Chapter 16

On July 15, it was lightly snowing.

At the state cemetery on the north bank of the Dafish River, the first resident was about to arrive. Dennis Helwig, a Swiss immigrant who died in the "July 13 Incident," would be buried here.

The crowd attending the funeral stood at the entrance to the cemetery. Due to the notice issued the previous day, many of the穿越者 (time travelers) and immigrants who were resting also rushed over. Ma Qianzu and a group of committee members stood at the front, having waited for a while, with a thin layer of snow accumulating on their clothes.

Soon, a coffin carried by eight people, including Army Commissioner Peng Zhicheng and Navy Commissioner Wang Qian, came into view. Leading the procession were two security guards carrying matchlock guns, followed by Helwig's wife and daughter.

Helwig's wife and daughter, dressed in new coats, walked in front of the coffin with sorrowful expressions. Behind them were Peng Zhicheng, Wang Qian, and others in blue military uniforms, and behind the coffin, eight armed security guards marched in two columns. Due to the lack of musical instruments, the funeral proceeded in silence. The sobs of the bereaved and the heavy footsteps of the honor guard created a moving and powerful atmosphere.

Beside the grave, Father Francis glanced nervously at his "assistant" — the newly appointed assistant priest Ye Yongxing, who smiled and handed him a eulogy written by Gao Mo.

Father Francis could not forget the first time he met this young assistant. The young man, who claimed to be a Christian, said to him, "All unauthorized missionary activities are prohibited," which almost made Father Francis collapse. However, he soon realized that the young man was not joking. Ye Yongxing, who had close ties with the officials of the Internal Affairs Department, took charge of all religious affairs in the territory, reducing Father Francis to a mere figurehead.

Now, he was only needed for some ceremonies or memorial days.

The funeral procession entered the cemetery, and Peng Zhicheng and the others carefully placed the coffin in the already dug grave, then dispersed.

Ye Yongxing gave Father Francis a nod. The priest took a deep breath, walked forward reluctantly, unfolded the eulogy, and began to read it to the bereaved and the audience.

"O loving Lord: You have never been far from any of Your children. Now we ask You to look upon those who are far from us. Dennis Helwig, from Basel, died in the just war against the cruel and evil Zaruyans. Mr. Helwig was a good man who always followed Your teachings and never strayed. He fought for You and sacrificed himself for You. We ask You to forgive his sins, send angels to guide him on his way, and be with him as his protector, so that his faith in You remains unchanged. Grant him wisdom and the strength to resist temptation, and enable him to fulfill all his duties with joy, without letting the distance affect our fellowship. May we watch over each other and remain faithful, fulfilling our responsibilities and duties, and together glorify the Father in heaven. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

The Swiss Protestants in attendance collectively prayed, while the time travelers felt the solemn and sad atmosphere, and the scene fell silent for a moment.

After the prayer, Ye Yongxing pulled Father Francis aside. Ma Qianzu brushed the snow off his clothes, took out a piece of paper from his pocket, and walked to the grave to read a traditional Chinese funeral eulogy, which mainly recounted Dennis Helwig's life and the significance of his sacrifice. The entire speech took less than ten minutes.

After Ma Qianzu finished the eulogy, the eight security guards fired a salute, and the family members said their final goodbyes. After the family's farewell, the security guards began to fill the grave and set up the tombstone, thus ending the funeral.

Before the crowd dispersed, Civil Affairs Commissioner Xiao Mingli announced on the spot that five people would be granted the title of free citizens: the deceased Dennis Helwig, his wife and daughter, the injured Christopher Grot, and his sister. Being granted the title of free citizens meant they were no longer indentured servants of the East Shore Company but signed formal labor contracts with the company, enjoying the same living standards as ordinary time travelers and having a much brighter future.

The more than twenty Swiss immigrants present, after understanding the content of Xiao Mingli's announcement, looked at the families of Helwig and Grot with complex expressions. They were all poor people who had no choice but to come to America to make a living. Although the work here was hard, they could eat steaming hot noodles or rice every day, and occasionally some fish and fish soup, which already made them very satisfied. But now, seeing the families of the two men rise to a higher status, receiving a monthly silver allowance and enjoying delicious beef cans and jam, and perhaps even wine, their hearts burned with desire: Maybe I also have a chance to live a decent life? As long as I work hard or remain loyal?

