The H1-level Minor Chip has limited privileges, allowing the user to study subjects such as mathematics, physics, literature, history, and the arts, but it forbids access to adult content.
The H2-level National Chip unlocks a rich array of features, covering a wide range of information from all walks of life—everything from culinary arts to spacecraft, from gymnastics to star maps—virtually limitless in scope.
The H3-level Citizen Chip, however, signifies that you have officially become a citizen of the Earth Alliance, granting you a broad range of privileges, including the ability to access and operate weapons.
The first two levels are easily obtained—simply by waiting for time to pass. When the conditions are met, they are automatically unlocked.
The H3 Citizen Chip, on the other hand, has three pathways to acquisition:
The first is recommendation—outstanding students with no criminal records are prioritized by schools, and are recommended for military academies, where they are directly eligible for the H3 Citizen Chip and become reserve officers in the Earth Alliance.
The second is through military service—after obtaining the H2 National Chip, if an individual meets the physical requirements and has no criminal record, they can apply to join the Earth Alliance military. After passing the review, they become an ordinary soldier, and upon completing their service, they are granted the H3 Citizen Chip.
The third is through wealth—if an individual has no criminal record and has paid more than a million in taxes or donated over a million, they can apply for citizenship and, through official channels, purchase the H3 Citizen Chip, unlocking its privileges.
The first route is for selecting talent for the Alliance.
The second route is a straightforward path for the general populace.
And the third route…
Is a "backdoor" for the wealthy and powerful.
Tian Xiao had just graduated less than two months ago. At twenty-four years old, he had less than a thousand yuan in savings. He had neither wealth nor power. His academic performance during his time in the academy had been mediocre. While he could apply for military service to obtain the H3 Citizen Chip, in the military, he would be just one among many, with limited opportunities for advancement and restricted freedom. He would rather operate in an environment he was familiar with.
Moreover, in an era where planetary colonization was rapidly expanding, becoming a miner seemed to have more prospects than being an ordinary soldier.
"Zoom in here."
Tian Xiao pointed to a black spot on the map.
Qinglong quickly complied.
The satellite map zoomed in, revealing a deep pit with a diameter of about 1,500 meters. The depth of the mine was impossible to estimate—dark and cavernous, it looked like the planet's black eye, vast and bottomless, chilling to the core.
Such deep pits were common across this planet.
Only in rich mineral areas would such violent traces of predatory mining appear.
Although the surface appeared to have a diameter of just over a thousand meters, underground, this area had long been hollowed out. The extent of the underground cavities was immeasurable.
However…
There were already more than a dozen H3-class spacecraft buzzing around the area, coming and going.
The reason was simple. Traditional large-scale mining machines could no longer be stationed in the abandoned minefields, wasting large amounts of energy and time. However, the remaining mineral resources still provided significant returns for the miners.
This is why there were thousands of miners stationed here.
By breaking the operation into smaller units, they could continue to analyze and extract resources with minimal energy and manpower, searching for any potential overlooked minerals.
Tian Xiao remembered that the pit would collapse in one month.
On that day, a thunderstorm triggered violent underground disturbances, causing the already unstable void layers to collapse completely. The pit's diameter expanded from 1,500 meters to more than 20,000 meters, and the tremors resulted in the death of all the miners nearby.
The miners had entered the pit because someone had discovered a broken vein at the bottom.
A few miners became overnight millionaires from this find.
It was said that the value of this broken vein exceeded thirty million. Even after sharing the profits with the company, each miner would still pocket nearly ten million.
"It's you."
Tian Xiao decided to seize this "opportunity."
At the time, news of the broken vein was strictly suppressed. It wasn't until nearly all of it had been mined that rumors began to spread. Eventually, a dozen miners heard the news and rushed to the site, unaware they were walking straight into the shadow of death.
Three years had passed since the disaster, but no wreckage from the spacecraft or remains of the miners had been found.
"Qinglong."
Tian Xiao ordered in a deep voice, "Prepare three servings of nutrient solution. We're working overtime."
Just as he finished speaking, Qinglong reminded him, "Master, your schedule for today is marked as a day off. You were supposed to stay at the base and prepare a birthday gift for Miss Wang Jingyi."
Wang Jingyi?
Tian Xiao's heart stirred.
Her birthday!
