"What's your name?" I asked.
"My name is Lin Chun," the man replied. "I'm a mercenary. I've participated in many large-scale operations, but I suppose that doesn't mean much to you..."
I nodded with a smile. "Good. My name is Lu Ziye. You are free now, and you can follow me."
"Okay, Brother Lu," Lin Chun said with a smile.
This guy looked older than me, but I didn't mind him calling me brother.
Seeing someone take the lead, the other mercenaries also stood up, expressing their willingness to join me.
Naturally, I didn't refuse. "I can tell you responsibly that there are unknown powers in this place. If you are willing to work with me, I can take you along!"
Upon hearing this, those who had been hesitant earlier became resolute. "We are also willing to follow Brother Lu!"
I called out to the people who spoke, then untied them. "Now, you come with me!"
The remaining people were still locked in the cells. Seeing Lin Chun and the others being led away by me, they all shouted, demanding to join me as well.
But I ignored them.
Opportunities are rare. They might be useful later, but for now, I would keep them locked up a while longer.
This time, I brought out a total of ten people, and I entrusted all of them to Lin Chun's management.
My sole purpose was to ensure their obedience and loyalty.
I would rather have fewer people follow me than have someone stab me in the back at a critical moment.
That was something I could not accept!
To my surprise, Lin Chun knew how to operate a ship.
This was an unexpected bonus.
Operating a ship was not as complicated as I imagined, especially with the changes I had undergone.
With the power of the Shepherd God, my learning ability had increased exponentially. While I couldn't achieve perfect recall, I could remember everything after being told once or twice.
Moreover, I knew that the power of the Shepherd God had not yet been fully unleashed. Once I mastered it, reading a hundred pages in a glance and remembering everything would be no problem.
It took me half a day to completely master how to operate a ship, including the heavy weaponry it carried.
After learning to sail, I didn't immediately start cruising around. I just called some of the natives aboard, brought Luo Yaqin, and sailed on the sea for a while before returning to the beach.
Oil was a precious commodity here, and I couldn't procure enough for the ship. So, I had to use sparingly.
If any large ships approached later, this ship could be a crucial trump card.
Of course, I also asked Lin Chun for help to dismantle two cannons and bring them to the camp.
Now, I was very cautious in my actions and considered many factors.
If the ships outside managed to sink mine, I needed to have the ability to resist.
The dismantled cannons were vital resources!
More than ten days passed quickly. During this time, Lin Chun and I became quite familiar with each other.
And Lin Chun's progress was very satisfactory!
Initially, some of the mercenaries harbored thoughts of escape. But later, realizing that escape was impossible from this place, they also chose to follow me wholeheartedly.
As for those who were imprisoned, I arranged new living quarters for them, making their conditions more comfortable.
The condition for this was that they had to help me grow vegetables, fruits, and grains.
This was not a difficult task for these mercenaries.
As a reward for being fed, they were tasked with teaching the natives how to do these things as well.
The ten people initially brought out, including Lin Chun, were the ones I trusted the most.
So, I gave them some firearms and instructed them to train the natives.
To teach them how to use these modern weapons!
Honestly, when they first encountered modern firearms, the natives were terrified.
They couldn't comprehend how such a small object could possess such immense power.
Wild boars and tigers, which they found incredibly difficult to deal with, were almost defenseless against these weapons.
Another half a month passed in this manner, and some of the natives could already use firearms proficiently.
The ammunition and weapons brought by the ship were limited, and I didn't expect them to be used in large-scale battles.
So, I handed everything over to Lin Chun to train the natives.
Thus, I now possessed a unit equipped with modern firearms. Their combat effectiveness would be several times that of the natives who used bows and arrows.
"Do you have any other plans?" Lin Chun asked, holding a cup of murky wine and smiling.