From Robinson Crusoe

It was late at night, but the lights on the second floor of the factory remained on.

Chen Zhou stood quietly in the storage room, gazing at the items on the wooden shelves—

Those were the rewards that arrived on May 1st and later.

This includes five sets of unmarked multi-functional combat uniforms.

Although these combat uniforms do not bear any markings to prove their origin, their design philosophy reveals their source, with a strong American flavor.

All five uniforms are double-sided camouflage, with a green digital camouflage on the front suitable for jungles and a brown camouflage on the back suitable for deserts, allowing them to adapt to different combat environments.

The materials used are all wear-resistant nylon yarn fabric. Chen Zhou estimated that this specially made combat uniform should also have an infrared concealment design inside, but in this era, such a design is completely useless.

The combat uniform also includes a waterproof and sun-protective poncho, waterproof boots, a green beret, and a helmet cover.

The helmet visor has a detachable camouflage cover for mosquito and sun protection.

Next to the combat uniform were two American hunting recurve bows.

These two bows were delivered as parts, but Chen Zhou has now assembled them into complete longbows. They are black and red in color and made primarily of wood and metal, with some modern composite materials mixed in.

Compared to recurve bows that are more geared towards competition, American hunting recurve bows have simpler accessories, consisting only of an arrow rest and a fur shock absorber, without complex accessories such as sights, stabilizers, or clickers.

Nevertheless, with the aid of the arrow rest, the American hunting recurve bow's rate of fire and accuracy far surpass those of traditional bows, combining the environmental adaptability of traditional archery with the competitive nature of modern archery techniques.

These two bows are identical and both have adjustable tension, ranging from a minimum of 20 pounds to a maximum of 60 pounds.

The bow came with a quiver and 30 real feathered arrows, each 6.5mm in diameter. The arrowheads were originally competition arrows with limited lethality, but Chen Zhou has now replaced them with willow-leaf arrowheads.

However, the second anniversary gift package only included 20 willow-leaf arrows. The remaining 10 arrows were made by Chen Zhou himself. They were not as balanced as the willow-leaf arrows, but their lethality was no less.

The American hunting recurve bow was placed on a wooden frame. Shifting your gaze to the other side, you could see several other pieces of equipment—

Four active infrared night vision devices.

These night vision devices were designed in a relatively backward manner, roughly at the level of the 1940s and 1950s. They had clear images and simple manufacturing processes, but they had a fatal weakness: the infrared light from the infrared searchlights could be detected by the enemy's infrared detection devices.

Furthermore, compared to later passive thermal imagers, these active infrared night vision devices do not have the ability to observe through rain and fog, so they are only suitable for the dry season. In the rainy season, even if you wear night vision devices, the scene you can see is very limited.

A small box contained a total of 40 multi-functional military knives, and two bayonets were also included with the box.

All the sabers and bayonets are coated with a light-absorbing paint, so if you pull them out in the dark, you can't see the blade at all; they are truly deadly serpents.

这些物品分别来自5月1日、16日及31日，还有6月30日。

When Chen Zhou received the equipment, a bold plan immediately formed in his mind.

He planned to select three brave, physically strong, loyal, and intelligent natives, set off around 4 p.m., head straight for the archipelago, take advantage of the natives' rest at night to plunder a group of native prisoners, and then hide in a secluded spot on the archipelago to return at dawn.

……

After formulating the general action plan, Chen Zhou began preparations.

To navigate the seas in the dark, a compass and a skilled navigator familiar with the marine environment are essential.

Chen Zhou collected quite a few tools for navigation at sea from the captain's and first mate's quarters. He also had some modern portable compasses that could come in handy.

As for those familiar with the routes to the archipelago, he had already chosen his targets long ago.

……

Nearly eight months ago, shortly after capturing the natives, Chen Zhou subtly inquired about their experiences.

Originally, his most suitable candidate was Zebra.

This guy held a high position in the indigenous tribe and was physically fit. As a "junior leader," he had led the indigenous people back and forth between various islands and was quite familiar with the marine environment.

At that time, Chen Zhou still believed that Zebra was honest and trustworthy.

As he gradually came to understand the true nature hidden beneath this person's unassuming exterior, Chen Zhou decisively gave up on Zebra.

