Chapter 206: Shameless

PS: Second update at noon.

“Alright, alright.” The Fat Boss opened the box, inspecting the materials. The color looked fine to the naked eye.

“I’ll drop by the lab when I get the chance. We just got two new employees: the one with black hair is named Zhang Xin, and the blonde one is Lucy. Both are F-class citizens.” The Fat Boss added to Yang Bo.

Curious, Yang Bo asked, “Aren’t you usually alone, Boss?”

“Don’t remind me. The new policy on March Planet requires companies to hire a certain number of citizens. They’re not allowing us to employ only residents.” The Fat Boss shook his head.

“It’s because March Planet doesn’t have any large corporations. The job market is terrible here. Half the year is windstorm season, and expenses are high. If it weren’t for the tax breaks and cheap land, no one would be here.” The Fat Boss continued.

Yang Bo nodded. The Fat Boss probably didn’t know much about the woman’s personal information, as it was a private matter. Still, Yang Bo was curious about her motives.

“Couldn’t be her,” Yang Bo muttered to himself.

“Anyway, we have plenty of tasks here, so it doesn’t really matter. If you’re interested in the girls, feel free to test the waters.” The Fat Boss added quietly.

Yang Bo, puzzled, asked, “Boss, didn’t you say you’d introduce someone to me?”

“What’s the difference? We have an employee here with five women. Gene Evolution makes them tough, how can one partner be enough? Some women have three or four men, and some men have three or four women. The Alliance promotes monogamy but as long as everyone’s consenting and they don’t marry, there’s no problem.” The Fat Boss shrugged.

Yang Bo felt a bit excited at that idea but then thought about the possibility of a beautiful woman actually being a man… Better play it safe and figure it out later.

“Take some materials home with you after work.” The Fat Boss, noticing Yang Bo’s expression but unsure what he was thinking, spoke up.

Yang Bo nodded and went off to complete a task. He only had four million game coins left at this point. Nothing else.

The Shockwave Bomb still hadn’t converted into cash, and work wasn’t exhausting. Compared to his previous life, it was much easier. With his physical condition, these tasks were a breeze, like taking a stroll.

——————————————

While Yang Bo was clearing trash during a task, the Mecha Game Forum was filled with players furiously cursing at the ones who exposed the game’s bugs.

Some players who traded with mutants didn’t lose much.

But many others, after buying Shockwave Bombs, found they couldn’t use them. Even when they located the mutants, the mutants refused to trade. Then, the game system warned them about harassing neutral races, threatening fines or even game bans.

Many people believed that after the bug was revealed, the game’s officials had already corrected it.

In reality, though, the players had only encountered virtual mutants. As long as the military wanted, they could make players enter the virtual world at any time. The military also controlled the reactions of the virtual mutants.

Meanwhile, the team tracking Yang Bo was facing internal discord.

This led to chaos in the forum, with people hurling insults at each other.

The military noticed Yang Bo’s game account, but since he hadn’t broken any further rules, they couldn’t investigate him.

Yang Bo’s actions fell under the game’s rules, and the military’s remote game oversight was also regulated. If Yang Bo violated any more rules, a judicial investigation could be requested. To identify a player’s details, judicial intervention was necessary.

The military’s actions were also under the judiciary’s supervision. Even though the military suspected Yang Bo’s purchase of 60,000 Shockwave Bombs might have ill intentions,

the previous mistake was caused by the military, not Yang Bo. If Yang Bo used those bombs to cause trouble, the primary responsibility would still fall on the military.

Besides, Yang Bo’s game account had been modified with virtual effects. The Shockwave Bombs he pulled from the warehouse were all virtual, merely creating visual effects when dropped. They had no real impact.

So, the military planned to wait until Yang Bo retrieved the bombs from storage, whereupon they would clean up the real ones and give him fake ones to scatter as he pleased. Thus, they weren’t too concerned.

Currently, the military was tied up in a dispute with Parliament. What was supposed to be credit for resolving the rebellion became a headache due to the complex issues surrounding the internal mutiny within the army.

——————————————

Yang Bo completed three tasks today, earning nearly 6,000 credit points. The last task was overtime.

The garbage in the yard needed to be cleaned up by the owner due to a government deadline. After a long period, the trash would start to rot and cause unnecessary problems.

“Yang Bo, the materials you purified have been checked. They’re of premium quality.” That evening, the Fat Boss invited Yang Bo to dinner at a high-end restaurant. After dining, they ordered tea and sat together.

“Premium quality is good,” Yang Bo said. Materials were graded as ordinary, premium, and top class.

“Any new developments with your superpowers lately?” The Fat Boss asked. They were in a private room at the restaurant, shielded from any smart devices due to strong interference measures. Even their wristwatches didn’t work here.

“Recently, my strength increased, but not much else.” Yang Bo planned to surprise the Fat Boss with his light ability later in the year.

Why reveal his light power? It was just so eye-catching. Once he used it, it shone brightly, making him the center of attention.

“Boss, I saw a potion that can turn men into women. If I were to get married in the future, could I find out if my partner had used such a potion?” This question had been bothering Yang Bo for days, and he couldn’t help but ask.

“Of course you couldn’t know. That’s private information, and even after getting married, they wouldn’t have to tell you.”

“You should definitely be careful. I know someone who found out after getting married that his wife had used that potion. Worse yet, the transformation wasn’t fully successful. He couldn’t even get a divorce in court.”

