Chapter 426 - 183: An Impromptu Speech (Part 2)
Even if other indigenous people reacted slowly, they still emerged from a strictly hierarchical tribe. Upon seeing the zebra’s actions, they hurriedly knelt down, clumsily clenched their fists and pounded their chests.
...
In the whole row of indigenous people, some leaned forward, some leaned back, kneeling crookedly, with their backs not straight and heads not raised. They were evidently a disorganized crowd.
Chen Zhou looked down at them, yet felt an unusual sense of pride in his heart.
...
From surviving alone, overcoming various crises, achieving self-sufficiency in food, making production tools, and building a shelter.
To now having three or five small houses, abundant supplies, and moats filled with barriers on both ends of the mountain peaks.
From a sub-healthy modern person who didn’t know how to use a flint to start a fire, to an experienced craftsman familiar with farming, proficient in vine weaving, carpentry, stonemasonry, bricklaying, and blacksmith skills.
From an ordinary person with a weak will, scared by a corpse, to a bloodstained ruler who shot indigenous people, killed young warriors, and hanged Spaniards.
In less than three years, he had experienced a lot, thought a lot, and changed a lot.
His own strength and the increase in mastering skills gradually gave him confidence and courage.
If it was in the past, he would never dare to attack more than twenty wild indigenous people alone, let alone venture into the forest to give indigenous warriors a chance to fight in close quarters.
Counting by the nominal age, today is his 28th birthday.
On this special day, he didn’t prepare any special birthday gifts for himself, not even lighting a candle.
While the indigenous people feasted, he still ate plain rice with a stewed fish.
For Chen Zhou nowadays, material enjoyment seemed to be insignificant.
When these indigenous people, whether older or younger than him, whether tall or short, knelt down together, he received a more precious gift—loyalty.
This unique gift brought him not physical joy, but spiritual enjoyment—
The taste of power.
...
Standing on high ground, quietly watching the indigenous people under the bonfire light, clearing his throat, Chen Zhou signaled Sunday to come beside him.
"I say a sentence, you translate a sentence."
After throwing down these words, Chen Zhou was silent for a moment, then began this unscripted speech with a relatively gentle sentence.
"I know what kind of life you led in your former tribes.
I know what kind of oppression you suffered.
I know how those from the sea stepped on your heads, insulted you, and whipped you.
I know how your old leaders and priests treated you, how they used your harvests to enrich their lives.
I know you have worries, thinking about either the woman at home or your children.
I also know you are confused, both liking the new life with a better future and often falling into memories of the past."
"Perhaps you have many confusion and questions.
Not understanding this place, much less me.
But from tonight, from this festival onward.
Facing the stars in the sky, the mountains and oceans, the flames and the light, as your new Leader, I can promise you.
Here, anyone who puts in effort can receive their due reward;
Here, any brave warrior will have rewards and honor;
Even if you are a herdsman managing cattle and sheep or a farmer cultivating land, as long as you complete your work, you will never have to endure the taste of hunger, nor be humiliated by others again;
There are severe punishments here, but also rich rewards.
I am not your old Leader, nor do I believe in your old gods.
To you, this is a strange world, full of strange rules.
But I can tell you, as long as you are loyal enough, there will be ladders to climb here.
And our influence will surely expand with your growth, until the supreme glory spreads to every corner illuminated by the stars!"
...
Chen Zhou’s voice became increasingly sonorous and powerful as the speech progressed.
As his interpreter, Sunday felt the pressure.
The tribal language had a limited vocabulary, and many of the words Chen Zhou used couldn’t be successfully expressed in the tribal language.
Moreover, Sunday had only learned Chinese for slightly more than half a year, and most of it was practical vocabulary, making it undoubtedly a challenge to understand some of the obscure words Chen Zhou used.
Nonetheless, relying on excellent improvisational skills, Sunday still slowly and accurately conveyed Chen Zhou’s meaning completely.
...
In resource-poor primitive tribes, survival was always the first priority.
The promises given by the Leader usually only involved food and women; he had no other rewards to offer.
The scarcity of vocabulary meant that even before a major battle, the Leader’s motivational speech was still the same old rhetoric—
Win, and everyone will have enough to eat; win, and everyone will have women to share.
Since birth, the indigenous people had never thought their simple vocabulary could have such rich and unique combinations.
Of course, what surprised them even more was Chen Zhou’s promise—
An unprecedented life, an unprecedented vision.
This was not simply drawing a pie.
With the examples of Saturday and Sunday;
With the delicacies they just ate as proof;
With the clothes on their bodies and shoes on the ground, with various metal tools, with the large cattle and sheep running all over the mountains, with the lush crops...
To the indigenous people, this was indeed a whole new world, a new world different from the past in every way.
...
They silently listened to the end of the speech, and everyone was moved by the future outlined by the new Leader.
"It’s time to show loyalty to the new Leader!"
So thought the indigenous people, but they didn’t know what to do, so they continued to maintain the posture of kneeling on one knee, like one dead tree stump after another.
...
At the critical moment, it was Saturday, the indigenous boy with equally passionate blood, who stepped forward.
Being more emotional, he was more easily stirred, and after hearing Chen Zhou’s words, his face was flushed.
Having just been standing beside the indigenous people, observing how they expressed gratitude, he immediately knelt on one knee and led the indigenous people in shouting out a slogan that had been brewing in their hearts for a long time.
"The flames and stars bear witness to our loyalty, we will always be loyal to you!"
The first time, he shouted in the tribal language.
After the indigenous people followed him in unison, Saturday repeated it in Chinese.
...
The evening wind on the hillside carried the smell of burning wood, a scent belonging to the flames.
The indigenous people’s awkward Chinese startled the birds resting in the forest.
The slightly messy shouting fell short of the loyal cries Chen Zhou expected, but he thoroughly enjoyed this feeling.
In modern society, power was certainly influential, but it would not be as stark as the power here, having absolute control over both life and dignity.
Desires or fame and fortune, things that in modern society can be obtained through striving or birth status, were insignificant in the face of the temptation of wielding the power of life and death.
From childhood to adulthood, Chen Zhou, who had never served as a class officer several times, fell deeply in love with this feeling after arriving on the island and experiencing unconditional obedience from others.
However, along with power comes responsibility.
As the Leader, he must be responsible for every word he has spoken and must genuinely lead the indigenous people toward the beautiful future he promised.
This relates to whether his rule is stable and can last long.
And such stability and longevity cannot be entirely supported by violence or one new pie after another.
...
The special atmosphere of the festival inspired Chen Zhou to impulsively make promises to the indigenous people without any preparation.
Although this speech was rushed, its effect was unexpectedly good.
When the shouts of the indigenous people dissipated in the evening wind, spreading through the forest and mountains, Chen Zhou signaled everyone to rise and announced the festival’s end.
...
Of course, although the festival ended, the gift-giving segment was still missing the last step—Saturday, Sunday, and the zebra were all empty-handed.
He dismissed the other indigenous people, telling them to take their packed meals back to the gathering place to sleep.
Chen Zhou returned to the small courtyard and took out three pre-prepared gifts.
Saturday received a real feather pen, a bottle of pink pineapple ink taken from the pineapple tree, and a thick stack of white A4 paper.
Sunday received a pair of sports shoes—considering his future range of activities would be much broader than Saturday’s, Chen Zhou, after careful consideration, decided to give them to him.
The zebra received a bottle of unopened yellow peach canned fruit—
Originally, Chen Zhou planned to give him a can, but in today’s rare good mood, he changed the gift content on the spot.
Holding the yellowed metal can, the zebra looked a bit at a loss, completely unable to understand what this thing was for.
His bewildered behavior made Saturday and Sunday envious, having long wanted to know what was inside this special little can.