# Chapter 2218: Will I Become a Dragon?
Jiangnan clicked his tongue as he listened. Truly, the more capable you were, the more you ate!
All the rich mining areas were firmly held by the top ten sequences?
(๑•̌.•̑)ˀ̣ˀ̣ "So, at the Starry Sky Mine, how are the various levels of mines distributed? You just mentioned the Great Mine Lord—are these mines privately owned, or are they collectively owned by the races?"
"If I'm strong and you're weak, and your mine is better than mine, then naturally I'll try to take it! How does that work?"
"How does the Beimian Starry Sky Mine maintain its current peaceful situation, and what are the existing rules?"
This was important. Since Jiangnan didn't have the ability to change the rules now, he could only use them!
How could he ensure that after snatching the mine, it wouldn't be taken back by the Insect Race?
Before doing something, you had to think through all the pros and cons, otherwise even if you got it, it wouldn't be yours!
Shengyi explained: "All numbered mines in the Beimian Starry Sky Mine are under the unified management of the Star Mine Bureau!"
"Even the rich mines controlled by the top ten sequences need to pay the Star Mine Bureau for the contract! The longer the contract period, the more you have to pay at once!"
"After contracting, it's registered under an individual's name, but it also counts as belonging to the race. For example, the contract amount for rich mines is an unimaginable astronomical figure. Individuals simply can't afford it—they must be sponsored by their race treasury!"
"When the contract period ends, although there might be slight changes in ownership of rich mines, it's basically just passing from left hand to right, or swapping among the top ten. That's the top ten's business; no one outside the top ten can get a piece..."
Chong Feiyu nodded incessantly:
(〃ᵒ̴̶̷◠ᵒ̴̶̷̣)و "I have 241 rich mines under me, all in my name! They're all signed with spirit contracts. For thirty thousand years after the contract takes effect, these mines are nominally my assets!"
"You have no idea how long I saved up to acquire these mines, how much my swarm worked for others, how many loans I took, how much I borrowed and robbed, how many years it took to build this foundation!"
"After all, since I was young, I aspired to become a big-spending Great Mine Lord! Free and unfettered, I struggled for most of my life to fulfill this dream without even enjoying it properly!"
"Damn that insect bitch—she took my swarm, stole my pupae, and now everything is hers! Damn it all!"
The more Chong Feiyu spoke, the angrier she got. She turned around and started beating Borden, making him spit out molten iron...
Borden: (꒪ͦཀ꒪ͦ|||)...
If you're mad, go hit her! Why hit me?
Shengyi was stunned, her eyes shifting. It seemed that the mysterious disappearance of Chong Feiyu back then had more to it?
It wasn't as simple as imagined.
Jiangnan propped his chin: (๑͡°ก͡°) "So, these 241 rich mines are still nominally yours? That insect bitch is just managing them temporarily?"
Chong Feiyu nodded frantically: "Yes! Even if I die, as long as the thirty-thousand-year contract period isn't up, the mines belong to my descendants!"
"That insect bitch has no right to take them. So, as long as I regain control of my swarm, even by the rules, I'm on solid ground!"
Jiangnan nodded, forming a general concept in his mind.
"What about ordinary mines? How are those distributed?"
Shengyi smiled bitterly: "That's complicated. Ordinary mines don't have such long contract periods. No one does a big move like Feiyu Insect Emperor, contracting for tens of thousands of years at once. The Star Mine Bureau wouldn't allow it either!"
"A period is about a hundred years or so, usually obtained through bidding. The Star Mine Bureau releases mines whose contracts are expiring for re-bidding at intervals!"
"You need a high enough sequence ranking for your race, and you need to bid aggressively—highest price wins! Popular mines can fetch astronomical prices!"
"I was once fortunate enough to attend the Star Mine Bureau's bidding conference! The prices... my god, only a race treasury could afford them!"
"And many are pre-arranged. There's a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering. The waters run deep!"
Jiangnan remembered what Brother Jian had said before.
Ten trillion could be thrown into the water without even hearing a splash!
For humanity to bid on a mine in the Starry Sky Mine was extremely difficult. No choice—they were ranked dead last in the sequence. Even if they had the capability, they wouldn't be granted bidding qualifications.
"Wait... all races have to pay huge sums to bid for contracted mines? Even the top ten sequences?"
"How much money does the Star Mine Bureau collect from all the Starry Sky Races every year? Where does all that money go?"
This was basically like the Star Mine Bureau's own mine!
Chong Feiyu rolled her eyes:
(꒪ั～꒪ั*) "Where else could it go? All to the Sacred Law Council, of course! Besides the expenses needed to maintain the Council's operations!"
"The rest is divided among the top ten, according to ranking. Who gets how much is fixed by proportion!"
Jiangnan's eyes widened. Back at the Sacred Judgment Conference, when they talked about reducing the Bose Clan's cut, this was where the reduction came from?
∑(°口°๑) "Holy crap? This is money paid by all the Starry Sky Races. Just this alone should be enough to make the top ten gorge themselves, right?"
"Then the contract fees paid by the top ten for rich mines eventually flow back into the top ten's hands anyway? Coming and going, it's pure profit!"
