Chapter 1056, The Security Department

Translator: Silavin

 

The Sun was exceptionally fine that day, like the calm before a storm.

 

The weather of the Primitive Era was like this, changeable and unpredictable at every turn.

 

Though before the great snow season arrived, there would indeed be a stretch of weather like this.

 

“Shaman, the identity cards for the newly arrived slaves have all been completed.” Yu Ying said attentively.

 

Since Sha Lan had gone to the Hunting Ground, Yu Ying had taken on a portion of the daily administrative work.

 

As the first Shaman Priestess, it was only natural that she needed to know how many of these matters were handled.

 

“Good. Have they been distinguished from the others’ identity cards?” Su Bai asked.

 

“Yes. The identity cards of the regular residents and those of the slaves are entirely different. Please rest assured, Shaman.” Yu Ying nodded.

 

The reason for giving the slaves identity cards at all was to keep a tally of their numbers and to make management more convenient.

 

Many areas of the Tribe now required identity cards for entry and exit, and leaving the Tribe and returning also required identity cards.

 

“Good. How is their enthusiasm for work lately?” Su Bai asked.

 

The slaves’ work assignments had already been arranged long ago, covering road construction, building construction, farm work, and various other roles.

 

“Once they heard that working diligently could earn them back their freedom, every single one of them became incredibly dedicated. Not a Soul dares to slack off.” Yu Ying smiled as she spoke. She had recently conducted a review of everyone’s working conditions and found each person immersed in their assigned tasks.

 

“Good.” Su Bai said quietly.

 

He finished responding and turned to his documents. He had recently been planning to establish a new category of profession for the Tribe.

 

He had been preparing for two or three days on this, considering how to refine it into the most effective form.

 

*Knock knock knock.*

 

Yan Jiao knocked at the door from outside. After receiving permission, he opened it and stepped in.

 

“Shaman, you wished to see me?”

 

“Yes. I wanted to discuss security with you. I am thinking of establishing a security team in our Tribe, and I would like to hear your thoughts on this.” Su Bai said.

 

Yan Jiao blinked in puzzlement and said. “Shaman, I am not familiar with what you mean by security, so I am not sure how to offer an opinion.”

 

“Right, of course. I nearly forgot the term security could be quite vague.” Su Bai tapped his forehead lightly and chuckled. “Basically, for some soldiers, we do not have them go on regular patrol. Instead, they have fixed posts.”

 

“Fixed posts? You mean they stay in one place from morning until night?” Yan Jiao asked, working from his own understanding.

 

“That is correct.” Su Bai gestured for him to sit.

 

“But Shaman, our soldiers already patrol a fixed area every day. I do not see that much of a difference.” Yan Jiao offered his perspective.

 

“Listening to it that way, it does sound similar, but if I explain it like this, you will see the distinction.” Su Bai poured him a cup of tea. “Security personnel are stationed at a fixed location and do not patrol. Their main responsibility is to handle everything in their immediate vicinity. Soldiers, on the other hand, are not fixed to one spot but are responsible for patrolling the entire Tribe.”

 

Yan Jiao immediately bent forward and received the cup with both hands, suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of great honour. How could he be deserving of the Shaman pouring tea for him?

 

He straightened up respectfully and said. “Shaman, the way I understand it, one stays still and one moves around, is that right?”

 

“More or less. But security personnel have far more responsibilities than soldiers. Our Tribe now has carriages, after all. We cannot simply allow carriages to charge about the roads without any restraint.”

 

Su Bai sipped his tea calmly. “We need some form of control. I have therefore decided to establish a zebra crossing in the Tribe, specifically to regulate the speed at which carriages proceed.”

 

There had been quite a few incidents in the Tribe lately, all involving carriages accidentally striking people.

 

Were it not for the hospital, those people might have ended up dead or severely injured. All these incidents had been reported to the Yong’an Building by the hospital.

 

Upon hearing of it, Su Bai had decided that zebra crossings were absolutely necessary. The Tribe’s main roads were wide and spacious. But the people of the Primitive Tribe were naturally inclined to move without looking, and at times they would collide with a carriage charging down the main road.

 

The main roads had no zebra crossings, and carriages had no concept of stopping or yielding to pedestrians whatsoever.

 

The drivers only knew that the roads were wide and flat, and that they could let the horses run freely.

 

“So, the security personnel are to restrain those carriages?” Yan Jiao asked.

 

“Yes. There are so many main roads in the Tribe, and the intersections where they meet are numerous. Carriages turning corners are very prone to causing accidents.”

 

Su Bai explained the importance of security personnel in detail, all to help Yan Jiao understand the distinction between security and soldiers clearly.

 

The reason soldiers were trained was to build up combat strength, not to handle these trivial everyday matters.

 

This was precisely the principle of not using a carving knife to slaughter an ox. It was what had led Su Bai to the idea of establishing a Security Department.

 

“I understand now. Hearing it laid out like that, security personnel are indeed a necessary presence.” Yan Jiao was immediately persuaded.

 

He had grasped that security personnel would not only manage reckless carriages and careless pedestrians on the main roads, but could handle a range of other matters as well.

 

For instance, the doorkeepers of the restaurants and wine shops. Beyond front-of-house staff, security personnel would serve a necessary function there too.

 

Apart from handling physically demanding tasks, their presence also meant being on hand to deal promptly with demands or disputes from people of other Tribes. Men were, after all, sometimes more convenient for certain things than women.

 

Then there were all the roads leading from every main road out to the farmlands and towards other Tribes, all of which would eventually require security personnel.

 

Security posts would be established at the roadside in due course, giving security personnel a place from which to operate.

 

“Then I will leave the matter of selecting personnel to you. The selection criteria are the same as for soldiers.”

 

Su Bai fixed Yan Jiao with his serious dark eyes and added. “One additional requirement: they must know how to use the flintlock rifle. In other words, their aim must be accurate.”

 

Such were the harsh realities of the Primitive Era. Even the role of security personnel demanded exceptional physical conditioning.

 

This Primitive Era harboured not only Totem Warriors but also extraordinarily savage Ferocious Beasts.

 

Relying on ordinary people to serve as security would be nothing more than sending them to their deaths.

 

What Su Bai wanted was personnel of strong personal capability, so that they could ensure their own safety while also being able to relay intelligence to those with the ability to act on it.

 

“Leave it to me, Shaman. I will see this matter handled properly.” Yan Jiao said earnestly.

 

“It will be some time yet before the other Tribes begin helping us with the road construction, so there is no need to rush the selection of security personnel. Quality is what matters most.” Su Bai reminded him.

 

He had no intention of hurrying the process and ending up with a mixed bag of candidates. That would be nothing short of a waste of resources.

 

“Understood.” Yan Jiao gave a nod.