BEFORE THE WORLD FROZE, I BUILT MY OWN KINGDOM

Chapter 9: Recruiting Veteran Experts

(Author's note: These experts are all mediocre.)

On November 9th, the fourth day after his rebirth, Ethan got up early and arrived at the gate of the Riverglen Power Plant.

He spotted Walter on duty in the guardhouse from a distance and hurried over to greet him.

"Good morning, Mr. Briggs. Has the expert come in yet?"

"Not yet. Work doesn't start for a while. You're something else, young man. I told you to leave it to me, and here you are, all the way out here at the crack of dawn," Walter said with a wry smile.

Ethan laughed. "Isn't this how I show my sincerity?"

"All right. Just follow my lead when the time comes." Walter nodded. "I'm on duty now, so I can't keep you company. Why don't you wait in the reception room next door?"

He went back into the guardhouse, and Ethan stepped into the reception room.

He stared blankly at the thin trickle of workers entering the plant, lost in thought.

About half an hour later, more and more employees began gathering at the gate. Work was about to start.

Afraid of missing his chance, Ethan quickly got up and went outside.

Suddenly Walter leaned out of the guardhouse and called to a young man in glasses. "Engineer Collins! Engineer Collins, hold on a second, I need to talk to you!"

The young man looked at him in confusion. Only after making sure Walter really was calling him did he turn around and walk over to the guardhouse.

"Mr. Briggs, I don't remember expecting any packages," he said, puzzled.

"It's not about a delivery. There's something else I'd like to discuss," Walter said with a smile. "I have a friend who's interested in investing in geothermal energy. I heard from people at the plant that you're an expert in the field, so I recommended you. I don't know when you're free, but he'd like to ask you a few professional questions."

Collins frowned. "Mr. Briggs, it's not that I don't want to help. There's just been too much going on at the plant lately, and I really can't get away. I'm sorry."

He turned and headed toward the entrance.

Seeing this, Walter quickly caught his arm. "Engineer Collins, don't rush off! My friend's already here. The least you can do is give me a little face!"

"Mr. Briggs, what exactly are you doing? Let go, I'm going to be late for work!" Collins was getting angry.

Walter ignored him. He pointed at Ethan, who was walking toward them, and said, "This is my friend, Mr. Cole. Look how early he came, just to show his sincerity."

Ethan held out a hand and spoke earnestly. "Hello, Engineer Collins. I'm Ethan Cole. Mr. Briggs told me you're an expert in geothermal energy, so I came today to consult you about a few things."

He paused, then added, "If you're not free today, why don't we exchange contact information, and I'll make an appointment for when it suits you?"

It was hard to stay angry at someone so polite and sincere. Collins's irritation faded.

He shook Ethan's hand and gave a wry smile. "It's not that I don't want to help. I've only had some exposure to geothermal energy. I can't call myself an expert, not even close. If I were a real expert, would I be working at a coal plant?"

Ethan was taken aback. "Engineer Collins, you're too modest."

Collins waved a hand. "I can see you really want to learn. Tell you what. You should go see Professor Harold Whitmore at the Valoria University of Geosciences. He was my doctoral supervisor, and he's a true authority on geothermal energy. He just retired, so he might be willing to help you."

Ethan's eyes lit up. "Could you give me Professor Whitmore's contact information?"

Collins started to refuse. But seeing the eager look on Ethan's face, he couldn't bring himself to say no.

He sighed. "All right. I'll give you his email address. Write it down."

Ethan wrote it down and thanked him again.

Before leaving, Collins warned him that Professor Whitmore liked his peace and quiet. If he didn't answer Ethan's emails, Ethan shouldn't bother him or hound him.

Ethan promised repeatedly that he would respect the professor's decision. He would visit only after setting up an appointment, and never disturb him unannounced.

After watching Collins walk away, Ethan turned to Walter with a grateful smile.

Getting the contact information of a leading geothermal expert like Professor Whitmore today wouldn't have been possible without Walter's warm help.

"Mr. Briggs, thank you so much for today. When do you get off work? Shall we go for a few more drinks?" Ethan said sincerely.

Walter waved a hand and laughed. "No need. Don't let it get in the way of your business. We can drink anytime."

Ethan nodded. He really was short on time. There were nearly twenty months before the apocalypse, but he had so much to do that it might not be enough.

If he truly wanted to thank Walter, it should be with something practical. Maybe he could remind him to stock up on supplies before the world ended.

But he couldn't bring that up now. If he told someone the world would end in a year and a half, they'd think he'd lost his mind. It would have to wait until closer to the end.

So Ethan didn't press the matter. He said goodbye to Walter and drove to a quiet spot.

Instead of writing to Professor Whitmore right away, he took out his laptop and began researching the man's life and career.

After all, he was just an ordinary person now, and he had never met the professor. If he sent a careless email, the professor might not reply at all.

To move someone, you first had to be sincere. Then you had to understand their life story and tailor your message to their interests.

Harold Whitmore. Male. Born in 1955.

Senior engineer, professor, doctoral supervisor.

Board member of the International Geothermal Association. Director of the Geothermal Committee of the Valoria Energy Research Association. Technical advisor to the International Atomic Energy Agency, head of its Asia-Pacific Regional Nuclear Technology Cooperation Project, and Valoria's official representative...

Two hours later, Ethan had absorbed the professor's biography and major accomplishments.

He drew a deep breath. Professor Whitmore was truly something else.

This was exactly the kind of talent he desperately needed. If he could win him over and bring him on board, the apocalypse's energy problem would no longer be a worry.

Professor Whitmore was already sixty-eight, quite old by any measure. But that was precisely what Ethan wanted.

In the apocalypse, the old and frail were easier to control. Unlike young people, who were full of ideas, they were far less likely to rebel.

Ethan had no intention of surviving the apocalypse alone. Living a decent life in that world required a great deal of infrastructure. Even a geothermal plant was beyond what he could understand by himself. And there would be repairs and maintenance. He couldn't do it all alone.

So he decided to recruit several veteran experts before the end came. When the apocalypse arrived, he would simply station them in the geothermal plant.

These old experts were highly skilled, and he had no fear of them turning against him. Why wouldn't he be happy with that arrangement?

Besides, without him, these people would have had no way to survive the apocalypse at all. In a way, he was doing them a great favor.