Chapter 1: A Life Like Trash

“I never imagined I’d end up living as trash, after leading a worthless life in my last one.” Yang Bo, dressed in blue pajamas, stood behind the large floor-to-ceiling window, gazing up at the starry sky.

In the densely packed sky full of stars, a bright ring could be seen shining day and night. It was the Skyport, located more than 30,000 kilometers above the planet. Below the ring stretched a long, shimmering reflection— the space elevator linking the ground to the Skyport.

In Yang Bo’s previous life, he was trampled on like grass. Bullied in school by tyrants, stepped on by work supervisors when he tried to earn a living, and even the property he bought turned out to be in a failed construction project. He never dared to speak up, fearing harsh repercussions. A series of misfortunes made Yang Bo feel so stifled, and after sending off his parents, he gave up on it all!

To his surprise, when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a world of incredibly advanced technology. This world had already conquered star systems. Humanity possessed planet-destroying and even star-destroying weapons, giant battleships hundreds of kilometers long, and ground-based mechas capable of surpassing speeds multiple times faster than sound. Reading books wasn’t even necessary anymore—one could acquire all human knowledge just by inserting a biological chip.

But none of that concerned Yang Bo. This new body he had woken up in had no knowledge of who its parents were. Yang Bo was a ‘factory baby,’ the product of a father paying a fee for a child through technology. Even his mother was unknown.

Because… they said it was confidential.

In this world, humanity has also undergone significant changes. Humans are now divided into two groups: Citizens and Residents. Citizens are those who successfully received a Gene Serum. They have the freedom to move about the Galactic Federation.

Residents, on the other hand, are those who failed to integrate the gene modification. They are bound to their cities for life. These individuals can’t be infused with the biological chip and can’t master multi-system languages.

Their bodies aren’t strong enough to endure the high speeds of vacuum transport tunnels that span thousands of kilometers, nor can they survive the high-speed operations of the space elevator. They can’t withstand cosmic particles or space radiation encountered during interstellar travel, let alone endure the extreme energy shocks from spaceship warp jumps.

Thus, under the guise of protection, they’re confined to living in one city. They don’t have to work; they can obtain an unlimited supply of food from the food banks.

They can play games, walk freely around the city, and receive free housing and all sorts of daily necessities.

But they have no right to reproduce. Even if they want a partner to live with, they’re advised to buy a robot to address all their needs. If they try to reproduce by force, necessary action will be taken against them…

Of course, they don’t understand just how expensive it is to buy one of those beautiful robots…

They’ll give you plenty of recommendations too. Play games for two hours? They’ll suggest you take a 20-minute break. Spend the entire day indoors? They’ll suggest you go outside for a walk. Once a month, they’ll recommend volunteering to meet others and make friends. They monitor your weight, heartbeat, breathing, and pulse through smart wristwatches, then suggest improvements.

If you start ignoring their recommendations, they’ll send a psychologist to assess you. If you fail the evaluation, they’ll send you to a free health institution for treatment.

At the end of each year, the politicians put out a perfect report detailing their care for the disadvantaged. The data looks flawless…

Try to live without a smart wristwatch? Sorry, you won’t be able to pass through any door, use any elevator, or even enter your home.

As for ‘factory babies,’ that’s allowed because specialized facilities ensure the next generation will be healthy. If you don’t raise them, the factory sends them to welfare institutions.

Yang Bo’s former self grew up in one of those welfare institutions. A happy childhood, a happy youth, and once he became an adult, he happily received a house and had his own home…

“Maybe living like a pig isn’t so bad. I just wonder what kind of person… no, what kind of pig lived here before me…” thought Yang Bo. No matter how many hopes or ideas he had, there was no way out.

In such a high-tech era, the individual’s power means little. If Yang Bo tried to jump out of a building, drone police would be on the scene within 30 seconds, and they would shoot him first to avoid his suicide hurting others.

Any information that reaches you is what you’re allowed to see since your citizen rank is an F.

“Well, since I’m here, I might as well enjoy it.” Yang Bo thought about going to see the Skyport, but in the end, he had to accept the reality, no matter how much frustration and anger festered in his heart.

“And the original owner of this body died under suspicious circumstances…” With half-year health checkups and smart wristwatch monitoring, what were the chances of the previous owner suddenly dying?

Splat! The 25-square-meter living room had a sofa and coffee table, with decor that was simple yet stylish. A goldfish suddenly jumped out of the tank.

“Master, your goldfish has jumped out of its tank. According to Article 482 of the Federal Protection of Animals Law, if a pet dies due to the owner’s negligence, the owner’s right to adopt another pet will be suspended.” A soft, feminine voice echoed through the room.

“Got it,” Yang Bo responded.

Yang Bo reached to pick up the goldfish, but since he had only recently started using this body, he hadn’t noticed the rug beneath him. He hit the ground hard as soon as he bent down, feeling the cold sensation in his hand.

Swimming +1!

A message quickly flashed through his mind, momentarily distracting Yang Bo as he got up. This was some kind of benefit for being a transmigrator? Or had the gene modification in this body not actually failed, with its power just being too mysterious to detect?

Incredibly powerful gene warriors could possess various abilities, like controlling all elemental particles or turning their bodies into metal.

“Master, according to the chip data inside the pet’s body, the goldfish has already died. The video has been submitted to the court, where they’ll determine if you’re responsible for the incident. Please place the goldfish’s body into a No. 16 eco-friendly bag while awaiting further instructions.”

Yang Bo took a deep breath and stood up, his leg hurting. But the smart system didn’t seem to care. All it cared about was the goldfish. It was a clear display of the system’s event priority levels.

Even throwing away garbage had standards. Without a smart bio-chip or wristwatch, one can’t know which kind of eco-friendly bag to use for each type of waste. If you make a mistake, you’re faced with various fines and penalties.

“Master, you’re holding a No. 18 eco-friendly bag, which is for discarded electronic waste. The No. 16 bag is in the third box to the left. We recommend you clean the room within the next 16 hours, as the microbial growth rate inside is reaching a critical threshold. We also suggest using No. 2 cleaning fluid to inhibit bacterial reproduction and freshen the air.” The voice of the smart system rang out again.

“Congratulations, Master. The goldfish’s death video has been submitted and it has been determined that you bear no responsibility for the incident. The court recommends undergoing free psychological counseling before adopting a new pet.”

“Thank you!” Yang Bo let out a deep sigh but still had to say thanks.

“Master, the goldfish collection robot has arrived. We recommend…”

Yang Bo took another deep breath, deciding that tomorrow he’d find a job and work, even if it meant selling his life to buy a house. According to the law, once he bought his own home, it would become his personal property. The current house, being government-owned, was constantly under surveillance.

“And I need to find time to verify if this transmigrator benefit is real,” Yang Bo muttered inwardly.

“Master, we recommend cleaning the goldfish’s blood while wearing gloves. Use No. 5 absorbing cloth, then discard the used cloth in a No. 8 bag. The gloves should be discarded in a No. 2 bag. Afterward, we suggest washing your hands.”