He suddenly remembered that today was Wang Jingyi's birthday.
Wang Jingyi had been his classmate. She was very beautiful.
Shortly after graduation, she joined Yunzhong Group and became a new member of the mining line. Due to poor performance, she came to Tian Xiao several times, tearfully complaining about her inability to meet quotas.
Moved by sympathy, Tian Xiao decided to help her. He took her along to execute tasks, using his analysis techniques to find metal ores within the rock layers. Eventually, he helped her succeed, and she managed to meet her daily targets. The two of them gradually became the subject of rumors, and people speculated they were romantically involved.
But it didn't last long.
On Wang Jingyi's birthday, Tian Xiao, broke and with no money, decided to bake a birthday cake for her.
However, when he arrived to deliver it, he overheard Wang Jingyi talking with her best friend about him.
He could no longer recall the exact words, but two phrases remained etched in his memory:
"A toad wants to eat swan meat."
"A poor miner who can't even afford a gift has no future. He should take a good look at himself before dreaming."
At that moment, Tian Xiao's heart felt like it had been ripped apart.
He turned and walked away, throwing the cake into the trash.
From that moment on, he never approached Wang Jingyi again. Instead, he threw himself into his work, clinging to the last bit of pride and dignity that a poor man could hold onto.
Later, he heard that Wang Jingyi had successfully hooked up with a small supervisor from Yunzhong Group and was now living a comfortable life.
If not for Qinglong's reminder, he might have completely forgotten the brief, vague relationship he once had with this woman.
"Cancel the day off."
"Cancel the schedule."
Tian Xiao whispered his command.
Qinglong immediately complied and asked, "What about the cake in the fridge, Master? Do you want me to send it over in advance?"
"No need."
Tian Xiao walked over to the fridge and took out the cake he had made a few hours ago.
It wasn't fancy, but it was filled with sincerity.
He lit the candles, placing them one by one on the cake.
Qinglong asked again, "Master, should I call Miss Wang Jingyi and invite her to blow out the candles? I can make this place look more romantic."
"No need."
Tian Xiao inserted the last candle, and calmly said, "This cake is for me."
"Today is not your birthday, Master."
That's right.
Today, indeed, is not my birthday.
But…
It is the day of my rebirth.Crack! Sizzle!
Without hesitation, Tian Xiao decided to end his entanglement with Wang Jingyi early. He stepped into the H3 Model Mining Flight Vehicle, Number 3377.
The mining vehicles from Yunzhong Group are high-tech machines specially designed for extracting metallic ores from rock layers. They can fly smoothly in low earth orbit and easily navigate various deep mining pits. Equipped with powerful onboard chips, these vehicles have advanced analysis capabilities, able to detect mineral deposits, avoid obstacles, receive signals, perform self-diagnoses, and carry out excavation tasks.
Normally, anyone can adapt to operating the mining vehicle after a few days of training and easily start exploration and mining work. Only someone like Wang Jingyi, who's more focused on finding a rich husband than actual work, would still fail to master the operations even after half a month.
Hmph! She's nothing more than a pretty face.
People like her wouldn't survive more than three episodes during a star beast or insect swarm attack.
Whirr...
Vroom!!!
The cockpit lights flickered on, and the surroundings were engulfed in dimness, with warm light spilling from the screen. Tian Xiao's mood seemed to settle in response.
The interior was cramped; aside from the pilot seat, there was just enough space to maneuver. As he settled in, the screen in front displayed a stream of data:
Vehicle Number 3377, Pilot: Tian Xiao (Condition: Good)
Age: 24
Muscle Strength: 9.7
Muscle Agility: 9.3
Biological Energy: 100 units
Equipped Chip: H2 Model — Qinglong
Current Full Load: Remaining Energy: 1000 units
Without hesitation, Tian Xiao immediately gave the command: "Vehicle, perform self-check."
"Understood." The system promptly responded.
A standard report echoed in the cabin: "Vehicle Number 3377 fully charged, 1000 units of energy, outer shell integrity 100%; electrical circuit efficiency excellent; signal reception stable; processing speed normal; multi-functional drill integrity 93%, ready for continued operation; self-check completed, all systems normal, ignition ready."
Tian Xiao nodded slightly. As a miner, maintaining the vehicle was crucial to him because this mining vehicle wasn't just a tool—it was a lifeline.
