From Robinson Crusoe

The addition of 15 native teenagers to the island has injected new vitality into this force.

Each of the tamed natives received two little followers.

Just like when they first arrived on the island, these ignorant fools will follow them, starting with dressing, eating, speaking, writing, farming, and raising livestock, gradually learning how to become "more civilized people."

Following Chen Zhou's instructions, they housed the prisoners in their small wooden huts and provided them with clothes and shoes made of planks and rattan.

Every morning, the prisoners would eat, wash, and relieve themselves with them, and then go out to work with them.

The domesticated natives were fluent in two languages, speaking both Chinese and their native language, which facilitated communication with their captives.

Commonly used words in daily life; a prisoner can ask a "senior" for advice.

As for professional knowledge, as well as more standardized pinyin and Chinese characters, the prisoners would have to learn them systematically in the teacher's class on Saturdays.

Saturday is already quite experienced as a teacher.

Previously, Chen Zhou had to personally attend classes and correct Saturday's mistakes, but now he no longer needs to go to the classroom and can completely delegate the task of educating the native captives to Saturday.

……

As prisoners of war, some lived with their "civilized" predecessors, while others rose to prominence and became the leader's trusted confidants.

Three boys of similar age performed exceptionally well in Chen Zhou's test, thus escaping a fate similar to others and moving into the factory.

These three guys are not only intelligent and adaptable, but their personalities and temperaments are also quite to Chen Zhou's liking.

Chen Zhou set up a separate dormitory room for the three of them on the first floor of the factory and patiently taught them, just as he had done for Saturdays and Sundays.

This was the first time Chen Zhou had explicitly trained his team outside of Saturdays and Sundays, so he not only devoted time and energy to taking care of the three of them, but also gave them new names.

"Chen Fu, Chen Lu, Chen Shou."

……

The domestication of new members is undoubtedly a long process.

Although Chen Zhou was eager to rapidly expand the island's influence, he knew that one cannot become fat in a single bite. Before thoroughly reforming the 15 prisoners, continuing to capture natives would only increase the potential for trouble.

Moreover, there are many new projects to be done right now, and the new rewards should be used as soon as possible.

Moreover, with August 1st fast approaching, there's not much time left until September 30th.

There's still a lot to do, including organizing festivals to enhance new members' sense of belonging and preparing for the fourth-anniversary rewards.

……

As August arrived, Chen Zhou led all the island's members in a large-scale sacrificial ceremony, as was customary.

From the initial three people, to ten people, and now to twenty-five people.

Over nearly four years, he went from having no one to having a team of three, and now he has more than twenty trusted subordinates.

Recalling the process of hesitating about whether to risk rescuing the natives, painstakingly improving the flintlock rifle, and repeatedly sprinting up and down the hillside to train his physical fitness, and looking at the natives lined up in neat rows behind him, Chen Zhou couldn't help but feel like he was in a dream.

……

During the ritual, the new members, who had never heard a gunshot before, were terrified by the terrifying sound.

If the elders hadn't all acted as if nothing was wrong, and hadn't been so engrossed in the solemn atmosphere of the sacrificial ceremony, they would have been terrified and fled in a panic upon hearing this noise.

However, the panic did not last long.

After kneeling to worship the gods and ending the sacrificial ceremony, they entered the festive feast, and all they could think about was enjoying the delicious food.

……

The banquet on August 1st was held on the beach.

As night fell, bonfires were set up every five meters along the beach from east to west.

The bright flames formed a unique Great Wall.

Beside the campfire was a simple long table, with plenty of food being cooked.

The indigenous elders displayed their unique skills and talents, which they had honed over a long period of time.

Some people are good at grilling fish, some are good at making soup, some have a unique understanding of "beggar's shrimp", and some have an exceptionally delicious stir-fried squid.

They not only learned the art of cooking from Chen Zhou, but also turned this "advanced" way of eating into an internal competition.

When it comes to cutting vegetables, the one who cuts them more neatly and meticulously is considered superior.
When it comes to stir-frying, those who can toss the wok without spilling the ingredients are always very proud of themselves.

As for making soup, according to the chief, the soup should be milky white to be considered of the highest quality.

Without a leader to teach them the trick, they still haven't figured out how to make a milky white soup.

