TPWBI Chapter 106

“This sand table is really well made.” Yang Yi looked at the sand table before him, praising it repeatedly.

The sand table fully displayed the Spark Tribe’s territory along with the surrounding terrain, buildings, and features, giving a clear and direct view of the entire tribe’s layout.

Yang Yi had asked Han Bing to start working on this project a long time ago. Many earlier versions had been produced, but this one was by far the most complete and detailed.

And what was more, it wasn’t completed under Han Bing’s guidance. It had been made by a beastfolk named Ying Yi, who possessed the eagle’s gift.

For beastfolk with bird-related talents, things were often a bit awkward. They did not actually gain the ability to fly, losing what should have been their greatest skill, which greatly diminished their combat strength.

What once was incredible speed in flight became nothing more than running on two legs on land, and their speed advantage was gone.

But Ying Yi, who bore the eagle’s gift, had perfectly inherited the eagle’s vision. He could see extremely far, estimate distances with remarkable accuracy, and had a keen sense of spatial awareness.

Yet his personality was nothing like that of a typical Eagle Clan member. He was neither combative nor hot-blooded, preferring instead to stare blankly at the scenery around him.

Too mild-tempered and disinclined to talk, he could sit still in one place for hours, even spending an entire day playing with a lump of mud. This greatly worried the eagle clan.

He clearly had excellent talent and wasn’t stupid. If he had put in even a little effort, he could have become one of the fiercest warriors. But he simply wouldn’t.

Instead, he managed to get by with his natural gifts. As long as he was full, he refused to do more, making it seem like he was wasting his potential.

Even so, the eagle clan never made things difficult for him. They only used him as a cautionary example when teaching their children.

After arriving at the Spark Tribe, however, the eagle clan worried that he might not adapt and would eventually be cast out.

Unexpectedly, when he arrived at the Spark Tribe, the very first thing that caught his eye was Han Bing’s drawings. The usually solitary Ying Yi actually sought Han Bing out on his own initiative and asked to become his disciple.

Ying Yi learned quickly under Han Bing, especially showing remarkable talent in map-making.

Once he grasped the Spark Tribe’s measurement system, he could determine distances purely by sight with astonishing precision.

Han Bing also discovered that Ying Yi had great talent in “playing with mud”. He could mold clay into all sorts of shapes.

Just by looking at a house, he could sculpt a miniature version of it out of clay, even understanding the internal load-bearing structure.

So Han Bing began teaching him how to make sand tables. Ying Yi’s skill at making them soon surpassed Han Bing’s own.

After Han Bing left the tribe, he entrusted these tasks entirely to Ying Yi.

Ying Yi did not disappoint. He created this sand table with an extraordinary degree of accuracy.

Even tiny rises and dips in the terrain were reflected, making the whole model even more intuitive to understand.

Yet Ying Yi himself was not satisfied. “Too many areas were buried during the snow. The precision still isn’t enough. I need to investigate and make further corrections.”

“If you need anything, just go claim it. Aside from continuing your studies, you don’t need to take on any other tasks. Focus entirely on making the sand table.” Hei Lie spoke firmly.

Ying Yi’s eyes flickered slightly. After summoning his courage, he asked, “May I request an ostrich?”

“Hasn’t one already been assigned to you?” Yang Yi turned to ask Ye Jian, the new secretary who had taken over Han Bing’s position.

At present, most ostriches are assigned to those who have raised them from chicks. Growing up together built a deeper bond, making the birds more willing to let their caretakers ride them and improving coordination.

Ostrich eggs were limited. Both hatching and raising them carried a failure rate. As such, they couldn’t meet the needs of the entire tribe. For now, most were allocated to people in special positions, such as soldiers and messengers.

There were also some ostriches designated as public mounts. These ostriches tended to have gentler temperaments. Most people could ride them as long as they coaxed them with food.

For someone like Ying Yi, who often needed to run around, he should indeed have a personal mount to improve efficiency.

Ying Yi answered for himself: “I used to have one, but I don’t know why it was taken away. When I ride an ostrich, I can see much farther, so I really need one. The public ostriches aren’t nearly as good.”

Hei Lie cast a glance at Ye Jian, his brows furrowing slightly. “What’s going on?”

Ye Jian looked hesitant, her gaze shifting evasively.