******

Dingyuan Fort.

Despite the light snow and strong wind, the construction team did not stop work. The number of ships arriving at the dock today was twice as many as usual, bringing not only a large amount of building materials but also a large amount of living supplies: flour, rice, soybeans, canned goods, and even precious vegetables.

As the weather became colder, the committee was concerned that the Dafish River would freeze, so they had been rushing to transport supplies over the past two days. The construction team was also working overtime. The moat outside Dingyuan Fort was almost completed, with a two-meter-deep, three-meter-wide moat filled with water from Dafish Lake, forming a protective moat that gave everyone a great sense of security.

Construction inside the fort continued, with the dormitories, workshops, wells, and rainwater collection pools completed before the Zaruyan attack. The current goals were the rainwater sedimentation pool, filtration pool, and storage warehouse. The temporary canteen, bathhouse, and toilet, currently made of simple materials, were to be rebuilt with brick and cement. Additionally, the fort walls and watchtowers, currently made of wood, were to be replaced with brick, a major project that would keep the construction team busy throughout the winter.

Lin Youde, slightly depressed, leaned against a pillar at the dock, watching the fishing boats in the distance preparing to finish work.

The joint investigation team sent by "Central" had been investigating him for two full days. The people from the Army Department and the Internal Affairs Department were relatively easy to talk to and had a friendly attitude. In contrast, Wang De from the Justice Department was a bit of a troublemaker. He was a partner in Bai Siwen's law firm and was on the same page as him. He always had a stern, business-like expression and conducted thorough investigations into Lin Youde's every word and action that night. Fortunately, Lin Youde had not made any major mistakes, and his colleagues had been supportive, so Wang De had not found any significant faults.

However, the construction team and the fish factory workers were a bit of a problem. Lin Youde had no influence over them, and they might say anything about him. On the night of July 13, he had indeed been a bit panicked, as it was his first time dealing with such a situation, and there was no contingency plan. His lack of experience and momentary panic were understandable. But the good thing was that he had eventually stabilized the situation, which was the most convincing evidence.

Moreover, the first to panic that night were these rascals, running around and shouting, which would have been punishable by death in ancient times. They all thought they were so great, with no organization or discipline, some wanting to go east, others west, like headless flies. Afterward, they spread rumors, saying that if they had been in charge, things would have been different.

Bah! What a bunch of scoundrels. Lin Youde spat angrily. If I get through this, I'll make sure to train you all properly. As for that Wang De, don't be too arrogant. It's just because I criticized you a bit when we were in the logging team, and now you're holding a grudge. You're so petty. I just don't like lawyers, and now you're trying to ruin me. Wait and see, this isn't over! You'd better not cross my path in the future.

Lin Youde blew in the cold wind for a while, and his depression lessened. Just then, the fishing boats finished work and docked, and the crew, having had a good catch, chatted and laughed as they returned to the fort.

Inside the fort, it was mealtime. Xiao Bailang was slurping a bowl of green vegetable and soybean soup. Seeing Lin Youde return, he patted the seat next to him and said, "Xiao Lin, come over, sit here."

Lin Youde took a bowl of green vegetable noodles and sat down as instructed.

"What's with the long face? Who are you showing it to!" Xiao Bailang grunted, then took a big sip of soup. "Don't overthink it. Your problems are nothing. The leaders aren't fools; they can tell right from wrong. Your performance this time was actually not bad. You held the fort against the enemy's night attack and minimized casualties. Overall, it was good."

Xiao Bailang finished the remaining soup in a few gulps and muttered, "The next step is to be more meticulous. Establish rules, emergency plans, and training schedules. Don't be as sloppy as before. Work needs to be done with both method and determination, and you shouldn't be afraid to offend people. Go ahead and do what you need to do; this is my territory, and you can do as you please."

Lin Youde was taken aback, said nothing, and continued to eat his noodles with his head down.

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