Chapter 330: Only My Unique Method Chapter 330: Slave Camp (1)

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

Although Chen Yi said he wanted to personally inspect the rubber forest, he merely glanced at the roadside while passing by, discovered there were indeed rubber trees, then used a Perception Scroll to probe a bit, felt it was about right, put down Sun Ruihe, and had him go investigate.

Judging a region's agriculture, forestry, fishery, and animal husbandry data — this is the most basic reconnaissance content for a scout; Sun Ruihe, a full Major, only needs to consult some experts on the data to independently complete the judgment, confirming whether the tens of thousands of hectares of rubber forest west of the city are real, what the density is, whether the species are consistent… at worst, taking photos and videos and bringing them back to estimate would also work.

Da Yang watched Sun Ruihe disappear into the vast sea of forest like an agile wild leopard, and couldn't help worrying: "Will he… run away?"

"60-kilometer restriction ring." Yun Shisan reminded him. He's only allowed to go out 10 kilometers, and he runs into obstacles from time to time.

Da Yang shyly shrank back into the carriage, like a big young fellow who'd been stripped naked — he'd made too many mistakes today.

The carriage jolted along with a rumble, like a public bus doing 60 km/h. But in reality, Chen Yi's speed relative to Earth was only 15 kilometers per hour; those Black brothers in Africa chasing antelopes all run faster than the carriage.

"Transportation really is a great thing that benefits the country and the people." Chen Yi fell asleep in a daze; in his dream, he saw the high-grade highways encircling Ma La, he saw bare-shouldered artilleryman brothers operating 150mm heavy howitzers, with towing trucks and heavy trucks loaded with tons of ammunition beside them… he saw tank vehicles hiding in depressions, revealing thick black cannon barrels, aiming at the chrysanthemum emblem on the city gate… he saw armored personnel carriers passing through the ring city highway, occupying all the city's commanding heights…

"Chen Sir, we've arrived." Yun Shisan softly woke Chen Yi, quickly handing over a towel warmed on a foot warmer, and a cup of freshly brewed, crystal-clear, high-fragrance Sri Lankan red tea.

Yin Senyong stared curiously at the pretty crystal cup, but looked with disgust at the blood-like red tea and said: "I'll go down and take a look first; there might be people I know."

He himself was wearing heavy makeup, yet was in no way inferior to the post-90s generation, not worried at all about being recognized.

Chen Yi vigorously wiped his face twice, then slowly drank down the red tea, before stepping down from the carriage. Yun Shisan had long since placed the horse stool on the ground, and used his personal small shovel to level the earth, lest his master take a tumble.

If following the West Continent's rules, he should actually kneel on the ground, presenting his back — because the back's elasticity is better; servants familiar with this work would know whether the master prefers a harder spine or a softer one, or freely adjust according to the day's leg stiffness, ensuring every step the master takes is comfortable and reassuring.

The entertainment industry nowadays would find it hard to develop to such an extent.

Damned liberalism.

Of course, the real reason Chen Yi refused to do this was Yin Senyong's suggestion — this gentleman, in order to keep his unlucky "Compassion" faith after becoming a Divine Art Knight in his lifetime, had to advise Chen Yi to use a horse stool instead of Yun Shisan's small back.

So Chen Yi went along with it readily. He's a dignified Holy Knight; does he still need to step on someone's back to stand firm?

When getting down, he indeed felt a bit unsteady..

"Lost too much blood recently." Chen Yi shook his head. He'd also gone to the hospital for transfusions. But when it reached 1000 CC, the doctor wouldn't dare issue a receipt no matter what, so Chen Yi, who had lost at least 1600 milliliters of high-quality blood, had to give up.

Actually, connected people getting transfusions at hospitals is a common occurrence. Whether to increase endurance for exercise, or to resolve sub-health conditions, or to obtain nutrition — compared to the various health products sold on the market, blood is the most comprehensive nutrition; it can supplement blood cells, proteins and other disease-resistant substances, enhance the activity capacity of the heart and major blood vessels, regulate blood osmotic pressure, keep the osmotic pressure between body tissues in a normal state, guarantee normal exchange of water and other substances inside and outside cells, and carry out metabolism. Most interestingly, transfusions can stimulate the liver, spleen, bone marrow and other blood systems, making their functions active, accelerating hematopoiesis speed, invigorating the hematopoietic system; this stimulating effect can last over two weeks — of course, according to hospitals and the Red Cross, donating blood seems to have the same function, but whether giving or receiving is more valuable, presumably anyone can judge. However, obtaining nutrition through transfusion isn't suitable for everyone, especially ordinary people, who usually can only do autologous transfusion. Because blood has 10 blood type systems containing lop many components, and hospitals, considering cost and probability, can only do ABO system and Rh system blood typing; white blood cell blood types and serum antibodies etc. aren't checked, so even if blood type and cross-match are compatible, they can't make the donor's and recipient's blood 100% matched. Therefore repeated transfusions produce "incomplete antibodies"… but for non-ordinary people, having the hospital make corresponding adjustments isn't difficult.

