Chapter 447 - 11: Breaking Ground (2)
Moreover, when construction formally started, he would stay at the site without moving an inch to supervise the indigenous workers.
If even this couldn't ensure the successful completion of the factory, aside from bringing in a professional civil engineer for guidance, Chen Zhou couldn't think of any other methods for success.
...
A training period lasting more than seventy days passed, and all the indigenous people understood deeply how much the Leader valued this "different kind of building."
Chen Zhou even directly told them—
"If anyone makes a major mistake in the construction process causing the entire project to collapse, they will be hanged."
Under this pressure, even those who always spaced out during carpentry lessons forced themselves to focus, painfully aware they couldn't remember every word the Leader said.
However, their concerns were soon alleviated by Chen Zhou.
Besides models, drawings, and oral explanations, he also prepared several written documents to help the forgetful ones strengthen their learning.
...
Chen Zhou had long noted in his mind those who struggled with memory.
Holding a thick stack of A4 papers filled with text, when passing by the indigenous people, he directly stuffed the organized documents into their hands.
"Every night after going home, first memorize, then recite them. In three days, I will check."
Saying this, Chen Zhou rarely showed a solemn and stern expression.
"In three days, if you can't recite it, go to Sunday and take thirty lashes.
I will make sure he uses his full strength."
...
Hearing these words, the few indigenous people who received the documents couldn't help but feel fearful, cautiously raising their heads to look at each other, faces showing the expression of impending doom.
Don't be misled by Chen Zhou's lack of a leader's airs, his friendliness to people.
Saturday, as their teacher, rarely punished them in daily dealings, always appearing like a good-natured person.
Sunday, however, was different from the two; he had always been a tough character. From the beginning, he held the role of "Punisher" after handling the indigenous people firsthand.
Among the seven indigenous people, while some hadn't been scolded by Sunday, none had escaped the whip.
In the minds of the indigenous people, this always cold-faced "Little Yama" hit much harder than the Leader.
Moreover, he followed through with everything he said, abiding by the Leader's every word.
If they can't memorize it and face Sunday's thirty lashes, it wouldn't be death, but it would certainly cost half their lives.
Exchanging glances, the group could obtain the same information from each other's eyes—
"What else can we do? Memorize it!"
...
After more than an hour, the full explanation of the construction process finally came to a close.
Chen Zhou didn't know how effective this "memory reinforcement" would be; he only knew that he had done his best.
The indigenous people holding the documents were sent back to the house to place the documents at home, and he began urging other indigenous people to quickly put on work clothes.
Contacting rebar and cement, they couldn't continue baring their chests; even in the scorching weather, they had to wear sturdy, wear-resistant clothing and put on gloves.
Without hard hats, Chen Zhou guided the indigenous people to weave a batch of "rattan helmets" during this time.
Although these offered far less protection than hard hats, wearing them on the head provided some level of safety, at least preventing death from falling bricks while working.
Moreover, having a hat could at least shade them from the sun, right?
...
The selected factory site featured a dry, yellow ground where long nails had already been hammered to confirm boundaries, with strings stretching between them.
Outside the strings, straight auxiliary lines were drawn with charcoal powder.
When the indigenous people arrived on-site with shovels and pickaxes, Chen Zhou had been waiting for a while.
...
Beginning the afternoon of January 11, indigenous people's lives formally entered the "simulated civil engineer" stage.
Sweat was shed everywhere within the delineated pit.
Day by day passed, as compact soil was exhumed in chunks, and Stone was excavated, deepening and expanding the pit.
Under Chen Zhou's supervision, the indigenous people worked without any errors.
More joyously, the selected land had excellent geological conditions, with very firm soil containing many small sandstone pieces, and few large indestructible stones.
The process of digging the pit and treating the foundation went remarkably smoothly.
Even so, once the pit was fully dug, an entire month had gone by, and the island's rainy season was approaching.
...
Concerned that by mid-February, heavy rain accumulating in the pit could loosen the foundation,
Chen Zhou planned to cover the foundation's surface with planks before the rainy season arrived.
Simultaneously, he instructed the indigenous people to add several drainage channels within the foundation, leading accumulated water to the sump, to be drained after the rainy season concluded.
Additionally, Chen Zhou preemptively sorted a batch of small stones.
If the waterproofing boards didn't function effectively, allowing water to flood the foundation and compromise its load-bearing capacity, these stones would be spread inside to enhance ground hardness.
Of course, these were contingency plans.
If the foundation did suffer irreparable damage, he would have to give up the month's labor and find a new place to start anew.
Spending an extra month was still better than living in a hazardous house, worrying for decades.
...
On February 17, a downpour arrived as expected, heralding the start of the two-month rainy season.