“Speak!” Hei Lie’s voice thundered.

“Ying Yi’s ostrich was taken by Yao…”

“Yao?” Yang Yi’s memory stirred at the name. He recalled that Yao was one of the earliest people from the Blackstone Tribe, now an elder figure within the tribe.

Though not a warrior, Yao had a fairly sturdy body and, in the beginning, often handled errands and odd jobs.

“Why did he take it? As far as I remember, isn’t his work just clerical, such as delivering documents and archiving records in the temple?”

As the tribe’s population grew, these kinds of small, miscellaneous roles began to appear.

Yao, being among the first batch of people, had started learning earlier. His progress was relatively slow, but since he had a head start, he could recognize more characters than those who came later.

Because of this, he was more suited to work in an administrative institution like the temple. Since his abilities were mediocre, he mainly handled miscellaneous tasks, essentially a basic clerk.

But what would a person like that need an ostrich for?

Even if delivering documents required some running around, it was nowhere near enough to justify it. Not to mention here, even on Earth, no office worker would be so weak that they’d need a mount to do office errands.

Ostriches were meant for communal use, not for private ownership.

Ye Jian pressed her lips together, wanting to speak but hesitating, her brows knitted tightly in conflict. From time to time, her eyes darted toward Yang Yi.

Hei Lie’s patience ran out. “Go report to the personnel office later. They’ll reassign you to a more suitable position. A person like you has no place at the Divine Envoy’s side.”

“Chief!” Ye Jian jerked her head up, eyes turning toward Yang Yi in desperation. “Divine Envoy…”

But Yang Yi did not intercede for her. Someone who couldn’t even speak openly, who sat there hesitating and waiting for him to absolve her of any mistake. Such a person had no sense of responsibility and schemed too much. No matter her abilities, Yang Yi had no use for someone so lacking in honesty.

Ye Jian panicked, blurting out: “Yao thinks having an ostrich is a symbol of status, so he wanted one for himself! Divine Envoy, Chief, please don’t drive me away! I know I was wrong!”

At that, Yang Yi and Hei Lie’s faces both darkened. How long had it been, and already such people and such behavior had emerged right under their eyes?

Ying Yi was a silent, taciturn man—a typical tech-minded shut-in, with a touch of reclusiveness, someone who lived in his own world.

He shut out the outside world and found it very difficult to blend in with others.

Ying Yi had always been rather silent. Other than matters that interested him, he usually wouldn’t utter a word.

The Eagle Clan people often said that the words he spoke while with Han Bing were more than everything he had ever said before put together.

Even when injured or wronged, Ying Yi would say nothing. Fortunately, when hungry, he at least knew to go find food. Otherwise, he might have starved to death without anyone realizing it.

When Han Bing left back then, he hesitated over whether to take Ying Yi along. But thinking it over, he realized Ying Yi wasn’t suited for the harshness of the wild. Since the people in the tribe were kind, he decided to leave Ying Yi in the settlement.

In his whole life, Ying Yi had only ever spoken up on his own about two matters. One was when he sought out Han Bing and became his disciple. The other was just now, when he took the initiative to request an ostrich of his own.

To him, an ostrich wasn’t just a means of transportation. It was also a partner that helped him see from greater heights.

The ostrich he’d been assigned before was one Han Bing had personally chosen for him. Smarter than an ordinary ostrich, it interacted with people, and its temperament was gentle.

That ostrich could also jump very high. Though it couldn’t truly fly, sometimes with a few wing flaps, it could leap up to quite a height. For Ying Yi, it was of immense help.

Most likely, Yao had set his sights on exactly this and dared to take from Ying Yi for such a shallow reason!

It hadn’t even been that long, and already some people were getting arrogant.

“How long ago did this happen?” Yang Yi asked.

Ye Jian quickly answered, “It’s already been more than a month.”

Hei Lie’s gaze grew sharper, and sweat beaded on Ye Jian’s forehead. “It’s been this long, and you all knew. Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“Ying…”

Yang Yi gave her a sidelong glance. “You’d better use your head when you speak. Ying Yi is special. You all knew this from the very beginning.”

The words that had risen to Ye Jian’s throat were instantly swallowed back down. She didn’t dare shift the blame onto Ying Yi.

