From Robinson Crusoe

Humans, especially primitive humans, always try to build as grand as possible when constructing structures that inspire their awe.

Enormous is the most direct feeling. When the massive structure of a building is presented to people, it can give people a strong sense of shock and oppression without much decoration.

As the person in charge of the new temple project, Zebra followed the principle of "gigantic" design from the very beginning.

The leader gave him enough authority to call upon steel bars and cement. With the help of these building materials, not to mention a seven or eight-meter-tall building, even a giant building twenty or thirty meters high would be no problem.

After establishing "huge" as the basic characteristic, Zebra began to conceive the shape of the temple.

You only realize how little you know when you need it. In the past, Zebra always thought he was serious enough in class and meticulous enough when doing his homework.

When it came time to put his talents to use, he realized that he hadn't made much progress compared to when he was in the primitive tribe, and was still like a clueless child.

To design the temple to be both solemn and beautiful, Zebra spent a lot of time in the office on Saturdays.

He gradually found inspiration in the paintings he created on Saturdays and in the books in his room on Saturdays.

Time polishes the zebra's rough ideas, like the sand inside an oyster, which, after being polished day after day, eventually becomes smoother and more rounded, revealing the luster of jewelry.

On the A4 paper, those inspirations intertwined and wove together into a complete concept.

Gathering workers, selecting a site, manufacturing the framework, digging the foundation, stacking, assembling, construction...

Zebra quietly disappeared from the islanders' sight. Every day before dawn, he would set off for the construction site on the other side of the mountain to lead the most skilled workers in building the new temple.

……

Before officially starting construction, Zebra, feeling uncertain, finally took the blueprints to consult Chen Zhou for his opinion.

He was filled with anxiety, having devoted himself to this project with all his heart, fearing that he might do something wrong and displease the leader.

In fact, in Chen Zhou's heart, the temple was not as important as Zebra imagined.

Empty talk harms the country, while hard work builds it.

As a science and engineering student, Chen Zhou has always valued industry the most.

Whether it's light industry or heavy industry, whether it produces soap, cloth, or machinery and weapons, as long as we are down-to-earth and focus on real industries, it will benefit the island and its people.

As for religious projects like temples, or tourism and entertainment, Chen Zhou considered them inferior to industry.

In the 21st century, with the advent of the information age, the vast planet has become a "global village." Trade and economic changes between major powers can influence the global situation, allowing financial centers like Wall Street to build castles in the air on the "foundation" of past industrial construction, thus triggering one financial storm after another.

But the world is still in the 17th century. No matter how much gold and silver you have, if your manufacturing industry is weak, you will sooner or later become fish on a chopping block and be slaughtered by countries with stronger industries.

In peacetime, money talks. But in times of war, the real strength lies in who has the best guns, the most powerful artillery, and the strongest manufacturing sector.

Chen Zhou could entrust most affairs on the island to trusted people, but he had to personally supervise the factories, machinery, and manufacturing industries.

The reason the zebra was tasked with designing and building the temple was because it had saved the tiger's head beforehand.

Although the rescue was influenced by human intervention, Chen Zhou had personally promised to reward the person who saved Tiger Head. Even though Zebra hadn't actively asked for it or mentioned it, Chen Zhou still gave him what he wanted most—

A staircase leading upwards.

Frankly speaking, Chen Zhou hadn't expected Zebra to complete the task so well.

A few years ago, Zebra was still an illiterate, primitive man who lived like a wild beast, eating raw meat and drinking blood. It was unrealistic to expect him to have any artistic talent or amazing designs.

Perhaps his expectations were too low, because when Zebra presented the design drawings to Chen Zhou, Chen Zhou was genuinely surprised.

Although the Zebra tribe is related to the Incas of South America, he had never seen the architecture of the Inca Empire and the temples he designed looked nothing like the Inca temples.

With the help of Saturday, having carefully observed the old temple and personally participated in the construction of the factory and shipyard, Zebra combined these experiences to design a massive temple that possesses both the charm of ancient Chinese architecture and a modern architectural framework.

The entire temple is symmetrical, with the central main hall being two stories high. The foundation and frame are made of reinforced concrete, while the exterior and interior decorations use a large amount of wood.

