Unexpected Visitor

A little over a month later, on a morning, Dabang personally led personnel and supplies to the Great Luwei Tribe's dock. The fleet sailed downstream, led by a large ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, followed by ships with carrying capacities of 50,000 jin and 20,000 jin. The sails stretched as far as the eye could see, covering most of the river. The flags of the Fire Tribe flew on the Chuantou, fluttering in the spring breeze and visible from afar. The dock had received the news early that morning, and Yan had his men clean the boardwalk thoroughly, replaced the ropes on the mooring posts, swept the open space on the shore, and even replaced the straw mats in front of the warehouse. Several leaders stood on the dock waiting, glancing at the river every now and then.

The boat docked, the gangplank was set up, and Dabang was the first to step off. Today he wore a grayish-brown linen robe, the front of which was streaked with sawdust. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his strong forearms, which bore a few shallow scratches from splinters. His face was flushed from the river wind, and the skin on his cheekbones was rough and firm, but he was full of energy, his eyes bright and sparkling. He stood on the wooden planks of the dock, looked around, his gaze sweeping from the dock's walkway to the warehouses on the shore, then from the warehouses to the direction of the camp. A smile played on his lips, and then he spoke, his voice loud and clear, carrying the freshness of someone traveling far from home for the first time. "Yan'er, the dock of this Great Luwei Tribe is quite well built. It's even bigger than I saw on the map, the walkway is wide, and the warehouses are neat and tidy."

Yan stepped forward and stopped in front of Dabang. He first clasped his hands in a salute, then spoke, his voice carrying a sense of relief after being reassured. "Uncle Dabang, I didn't expect you to come in person this time, and with so many people. When I received the news, I thought I had misheard. You're usually so busy at the management center, how did you find the time to come all this way?"

Dabang withdrew his hand from in front of him, patted his belt, and then spoke, his voice lower than before. "I haven't been to the lower reaches of the Fish River before, and I've wanted to come and see for myself. Back at the management center, I'm just staring at wooden tablets and blueprints every day. I can't understand anything just by looking at numbers. I need to see the docks, warehouses, and camps here with my own eyes to have a clear understanding of the situation. When I go back to build ships and weapons, I'll know which direction to focus my efforts on."

He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on his belt, then continued, "This time I brought 30,000 people to settle, along with some supplies. Later, I'll also need to take 40,000 people from the Willow Vine Tribe and Great Luwei Tribe to the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost for settlement. The mission is quite important, so I'm personally making this trip. My fleet came in two groups; one went to the Willow Vine Tribe, and the other came to the Great Luwei Tribe here. You can make arrangements to unload the people from the ships, unload the supplies into the warehouse, and then put the people who have gathered here onto the ships. I'll take them on my way back."

After listening, Yan nodded, switched the wooden tablet in his hand to his other hand, and then spoke in a steady and clear voice, at a slow pace. "Uncle Dabang, don't worry, we're all ready. As soon as there are people available on your boat, I'll let the assembled people board. Shibang will also make arrangements at the Willow Vine Tribe; his people are all assembled there too. As soon as the boat arrives, people will board, and we can go from both sides at the same time without wasting any time."

He paused, waved behind him, and Yingmu and Daya came up from behind. Yan then said, "Yingmu, you're in charge of leading people to unload the people from the ship and settle them in the row of empty houses on the east side of the camp. Daya, you're in charge of leading people to unload the supplies from the ship into the warehouse, count them, and register them. Don't make a mess of it."

Yingmu and Daya responded simultaneously, turned and walked towards the dock, and began directing people to receive and unload cargo. The dock quickly became busy. Some people came down from the gangplank, some carried bundles to the camp, and some pushed carts from the warehouse to load cargo. The sounds of footsteps and heavy objects hitting the ground mingled together, but there was no crowding.

Dabang stood on the edge of the dock, watching the people disembarking for a while, then turned back to Yan and spoke, his voice lower than before, but with the characteristic half-joking, half-serious tone of an elder. "That's good. Is Shibang behaving himself here? He's been mischievous since he was little, always talking back. If he misbehaves, tell me, and I'll teach him a lesson."

After listening, Yan's lips curled up slightly, and he spoke with a certain confidence that came from being entrusted with a task, "Uncle Dabang, what are you saying? Shibang is my right-hand man now. Without him by my side, I'd be swamped. He's in charge of the defense and training of several outposts around here. He gets up before dawn every day to lead the training, and he checks the sentries at night. He's very organized and efficient. He takes care of most of the work here, which saves me a lot of worry."

