Chapter 4

Shang Jianyao held the can, neither responding nor putting it down.

After a few seconds, he finally spoke up:

"Does it sing?"

"Huh?" Chen Xianyu, who had lived for so many years, doubted his ears for the first time.

At this moment, Long Yuehong, holding two yellow plastic lunch boxes, darted in from outside the "Activity Center" and saw Shang Jianyao.

He greeted with a smile:

"Let's eat together later!"

"Will you treat me?" Shang Jianyao put down the can and stood up.

Long Yuehong shook his head without hesitation:

"No.

"Don't you still have a lot of subsidies?"

Although Shang Jianyao's parents left no inheritance, the company provided a certain amount of compensation. When he entered university, he received an additional monthly subsidy of 1200 points—every college student did.

This allowed Shang Jianyao to barely maintain a basic living standard.

The subsidy would end one month after college students were assigned jobs and started working.

Shang Jianyao's face showed no embarrassment at being refused. He smiled and said:

"Shouldn't happy things be shared with friends?"

"You mean, treating us to a meal is the best way to share?" Long Yuehong had become increasingly accustomed to Shang Jianyao's跳跃的思维 over the past two months.

Listening to their conversation, Chen Xianyu chuckled and interjected:

"Right, Xiao Yue, you were so depressed this afternoon, but now you're so happy. You must have encountered something good."

"Don't call me by my nickname..." Long Yuehong muttered, then said with a smile, "My mom said we don't have to wait for the unified marriage allocation next year. A few of her colleagues' daughters didn't get into college and have just started working. She plans to introduce us to see if we can develop a romantic relationship."

Company employees only have one chance to take the college entrance exam. If they fail, they are assigned jobs (if they perform well after starting work, they may be recommended for university). At this point, they are usually 18 years old, not yet at the age for mandatory participation in the unified marriage allocation.

Young people at this stage yearn for free love, as it is certainly better than random allocation, not purely a matter of luck, and has a foundation of affection.

Of course, not many can truly experience free love, as after starting work, they leave home at 7:30 AM every morning and finish at 6 PM, working in fixed positions with only an hour for lunch and rest. By 9 PM, the "Activity Center" closes, the streetlights go out, and everyone has to go home to rest. Thus, young people have limited opportunities to meet suitable members of the opposite sex and limited time to interact.

In contrast, free love is more common in both ordinary schools and universities.

As Long Yuehong spoke, he suddenly became a bit melancholic:

"I don't know if they'll like me. I'm only 1.75 meters tall after genetic modification, my looks are average, my grades aren't great, and no department has reserved me..."

"Something seems to be happening over there..." Shang Jianyao interrupted Long Yuehong's self-pity, pointing to an old table a few meters away.

Many employees were gathered there, seemingly discussing something.

Curious, Long Yuehong followed Shang Jianyao over.

He scanned the crowd and saw a familiar face, then blurted out:

"Aunt Ren, what are you talking about?"

The Aunt Ren he referred to was a middle-aged woman in her forties, wearing a polyester shirt, with a pleasant face and her hair simply tied up.

Her name was Ren Jie, who lived next to Long Yuehong and worked in a department under the company's "Strategic Committee," holding a D3 level.

Ren Jie glanced at Long Yuehong and sighed:

"We're talking about a recent rumor."

"What rumor?" Long Yuehong asked curiously.

At this moment, Chen Xianyu, the old man,收回了目光, looked at the stack of military cans in front of him, and couldn't help but touch his stomach and swallow.

He seemed to recall the feeling of opening a similar military can when he was extremely hungry.

"It really does sing... No, it makes my stomach and soul sing." Chen Xianyu, lost in thought, sighed sincerely.

On the other side, Ren Jie looked around and lowered her voice:

"Apparently, the company wants to deprive everyone of their right to reproduce."

"Ah?" This topic was a bit unexpected for Long Yuehong, and he briefly couldn't understand what it meant.

Ren Jie glanced at Shang Jianyao, who maintained a smile, and continued:

"The company might require couples who want children to submit biological materials under the guidance and assistance of doctors.

"Then, a large 'Reproduction Center' will be established in the research area to uniformly perform in vitro fertilization, artificial uterus incubation, infant growth assistance, and intervention. In short, when you receive your child, they might already be a few years old.

"Ah, they say it's to liberate women from pregnancy and childbirth and alleviate the company's labor shortage."

At this point, a woman in her twenties, who was part of the crowd, couldn't help but speak up:

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"How can that be a good thing?" Ren Jie's face darkened, "Bearing life is a sacred right granted by the gods, uh, heaven. How can it be entrusted to machines? How will you establish a bond with your child?"

"Right, right." A man sitting diagonally across from her, stroking his hair, said worriedly, "It's said that the old world was ultimately destroyed because it conducted a series of unethical and taboo experiments."

Ren Jie nodded frequently and turned to Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong:

"Xiao Shang, Xiao Yue, what do you think? Don't you also believe that bearing life is the key to being human, a sacred right granted by heaven?"

