Lin Youde and Peng Zhicheng stood side by side outside the east gate of Dingyuan Fort, the place where the transmigrators had suffered the heaviest casualties the previous night. Dennis Helveg, a German mercenary from Switzerland, had been killed in action, and Christopher Grote had been slightly wounded. In fact, these were the only casualties among the transmigrators throughout the entire night.
The Indians had attacked under cover of darkness and retreated in darkness as well. No one knew their exact strength, but judging from the fifteen corpses left behind, their numbers were not large, likely comparable to those of the transmigrators.
The dozen or so braziers that had once illuminated the open ground outside the fort had all been destroyed. Bloodstains still marked the earth, stark and unsettling in the morning light.
"How is everyone's morale?" Peng Zhicheng asked. He had arrived earlier that morning with the supply convoy and had personally witnessed part of the Indian attack.
"It's acceptable," Lin Youde replied. "This was everyone's first time experiencing something like this, so panic was inevitable. Fortunately, there were no major losses, only one newly arrived immigrant killed and one injured. Still, we were careless. We lacked a proper contingency plan, and many people panicked, causing unnecessary confusion. As the deputy captain responsible for the pioneer team's security, I cannot shirk that responsibility."
Peng Zhicheng patted Lin Youde on the shoulder in reassurance. He had not come to assign blame. The Executive Committee did not yet have a strict accountability system. Although Lin Youde bore some fault, he had managed to stabilize the situation, and it was unlikely that the committee would replace him.
"The construction progress at Dingyuan Fort isn't slow," Peng Zhicheng said, changing the subject as he looked toward the brick and tile factory, the dormitories, the toilets, and other completed structures in the distance.
Lin Youde smiled. "If we can resolve the shortages of manpower and materials, progress can be even faster."
Peng Zhicheng returned the smile but did not answer. Manpower and materials were scarce everywhere. "What's the current daily fish catch?"
"It has stabilized at over three thousand jin," Lin Youde replied. "Our processing capacity is limited, though, and we lack sufficient storage for the surplus."
"Not bad," Peng Zhicheng chuckled. "Transporting over a thousand jin of fish back every day not only improves everyone's nutrition but also saves the Executive Committee a great deal of grain. Everyone knows the contributions of the Dingyuan Fort pioneer team. Alright, I'll be heading back now. I need to report last night's events to the Executive Committee as soon as possible."
He patted Lin Youde on the shoulder again. "Old Xiao is nearly finished with his current assignment. The Executive Committee plans to send him here personally to oversee the work. He should arrive and take office within the next few days, so don't worry."
Lin Youde nodded quietly.
The fleet carrying supplies soon departed. In addition to transporting fifteen hundred jin of fish, it also took away the wounded and the bodies from the previous night's battle.
After the events of the night before, the entire pioneer team became acutely aware of the looming danger. At Lin Youde's suggestion, the construction team suspended their ongoing projects and began digging trenches around Dingyuan Fort. These trenches would be filled with water diverted from Big Fish Lake, greatly enhancing the fort's defenses.
At the same time, the east gate, which had previously been left open to facilitate access and supply transport, was ordered to be completely sealed. The memory of the attack was still vivid, and the transmigrators had no intention of inviting further trouble.