"This beef from Fusang is really tender." Finishing off the big bowl of Fusang beef ramen, Ling PingAn burped with pleasure. "Just because of this Fusang beef, I will have no problem with supporting the Fusang Kingdom's entry into the federation."
At this moment, the phone in his pocket vibrated to indicate that it was receiving text messages.
Ling PingAn took it out and unlocked the screen.
It was an official text message from the federal government: Dear federal citizen Mr. Ling PingAn, your account has been credited today: ,425. The details of your credit are as follows: Allowance for the children of Tier A contributors to the Federation: ,000.; subsidy for federal university students: ,000.; allowance to encourage the settlement of unmarried children of meritorious contributors of the Federation: .
Looking at this text message, Ling PingAn became silent for a long time before finally sighing, "So today is allowance day already..."
"Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, we're already at the tenth of the month!"
The tenth of each month was the subsidy and tax rebate day of the central federal government.
This day was either a carnival or a sorrowful day for all federal citizens.
People like Ling PingAn would receive a sum of money and be pleased.
But for tycoons and businessmen with high incomes, they would inevitably face a notice asking them to pay taxes to the central federal government.
In a little while, a yellow text message appeared on Ling PingAn's phone.
In the Federation, this was the special color for imperial text messages.
But without even looking at it, Ling PingAn ignored the text.
Because he could guess what it was: definitely a message urging him to get married sent by the Federal Committee for the Children of Meritorious Contributors, which worked under the auspices of the imperial family.
He couldn't bring himself to read the text message.
Because if he were to read it, Ling PingAn felt that he might not be able to resist it urging him to embark on a journey of no return to attend blind dates and get married for real.
However, even though he didn't read it, that didn't mean that he could escape the pressure of being asked to get married.
His phone rang immediately after the text was ignored. "Time to face the storm!"
Ling PingAn sighed as he helplessly picked up the phone and looked at who was calling.
As expected, it was from 404100, the dedicated phone number for the Federal Committee for the Children of Meritorious Contributors under the imperial family of the Federal Empire.
He had to pick up the call.
If he didn't pick up the call, he was afraid that imperial commissioners might come to his door to have some tea later in the afternoon.
Without any other option, he answered the call.
"Hello. This is Ling PingAn…"
"Hello there." The gentle, beautiful sound of a girl came from the phone. "Mr. Ling, I'm Qin Keqing, the personal secretary of the crown princess of the Federal Empire..."
"Oh…hello," Ling PingAn answered courteously, but he knew that that wasn't really who she was.
The Federal Committee for the Children of Meritorious Contributors was indeed an organization placed directly under the leadership of Crown Princess Rouan, the eldest sister of the emperor.
However, Ling PingAn knew very well that the crown princess had to deal with a myriad of affairs every single day. Legend also had it that she had 3,000 handsome guys to keep her company.
How could she possibly deploy her personal secretary to call a nobody like him?
This girl would be no more than the personal secretary of the personal secretary of the personal secretary of the crown princess.
"This is the thing…" the girl on the phone continued softly, "I've just discovered that you're already 24 years old this year…am I correct?"
"Yeah…" Ling PingAn frowned, displaying a something-bad-is-about-to-happen kind of expression.
"Among the children of Tier A contributors of the Federation, you are the only one who has reached 24 years of age and has not yet reported any relationship…" The soft, beautiful voice of the girl questioned him in a suspicious tone, "Mr. Ling…do you have any issues with your body?"
"No!" Ling PingAn denied that immediately.
"Mmm…" The other party went on softly, "I have also checked your medical examination reports for last year and this year. Everything seems healthy..."
"Mr. Ling…," she asked, "why aren't you dating someone?"
"Is it because you haven't met your ideal lover?"
"I've discovered that in the past three years, the Governor General of Guangnan has sent you seven invitations to the Children of Meritorious Contributors Matchmaking Event, but you never attended any of them…"
Hearing that, Ling PingAn could only smile awkwardly.
Matchmaking event...?
If he had the time for a matchmaking event, wouldn't it be better spent playing a few games or writing a few chapters of his novel while staying home?
"Is it because you are worried about the cost of marriage and childbirth?" The soft, beautiful voice of this girl wouldn't stop talking in this persuasive tone. "Mr. Ling, you don't have to worry about this."
"In fact, according to the Central Federal Government's Act and the special policies enacted by the imperial family, as long as you start dating someone, fall in love, or even get married and have children, the subsidies and allowances you will receive will continue to increase."
