Falling into the Cretaceous

In the common understanding, in such an environment, where even food and safety are not guaranteed, it is really inappropriate to engage in a contest; it seems too naive.

However, this is a perfectly reasonable behavior.

From the perspective of evolutionary psychology and social psychology, this is a sophisticated mechanism for establishing social hierarchy, also known as a hierarchy of dominance, and this fighting behavior is called ritualized fighting.

The role it plays for bystanders is "vicarious learning." By observing who wins and who loses, they quickly complete the process of submitting to the victor and memorizing the order, knowing who is in charge without having to be beaten up themselves.

This is a very efficient method for confirming leadership.

It is often used in prisons and among wild animals.

This is why Shen Ye told Cui Zhengxi in advance that he wanted to show off his skills.

Leaders like Shen Ye are those whose rise to power is a natural result of a combination of factors, including interests, beliefs, and knowledge. Unlike Cui Zhengxi, who is more like a burly man parachuted into prison and can only rely on his fists to dominate, Shen Ye is a different story.

Mike yelled and rushed over, punching Cui Zhengxi in the face.

However, Choi Jung-seok easily dodged to the side, and at the same time, delivered a left hook that blew up Mike's liver.

Mike couldn't even scream; he was curled up on the ground in pain and couldn't get up for a long time.

The people around immediately fell silent.

Mike, such a massive guy, was knocked down with just one punch; his strength speaks for itself.

"Anyone else want to come up and try?"

Cui Zhengxi looked at everyone and asked.

Those who were just eager to try lowered their heads.

Shen Ye swallowed hard. He hadn't expected there to be such a formidable character among the survivors. It seemed that with these bodyguards, he wouldn't have to worry about his life anymore.

"You should be grateful that God sent us a tough instructor, allowing us to survive in such harsh conditions! Since no one has any objections, you must follow Mr. Cui's arrangements regarding the training."

Shen Ye gestured for everyone to speak.

No one below had any further objections.

At this moment, Cui Zhengxi immediately had everyone line up. He first picked out the able-bodied young men from the line, excluding those with injured hands.

A total of thirty-one people were selected.

The fat man, Zhang Qiming, the engineer, Shen Ye, and blacksmith Li were ruled out.

Because they all have their own things to do and don't have time to train with them.

Cui Zhengxi began teaching everyone dodging and spear thrusting techniques.

These movements are highly efficient techniques refined through countless battles, far superior to those of savage tribes. Savage spear techniques are primarily used for hunting wild animals. While wild animals are agile, they lack intelligence and are at best moving targets that move at a faster pace.

This is different from human combat.

Humans can parry, anticipate, and use tricks.

"If you train these movements into muscle memory, and combine that with the unique courage of humans, you will be invincible against savages!"

Cui Zhengxi walked among the training teams, giving a loud speech.

That was the end of the matter.

In the afternoon, the savages did not return, but this did not relieve the group, because they could not sleep peacefully at night without the savages coming.

This kind of pre-war anxiety is a relatively common phenomenon in military psychology: when the enemy does not come, anxiety turns into fear. The mechanism behind this is that humans are naturally averse to uncertain and ambiguous states, which leads to the unmet need for cognitive closure.

Shen Ye was well aware of this, but he did not make any effort to reassure everyone.

Because such a mental state is useful.

When the enemy actually appears, they are no longer afraid and become brave in killing the enemy. This is the action release principle in stress management.

New recruits on the battlefield will no longer be nervous or afraid when the first shell is fired. Instead, their fear will be overshadowed by the excitement of battle, because the uncertainty has been eliminated.

Blacksmith Li worked all day and only managed to make seven arrows.

However, each one is made with excellent craftsmanship.

The arrowhead is a piece of metal hammered into the shape of a mouse arrowhead. It is sandwiched in the gap at the end of the arrow shaft and then the shaft is wrapped with copper wire. This way, the arrow will not deviate or backtrack when it hits the target.

The arrow feathers are feathers that fell off the body of the West Claw Dragon.

"Brother Ye, I've done my best, I can only make seven. I'll continue tomorrow!"

"I am exhausted," said Li, the blacksmith.

"You've done a fantastic job, but you set your goals too high. Take a good rest; your health is the foundation of everything, so don't overwork yourself!"

Shen Ye patted blacksmith Li on the shoulder and said.

"Brother Ye, I'm going to rest now!"

After smiling, blacksmith Li went back to rest. Shen Ye took seven arrows. The shafts of these arrows were smooth and straight, and each one was almost identical in weight and shape.

This is the attitude of a craftsman.

Shen Ye came to Zhou Jian's side. When Zhou Jian was chatting with him, he mentioned that the gym where he used to work had an archery program. He was a full-course coach, so archery was naturally a piece of cake for him.

So Shen Ye came up to Zhou Jian and handed him the arrows and bow.

"Brother Ye, is this bow for me?" Zhou Jian asked in surprise.

"Of course, archery is a skill. Ordinary people may never have even touched a bow and arrow, let alone be able to hit a savage."

Shen Ye knew very well how difficult archery was.

People who have never tried archery often overestimate their abilities, thinking it's not difficult at all. But once they've actually tried it, even just once, they'll know just how difficult archery really is.

In ancient times, it took at least three years to train a qualified archer!

From basic strength and stability training to live-fire practice, and then to actual combat shooting, every step requires arduous training. Nowadays, it's impossible to train an archer in time or with the necessary resources.

Therefore, Zhou Jian, a fitness enthusiast with a shooting coach certificate, is truly a rare and formidable individual.

"Thanks, Brother Ye!"

Zhou Jian picked up the bow and arrow, looked at it, touched it again and again, and liked it very much.

"They each do their own job."

"By the way, Brother Ye, are we going to fetch water again tomorrow?"

Zhou Jian asked.

"We'll see. If we go out and the camp is attacked again, we'll be in big trouble. They definitely won't give us another chance."

Shen Ye said that he hadn't decided yet.

The plan was that the savages would send scouts today, and then I could capture one to lead the way, so I could attack the camp directly tomorrow. But things didn't go as planned.

Shen Ye returned to the cabin.

Since no one had showered and the indoor air was not circulating, it was filled with a strong smell of sweat, especially from the bodies of the Europeans and Americans, whose odor was truly unpleasant.

Shen Ye went in and came out again.

"It stinks like this after just one day without showering! If this continues, it'll stink to death sooner or later!"

Shen Ye walked to the entrance of the cabin and took a deep breath.

Ning Yan and Liu Sishi were also standing outside getting some fresh air. They both looked at Shen Ye and then burst out laughing.