Recruiting Talent Across the Myriad Worlds, Part One

Xiangling, carrying the Guoba, served the dishes one by one, reminding everyone as she went, "You absolutely can't waste any!"

"I know!" Yang Ning laughed. No matter how many dishes there are, it's just data; they'll definitely finish them all.

Yang Ning picked up a piece of Mapo Tofu and put it in her mouth. Instantly, a sensation of numbing spiciness and fragrance exploded within her.

"This tastes really good!"

A tingling sensation shot from his tailbone straight to his head, surprising Yang Ning and making him feel somewhat regretful.

Before reaching the Qi Refining Stage, you can't simulate living people, but simulating dishes is no problem. Why didn't I try it sooner?!

Although the world is virtual, it doesn't feel like it!

Who says you can't find true happiness in the virtual world!

The food at Taiheng was so mediocre that Yang Ning never thought of improving it until today when he unexpectedly tasted the delicious food from his past life!

No, in his previous life he was just a poor student and had never tasted Mapo Tofu of any quality. So to be precise, this bite was the first time he had ever had it in both his lives!

With a thought, Yang Ning had Deep Blue simulate a world of Little Chef.

If Xiangling's cooking is this good, what level must Liu Maoxing be at?

"Don't underestimate Xiangling just because she's young; her culinary skills have already surpassed her teacher's!" Zhong Li said.

It felt like a director of the culture and tourism bureau was promoting his own local specialty.

"Mmm!" Yang Ning nodded. "Then let's eat and talk. My plan is to start the Industrial Revolution!"

"What is the Industrial Revolution?" Zhong Li asked.

"Just like Khaenri'ah, we use machinery to replace manpower to improve production efficiency and increase output!" Yang Ning said, "However, Khaenri'ah uses the energy from the Earth Lineage, while I use electricity, wind power, solar energy, thermal energy, and so on!"

Zhong Li nodded. Although he didn't understand what electricity, wind power, and solar energy were, he could understand them if they were considered as elemental forces.

Yang Ning felt that simply saying it wasn't clear enough, so he simply pointed, and a blue planet with a diameter of 1.2 meters appeared on the dining table, slowly rotating, with one side bright and the other dim.

"This is Tai Heng Star!" Yang Ning introduced. "I've marked the country names and spheres of influence here. This is Jiang Yun Nation, this is Taiheng, and this is my Great Ming Kingdom."

This Tai Heng Star appears to be only 1.2 meters in diameter, but in reality, though small, it is fully functional.

Moreover, the changes in the weather and the shifts between light and darkness were not something Yang Ning did casually. They were observed in real time by Cloud-Mist Information Matrix that spans the globe, and then replicated 1:1 in the Spirit Realm.

The real Taiheng and the Taiheng in the Spirit Realm have only a 0.001-second delay, which is a completely synchronized world to ordinary people.

The appearance of such a large planet on the dinner table naturally drew gasps of surprise, and everyone crowded around to see what was going on.

However, they all thought it was just a Technique Method, and no one believed it was a real planet.

Only Zhong Li remained serious, knowing that this matter was not as simple as it seemed!

Because with his eyesight, he actually saw moving figures on this planet, which wasn't even as wide as a table!

If the people living on this planet were as tall as the people of Liyue, then a small country here would be comparable to the entire area of Teyvat, and there are simply too many such small countries on this planet!

In other words, this is a real world that is much Teyvat and has a much larger population than Teyvat!

So, what level of powerhouse is Yang Ning, who can replicate such a world with a mere wave of his hand?

"I plan to establish factories, schools, and lay railways here, popularize education, and then have the entire population cultivate!" Yang Ning said. "The sheer scale of this project will be insufficient for the Ming Dynasty's population of over a billion. The slaves from Jiang Yun will definitely be put to work!"

"A crucial point about the industrial age is that the production process is very interconnected, and if someone cheats or deliberately sabotages, the factory owner will suffer enormous losses!"

"This forced factory owners to treat slaves leniently, even removing their shackles and granting them the status of free citizens!"

Neither the slave system of the Shang and Zhou dynasties nor that of North and South America was abolished because of the appearance of a sage. Rather, it was due to the great development of productivity, which required a large number of workers to be put into production. Therefore, the outdated slave system was replaced by a more advanced system.

If Yang Ning wanted to liberate slaves but didn't want to resort to the foolish method of buying slaves, then launching Industrial Revolution would be the most suitable solution.