After listening, Dabang took his hands off his belt, rubbed them together in front of him, and then spoke, his voice carrying a satisfied tone after being confirmed. "This kid has really made something of himself lately. Now he's managing a whole bunch of things on his own, and he's starting to look decent."

He paused, shifting his gaze from Yan's face to the supplies being unloaded at the dock, then looked back and continued, "By the way, how's the Tiger Tribe doing lately? I heard some news from the management center, but it's all been passed around a few times, so it's not very accurate. You're closer, so you know more."

After listening, Yan turned to Yingmu and said in a low but clear voice, "Yingmu, tell Uncle Dabang what you know."

Yingmu walked over from the dock and stopped in front of the two men. He first bowed to Dabang, then spoke in a low but sincere voice, "Chief Dabang, the Tiger Tribe has now withdrawn all its forces to its main camp. The troops on the east and west sides have all been withdrawn, leaving only a few scouts on the border, not many, seemingly for surveillance. Much of the territory on the east and west sides has been ceded to the Western Shu Tribe and the Wuyue Tribe, who gained it without firing a single shot. Although the Tiger Tribe's relationship with the Wuyue Tribe is so-so, it has close ties with the Western Shu Tribe. Not only has it purchased a large amount of grain and supplies from the Western Shu Tribe Western Shu Tribe, but our scouts have also seen their fleets returning from the Western Shu Tribe several times, the ships loaded to the brim with water. According to reliable sources, if the Tiger Tribe clashes with us this year, the Western Shu Tribe will also send troops to help. They have reached an agreement with the Western Shu Tribe: the Western Shu will send 20,000 troops to advance from the west, and the Tiger Tribe has agreed to give them a piece of territory."

After listening, Dabang nodded, withdrew his hand from in front of him, placed it at his waist, and then spoke, his voice carrying a calculated certainty. "If the Western Shu Tribe also gets involved, it will be more troublesome for us when dealing with the Tiger Tribe. With 20,000 troops pressing in from the west, we'll have to divide our forces, fighting the Tiger Tribe on one side and defending against the Western Shu on the other. It will be more difficult, but it's alright. Our Fire Tribe's 200,000-jin carrying capacity ships are about to be launched and are just waiting for trial voyages. Moreover, this year we plan to build 100 ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin each. Even if those two tribes unite, they won't be a match for our Fire Tribe. We have more ships, more soldiers, and more food. Even if they unite, they can only hold out for a little longer. When I go back, I will tell the chief to have the tribe send more troops to help in the battle. You can fight with peace of mind; the rear can supply us."

After listening, Yan nodded, put the wooden tablet into his pocket, and then said, "That's good. This will make it easier for us to deal with the Tiger Tribe. When has the tribe decided to launch a military campaign against the Tiger Tribe this year? I want to prepare in advance."

Dabang pulled his hand back from his waist, pressed it in front of him, and then said, "The chief and the others said they plan to launch an attack on the Tiger Tribe after the first harvest this year. By then, the grain will be stored, the ships will be ready, the soldiers will be trained, the weather will be warm, and it will be easier to fight. Of course, it would be even better if we could defeat the Tiger Tribe in one go, or at least severely damage them, completely crush their navy, cripple their reinforcements, and leave them with no strength left to fight us."

Yan listened, nodded, took the wooden tablet out of his robes, glanced at it, then used a bone needle to draw two lines on it, noting down the preparations. He then put it away and spoke, his voice carrying a sense of reassurance after being assured, "Alright, I'll prepare properly during this time. Get the ships ready, train the soldiers, stockpile provisions, and set up sentry posts far away. After the harvest, we'll move in." He paused, then clasped his hands in Dabang salute to Dabang. "Go back and give my regards to my father and the others. Tell them everything is going smoothly here, and that they can rest assured."

Dabang nodded to him, waved his hand in front of him, and then spoke, his voice warm and gentle. "Okay, I'll pass on your message when I get back."

The two then chatted for a while about the frontline defenses and resource allocation. Yan then invited Dabang to eat in the room next to the council hall. Dabang ate quickly, and by the time they finished, the fleet members and supplies had all disembarked, and the people of the Great Luwei Tribe had all boarded the ships. The crowd on the dock thinned out again. Dabang raised his hand to Yan, then turned and walked onto the gangplank. The fleet set sail again, heading upstream along the Fish River towards the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost.