Chapter 1

Under the starry night sky, a man stood on a rock, his left hand holding a newspaper, and his right hand pointing a middle finger, the universal gesture of insult, high into the sky—

"Damn it, what kind of intelligence that surpasses Earth by n levels? You took me as a lab rat in 2008, and now you send me back to 1915! Are your brains full of shit?!" Duan Guoxue cursed at the countless stars in the night sky with the most venomous language he could muster.

After cursing for who knows how long, Duan Guoxue flopped onto the ground, looking helplessly at the stars, with a newspaper dated June 8, 1915, lying beside him.

He had originally thought that being taken by aliens as a lab rat would at least grant him a lot of advanced technological knowledge not available on Earth, so he could make a big splash and a fortune upon returning, securing a place among the world's top three billionaires. But when he was sent back, he found himself in 1915, leaving Duan Guoxue utterly frustrated.

"Whatever, since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it. If I can't be richer than Gates in this era, at least I'll live better than Rockefeller," Duan Guoxue said resentfully.

After eating the last few pieces of flatbread he had bought with the jade pendant from a street vendor, Duan Guoxue had to start facing his new life in 1915, and more importantly—his next meal.

However, it seemed he didn't have to solve this problem himself. In the distance, several torches were approaching.

With a nervous heart, Duan Guoxue waited until the flickering torches reached his campfire. By the light, he saw the man who had exchanged the flatbread for his jade pendant and a few villagers dressed in coarse cloth, one of whom, dressed more neatly, was examining him closely.

"May I ask, what brings you here, gentlemen?" Duan Guoxue asked.

"Who are you, and where are you from?" the neatly dressed middle-aged man countered.

"You can speak Mandarin?!"

"My name is Wang Shuilin. I studied in Shanghai during the reform period. My accent is heavy, but I consider it fairly standard." The man's face showed a clear unfamiliarity with the term "Mandarin," but he introduced himself politely.

"I, oh no, I mean, this humble one, Duan Guoxue, ... an overseas Chinese," Duan Guoxue stammered, his mind a bit muddled.

"Mr. Duan, don't be anxious. If you don't mind, would you like to come to my humble abode for a rest? It's better than being out here in the wilderness, and we can have a cup of tea and talk more." Wang Shuilin, seeing Duan Guoxue's genuine expression, boldly invited him.

"That... thank you very much."

With some time to buffer, many things became easier. On the way back to Wang Shuilin's house, Duan Guoxue had already fabricated his background. In this era of limited information, especially in China, knowing the name of one's provincial capital was already a sign of education, and many people never left the 50-kilometer radius of their homes.

"So, Mr. Duan, you were kidnapped by bandits and ended up here, truly a pitiful situation," Wang Shuilin sighed, patting his thigh.

The story of an overseas Chinese returning home and encountering a shipwreck, though full of holes, was enough to get by for now.

"Mr. Duan, what are your plans now?"

"My mind is still unsettled, and I haven't thought about my future plans," Duan Guoxue said, lowering his self-reference, flattering, and building a relationship. "Brother Wang, you look like a man of culture and learning. How about you stay here for a while?"

Wang Shuilin's face clearly showed satisfaction with Duan Guoxue's humble self-reference.

"What would you have me do, Brother?"

"To be honest, we are planning to build a new school, and I'm quite troubled by it. While the classrooms can be managed, finding teachers is a real challenge. How about you stay here and teach for a while? There's no pay, but at least you'll have a place to stay."

"I'll follow Brother's arrangements."

Two months passed, and Duan Guoxue gradually adapted to this new, yet simple, life. During these two months, teaching wasn't too demanding due to the summer break. Moreover, in this era, being able to read and write was a luxury, and being able to write one's name and read newspapers, as well as do basic arithmetic, was considered highly educated. There was no pressure on the children to learn various subjects as in the future, and they often played in the pond or by the river to cool off.

Duan Guoxue made some peculiar things that fascinated the locals, such as a bamboo piece that could fly high. He used this to win the children's affection and keep them engaged in his classes.

To Wang Shuilin, he had found a treasure that was worth more than its weight in gold. But this treasure was both a blessing and a curse.

One night, Wang Shuilin heard from the villager who had exchanged the flatbread that Duan Guoxue had been stunned by the newspaper. Realizing Duan Guoxue was educated, he sought him out in the middle of the night. Initially, he thought that even if the man in Western clothes (which, to them, were just unfamiliar clothes) was limited, he could at least teach the children to read and write. However, Duan Guoxue was unfamiliar with traditional Chinese characters, which disappointed Wang Shuilin. But then he discovered that while Duan Guoxue was not good at teaching Chinese, he was extremely knowledgeable in physics and chemistry. A simple bamboo propeller made the children his loyal followers, and a few chemical experiments had them searching for various materials with him.

