%, the other three batteries have a charge level of around 80%.

According to the instruction manual, the new energy storage battery, once fully charged, can fully charge a mobile phone 272 times, power a chainsaw for 2 hours, or power a 120-watt refrigerator for 25 hours.

If used on his electric shaver, it can be charged at least 500 times. A single battery would be enough for him to shave comfortably for two years.

However, Chen Zhou still knew exactly where to use the precious battery power for the best cost-effectiveness.

He wasn't going to waste precious electricity until he was certain that the solar panels could charge the energy storage batteries, even though shaving with a razor was a real hassle.

……

The arrival of the energy storage battery made Chen Zhou especially look forward to the dry season.

Since acquiring these treasures, he has been imagining every day what it would be like to connect the photovoltaic panel charging controller to the energy storage battery.

More than once, in his dreams he saw the battery level on the display screen slowly jump up, from 78 to 79.

More than once, he dreamed of energy storage batteries being connected to photovoltaic panels without any reaction.

For Chen Zhou, every day in April became exceptionally agonizing.

While trying to adjust his mindset, he attempted to focus his energy on other things, such as continuing to write textbooks for indigenous people, or fishing, forging, and making wooden models.

But one cannot completely deceive one's own heart.

Chen Zhou had to admit that, faced with the immense temptation of entering the electrical age, he had become a toy of the Time and Space Administration.

Sometimes, when he thinks about how he's overwhelmed, scratching his head, and full of anticipation, Chen Zhou can't help but feel like a monkey that's only looking at a banana.

However, he thought that if the bananas were really big and sweet enough, and he could actually eat them, then being a monkey for the time being wouldn't be so shameful.

……

As the rainy season draws to a close, the number of rainy days gradually decreases.

Taking advantage of the occasional clear weather, Chen Zhou led the locals to complete several small projects.

The first project was to build a more spacious, sturdier, and more beautiful house for the herding indigenous people.

When the dry season arrived, Chen Zhou and the natives all returned to work at the factory site, leaving only the herding native to take care of the sheep and two cows. It was definitely not feasible for him to continue living in that simple hut.

Furthermore, goat milk and cow milk require a more hygienic storage place.

Chen Zhou hopes that herding indigenous people can achieve self-sufficiency in places far from human settlements.

Therefore, he not only built new houses for the herding natives, but also had other natives help them cultivate a small vegetable garden in front of the houses.

He doesn't need to grow rice, wheat flour, and barley for the local herders, and he can easily cultivate vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic on his own.

There is no water source near the hillside, so we have to carry buckets to the mountain stream to fetch water to irrigate the vegetable garden.

Chen Zhou felt that since so many difficulties had already been solved for the herding natives, leaving them with only the problem of carrying water to bear on their own shouldn't be a big deal.

Anyway, the herding natives had to drive their sheep and two cows to the mountain stream to drink water every day. On the way back and forth, they would stop and rest, and carrying two buckets of water would always be enough for them, since they only grew vegetables for one person.

If the cattle and sheep population grows to a large scale in the future, and the herding natives have no time to fetch water, Chen Zhou plans to dig a water storage pond for them.

Even if the long rainy season cannot fill the reservoirs, the water stored there can still support the nomadic herders through the dry season.

Among the many indigenous groups, the herding indigenous people are currently the only ones who receive good treatment.

If he can't even endure this little bit of hardship, then Chen Zhou will have to find someone else to do this job. There are plenty of people who are envious of the work of herding natives.

……

The support he received in terms of daily life was already substantial, and Chen Zhou had no complaints about his primary job of herding indigenous livestock.

The fact that they risked their lives to find the sheep is enough to prove that the herding natives were serious and responsible.

When the new herding hut was completed, he only gave one instruction—

Chinese.

Because they live far from people and are busy with work, the herding natives speak very poor Mandarin and know almost no Chinese characters.

Chen Zhou couldn't possibly give the herding natives extra lessons on Saturdays, so he could only give them a pinyin chart and several books of commonly used Chinese words with phonetic annotations, asking them to study diligently when they got home in the evenings.

The herding natives were overwhelmed with gratitude and flattered to move into the newly built houses.

However, whether he would listen to Chen Zhou and study diligently was another matter entirely.

Chen Zhou believed he had done everything he could, accomplishing what many other leaders could not, and effectively solving many difficulties in the lives of the herding indigenous people.

If even the herding natives can't spare his precious time to learn Chinese, then it only proves that he's utterly hopeless.

Even if such a person temporarily holds this promising job as "Minister of Livestock," he will not last long and will eventually be replaced by more ambitious indigenous people.

……

After building new houses for the grazing natives, the second project the natives completed was their new homes for Saturdays and Sundays.

When Chen Zhou visited the cabin last time, he found that the space inside was far too cramped for the two of them.

When he built the small houses on both sides of the farmland, he never thought about what facilities the houses needed to have. He only used the houses as prison cells, as evidenced by the large glass windows built right next to the wooden bed.

Now Saturday and Sunday have become his confidants, yet they still live in such a cramped little house, not even as spacious as the natives' houses.

Seeing the paintings that had nowhere to be placed and could only be stacked on the wall, as well as the wooden boxes and shelves used for storage, Chen Zhou still felt quite guilty.

For this reason, he specially designed a large house for Saturdays and Sundays, located next to "Gallows Square".

If a town can indeed be built on the island in the future, Saturdays and Sundays will be a prime location, allowing one to own a luxury property in the "central CBD".

……

The new houses of the herding natives, apart from the area for storing cow and sheep milk, only have a kitchen and a small living room, with not many other functional areas. The overall layout is relatively compact, prioritizing practicality, and the construction speed is very fast.

The new home is different on Saturdays and Sundays.

As "junior leaders" second only to the island's top leader, they must have residences befitting their status.

They worked tirelessly from April 4th to April 17th until the external framework of their new house was finally completed. The doors and windows were not yet installed, and the interior was still empty without any furniture.

There was no time for renovations; with the dry season approaching, Chen Zhou was eager to return to the factory site and resume operations.

On April 17th at noon, led by Chen Zhou, the indigenous people gathered in front of their new house, which was built on Saturday and Sunday, and held a self-deceptive completion ceremony.

After a quick lunch, everyone packed up their tools, pushed their carts, and formed a small procession, heading straight for the factory site. (End of Chapter)