There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Did I somehow build a pyramid scheme army?

"Fortunately, these mental aspects did not affect the training results. The soldiers' physical fitness improved rapidly, almost reaching the peak they could achieve, and they possessed the physical ability to traverse mountains and shoot arrows. Although there were slight fluctuations due to differences in age, illness, and natural talent, they have generally met the standards."

Saitama's training methods certainly have some effect, but it's impossible for everyone to become One-Punch Man. According to the manga's setting, as long as the limiter isn't broken, everyone's abilities have a ceiling. These soldiers will naturally encounter bottlenecks once they reach a certain level.

But the fact that this method works is absurd. From an anthropological perspective, it's clearly just ordinary physical training. Is it really a test of willpower?

…………

Afterwards, I took this opportunity to make a brief speech (about 2 hours long) before reluctantly ending the lecture.

No wonder so many people are keen on holding large-scale meetings and giving speeches. This kind of use of power to forcibly instill one's own ideas in the masses is indeed irresistible…

If it weren't for several soldiers who were physically weak fainting on the field, I could have continued speaking for another two hours!

"Those guys who fainted just now are really unfit. Go back and have the captain give them extra training. They couldn't even listen to what I was saying—is that reasonable?!"

I walked ahead and criticized him sternly.

Eaton and the bald man followed behind me, their knees trembling and sweat pouring down their faces. They exchanged a glance and whispered, "But sir... those who just fainted were the captains..."

"Then give the captain three times the training!"

...Well, the problem lies with your training, it can't be that I'm just too good at talking, right?

Accompanied by two of my men, I walked out from the front row of barracks and saw that the camp was already carrying out its daily routines in an orderly manner, just like being in a real military camp.

On the left, the interconnected farmland is densely planted with barley and tall tobacco, thriving thanks to the abundant soil and water, and it looked much the same when I left.

But the bald man said, "Sir, the barley you planted was harvested in less than a week, filling two warehouses. We've been eating it for a while now and haven't finished it all; we even took some to Burnett. But this second crop has taken more than two months to grow. Is the soil not fertile enough...?"

"If the soil isn't fertile enough, bury two people inside; that will guarantee it's effective."

"……Yes."

Inside two tall, sturdy wooden huts, two squads of men were taking out bows and arrows and javelins from the armory and jogging in formation toward the depths of Silent Valley, presumably to conduct today's live-fire training.

A fat man who was taking inventory looked up and saw us approaching. He quickly struggled through the surging crowd and came to me.

Chapter 448 I Need Your Help to Ascend to Heaven

"Fatty, I thought you'd come looking for me right away. How come you acted like you didn't hear me during my two-hour meeting?"

Judging from the fat man's feigned ingratiation, I knew he was up to something. Otherwise, given his personality, why would he pass up the opportunity to come up and claim credit, and instead stay quietly at his post?

The fat man's sheepish smile froze. He probably hadn't expected me to be so blunt. He quickly pulled out a thick ledger from behind him and said weakly, "Sir, you've misunderstood me... I heard you were back, so I came to take stock of the base's supplies and record them accurately in this ledger to ensure there are no omissions or shortages!"

I took the ledger from his hand, glanced through it casually, and found that the ledger was categorized and recorded according to the resources in the territory, clearly recording the daily amount used and the total inventory, which was indeed clear and traceable.

But instead of looking through it, I tore the ledger to shreds in front of him and threw it back into his hands.

“Take it back. I trust you this time. There’s no need to check again. If you really have the habit of keeping accounts, then you should honestly use double-entry bookkeeping to do the books.”

After I said that, the fat man's tense expression visibly relaxed, and he grinned at me with a genuine smile of joy.

The relaxed smile on his face certainly wasn't because I tore up the ledgers and destroyed the evidence of his misconduct. On the contrary, his confidence in letting me check freely showed he was extremely confident in the safekeeping of the territory's supplies.

This guy has a history of falsifying accounts and engaging in underhanded practices, so he must be going all out this time to prove his loyalty and reliability. If I continue the inventory check as he says, even if he hasn't cheated, it means I still suspect him.

By tearing up the ledger, I implied that the past was wiped clean, and from that moment on, I truly trusted him.

