The local thugs naturally didn't dare cause trouble for Xiao Qicai again, but this time, it wasn't them who came—it was community workers.
Two officials in formal government-branded uniforms with identification badges approached, their credentials appearing genuine.
"Bai Yushan, F-class citizen, age 18. Confirm this is you?" one of the female workers asked sternly.
Xiao Qicai nodded. "May I ask what this is about?"
"Miss Bai Yushan, I'm Li Qing, administrator of District 27. We're here to inform you that you hadn't turned 18 when you moved into District 27. Now that you've reached adulthood, we'd like to know if you wish to renew your stay. If not, this welfare housing will be reclaimed by month's end."
Though Li Qing maintained a serious expression, her tone remained courteous.
Her male colleague, however, couldn't help but glance at the high-end furniture and daily necessities in Xiao Qicai's room, his face betraying disdain. "You seem well-off enough. Why not buy or rent in an upscale neighborhood instead of hogging free housing? Maintaining these units costs the government money. The nation has no patience for freeloaders like you!"
Xiao Qicai: Well, that's a first—being called a parasite.
Still, she was puzzled. "Isn't government welfare housing free for all citizens to apply for? And aren't these units usually underoccupied? Why the eviction?"
"Who said it's free for everyone? If all citizens lived rent-free without buying or leasing properties, the real estate market would've collapsed long ago. The United Government provides these homes only for the unemployed, minors, disabled individuals without earning capacity, and the impoverished. You no longer qualify, hence our visit." The man rolled his eyes.
So there were actually so many restrictions? Bai Yushan's memories suggested this was a fundamental citizen benefit provided freely by the United Government.
School education had clearly whitewashed the truth—emphasizing the free benefits while omitting the requirements!
Fortunately, she'd received compensation from the broken engagement, or she'd truly be homeless.
Perfect timing to upgrade to a larger place with a proper kitchen, though moving would be troublesome.
As Xiao Qicai prepared to agree, Li Qing—noticing the young girl's delicate appearance—felt a pang of sympathy and offered, "Actually, you could apply for an extension if you register as a low-income worker. The fee would be 50 starcoins monthly."
"Low-income work?"
"Correct—any monthly earnings below 800 starcoins qualify. Truthfully, many on Planet 4826 register as low-income to retain affordable housing. Renting privately costs at least 500 starcoins monthly. If you secure employment and register before month's end, you could stay. The unit's small but safe, and adequate for one person."
Her colleague scoffed, "Why bother explaining? She doesn't look hard up. Besides, decent jobs aren't exactly plentiful."
She glanced at Xiao Qicai's face as she spoke.
Most of these delicate young girls who couldn't endure hardship ended up taking entertainment-related jobs—quick money, easy work, and naturally, no shortage of places to stay.
Xiao Qicai felt slightly disgusted by his scrutinizing gaze.
She frowned and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Ms. Li. I really need it. But where can I generally find work?"
"You can check the local recruitment section on the virtual network, visit company sites in person to seek job opportunities, or register as a self-employed individual."
"However, self-employment requires things like a physical storefront. I suggest you, Miss Bai Yu, find a slightly easier job first—even if the pay is lower—just to secure employment and renew your housing registration."
Seeing the clarity in her eyes and her utterly clueless demeanor, Li Qing couldn’t help but offer her an insider tip:
"Actually, there’s an opportunity right now. I heard the Anglie Group is opening a handcraft factory on Planet 4628 to produce specially woven chairs. It’s suitable for women who aren’t particularly strong. You could try looking for leads or connections to get in. The recruitment notice probably hasn’t been posted on the virtual network yet—once it is, positions will fill up almost instantly."
"Alright, thank you." Xiao Qicai sincerely appreciated Li Qing’s advice.
After speaking, she returned to her room and brought out a sweet fruit for Li Qing.
Fresh fruit was a rarity on a Class-D planet. The male staff member’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Xiao Qicai casually giving it away—and not to him.
However, Xiao Qicai didn’t offer him one, simply explaining that she was new here and didn’t know much, and the fruit was a token of gratitude for Li Qing’s advice. The man was so angry he nearly rolled his eyes.
Fruit wasn’t considered bribery and could be accepted, so Li Qing didn’t refuse.
Before leaving, she added one last reminder:
"But if you have money and confidence, you might consider continuing your education at a higher institution. With a student ID, you can renew your housing for free."
Xiao Qicai’s eyes immediately lit up.
Once they left, Xiao Qicai quickly looked up the regulations on public welfare housing online. Sure enough, it was just as Li Qing had said—free, a benefit, but with conditions.
To renew her stay, she either had to find work or obtain a student ID from a higher institution.
Alternatively, she could rent or buy a place. But in reality, housing here was extremely expensive, and private residences—with their better facilities and larger spaces—required hefty annual environmental fees. As a result, most people lived in free housing, a few rented, and the wealthy naturally didn’t care about those fees—they just paid.
She did still have some money on hand—enough to buy or rent—but the materials for beauty potions were far more expensive! Besides, the money technically belonged to Xi Yuan Ce as his employment fee.
Who would’ve thought that even in interstellar society, she’d still have to work?
