"The soy milk is so warm and smooth. It has a faint sweetness that makes it feel really comforting."
Many viewers stared at the dishes on their screens with disbelief.
They had experienced countless simulated foods through StarNet, but most of them were created using artificial flavor databases. They could imitate the taste of food, but they lacked the feeling that came from something grown, prepared, and cooked by hand.
Yu Weiwei chuckled softly as he read through the comments. "The porridge is called congee. These are xiaolongbao, steamed soup dumplings, and the fried dough is called youtiao. They are common breakfast foods from where I learned to cook."
He lifted a spoonful of steaming congee before continuing, "Most of these ingredients were grown naturally. The vegetables came from my collaboration with the National Food Research Laboratory. If everything progresses smoothly, natural food should become more accessible in the future."
The livestream instantly exploded with excitement.
"I want to try the soup dumplings in real life!"
"That congee looks so comforting. I want to know what it feels like to eat something actually made from natural ingredients."
"Please tell me the laboratory will release these ingredients soon!"
"I finally understand why natural food is considered a treasure!"
"StarNet can recreate the taste, but it can't create this feeling..."
After chatting with the viewers for a little longer, Yu Weiwei ended the livestream and headed toward the planet's administrative office.
Compared to the luxurious manor, the government building looked worn by time. Cracks stretched across the walls, several windows had yet to be repaired, and much of the equipment appeared to have been in use for decades. Even the atmosphere inside was noticeably lifeless.
The employees hurried to their feet the moment they saw him.
"Good morning, Young Lord."
Yu Weiwei returned their greeting with a nod before taking his seat. "I'd like to review Sea Sky Planet's current situation."
The officials exchanged uneasy glances before placing several reports before him.
Yu Weiwei quietly opened the first file. It was a report on the citizens.
As he continued reading, his expression gradually became solemn.
The average household income ranked among the lowest in the Empire. Public infrastructure had fallen into disrepair years ago, hospitals lacked both medical equipment and personnel, educational resources were scarce, and every year more young people chose to leave the planet in search of better opportunities elsewhere.
However, what truly caught Yu Weiwei's attention was another document attached beneath the report.
Employment contracts.
Thousands of ordinary citizens had signed long-term labor agreements with several influential local nobles. Although the contracts were technically legal, they were overwhelmingly one-sided. Workers were responsible for every accident that occurred during their employment, regardless of the cause, and anyone wishing to terminate the agreement had to pay compensation far beyond what an ordinary family could ever afford.
In other words...
Once they signed, they were trapped.
Yu Weiwei slowly closed the document.
"This is the current situation?"
The chief administrator lowered his head. "Yes, Young Lord. Sea Sky Planet is classified as an F-rank planet. Few companies are willing to invest here, and over the years many industries have collapsed. Most citizens survive by working under those noble families."
Yu Weiwei stood and walked toward the window. Beyond Greenveil City stretched vast fields blanketed in lush vegetation. It was rare to find a usable plot of land for building houses, as new plants would quickly grow back even after the old ones had been uprooted. Unlike most planets in the Empire, Sea Sky Planet was capable of supporting the growth of almost any plant. That was the main reason he had chosen it.
After a long silence, Yu Weiwei asked, "How much government-owned land remains unused?"
The assistant immediately checked the records before answering with the exact figure.
"Hmm." Yu Weiwei nodded thoughtfully. "Compile every piece of unregistered land into a single report. Mark their locations, size, soil quality, and nearby water sources. I want it on my desk before tomorrow."
"Yes, Young Lord."
Yu Weiwei pinched the bridge of his nose.
Developing an entire planet was proving far more troublesome than he had expected.
After returning to the manor, he replaced his damaged personal terminal with a newly delivered one. His previous device had been destroyed after it was discovered to contain surveillance programs, so this one had been specially customized by the imperial family.
The first thing he did was access the Empire's largest commercial platform.
Agricultural robots.
Construction robots.
Maintenance drones.
Irrigation systems.
Environmental scanners.
