As Cheng Xu was heading down the small hillside, he lost his footing—whether it was due to the slippery slope or his distracted mind, he couldn’t tell. One misstep and he tumbled down, landing in the thick snow in a perfect human-shaped impression before finally coming to a stop.

His nose ached from the impact, and his ankle felt twisted. Cheng Xu took a deep breath, feeling the chilly air wash over him, leaving him both numb and uncomfortable. Slowly, he got up, brushed the snow off his face, and then patted down the snowflakes on his clothes. Finally, he limped over to the snowmobile to head home.

By the time he got home, night had already fallen, and their house was glowing warmly with yellow lights. Cheng Xu parked the vehicle and opened the front door, immediately greeted by the sounds of cheerful chatter from inside. He took off his coat and ventured further in. As he entered the living room, he spotted several middle-aged folks, all in their sixties or seventies, gathered together, chatting and snacking on sunflower seeds. Cheng Zheng was among them, looking a bit rosy-cheeked, likely from drinking, with his eyes gleaming. Cheng Xu greeted the neighbors and then turned to his father, “Dad, have you eaten yet?”

Cheng Zheng replied, “Yeah, I’ve eaten. I saved you some dinner. Go ahead and eat.” After responding, he resumed his previous conversation. Cheng Xu listened for a while and realized his father was sharing stories about his past experiences in the business world. Cheng Zheng had always been a great storyteller, captivating his audience with ease. The others listened intently, their eyes sparkling with interest.

Cheng Xu gently closed the door behind him and made his way to the kitchen.

Though the house had a heating system, it wasn’t very warm; the temperature hovered around ten degrees Celsius. However, it felt comfortable enough compared to the icy world outside.

Neither father nor son were good at cooking. Cheng Xu lifted the pot lid and, as expected, found a pot of nutritional soup inside, still the potato flavor he had come to know well. It had likely been heated for too long, and its already unappetizing appearance had worsened. Despite his hunger, the sight of it diminished his appetite.

But he had to eat. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to meet his basic nutritional needs.

He took the bowl to his room, sat at his desk, and began to eat the soup while booting up his computer. The computer started up quickly, but the internet connection was painfully slow. By the time he had eaten about half of his soup, the signal finally connected. Cheng Xu quickly typed on the keyboard, logging into one of his accounts and sending a message to a friend on his contact list.

He had met many people in the past, most of whom were talented individuals from various fields. One of them was Tang Ge, an architectural designer. Though he hadn’t reached the top of his industry and wasn’t particularly famous, Cheng Xu believed it was only a matter of time before he gained global recognition. The only reason he hadn’t reached the pinnacle yet was that he was still too young and lacked experience.

Tang Ge was surprised by the sudden contact and sent several messages in quick succession. After confirming that Cheng Xu was indeed alive, he flooded him with cheerful emojis. After exchanging pleasantries, Cheng Xu got straight to the point and asked, “I need your help right now. Are you willing to come?”

After ten seconds, Tang Ge replied, “Of course!”

Cheng Xu let out a soft sigh of relief.

Tang Ge arrived a week later, solving the issue of the chief designer. The next biggest challenge was securing funding.

Ma Liu looked a bit downcast. “We’ve sent out requests for assistance to the surrounding planets, but they all politely declined.”

Cheng Xu was taken aback. “All of them refused?”

Ma Liu nodded, a bit awkwardly. “Brother Cheng, you might not know this, but due to events from eighty years ago, the reputation of the Geothermal Planet has hit rock bottom. Others see us as criminals or violent people.”

“Are you talking about the massacre of the Long-Haired Horses for their pelts eighty years ago? I’ve heard some rumors,” Cheng Xu said, pausing briefly before continuing, “Since we can’t rely on outside help, let’s consider borrowing from the public or perhaps inviting investments.”

Ma Liu was stunned. “But the people on our planet are generally poor…”

“Let’s give it a shot. I’ll draft an investment promotional flyer, and then you can distribute it.”

Seeing Cheng Xu’s serious expression, Ma Liu quickly perked up. “Sure!”

Once the promotional flyer was released, Tang Ge had a new idea. He believed that the local residents should get involved. There were plenty of houses on the Geothermal Planet, and statistics showed that, on average, each household had two and a half residents. The houses were all identical two-story wooden buildings with multiple rooms, and every household had its own hot spring pool. This setup could easily be turned into a small-scale hot spring “hotel.” As soon as this idea was proposed, Cheng Xu’s eyes lit up—he thought it was a great concept.

Five days later, the promotional flyer finally produced results, and the office welcomed its first potential investor.

Ma Liu, the second-in-command of the planet, was almost jumping with joy upon hearing about the investment interest. He hurriedly invited the person inside, offering tea and snacks. After getting a good look at the visitor’s features, he furrowed his brow. “You look a bit familiar. Have we met before?”

The newcomer appeared to be in his sixties or seventies. After removing his coat, he revealed a high-quality suit underneath, and his hair was meticulously styled. He smiled politely, his voice deep and pleasant. “I attended your inauguration ceremony.”

