Chapter 483 - 27: The Leader’s Invitation (Part 2)
Right now, the other indigenous people are busy cooking or passing the time with other activities, and no one will pay attention to whether his room is lit or not.
Besides, even if it’s not lit or even empty, what does it matter? After all, no one cares about him.
Kulu is well aware of his companions’ attitudes toward him.
He’s just preoccupied with his family and unwilling to socialize, not foolish.
Apart from the indigenous shepherds, there are only six people here, five excluding himself.
Kulu might struggle to understand the dynamics of a group of over ten people, but he can clearly see the thoughts and behaviors of the five people he has lived with for nearly a year.
...
Upon hearing Kulu’s answer, Sunday glanced again at the small houses of the other natives, said nothing, merely gestured, and walked toward the factory first.
Kulu didn’t ask why. He didn’t know why the Leader wanted to see him, but he had a vague intuition that following Teacher Sunday might bring an unexpected surprise.
...
The two walked up the stone-paved path and soon reached the factory gates.
This enormous structure, unlike anything of its age, stretched out like a monster ready to devour people, looking down upon everything below.
When the large steel-welded gate was pulled open, the piercing creaks of the doors gave an inexplicable icy solemnity in this sweltering dry season.
If Kulu didn’t know he hadn’t done anything wrong and had participated in the factory’s construction, coming here at night would have left him trembling with fear.
...
Stepping into the first floor of the factory, the flat cement floor beneath his feet, the 4-meter-high ceiling, the dim environment, and narrow corridors conveyed an overwhelming sense of oppression.
Sunday remained silent, and Kulu dared not make a sound either.
All they could hear was the sound of their footsteps on the cement floor, and see the bright light shining from the stairway in the distance.
Kulu vaguely felt that this light was different from an oil lamp, exceptionally clean, bright, and stable without any flickering.
As they got closer to the stairway, they could hear more sounds, as if walking from a deserted place into a bustling city.
When Kulu’s head emerged floor by floor with the stairs to the second floor, the excessively bright light made it hard for him to keep his eyes open.
On the flat, uniformly colored wooden floor, Sunday and Chen Zhou stood side by side, laughing and chatting, discussing something.
Above them, a dazzling lamp at the end of a wire adhering to the ceiling bathed the entire room in light, turning it as bright as daylight, with every object clearly displayed beneath its glow to Kulu’s eyes.
...
Seeing Sunday bring the native up, Chen Zhou put away the Chen Family rifle in his hand and patted Sunday’s shoulder.
"The reason this is called a new weapon is that it addresses the flaws of the old weapons.
It has a stronger adaptability to the environment, a longer range, greater accuracy, faster reloading speed, and more power. You must understand, if you only improve one aspect of the weapon but fail to address its shortcomings, it can’t be called an improvement.
When you go back to rest, review the schematic of this rifle once more, then copy out twenty copies of its characteristics and design ideas for me."
With Chen Zhou’s last words entering Sunday’s ears, his previously somewhat happy face immediately scrunched up like a chrysanthemum.
"Twenty copies!
You know, the features and design ideas of this gun are over four thousand words, how long will it take him to copy that many?"
"Did you hear me?"
Seeing Sunday about to turn his head and leave, Chen Zhou asked him with concern.
This kid is good in every way except he hates studying. At the mention of homework, he gets a headache. Last time, he even coaxed Sunday into writing it for him.
However, the writing styles of Sunday and him were so different that Chen Zhou immediately caught him and punished him by having him copy it twenty times.
Since then, even though Sunday dared not slack off again, the pained expression on his face every time he was given homework was something he could never fake.
Chen Zhou had always been a model student, never needing parental supervision for homework. Seeing Sunday like this, he vaguely saw the shadows of those underachievers from his school days.
But now, standing in the position of a parent or a teacher, he would not allow Sunday to go astray.
Moreover, the knowledge about weapon design and maintenance is much more interesting than math or English.
Besides, concerning the things Sunday is going to do in the future, an understanding of weapons is a matter of life and death. Slacking off now might cost him his life later.
As a responsible instructor, although Chen Zhou would not risk his own life to personally carry out plans, he would certainly ensure the safety of his subordinates, especially trusted ones like Sunday.
Just like a saying often heard in the military—sweat more in peace, bleed less in war.
...
"Heard you..."
Sunday uttered, feebly, dragging his heavy steps back into his room.
At this moment, only Chen Zhou, Sunday, and Kulu were left in the hall on the second floor.
Without concerning himself about Sunday and whether he would study after returning to his room, Chen Zhou first put the long rifle back to his room, hung it on the wall, then reappeared before Kulu.
"Don’t just stand there foolishly, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Come on, have something warm first."
Chen Zhou opened the door to the guest room, leading Kulu to the long table, and pulled a chair for him.
After Kulu awkwardly sat down, Chen Zhou grabbed a thermos from the side, took out two clean silver cups, and poured hot steaming milk tea for both Kulu and himself.
...
Kulu was overwhelmed with the unexpected favor, sitting upright on the chair, not daring to lean against the backrest.
He cautiously held the silver cup with both hands, ignoring the burning sensation of the hot milk tea, and took a sip, enduring the pain.
Throughout this process, he kept his head down, only daring to lift his eyes, stealing glances at the Leader like a thief.
This sneaky demeanor made Chen Zhou want to laugh a little.
He went to the other end of the long table, plopped down on an ergonomic chair, and asked his first question, his eyes fixed intently on Kulu.
"I heard from others that you really want to go home?"
Upon hearing this, Kulu’s hand shook involuntarily, and he repeatedly denied it.
"No, no, Leader, I really like it here, I don’t want to go home."
As he spoke, he placed the silver cup back on the table, standing up from his chair, almost ready to kneel before Chen Zhou if not for Sunday’s intervention.
...
Not just here, but even in the original tribe, returning to their community was taboo for captives. If caught, escapees might even be torn apart and devoured alive.
Even though Kulu had no intention of escaping, admitting so, even if he did want to return home, was out of the question!
Despite the Leader’s usually kind demeanor, these indigenous survivors all witnessed the Leader killing without hesitation, not daring to think the god-like Leader with mysterious powers was a kind soul.
...
"Don’t be nervous, I’m not intending to punish you, your work attitude has not gone unnoticed, and though you may not have achieved great merit, you’ve worked hard.
Moreover, I know that although you don’t speak much, you’ve always been diligent in learning and haven’t made any errors."
Chen Zhou smiled, gestured for Kulu to sit down, and continued.
"Besides, there’s nothing wrong with feeling homesick. Sometimes I miss home too."
"I’ve just heard that you have a wife and child in your original tribe, and you’d love to bring them to the island to live a new life, is that true?"
Kulu, whose rear had just touched the chair, felt even more fearful upon hearing this, instinctively wanting to rise again.
But this time, Sunday firmly pressed him into the chair, and his fear-induced weakness rendered him powerless. He attempted to rise slightly, only to be pushed back down.
Uncertain whether the Leader’s question was good or bad, Kulu wanted to tell a harmless lie, but under Chen Zhou’s sharp gaze, he couldn’t speak a false word, and could only nod, confirming the Leader’s statement.
"Then I’m giving you a chance now to bring your wife and child here. Would you be willing to take it?"
Seeing Kulu’s honest answer, Chen Zhou felt a sense of joy inside as he offered the long-prepared bait.
He was certain that this "carefully selected fish" would happily take the bait tailored for it.