“Yao is one of the oldest members of the tribe. His relationship with the shaman is very close. He looks after the shaman’s daily needs, closer even than the shaman’s own disciples. He was among the very first to follow the Divine Envoy in building the tribe. When he speaks, we don’t dare not to listen.”

Jiao had once had many children, but they had all died in hunts or battles against enemies.

Yao and Jiao had once depended on each other for survival. Though there was no custom here of adopting godchildren, Yao was like Jiao’s own child.

Hei Lie sneered. “What a fine ‘don’t dare not to listen’. You are the Divine Envoy’s secretary. Before your first day on the job, what did I tell you? I never realized there was someone in your heart more important than the Divine Envoy!”

Ye Jian panicked even more, nearly on the verge of tears.

“Yao said that if I didn’t listen to him, he would make sure I couldn’t keep staying here.”

Everyone knew what an honor it was to work at the Divine Envoy’s side. When she had been chosen, she hadn’t slept the whole night in excitement.

She wore a constant smile every day, feeling incredibly fortunate. Her family and friends were proud of her.

So when Yao threatened her, she had been terrified. Seeing that Ying Yi himself hadn’t protested, she thought there was no need to meddle. So she hadn’t spoken up about it.

She even thought, if the Divine Envoy approved of this sort of thing, wouldn’t she be acting unnecessarily?

The Divine Envoy had always shown favor to the old members. The longer one had been in the tribe, the better the benefits. That was proof enough.

“You acted this way. That means you’re equally unqualified to stay.”

Yang Yi let out a long sigh. Generally, he wasn’t too harsh with young girls.

Moreover, Ye Jian’s work ability was actually very strong. Many times, she was even more meticulous than Han Bing, quicker in thought, and had a strong capacity to learn. She was far more suited to being a secretary and assistant.

With Ye Jian around, Yang Yi’s work efficiency had improved greatly.

But today, Ye Jian’s performance had disappointed him. Although there were external factors, they couldn’t excuse her mistake.

As the secretary of the Divine Envoy, to actually be threatened by someone who wasn’t even a manager was far too unsettling.

Ye Jian completely crumbled. She knew Yang Yi would never keep her.

Though Yang Yi usually appeared gentle, like a man easily swayed by compassion, in truth, he was not like that.

It was just that he normally couldn’t be bothered to fuss over things. But once one touched upon his bottom line, he was just as resolute as the chieftain.

Ye Jian pressed her lips together, trying not to cry, but tears fell uncontrollably.

“Divine Envoy, I’m sorry. I’ve let you down.”

“You’re a smart girl, but being smart isn’t enough. A person must have their own principles. Your disregard was indulgence toward evil.”

Yang Yi waved his hand, dismissing Ye Jian and telling her to go receive punishment.

As for her future arrangements, the personnel office would decide according to the circumstances.

“What an unpleasant matter this is.”

What Yang Yi dreaded most was facing things like this. No matter how hard or exhausting the work of construction was, he didn’t fear it. What he feared was disorderly people appearing within the ranks.

Management had never been easy. Yang Yi understood this all too well.

After all, his family also owned a factory. He had seen many examples of this kind of thing around him. It wasn’t that he was scared, but rather that he felt it was troublesome and meaningless.

It hadn’t even been that long, yet people already couldn’t guarantee having enough food to eat, and someone’s mind was already corrupted.

And what’s more, it came from among the very first group of people, those who had been driven out, almost losing their livelihood, and had struggled so hard to finally gain what they have today.

Hei Lie’s expression was extremely ugly, his gaze as though it could kill a person:

“I’ll immediately form an investigation team. If it really is as Ye Jian and Ying Yi said, then this matter must be severely punished!”

Hei Lie was a man of action. He immediately left, sending people first to restrain Yao. On the other side, he quickly formed an investigation team.

Neither Hei Lie nor Yang Yi was willing to believe this fact. They didn’t want to see such a thing happening in the tribe.

It had only been such a short time, and already someone had begun to throw their weight around. This was truly hateful and chilling.

But when Yao was restrained, he brazenly shouted:

“You actually dare to arrest me? I’ll make sure you regret this! I’m an elder of the tribe, the one most trusted by the Divine Envoy and the Shaman. You will definitely pay the price for today’s matter and suffer the most cruel punishment!”