Not only do they get to mine, but they also make money—and it's the blood and sweat of the Starry Sky Races!
Chong Feiyu shrugged: ╮(•́～•̀)╭ "Otherwise, why would all races desperately try to squeeze into the top ten? As rule-makers, of course they take all the benefits!"
"The ones being bled dry are ultimately the Starry Sky Races. If you can't climb up, you get harvested. You can only accept it, because that's how the rules are!"
"All the highest resources in the starry sky accumulate toward the top ten. The higher you go, the more terrifying the resources! It's hard not to grow strong as a race!"
Jiangnan's scalp tingled. The current starry sky rules were like a pyramid!
The higher you were, the better resources you enjoyed, and the greater your corresponding power!
Those at the pyramid's peak, making the rules, enjoyed endless benefits, widening the gap with those below!
Making the rules increasingly unshakable—the strong always get stronger?
Jiangnan's current goal was to lead humanity into the top ten of the sequence, stand at the pyramid's peak, and become one of the rule-makers!
But when he really achieved it, when he really climbed to the top and enjoyed power and top-tier resources—
Would he still have the courage to change the starry sky's rules?
Would he desperately try to protect and defend everything he had now?
Would the dragon-slaying youth eventually become a dragon himself, a defender of the existing rules?
Jiangnan didn't know any of this. The starry sky was very realistic. Human hearts were even more complicated.
Jiangnan turned to look at Yakeli. Yakeli stood silently in the corner, his blood-red eyes filled with suppressed anger and determination!
To remain unchanged by the world in this world, to keep your original intention, to try to change this world—
That was really hard.
Yakeli had walked this path all along. Jiangnan didn't know if the day he stood at the peak, he would become a dragon.
But at least now!
Jiangnan had walked half his life, and he was still a youth!
Jiangnan stretched hard: "Alright! I've roughly understood the rules. The rest is about blending into the Starry Sky Mine silently and taking back what originally belonged to Feiyu!"
"Right now, our identities shouldn't be exposed. We need identities that can hide us. So..."
As he spoke, Jiangnan had already eaten a handful of small puddings, his form shifting and changing until he took on the appearance of Blake!
Thinking of his pitch-black skin tone, Jiangnan's face darkened. Right, he had to do it again!
So he pulled out black garlic and stuffed it into his mouth. His skin instantly turned extremely black, so black that you couldn't distinguish facial features!
Even blacker than Blake!
The Dark Soul Clan mainly cultivated spiritual power. Jiangnan had absorbed so much Styx Crystal that his spiritual power was off the charts, so it wasn't easy to get exposed!
Wang Youzhi grinned:
(˵ಡꇴಡ˵) "Oh? Jiang Black Horse is back online? Nice, nice!"
Jiangnan smiled: "Naturally, we're not taking the White Shark's identity. Let's just borrow their identities for a while!"
"Blake and his people have their own mines. They're familiar faces. Posing as them won't arouse suspicion!"
"Among those hundred thousand people, there are all races. Pick one you like and cosplay!"
There was no need for Jiangnan to hand out puddings. They were all hardened criminals. Walking through the starry sky, who didn't know some disguise technique?
Borden, Samoyed, and the like could even change their forms at will!
Let alone disguising themselves as their own race!
Jiangnan watched the scene with satisfaction: "Nice! It seems that so-called Wuhai Group is going to be renamed the Bully Gang!"
"Remember clearly: Our Bully Gang had been eyeing this shipment for a long time. We tracked Shengyi here, hijacked the goods that Xuansè was trying to smuggle, and returned fully loaded!"
"Shengyi is our hostage No. 2! Blind woman! Later, learn from Jiulan how to be a qualified hostage! She came first. She has more experience than you!"
Shengyi almost vomited blood, recalling how Jiulan bravely fought the enemy. Her face darkened.
Forgive me, I really can't do that! Your requirements for hostages are way too high!
But it was a good move—Bully Gang replacing Wuhai. This way, their identities wouldn't be suspected!
But they would also inherit Xuansè's vendetta. However, compared to exposing themselves as escaped heavy criminals, hijacking Xuansè's goods was nothing!
Even Chong Feiyu changed her form, becoming a cold, beautiful, voluptuous woman with white hair and extraordinary temperament.
She was even more top-heavy than Jiulan!
Jiangnan's gaze fell on Yakeli:
(๑•̌～•̑)ˀ̣ˀ̣ "What? You're not changing? Not afraid of being recognized by the Silicon-Based?"
Yakeli turned his head away: "Hmph! I, Yakeli, disdain to disguise myself as others. I only do myself!"
As he spoke, he walked over to Taluo: "Lend me your body to stay in!"
Taluo: ???
Before Taluo could reply, Yakeli's blood-red crystal muscles squirmed, piercing straight into his body!
Then his entire body burrowed inside, and the wound healed!
Shengyi's eyes widened. Huh? A parasite? That guy was a parasite?
Was there a parasite like him?
Taluo darkened his face:
(̿▀̿～▀̿(̿▀̿̿Ĺ̯̿̿▀̿̿)̄˘﹃˘) "Can I charge you rent?"