Some things don't need to be said; those who need to understand will understand.

"I've already told Liulunmian to cook. Dinner will be Yangcheng Lake Ghost. Before we eat, come with me for a walk to the side."

As I spoke, I led the three of us to continue strolling around the camp, inspecting this secret base hidden deep in the valley.

After passing through fields, barracks, and warehouses, we reached the edge of the forest in the valley. This was a place where we could escape the scorching sun, even in the blazing Gobi Desert.

The shadows cast by the huge trees were like curtains falling on a stage, and behind these curtains, many shadowy figures were moving about, conducting regular training in the forest.

But at the boundary between the forest and the plain, I saw a row of shallow pits with wooden planks erected on them, bearing faint writing. In front of the pits were some scattered trinkets, wildflowers, and nuts, suggesting that someone was offering a sacrifice to the dead.

"How did you die?"

I counted; there are already nine graves. These people undoubtedly came from my secret base, but for some unknown reason, they are now resting here.

Eaton deliberately spoke in a nonchalant tone: "Who knows? Disease, wild animals, attacks, high temperatures—these could take their lives at any moment."

I glanced at him: "You were attacked?"

Eaton remained silent, then nodded slightly: "On the first day we discovered Sabre Bay, they launched two probing attacks, catching us off guard. Four people died in the attacks... The second time, we used the cover of night to lure them into the woods, and only then were we able to win against their firepower."

What are the enemy's casualties?

"About ten people were injured, and the number of dead is unknown. Later, I arranged for a field patrol and personally led a patrol outside the valley. We repelled two waves of passing pirates, and the attack stopped."

Silent Valley is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the camp was deliberately built on a hillside. With deliberate patrols and blockades, it would take a great deal of effort to conquer it. In accordance with the pirates' usual style, they have no special means of attacking fortified positions. Therefore, this position, guarding the area between hostile forces and the free trade zone, can be described as impregnable.

However... being good at defense but not offense is far from enough.

"Let's find a safe enough room; we need to discuss something important."

Upon arriving at the Commander's Hut in Eaton, we found the space to be quite spacious, but it was sparsely furnished, with only a large rectangular wooden table in the center of the room, adorned with some odd decorations.

"Is this... a simulation sand table?" I asked tentatively, looking at the messy arrangement of pebbles, soil, and twigs on the table.

Eaton blushed slightly. "Ah... I just wanted to mark the nearby terrain and forces..."

"It's okay, there's no shame in being clumsy with your hands. It's just that the shape looks a bit like Lao Ba's delicacies, I suggest you wash it before using it."

I gestured for the group to sit down, closed the door, and began our secret meeting.

"I need a spaceship capable of interstellar travel and to get me to the stargate of this star system. What are your thoughts?"

As soon as I said that, the typical country bumpkin bald man immediately went into ostrich mode, wearing a silly, serene smile on his face.

After listening for a while, Eaton said seriously, "Sir, why don't you ask that person to send a spaceship to take you back to space?"

If I had such powerful connections, I would have left long ago, believe it or not!

"...This is a task assigned by that lord. Don't ask questions randomly, just answer the questions honestly!"

Eaton showed no anger at being refuted. He glanced at the fat man beside him and said, "Understood! Lord Lucaule will know more about this matter."

I turned my gaze to the fat man, who shook his head and said, "Sir, this might be a bit difficult. Even the Andenawara faction can only send people into space by paying a huge amount of precious resources. After all, researching space technology is a taboo subject in this land, and will be punished by interstellar powers..."

Is the suppression of civilizations really that severe...?

"Is it possible for no one on this planet to go into space?" I asked.

The fat man shook his head and said, "It's not that we can't go to space, but it depends on whether the heavens are willing to let us into space... Perhaps after crossing the Noga Mountains and entering the Brega Plain, we can find one or two potential local strongholds that can do this in the future, but definitely not now, and certainly not here."

The fat man carefully chose his words, trying to persuade me to change my mind: "Sir, the people on this land who can enter space will never come from powerful forces, but from interstellar forces."

He pointed mysteriously to the sky, "For example, the pioneering territories of the Broken Empire and the advance teams of those special forces can travel back and forth using spaceships. And for someone as important as you, as long as Lord Shafulin lends a hand, the problem will simply disappear..."

