PS: The world-building in this book will unfold gradually from the protagonist's perspective. If you don't like it, there's the door. Thank you.
"I never expected that after living like a blade of grass in my past life, I'd end up living like trash in this one." Yang Bo, dressed in blue pajamas, stood behind the large floor-to-ceiling windows and looked up at the starry sky.
Amidst the densely packed stars, there was a shining ring. Whether it was day or night, it remained dazzling. That was the space airport, orbiting at an altitude of over thirty thousand kilometers above the planet. Beneath the ring was a long, sparkling reflection—the space elevator connecting the surface to the airport.
In his past life, Yang Bo had truly lived like a blade of grass to be trampled on. At school, he was bullied by the local tyrants. When he started working, he was stepped on by the workshop managers. Even when he finally bought a house, he stepped right into an unfinished housing project and didn't dare to make a peep, lest he be taught a harsh lesson by thugs. A series of misfortunes left him feeling completely suffocated. After burying his parents, he finally gave up on life too!
To his surprise, when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a highly technologically advanced civilization. This world had already conquered Star Systems. Humanity possessed Weapons capable of destroying planets and even stars, enormous Warships stretching for hundreds of kilometers, and Mechas on the ground that could reach speeds exceeding ten times the speed of sound. There was no need to study; just a single Biological Chip could allow you to master all current human knowledge.
But none of this had anything to do with Yang Bo. The original owner of his new body didn't know who his parents were because he was a factory baby—an offspring produced through technology after his father paid a fee. The identity of his mother was completely unknown as well. Because... they claimed it was strictly confidential.
In this world, humanity itself had also undergone tremendous changes, gradually splitting into two factions: citizens and residents. Citizens were those who had successfully been injected with a Genetic Potion, granting them the freedom to travel anywhere within the Interstellar Federation.
Residents, on the other hand, were those who had failed the Genetic Potion injection. These people could never leave their cities for the rest of their lives. Failing the genetic enhancement meant they couldn't be implanted with Biological Chips, nor could they master multiple Star System languages.
Their physical strength was also insufficient to withstand prolonged travel in underground vacuum high-speed tunnels at tens of thousands of kilometers per hour. They certainly couldn't endure the high-speed transit of the space elevator, nor could they resist the cosmic particles and space radiation encountered during interstellar travel. Furthermore, they couldn't survive the powerful Energy shocks when a Spaceship jumped through space.
Therefore, under the guise of "protection," the authorities restricted residents to living in a single city. They didn't have to work and could receive an unlimited, sufficient amount of food from the food banks.
They could play games, wander around the city, and enjoy free housing along with various free daily necessities.
However, they lacked the right to reproduce. Even if you wanted to find a female companion to live with, they would suggest buying a robot to solve all your problems. If you tried to force reproduction, they would take necessary measures... Of course, those who suggested it had no idea just how expensive a beautiful female robot was...
They would also give you plenty of advice. If you played games for two hours, they would suggest you log off for twenty minutes. If you stayed home all day, they would advise you to go out for a walk. Once a month, they would recommend volunteering to interact with others and make friends. They monitored your weight, heartbeat, breathing, and pulse through your Smart Watch, dispensing advice based on the data.
When you ignored their advice, they would dispatch a psychologist to evaluate you. If you failed the psychological assessment, you would be taken to a designated facility for "free recovery."
At the end of the year, politicians would present a flawless report showing just how perfectly they cared for vulnerable groups, backed by immaculate data... But if you didn't want a Smart Watch? Sorry, you wouldn't be able to open a single door or step into any elevator. You wouldn't be able to take any form of public transportation—you couldn't even enter your own so-called home...
As for factory babies, this practice was permitted because specialized factories possessed the technology to ensure your offspring were perfectly healthy. Moreover, if you chose not to raise them, the factory would simply send the infants to welfare institutions.