When Hei Lie and Yang Yi heard these words, they immediately understood. Clearly, Yao hadn’t been arrogant for just a day or two.

Sure enough, the investigation team soon submitted their report.

Yao really had been relying on his identity as an elder, constantly oppressing those beneath him.

Although he hadn’t yet had the chance to commit too many outrageous acts, he had already started to slack off. Most of the work in his hands was basically ordered to be done by the little newcomers under him.

In front of higher-ranked managers, he would act obedient and fawning. But when facing those who did miscellaneous chores or whose health was weaker, he showed an entirely different face.

“Yao has not yet engaged in embezzlement or corruption, but he has been slacking off in his work. Even his clothes and house are cleaned and tidied by others. The reason he stole Ying Yi’s ostrich was because he wanted to pursue a girl. That girl is very beautiful and has many suitors, so in his eagerness to court, he took a shortcut.”

Overall, the current management of the Spark Tribe was still very strict. Everyone was rather self-disciplined.

If it were behavior that harmed the tribe, no one would sit back and do nothing. But if it was conflicts between individuals, then people usually would not interfere much.

Therefore, Yao did not dare go too far and only used his little bit of authority to put pressure on newcomers, forcing them to do some things for him.

This kind of bullying was not unfamiliar, no matter where it happened. But the ostrich incident was just an intensified version of the earlier bullying.

No one knew, once Yao gained benefits, whether he would escalate further. By then, the damage would be even greater.

Although Yao was just a minor clerk, because he was responsible for sorting documents and similar tasks, the nature of his work was still relatively important.

If in the future he sought profit through this, then the outcome would be hard to predict.

“Atmosphere and conduct are no small matter. If this issue is handled lightly, everyone will just follow suit. In the end, it will all descend into chaos.” Hei Lie’s attitude was stern.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Jiao, for they all knew what Yao meant to Jiao.

Jiao did not even lift her eyelids: “Do whatever needs to be done. Handle everything according to the rules.”

Then she stood up, performed a grand kneeling bow, and said toward Yang Yi: “Divine Envoy, I also bear fault in this. I did not teach the people at my side well.”

Yang Yi wanted to stand up and help Jiao to her feet, but Hei Lie pressed him down firmly.

Hei Lie also walked over to Jiao’s side, half-kneeled in salute, and said:

“As the chieftain, I failed to properly manage even the people right under my eyelids. This is my dereliction of duty. I ask the Divine Envoy to punish me.”

Those who had originally still held objections immediately fell silent. Since both the Shaman and the Chieftain had already made their stance clear, what more could they say?

Yang Yi straightened his posture, understanding well the reason behind Hei Lie’s actions, and thus did not drag him down.

“Unhealthy tendencies and crooked airs must never be allowed to spread. The tribe’s prosperity is tied to each and every one of us. If our people themselves are wrong, then no matter how advanced the technology we possess, we cannot flourish. This serves as a warning to everyone: don’t think that just because the tribe has improved now, you can start losing yourselves in arrogance! Whoever harbors such thoughts—wanting to live in ease and idleness, to loaf and cheat—had better be prepared to have their head moved from their shoulders!”

In the end, Yao was sent to the mining district, where his daily workload was twice that of others, while his food was halved.

Unlike normal miners, he had no rest days—only endless, unceasing labor under supervision, until death.

Jiao was punished with half her food rations cut for one month.

Hei Lie was punished by being made to run in circles the whole morning in the square before the Temple, carrying a placard reading I Was Wrong.

The physical exertion itself wasn’t meant as punishment. It was so that everyone could see that he had made a mistake.

For someone who valued saving face, this was already a very severe punishment.

Yang Yi looked at Hei Lie running in circles below, and couldn’t bear to keep watching.

This idea was truly not something he himself had come up with. It was Hei Lie who had volunteered for such a punishment. It was really something beyond words.

For Hei Lie, this kind of punishment didn’t count as much. But if it had been imposed on someone else, it would have been humiliating, something they would be unwilling to endure. Precisely because of that, it showed the severity of it.

This was also done to warn everyone: don’t get carried away, especially the management team. Punishment would be collective.

Even the chieftain, if he failed to manage his subordinates, would still be punished all the same.