Ma Liu’s eyes widened in realization, and he chuckled bashfully. “May I ask how to address you?”

The visitor smiled, “Just call me Li An.”

Upon hearing that name, Ma Liu momentarily froze before his surprise turned into delight. “Oh, you’re Mr. Li An! I know you; you’re the head of the largest hotel on our planet!”

Hearing the phrase “largest hotel,” a sense of foreboding crept over Cheng Xu. When Li An confirmed he was indeed the head of the Sunny Hotel, the unease settled in, complicating his feelings. Ma Liu, of course, didn’t notice Cheng Xu’s subtle change in emotion. He continued excitedly, “So you’re here to invest in the government’s new project, right? That’s fantastic!” He started to fetch the detailed investment proposal, but Cheng Xu gently stopped him.

He looked at the elegant middle-aged man and asked, “Is this investment interest coming from you personally, or on behalf of Sunny Hotel Company?”

Li An met his gaze, his expression still composed. “I’m here representing Sunny Hotel Company, of course.” He added, “I’m very interested in your project and optimistic about its future development, so I’m here to invest.”

Cheng Xu’s mind was in a whirl. He couldn’t help but wonder if Yan Qi was aware of this. Although he knew that each hotel manager at Sunny Hotel had significant autonomy—able to independently manage their hotels and invest their profits in promising projects, splitting gains and losses with the head office—he also knew that such “delegation of power” was enabling the managers to become increasingly capable.

But Cheng Xu couldn’t pinpoint whether this was Li An’s decision alone or if it was influenced by Yan Qi…

Had that man already approached him?

Before Cheng Xu could ask his next question, Ma Liu was already eagerly speaking up. “Mr. Li An, how much are you planning to invest? Actually, since you’re our first private investor, we need to agree on the investment ratio, but I assure you, we will provide you with the best conditions possible.”

Li An smiled slightly. “I plan to invest whatever amount you’re lacking. That should make it clearer for you.”

Ma Liu froze for a moment before his face lit up with joy. “Really? Are you serious?”

“Of course, I am.”

The moment Li An spoke those words, Cheng Xu knew he couldn’t refuse anymore, regardless of whether Yan Qi was in the loop or not.

Ma Liu was so thrilled he looked almost dizzy. After a moment, he cautiously added, “But… Mr. Li An, I should tell you that our funding gap is quite significant…”

“Sunny Company can handle it,” Li An replied modestly.

Cheng Xu knew he was telling the truth. Unlike the Cheng family, Yan Qi was firmly rooted in the real economy, with a supply chain that spanned the globe. Although it appeared fragmented, it was intricately connected. The wealth behind him had reached a level where buying the Geothermal Planet would be a trivial matter. This investment was practically nothing for their company.

“That’s just fantastic!” Ma Liu exclaimed excitedly, looking at Cheng Xu with gleaming eyes. “Brother Cheng, let’s get started!”

Taking a deep breath under Ma Liu’s eager gaze, Cheng Xu suppressed any irrational thoughts and said, “Okay.”

The investment partnership contract was signed without a hitch. The day after signing, Sunny Company transferred the agreed-upon funds. Not only that, but they also had plenty of resources; many pieces of equipment for the project had been negotiated by Li An at a third of the expected cost, and the quality exceeded their expectations.

“We’re just so lucky!” Since the contract was signed, Ma Liu had been buzzing with excitement. Watching the materials being continuously delivered made him even more thrilled; his voice trembled with excitement. “This time, the Geothermal Planet is really going to undergo a huge change!”

Cheng Xu’s feelings were still complicated. Ever since he had seen Li An, he had been waiting for Yan Qi to show up, feeling a mix of embarrassment and anticipation, curious about how Yan Qi would come to humiliate him again. But a month had passed, and Yan Qi had yet to appear, leaving him feeling somewhat lost.

He didn’t feel relieved; instead, he felt increasingly anxious.

He couldn’t believe Yan Qi wouldn’t be aware of this situation. How could it be so coincidental? But if Yan Qi was aware, why hadn’t he come to him? What could the reason be?

Could it be… that he had already given up?

As this possibility crossed his mind, Cheng Xu realized that his reaction wasn’t one of relief; it was instead an indescribable discomfort.

“Brother Cheng, what’s wrong? You seem preoccupied. Is there something wrong with our progress?” Ma Liu asked nervously.

Cheng Xu shook his head. “Nothing is wrong. I’ve checked all the purchase orders carefully; there’s no issue. I’m just thinking that it’s time to start working on the Ice City project.”

Ma Liu nodded. “Right! I’ll go to the Horse Tribe tomorrow!”

Cheng Xu said, “Good, but I’ve heard that the people there are very hostile to outsiders, so be cautious. If you can’t persuade them, come back quickly and don’t get entangled too much.”

Ma Liu’s expression grew serious, and he nodded. “I will.”