"Leader, I understand. I will take care of it as soon as I have the time."
"At that time, don’t forget to bring Capito along. Once the blacksmith joins us, he should be managed by him."
Maximus remembered something else and said, "By the way, Flanitnus, after the soldiers block the harbor, you can detain those merchants, but do not harm them. Volenus, when you send people to inventory the port’s goods, apart from confiscating the goods belonging to those wealthy Pompeians and Roman merchants, do not touch the goods of other merchants for the time being."
"Yes." The two replied simultaneously.
"Do you remember who you mentioned in our Supply Camp... who used to be a merchant?" Maximus looked at Volenus, trying hard to recall the name of the person, but his mind drew a blank.
"The director of the transport team, Pigeris. He used to make a living selling horses in Little Asia," Volenus reminded him.
"That’s right, Pigeris! How could I have forgotten him?" Maximus slapped his forehead again, recalling that when Volenus first mentioned it to him, he was surprised, saying, "I never thought that Pigeris, sturdy as he is, used to be a merchant."
In fact, Pigeris had an outgoing personality, an active mind, and was willing to take risks, which suited his past identity. Although he was doing quite well as the transport team director, the role itself did not require too much competence; as long as he managed his people well and fed the horses properly, he didn’t even need to maintain the wagons (the Supply Camp’s construction team had carpenters responsible for inspection and repairs). He just needed to wait in the camp for notifications from different brigades, then lead the transport team to looting sites and transport supplies back to the camp. Since there were no enemies in the surrounding areas, it was safe and stress-free.
However, would Pigeris find it too boring? Should I transfer him to be in charge of trading goods? ... Maximus pondered, glancing at the two men still standing there. He quickly waved his hand and said, "Volenus, quickly lead people to count those Pompeian slaves ready to join us. Flanitnus, go call Fesaros and the other two, so I can announce your appointment!"
After the two left, Maximus gazed at the empty office of the Pompeii Governor and suddenly laughed at himself: In his previous life, he was just a lone freelancer, and now he had become the leader of a slave rebel army commanding over 2,000 people (including other personnel in the logistics department). Learning how to manage so many people and make the entire operation more efficient was something he was continuously learning and exploring. Fortunately, the environment he was in now was loose enough that even if he made mistakes, no one mocked or even discouraged him (the leaders of the rebel army each had their own spheres of control and rarely interfered in others’ matters, and everyone was not very knowledgeable, lacking a deep understanding of the significance of what Maximus was doing in the Supply Camp). Through constant attempts, he felt he had managed the Supply Camp quite well, but after capturing Pompeii, he realized there were many flaws in the system he had established for the Supply Camp.
He didn’t feel disheartened by this, though he considered himself a novice in this area, but with several thousand years of Chinese political systems as a reference, he was confident in correcting these mistakes.
Perhaps occupying Pompeii for some time, trying to manage it and taking the opportunity to train the troops was a good idea... Having worked tirelessly all night, Maximus lay back in his wooden chair and unknowingly fell asleep.
..........................................
"What did you say? Maximus led the Supply Camp Guard and captured Pompeii?!" Spartacus was taken aback after hearing the news brought back by Hagux, the captain of the Supply Camp’s cavalry squad.
"Yes, Leader Maximus last night had some soldiers take the risk of rowing into Pompeii Port. After entering the city, they quickly seized the city gate. He then led the main force into Pompeii and, after fierce battles, defeated the garrison and eventually occupied the entire city..." This brief recount by Hagux was prepared in advance to meet Maximus’s request — to neither deliberately boast of their battle merit nor to downplay the intelligence and bravery of the Supply Camp Guard.
Hagux paused briefly, allowing Spartacus and Hamilcar a moment to savor the news, then continued, "Leader Maximus is now working hard to control Pompeii and cannot leave at the moment. He wishes to invite Leader Spartacus, Leader Hamilcar, and other leaders to Pompeii to jointly discuss how to deal with Pompeii."
A moment later, as Spartacus gathered his wits, he turned to Hamilcar, "How many soldiers does the Supply Camp Guard have?"
"You’ve seen Pompeii, as have I. With our current forces, a direct assault would be very difficult! For Maximus to capture it even with a surprise attack is truly remarkable!"
Hamilcar nodded. Despite having a bit more preparation than Spartacus — since Maximus had once privately spoken with the Lukaiya people through him, expressing a desire to capture Pompeii — he hadn’t received any further news. He thought the eager student had given up, yet to his surprise, Maximus quietly accomplished the feat on his own. Therefore, the astonishment on Hamilcar’s face was no less than Spartacus’s: "I did notice the Supply Camp’s base was exceptionally quiet this morning, and their training ground was empty — it turns out everyone had gone to Pompeii!"
"Unexpected! Not only is this young man Maximus capable of managing the Supply Camp, he’s also so good at warfare!" Spartacus praised sincerely, a delighted smile appearing on his face.
"It seems you’re planning to go to Pompeii then?" Hamilcar asked.
"Indeed!" Spartacus said excitedly, "The Supply Camp capturing Pompeii is a monumental event for our entire army, and even for the Romans! We must all take it seriously and discuss it thoroughly, as it is beneficial for our future development!"
Afterward, Spartacus dispatched Okmar’s cavalry to inform other leaders.
When the messenger found Cross, this Second Great Captain of the rebels was leading his troops to sweep through the farms around Suysula.
Initially, when the brigades set their camps, the Second Brigade chose to station at the northeastern edge of the Vesuvius Region, the farthest from the headquarters, and now his looting range extended far beyond the Vesuvius Region.
"That Maximus brat actually captured Pompeii?! Impossible!" Cross exclaimed with more astonishment than Spartacus upon hearing the messenger’s report, as he had always looked down on Maximus, making the impact greater.
After listening to the messenger’s brief recount of the Supply Camp’s capture of the city, he disdainfully remarked, "So it was a surprise attack. I thought so; with his forces, how could he possibly assault Pompeii directly and capture it?"
Despite his words, the looting of farms now seemed tasteless to him. He urgently ordered his men to regroup the troops and return to the camp, while he himself followed the messenger on horseback towards the headquarters.
Passing by Suysula City, he couldn’t help but carefully observe the plain town built by the Samnites, with only one thought in mind: perhaps I should attempt to lead my troops to capture a town as well.