The heart of the earth is treacherous.
It's still more comfortable on my own turf!
Standing on the mountaintop, watching the tiny black dots plummet from the sky, every cell in Wang Yan's body seemed to be revitalized. The weight of the earth's troubles dissipated instantly.
"Ah…"
"Help me! I don't want to die yet… Ah! My eighty-year-old mother needs me to take care of her…"
"Help! Let me go… I know I was wrong…"
"Grandpa, I shouldn't have lied about your diamond… I was wrong…"
"You bastard… I'll haunt you even in death…"
The desperate screams and curses, like an aria, echoed from the sky.
When the corrupt shopkeeper was three to four hundred meters from the ground, Wang Yan smiled and appeared beside him, leading him back to an altitude of 8,000 meters. As the shopkeeper stared in horror, Wang Yan released him once more.
This time, Wang Yan didn't teleport away; he fell alongside him.
In mid-air, the shopkeeper trembled as his facial features contorted in fear.
"Is it exciting?" Wang Yan asked with a grin.
"Ex-exciting…" The shopkeeper's teeth chattered as he reached out for Wang Yan, desperate for a sense of security, but couldn't grasp him.
"You lied to me, so I brought you along for this thrilling ride. Shouldn't you be thanking me?" Wang Yan asked, still smiling.
"Thank you! Thank you very much!" The shopkeeper, helpless in mid-air, trembled as he pleaded, "Please… let me go…"
"You acted so confidently earlier. Why are you scared now? I'm disappointed," Wang Yan teased.
"…" The shopkeeper was speechless, cursing internally. Faced with your madness, knowing that life and death are in your hands, who wouldn't be terrified?
"By the way, did you curse at me just now?" Wang Yan inquired.
"A slip of the tongue!" The shopkeeper's face went pale again, stammering, "Grandpa, ancestor, please forgive me…"
"Give me one good reason to let you go," Wang Yan demanded.
"I… I'll give you back the diamond…" the shopkeeper croaked desperately.
"That's not a strong enough reason!" Wang Yan smiled, glancing down. "It's almost over! You've got about ten seconds left in your life—anything else you want to say?"
"Money, I'll give you all my money…" The shopkeeper glanced down; the ground loomed closer and closer. He squeezed his eyes shut, too terrified to look, and babbled incoherently, "Ah! It's all yours, everything I have is yours…"
The wind suddenly stopped.
In the next moment, Wang Yan and the shopkeeper safely touched the ground.
The shopkeeper, still with his eyes closed, flailed his arms, shouting, "I'm dead, I'm dead! Xiaolan, I'm sorry, find a good man to marry… Father, mother, I'm sorry I can't take care of you in your old age…"
"Stop pretending! You think faking sincerity will make me go easy on you? Not a chance—I despise liars the most," Wang Yan said, crossing his arms.
"I didn't die?" The shopkeeper opened his eyes, excitedly patted himself down, then stomped on the solid ground to confirm he was really standing. He laughed weirdly, then rolled his eyes and fainted, collapsing onto the ground.
Splash!
A basin of cold water drenched his head.
The shopkeeper's eyelids fluttered open. Seeing Wang Yan, his pupils shrank in terror, his body's subconscious response almost sending him back into unconsciousness.
Sitting comfortably in a computer chair, Wang Yan crossed his legs and threatened, "Don't faint! If you dare pass out, I'll drop you from the sky again and leave you there."
"Won't faint, won't faint!" The shopkeeper, trembling, scrambled to kneel in front of Wang Yan, pleading, "God, you're so powerful—what's the point of messing with a small fry like me? Just let me go, please!"
"What's your name?" Wang Yan asked.
"Li Zhan," the shopkeeper stammered, then added, "Li as in the wood radical, and Zhan as in battle."
Terrified, his legs couldn't support him.
"Li Zhan?"
"Here!" Li Zhan responded immediately.
Wang Yan smiled, stood up, and shouted into the vast mountains. The echo reverberated through the valley.
Turning to Li Zhan, he asked, "Li Zhan, what do you think of my world?"
"My world?" Li Zhan was stunned. He had suspected he wasn't on Earth, and now he was sure. Looking at the unfamiliar wildflowers and tall, strange trees, his heart raced. He quickly nodded, "It's great… really great!"
"You haven't seen anything yet. Let me show you around!" Wang Yan said, grabbing Li Zhan's arm.
In the next second, they appeared on a magnificent glacier.
The glacier sparkled white under the bright sky, while plump, unknown creatures frolicked in the snow—like a scene from a fairytale.
Li Zhan was speechless with shock.
Before the cold could freeze him, the scene changed again. They stood on a grassy prairie, the breeze blowing gently, the air fresh…
Then in a tropical rainforest, filled with bright, exotic plants…
A vast, golden desert…
In just a few minutes, Wang Yan took Li Zhan on a whirlwind tour of the planet.
Back at the mountaintop.
Li Zhan's throat was dry, his entire body trembling—not just from the breathtaking landscapes, but from Wang Yan's unimaginable powers.
He realized Wang Yan could kill him as easily as crushing an ant.
No need for a terrifying freefall; Wang Yan could simply leave him in the Arctic or drop him into the ocean. He wouldn't last ten minutes.
Unable to resist any longer, Li Zhan resigned himself. "Brother… God… You have such power, such a vast domain. Why toy with someone as insignificant as me?"
"It's fun!" Wang Yan replied with a smile.
"…" Li Zhan was speechless.
"You've seen the scenery here. How does it compare to Earth?" Wang Yan asked.
"It's beautiful," Li Zhan said, gritting his teeth, then quickly added, "Vast, beautiful, fresh air, no smog—at least 10,000 times better than Earth!"
Everyone has the potential to flatter.
"Good eye," Wang Yan praised. "I agree—this place is better than Earth. But it's a pity!"
Li Zhan's heart sank, and he cautiously asked, "What's a pity?"
"It's too poor!" Wang Yan replied. "Though the scenery is stunning, there's nothing here—no electricity, no internet, no highways, no cars…"
"…" Li Zhan was confused, smiling awkwardly as he tried to understand Wang Yan's point.
Then Wang Yan asked coldly, "Li Zhan, would you like to change your working environment?"