piratefiction Chapter 39 Selecting People
Chapter 39 Selecting People
No matter how promising his future may seem, that will only be known after he returns from this business trip.
Both the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas were watching him.
His seemingly bright future was actually a sandcastle built on the beach. A big wave or a mischievous child passing by could cause his territory to be destroyed.
The goods had already been counted and prepared, and were stacked in the warehouse in Mittal village, ready to be loaded onto trucks and shipped at a moment's notice.
With everything in place, Vijay knew that the only thing that needed to be finalized now was the composition of the entire caravan.
It's actually not that difficult.
After Vijay realized what was happening, he suddenly understood that in just two or three days, more than two hundred Vaishyas and Shudras had gathered in Mittal village.
Vijay didn't try to manage them or distribute grain to them, but these people brought their own food and could survive by simply asking for water from the well.
According to Rajan's casual conversation, these people came from diverse backgrounds and were not all from Mira's dowry party.
Some were men sent by Lord Roshman in accordance with the agreement, some were merchants who came from the surrounding villages to seek refuge after hearing that the Mittal family was going to form an eastward caravan, and a few were just opportunists who wanted to take advantage of the caravan's protection to make a living.
Upon hearing this, Vijay felt a headache coming on.
He had little experience in personnel selection and was unwilling to waste his energy on trivial matters, so he simply entrusted the matter entirely to the mature and prudent Beam.
This old servant, who had served the Mittal family for many years, was reliable and meticulous, and was the most trustworthy person in the village.
Bim had already considered this, and he respectfully explained his thoughts to Vijay: "Brahma above, my master, on the previous trips of our family, we used our old servants. We know each of them by heart, and they all have their own unique skills, so they are very easy to use."
"But these outsiders come from all walks of life and have varying abilities. A hasty selection might lead to oversights. In my opinion, it would be better to hold a public selection process, listing all the necessary skills for the caravan, allowing interested individuals to demonstrate their abilities on the spot, and then combining their background, character, and caste status to finally determine the candidates. This way, we can ensure that the team is well-trained and also gain the trust of everyone."
Vijay thought this method was very appropriate and immediately nodded in agreement: "We'll do it your way. Go find Maya and have her communicate with Mira. Select a few capable people from Mira's entourage to help you complete this task."
Upon hearing this, Bim hesitated, then cautiously looked up at Vijay, seemingly wanting to ask about Mira's identity, but swallowed his words back.
Vijay, of course, noticed his hesitation and felt a surge of inexplicable irritation. Unwilling to discuss the matter further, he simply waved his hand, signaling Bim to get to work immediately.
Afterward, Vijay turned and walked towards the village training ground, venting all his frustrations through training. With each punch and kick, he seemed to be able to dispel all his distracting thoughts.
The open selection process went more smoothly than expected.
Bim and Mira's assistants had a clear division of labor: one was registering personnel information, and the other was arranging for everyone to demonstrate their abilities in turn.
When Vijay returned after training, the area around the well was already bustling with activity.
Vijay didn't join the crowd. He knew he didn't know much about these things, and if he rashly offered his opinions, he would only expose his shortcomings and be looked down upon by others.
As the sun set and the afterglow bathed the village in a warm golden light, the one-day selection process finally came to a close.
Bim, carrying the prepared list, strode up to Vijay with a respectful and solemn expression. Vijay did not examine the densely packed names on the paper closely.
Even if he saw it, he couldn't possibly remember it all. He only cared about what abilities these people possessed and whether they could support the long and dangerous journey eastward.
Bim had clearly memorized all the information and, without consulting any documents, reported clearly and logically: "Master, the selection process went very smoothly, and we have ultimately chosen twenty-eight members."
"Including the guards appointed by Lord Rossman, Lord Mu, as well as you and me, the entire caravan consists of forty-one people."
"Although this scale is far less than the grand procession of the old master when he traveled back then, it is much larger than the procession that the old master usually sent when he went to the Eastern trade route."
Vijay nodded slightly, signaling Bim to continue.
"Of these twenty-eight members, there were twenty-two Vaishyas and six Shudras, all of whom were skilled individuals with a particular expertise."
"Among them, four are proficient in various herbs, not only able to treat injuries from falls and blows, as well as wind, cold, heat and cold, but also able to identify poisonous plants in the forest and quickly come up with antidotes and treatments when attacked by wild animals; one is fluent in multiple languages, able to communicate with the dialects of desert tribes and mountain city-states, and can communicate smoothly even when encountering unfamiliar tribes on the road, avoiding conflicts; another is gifted with the ability to communicate with wild animals and livestock, whether it is a dragon horse or camel carrying goods or a wild beast, he can sense their emotions and soothe their temperament, greatly reducing the disturbance of livestock and the threat of wild animals on the road; and there is also a remarkable person who is naturally extremely sensitive to the value of treasures, and can accurately estimate the price based on intuition even if he does not know the name and origin of the object."
Vijay was surprised. These abilities seemed peculiar, yet they were precisely what long-distance caravans needed most. He immediately pressed, "Have you investigated the origins of these people?"
Bim was prepared and solemnly replied, "Master, rest assured, I have checked them one by one. Of the twenty-eight, five were directly dispatched by Lord Rossman."
"Five of them came on their own initiative, holding work certificates from legitimate businesses in Harappa, with clean backgrounds, worshipping Brahma, and having no criminal record."
"The rest of the people were all from Ms. Mira's dowry servants."
Upon hearing this answer, Vijay couldn't help but feel a surge of amazement.
Mira's dowry included more than a dozen such capable and efficient people, a feat that far exceeded his expectations.
This also indirectly confirms that what Mira said earlier may not have been empty words; she was genuinely giving her all for the Mittal family and for this eastward-bound caravan.
Was it so that they could completely control the trade routes to the East?
It's not impossible, but Vijay doesn't seem to have a better option right now.
After a moment's thought, Vijay spoke again, his tone tinged with caution: "Are those five people who defected on their own initiative indispensable to the caravan?"
Bim instantly understood Vijay's concerns. After quickly calculating in his mind, he respectfully replied, "Master, they are not necessary, but only play a supplementary role. Lord Rothman's men have enough people to replace them."
"In that case, let's do it this way!" Vijay immediately decided, "Replace these five men with Lord Rossman's men."
He wasn't without ways to manage these outsiders. He could simply follow the previous ritual, have the master preside over the ceremony, and establish a master-servant contract with them. He could then check their loyalty through the system and eliminate any potential threats.
But this is a bit too deliberate. There are simpler and more reliable alternatives available now, so there's no need to go through all that trouble!
With this, the selection, replacement, and reorganization of personnel were completed, and a lean caravan of forty-one people was officially formed.
With personnel in place, goods plentiful, and security in place, Vijay had no more reason to delay!
Since we can't delay any longer, let's get going!
"Bim, go and inform everyone that we'll set off tomorrow morning, at sunrise!"