Chapter 1

In the 495th floor's C area, the activity center, with its gray-green exterior covered in various graffiti, saw six or seven girls enter with expressions of excitement, anticipation, or nervousness.

Their clothing was simple in style and monochromatic in color, primarily blue, black, white, and green, but each had a delicate and youthful appearance.

Glancing at the only LCD screen on the entire floor, the leading girl couldn't help but whisper:

"I wonder what kind of husband the company will assign to me?"

"Mainly, what kind of personality will he have?" the girl beside her, wearing a green top and blue pants, bit her lip and said.

As the second generation of people who had undergone genetic modification, they weren't worried about their future husbands' appearances or heights, as they were all above average.

The leading girl glanced at her companion:

"Have you forgotten? Besides people our age, those who have lost their wives and are in their forties or fifties also participate in the unified marriage allocation. They didn't undergo genetic modification during the embryonic stage, so they have many defects."

To ensure a sufficient number of newborns, the company they were in had a rule: "Those who are 20 years old or have completed higher education and have not freely chosen a spouse will be assigned a partner by the company. Those who refuse will be punished by the 'Order Supervision Department.' The first violation results in reduced energy allocation and deduction of contribution points. The second violation results in exile from the company, left to fend for themselves in the gray soil."

Similarly, those who had lost their spouses and had no children, and were under 60 years old, were required to participate in the unified allocation three years after the loss of their spouse.

"Besides, even if it's not those people, don't you look forward to a husband from an M-level family?" another girl joined the discussion, jokingly.

The company was divided into three levels: D-level employees, from D1 to D9; M-level management, from M1, representing the director level, to M3, corresponding to board members and chief scientists; and the third level, without a letter designation, was simply called "the Big Boss," an exceptionally mysterious woman.

The girl in the green top and blue pants said with a glance:

"When have you ever heard of ordinary floor residents being assigned spouses from floors 346, 347, 348, or 349?"

Floors 346 to 349 were where M-level managers lived, with ample energy supply and living space ten times larger than that of ordinary employees. These four floors had their own independent elevator, water purification, ventilation, sewage, and education systems, and their children normally did not interact with ordinary employees.

The only exception was during higher education, as there was only one university in the entire company, located on the 350th floor.

Ordinary employees' children needed to take exams to decide whether they would start working or enter the university, while the children of management could receive higher education without exams.

Within the company, no one didn't want to become part of the management, and no one didn't want to be related to the management.

As for the "Big Boss," ordinary employees not only couldn't interact with her but didn't even know what she looked like. They could only hear her voice through broadcasts at the end of the year, the beginning of the year, or during major events. Therefore, few people fantasized about being recognized by the "Big Boss" and suddenly promoted to the management level.

Of course, "few" means there were still some, just not many.

The leading girl laughed and said:

"That's why I've always encouraged you to freely fall in love in school. Look at Chen Bei; her husband was pre-selected by the 'Material Management Department' as soon as he graduated, indicating a strong background!"

" Meng Xia, you have the nerve to say that? How come you didn't freely fall in love?" the other girls mocked her simultaneously.

"You all know me; I'm best at talking but lack the courage to act," Meng Xia admitted without a hint of shame.

After a bit of laughter and teasing, the girl in the green top and blue pants asked curiously:

"Meng Xia, do you know what level Chen Bei's husband is from? You two have always been close."

Meng Xia looked around and lowered her voice:

"He's said to be the director of the Security Department's Action Cluster."

"Wow..." the girls exclaimed in amazement as a group of young men entered the activity center.

The two groups sized each other up for a few seconds, then shyly averted their gazes, unsure if their future spouses were among the opposite group.

A man about 1.75 meters tall with a clean-cut hairstyle glanced at the old tables and long benches in the activity center and nervously asked his companion:

"Shang Jianyao, do you think the company will assign me a wife?"

His companion, about 1.85 meters tall with straight eyebrows, bright brown eyes, a chiseled face, and slightly messy black hair covering half his forehead, turned to look at him:

"First, you need to be assigned one before you can talk about what kind of wife."

He wore a dark blue two-piece suit, with his arm muscles bulging and creating lines under the fabric, looking both masculine and strong.

"Ha, it can't be that unlucky, right? There are only two more men than women this time," the 1.75-meter-tall man with average features laughed.

His expression gradually turned serious as he muttered:

"Will they look down on me? I'm only 1.75 meters tall after genetic modification, not very handsome, and my grades are just average..."

Shang Jianyao said seriously:

"That's not the key; the key is your name."

"Name? What's wrong with Long Yuehong? My father's surname is Long, and my mother's name has a 'hong' in it, how meaningful is that?" Long Yuehong said, puzzled, "Also, the company's unified allocation doesn't consider height or appearance, it's supposed to be random, excluding blood relations... Ah, could they mistake me for a woman and assign me a husband? What would I do then?"

Shang Jianyao looked up and down at Long Yuehong:

"Biological organ transplantation, neural reconstruction surgery, artificial uterus, all can solve the problem perfectly."

Long Yuehong laughed awkwardly:

"Ha, how could that happen? My every document states I'm male!

"Your thinking is so strange; shouldn't a normal person think about filing a complaint?"

Before Shang Jianyao could respond, he continued:

"So, why is my name the key?"

"Names represent a person's destiny; random allocation is about fate," Shang Jianyao answered seriously.

Long Yuehong's expression froze for a moment:

"I knew you wouldn't give me any constructive ideas!"

He then asked:

"Shang Jianyao, what kind of wife do you want to be assigned?"

Shang Jianyao lifted his chin:

"I don't need one.

"The company's resources are insufficient, and the world above the gray soil is in dire straits, with famine, infection, mutation, and beastification still looming over the entire world. How can I get married?"

"..." Long Yuehong laughed, "You're getting better at joking."

Shang Jianyao looked at him without a smile:

"I've already applied to opt out of this unified allocation."

"Are you serious? Impossible, how could the company allow you to opt out? Ha, I almost believed you!" Long Yuehong was first surprised, then sighed in relief.

Just as he finished speaking, the supervisor of the 495th floor's activity center, Chen Xianyu, left his position and walked to the LCD screen to start the adjustments.

This gray-haired, slightly hobbled old man had once been an employee of the Security Department, responsible for external operations, and had risen to the D7 group leader level. Later, due to age, he left the Security Department, was promoted to D8 manager, and was now in charge of the activity center on this floor.

Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong were very curious about the old man's past and often came to the activity center to play and ask questions, but Chen Xianyu strictly adhered to the confidentiality rules, only sharing common knowledge, like an ordinary employee who was born, raised, educated, worked, and aged in the "internal ecological zone" and had never left the underground building or seen the real sky.

"Alright, it's about to start," Chen Xianyu said, pressing a button on a remote control.

The screen flickered and emitted a faint glow.

Long Yuehong, Meng Xia, and the others immediately held their breath, waiting for the allocation results.

They weren't worried about the results scrolling too fast for them to see clearly, as each floor's activity center only displayed the results relevant to the residents of that floor.