Moreover, the idea of simulating the universe in the Spirit Realm told him that although his computing power was limitless, his imagination and inspiration were not. He could do many things, but he might not be able to think of them.

If I were to build my own rune-based civilization and draw upon the wisdom of hundreds of millions of people, I might be able to surprise myself even more.

The planet in front of them began to rotate faster. At this moment, the Tai Heng Star was no longer synchronized with the Taiheng star outside, but was frantically deducing under the computing power of the Spirit Realm.

Body Refinement Realm cultivators cannot use Spiritual Qi, but that's not a big problem. Ordinary people can't even touch electricity, but that doesn't affect the widespread use of electricity, as long as you have materials that can generate, contain, and conduct Spiritual Qi.

The combination of rune technology and electromagnetic technology transforms workers and farmers into cultivators, possessing greater strength and faster minds than Earthlings. They have revolutionary cheat devices like mobile phones and superconducting materials like Spirit Materials!

Furthermore, with Yang Ning transporting a large number of readily available machines to the Ming Dynasty, and with so many conveniences, the Ming Dynasty covered the ground that took Earth 400 years to traverse, advancing its technology to the level of 2020 in just forty years.

The onlookers didn't have such good eyesight; they just watched the spectacle. But Zhong Li clearly saw the changes in a country over forty years, and then his whole mind was shaken. An unprecedented shock appeared before him.

He's currently in a phase where he wants to retire, but he's also worried that humans won't be able to manage Liyue well.

The results of the simulation showed that these mortals were able to develop at such a rapid pace that they were able to ascend to heaven and descend to the earth in just forty years!

Human power can actually achieve this level?

At this moment, he even felt a little insecure. Was it because of his misguided guidance every year that Liyue's development was so slow?

Yes, Khaenri'ah doesn't have any gods, look at how fast they've developed.

Zhong Li seemed to realize something and asked, "Since you've already deduced almost everything, why bother asking me?"

Yes, the Ming Dynasty is developing very well, and the slaves have all been liberated. You've taken care of everything, so why are you coming to me again?

Yang Ning smirked and asked, "So, what do you think of the cause of liberating slaves and the Industrial Revolution?"

Zhong Li said earnestly, "A great undertaking for all time, a masterpiece achieved in one generation—it's inspiring and awe-inspiring!"

"So, would you like to participate?" Yang Ning asked again.

Zhong Li was taken aback, but immediately understood what Yang Ning meant.

"So, you've come to recruit me?" Zhong Li asked.

"Yes!" Yang Ning nodded. "As you noticed during the simulation, I'm starting from scratch, without a single trustworthy person. Of course, I could start training from zero, but that would be too slow. It took me forty years in the simulation just now, but with your involvement, I think we can complete this project in just twenty years!!"

Zhong Li silent, but he had to admit that he was somewhat tempted.

After all, people have lived in Teyvat for almost six thousand years. Even the most beautiful scenery would become tiresome after six thousand years!

That's why he chose to retire; he was simply too exhausted!

But now, this is a brand new world, an unknown adventure, and a revolution!

This was not only an industrial revolution, but also an ideological and class revolution!

Taiheng only killed the high-ranking members of the royal family related to the Lin family. There are still a large number of landlords and gentry who are still exploiting the people!

This exploitation of the people is something that Zhong Li, a god with a capacity for love, cannot tolerate. If he couldn't see it, that would be one thing, but now that he has seen it, how can he refrain from taking action?

"Don't worry about me setting any shackles for you. You can do whatever you want!" Yang Ning said. "Besides, if you feel tired going alone, you can bring some people with you. Don't you have a crane who loves inventing things? That place is perfect for her! And those retired immortals, instead of letting them travel around and enjoy themselves, it's better for them to continue contributing to the people!"

"And what about your good brother, the Azhdaha? It's not good for him to stay in prison all the time. How about we take him to another world?"

Zhong Li remained silent for a long time, unable to find a reason to refuse.

If it were just him, it wouldn't be a problem, but the thought that if he refused, the other immortals might also be unable to experience the beauty of the other world would be a huge sin!

"Hey, Zhong Li, I heard someone made something really fun at Xiangling's Restaurant, and sure enough you were here!!" A lively voice came from the street next door, followed by a quirky girl in a strange brown-black uniform, who peeked out from the crowd.

The girl looked curiously at the planetary projection on the table. Although her eyes were full of eagerness, she still didn't forget to greet him first, "Um, I'm Hu Tao, the 77th head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. May I ask how I should address this brother? And what is this big sphere?"

