After two days of travel, Liang En and his group finally reached their destination, a place located at the border between central and southern Angola, where the climate varied between dry and humid.
The local economy was quite unique, relying mainly on a combination of agriculture and pastoralism. This meant that every year, many people would go out for a few months to herd livestock, while the majority stayed in the settlements to farm.
This was advantageous for Liang En and his team because they were able to smoothly recruit enough workers from these villages. The local villagers were very cooperative with this endeavor.
For those who had little to do during the off-season, staying at home would mean idling away their time, so finding a job that provided meals and paid a salary was clearly an attractive option.
It must be noted that even among the same ethnic group, people can exhibit different characteristics in different circumstances, and the environment plays a significant role. For example, the local farmers were diligent in their work, quite different from the Lozi people of the West Coast.
However, for these individuals who had grown up in a traditional, even primitive, agricultural society, the vast majority of whom were illiterate, many tasks had to be learned from scratch. The cost and time required for training were indeed significant challenges.
But for Liang En, who planned to turn this area into a hundred-year project, every bit of work was worth it. He also believed that after returning the scepter this time, his relationship with the locals would be strong enough to maintain this partnership.
This was why Liang En was willing to invest in building various facilities around the area; after all, fostering good relations with the surrounding residents was a critical aspect of overseas investments.
Of course, this approach was also directly related to the local climate. Although the official statistics showed that the area had decent rainfall, its distribution was highly uneven.
For example, during the rainy season, there was never a shortage of water, but during the dry season, which could last for several months, not a drop of water might fall, resulting in droughts every year, though the scale varied.
In fact, before arriving, Liang En was shocked by the local people's inadequate drought resistance measures, which were even less effective than those of ancient China thousands of years ago. For instance, they didn’t know how to dig slightly deeper wells.
At least, after a month of investigation, it was confirmed that the locals' water supply almost entirely depended on natural sources, with their only artificial measure being to dig the village ponds a bit deeper.
This could indeed store some water and reduce the impact of the dry season on the village, but this stagnant water quickly became a breeding ground for diseases, leading to outbreaks of epidemics every year.
Therefore, the wells that Liang En's team drilled with machines became incredibly valuable. For the locals, who needed to farm and raise livestock, these wells were no less than a source of life.
So, within just a few months, Liang En and his team, who came with a friendly attitude to invest in the area, earned the friendship of everyone from the tribal chief and local village heads to ordinary farmers and herders.
After all, human nature is universal, and the locals could naturally sense the difference between Liang En’s group and the Western colonizers, which led to the establishment of this friendship.
When the locals asked why Liang En and his team were helping them, everyone would say that it was on the orders of Mr. Liang, a kind-hearted and wealthy scholar.
This was why, when Liang En and Jeanne visited the king’s palace to return the scepter on the second day after completing the inspection of the construction site, they received an unexpected surprise.
The reason for hastily visiting the palace was that the main purpose of their trip was to return the scepter. Therefore, whether for reasons of etiquette or other considerations, it was most appropriate to complete this task as soon as possible.
Contrary to their expectations, the palace here was nothing like the luxurious palaces they had seen in the UAE. If not for the two armed guards at the door, Liang En would never have guessed that this simple two-story building with a courtyard was a palace.
The appearance of the palace was strikingly similar to the village committees and large courtyards in China, particularly the red brick walls and cement surfaces that gave a strong sense of familiarity.
If there was any difference from the village committees in China, it was that this palace's cement walls were painted with various colorful and locally-styled murals.
Once inside, they found that the interior was not much different from the outside. If there was anything to note, it was that there was an additional water pressure well and a diesel generator, along with a few household appliances.
Soon, Liang En and Jeanne met the ruler of this land: an elderly man with graying beard who looked no different from the farmers and herders on the street, except that he was dressed in traditional attire.
"The wise one who holds the secrets of history, the decoder of ancient civilizations, the lord of Cambodia..." As soon as they entered, a young man who was clearly a junior of the king began reciting their titles according to tradition.
But Liang En, standing there with a serious expression, was already feeling so awkward that he could have dug a hole in the ground with his toes. He hadn’t realized that his titles were as long as Daenerys Targaryen's, and they all sounded overwhelmingly pretentious.
Obviously, the other side had obtained Liang En’s current identity from public sources and then compiled it according to local customs before announcing it.
From a certain perspective, this organized title allowed those who heard it to immediately understand what kind of person Liang En was.
For example, as the young man continued his chant, some of the surrounding individuals who appeared to be chiefs or elders began to look at Liang En more amicably.
After the introduction, the next step was the scheduled ceremony to return the scepter. When Liang En completed the ceremony and thought it was time for a traditional barbecue feast, the king ordered someone to bring out a wooden box.
Inside the box was a hat decorated with various feathers and fierce animal teeth, alongside a roughly-made iron sword with a totem on the hilt, and a neatly folded cloak.
Perhaps it was due to the commonality among certain stages of civilization, but these items bore many similarities to the symbolic items of status that Liang En had acquired in the Otter tribe.
"Mr. Liang, I now grant you the title of Chief of the Ovimbundu people." As Liang En donned the three items with the help of a nearby attendant, the king stood up and walked over to him, saying this.
"In addition, the land where your current farms and future reservoir are located is also granted to you as your territory. You will have the rights of a chief over this land."
After the king finished speaking, another attendant commanded two servants to carry a map glued to a board. According to the map, Liang En's territory covered roughly 620 acres.
However, despite the large size of the land, its overall condition was quite poor. Aside from the areas near the river, the rest of the land was too barren even for grazing, let alone farming.
Once the king finished speaking, all the chiefs present clapped in an exaggerated manner, symbolizing that under their witness, Liang En had become the newest chief in this kingdom.
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