Chapter 45: New Arrangements

"Chongshan, stay at the Black Moon Camp and ensure the security here. Big Stone and I are heading back to the Salt Lake Camp."

As the strongest individual combat asset in their tribe, Zhou Chongshan would normally accompany Zhou Xu wherever he went to guarantee the chieftain's safety.

However, their "enterprise" had gradually expanded over time.

With the Black Moon Camp designated as a key development site for their future, its importance went without saying. Zhou Xu had no desire to return and find that his camp had been raided from behind.

Because of this, he naturally had to factor the camp's security into his plans.

Not to mention that Zhuang Mengdie, a crucial core member, was currently stationed at the Black Moon Camp as well.

After a brief weighing of options, Zhou Xu made the decision to have Zhou Chongshan hold down the fort at the Black Moon Camp to ensure its safety.

Of course, this did not mean he was leaving himself unprotected.

The distance from the Black Moon Camp to the Salt Lake Camp was not particularly far, and since it was nestled securely between the two settlements, the probability of encountering danger was inherently low.

On top of that, he had now mastered the mantra for "Skeleton Control."

He would simply have his entourage carry the skeletons on their backs. Even if something unexpected were to happen, this mantra would ensure that he could retreat safely and unscathed, even if he could not defeat the enemy.

Without any further delay, once the arrangements were made, the group set off and successfully arrived at the Salt Lake Camp before dusk.

"Chieftain!"

Before approaching the vicinity, Zhou Xu had sent a tribe member ahead to rush back to the Salt Lake Camp and inform Que, who had remained stationed there, of their arrival.

By this time, Que was already waiting outside the camp. The moment he spotted Zhou Xu, he immediately hurried forward.

"Que, thank you for your hard work taking care of things here while I was away from the Salt Lake Camp."

Zhou Xu said, giving Que's shoulder a reassuring pat.

"It's no hardship at all! It's all for the tribe!"

Entering the camp, the place appeared noticeably quieter and more deserted now that many of its residents had relocated to the Black Moon Camp alongside Zhuang Mengdie and the others.

By the edge of the salt lake, two tribe members were busy shoveling salt-bearing soil, then sifting it to filter out the salt crystals.

This task did not require many hands, as their daily consumption of salt was actually quite modest.

Aside from the salt used on a daily basis, a substantial reserve had already been accumulated in the clay pots. For the short term, there was no need to worry about extracting salt crystals from the lake water.

After briefly introducing the salt-harvesting process to Big Stone, the group turned and walked toward the mine situated in the center of the dark forest.

Compared to the salt-harvesting work that required minimal manpower, the primary labor force at the Salt Lake Camp had been allocated to coal mining.

Among them, the main workforce for coal extraction came directly from the Black Moon Camp.

To be precise, they were the prisoners of war captured from the armed conflict with the Black Moon Camp earlier.

After being captured and surrendering, they were promptly reassigned to the mine to toil away as laborers digging coal.

Of course, Zhou Xu did not mistreat them; they received their regular meals every day, and their daily routine was basically identical to that of the other tribe members.

Big Stone, walking alongside them, had no objections to this arrangement.

From Big Stone's perspective, wanting to eat meant having to work—that was simply how the world naturally functioned.

"The excavated coal will be stockpiled here first. Afterward, I plan to organize a transport team from the Black Moon Camp specifically responsible for delivering polished stone pickaxes and food to the Salt Lake Camp, and then hauling the mined coal and salt back to the Black Moon Camp."

"Stationed at the Salt Lake Camp, aside from keeping an eye on the output of these two resources, your primary responsibility will be to ensure the safety of the camp."

At this point, Zhou Xu paused his speech and turned to look at Big Stone, who had been following closely by his side the entire time.

"Big Stone, I intend to put you in charge of this camp. What do you think?"

Big Stone was not a fool. From the moment their chieftain had brought him along when setting off that day, he had been wondering if the chieftain had a specific assignment in mind for him.

Now, as it turned out, the matter far exceeded his expectations.

Faced with this sudden proposition, Big Stone froze completely in his tracks.

Just think about it: how many days had passed since he surrendered and pledged his allegiance?

To directly hand over the management of the Salt Lake Camp to him? Just how immense must a chieftain's boldness and vision be to make such a decision?!

This state of shock lasted for a full three seconds, after which Big Stone snapped back to reality and hurriedly expressed his gratitude with rising fervor...

"Chieftain, please rest assured! I, Big Stone, will definitely handle this job well!"

Unquestionably, this was an opportunity. Since their chieftain dared to employ him, he had no reason to turn it down!

Only after accepting the post did he remember that Que was still standing nearby, causing him to cast a somewhat awkward glance in the latter's direction.

After all, he mustn't forget that prior to this, the person in charge of the Salt Lake Camp had been Que.

By taking this position, he was essentially taking over the other man's post.

However, contrary to Big Stone's expectations, Que stood there with an expression of absolute composure. Noticing Big Stone's hesitant look, Que even gave him an approving nod, as if he had known about this arrangement all along.

And in truth, that was indeed the case. Zhou Xu was not foolish enough to disregard the feelings of his old subordinates by abruptly stripping someone of their post to install a newcomer without warning.

Before his arrival, he had already sent someone back to brief Que on the matter.

Que's talent was "Execution Expert," and keeping him close would allow his value to be truly maximized. Moreover, Zhou Xu genuinely needed someone with such high execution efficiency by his side.

Under these circumstances, the only person available to swap places with Que and take charge of the Salt Lake Camp was Big Stone.

Understanding their chieftain's intention, Que naturally harbored no grievances whatsoever.

"Very well, keep that enthusiasm. I believe you can do it. However, now that you are the person in charge of the Salt Lake settlement, continuing to use a common name like 'Big Stone' won't be very convenient."

Zhou Xu had clearly prepared a new name for Big Stone beforehand.

"Shi Lei, from today onward, your name is Shi Lei."

Shi Lei—four stones combined—was a bit of a small, whimsical inside joke on his part.

Shi Lei, unaware of the hidden pun, expressed his grateful thanks with great excitement.

Meanwhile, Que, who had remained exceptionally calm throughout, suddenly cast a look of envy toward Big Stone on account of his new name.

Seeing this scene, Zhou Xu chuckled softly.

"Alright, you'll get one too. How could I possibly forget about you?"

"Thank you, Chieftain!"

The moment those words left his mouth, the expression on Que's face lit up with palpable eagerness. Even before Zhou Xu could announce the name, Que had already bowed in advance, reflecting his boundless impatience.

"I've put a lot of thought into your name. Since you're Que, soaring like a startled swan... your name shall be Ye Jinghong!"