Mutants persecuted in this world are still numerous, especially those of the Epsilon Class with virtually no beneficial abilities; they could almost be considered disabled.
Regrettably, not every country, like China, issues disability certificates to Epsilon Class mutants who are indeed defective, nor does every Epsilon Class individual want to accept being called disabled. Most are persisting stubbornly, and the vast majority of those unable to endure are wandering homeless.
These people's plight had hit rock bottom, and upon hearing that there was a place on another planet that was a utopia and sanctuary for mutants, they immediately reignited their hope.
Long-term discrimination and persecution had filled them with hatred for everything on Earth, believing that their current plight was entirely due to discrimination by ordinary people. If they could just get to a place inhabited exclusively by mutants, they were certain they could achieve a new life.
With such thoughts, they boarded the immigration spacecraft, only to find not the lush greenery of a utopian paradise, but instead a land in dire need of development.
Magneto's first conquered Sky Island, after some construction, already had some semblance of appearance. But the Sky Island was too small; it was just an initial payment and not a planet meant for production and construction. Even after repairs, it could only be used for display and couldn't host any large-scale projects.
For now, mutants are mainly engaged in production and construction on two nearby planets and one dwarf planet. The natural conditions in the Andromeda Galaxy aren't too bad. Although a star there had previously exploded, Magneto dragged another star over and even positioned the planets at a similar distance to Earth. After careful adjustments and cultivation, these three planets can now basically support human life without life support systems.
The only problem is that these places are too desolate. One of the primitive planets has some plant life, albeit the most primitive algae. The remaining two are completely barren globes of earth. One planet, unable to settle in an Earth-like orbit, was placed at a distance where the temperature stays around minus twenty degrees Celsius year-round—not impossible to live in, just relatively cold.
Fortunately, these two planets are large enough. Primitive as they are, their various geographic conditions aren't too different from ancient Earth and could support the development of human-like civilizations. The population of mutants isn't particularly high either, so these three planets are more than sufficient.
In the past when the population was sparse, some materials were needed to keep the team operating. But Magneto's way of obtaining materials cannot exactly be described as hardworking and down-to-earth; one could also say he's a strong contender for the title of Space Pirate King.
In summary, it boils down to one word: plunder.
The Andromeda Galaxy isn't particularly prosperous, but it still has booming Star Zones with countless cargo ships coming and going, many loaded with resources usable by carbon-based life forms.
Mutants couldn't directly rob because of an agreement Magneto had with Nick; as the vanguard of the human race, they naturally couldn't tarnish the reputation of human civilization. But fortunately for Magneto, being the natural-born Son of the Universe, he had ways to turn robbery into an "accident."
It might be a spaceship poorly maintained with a few metal parts failing, leading to the destruction of the ship and loss of life. Or it could be a black hole changing slightly, extending its gravitational range a bit, causing the ship to crash uncontrollably. Even a planetary disintegration could occur, with one exploding and impacting another, and then seven or eight planets colliding like billiard balls, just so happening to hit a cargo ship.
The universe is vast and infinite, an eternal, unsolvable mystery for the majority of civilizations. Even the most advanced Three Great Empires cannot claim to have completely unraveled the mysteries of the cosmos, so various spacecraft accidents are quite normal.
For a long time, Magneto used such tactics to contribute to the construction of the Andromeda Galaxy, occasionally cooperating with Asgard to eliminate some economic and societal nuisances and thus earning some rewards.
But aliens aren't fools. If a road has frequent accidents, wouldn't they mark a warning on the map?
Human network technology has just started to flourish and can connect thousands of households. Most advanced civilizations in the universe are incredibly adept at using networks, with many people connected to the interstellar web, readily accessing all sorts of data.
Cargo ships are equipped with highly advanced interstellar Map Systems. As soon as an accident happens somewhere, they can find ways to avoid it. At worst, they just jump through a few more portals. If they don't mind the effort, they can even leap to other dimensions and calculate the coordinates before jumping back.
Over time, Magneto found it harder to take action. After all, staging accidents still requires the right combination of circumstances and opportunities, and blatant aggression is not an option. Many of his previously chosen prime spots for action have been blacklisted, and on the few where he managed to struggle through, he barely managed to acquire much.
It was then that Magneto and Professor X had their epiphany, realizing that infrastructure could not be developed this way.
But that's not surprising; one a Jew and the other from Onsa, you couldn't find anyone who knew how to farm going eighteen generations back in their ancestry. Their understanding of the basic methods for the development of civilization can be summarized in one word: plunder. It's strange that they even came to a realization.
Only when the first batch of mutants moved over did they discover it's impossible to sustain one group of people by having another group go out and plunder. Such an approach was doomed to fail sooner or later. Food had to be grown by oneself.