Miners are usually unarmed while out in the field, relying entirely on the vehicle's energy reserve and multi-functional drill. Only with these can they safely extract ores from the layers and complete their work efficiently.
"Ignition."
Tian Xiao issued the command again.
The tempered glass windows outside slowly opened, and a rush of cool air flooded into the living quarters, causing the cabin temperature to drop rapidly.
The vehicle lifted smoothly, as light as a feather, almost silently, and soared out of the living quarters, entering the predetermined flight path.
The vehicle's wings created violent air currents on both sides, white trails slashing through the air with a forceful, ripping sound.
Outside, it was already morning. The miners in the base followed their own schedules, while Tian Xiao's vehicle effortlessly passed through the base, heading toward the G46 region, as per his set route.
The base itself was vibrant and prosperous, but outside, it was desolate. As the vehicle ascended, Tian Xiao could see numerous pits of various sizes and depths below. These pits, like scars on the planet's surface, made the whole planet look like a sieve full of holes.
Tian Xiao furrowed his brow slightly, a heavy weight in his heart.
These pits had unstable structures, and every year, many miners lost their lives because of them. According to Earth Alliance statistics, over a million people go missing every year.
Unfortunately, the "Outer Planet Protection Act" has yet to be passed, and no remediation efforts have been initiated. As the various conglomerates expand, they show no concern for the health of the planet or the safety of miners. The resource extraction is violent and exploitative, with the companies regarding miners' lives as expendable.
With the rapid increase in colonial planets, resource development has gone into overdrive. Various technological and genetic products have emerged, and chip technologies have advanced, extending the average lifespan of ordinary people from around 100 to over 300 years. The population explosion has spiraled out of control, with Earth Alliance's total population now exceeding 370 billion.
"Qinglong," Tian Xiao casually asked, "what is the current population of the Earth Alliance?"
Qinglong quickly replied: "Approximately 370 billion."
This is just the population officially registered within the Earth Alliance system. Countless people have migrated to other planets, cut off from the Earth Alliance, and many are preparing to establish their own nations. More have fallen to become interstellar bandits.
If you count them all, the population has already surpassed 400 billion.
"Vehicle Number 3377," just as Tian Xiao was immersed in these statistics, a strange voice came through the communicator: "This is the Base Control Tower. You've entered the G46 region."
"The G46 region has been marked as a medium-risk operation area by the group. There is a risk of collapse, with heavy rainfall in the recent period that could trigger mudslides and other fatal hazards. We advise against entering."
This message was sent from Yunzhong Group's headquarters. The base evaluates every operational area's environment in real-time, categorizing them into five risk levels: safe, general risk, medium risk, high risk, and extreme danger.
"If you insist on entering the G46 region for operations, a personal safety waiver must be signed."
Tian Xiao didn't care, chuckling lightly. He had signed over 170 of these safety waivers in the past half-year alone. The remaining time could be spent resting.
After the verbal confirmation, the vehicle continued its flight toward the 1500-meter-wide pit, maintaining its speed.
The sheer size of the pit exuded an immense sense of pressure, like an endless abyss staring back at you.
"Qinglong," Tian Xiao's gaze grew cold as he issued another command, "designate this pit as a mining point and perform a detailed safety assessment."
Although he knew the pit wouldn't pose a risk at the moment, basic safety measures still had to be followed. After all, this concerns the life and death of every miner.
Qinglong quickly returned the assessment: "The geological structure in the G46 region is stable; no signs of rockfall or large-scale soil fissures have been detected, and the supporting structures are intact. Seventeen mining teams are currently operating in the pit, and all operations are proceeding normally."
"External weather: North wind at force 4, with localized rain clouds expected to pass through the G46 region in half an hour, which could cause rainwater backflow, affecting the internal pressure of the pit and disturbing the vehicle's visibility and balance. Risk assessment: Medium risk."
Tian Xiao wasn't surprised. It was exactly the expected medium risk.
"Proceed."
The vehicle continued without hesitation, entering the pit region and heading toward the vein of fractured metal ore.
At that moment, Tian Xiao's eyes narrowed as he spotted three bright flashes ahead, indicating that someone was already conducting excavation work.
Heh—someone got there first?
It seemed it was time to go and have a look.