Automatic harvesters.
One order after another was placed without hesitation. Several of the agricultural robots were even customized, allowing them to better care for spiritual herbs once they were planted and also help with uprooting some very difficult plants.
When the final payment was confirmed, an enormous sum disappeared from his account..
Yu Weiwei stared at the remaining balance for several seconds before letting out a quiet sigh.
"It really does cost a fortune to develop a planet."
Fortunately, his parents had left behind more than enough wealth to support his ambitions. Otherwise, even he would have needed to reconsider his plans.
Meanwhile, news of the new Planet Lord spread throughout Greenveil City. Although most citizens rarely accessed StarNet because of the planet's poor network coverage and expensive communication fees, the local noble families had no such problem.
Photos of Yu Weiwei taken during his visit quickly circulated among their private circles.
"He looks too young."
"So this is the famous Yu Weiwei?"
"The one who embarrassed himself chasing after Si Tian?"
"And the Imperial Family rewarded him with an entire planet?"
A middle-aged noble scoffed before taking a sip of his tea. "He's nothing more than a spoiled young master. Give him a month. Once he realizes how difficult it is to govern an F-rank planet, he'll abandon the place just like every Planet Lord before him."
The others laughed in agreement.
None of them believed the young man could threaten the influence they had accumulated over decades.
What they didn't know...
Was that Yu Weiwei had already begun investigating every influential family on Sea Sky Planet.
After resolving the immediate problems, Yu Weiwei began exploring the planet himself.
He did not stay inside the estate like most nobles. Before making any plans for Sea Sky Planet's future, he wanted to understand the planet with his own eyes rather than rely solely on reports.
After changing into a set of light outdoor clothes, Yu Weiwei took out the map of Sea Sky Planet and studied it carefully.
Greenveil City occupied only a tiny portion of the planet.
Beyond the city walls stretched endless forests, mountain ranges, rivers, and valleys. Nearly eighty percent of Sea Sky Planet remained undeveloped, with many regions left completely unexplored due to the dense vegetation and dangerous wildlife.
To most people, those areas were worthless.
To Yu Weiwei, however, they were opportunities waiting to be discovered.
A week later after confirming his destination, he left the manor alone.
The guards wanted to accompany him, but Yu Weiwei politely refused.
"I'll only be looking around today. Besides, if I encounter any danger, having more people with me would only slow me down."
Seeing his confidence, they reluctantly allowed him to leave after secretly arranging for several drones to monitor the surrounding area from a distance.
...
The further Yu Weiwei walked away from Greenveil City, the quieter his surroundings became.
The noise of hover vehicles gradually disappeared, replaced by the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirping of birds hidden among the towering trees.
Sea Sky Planet truly deserved its reputation as the Empire's greenest planet.
Ancient trees stretched hundreds of meters into the sky, their enormous branches intertwining to form a natural canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. Thick vines wrapped themselves around massive trunks, while countless unknown flowers bloomed beneath them, filling the air with a refreshing fragrance.
Every breath felt unusually comfortable.
Yu Weiwei slowed his footsteps.
His eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"...Strange."
He closed his eyes for a brief moment.
The air here...
Felt different.
When he first arrived on Sea Sky Planet, he had thought the comfortable feeling came from the planet's excellent environment.
But the deeper he ventured into the forest, the stronger that feeling became.
It was almost familiar.
Yu Weiwei quietly extended his spiritual sense.
An invisible ripple spread outward.
A moment later, his eyes widened slightly.
"Ah.."
He raised his hand, allowing a faint stream of invisible energy to gather around his fingertips before dispersing once more.
There was no mistake.
Spiritual qi.
Normally the spiritual qi in this world was very thin, like something that is dissipating but here it felt almost rich.
"How is this possible?"
Yu Weiwei looked around in disbelief.
Ever since the Truth Seer incident he had been using Qi gathering talisman. Though he had the talisman and could draw it, it would eventually deplete one day. So he had been looking for the raw materials for the talisman ink.