Consequently, because the majority of mutants with agricultural skills had already gone to live in China, they could hardly find any, so they had to resort to traditional farming methods.
However, the reality was that to transform barren land into productive soil required an absurd amount of effort and time; even after another ten years of improvement, the yield from those planets would still fall short.
But the harsh declaration had already been made for the utopian society of mutants, and the propaganda had been released. With countless mutants eagerly awaiting, if they were to be now told that it would take at least another 20 years before they could eat their fill, the project would be a complete disaster.
Moreover, those of the Epsilon Level simply didn't want to work. Their dream was to enjoy a good life every day without having to lift a finger, not to be manual laborers in your camp. Even if Magneto could provide them with modern equipment, they were not willing to brave the wind and snow for any foundational construction.
Having thought long and hard without finding a solution, Magneto and Professor X eventually decided to return to Earth. It was best to first transport a batch of food there and then plan gradually from there.
The news that the Mutants wanted to buy grain quickly spread to all countries, but the Mutants themselves didn't have much money. They drove the prices so low that almost no country was willing to sell.
Then they came up with another method, which was to lease land for farming. The harvest would be entirely their own.
Initially, they had their eyes on Africa. There indeed were many large plots of land that were suitable and far from the bustling human society, without the need to listen to the incessant nagging of politicians.
But Africa was complacent and had no desire to change the structure of its smallholder economy. Farmers relied on their own small plots of land for sustenance and were never going to rent to Mutants. Wakanda wouldn't allow Mutants onto their turf either, and Black Panther saw this as a serious provocation.
Professor X didn't want to offend Wakanda either, and after much deliberation, they indeed found a good place, which was Mexico.
America was determined to transform Mexico, turning it thoroughly into its backyard. The newly introduced industrial chain provided countless jobs, and many farmers abandoned their land to work in the cities.
Most of those who stayed in the countryside were elderly, lacking the ability and will to farm such vast land. Much of it was left fallow, and the timing was perfect for the Mutants.
Unfortunately, the Mexican Government wasn't very welcoming either. Mutants always had a bad reputation, and it was the notorious Brotherhood who came. Who knew if those people would end up blowing the place up while farming?
Magneto was now worried about this issue. In principle, such logistical work for Earth should have been handled by Professor X, whose reputation was good, and who would find it easier to negotiate with the government. But unfortunately, he was an American.
Professor X could indeed settle things with the Mexican Government, but he couldn't appease the Mexicans. The sentiment of the lower-class Mexican public towards Americans was even more hostile than towards Mutants, the same attitude applied to the students of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
On the other hand, there was some affection for Magneto, who was known for terrorist attacks in America, as they felt he was a fellow outcast like them. So, the task had to be taken up by Magneto.
Magneto wasn't entirely incapable of negotiation, but he really couldn't stand the insincerity of dealing with politicians. The previous three negotiations had all ended in failure, and if they waited any longer, they would miss the first harvesting season.
So, when Magneto saw Shiller, it was as if he had seen a savior. He was even willing to lose his stern facade, which, considering his usual way of doing things, could practically be described as cordial.
Shiller didn't immediately agree, although he thought extending a helping hand to Mutants at this time wasn't a bad thing. However, he didn't believe that Magneto could really accomplish the task.
"The reason is quite simple." Shiller began to ask, "Erik, I've completely understood the situation you described..."
Magneto looked at him with eyes full of hope.
"I just have one question."
"Ask."
"Do you know how to farm?"
It was a good question that really stumped Magneto. After thinking for a while, he said, "You dig the soil, bury the seeds, water it a bit, then wait for it to grow, right?"
"If Peter were the one saying this, I'd think he'd played too many video games," Shiller said, shaking his head helplessly. "It's not that simple. Do you understand the soil conditions in Mexico? Do you know about the temperature and rainfall in Guadalajara? Are you aware of the quality breeds among the local population?"
"How much land are you planning to take? How much modern farming machinery will you use? How many farmers will you hire? Are you considering engaging in agricultural product processing, animal husbandry? How much natural risk can you withstand? What types of crops are needed, and what are their priorities?"
Magneto felt overwhelmed and said, "Can't I just hire a professional agricultural manager?"
"Of course, you can, but there are many decisions you need to make yourself. It's you who want to reclaim land in the Andromeda Galaxy, not him. What does he know about interstellar reclamation?"
Shiller spread his hands and said, "Look, you can't always rely on grain from Earth. You'll eventually have to plant on your own planets. So why not take this opportunity to cultivate seeds that can thrive on alien worlds and produce sufficient yields? This isn't something an agricultural manager can solve; you might need an entire science research team."
"Is there really such a team in the world?" asked Magneto, showing rare confusion. "That's absurd. Would there actually be people specializing in how to farm on alien planets?"
"Believe it or not, there really are."