According to the plan, the ship Liang En and his team had arranged was supposed to arrive in three months. However, unexpectedly, the ship arrived the very next day after they finished showing the local king and chiefs around the ruins on the mountain.
"Why so soon?" Liang En asked the person in charge who had come with the ships after they docked. Previously, they had been told that all the shipyards were fully occupied with construction projects, and they would have to wait for those ships to be completed before their order could be fulfilled.
"The main reason is that someone canceled their order," said the manager under Elizabeth’s command, who was responsible for the African operations. "I saw that these ships met our requirements, so I bought them back at an eighty percent discount."
"Moreover, aside from these three ships, the seller has another three vessels in the shipyard, also at a discount. If you want them, we can buy those as well."
"I think adding three more ships would be a good idea," Liang En nodded. "At the very least, having six ships will significantly speed up the construction of the reservoir."
"In addition, this country already lacks transportation options, so even if these ships aren't immediately useful here after the reservoir project, they can still be utilized elsewhere."
Unlike ordinary inland riverboats, these ships were built with certain ocean-going capabilities, as the route required navigating both downriver and along the coast for nearly a hundred kilometers.
This adaptability meant that even if the ships couldn't operate on inland waterways, they could still find a role in this country, which had a strong demand for coastal shipping.
However, the ships couldn't be put into use immediately. Although the hired captains and engineers could operate them, it would be risky to set sail without adequate armed protection.
Fortunately, as a chieftain, Liang En had the authority to form a guard, allowing for some simple modifications to the ships to enhance their combat capabilities.
Luckily, everything needed for these modifications was available on-site. While it wasn’t possible to conduct major upgrades like in a real shipyard, some basic enhancements could still be made.
These included adding a layer of steel plates to certain key parts of the ships and setting up fixed positions for machine guns, even heavy ones.
In a country that had endured a prolonged civil war, acquiring all kinds of firearms wasn't difficult. So, just three days later, they successfully mounted several 14.5mm heavy machine guns on the decks.
"Great, I think these ships can soon be put to use in transporting important materials," Liang En said with satisfaction as he watched the ships, now equipped with the necessary installations, anchored by the river.
With the installations completed, these ships were now fit to navigate in such dangerous waters.
This meant that the ships would be immediately deployed in the ongoing reservoir construction project, accelerating the process as much as possible and aiming to complete the reservoir ahead of schedule.
After finishing all the tasks related to the ships, it was time for Liang En and his team to depart. Fortunately, on the day they were leaving, an expedition team comprising members from China, Britain, and France also arrived.
While the economic value of the ruins wasn't high, from an archaeological perspective, it was undoubtedly a significant discovery.
Especially since, before this, the African circumnavigation was only sparsely mentioned in a few records. This discovery was like a key that could unlock the mystery.
"Yes, this is how I discovered the ruins. You can freely use the data," Liang En said after a brief exchange with the Chinese team members, handing over the research materials to them.
"The core use of these materials is for comparison. For instance, after some basic comparisons, you'll find that the style of the entire ruin is very similar to Phoenician tombs in North Africa and the Middle East."
"The most important part is the cave inside. Although it’s naturally formed, the choice of such a natural cave also aligns with Phoenician traditions."
"Traditional Phoenician tombs often resemble vertical shaft graves, and this cave’s layout, especially the placement of the altar, pillars, and ash urns inside, strongly resembles such graves."
"Indeed, that's exactly how it is," said Dr. Liu, the leader of the Chinese team. This expedition was a joint effort among three countries, and as the most experienced and accomplished archaeologist, Dr. Liu was chosen as the leader.
Of course, another reason Dr. Liu was chosen was because he had the best temperament among the leaders of the three countries, ensuring that the international team remained united.
Especially for this joint archaeological team, their internal collaboration was crucial, as they were competing against other groups. In such circumstances, cooperation was more important than ever.
For Liang En, he was inclined to help those who were friendly toward him in such matters, so this multinational archaeological team would have an advantage of two to three months over others.
However, delaying other teams any further wouldn’t be appropriate. Even though this land was technically Liang En’s private property, a prolonged delay could damage his reputation in the historical and archaeological community.
Considering that his identity as a historian and archaeologist was more important to him than that of a landowner or chieftain, Liang En could only use legitimate means to delay others slightly but couldn’t push it too far.
Apart from allowing the joint archaeological team early access, Liang En's greatest help was providing them with the data he had collected during his previous surveys. This data would give them a solid foundation to start their research.
Liang En estimated that his data could save the archaeological team members five to six weeks of work, giving them a further advantage over others.
For these professionals, especially elite ones, even a small advantage was enough to enable them to make discoveries ahead of others. This was the big gift Liang En gave to them.
From his perspective, it would be best if they could publish a series of papers in a short period to stir up interest in these ruins. Once they gained a certain level of fame, the subsequent work would become much easier.
Fortunately, generating buzz around this ancient Phoenician tomb wasn’t difficult, especially since it had a solid foundation in archaeology.
The Phoenicians were not only the best sailors in the Mediterranean region before the Common Era but were also pioneers of European seafaring. In modern European history, they were regarded as a crucial group.
Under these circumstances, all ancient ruins related to them would become highly attractive, naturally drawing more attention.
"I hope everything goes smoothly," Liang En said earnestly after handling all the tasks. "At least for me, I hope to see this land prosperous and thriving the next time I visit."
"It definitely will, Liang," Joan said softly, gently holding Liang En's hand. "I firmly believe this land will flourish."
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