Early the next morning, the troops set off again.
Unlike before, the vanguard of the troops now included more than a dozen agile Cat-ear Tribe Scouts.
They were personally led by Chief Bak, guiding the army.
With these native 'living maps,' the marching speed was significantly faster.
The Cat-eared People knew the rainforest like the back of their hand—where the hidden pits were, where the venomous insects lurked, and which path was shorter—they knew it all clearly.
Mia did not walk with the Scout Battalion, but instead followed closely beside Wu Liang's horse.
She had changed into a clean linen outfit. Although simple in style, it looked especially cute on her petite figure.
Her wheat-colored skin, flaxen short hair, and tail seemed to dance in the light and shadow of the forest.
Her small head was tilted up, her amber eyes constantly sneaking glances at Wu Liang, her little face filled with curiosity and adoration.
"Lord Wu Liang, is our Black Rock Tribe... very big?"
Mia asked softly.
"Very big."
Wu Liang nodded.
"Then... are there many warriors as powerful as you?"
"Of course."
"Then... are your houses really sturdier than our tree houses?"
"We don't have tree houses. We live in houses built with stone and bricks; they are very sturdy."
Wu Liang patiently answered her questions one after another.
Mia's eyes grew brighter as she listened, and her small mouth formed an O shape.
Ignis, riding on her horse, watched Wu Liang chatting animatedly with a little Cat Girl and couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"Hmph, some people really take advantage of everyone, young and old. They won't even spare a little girl."
She said sourly to Akomann beside her.
Akomann looked straight ahead and replied lightly:
"I think he's trying to win people over again."
"Mia is the best link between the Cat-ear Tribe and us."
"Tch, does winning people over require getting this close? I think he just desires her." Ignis pouted.
"Look at that little girl, her tail is practically wagging up to the sky."
Akomann glanced at Mia's tail, which was swaying back and forth in excitement, and couldn't help but twitch her mouth slightly.
Indeed, the little girl's affection for the Chief was completely undisguised.
Wu Liang naturally heard the conversation between the two women behind him, but he couldn't be bothered to respond.
The troops traveled through the rainforest for two days.
The deeper they went, the taller the trees became, and the light in the forest grew dimmer.
The air was filled with a damp, rotting smell, and strange plants and creatures making odd noises were visible everywhere.
Along the way, they encountered several waves of attacks from Magical Beasts.
There were packs of Rotting Hide Beasts, which resembled enlarged hyenas, and Green-Spotted Pythons, which hid in the canopy and could spray venom.
But these Magical Beasts, which the Cat-ear Tribe viewed as an existential threat, were utterly vulnerable before the Black Rock Tribe's army.
Before they could even get close, the dense hail of bullets from the Rifle Battalion tore them to shreds.
Any occasional stragglers that managed to rush forward were easily dealt with by the warriors of the Black Rock Army and the Ember Fire Legion.
Chief Bak and his tribesmen watched from behind, terrified, but also gaining a deeper understanding of the Black Rock Tribe's strength.
On the afternoon of the third day, the troops arrived at an open river valley area.
"This is it!"
Chief Bak pointed to a patch of strangely shaped trees ahead and said excitedly.
The trees in that patch had smooth, grayish-white trunks, massive crowns, and thick leaves.
"Lord Wu Liang, look!"
Mia also excitedly pointed at the trunk of a tree.
On the tree trunk, there was a deep scratch mark left by a beast's claw, and a thick, milky-white liquid was slowly oozing from the wound.
Wu Liang dismounted quickly and strode over.
He reached out his finger and touched a bit of the milky-white liquid.
The liquid was very viscous and had a peculiar smell.
After being exposed to the air for a while, it slowly began to solidify and became elastic.
"It's it! rubber!"
A wave of ecstasy surged through Wu Liang's heart.
Found it!
Tires, seals, conveyor belts, waterproofing materials... all require rubber.
With this, the industry of the Black Rock Tribe will usher in a leapfrog development.
The application of the steam engine and various mechanical devices will no longer be limited by sealing and transmission issues.
"This is great!"
Akomann and Ignis also walked over.
Although they didn't know the specific use of the white sap, seeing Wu Liang's excitement, they were genuinely happy for him.
"Chief, there are a lot of these trees here. If you follow this river valley further in, they are everywhere!"
Chief Bak said.
Wu Liang looked around. There were not just hundreds, but thousands of Rubber Trees in this river valley.
"Pass on my orders!"
Wu Liang commanded in a deep voice.
"Establish a Forward Base centered around this river valley!"
"The Artisan Camp must immediately begin planning the camp and mining facilities. The Rifle Battalion and the Black Rock Army are responsible for external security."
"The Scout Battalion is to expand the search radius and map out all terrain and potential threats within one mile!"
"As for Florgloria, tell her to immediately organize the second transport team to bring more Artisans, equipment, and supplies here!"
"Right here, we will establish the Black Rock Tribe's first Industrial Park in the south!"
As Wu Liang's orders were issued one by one, the entire force immediately began operating efficiently.
Warriors started felling trees and clearing the area, while Artisans took out blueprints and tools to begin surveying and planning.
The noisy human voices and the sound of chopping wood broke the tranquility that had reigned over this primeval rainforest for tens of thousands of years.
Bak and the Cat-eared People stared dumbfounded at the bustling scene before them.
They completely failed to understand why finding one type of tree would make these people so excited and cause such a massive commotion.
The Black Rock Tribe's operational efficiency was extremely high.
Under Wu Liang's personal command, a large clearing beside the river valley was cleared in just a few days.
Standard military tents sprang up one after another.
Simple wooden fences and watchtowers were quickly erected, and the outline of a fully functional Forward Base began to take shape.
The head of the Artisan Camp rushed excitedly to Wu Liang, holding a newly drawn sketch.
"Chief, look! This is the preliminary blueprint for the Mining Park."
Wu Liang took the blueprint and examined it carefully.
On the blueprint, the entire park was meticulously organized.
There were specialized Tapping Zones, Raw Material Collection Areas, Primary Processing Zones, and even a small Smelting Furnace for manufacturing the tools required for extraction.
"Very good."
Wu Liang nodded in satisfaction.
"Proceed according to this plan."
"If manpower or materials are insufficient, report it immediately and have Florgloria mobilize resources from the Tribe."
"Understood!"
The person in charge rubbed his hands together excitedly.
It was a great honor to personally establish a brand new Industrial Park in this wild land.
While the construction of the Forward Base was in full swing, Wu Liang did not forget his promise to the Cat-ear Tribe.
He sent Akomann and the Black Rock Army under her command to the ruins of the Cat-ear Tribe village.
"Your mission is to help them rebuild their homes."
Wu Liang said to Akomann.
"It's not just about clearing the ruins. I want you to teach them how to build sturdier and more durable wooden houses using our methods."
"If necessary, you can fire some bricks for them to use."
"Fire bricks?"
Akomann was stunned for a moment.
"Our manpower is already stretched thin, and now we have to divert resources to help them..."
"Think bigger."
Wu Liang stroked Akomann's cheek.
"You must remember that conquest by force is the lowest form of means."
"If you want a race to truly serve you, you must fundamentally change them, making them dependent on you, unable to live without you."
"I want the Cat-eared People to see what kind of good life they can have by following us."
"Once they get used to all this, they will never be able to go back."