Chereads / My Private Planet / Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Steady Growth—Don’t Act Rashly

Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Steady Growth—Don’t Act Rashly

"Young man, I believe your way of thinking is flawed." An old man stepped forward from the group.

"Feng Chunlai, vice chairman of Dongling Group," Xie Yufei whispered into Wang Yan's ear by way of introduction.

"What's wrong?" Wang Yan asked. "I'm listening."

"Before capturing us, you must have known who we were," Feng Chunlai began. "To speak plainly, we're people who hold some influence in society. However, that influence can only be fully utilized back on Earth. Here, you can only tap into our personal abilities. But those are far less valuable compared to the social connections and resources we have access to. In my opinion, you're putting the cart before the horse. If you allow us to return to Earth, we could bring you far more benefits."

"Old Feng is right," Zhang Dongping from the Institute of Geology chimed in. "If you let me go back, I can bring a full geological team."

"I can put together a team of teachers," added Jiang Yanping, an award-winning educator.

"I can recruit several construction crews," said Tang Shulin, a road-and-bridge engineer.

"I can invest in setting up a few textile factories here…" someone else offered.

Success is rarely a coincidence. Even when faced with hardship, truly successful people never give up. They know how to shift perspective and search for opportunities, never letting a single possibility slip away.

All twenty-three of them vied to prove their worth, insisting they were far more valuable back on Earth than stranded here. Each spoke eagerly, afraid Wang Yan might not hear. They were doing everything in their power to secure a chance to return home.

(Meanwhile, Li Zhan and Liu Wanjun showed no such ambition.)

When so many capable minds gather, their collective thinking grows broader. Each elite in turn painted Wang Yan a grand vision of a flourishing new world: if everything proceeded as they suggested, the primitive people on Wang Yan's planet would soon throw off poverty and advance by leaps and bounds. Ultimately, it would be as simple as opening a massive gate between worlds and allowing Earth's population to migrate, helping these primitive tribes build a modern civilization.

Watching them all speak, Wang Yan felt an immense sense of accomplishment. Every person here was better qualified than he was; each was an asset! These outstanding talents were like the seeds of his planet's future prosperity.

Send them away? He could never bring himself to do that!

If they were all worthless freeloaders like Li Zhan, his planet would be doomed. But ever since he embraced the mindset of a true "boss," Wang Yan had found himself in an untroubled state of mind.

"Wang Yan, I need a word with you." Xie Yufei gently poked him in the back and whispered.

"Oh?" Wang Yan turned around. "What is it?"

"Let's find somewhere else to talk," she said, eyeing the crowd of elite professionals.

"Sure!" Wang Yan nodded. Without bothering to address the elderly elites still raising their voices, he vanished on the spot.

They were left dumbfounded. Were they persuading him or not? Why had he left without responding?

His abrupt disappearance made them uneasy. They were used to playing by certain rules—or at least bending those rules in ways they could predict. But if they couldn't even grasp the nature of this "game," things would get much more complicated.

In a quiet place, Xie Yufei turned to Wang Yan. "You aren't falling for their pitch, are you?"

Wang Yan smiled. "No. I'm more clearheaded now than ever."

Xie Yufei studied him and frowned. "You're different today—almost a little… sinister."

Wang Yan rolled his eyes. "Sinister? Let's call it personal growth, okay?"

Xie Yufei snorted softly, then got serious. "Listen, once people gather in large numbers, all kinds of trouble can arise. You absolutely cannot do what they're suggesting. Never mind the obvious risk to your personal safety if this world is exposed; even if you were safe, you still shouldn't do it."

"Why not?" Wang Yan asked.

"Because of human nature," she replied. "The gap between Earth's civilization and this one is just too large. If you casually throw open the portal and let Earth's civilization pour in, it'll bring nothing but destruction to this planet's natives—not development."

"Is it really that serious?" Wang Yan was taken aback. Before, he had only worried about his own safety; he hadn't considered the bigger picture.

Besides, after he managed a mass abduction this effortlessly, he felt as though he could do anything.

"It's extremely serious," Xie Yufei nodded. "Think of Columbus discovering the New World. That event led to widespread European colonization; Europe gained tremendous wealth and resources, yes, but it also spelled disaster for Native Americans."

She stared at Wang Yan. "What makes you think this world is any different than the Americas were back then, compared to the far more advanced Earth?"

Cold sweat trickled down Wang Yan's back. He suddenly realized how dire the consequences could be. He was the master of this planet, responsible for guiding and nurturing its civilization. If, through negligence, that civilization was obliterated, the results would be catastrophic—possibly even the death of the World Tree.

And if the World Tree died, there was nothing left for him here.

Rage simmered in Wang Yan's heart. Those old folks had almost doomed his planet. They were this close to ruining everything—unforgivable!

Xie Yufei continued, "Don't tell me you could just close the portal whenever you like. Once a civilization clash starts, there's no stopping it. The weaker side will be destroyed. That's a fundamental flaw in human nature—an inevitability of history. Unless you decide to be absolutely ruthless and kill all the outsiders who come through, you can't preserve the local civilization. But if you do kill them, that severs your ties with Earth. I doubt you want to become a genocidal maniac."

Wang Yan paused before quietly answering, "Don't assume I'm overly noble. If it really comes down to that… I might do it."

There are plenty of stories—from the Great Flood and Noah's Ark to humanity's Final Judgment—where even "gods" wipe out civilizations. If gods can do it, he can, too.

Xie Yufei blinked in surprise, as if she were seeing Wang Yan for the first time. She took another careful look at him and said, "In any case, slow, step-by-step development is the safest path—keeping the local civilization in a dominant position. That's the only way."

Wang Yan let out a long breath. "Alright. I'll be cautious and focus on steady growth. I get it."

"I'm glad. Let's keep things under control and not rush," Xie Yufei said.

Wang Yan nodded firmly. "Understood."