From Robinson Crusoe

Just as Chen Zhou had predicted, the natives of the islands were powerless to resist the attack by the six-man squad.

The operation to capture the natives began in the morning and yielded results by dusk.

When the silhouettes of sails billowing in the wind appeared on the sea bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, all the islanders who witnessed this scene were thrilled.

……

That evening, more than 40 new members, all naked, joined this "big family".

This Sunday was not deliberately selected; the captured indigenous people included both the elderly and the young, men and women, contributing to the diversity of the island's population.

……

The new prisoners were immediately escorted by a six-man squad to the makeshift barracks that had been prepared for them beforehand.

They will undergo a standardized cleaning process here, and then put on simple clothing.

Middle-aged people, teenagers, and women will also separate here and move to different areas to live.

Middle-aged and young people with the ability to work will be assigned to work under other islanders, learning Chinese while doing manual labor.

Children with poor physical condition and women who are prone to disputes are given priority to attend school. They will live in school dormitories, receive education, and be assigned tasks according to their talents.

Especially children.

Compared to the middle-aged or teenage indigenous people whose brains have been "polluted," these children, who do not yet have a clear understanding of the world, are the future in Chen Zhou's eyes.

In order to ensure that these children fully embrace the modern education system, he plans to place them under "semi-closed management."

Children whose parents are still alive can see their parents twice a month. The rest of the time, they must stay at school and study subjects such as Chinese, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and agronomy.

After completing their studies, these indigenous children will take up middle and senior management positions on the island, using their acquired knowledge to contribute to the island's development and to help their people.

……

In this era that has not yet entered modernization and cannot rely entirely on fully automated production lines, population represents productivity.

Even if Chen Zhou possessed a great deal of knowledge, he could not build a nation.

And this group of natives—

Even if they are ignorant and backward in their thinking, and completely ignorant of natural science, as long as they are willing to obey orders, buildings will rise from the ground.

Just as Chen Zhou had planned long ago, on the other side of the mountain, surrounding the gallows, a flat circular plaza and a "court" seemed to spring up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, slowly expanding outward from the center.

The gallows, which originally occupied a small area, were changed from wood to stone, and in addition to the gallows, a beheading platform, a slow slicing platform, and a whipping platform were added.

Chen Zhou originally intended to build a tall guillotine, modeled after designs from the late 18th century, to demonstrate his unassailable power and majesty.

But remembering what happened to Louis XVI, he ultimately did not carry out the project.

The execution platform, which replaces the guillotine, is used for manual decapitation. In the future, it may also be used to kill people with firearms. It doesn't seem as shocking as the execution of the guillotine, but it can put Chen Zhou at ease.

……

A small prison that can accommodate more than 20 people was built around the execution square.

Although the island's criminal law had been in effect for some time, no one dared to break the law until the prison was completed.

The veterans were law-abiding citizens, living their lives as usual, getting up early to go to work, finishing work in the evening, cooking a meal and chatting, maybe going fishing, or playing a game of chess or cards with friends. They had no opportunity to break the law.

The newly arrived natives on the island are busy learning Chinese, absorbing knowledge with a sense of fear for the new world, and gradually transforming themselves.

They are monitored almost 24 hours a day. Even if they have any thoughts of breaking the law, they will be nipped in the bud.

Therefore, since its construction, the prison has stood there, serving only as a decoration.

Like the execution platform and the courtroom, this empty building represents the consequences of crime.

Every day, when the islanders pass by the square on their way to work in the fields, seeing these two buildings serves as a reminder to them, thus discouraging any bold ideas they might have.

This effect was enough for Chen Zhou.

……

Along with the courthouse and prison, new indigenous residential areas were built.

In order to make these newcomers have a clear understanding of the islanders' social classes, Chen Zhou set three standards for all residences.

The most basic type of housing is a four-person shared dwelling, built entirely of wood.

These houses have no floors or windows, only a door, and contain four beds, an earthen stove, a wooden shelf, and some simple furniture.

After learning Chinese and mastering basic labor methods, new members will move into these wooden houses.

Those with strong learning abilities, good work performance, or meritorious service will be given priority to move into more upscale housing.

The next level up, the house has windows.

However, glass is limited on the island, so these houses do not use glass windows, but wooden blinds. During the day, the windows can be opened for ventilation and lighting, but at night, after the windows are closed, it is difficult to see the outside.

During the rainy season, the window can only block some of the wind and rain. In case of strong winds and heavy rain, some rainwater will always get into the room, which is quite inconvenient.

The second-class residential houses have evolved from four-person rooms to two-person rooms. The rooms have wooden floors, separate kitchens and bedrooms, and a separate small room used for storage or as a living room.

For new residents, being able to move into a Grade II residential house is a goal worth striving for their entire lives.

As for better houses, they are all old and outdated, and they dare not even dream of them.

……

Besides the structure of a house, its location is also a reflection of one's status.

The new members all lived around the execution square, far from the factory and thus far from the leader.

Chen Zhou rarely goes out, so they never see their leader.

In fact, many of the newly captured natives had not known what Chen Zhou looked like even after more than a month on the island, as studying and working had already exhausted their energy.

Coming from a backward, primitive tribe, they suddenly arrived in this completely different place, and there were so many new things they needed to learn and master.

Moreover, the veterans learned knowledge little by little, step by step.

In order to catch up with the schedule as quickly as possible, they not only need to learn Chinese characters and knowledge of farming and animal husbandry, but also need to learn the law to avoid being punished.

For the young indigenous people, the sheer volume of information is still manageable.

The older indigenous people had never suffered such treatment and endured immense hardship.

The veterans fear Sundays most, because they fear his ruthless methods.

These older indigenous people are afraid of Saturdays, especially the word "homework".

Some of the indigenous people are over thirty years old. After submitting their assignments, they are often called to the office on Saturdays for "one-on-one tutoring" because of too many mistakes.

The fears and pain experienced by modern students are now being reenacted on this 17th-century island, creating a unique spectacle.

……

The torment between students and teachers is mutual.

While the natives were overwhelmed by the homework and exercises assigned on Saturday, Saturday was also repeatedly driven to high blood pressure by these dull students.

Every so often when he returned to the factory to live, he would pour out his grievances to Chen Zhou or Sunday and Fu Lu Shou.

Sunday has been relieved of many burdens and is now mainly responsible for military work.

Hearing Saturday's rambling, he outwardly offered sympathy and comfort, but couldn't help but smile.

He was incredibly grateful that he had chosen a combat role instead of an educational one. Just listening to Saturday's account made him almost unable to contain his anger.

On Sunday, he thought that if he became a teacher, those natives would be lucky if they didn't get a beating every day.

If he couldn't vent the anger in his heart, he would be so angry that he would die.

He could never do what Saturday did: even when he was furious inside, he could still maintain a calm and patient demeanor, explaining the problems to the students bit by bit and repeatedly explaining the knowledge points.

……

The new workforce and the increasingly skilled veteran islanders completely freed up Chen Zhou's mind.

He entrusted most of the less important matters on the island to Fu Lu Shou and his two companions, while he focused on replicating various modern products.

After the replica is completed, he will compile the detailed steps into a teaching material and distribute it little by little.

Soybean paste was Chen Zhou's first "invention".

Using the "starter" of Northeast China's soybean paste and steamed buns, along with salt and water for fermentation, Chen Zhou mastered the method of making soybean paste after only two failures and successfully made the island's first vat of soybean paste.

Not long after the leader ate the soybean paste, the veterans living near the factory got the news.

Not long after receiving the news, they rushed to obtain the soybean paste making manual from the three Fukurokuju, who were in charge of most of the affairs, by demonstrating their outstanding performance.

In order to "keep up with the times," these old folks, who are basically well-off, are willing to make any effort.

Ever since they received the soybean paste making manual, the aroma of wheat flour has filled the indigenous people's huts every day.

They actively steamed buns, replaced their earthenware jars with larger ones, and tried every means to get salt from the new members.

Even a "junior leader" like Zebra managed to get some of the soybean paste meant for leaders from Chen Shou, which he used as a starter for his own sauce.

Of course, this was with Chen Zhou's tacit approval.

……

The trend of making sauces has driven up the prices of flour and salt.

Although there is no clear monetary system on the island.

但做酱期间，面粉兑换大米的比例变化非常明显，从1：1.2的比例增长到了1:2甚至1:2.5。

This unusual momentum only began to slow down after the islanders' first batch of sauce was made.

The person who successfully made the sauce was not as outstanding as Zebra or other craftsmen in his daily work. No one expected that he would be the first to succeed.

However, people's opinions about the sauce makers do not affect the popularity of soybean paste.

Within two days, the vat of soybean paste made by the maker was completely sold out.

