Chapter 1298: Let Me Arrange a Task for You

Baifeng laughed out loud, then suddenly stopped, and said very seriously to the still-grinning Ben: "Ben, you have recommended a talent to me, but I will not give you a reward for it now. After you go back, adjust the work arrangement for Xi."

"Every day, only half of his working time should be spent crafting the things you need to produce; this is also necessary for his learning and growth. Then, give him half a day to make the things he wants to make himself."

"Once a finished product is made, bring it to me immediately. I also want to see just how many more good things he can produce."

Ben agreed without hesitation, but Xi was a bit reluctant, so Baifeng had to ask him why.

Xi said righteously: "King, I can make these things after work. If I use work time, my colleagues and friends might have opinions. I shouldn't be treated differently from others. Now that I have obtained the status of Level 4 Craftsman without an exam, that is already a reward; I shouldn't be treated differently from others anymore."

Baifeng could not let such a person waste his time on boring work, so he explained to Xi again: "Xi, you aren't being treated specially; this is the work I have arranged for you."

"Because there are some things, like locks, that I know of, but I cannot make them. And there are even more things like locks that I cannot even remember."

"So I hope to use your brain to make these things. You might not know what it is you are making, but if you bring it to me, I can recognize it. Once you make something useful—even if only one out of ten is useful—it will be a great thing for Huaxia."

"Huaxia will not lack a Level 3 or Level 4 Carpenter like you, but it is very much lacking a talent who is sufficiently strong and innovative. Even Ben cannot do this, which is why I value you so much."

"If you are worried about the gossip of colleagues and friends, I have also said that I will set up a work group for you, and you will be the leader. For half the time, you make locks; for the rest of the time, you can make your own things."

"You can also focus on making locks first. After the locks are made, the work group will not be disbanded, but there will only be one person. If you can make something else, the work group will be assigned more craftsmen to assist you in continuing the large-scale production of new things."

"Actually, the role I want you to play is one of research, development, and creation. You are young now and may not understand the importance of this, but later on, you will naturally understand. Your importance now is equal to a..."

In reality, it should be about the same as Ben, or even more important than Ben, but Baifeng wanted to prevent Xi from getting carried away and ending up like the child prodigy in the story of 'Shang Zhongyong', so he didn't speak too definitively, yet he still had to make Xi realize the importance of his ability to Huaxia.

Baifeng did not believe that a young man who could consecutively make three completely different structures would lack talent in mechanical structures. He would certainly be able to make more good things. As long as he made one or two, for Baifeng, his support would be considered a return on investment. If he didn't cultivate a genius, was he supposed to cultivate a mediocre person?

Baifeng's privileges, preferential treatment, and rewards for Xi could be said to be not excessive at all; in fact, to keep him from being overly conceited, he even suppressed his rewards.

In history, Ganluo could be a Chancellor at twelve, and Liu Ziluan could be a Secretariat Director at eight. What could such a small reward and support for a twelve-year-old boy count for?

With Baifeng's backing and guarantee, Xi finally felt a bit more at ease. Everything today had come too easily and too quickly, making him feel uneasy. He and his brothers both pursued the goal of becoming a Noble and possessing a surname bestowed by the King. They had all thought about whether they could achieve this goal when they were forty or fifty, but Xi had already succeeded at twelve.

In the time that followed, Baifeng made arrangements for Xi regarding some detailed issues and encouraged him, before finally letting Xi and Ben leave. This winter seemed to have many surprises, which made the losses Huaxia suffered on the Shennong Clan Battlefield seem not so serious in Baifeng's eyes.

Liuye and the others brought people back to Huaxia again. This time, the number of people they brought was a bit too large, but for the few of them, this was completely not a problem, because this was not something they needed to consider. They no longer needed to raise people, and they no longer needed to worry about the lives of their tribesmen. From now on, every grain they earned belonged only to them individually.

The Slaves were tied with ropes made of Grass and brought into Huaxia City. It could be said they were making a spectacle of themselves, as the people of Huaxia rarely saw so many Slaves tied together entering the city.

Liuye and the others first went to the original place to find Chengqie, but were told that Chengqie had already moved to a new home, and the current house had returned to being a place for entertaining guests.

While on the road, they met that group of Leaders again, but this time, the encounter was much more harmonious, because everyone's thoughts and goals had basically shifted to be consistent. Without completely opposing opinions, what was there to argue about?

The only thing that made those Leaders unhappy was that among the tribesmen brought back, there were none that belonged to them. Because they, as Leaders, were not in the Suiren Clan, they had no backbone to speak of. Lobbying ordinary tribesmen one by one was a bit too much work for Liuye and the others.

And as long as one could convince a Leader, all the tribesmen under him could follow along; how convenient that was.

This time, these Leaders did not feel happy, but rather felt a bit lost, and felt that their coming to Huaxia this time might have been a mistake. Otherwise, the Tribal Chief might have arranged for their tribesmen to go to Huaxia. Going to Huaxia now would mean living a good life sooner and seizing the opportunity faster.

If they went later, they might still have to live a few more years of hardship. According to Chengqie's disclosure, Huaxia's grain was also a bit scarce now. Before those who went first completely got rid of Huaxia's help and could support themselves, Huaxia would likely not ask for more people from the Suiren Clan, because they couldn't afford to feed them.

Only after these people had stabilized and could support themselves would Huaxia possibly continue to ask for people from the Suiren Clan. As for migrating all the people of the Suiren Clan within five years, it was very likely that it could not be done smoothly. So Chengqie had been telling them: those who come first enjoy the benefits first; those who come late will fall behind the early ones in every aspect.

Staying in the Suiren Clan, there were not many good days to live. Once in Huaxia, one only needed to struggle for a few years to have stored grain, and having stored grain meant a new house.

While the newly moved people were still living in mud houses, the tribesmen who had moved first had already started to align everything with Huaxia City. How could they not be anxious?