"I can assure you that the Federal Government and the imperial family will never let the descendants of meritorious contributors be incapable of falling in love, getting married, or being unable to afford to send their children to school."
"Do you need me to walk you through the central government's bill and imperial family's policies for the children of Tier A contributors?"
Ling PingAn hurriedly shook his head, "No, thank you."
Ever since he had turned 18 years old and had reached the age of legal marriage, Ling PingAn's phone and mailbox would regularly receive various text messages and e-mails from the central government, the imperial family, the Governor's District, and Jiangcheng City.
All of which were about the Federal Act of Popular Science and Imperial Policy.
At first, Ling PingAn had gone through the texts and e-mails enthusiastically. But then he'd realized that every single one of those bills and policies read: fall in love, get married, have children, and how much subsidies would be given.
So he never read them anymore.
He was afraid he wouldn't be able to resist the temptation and step into the trap of love.
Dating someone or whatnot…
Was it better than playing games?
Was it better than writing novels?
There was a long silence on the phone.
After a long time, the soft, beautiful voice sounded once again, "Mr. Ling...if you continue like this, you will be making things really difficult for us…"
"Of all the children of Tier A meritorious contributors of the federation, you are the only one who is over 24 years old but have not been in a relationship even once…"
"I'm really afraid that you will remain unmatched even when you are 30..."
"And, in that case, I'm afraid that even His Royal Majesty will inquire about your marriage status…"
"Can you please do us all a favor…"
"Go and date someone…even if it's just for show, okay…?"
Ling PingAn plunged into silence.
He may have had a lot of bad habits.
But there was one thing about him. He was truthful.
That meant that he seldom told lies. Even if it was for being kind, he would try his best to avoid it.
Besides, he could get into legal trouble if he were to lie to the imperial family...
When the young girl on the other end of the phone heard Ling PingAn's silence, she also became quiet. After a while, seemingly irritated, she reluctantly suppressed her emotions and said with some disappointment in her voice, "Thank you for talking to me. I wish you a happy life..."
Tut tut tut…
Listening to the dial tone on the phone, Ling PingAn put down the phone and sighed as well.
"Is being single against the law?" he asked himself softly and answered himself, "No!"
However, he quickly shoved the matter aside.
Because the time to play games had indeed arrived.
He picked up his phone and went into the rift.
...
Thousands of miles away, north of the Guangnan Governor's District, at the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the towering imperial capital stood firmly on the banks of the Yangtze River.
In an edifice in the Linjiang district, a young woman angrily put down the phone.
"Just what kind of person is he?" She spoke somewhat indignantly, "If it wasn't that you're a child of a Tier A contributor, I would really like to call the Ministry of Finance and tell them to cut off your allowances and subsidies!"
Ring ring ring.
At this moment, a red telephone on her desk rang.
She quickly answered the phone.
"Your highness…" She got up from her seat and bowed.
"Yes…"
"I'm Qin Keqing…"
"Yes…"
"I will get it done as soon as possible. Rest assured, Your Highness!"
"Yes…"
Placing the phone down, she slumped in her chair.
She reached out, picked up a file from the desk, opened it, and looked at the smiling young student who was wearing a bachelor's uniform and a traditional imperial crown. She couldn't help but grit her teeth.
"Is dating someone really that hard for you?" she asked vexedly.
If she could have, she would personally have flown to Jiangcheng City, captured that damn otaku and brought him to Jianye City, thrown him onto that matchmaking program on Jianye Television, and let the 24 female guests tear him into pieces. A descendant of Tier A contributors was enough to drive those materialistic girls crazy.
But unfortunately, she couldn't.
Children of Tier A contributors were not only protected by federal laws, they were also given preferential treatment by the imperial family.
Their files and existence were all classified information.
Unless they spoke out themselves, it was absolutely impossible for outsiders to know who they were. Also, for those who knew, they wouldn't dare to spread this information at all.
At present, the federal government and the royal family were in charge.
Most of the imperial family's efforts were centered on being matchmakers.
Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Rouan was the one in charge of implementing this policy.
In current times, it was the imperial family's basic policy and one of the central federal government's jobs to provide preferential treatment for the descendants of meritorious contributors and to take care of their lives and families.
A male in a household who was 24 years of age who hadn't been in a relationship and in fact had never gone on a date was a thorn in everyone's sides.
With no other option, there was only one thing that she could do: pass the pressure downward.
She grabbed the phone, called the Federal Office of Special Affairs for the Children of Meritorious Contributors in the Jiangnan Governor's District and verbally assaulted the person who should have been dealing with this until he cried uncle.