Shang Jianyao nodded without hesitation:

"Yes."

Seeing Aunt Ren's eyes widen with bloodshot veins, Long Yuehong let out a low "hiss" and said:

"Yes, yes."

"You two still understand the truth." Ren Jie smiled.

At this moment, an employee laughed:

"Are you taking it too seriously? This is just a rumor. My uncle works in a subsidiary of the board of directors and hasn't heard anything!"

Ren Jie responded seriously:

"Just a reminder. If someone comes to solicit opinions, you must oppose it."

Some remained silent, some nodded, and some asked with rich imagination:

"If this regulation is really implemented, will marriage and unified marriage allocation be abolished?"

The man who mentioned the old world's rumors said with a tone:

"No.

"Chairman Ji said that a harmonious and healthy marriage is key to maintaining employees' mental stability in the current environment."

Chairman Ji, named Ji Ze, is a member of the company's board of directors, vice president, and an M3-level senior executive. He often gives speeches on the radio and greets everyone through the "Activity Center" displays at the end and beginning of the year.

As they discussed, a bell suddenly rang from next to the "Activity Center":

"Ding ling ling!"

Except for a few, most people seemed to hear a charge signal and stood up simultaneously.

This bell came from the "Material Supply Market," reminding everyone that the cafeteria would open in three minutes.

Seeing his neighbors moving towards the "Employee Cafeteria," Long Yuehong glanced at Shang Jianyao:

"You actually agreed with Aunt Ren."

Shang Jianyao looked straight ahead:

"Try asking it differently."

Long Yuehong frowned, puzzled, and thought for a moment:

"What do you think of the 'Reproduction Center' system that liberates women from pregnancy and childbirth?"

Shang Jianyao answered without hesitation:

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"..." Long Yuehong was speechless.

By the time they spoke, they had already reached the "Material Supply Market."

There was no door, allowing a clear view inside:

On the left was a market with long counters and cabinets, where many employees who didn't want to eat in the cafeteria were picking and choosing, silently calculating. On the right was the "Employee Cafeteria," with doors and windows, and the aroma wafting out.

Soon, the cafeteria doors opened, and the employees of the 495th floor, some with their own utensils and some empty-handed, entered in an orderly manner.

Shang Jianyao, without a lunch box, entered and separated from Long Yuehong, turning right and picking up two large wooden bowls and a plate.

Then, he followed the queue, walking to different windows.

"Half a pound of sweet potato rice."

"One serving of braised cabbage."

"Two coarse grain steamed buns."

"One serving of boiled potatoes."

After passing through four windows, Shang Jianyao's two bowls were full—braised cabbage topped with boiled potatoes and two yellow steamed buns, and sweet potato rice filling the other bowl to the brim.

This already cost Shang Jianyao 14 contribution points: half a pound of sweet potato rice for 5 points, one coarse grain steamed bun for 2 points, one serving of boiled potatoes for 2 points, and one serving of braised cabbage with oil for 3 points.

Finally, Shang Jianyao came to the window with the most fragrant aroma.

This was the meat window.

He scanned from left to right and then from right to left, hesitated, and said:

"Give me one serving of braised pork, with extra sauce."

The aunt in a gray-blue uniform scooped up three finger-length, marbled, and appetizing pieces of braised pork and poured them into Shang Jianyao's bowl of sweet potato rice.

The soy sauce-colored meat sauce quickly spread, moistening half the bowl of rice.

"Good thing you came early, or it would have been gone." The aunt, who lived in the same "block" as Shang Jianyao, was very kind to him, "32 points."

Shang Jianyao looked at the heavy three pieces of braised pork, took out his electronic card, and swiped it on the machine.

He then said thank you, picked up a free clear soup, walked around the cafeteria, found Long Yuehong, and sat opposite him.

"Wow, luxurious." Long Yuehong genuinely admired his dinner.

Shang Jianyao ignored him, first moved the part of the sweet potato rice mixed with meat sauce to one side, then picked up a piece of braised pork and took a light bite.

Feeling the meat's aroma burst in his mouth, Shang Jianyao quickly lowered his head and scooped up a mouthful of sweet potato rice that hadn't been touched by the meat sauce.

He ate faster and faster. By the time he finished the three pieces of braised pork, the sweet potato rice and braised cabbage were down to a small half, and the boiled potatoes and coarse grain steamed buns were completely gone.

Finally, Shang Jianyao poured the braised cabbage into the rice bowl, mixed it with the remaining sweet potato rice that had the meat sauce, and finished it in one go.

"Satisfied." Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong put down their bowls and chopsticks simultaneously, sighing.

After finishing the clear soup, Long Yuehong asked casually:

"Going to the 'Activity Center'?"

Shang Jianyao shook his head:

"Going back to listen to the radio and rest early."

PS: In the previous chapter, I accidentally added an extra 2 when writing about Shang Jianyao's birthday. It has been revised.

PS2: Requesting recommendations~

PS3: I accidentally clicked publish, originally intending to schedule it. This is a thank you to everyone, and there will be more in the evening.