"Hu Tao!" Yang Ning said with a smile. "My name is Yang Ning, and I am a traveler from another world. This giant sphere is the world I live in!"

"Huh?" Hu Tao was taken aback, then immediately burst into laughter. "Haha, you're quite humorous! So, this traveler from another world, what brings you to Liyue?"

"Let's enjoy the scenery and recruit some talent!" Yang Ning smiled and pointed at Zhong Li: "For example, I think your guest retainer is quite good. Hall Master Hu, could you give him to me?"

"That won't do!" Hu Tao immediately shook her head. "Although he doesn't pay for his meals and always sends bills to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor for watching storytelling and operas, he is still an indispensable part of my Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. How can I give him to you!"

Yang Ning laughed and said, "You probably don't know how big my territory is!"

He drew the boundaries of the Ming Dynasty on the Tai Heng Star and continued, "This region has 1.5 billion people, and they basically have no funeral rites. When someone dies, they just find a hole to bury them in, and that's it!"

"If you hand over Zhong Li to me, I can arrange for you to open a branch of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor on my territory and expand your business throughout the entire Ming Dynasty. If you have the ability, it's not impossible for you to monopolize this industry!"

"Hey, if such a world really existed, I'd love to try it out!" Hu Tao exclaimed excitedly. "1.5 billion! That's a huge amount! We only have a few million people in Liyue!"

She still thought Yang Ning was joking.

Yang Ning smiled, then looked at Zhong Li: "How about it, old man? Want to give it a try?"

Not to mention that I originally wanted to go, now that you've even won over my boss, why can't I go?

"Then I'll have to ask Mr. Yang for your continued support!" Zhong Li said. "However, I have a ceremony to attend soon, so I might have to wait until after the ceremony."

"Okay!" Yang Ning nodded, then pulled out a thick stack of white Xuan paper from his pocket and handed it to Zhong Li: "This is our employment contract. Take a good look at it, then sign it!"

"Okay!" Zhong Li nodded and took the contract.

Hu Tao circled around Yang Ning, saying, "Hey, that's strange. You don't have the Eye of God, so where did you get that huge stack of papers from?"

"And"

She picked up the contract, titled "Great Ming Elite Talent Employment Contract," and said with a serious expression, "You guys are taking this very seriously!"

Yang Ning smiled slightly and looked at Zhong Li: "The work of explaining is entrusted to you! Also, when you're ready to start work, just call out 'Deep Blue,' and I'll come pick you up!"

"Okay!" Zhong Li nodded. So he can still monitor me at all times!

"What are you doing?!" Hu Tao finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked loudly.

But before the question could even be uttered, Yang Ning had abruptly vanished!

"Oh!" Hu Tao finally realized something was wrong and quickly looked at Zhong Li.

Zhong Li shrugged. "That's right, what he said is all true!"

"What?" Hu Tao was taken aback. "Those other world stuff, those giant spheres, are they all real?"

Zhong Li nodded. Although he had never seen Taiheng in person, the Tai Heng Star on the table was too realistic. There was no way anyone could be joking.

Heavenly Principles don't have that kind of power!

"Doesn't that mean you've caught the eye of a powerful figure from another world?" Hu Tao's eyes lit up immediately. "That's so cool!"

"But if I accept his invitation, I won't have time to deal with the affairs of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!" Zhong Li said, "You don't care about that?"

"Why should I care!" Hu Tao said excitedly, "As long as you accept the invitation, I will be the only funeral service provider in Daming. That's a huge market with 1.5 billion people! No way, from now on I'm not the 77th generation head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor anymore. I'll have my own page in the family tree. I'm the first head of the Great Hall of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!"

Zhong Li sighed, "I was even thinking of comforting her, but this child doesn't need my comfort at all!"

"Wait!" Hu Tao's face suddenly darkened.

"What's wrong?" Zhong Li asked.

"Did that person pay the bill?" Hu Tao asked.

Zhong Li was taken aback. "Huh? It seems... there isn't one?"

"Get out of the way! Why are so many people gathered here? Be careful of trampling! Get out of the way quickly!" A clear voice rang out on the street.

Keqing at night, arrived.

Yang Ning really likes the female characters in Genshin Impact. If he could actually travel to Teyvat, he might even consider building a harem.

But Teyvat in the Spirit Realm? Forget about it.

The creatures in the Spirit Realm are essentially the characters he drew. He's not Wuyazi, so he can't fall in love with his own creations.

Right now, Yang Ning only wants to focus on his career!