002 seemed to sense Xiao Qicai’s dilemma and quietly piped up with a suggestion: "Master, why not contact Xi Yuan Ce? He has many businesses under him. You could just register at one of his shops for work."
"No," Xiao Qicai shook her head. "You don’t understand me. Working for someone else is out of the question. I’ll think of something else."
She had worked enough in her past life. After finally becoming a boss, she barely had time to enjoy it before ending up here.
Unless absolutely necessary, she'd much rather focus on building her own career.
With that, she plunged back into the virtual network.
Soon, Xiao Qicai emerged with a pleased expression, then connected to an official website and clicked on an application portal.
002 had been closely monitoring her actions. Seeing her open an application page, it couldn’t help but remark:
"46th Advanced Academy? Master, you’re not seriously thinking of going back to school, are you?"
Xiao Qicai nodded. "So what? My current education level is indeed low, and I’m still unfamiliar with this world. Attending school is the best path forward right now. Besides, if I pass the academy’s entrance exam and secure an admission letter, I can even get my lease extended for free."
002: "…" That made sense, but something still felt off. Shouldn’t she be focusing on romance and marriage? University would take at least four years—was her love life really going to include a campus arc?
Not that schoolyard romance was bad, but still…
"Truly a spacefaring society—universities here offer amazing benefits. Look at this place, the 46th Advanced Academy. Not only does it cover room and board, but top performers even get scholarships. Graduates are guaranteed job placements. It’s also the only government-run institution in Sector 4628. This is the one."
Ignoring 002’s doubts, Xiao Qicai decisively submitted her application.
Bai Yushan had already graduated from intermediate academy. Under normal circumstances, she could have smoothly advanced to an advanced academy on a Beta-tier planet.
But after being demoted to an F-class citizen and exiled to a low-tier planet, her original admission slot had long been revoked.
Now, if Xiao Qicai wanted to reapply, she’d have to complete all entrance exams before the semester began.
After registering, she downloaded a stack of assessment requirements from the academy’s official site.
The admission criteria seemed straightforward at first glance: a Union Government citizen card, an intermediate academy diploma, and passing scores on the foundational knowledge and practical operation exams.
Most requirements weren’t an issue—Xiao Qicai was confident about the exams.
The only problem was the diploma… If she remembered correctly, the Bai Yu family had been stripped of all assets, their possessions confiscated.
When Bai Yushan left, she never imagined she’d have another chance at higher education, so she hadn’t taken her diploma.
Technically, citizen cards recorded all basic personal information, including academic credentials—but these had to be verified and registered by the issuing institution. Unfortunately for Bai Yushan, her status was revoked before her school could finalize the records.
As a result, her citizen card still only reflected a primary academy education.
To obtain the diploma now, she had two options: reach out to the Bai Yu family and try to retrieve the original document, or contact former teachers and classmates to help verify her intermediate academy credentials electronically.
Contacting former teachers and classmates would be like subjecting herself to public scrutiny. As for reaching out to Bai Yushan’s family…
Xiao Qicai's mind raced through countless images—the Bai Yushan family appeared harmonious on the surface, yet something felt off.
But she was always one for action. If something was amiss, the best way to find out was to ask directly.
Bai Yushan's parents had already been taken in, but she had a twin sister, Bai Yuting. Strangely enough, the twins looked nothing alike, and their relationship was icy at best—so much so that Bai Yushan had never reached out to her.
Xiao Qicai, however, had no such reservations. Every individual had only one terminal and ID. If Bai Yuting was still a free citizen, the call should connect.
She swiftly dialed Bai Yuting’s terminal.
To her utter shock, the call was instantly terminated. When she tried again, the system showed she had been blocked.
How?
Xiao Qicai quickly searched online for the public verdict on the Bai family case.
The details about the two daughters were sparse—just a single line: "The minor children of the Bai family have been sentenced in accordance with relevant laws and regulations."
True, judgments involving minors were handled with discretion, and their privacy was protected from public disclosure.
But something was off. Given that the twins were the same age, their sentences should have been identical. Yet after the Bai family’s arrest, both Bai Yushan and Bai Yuting had completely vanished.
The more Xiao Qicai thought about it, the deeper her frown grew. This couldn’t be as simple as it seemed—she’d already suspected foul play when Bai Yushan received an unusually harsh sentence as a minor.
With that in mind, she dialed a few more terminals—people who had been close to Bai Yushan back when she was still the Bai family’s young mistress.
To her surprise, every single one had blocked her.
No wonder Bai Yushan had started questioning everything.
After a brief pause, Xiao Qicai considered her next move—then dialed another number.
This time, it was Bai Yushan’s sworn rival, Su Qing. The other girl came from the prestigious Su family, and though they were around the same age, Bai Yushan’s striking beauty and haughty demeanor had always overshadowed Su Qing, quickly turning them into bitter enemies.
002 couldn’t help but sigh.
All her friends and family had blocked her, and now she was reaching out to her nemesis? Was she asking for humiliation?
But Xiao Qicai shook her head. "002, today I’ll teach you another lesson—the importance of reverse thinking."
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