Chapter 039: A Nation Strengthened by Science and Technology

The final outcome was unsurprising; Scarred Johnny won the position of Captain of the Guard by an overwhelming margin.

Karl, meanwhile, remained as Captain under the command of the One-Eyed, and in terms of numbers, Scarred Johnny led only ten rats including himself, whereas Karl commanded nearly a hundred. Yet, the power and prestige of the Guard were far more coveted.

Yang Jie invited Johnny into his burrow.

“Come in, boss, please have a seat!”

Yang Jie stood up respectfully and found a chair for Johnny.

“Chief, please, you shouldn’t! I’m only your Captain of the Guard…”

“It’s only right, only right—boss, have some water!”

With that, Yang Jie poured a cup for the one known as the “Legendary Punisher.”

“Chief, what’s all this…”

“It’s only right, only right.”

Seeing Johnny’s embarrassed expression, Yang Jie refrained from excessive flattery, lest Johnny misunderstand.

The two rats chatted casually. Johnny shared details about his family and the series of events since joining the tribe.

Yang Jie nodded calmly. These experiences alone were hardly enough to raise loyalty to ninety-seven. He suspected Johnny was hiding something, but didn’t press the issue, preferring to let things unfold naturally.

After another ten or so minutes of polite conversation, Yang Jie found an excuse to send Johnny away.

[Congratulations, Lord. The technology “Horsemanship” has been completed.]
[Unlocked new building: Stable]

Yang Jie knew that [Horsemanship] combined with [Intermediate Woodworking] would unlock [Carriage].

From now on, carriages would gradually spread among the ruling class of the tribe. However, given the rats’ short legs, cavalry as a unit was entirely out of the question.

At that moment, another system notification sounded…

[Congratulations, Lord. Special building “Plantation” has been completed.]

The plantation was a crucial structure in the early stages of civilization.

After building the plantation, the Lord could select its icon through the system interface and use technology points to purchase crop varieties.

Of course, this powerful agricultural innovation was notorious for consuming endless tech points. Swiping the interface, Yang Jie selected the plantation icon and glanced at the upper right corner of the system screen, which showed 4564 tech points.

Each crop cost a thousand tech points—a steep price.

With his current reserves, Yang Jie could only choose four crops, but he would never spend it all at once; tech points were a non-tradable hard currency, and some must be saved for emergencies.

[Spent 1000 tech points to purchase crop: Potato.]

Potatoes needed no explanation—easy to grow, high yield, and rich in starch, making them ideal for food storage.

[Spent 1000 tech points to purchase crop: Garlic.]

Garlic was chosen second primarily for its ability to boost the tribe’s immunity.

Within the ratfolk’s low-survival-rate tribe, increased immunity would indirectly raise the survival of newborn pups.

Ordinary ratfolk mothers typically birthed litters of nine to twelve pups. However, newborn rats were fragile, and with medical technology nonexistent, childbirth relied entirely on the mother’s physical strength. It was common for weak pups to be accidentally killed during labor, and even after birth, illness almost always proved fatal.

Thus, while the birth rate was high, the effective survival rate was not.

Partly due to natural factors, partly due to the lack of medical care.

Even with the advent of incubation pools, which could somewhat improve newborn immunity, the effect was far from fundamental.

So garlic was an obvious choice, and it was also a staple seasoning—no further explanation needed.

Yang Jie slid the system interface again to select the next crop…

[Spent 1000 tech points to purchase crop: Greens.]

Greens were chosen both to suit the plains climate and for their abundance of vitamins—a superb value for their price.

Having purchased potatoes, garlic, and greens, Yang Jie closed the system interface at once, afraid he couldn’t restrain himself. At this stage, tech points were precious, and research continuity was vital before considering any other expenditures.

Though the Northen Plains had a wealth of animals, they were almost barren of fruits and vegetables. Once a market economy emerged, a pound of cabbage could easily trade for five pounds of dinosaur meat.

Yesterday, as Xia Rong led her people to the Horseshoe Mountain Highlands, construction of the artificial lake and water channel officially began.

Old Sha appointed an engineer named Kevin to oversee the project.

It had to be said that these lizardfolk were truly experienced in waterworks; with their help, the project would be completed in three months at most.

During discussions with Xia Rong, she proposed a groundbreaking plan: to build an earth-and-stone cofferdam at the point on Horseshoe Mountain closest to the Tam River.

This would raise the upstream water level, ensuring supply for the artificial lake and nearby farmland, and most critically, would open a land route to the far bank of the Tam River—the epoch-making aspect of the plan.

Given the current situation, the Chakarak Grasslands below were embroiled in chaos, and Yang Jie had no intention of getting involved—as long as trouble didn’t spill onto the Northen Plains, everything could be negotiated.

Recently, the black elves of the Fagon Forest to the east sent envoys to visit the ratfolk tribe, hosted by Wendy herself.

The visit did nothing to deepen relations; instead, it left Yang Jie somewhat uneasy.

He knew well that people don’t visit for nothing. You farm in the jungle, I farm on the plains—what business do we have?

Yang Jie had no good impression of those pointy-eared black elves; in his eyes, they were obstinate and self-important, always feeling superior.

But now was a time for development, so Yang Jie endured it, putting the greater good first.

As for the Saintis Mountains to the north, Yang Jie wouldn’t even consider them before the Iron Age.

Thus, the only expansion possible was to the west of Horseshoe Mountain, across the Tam River—the true significance of the plan.

Once the artificial lake was finished, the surplus labor force would be put to work on the earth-and-stone dam across the Tam River—the next major project.

Since her last return, Xia Rong seemed to have changed completely; it was as if she had acknowledged the gap and devoted herself to learning within the ratfolk territory.

She embraced everything, from overall tribal defense to postpartum care for sows.

The last meeting had left Yang Jie deeply affected, and he was considering whether to find time for a heartfelt conversation with the albino lizardfolk.

What Yang Jie did not know was that, on the far bank of the Tam River, three hundred kilometers upstream, a massive human shipyard was nearing completion…