Since one had become a manager, one needed to have the concept of being responsible for the people under them, not just waving around a command stick.

This was both a signal and an example.

“Now, fights have already decreased quite a lot compared to before.” Hei Lie looked at the report, feeling very gratified. “It seems my running wasn’t in vain.”

This was a world of the weak being prey to the strong. Even though there were rules to restrain people, bullying the weak by relying on strength still happened.

However, most of the people here were not cowed. No matter what their own combat power was, they dared to jump up and confront others head-on.

Once a commotion broke out, it would be discovered by the guards, and then punishment would follow.

Therefore, direct bullying through brute force was already relatively rare. Now, after this incident, it has become even less frequent.

Especially the managers of each district and building. They paid even more attention to everyone’s behavior than before, for fear of being implicated themselves.

Since not even the Chieftain and the Shaman could be exempt, how could they possibly escape it?

“This is a good sign.” Yang Yi nodded approvingly. “But it also reminds us that from now on, we must be even more vigilant in managing people, not only focusing on developing production.”

When development was too fast, it often led to neglect on one side or another.

At present, the tribe was gradually stabilizing. Production was still the most crucial matter, but the management also had to be upgraded.

Hei Lie’s attitude grew serious as well: “This is my dereliction of duty.”

“There’s no need to repeat those words. What we need is to further improve the system, and more importantly, to cultivate everyone’s sense of ownership.”

That Ye Jian and the others were intimidated was, in part, because of Ye Jian’s experiences.

She was just an ordinary person. Only after coming to the Spark Tribe did she discover that her learning ability was actually very strong. Therefore, back in her former tribe, although not to the point of being treated as a slave, she still had very little status.

It was the same for the others as well, so they were quickly intimidated, or had already grown used to being ordered around, having no concept of taking responsibility for their own matters.

Now the Spark Tribe had a very large population, and the structure of its members was much more complex than before.

In addition, the time had been too short. Although training had been carried out, most people were still influenced by their past experiences.

“This is not something that can be changed in a single day. Fortunately, everything is developing in a good direction.” Yang Yi let out a long sigh.

Hei Lie was more optimistic: “Most people are not that complicated. It’s just that the tribe hasn’t truly stabilized yet, especially with the sudden influx of so many people recently.

The tribe’s hardship in supporting everyone is something that all can see. Unconsciously, this creates a kind of pressure. People naturally develop a sense of insecurity, fearing that they might be cast out, so they become cautious.

As long as the tribe stabilizes and this insecurity disappears, the situation will improve greatly.”

The Spark Tribe was no longer in the stage of desperately trying to absorb as many people as possible, but had already entered the stage of seeking quality over quantity.

Especially with the current distribution model at the new settlement. It was made very clear that those who worked more and did better would receive more rewards, unlike the old “big pot” model in the tribe, where everyone ate from the same pot.

Although even in the tribe’s big pot system, it wasn’t that everyone received the same. There would be adjustments depending on different physical needs and such.

Those who performed well would also receive additional encouragement.

But relatively speaking, it was still quite fair. As long as one completed their tasks, they would be granted the same treatment that matched their physical needs.

The number of people who could enter the Spark Tribe was limited. Seeing that many of those people were also very capable, it was inevitable that others would worry about being downgraded, losing their current benefits, and thus becoming easily taken advantage of.

“Let’s hope so.” Yang Yi still could not feel at ease.

“Where there are people, there will be strife. A few slip-ups and flaws don’t really matter.” Hei Lie squeezed Yang Yi’s shoulder, helping him to relax.

“There has never been such a thing as perfection. Everything is in constant correction. There’s no need to take it too much to heart.”

Yang Yi shook his throbbing head: “Anyway, I’m not handling these matters. You take care of them. It’s enough to drive someone mad.”

“Alright.” Hei Lie agreed with a smile. “Anything you don’t like can be handed to me. You just need to do the things you enjoy.”

Yang Yi’s eyes lit up, and he raised a smile: “Really?”

When Hei Lie saw this, his heart instantly grew wary. He narrowed his eyes, smiling with great sincerity.

“Really.”

Yang Yi suddenly sat upright: “Then good…”

Hei Lie quickly cut in: “Anything where your mouth says no, but your heart and body think and act otherwise doesn’t count!”

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