It is said that in order to get the sauce from him, Zebra even offered to have a whole house of custom-made furniture as a bargaining chip.

Such conditions are something other natives wouldn't even dare to dream of, after all, Zebra is recognized as the most skilled carpenter on the island besides the chief.

The fact that he devoted so much time and energy to creating a house full of furniture shows that the sauce maker has gained Zebra's approval and entered a "class" that is even higher than the old-timers.

……

The island was like a greedy beast, swallowing new members whole and digesting them, only to become hungry again soon afterward.

It yearns for more members, greater changes, and a more important position—

It can influence the status of an era.

……

At the beginning of the second dry season in 1664, most of the island's workforce gathered at the seaside.

A major project, rare on the island and requiring the collective effort of many, officially commenced in early October.

The large quantity of building materials sent as a fifth-anniversary reward boosted Chen Zhou's confidence and also made his appetite grow bigger and bigger.

Although the day when the Spanish raiding ships encountered the storm in "Robinson Crusoe" had not yet arrived, he was already eager to acquire the vast wealth of the Inca Empire.

This project was the first step he took towards endless wealth.

……

This project is a small port wharf. The selected construction site is at the mouth of the Yantan River. The terrain here is unique and can utilize the natural topography to reduce the impact of waves, making it an ideal location for building a wharf.

Before construction began, as was customary, Chen Zhou led several foremen from the construction team to inspect the geological conditions of the rocky beach area.

The island's geological conditions once again did not disappoint him.

Constantly eroded by the tides, the soil at the bottom of the rocky beach has been mostly washed away by the sea, leaving only a layer of floating mud.

Beneath the floating mud lies a thin layer of fine sand and a solid rock layer, making it perfectly suitable for building a sturdy and reliable gravity-fed wharf.

……

After completing the geological survey and confirming that the geology was stable enough to support the stone structure, this massive project, under Chen Zhou's leadership, immediately commenced.

After a simple groundbreaking ceremony, the new islanders, led by veterans, got to work.

Among a group of familiar, dark-skinned faces were a few teenagers who still looked quite young.

They are newly graduated interns from the school's "Architecture Department," the oldest being only 15 years old. The reason they are on the construction site is not to work as laborers, but to serve as supervisors or safety officers.

Construction near the sea is highly dangerous, and there is a shortage of manpower on the island, making every piece of labor extremely valuable.

Chen Zhou cannot guarantee that no accidents will occur on the construction site, but he must do his best to minimize the probability of accidents.

Sending out this group of "interns" was an important measure taken by Chen Zhou.

When he's not at the construction site, these teenagers are his eyes and ears, helping him control the situation and eliminate potential hazards.

Several months ago, when the idea of ​​building the port and wharf arose, Chen Zhou compiled special teaching materials, prepared targeted courses, and selected suitable indigenous boys to study for this purpose.

Now, these teenagers, who have been studying for several months, are comparing the knowledge they have learned from books with actual situations, summarizing their experiences, and moving towards a more practical and mature direction.

……

When building a port, the first thing the workers did was dredge the waterways to prevent siltation.

To this end, they moved a large number of stone bricks that had been stored for more than a year, piled them up at the mouth of the river, and blocked the Yan River, creating a muddy swamp.

It was the dry season, so the water flow was low, and the project progressed smoothly.

After blocking the rocky river and dredging the waterway, the indigenous people moved the pre-cast cement blocks to suitable locations and piled them up to form hard-surfaced roads above sea level.

These heavy concrete blocks rely on their own weight to resist the water flow. They are much slower to build than sheet pile wharves, but they are much stronger and can last for a hundred years once built.

If it weren't for the ample building materials provided as a fifth-anniversary reward, Chen Zhou wouldn't have chosen such a material-intensive dock.

However, since the Time and Space Administration was being so generous, he had no intention of doing anything perfunctory.

Building materials won't produce offspring if left on the beach; turning them into sturdy structures is the most cost-effective approach.

The dry season has just begun, and the construction period will be very long.

After the cement blocks of the gravity-type wharf are stacked, the workers will need to build a ramp between the shore and the sea to connect the coast and the barge, in order to adapt to changes in water level.

At that time, several loading and unloading areas will appear at the mouth of the rocky beach.

The pulley system that Chen Zhou salvaged from the fitness equipment came in handy; after being made into a hoisting frame, it could be used for loading and unloading goods in the loading and unloading area. (End of Chapter)