During the capture of the natives on the island, too many secrets were exposed, directly or indirectly. Some things could not be known to Zebra, such as the Chen rifle, the secrets of bullets and gunpowder, and most importantly—his true purpose.

If "God" is not omnipotent and also needs human help, then "God" is no longer worthy of reverence.

……

Besides Zebra, there was another indigenous person whom Chen Zhou had already chosen.

The man's name was Kosu. He was rather thin and his appearance was considered ugly even among the natives. Even though he was a prisoner, he did not enjoy the treatment of a "fellow countryman" and was always shunned by others.

Chen Zhou noticed this man's unique situation, so he arranged for him to frequently contact Kosu on Saturdays and Sundays and show him his goodwill.

Kosu was quickly trained to be a "spy," tasked with infiltrating all the natives and gathering intelligence on everyone's movements.

In the early days of capturing the natives, when all the natives lived in four-person rooms, most of the information Chen Zhou learned came from Kosu.

However, in the later stages, after the rooms were divided into two-person rooms or even single rooms, Kosu's role in supervising the natives became negligible.

However, out of habit, he would still report to Saturday regularly and occasionally meet with Chen Zhou.

……

Despite his unassuming appearance, Kosu is actually a very experienced sailor with top-notch diving skills and a strong sense of direction. He has served as a rower on numerous canoe trips.

Chen Zhou believed he could serve as the eyes and ears of the "three-person team," responsible for guiding the direction.

Moreover, Kosu differed from the zebra in one way: because of his ugly appearance, he suffered humiliation in the tribe from a young age.

After arriving on the island and experiencing a change in life, if others saw the once-cruel tribal life as a nightmare, then in his eyes, tribal life was hell.

This stark contrast made everyone in Kosobi loyal and fond of their new life on the island.

Chen Zhou believed that he would never betray him, because it would do him no good.

……

Sunday will serve as the main leader and attacker in the "three-man squad".

To be honest, Chen Zhou hesitated for a long time about whether or not to send his right-hand men to risk their lives to complete the mission.

If he wanted to avoid losses, he could indeed choose any two natives to cooperate with the island of Cosuden.

However, the other two natives chosen could not be as trustworthy as Sunday and Saturday, and Sunday knew how to use the musket, while the others could not have obtained it so early.

Without firearms, weapons so advanced for their time, even if the natives were given metal blades and full armor, it was uncertain whether they could single-handedly defeat a hundred and escape unscathed from an island teeming with natives. Out of respect, Chen Zhou carefully consulted Sunday's opinion before making his decision.

As expected, this warmonger had long been dissatisfied with firing a flintlock pistol; he dreamed of experiencing what it felt like to kill someone with a firearm.

On Sunday, he was full of confidence in the task assigned by Chen Zhou, even to the point of being arrogant.

He firmly believed that he could fight at a level far exceeding that of ordinary natives. This confidence came not only from his new life and new knowledge, but also from the courage he gained from the flintlock musket, a weapon of immense power.

……

However, as an elder who was both a teacher and a father figure to him on Sunday, Chen Zhou was not so optimistic.

When Sunday agreed, he was willing to risk his life to cross the ocean and become Chen Zhou's henchman, working for him.

Adhering to the principle of being responsible to his trusted confidants, Chen Zhou began the training plan he had prepared in advance.

This includes the use, maintenance, and emergency handling of the new weapon, the Chen rifle, as well as physical training, combat skills training, leadership skills with indigenous people, and the ability to respond to emergencies.

For nearly a month, Sunday rarely showed up in front of the natives, spending most of his time at the factory or at a shooting range in the distant forest, practicing with firearms, melee weapons, and American recurve bows. Sometimes he even needed to wear night vision goggles to practice shooting in the dark.

……

After finding the "eyes" to lead the way and the "claws" to attack, Chen Zhou still needed to select someone to help him.

Actually, the "eye" position was originally meant for Zebra, while Kossu was the support player.

After Zebra was eliminated, Kossu became the eyes, and it became difficult to find a suitable support player.

Fortunately, there were only a few natives in total, and with Kosu as a "spy" and Saturday's knowledge of the natives, Chen Zhou quickly picked out a suitable person—Kuru.

Information about Kuru is easy to obtain.

Knowing that this man cared deeply for his wife and children and intended to save them from their suffering, Chen Zhou found it easier to manipulate him.