Duan Guoxue was proficient in everything except Chinese, and this proficiency made Wang Shuilin both love and hate him.

This new school was Wang Shuilin's lifelong dream, aimed at providing a better future for the children in his hometown. The villagers were very supportive, and the school and playground were built with donations from the surrounding areas. While the facilities were basic, it was still a school.

Wang Shuilin could teach primary school without much trouble, but teaching middle school was a challenge. However, most children who finished primary school came from well-off families, so he hadn't prepared much in terms of teaching materials. Now, Duan Guoxue was teaching things Wang Shuilin didn't understand, and the teaching materials he requested were often unknown and expensive. For example, glass beakers, alcohol lamps, and thermometers were expensive but manageable, but vernier calipers and motors made Wang Shuilin's jaw drop.

While Duan Guoxue was a good teacher, continuing this way would either bankrupt the school or drive Wang Shuilin mad. However, after a long talk, Duan Guoxue promised to solve the problem soon.

While Wang Shuilin was struggling with his mixed feelings, Duan Guoxue was enjoying himself in a restaurant in the county town.

"Mr. Duan, let's be straightforward. The formula for soap is 5,000 silver dollars, the formula for matches is 3,000 silver dollars, and an additional 2,000 silver dollars as a consulting fee, totaling 10,000 silver dollars. What do you think?" A middle-aged man in a Western suit respectfully said to Duan Guoxue.

"10,000 silver dollars... it's a lot, but for the market in this region, it's pitifully low," Duan Guoxue said, spitting out a tea leaf. Before the man could argue, he interrupted, "But for a good first deal, it's not bad. How about 10,000 silver dollars, but in silver?"

"Alright! Alright! I'll send the money to your residence tomorrow."

"Wait, Mr. Xu, you know this place is chaotic and bandits are rampant. Sending such a large sum of money to me would only bring trouble."

"Then what do you suggest, Mr. Duan?"

"Four guns, two long and two short, each with 1,000 rounds of ammunition. Also, I need you to help me get a set of machine tools and a small generator. Finally, I need you to introduce me to German or American sales representatives in our region. If you can do this, I won't charge the 2,000 silver dollars for the next three months, and I guarantee I'll have more profitable products for you to produce or distribute exclusively within six months."

"That... the guns are not a problem and can be delivered within three days along with the silver. But the machine tools, generator, and foreign sales representatives will take some time..."

"Within six months, as long as you can help me, I'll deliver the production technology for the new products to you immediately."

"Alright, let's agree on that. Here's to a successful partnership!" They clinked their glasses, the clear liquid flowing into the depths of their hearts.

"Teacher, I never thought that just soap and matches could earn you so much money," two 15-16-year-old boys said enviously in the inn.

"Knowledge is wealth. Don't underestimate these small things. You know how they are produced now, but if you didn't, you wouldn't get a single silver dollar. When the money arrives, Xirong, take 500 silver dollars. Remember, 300 is for your family as an introduction fee, and You Tian, take 200 silver dollars. Each of you will get 200 silver dollars as a reward for your hard work."

"No, no, Teacher, our families said that learning from you is our greatest fortune. We can't take your money," the smaller boy said.

"Xirong, You Tian, in this world, every action has a value. If you work for free, you won't learn from me tomorrow. Filial piety is a virtue, but fair distribution is the mainstream of development. If someone works hard but gets little in return, it's not a sustainable path."

"Teacher, what is a sustainable path?" the smaller boy, Wei Xirong, asked.

"A sustainable path is... a method of production that can effectively cycle. For example, a landlord who constantly increases rent, taking nine-tenths of the tenant's harvest, will starve the tenant and his family. Without tenants, the landlord will eventually starve too, even if he has stored grain. This is not a sustainable path."

"Oh, I understand, Teacher. It's like draining a pond to catch fish. You get a lot of fish at once, but you lose the future supply."

"Exactly, you understand quickly... Draining a pond is quick and direct, but a sustainable path is a long-term, even permanent, development model."

"Teacher, I have a question. Why don't you start a factory yourself and make money, instead of selling the formulas at such a low price?"

"That's a good question, You Tian. If we find a tiger in the mountains, we know where it is, but do we have the ability and weapons to kill it? No, so we tell the hunters to kill the tiger, and we get the tiger's penis or skin as a reward. This is the only feasible way for us now."

"Teacher, I still feel a bit reluctant. We worked so hard to develop these formulas, and now we're selling them. It's a waste."

"You Tian, in the 'Capital' I introduced you to, selling resources is the best way to accumulate capital, short of robbery. This is a necessary method when we are weak."