If Chen Yi hadn't used so much blood that the doctor worried about problems, he should have supplemented 4000 or even 6000 cc of blood to let his body recover fully.

After walking a few steps on the ground, Chen Yi felt his footing was steady, and asked: "Front, is that the West City Slave Camp?"

This place is nothing like the crude slave camp he imagined; the gate towers are tall and the watchtowers eerie, the heavy original timber gates wide open, like an undefended small town.

"They call it the 14th Light Infantry Battalion." Yun Shisan said quietly: "Inside there are not only people like us, but also black-skinned, red-skinned, green-skinned people."

"There are green-skinned people too?" Chen Yi asked in surprise.

Yun Shisan couldn't name them; he'd also heard it from traveling merchants chatting: "Seems like people the same as wild beasts…"

"Beastmen?"

"Half-beastmen, they're half-beastmen."

Chen Yi shrugged; to him, non-humans are always harder to deal with. Through the First and Second World Wars, and the Cold War that didn't turn hot, humanity's research on its own war trauma is relatively thorough, and all kinds of weapon equipment designs are based on this. For example, the reason small-caliber 5.56mm bullets are more popular than 7.62mm is because their stopping power is good; one shot and the high-initial-velocity bullet rolls more easily causing large damage, rather than punching two clean holes.

But if a beastman's skin is twice as thick, muscles three times as hard, has two hearts or something, he's equivalent to wearing a bulletproof vest. The 5.56mm bullet's insufficient power flaw would be fully exposed; if it can't penetrate, no matter how beautifully it tumbles it won't score. In this situation, small-caliber rifles might exit the field combat sequence like submachine guns; similarly, if some alien race has skin or armor with strength similar to ceramic bulletproof vests, then intermediate-power rounds would also have to exit.

"Good thing the current enemies are human." Chen Yi of course hopes to use existing, time-tested mature weapons.

Yin Senyong walked out from inside the gate tower, saying in a low voice: "There are a few officers I've seen in Ma La, all sons of barons. A bit strange."

Slave soldiers are pure cannon fodder on the battlefield; logically, noble sons should avoid them like the plague.

"At least the working environment here is better than in the city." Chen Yi smiled, pointing at the ground. Same stone-slab paving, neither sewage nor feces, clean like a city square.

He pointed at the solid buildings ahead built of stone and cyan bricks, saying: "If one didn't know, I'd think this is the city, and Ma La is the slave camp."

"We don't say 'slaves' here." An officer appeared before Chen Yi with a smile, saying: "Everyone here is a member of the 14th Light Infantry Battalion."

"Us too?" Chen Yi smiled faintly; the other party is a non-Combat Skill Level mid-ranking officer, very likely of noble birth.

"You are honored guests of the 14th Light Infantry Battalion." The officer used 'honored guests', a term ordinary people wouldn't use, but his attitude was much better than the nobles inside the city, smiling broadly: "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Looks like things are even easier than imagined. Chen Yi looked at the row ahead, neat as school freshmen registering — clerks and merchants come to handle business — and asked: "What kind of assistance business do you provide?"

The officer's eyes lit up, smiling: "Looks like it's your first time at the 14th Battalion; I'm Maduke, a Knight from Ma La-State, the 14th Battalion's Instructor Officer."

"Instructor Officer?"

"Oh, never mind that, just a title." Maduke laughed: "My job is to satisfy the free wishes of the believers from the Ma La-State temple."

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, tentatively handing over a small bag of iron coins.

40 iron coins, equivalent to 4 copper coins, a heavy infantryman's one month income.

Maduke skillfully weighed them, casually tucked them into his sleeve, and actually announced loudly: "40 iron coins can hire 100 slave work-days."

Chen Yi froze for a moment, then understood, saying: "People often hire slaves here?"

Maduke looked at him with a very fresh gaze, smiling a not-quite-smile: "Ma La must provide 200,000 slaves to the temple each year; these people sent to the battlefield, if 30% come back alive that's not bad; you say what right do we have to feed them for over a year for nothing?"

Food on the West Continent is cheap; feeding 100 slaves for a month costs only 10 copper coins, equivalent to just 2 heavy infantrymen's salaries, and saves wartime bonuses and equipment maintenance and damage costs, incomparable to those large cavalry weighing dozens of tons.

Even so, 200,000 slaves, feeding them for a month is 20,000 copper coins, a year is 240,000. If you add slave losses — which are certain — you have to add another 10%.

In fact, the real big chunk is officials' corruption. But whatever the case, leaving 200,000 people to eat and drink for free, no normal official would be willing, just like a bank wouldn't watch money mold; hiring them out is both safe and simple, and has long been operating secretly.

It's just that Ma La does it more openly and formally.

Look at those desks ahead that look like a modern administrative hall or bank counters, and you know their development is quite advanced.

"What's the maximum number of slaves that can be hired?" Chen Yi couldn't help asking.

…(To be continued. If you want to know what happens next, please log in to www. qidian. com for more chapters. Support the Author, support the Official Version!)