Chapter 93: Happy Too Early
Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Happy Too Early
Actually, salaries at the bottom rung of this world were slightly higher. For instance, the salaries of residents were roughly on par with average citizens, but residents enjoyed highly favorable conditions. Their taxes were much lower, including property taxes. In addition, residents were eligible for numerous subsidies, such as the maternity fund, which required only a small personal contribution while the government subsidized the lion’s share. Citizens, on the other hand, had to pay the full amount out of pocket!
Overall, the net income of residents ended up being higher.
The fat boss himself was a Genetic Evolver, but he held the lowest citizen status—that is, resident status. By running a company under this status, he paid the absolute minimum in taxes and enjoyed a variety of government subsidies and preferential policies!
The government didn’t mandate verification for Genetic Evolvers. Naturally, this assumed one hadn’t been injected with a Genetic Potion or committed any crimes. As for those who awakened naturally or privately injected a Genetic Potion, no one bothered to regulate them.
As for where these private Genetic Potions came from, it wasn’t something to pry into, though Yang Bo could easily guess!
The Genetic Potion Yang Bo previously received had been provided by the government, which was why they required follow-up physical examinations.
"You can play games here, too?" Yang Bo went to the bathroom, washed up, and changed into his pajamas before spotting the Virtual Helmet.
He didn’t plan on playing the Mecha game. He could play something else; he had nothing better to do right now anyway. When it was time to eat, he could simply step out of his room for unlimited food and drinks. There were no restrictions, as long as he didn’t wander around aimlessly.
What Yang Bo didn’t know was that shortly after the Sheriff and his men evacuated, a massive gun barrel extended from a Warship. A mass of red Energy gathered at the tip of the barrel, deepening to a dark crimson before being discharged. The dark red Energy struck the Baisha Transport Ship. Instantly, the Baisha Transport Ship seemed to be drawn in by some colossal Power, collapsing inward on itself.
The Baisha Transport Ship, which had been over a dozen kilometers long, crumpled down to a mere half-kilometer in size. The entire wreckage then flared with a dazzling red light and burst into violent combustion, looking just like a Little Sun!
Aboard the Pirate Battleship, the Sheriff watched the scene unfold. He thought, "To think the Pirate Leader actually tried to hide inside the Baisha Transport Ship. Being annihilated by the Empire’s most advanced Gravity Cannon—I’d say you got what you deserved!"
Not many people witnessed this spectacle. For people like Yang Bo, though their rooms appeared to have windows, they were actually just projections designed to simulate the feeling of living on a planet.
The Fleet and the Pirate Battleship parted ways here. The Warship rapidly disappeared into the depths of the starry sky, while the newly repaired Pirate Battleship merged back onto the flight route!
"Mr. Sheriff, what about the dozen or so other subordinates of mine?" the fat boss asked, hurrying to find the Sheriff in the Pirate Battleship’s command room.
"Because the capacity of our ship is limited, some of the residents were transferred to the Warship," the Sheriff explained. "However, the Warship is currently executing a routine mission. They might even arrive at the destination before we do, considering the Warship is much faster!" This was the exact explanation the Warship’s crew had given their highest Commander.
"That’s good, that’s good!" The fat boss didn’t doubt him for a second. He knew that anyone with an implanted chip had zero chance of boarding a Warship; only residents were permitted. Citizens with chips boasted exceptional memory, and some chips even had special functions that could potentially gather classified information about the Warship.
In the game, Yang Bo spent some time playing the title the original owner used to play, but he soon felt bored.
It was an adventure game, the kind where you grinded monsters to level up and fight bosses.
It felt very similar to playing World of Demonic Beasts back on Earth. The quests were highly formulaic, completely lacking the realism of the Mecha game!
He thought, "This sucks. It’s so uncomfortable not knowing what to do."
Yang Bo was stuck aboard this Warship with no other options. Practice something related to his Superpower? He guessed that there was definitely surveillance equipment in his room—this was the interior of a military vessel, after all!
He decided to step out and see if there were any entertainment facilities. If worst came to worst, he could always come back and continue playing these totally uninspiring games.
The interior of the Warship didn’t seem as spacious or comfortable as the Baisha Transport Ship. At a glance, everything was mostly white and silver. The cabin ceiling was only about a dozen meters high, making the place look a bit like an oversized prison. Private cabins lined the perimeter, while a central area housed a few entertainment facilities.
"Holy crap," Yang Bo exclaimed after taking a seat and grabbing a drink. The Anti-Gravity system here was fantastic; back when he wore a Gravity Suit, his clothes had always felt like they were sagging. When he looked up, he immediately spotted a Laser Cannon. Judging by the diameter of its Energy Concentration Tube, it was several times larger than the ones used on Mechas. Whether it was a human or a Mecha, a single shot would probably blow them to smithereens.
He looked closer and counted a total of six cannons, ensuring zero blind spots in this entire space. There were also a few spots that looked suspiciously like security cameras.
Drinks were provided here, and the service was handled by robots. Whatever one needed, a simple call would suffice.
The food consisted of pre-packaged meals, similar to what Yang Bo used to eat back when he lived in public welfare housing.
"Tsk, tsk. It seems the company supplying food to the welfare housing has a lot of Energy behind the scenes," he mused. He felt rather underwhelmed after finishing his meal.
Still, the place gave off a sense of security. There were also various games available, just like the ones Yang Bo had seen on the Baisha Transport Ship.
Aside from a few soldiers standing guard at a distant corridor, Yang Bo felt the setup wasn’t too bad. He found a place to watch movies—a room resembling an internet cafe’s private booth, only much larger, offering a 360-degree holographic experience. Watching some of the intense war films actually made his heart race.
The best part was that the movies here weren’t age-restricted. His wristband had been completely blocked, so he was using a temporary ID badge.
"Tsk, tsk!" Yang Bo watched an action movie. It was the kind with simple sets and slightly exaggerated acting, but the 360-degree holographic experience made it quite enjoyable nonetheless.
Yang Bo decided to treat himself like an Ordinary resident. He ate on time, watched movies on time, and viewed plenty of documentaries, which taught him a great deal.
Living such a comfortable little life, Yang Bo resolved that once he arrived at March Star, he would buy a house and a companion robot. Companion robots were virtually indistinguishable from real people, and dealing with a real woman came with a mountain of trouble. If he wanted kids in the future, he could just have as many as he wanted once he had enough money.
If he got tired of one companion robot, he could always swap it out for another, or even place a custom order... Ahem.
One day, as Yang Bo was heading to get something to eat, he casually glanced at a soldier standing guard in the corridor with the rank of captain. Even though the captain was fully encased in Battle Armor, his aura and movements allowed Yang Bo to recognize him at a glance.
Yang Bo nearly spun around and bolted back to his cabin. Forcing down his shock, he sat down and ordered lunch, his heart pounding erratically for a long time. This was a Warship—an Alliance Main Battle Ship!
On his way back after finishing his meal, he stole another glance and grew even more certain.
He thought, "That’s definitely one of the Red Earl’s men!"