“From a legal perspective, the other party has human rights. If they’ve undergone a failed transformation, they’re considered a special group in need of care. Once you marry someone from this group, and they don’t agree to divorce, the court won’t grant it. The whole thing disgusts me.” The Fat Boss said with a look of disdain.

Hearing that it was a failed transformation, Yang Bo could only imagine the man’s reaction.

Thinking about encountering such a woman, realizing only after removing his pants that she was a failed case, Yang Bo couldn’t help but get goosebumps.

“Isn’t there any way around it?”

“Of course, there is. You can do a genetic test. You could also try things out before getting married.” The Fat Boss replied.

“You could test on the Black Market, or find a reputable private institution. We have a lab at home, so you can bring me their genetic sample. Most public genetic companies won’t touch this because of the sheer number of failed cases.” The Fat Boss sipped his tea before answering.

Yang Bo curiously asked, “What happened with that person you mentioned?”

“He went bankrupt. After piling up so much debt, the other side willingly initiated the divorce.”

“Huh?” Yang Bo didn’t expect such a rough fate.

“Didn’t they find out beforehand?”

“They were about to… They had gotten through everything else. The guy now prefers robots, unable to face any real women. The whole pre-wedding process left him scarred.”

“I feel sorry for him.” Yang Bo imagined himself in that situation. It would leave a lifelong trauma.

“By the way, Yang Bo, there’s a Mecha game you should try when you have time. If it runs, I’ll take you to my hometown to experience real Mechas.” The Fat Boss said with a mysterious tone.

“What game?” Yang Bo played along, pretending to be curious.

“It’s a highly realistic game. Playing it can even improve your Mecha Pilot level. Right now, I’m operating a 9th-gen Mecha.”

“Before you start, you’ll have to pass a hand speed test. With your superpowers, it shouldn’t be difficult. But be careful, if your Mecha breaks, you’ll be asked to cover the repair costs.” The Fat Boss reminded him cautiously.

“Why? Why would a game charge you to repair Mechas? That’s a scam.” Yang Bo asked, holding his teacup.

“The game offers high rewards. The highest I’ve earned in half a day was 200,000, and some people have made millions. Recently, some shameless person exploited a bug and made 4 million in one go.” The Fat Boss said through gritted teeth.

“Boss, what’s your current rank as a Mecha Pilot?” Yang Bo asked, unembarrassed. To him, making money was his own skill.

“Intermediate Mecha Pilot.” The Fat Boss boasted.

“Mecha Pilots are categorized into Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Master, and Ace.”

“It’s a complex system. The simplest metric is hand speed.”

Yang Bo drank his tea, then asked, “Is it possible to privately own a Mecha?”

“Yes, at the Master level, you can own a Mecha. Others can collect them too, but there are restrictions. Mechas from before the 9th gen can be collected, but owning one is basically just for playing at home. Taking them out in public is illegal.” The Fat Boss explained.

“I’ve got an advanced Mecha at home. If you learn to pilot it, you’ll be able to take it for a ride. When you’re controlling an 8-9 meter tall Mecha, it’s exhilarating.” The Fat Boss said with excitement.

Yang Bo didn’t see the appeal. To him, a Mecha was just a tool.

Perhaps Yang Bo’s soul hadn’t been shaped by the culture of this world, so he couldn’t relate to the Fat Boss’s passion for Mechas.

From another angle, the Alliance’s propaganda had an effect even on superhumans.

“I think I’ll pass. I’m better off practicing my potion-making.” Yang Bo shook his head.

“You should at least give it a try. Windstorm season lasts forever here. Who knows? You might have a talent for piloting.” The Fat Boss persisted.

“Are there any mutated animals on March Planet?” Yang Bo, trying to change the subject, asked.

“Of course. Every planet has mutated animals. But most are worthless, since mutations can be caused by space radiation, meteors, and other factors. Most planets have at least a few mutated creatures.”

“For example, there was a super-strong Gene Enhancer who disappeared while fishing at sea recently. If he really died and his body was eaten by sea creatures, those creatures would have a chance of mutating.”

“But such one-off mutations are worthless. Materials for Gene Evolution potions come from mutated creatures, but their genes must be passed down. In other words, the descendants of mutated creatures are more than 80% likely to inherit the mutation.”

“The singular mutation I just mentioned won’t be passed down. That kind of mutant is worthless.”

“These individually mutated creatures are referred to as pollutants. Once discovered, they must be reported to the authorities.” The Fat Boss explained.

“Boss, where did you learn all this? I haven’t found any place to study this.”

“It’s all recorded in my family’s library. You could also buy related books from the Black Market, but they’re extremely expensive.” The Fat Boss replied.

“Don’t higher-level citizens get this knowledge easily?” Yang Bo asked a question he’d been wondering for a while.

“Of course not. Knowledge isn’t free. It comes with high costs. Higher-ranked citizens do know where to find it, but they still have to pay for it.”

“There’s a lot of knowledge in this world that most people just don’t know about.” The Fat Boss said as he refilled his teacup.

“Like the Superpower potions I saw on the Black Market?”

“Exactly. The process for making those potions is a closely guarded secret. Only a few families have the technology. Keep an eye on the Black Market; you’d be surprised what you can find there. Especially in the materials section—there are rare minerals that could bring you fortune if identified correctly.” The Fat Boss nodded, not surprised by Yang Bo’s knowledge of the Black Market.

“Yang Bo, if someone claims to be from the head office and emails you, let me know immediately.” As they finished their tea, preparing to leave, the Fat Boss suddenly reminded Yang Bo.