Yang Bo's predecessor had grown up in one of these welfare institutions. He had a happy childhood, a happy adolescence, and upon reaching adulthood, was happily assigned an apartment to call his own...
He thought, "Maybe being a pig isn't so bad. I just wonder what kind of person... no, what kind of pig lived here before me." Even though Yang Bo had a thousand different ideas, he was ultimately powerless to act on any of them.
In an era of high technology, an individual's power was exceedingly insignificant. If Yang Bo tried to jump off a building right now, a drone police officer would arrive within thirty seconds and shoot him dead first, solely because his jumping might cause harm to others.
Any information you received was heavily filtered—you were only allowed to see it because your citizenship rank was F-class.
"Since I'm here, I might as well enjoy it," Yang Bo sighed. Although he wanted to visit the space airport, he had no choice but to accept reality, regardless of the anger and helplessness welling up inside him.
He thought, "Also, the original owner died very bizarrely..." With semi-annual physical examinations, the constant monitoring of a Smart Watch, and a daily routine strictly following their suggestions, what were the actual chances of the original owner dying suddenly?
FLOP! Inside the twenty-five-square-meter living room, which was furnished with a sofa, a coffee table, and a virtual image projector in a simple yet elegant style, a goldfish leaped right out of its tank.
"Master, your goldfish has jumped out of its tank. According to Article 482 of the Federation Animal Protection Law, if a pet dies due to its owner's negligence, the owner's eligibility to adopt pets will be suspended," a sweet, syrupy voice chimed inside the room.
Yang Bo immediately replied, "I know."
He went over to pick up his goldfish. However, having only recently taken over this body, he didn't notice the carpet on the floor. He tripped and fell flat on the ground, his hand landing on something ice-cold.
Swimming +1!
A stream of information flowed through his mind, causing Yang Bo to freeze just as he scrambled back to his feet. Was this a Transmigrator's perk? Or had the original owner's Genetic Potion injection not actually failed, leaving him with a mysterious ability instead? Incredibly powerful Genetic Warriors possessed all sorts of abilities, such as controlling elemental particles, undergoing full-body Metalization, and so on.
"Master, according to the chip data inside the pet's body, the goldfish is now dead. The video has been submitted to the court, and the court will pass judgment on your recent actions. Please use eco-bag No. 16 to collect the goldfish's corpse and wait for further instructions."
Yang Bo took a deep breath and stood up. His leg hurt, but the Intelligent System didn't care about that; it only cared about the goldfish. This was the so-called priority of event levels.
Even throwing away trash had strict standards here. Without an intelligent Biological Chip or a Smart Watch, an individual wouldn't know which type of trash required which eco-bag. Make a single mistake, and you'd face all sorts of penalties...
"Master, you are holding eco-bag No. 18, which is meant for discarded electronic waste. Eco-bag No. 16 is in the third box on your left. It is recommended that the master cleans the room within the next sixteen hours. The bacterial colony count in the room is showing an explosive growth trend. It is also recommended to use Cleaner No. 2 to inhibit bacterial reproduction and provide fresh air," the smart speaker in the room sounded once again.
"Congratulations, Master. The video of the goldfish's death has been submitted. Judging from the footage, you bear no responsibility for this incident. The court suggests that you undergo free psychological counseling when raising a new pet."
"Thank you!" Yang Bo took a deep breath, forced to express his gratitude despite his annoyance.
"Master, the robot to collect the goldfish has arrived. I suggest..."
Yang Bo took another deep breath. He resolved to find a job tomorrow. He would work himself to the bone just to buy a house. According to the law, a purchased property was considered private territory, whereas his current government-issued apartment remained under constant surveillance.
He thought, "I also need to find some time to verify if this Transmigrator's perk is real."
"Master, it is recommended to wear gloves while cleaning up the goldfish's blood and to use absorbent cotton No. 5. Used absorbent cotton should be placed in garbage bag No. 8, and used gloves should be placed in garbage bag No. 2. It is also highly recommended that you wash your hands afterward..."