After devising a series of plans and bringing Kosu and Sunday into the same group, Chen Zhou finally had Saturday bring Kulu in for a talk.

As expected, upon learning that he might see his wife and children again and be able to bring them to the island to live a happy new life, Kuru had no reason to refuse.

He readily agreed to join Sunday and Kosu on their adventure, and promised Chen Zhou that if they couldn't find his wife and children, he would do his best to cooperate and not cause any trouble.

……

When Chen Zhou spoke with people individually and recounted the specific details, he gave different accounts to each person.

Having seen many melodramatic war movies, and knowing full well that people can't always remain rational, Chen Zhou explained to Sunday—

If Kuru shows disobedience to orders because his wife and children are not following orders, or if he insists on acting alone and wants to leave the group to find his wife and children, you can kill him on Sunday, then abandon the mission and lead Kosu back.

Chen Zhou would not allow the misconduct of an ordinary native to cause him to lose a key general. If necessary, he would rather exchange the lives of Kulu and Kosu for Sunday's life.

Of course, that's just the worst-case scenario.

Chen Zhou believed that the two indigenous people who cooperated with Sunday were rational people who could distinguish between the pros and cons and would not risk their lives.

……

"All is ready except for the opportunity."

His fingers traced the cold military dagger as he closed the storage room door and returned to his office.

Starting tomorrow, the two indigenous people will join Sunday for physical training, familiarizing themselves with weapons and equipment, and precautions before and after landing on the island.

He, on the other hand, needed to lead the other natives to build a large enough and reliable ship.

The boat had to be able to carry 15 people so that the prisoners could be brought back to the island. Chen Zhou would also put some food, fresh water and medicine on the boat.

These items could save lives should the ship get lost, or if captured prisoners suffer from heatstroke and faint on board.

After all, the island is not adjacent to the African continent and does not have a large number of black people, so Chen Zhou cannot treat the lives of the natives as worthless.

He is currently in the "startup phase," and every bit of labor he has accumulated in the early stages is extremely valuable. Before this snowball gets into a positive cycle and grows bigger and bigger, Chen Zhou must cherish all the resources he can obtain.

In addition to carrying personnel and supplies, Chen Zhou also had requirements for the ship's power and sturdiness.

With only three people on board who could move freely, it was certainly impractical to travel between the two islands by oars.

Even if the three of them have amazing stamina and manage to row all the way to the island on Sunday, they will probably be exhausted and unable to fight, which will inevitably increase the chances of failure.

Chen Zhou plans to design a large enough sail that can be retracted, along with oars and an anchor, so that the ship will have two power sources and can sail normally as long as it doesn't encounter storms or ocean currents.

……

In fact, the sampan on the large ship that Robinson Crusoe was on could have met all of Chen Zhou's needs, but unfortunately, that sampan had long since rotted and been washed away by the tide since it was left on the beach.

Chen Zhou had absolutely no experience designing ships, especially a 17th-century wooden sailing ship like this.

The pressure on him to build a "lifeboat" for the three-person team was considerable.

……

However, everything has to start from scratch. Now that the plan has been decided to be carried out, Chen Zhou has no reason to give up.

Looking back when he first started the challenge, he knew nothing about woodworking. With just his hands and a design from a fellow forum user, he dared to build a raft with mortise and tenon joints to transport supplies between ships and the coast.

Nowadays, in addition to various professional carpentry tools and helpers, the island is fully equipped with all kinds of materials and supplies, and even has a few electrical tools.

As long as the structure is well studied, even if it's just a frame welded together with steel bars, Chen Zhou can build a sturdy and durable ship.

In his mind, this wasn't actually that difficult—

If it weren't for the fact that Sunday's life was at stake, he probably wouldn't have felt so much pressure.

……

Having personally dismantled the slave ship Robinson Crusoe once, Chen Zhou had some understanding of the structure of wooden sailing ships.

For example, what kind of wood was used for the hull, what the internal keel looked like, and what the transverse ribs on both sides of the keel looked like.

What waterproofing materials are used when assembling a ship's hull? What shapes are used to connect the planks for a tighter fit? How are masts and sails made? What is the principle behind anchors and their optimal placement?

With this basic knowledge, coupled with modern tools and sufficient manpower, building a small wooden sailboat is a certainty in time. (End of Chapter)