The next second, Yang Ning arrived at the Liyue Harbor dock. There, a pretty and cute girl with a pair of small horns, wearing a strange hat and pink clothes, was talking to two merchants.

"That's about it!" the girl said earnestly. "You two should apologize to each other, and that'll be the end of it. But if this gets back to the Eight Gates, it won't be something that can be resolved with just an apology!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The two merchants nodded repeatedly, "Thank you for your advice, Miss Yanfei. We'll make up now and never quarrel again!"

"Mmm!" The girl named Yanfei nodded, and after the two merchants left, she turned to look at Yang Ning.

After all, Yang Ning was standing less than a meter away from her, watching her the whole time.

"Sir, do you have any legal questions you need to consult?" As she spoke, Yanfei quickly made a judgment about Yang Ning's identity.

I don't know what material the clothes I'm wearing are made of. Although the style isn't luxurious, the lines are exquisite, the pattern is beautiful, and there isn't a single stitch.

She had only ever heard the idiom "perfectly made," but seeing it with her own eyes was a first!

His clothes were extraordinary, and so was the man himself.

His appearance was exceptionally handsome, and his skin was delicate and smooth, without pores, dullness, or blemishes—skin that no human should have.

Immortal? Or demon?

"I think these two are about to fight to the death. If they take this to the Jade Chamber, you, as a lawyer, should be able to make a fortune, right? How do you plan to let them settle this privately?" Yang Ning asked.

"Hey, hey, hey, you're thinking wrong. The law is just a constraint, meant to prevent people from committing crimes, not a tool for profit!" Yanfei said. "I study the law to prevent others from breaking the law, not to make myself rich and powerful!"

"Your awareness is commendable!" Yang Ning nodded in admiration.

"So, sir, do you have any legal questions for me?" Yanfei asked.

"No!" Yang Ning shook his head and said, "It's like this, I have a country under my control, but this country didn't have laws before, and it was governed entirely by personal morality. I've compiled a set of laws myself, but I need someone to help me enforce them. I've heard that you, Attorney Yanfei, are well-versed in the law and are also upright and incorruptible. Seeing you today, I can confirm it!"

"Therefore, I would like to request that you serve as a legal officer in our country!"

Yanfei's lips twitched. Everyone else had a dispute, a conflict, or a case on their hands.

You have a country on your hands, isn't that good?

"Sir, are you joking with me?" Yanfei waved her hand. "I'm very busy with work every day!"

If it weren't for the fact that Yang Ning's identity seemed to be that of a demon god, she would have left long ago.

"Of course I'm not joking!" Yang Ning took out a tablet from his pocket and handed it to Yanfei: "This contains an overview of the Great Ming Kingdom, including its population, geography, resources, and other information. Zhong Li, a guest elder of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, has already agreed to help. He will also bring along a few immortals, such as the Cloud Retainer."

Outside, tablets still need to be produced, but in the Spirit Realm, they can be produced in any quantity at a moment's notice.

"This is..." Yanfei looked at the tablet curiously, swiping it back and forth.

Modern technology has long since moved towards user-friendliness; even a three-year-old kindergarten student can easily use a tablet, let alone someone as smart as Yanfei.

She quickly realized the convenience and extraordinary nature of this thing. For one thing, with this, she could throw away her thick law dictionary!

"You!"

"No need to rush into agreeing!" Yang Ning said, "You can observe first, learn about the situation in the Ming Dynasty, and then agree after you've made up your mind!"

"Oh, oh." Yanfei was so overwhelmed by the unknown creation that she forgot to refuse for a moment.

"Also, do you know any talented people? Friends, you can introduce them too. The pay will be excellent, and there will be no delays in payment!" Yang Ning added.

This sentence is for Kuki Shinobu. Inazuma only has Kuki Shinobu, who has many certificates, great intelligence, and great potential.

As for the others, they were just so-so.

Yae Miko is only good at being cute, Raiden Shogun is a homebody, the Kamisato Siblings have a narrow vision and only care about their own family, Kujou Sara is clueless about right and wrong. These hidden dragons and phoenixes have managed to govern such a large country in a complete mess. Yang Ning dares not let them come to the Ming Dynasty.

"Mmm!" Yanfei nodded, seemingly unconcerned about the treatment.

Because, if this tablet doesn't contain any nonsense, then the Great Ming Kingdom has 1.5 billion people!

Who could resist the temptation of managing 1.5 billion people!

Of course, she wasn't a woman with a strong desire for power, but the larger the population, the greater the space for her talents to be displayed!