Using his knowledge of mortise and tenon joints and referencing the appearance of ancient pavilions and towers, Zebra designed the eaves of the temple to curve upwards, making them somewhat similar to the upturned eaves of temples that Chen Zhou had seen before.

Around the main temple, zebras designed several low huts, which were the residences of the gods' attendants.

Even in backward primitive tribes, in the important activity of sacrifice, in addition to the old priest who presides over the sacrifice, there are a group of dancers whose bodies are decorated with patterns that are said to be able to communicate with the gods.

Although the new religion on the island has little impact on the lives of the islanders, they still gather at the temple to worship during festivals every year. Zebra thinks that when fewer islanders participated in the rituals, the lack of maintenance and cleaning of the temple did not have much of an impact.

With a large population on the island and a large enough area for the new temple to be built, leaving it unattended on the mountain would likely cause it to collapse within a few years.

From any perspective, selecting a group of servants loyal to the gods is a necessary matter.

At the very least, temples need someone to clean and maintain them; otherwise, when people open the door to worship, they will always see dust covering the floor, which will inevitably affect the dignity of the gods.

Chen Zhou hadn't paid much attention to the new temple, always focusing his energy on other matters. Hearing Zebra's explanation, he immediately found it made sense, and while finalizing the temple design, he added some details—

For example, temple staff should be selected from younger, educated children.

After working at the temple, the attendants, while cleaning and repairing the temple, could not neglect their cultural studies. In addition to entertaining the islanders who came to worship, they also had to learn some medical knowledge to treat the sick islanders, and at the same time spread the faith of "Wang Lingguan".

Of course, Chen Zhou did not give these details to Zebra, but directly instructed them to Saturday.

Faith is a double-edged sword; it can rapidly increase people's loyalty, but it can also overthrow the ruler's position.

The emperors of ancient China always placed imperial power above divine authority because they recognized the power of religion.

Entrusting the construction of the temple to Zebra is no problem, but Chen Zhou dares not entrust the selection of divine attendants and the compilation of doctrines and rules to Zebra.

Ultimately, Zebra wasn't someone close to him.

Even if Zebra does things perfectly, Chen Zhou cannot fully trust him because of what happened in the past.

……

The temple was left to Zebra and his team of workers. Since conquering the archipelago, every two weeks, new natives who had completed their basic education joined the islanders, leading to a sustained increase in the island's workforce.

Thanks to an abundant labor force, many projects can be carried out simultaneously.

The construction of new steamships, the expansion of ports, the construction of mints, the construction of new schools, the reclamation of new fields, the establishment of new ranches, and the exploration of other areas of the island...

One after another, fortifications rose up along the shore, guarding the edge of the island and waiting for the Spanish to come and visit.

The shipyard's defenses were even more formidable, with several stone watchtowers erected in addition to cement walls. Guards took turns standing watch there every day to prevent the enemy from landing on the island under the cover of night.

In order to obtain information about the Spanish movements as soon as possible, the Steelbone would go to the island every other day to gather intelligence.

On Sunday, two sailors were left on the island specifically to observe the Spanish camp. They set up a temporary shelter on a high point not far from the camp and kept a close watch with binoculars on whether any clothed Spaniards came to the camp.

It is currently the dry season, with few storms at sea, making it a perfect time for a long voyage. Kylian could arrive at the island at any time.

Chen Zhou needed to know the whereabouts of the Spanish merchant ships in advance, not only to reduce the potential casualties among the soldiers in future conflicts, but also for the treasures and supplies on the Spanish merchant ships.

Before obtaining sufficient coal and being able to conduct transoceanic trade, resource-scarce islands always need external "support".

……

Time flies, and May quickly passed, followed by the equally hot months of June and July.

The basic framework of the new temple, overseen by Zebra, has been completed, but the exterior decoration and interior renovation are a complicated and time-consuming project.

With a spirit of striving for excellence, Zebra did not rush to achieve quick results. Instead, he raised the requirements for his workers again, filling in his ideal "dwelling place of God" little by little.