What they didn't know was that Chen Zhou didn't know how to make a milky white soup either, since soup was rarely drunk in the north.

……

Chen Zhou's three close associates, separated from their companions for several days, were reunited and sat together on both sides of the long table.

Although they were all captured, their mental state diverged significantly within a few days.

Chen Fu, Chen Lu, and Chen Shou were all dressed in neat and well-fitting blue work clothes, had shaved heads, wore leather boots, and stood ramrod straight.

Other indigenous boys wore 17th-century sailor suits, and their wooden-soled shoes were extremely simple, with their toes even showing.

Their Chinese was clearly not as fluent as that of the three men, Fu, Lu, and Shou, and their knowledge of certain subjects was far inferior to theirs.

When they gathered together, these childhood friends, who had grown up together and were once very familiar with each other, suddenly became somewhat strangers.

When the three of them, Fu, Lu, and Shou, speak, they should use Chinese as much as possible.

Although their vocabulary wasn't extensive, it was clear that they had developed a sense of identification with and great interest in the Chinese language.

They had seen far more than they could have imagined in the factory.

Chen Zhou had personally told them that as long as they studied diligently, it wouldn't be long before they would know where the light came from, how metal tools were forged, and exactly how they had been captured that night...

As for their original leader, he was not worth mentioning at all in Chen Zhou's words.

The truly advanced and developed culture, along with the bright vision for the future, drew the three chosen individuals to strive towards that beautiful future.

……

The indigenous people who lived with their ancestors had a completely different spirit.

The veterans always had a unique sense of superiority. Although they were bound by Chen Zhou's orders and dared not scold or beat them, their attitude towards them was not exactly good.

After all, in the past, everyone enjoyed their own house and lived a carefree life.

Now, however, he has to share his private space with two boys he doesn't know very well, and he also has to be their babysitter, cook for them, and teach them what the right way to live is. No wonder these veterans are unhappy.

Moreover, compared to when they were captured, they were terrified and huddled on hard wooden planks, sleeping naked outdoors. The treatment of these new members was far too good.

This made the indigenous people who arrived earlier feel even more resentful.

You can't hit or scold them, but verbal sarcasm and reprimands, and cold violence and being given the cold shoulder in daily life are always inevitable.

This left the newly arrived native boys on the island feeling somewhat repressed. Normally, they wouldn't dare to contradict their seniors, but now, reunited with their companions, they found a relatively quiet corner where they could finally vent their frustrations.

Of course, at most they can only complain about not being free, feeling somewhat repressed, and the cold attitude of their seniors towards them.

Compared to life in the tribe, life now is like paradise.

They have sturdy and beautiful houses to live in, can eat their fill every meal, and enjoy the delicious flavors of the dishes. They don't have to work non-stop from morning till night, and there are even some entertainment activities in the evening.

They enjoyed playing novel games like Gomoku and Chinese Chess.

However, in their spare time, they mostly played chess with their fellow captives.

Those old guys are too good at chess; they're no match for them and can only keep losing. Nobody wants to experience a game like that.

……

“I really envy the three of you, being chosen by the leader. I heard you live with the leader in that gray temple.”

I haven't been there yet. Can you tell me what the temple is like?

The shortest of the indigenous boys, with bulging cheeks, chewed on a steamed bun and asked curiously.

Can I tell you this?

Chen Shou turned his head and asked Chen Fu for his opinion in a low voice.

Seeing Chen Fu nod, and having received permission, he then began to tell the indigenous boy about his experiences following the chief.

With Saturday, a bilingual native, available to translate at any time, Chen Zhou was able to communicate almost without difficulty when instilling various ideas into his three confidants.

As reserve confidants, Fukurokuju and his two companions received different treatment from the very beginning.

These three were told things that many other natives still don't understand, the very night they were chosen.

They were all captured at the same time. Although Chen Zhou chose them and their status gradually became different, Fu Lu Shou and his companions still had some feelings for each other.

Chen Shou, in particular, was the one who valued friendship the most among the three.

While listening to his companions' complaints, he answered their questions and recounted the various stages that the group of "predecessors" went through after arriving on the island.

From sleeping in the open, to wearing clothes, and then to owning their own simple huts.

Improved compensation is not achieved overnight, but rather through long-term contributions.

