Mia came to Wu Liang's side and asked.
"It's nothing, a good sleep will fix it."
Wu Liang rubbed her head.
"Let's go, it's time for us to head back too."
He turned to leave, and Akomann and Ignis immediately followed.
Since that night of drinking, Chieftain Buck's attitude towards Wu Liang had become much more cordial.
Now, whenever he saw Wu Liang, he would enthusiastically call him 'Brother Wu Liang' and then pester him for some wine.
Wu Liang naturally wouldn't be stingy.
He had the logistics team supply Chieftain Buck with a small pot of strong liquor every day.
With Chieftain Buck's full cooperation, the rubber extraction work proceeded exceptionally smoothly.
The Cat-eared People voluntarily took on the task of tapping rubber and collecting the sap.
They were agile and moved freely through the forest, making them more suitable for this work than the Black Rock Tribe warriors.
Every day, large quantities of milky white rubber sap were continuously collected and sent to the processing workshop.
Small steam engines were also built.
Driven by steam power, these saps underwent filtration, stirring, pressing, and drying, transforming into standard pale yellow rubber sheets.
Wu Liang's mood was excellent as he watched the rubber sheets pile higher and higher in the warehouse.
That Cat-ear Tribe girl named Mia had now become Wu Liang's little shadow.
She seemed to have assigned herself a new position: Wu Liang's personal maid.
Every day before dawn, she would quietly arrive outside Wu Liang's tent with a basin of warm water and a clean linen cloth, waiting for him to wake up.
When Wu Liang was handling official business, she would sit quietly by his side, helping him grind ink or organize documents.
Although she couldn't read a single word, she did it very diligently.
When Wu Liang went to inspect the camp, she would follow him step by step, like a loyal little Guard.
She didn't speak much, but her amber eyes always followed Wu Liang's figure.
In her gaze, there was adoration, curiosity, and an increasingly strong attachment that she herself couldn't quite explain.
All of this, of course, did not escape the notice of Akomann and Ignis.
That afternoon, Wu Liang was discussing new mechanical parts blueprints with the head of the Artisan Battalion when Mia walked in, carrying a bowl of fragrant meat porridge.
"Lord Wu Liang, it's time for you to eat."
She gently placed the meat porridge on the table and whispered.
"Mm, just put it there."
Wu Liang didn't even lift his head, his full attention on the blueprints.
Mia didn't leave; she just stood by his side, looking at Wu Liang's focused profile.
Sunlight streamed through the tent's seams, casting a golden glow on his handsome features.
Mia watched, captivated, her cat ears unconsciously twitching slightly, and her tail behind her wagging slowly and unconsciously.
"Ahem!"
Ignis's deliberate cough came from the tent entrance.
Mia jumped in surprise, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, snapping back to reality, her small face instantly flushing crimson.
Ignis and Akomann walked in, one after the other.
Ignis glanced sideways, sizing up Mia, then drew out her words.
"Oh my, our great Chieftain Wu Liang is truly blessed."
"Wherever he goes, he has such a cute little girl serving him personally."
"Should we old folks retire now?"
She emphasized the words 'old folks' particularly.
Wu Liang finally looked up from the blueprints and glared at Ignis.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Then he looked at the blushing Mia, his tone softening slightly.
"Mia, there's nothing for you to do here. You can go out first."
"Yes... yes!"
Mia felt as if she had been granted a great pardon, lowered her head, and fled the tent as if escaping.
Watching her flustered retreating figure, Ignis couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Look, look, she's feeling guilty, isn't she? That little girl's thoughts are practically written all over her face."
Akomann, unusually, also showed a hint of a smile. She walked to the table, picked up the still steaming bowl of meat porridge, and sniffed it.
"This meat porridge also has mind-calming grass and soothing berries added. It seems she put a lot of thought into it."
She looked at Wu Liang.
"Liang, what do you plan to do about her?"
Wu Liang leaned back in his chair, stretched, and didn't answer directly.
He naturally understood Mia's feelings.
To be honest, it would be a lie to say that Wu Liang wasn't tempted by a girl like Mia, who was petite, adorable, and utterly devoted to him.
Especially her fluffy cat ears and nimble tail always made him want to grab them and play with them.
But he wasn't in a hurry.
One must eat bite by bite, and do things one by one.
After all, rubber extraction had just gotten on track.
"What do you mean, 'what to do about her'?"
Wu Liang feigned ignorance.
"She's still a child."
"A child?"
Ignis scoffed. She walked behind Wu Liang.
She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, pressing tightly against his back to create a curve.
"Beastkin girls can start having cubs at thirteen or fourteen."
"I see her, what should be big is big, what should be perky is perky, I can't even hold it in one hand. Oh, Liang, I even helped you inquire; Mia just came of age last month."
"I even gave her a squeeze for you, the feel is quite good, you know. Now you can have no psychological burden."
Her breath brushed against Wu Liang's ear, carrying a hot sensation.
"I actually think this little cat is quite interesting."
"If you take her in, we'll have another sister with a tail among us, which would be quite fun."
Akomann didn't speak, but her eyes also indicated that she didn't object.
For these women who followed Wu Liang, they had long grown accustomed to sharing this powerful man.
As long as the newcomers understood the rules, they didn't mind having a few more people.
Wu Liang grabbed Ignis's hand, which was causing mischief on him, and retorted:
"What? Are you jealous?"
"I am not!"
Ignis insisted stubbornly.
"I'm just reminding you, that little girl is simple-minded. If you don't mean anything by it, don't keep teasing her, lest you hurt her feelings."
"I have my limits."
Wu Liang said indifferently.
He stood up, walked to the tent entrance, lifted the flap, and looked out at the bustling camp.
Mia hadn't gone far; she was squatting under a nearby tree, hugging her knees, her face buried in her arms.
Her flaxen tail weakly swept back and forth on the ground, indicating her low mood.
A smile played at the corner of Wu Liang's mouth.
"What's wrong?"
Wu Liang walked over and sat down next to Mia.
"N-nothing, Lord Wu Liang, why are you here?"
Mia was slightly surprised and shyly moved a bit to the side.
"I came to sit with you."
The two sat together, chatting. Mia told Wu Liang about her past, and Wu Liang told her his own stories.
Wu Liang's words sometimes made Mia's eyes widen in surprise, sometimes filled her face with excitement and adoration, and sometimes made her giggle with laughter.
The morning quickly passed.
In the afternoon, Sa Lan of the Scout Battalion returned with some unsettling news.
"Chieftain, something is not right."
Sa Lan's expression was serious. She spread a map on the table.
"Since yesterday afternoon, our scout teams deployed in the eastern and southern regions have all discovered a strange phenomenon."
"Speak."
Wu Liang examined the map.
"The scouts found that most of the animals in the surrounding area are migrating westward on a large scale."