I am a Primitive Man-Chapter 686: Accusations and Punishments

The system of collective punishment must be implemented among the slaves of the Green Sparrow Tribe.

As for whether the many slaves who already feel a sense of belonging to the Green Sparrow Tribe would become dissatisfied because of this, Han Cheng was not worried.

It wasn’t because he had the air of a leader or his mere presence commanded respect. It was because he had the proper methods to address any concerns the slaves might have. He could eliminate any discomfort they might feel about the collective punishment system, and instead, they would welcome it.

After returning to the Green Sparrow Tribe from the Copper Mountain residential area, everyone, including Third Senior Brother, unconsciously felt at ease.

This ease wasn’t just physical; it was also mental.

It was a strange feeling that the Copper Mountain residential area couldn’t provide.

Though this feeling was intoxicating, Third Senior Brother still decided to return to the Copper Mountain residential area the next day.

At this point, the houses in the Copper Mountain residential area were still not fully built.

As for the land the Divine Child had instructed to cultivate, only a few acres had been opened.

And now, with the defector Meng’s appearance, they had wasted even more time, pushing back the completion of the residential area.

Thinking about the situation there, even though living in the large tribe was very comfortable, Third Senior Brother decided to return to Copper Mountain as soon as possible, take the traitor Meng back, and quickly get to work to make up for the lost time.

Under Han Cheng’s leadership, the excellent quality of diligence was promoted within the Green Sparrow Tribe, especially by the first group of exceptionally industrious people.

This was because they had suffered hardships in the past and understood the importance of hard work, having escaped suffering through their efforts.

This made them cherish time like gold and resist some external temptations.

However, the third senior brother’s plan was not realized because the Divine Child had not long before told him to hold off on leaving.

Standing here, watching Han Cheng leave, Third Senior Brother felt joy and conflict.

He was happy because he could stay longer in the large tribe, but conflicted because this would further delay the construction of the Copper Mountain residential area.

Unlike Third Senior Brother, Tian, another slave who had returned with him, looked at the Divine Child’s back with deep unease.

They had once been companions with Meng, and Meng had tried to take them along when he fled.

The Divine Child had just said that he needed to speak with them shortly, which made them very anxious.

Amid this anxiety, the drum that summoned the tribe rang out again, and Tian, along with the other slave, tried to leave and return to the other slaves, but they were stopped by Han Cheng, who directed them to follow him.

This action left Tian and the other slave dumbfounded; they thought they were about to be punished.

Not long before, Meng had been punished for not returning to the slave ranks, but instead staying near the Divine Child. Tian and the other slave feared the same fate would befall them.

After a brief thought, Han Cheng noticed their reaction and understood their concern.

He smiled and said, “Don’t worry, you haven’t done anything wrong. You acted rightly. You won’t be punished. You’ll be rewarded.”

At these words, Tian and the other slave immediately relaxed.

They also began wondering what kind of reward the Divine Child would give them.

Since the system of collective punishment hadn’t been widely announced yet, the others gathered were mostly confused, not understanding what the Divine Child was about to do.

Some of the more clever ones noticed Tian and the other slave with the Divine Child, and began to piece together what was happening.

Han Cheng didn’t give the crowd much time to think. After a brief pause, he began to speak.

Instead of launching into a long, drawn-out speech, he got straight to the point.

“We’ve gathered here today to announce a new system. This system is called the collective punishment system…”

Han Cheng began explaining what the collective punishment system was and its purpose.

As Han Cheng spoke, some of the slaves began to feel uneasy.

They had already come to consider themselves part of the Green Sparrow Tribe, and now the Divine Child wanted to implement a system to keep them under strict control.

If this had been earlier, Shaman would have been concerned about such reactions, but now, after communicating with the Divine Child, those worries were gone.

He glanced at the two slaves standing nearby, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

After explaining the collective punishment system, Han Cheng didn’t give the slaves much time to think. He called over Tian and the other slave and had them stand beside him in front of the crowd.

Many of the slaves, now understanding the collective punishment system, looked at Tian and the other slave with concern. They thought these two would be punished.

They cursed Meng, the rebellious traitor, and began to feel some resistance to the collective punishment system.

