28: Chapter 28 Just Surviving is Not Enough【Seeking Followers】 28: Chapter 28 Just Surviving is Not Enough【Seeking Followers】 “Brother…”
Xia Chuan hurriedly opened his mouth and accidentally called him brother again, earning a glare from Xia Hong, who quickly corrected himself.
“Leader, we unanimously believe that it should be like before, where nine-tenths of the Cold Beast meat is distributed to those of us who hunt outside, and the remaining one-tenth to others.
This way we quickly become stronger, and the prey will become more abundant.”
From the other side, Yuan Cheng couldn’t help but speak up too.
“Additionally, the portion of Crystal Fruit, two per person each day, is too much.
It should also revert to before, one per person each day is enough to sustain them.
The three Ice Trees have not yet borne new fruits.
At the current consumption rate, they’ll only last a bit over a month.
If the new batch hasn’t grown by then, it’ll be a big problem.”
In reality, everyone wanted to revert to the old system.
Xia Hong had known it in his heart for a long time.
Including himself, the camp currently has eight people in the Logging Realm.
It’s not far from when Xia Ding was around.
The logging team has been reassembled, so the old system should be reinstated.
Not just Yuan Cheng and Yue Feng, even his brother Xia Chuan thought so.
Xia Hong didn’t answer immediately, but first looked around at everyone before slowly speaking:
“Let me ask you a question, what’s your goal, the seven of you?”
Xia Chuan was the first to answer.
“To survive, and to make sure my mother has enough to eat.”
“To survive, and to make sure my younger brother survives too.”
“To protect my sister and survive.”
Though the seven gave different answers, the content was almost the same, essentially about survival and protecting loved ones.
“Since that’s the case, then why do we go to such lengths every day, risking our lives to hunt, when we could just go out and find Ice Trees to pick Crystal Fruits?”
Xia Hong’s question stunned everyone.
“Because you all know, only by becoming stronger can you survive, right?”
“In that case, when I hunted the first Snow Mane, I shouldn’t have shared it with you.
If I had eaten all the Cold Beast Blood and Flesh myself, I could have quickly become stronger and continued to survive.”
Hearing these words, everyone’s expressions suddenly froze, then one by one they looked ashamed.
“My goal is to become stronger to survive, and it’s the same for you, and even more so for them.”
As he said “them,” Xia Hong gestured to the other people gathered around the bonfire in the camp, and then continued:
“During this time, you’ve all been going out with me, and you should have noticed that the Cold Beasts are much stronger than us.
So whether it’s relying on me alone or on us eight, we cannot ensure our survival.”
Xia Hong paused, adding:
“Even with thirteen, it wouldn’t work, otherwise our father’s group wouldn’t have gotten into trouble, right?”
“I share the Cold Beast meat with you because I know that to survive, relying on just one person’s strength is far from enough, so I hope you break through quickly.
This way, with more people in the Logging Realm, it will be safer when we go out.
Logging, hunting, and the harvests will be greater too.
Right now, I’m giving the main portion of the Cold Beast meat to the other young people in the camp, with the same intention as before—hoping the number of people in the Logging Realm in the camp increases, and the team becomes larger.”
After Xia Hong finished speaking, seeing everyone deep in thought, he sighed lightly.
In reality, this is all a matter of interest allocation.
Self-interest has always moved people, especially when such interests concern their very lives.
Was there any problem with Xia Ding’s previous rules?
But one must consider the situation: back then, the Great Xia Camp didn’t have the ability to hunt, so Cold Beast Meat was scarce.
With many monks and little meat, Xia Ding had to prioritize supplying the logging team members.
With the Small Torch that can lure Cold Beasts, the camp now has the preliminary ability to hunt.
Cold Beast Meat isn’t exactly ample, but it’s much more than before.
If they still stubbornly adhere to the old system, not only would it be unpopular, but it would greatly slow down the camp’s development.
I’ll explain a simple principle.
Xia Hong has now freed himself from the logging work.
Now, every time he goes out, Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng handle the logging, while he specializes in scouting terrain and locating Cold Beasts.
It can be foreseen that in the future, when there are enough members in the Logging Realm, the camp can split into two teams: one specializing in hunting and the other in logging.
Even teams for picking Crystal Fruits and scouting terrain can be organized.
Any organization that wants to increase its gains must have divisions of labor, delineate different departments, and let each perform its duties for maximum benefit.
This principle was easily understood in the past life, but now Xia Hong must patiently explain it in terms they can understand.
“Cold Beasts are powerful, but have you noticed, the more people break through among those like Yue Feng and Lin Kai, the higher our hunting success rate.
Xu Ning broke through today, so maybe our success rate will be even higher tomorrow.
Just imagine, if there were twenty, thirty, even forty or fifty people in the Logging Realm, wouldn’t we be able to take down a Snow Mane or Frost Wolf by sheer numbers?
Would you still fear not having Cold Beast Meat?”
This sentence made Xia Chuan and the others’ eyes light up.
During this time, they followed Xia Hong out, and they all witnessed the steady increase in hunting success rates.
Indeed, the more people, the higher the success rate.
Especially Xia Hong’s latter point, about having forty or fifty people—taking down Cold Beasts by sheer numbers made them ponder deeply.
During this period, they’ve only encountered two types of Cold Beasts, the Snow Mane and the Frost Wolf.
Though limited, they’re deeply familiar with these two types of Cold Beasts, including their traits and strengths.
Snow Manes are powerful, but at most only around ten thousand pounds; the Frost Wolf’s advantage is speed, not strength.
According to Xia Hong, if there were indeed forty or fifty Logging Realm combatants, taking on these two types of Cold Beasts head-on wouldn’t be a problem.
“Moreover, remember clearly what I’m about to say next.”
Xia Hong stood up, pointed towards those around the bonfire, and said solemnly:
“You all just said you want to protect family members, be it brothers, sisters, or mothers, and that’s good.
However, I also hope you remember.
The world outside is fraught with peril; none of us can guarantee that every outing, every hunt, we will survive.
If one day, any one of us were to die unexpectedly, among those people would be your loved ones.
By then, if someone suggests not giving them any Cold Beast Meat, only allowing them one Crystal Fruit per day, would you want me to agree?”
At the final inquiry, Xia Hong emphasized his words.
This questioning was like a thunderclap, making the seven people’s bodies shudder.
They suddenly realized how selfish and ignorant their thoughts had been.
Especially Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng, who had just proposed the change, hung their heads, faces full of shame.
“We are a whole, and as such, we cannot only think of ourselves.
Cold Beast Meat is vital because it strengthens people, but if only a few become strong, as it was with the previous logging team, you all saw the end result.
Against Deceitful Monsters, we were powerless, simply awaiting our slaughter.
Therefore, we must enhance our overall strength.
When the day comes that everyone in the camp is in the Logging Realm, will we still fear Cold Beasts?
By then, even if Deceitful Monsters come, we’ll have the strength to fight.
Note that when I say whole, it also includes your loved ones.”
Xia Hong spoke these words with emotion.
Hearing him, everyone gradually shifted from shame to determination, looking at Xia Hong with ever-growing conviction.
Unbeknownst to them, many people around the bonfire had gathered to listen to Xia Hong’s words, faces full of emotion.
“Our goal is just to survive, but merely surviving isn’t enough.
We need to live with dignity, with confidence.
We’re human, not some creatures hiding in the shadows.
Those Cold Beasts, Deceitful Monsters, they are.
One day, I want them to kneel before me and before the Great Xia Camp, quaking in their boots!”