Just then, Eaton suddenly raised his hand and spoke.

"Regarding this... I might have an idea..."

I looked at him, gesturing for him to speak his thoughts.

Eaton lightly drew a range on the abstract map on the table and said confidently, "I don't know much about interstellar forces, but in this wasteland, those pirates from space regularly send ships to transport supplies and drop low-level pirates onto this land."

"Perhaps...we can take advantage of this opportunity?"

Chapter 449 War and Peace

"Sir, please think twice! You mustn't provoke those lunatics!"

The fat man screamed like a pig being slaughtered, then quickly covered the mouth of the traitor leader and hurriedly stopped him.

"These guys are a bunch of nasty hyenas. They'll pounce on you like madmen at the smell of blood, and they're incredibly vengeful. Nobody on the whole planet wants to confront them head-on. Sir, you mustn't act rashly!"

I stared at him with shining eyes and asked, word by word, "If you keep nagging, I'll send you to Liubiju. I just want to know if what he said is true!"

"Sir...this..." the fat man hesitated.

I took a step closer, my gaze sharp as I looked at the other person. "I'll ask you one more time, are there any spaceships there?"

The fat man swallowed hard, then whispered, "Yes, there is... but..."

"enough!"

I slammed my hand on the table, slapped the fat man's hand away from his mouth, glanced at the table, and stared intently at the area symbolizing Sabre Bay on the simulated map.

Eaton glared at the fat man with disdain, stood up and said, "I am at your service, sir." Then he said nothing more.

The room was dimly lit, and scorching air poured in through the wooden windows, creating a hot vortex that swirled around the room and blew through the sweat-soaked hair of the people present.

I saw the fat man's expression was one of tenseness, his features contorted, like a seasoned beast in action, silently praying with bated breath. Eaton, on the other hand, had a calm, oblivious look on his face, his gaze fixed straight ahead, displaying the composed and dignified demeanor befitting a professional soldier.

Just like the famous "Father-Slayer" Lü Bu Yunfei said: A soldier must have backbone!

The bald man entered a profound state of meditation. Although his eyes were open, his mind was clearly wandering far away, and he had completely forgotten himself and his surroundings... Could this guy have fallen asleep with his eyes open?

I stood up and paced around the room, trying to break the increasingly tense atmosphere. Suddenly, I remembered some standard questions and answers from war movies, and spoke in as calm a tone as possible.

“Commander Eaton, I only have three questions.”

I stood behind him and slammed my hand on the table, startling the fat man so much that he trembled.

"First, should this war have been fought?"

Eaton seemed to have already prepared a plan for this, stating firmly, "We must fight! Sabre Bay is only hesitant due to the balance of power among the three nearby factions, and doesn't want any complications before eliminating the loader's leader. If the enemy is defeated, they will inevitably turn their attention to the Free Trade Zone. Based on my years of experience dealing with them, that won't be long..."

Yes, that's a problem I've also discovered. The wilderness territories, the free trade zone, and the pirate strongholds have formed a chain of suspicion. All three parties are speculating about the intentions of the other two, and this suspicion is escalating layer by layer. The strong want to dominate, the weak want to fight back, and they can't communicate through language.

Even if the other side proposes peace talks, do you think I should believe the promises of my old rival lord, or the agreement of the shameless and cunning pirates?

Therefore, the other two sides, in order to break the chain of suspicion, immediately dispatched troops to the designated battlefield to engage in close combat on the wasteland—just like now, using force to communicate and determine the strength and subordination of the two sides.

This kind of communication is more effective than any language.

If I don't want to trigger a chain of suspicion, I only have one option: to launch an ambush, seize the initiative on the battlefield, and thus break the nested thinking!

"Secondly, are you confident you can win this battle?"

My face remained expressionless as I continued to ask.

The fat man next to him had turned ashen-faced, for he could already sense the approaching storm of war.

"In terms of the situation, the pirates' forces are currently tied down on the western front, fighting and killing each other with the privateers of the Loader's Territory every day. There are only a few logistics personnel in the stronghold. This is a golden opportunity."