Learning about the experiences of their predecessors and realizing that they could enjoy a relatively happy life as soon as they arrived on the island, the other natives felt much less frustrated.

At the same time, their first small goal since arriving on the island naturally emerged in their minds—

To own a small house of one's own.

……

The minor incident at the banquet did not affect the overall lively atmosphere, and under Chen Zhou's supervision, it ultimately came to a successful conclusion.

As is customary, gifts are distributed at the end of the festival.

Both the original inhabitant and the Saturday and Sunday guests received the gifts they wanted.

As for the later group, holding the white clay tablets covered with writing, they all looked at each other, speechless.

That was a Saturday night, and I had been diligently preparing "homework" and "workbooks" for them.

This includes pinyin practice, some simple daily writing exercises, and math problem practice.

The new life had only been going on for a few days when these natives began to feel the pressure of "homework" and the pain of learning.

Compared to the instant coffee they received on Saturdays and Sundays, and the new clothes and socks that other indigenous people received, what they received could hardly be called a gift; it was more like a punishment.

But teachers naturally have a suppressive influence over students. Even if they are dissatisfied with the gift, they dare not show it. They can only force a smile and pretend to be happy while holding the white clay tablet.

……

After the revelry, everyone's life returned to normal.

The natives carried out their daily work in a routine manner.

The addition of new members has increased the pressure on food supplies.

Because the fields in front of the cave dwellings were too far from the factory to be convenient for planting, the newly reclaimed farmland was selected around the wide green space above the river.

The bird droppings produced in the pigeon loft are transported and delivered directly to the new farmland as fertilizer.

The Yan River is less than 100 meters from the farmland, making irrigation extremely convenient. The watermill is also nearby. All that is needed is to build a granary next to the mill to store the grain. When it is time to harvest, an assembly line can be formed to husk and grind the grain at the fastest speed to produce food.

In addition to cultivating new farmland, Chen Zhou also ordered the natives to build several small wooden houses for the new members.

It's inconvenient for three people to squeeze into one room, and it can easily cause unnecessary conflicts.

Once the new member learns to cook, dress and wash themselves, and can take care of themselves, they can move into the new home.

Of course, to avoid making the older members feel resentful, the new members' houses were not built to be as elaborate.

The room contained only a bed, a stove made of stone bricks, a table, a chair, and some daily necessities such as bowls, chopsticks, and an oil lamp.

The toilets were communal, built to resemble rural dry toilets. During the dry season, they were incredibly smelly, and during the rainy season, maggots crawled up the latrine.

To avoid the toilet damaging the environment around the factory and affecting his mood, Chen Zhou specially built the toilet in the woodland at the foot of the mountain, so that even if strong winds blew in from the sea, he would not smell the stench inside the factory.

……

The natives each had their own jobs, and Chen Zhou wasn't idle either.

The mysterious reward delivered on July 30th was a batch of white paint and latex paint, just enough to renovate the walls of his Syrian-style factory.

However, while there was plenty of white paint and latex paint, there was no sandpaper or roller for sanding the putty.

To this end, Chen Zhou spent some time making several tools himself, and it wasn't until August 8th that he officially started work.

All the tools that had been painstakingly moved into the factory were moved out again.

Chen Zhou, along with several diligent and meticulous locals, became decorators in the empty room.

Zebra was chosen to work alongside his beloved leader because of his outstanding performance in educating new members and his consistent "craftsman spirit".

Despite Chen Zhou's disdain for Zebra, when it came to actually doing the work, he had to admit that Zebra was the kind of person who made him feel comfortable.

Whether it's leveling the wall or the subsequent sanding and painting with latex paint, Zebra does it all very well.

In their spare time, Zebra would also diligently serve tea and water, and show concern for their well-being.

Anyone who saw them working so hard would have to give them a thumbs up.

Even knowing that Zebra's motives were impure, Chen Zhou couldn't help but praise him, saying that this guy was extremely talented at being a "lackey."

As the island's population grows, the need for outstanding junior leaders is becoming increasingly apparent.

Every time Chen Zhou saw how focused Zebra was at work, he would hesitate—

Should we give this guy a chance to demonstrate his abilities? Let him take on a "foreman" role first, and see if he completes the task successfully or causes trouble again. (End of Chapter)