“Tian and Jiao,” Han Cheng announced, raising his voice for everyone to hear, “When they discovered that Meng had rebelled, they didn’t flee with him. Instead, they captured him and brought the traitor back to the tribe. This is an exemplary action, one that everyone should learn from.”

“Therefore, I will reward them both!”

This unexpected announcement stunned the slaves who had been resistant to the collective punishment system. They realized it wasn’t a punishment after all.

Indeed, they had caught the traitor Meng! They deserved a reward, not punishment!

After making this announcement, Han Cheng clapped his hands.

At the signal, Bai Xue emerged from the crowd, carrying a wooden tray with two identification tokens, each covered by red cloth, resting inside.

She walked toward Han Cheng, and the crowd’s curiosity grew as she approached. They wondered what was in the mysterious red-covered tray.

Han Cheng reached out, uncovered the red cloth, and took the identification tokens.

“These are the official citizen identification tokens of Tian and Jiao. From this moment on, they are no longer slaves but citizens of the Green Sparrow Tribe!”

Tian and Jiao were overwhelmed and couldn’t believe what was happening. Their trembling hands received their new identities as citizens of the tribe.

This moment stunned not only them but also the rest of the slaves. Only one person had ever been elevated from a slave to a citizen, and that was Chang Tui for his discovery of copper and tin mines.

For capturing a traitor, Tian and Jiao had become citizens as well.

The gesture was meaningful: it wasn’t just an announcement; Han Cheng placed the identification tokens on their necks.

This move deeply impacted everyone watching.

The dream of becoming a citizen of the Green Sparrow Tribe was now a tangible reality for the slaves, and they couldn’t help but feel envy and admiration.

At that moment, many of the earlier doubts about the collective punishment system faded away. Instead, they began eagerly hoping for its full implementation so that they, too, might one day become citizens of the tribe.

“Clap, clap, clap…” Han Cheng led the applause.

The slaves followed suit, creating a thunderous applause that filled the air.

The slaves, many of whom had become emotional, cheered loudly, with tears in their eyes, and clapped until their palms were red.

There are times when actions need to be done with a sense of ceremony, and this was one of those moments.

It wouldn’t have had the same impact if Han Cheng had casually handed over the identification tokens.

This event was a great success, and the results were evident from the excited and hopeful looks on the slaves’ faces.

With Tian and Jiao serving as living examples, the slaves no longer resisted the collective punishment system. Instead, they eagerly awaited its full implementation.

People’s personalities vary greatly, and there were always those who would start to have other thoughts.

So, when the groups were formed and the collective punishment system officially took effect, one or two slaves began to entertain a troubling idea.

Though vague, it was a thought that crossed their minds.

Could they accuse someone who hadn’t rebelled of being a traitor and be rewarded with citizenship?

After all, aside from the deranged Meng, few slaves would want actually to rebel against the tribe.

Especially now, with the collective punishment system, anyone attempting to betray the tribe would be easily caught.

The idea stirred some slaves, but it didn’t last long.

As soon as the groups were formed, the Divine Child spoke again.

“Anyone found making false accusations will face a punishment more severe than that for a traitor.”

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing.

“Anyone falsely accuses another will have their nose cut off and be sent to work with Meng in the Copper Mountain residential area. They will work there until death ends their labor.”

The Divine Child’s words were harsh, and his stern gaze swept over the slaves. His eyes seemed to penetrate their thoughts.

Those who had entertained such ideas earlier immediately felt a cold wave of fear wash over them. They dared not meet his gaze and lowered their heads in shame.

Han Cheng didn’t need to read their minds. He understood human nature well enough to know that, given the right incentives, some might be tempted to do something unlawful.

That’s why he made sure to address any potential false accusations head-on.

His warning was clear: those who even thought about falsely accusing others would face dire consequences.

He made eye contact with the two slaves who had lowered their heads, giving them a final warning. He needed to remember their faces, in case they were ever the ones to accuse someone else falsely.

The division of groups went smoothly after that. With all the slaves familiar with one another, they quickly knew who was in which group, and there was little chance of errors.

Han Cheng had decided not to appoint any group leaders for now. He felt the Green Sparrow Tribe didn’t need to be overly organized at this stage.