On Sunday, the group of teenagers under his command had long since moved into a camp specially built for them, where they embarked on a path quite different from their peers.

Physical training, combat training, weapons lessons, live-fire shooting, explanation of mechanical structures...

This knowledge, which involved blood and fire, forged them into bayonets that gleamed with a cold light.

In the future, some of them will bleed or even sacrifice themselves in naval battles, but those who survive will become the true pillars of the island, leading this new force rising in one corner of the ocean towards a more distant future.

……

While Zebra was busy building the new temple, Wang Lin, who had fought with him at the dock, was leading another group of islanders in another project—the mint.

In order to ensure that the issued currency would be accepted by the islanders and prevent inflation in a short period of time, Chen Zhou and the island's leadership team discussed the matter for a long time.

It took nearly three months of preparation, during which time the islanders were gradually introduced to the concepts of buying and selling, and the uses of currency.

Simultaneously, currency denominations were determined, currency designs were created, anti-counterfeiting features were incorporated, suitable materials and processes were researched, and finally, molds for minting the coins were manufactured, and a strictly managed mint was built…

During this time, although Chen Zhou had put down the pressure in his heart, he had never been idle.

While waiting for the Spanish to react, he personally took charge, sometimes going to the shipyard to inspect the quality of the ships, and sometimes going to the mint to help the workers solve problems. He left early and returned late every day.

With the help of Chen Zhou, the true "soul" of the island, all projects are progressing smoothly.

The crucial mint was quickly built, but it would take some time for the workers to complete their training and officially start working. Once they were able to produce qualified currency, the island would have its first currency, primarily silver coins.

These shimmering, round little creatures will replace brown sugar, chocolate, and other similar items, becoming the new darlings of the islanders.

……

After July, in August, the entire region will enter the rainy season, and the frequent storms will be a severe test for any ships traveling in the vicinity.

Most of the mint workers have completed their training, and Chen Zhou has confirmed that the new currency will be officially launched on August 30.

With the rainy season approaching, he thought that the Spanish captain named Killian was lingering in his hometown or the South American ports and wouldn't return to the island anytime soon.

Just when he had given up hope of a conflict in the near future, Sunday brought him news related to the Spanish.

The sailors who remained on the island noticed that fourteen dressed outsiders had landed on the island that day, carrying wooden crates to the camp.

The people were clearly bewildered when they saw the campsite had been completely emptied, and then carried their boxes back to the beach.

Because the outsiders outnumbered them and were all carrying matchlock guns, the two sailors dared not follow them too far, only reaching the edge of the forest.

Further ahead lies barren sand, where their distinctive figures would easily be noticed by outsiders, potentially leading to accidents.

At the edge of the forest, one can see small sampans used by outsiders to land on the island and the large ship they traveled on. Comparing these with the features provided by the Spanish prisoners, it can be confirmed that this is the "Lucia," one of the two armed merchant ships in the Kylian fleet.

This three-masted sailing ship has multiple decks and a high bow and stern, which is conducive to boarding and fighting. Multiple cannons are mounted on the sides, which can launch fierce attacks on unsuspecting pirates.

Juan described it as a wild boar with long tusks, thick skin and flesh, and astonishing killing power. Although it looks clumsy, it can always burst out with speeds beyond what ordinary people can expect when it raises its sails.

……

Although the Lucia belongs to the Killian fleet, its captain is not Killian, but an old captain who has followed Killian for many years.

The Spanish prisoners all had the impression of the captain as "obedient" or "compliant".

No matter how big or small the matter, the captain never dared to make decisions on his own and always consulted Killian's opinion.

Perhaps that's why he's been able to sit comfortably in the captain's position for so many years.

The sailors in charge of the observation said that the Spanish quickly boarded the Lucia after carrying the wooden crates back onto the sampan.

Not long after, the Lucia weighed anchor, raised its sails, and left the waters near the island.

Chen Zhou and Sunday analyzed that the ship was either heading to the next port according to the established plan, or it was going to find Kylian.

If the captain of the Lucia were truly so indecisive, he would certainly have informed Killian of this major incident immediately, allowing Killian to decide how to deal with the other group of "robbers" who had stolen his wealth. (End of Chapter)