The activity center in Zone C of Level 495 stood out with its gray-green outer walls, covered in layers of graffiti. Six or seven girls, their faces filled with a mix of excitement, anticipation, and nervousness, walked through its doors.
Their clothing was simple and monotone, dominated by blue, black, white, and green. Yet, their youthful beauty was undeniable.
As they entered, the leader of the group glanced at the floor's sole LCD display screen and couldn't help whispering, "I wonder what kind of husband the company will assign me?"
"It's more about personality," replied the girl beside her, dressed in a green top and blue trousers, biting her lip.
As members of the second generation to benefit from genetic enhancement drugs, they had little concern about the appearance or height of their future spouses, all of whom were guaranteed to meet a certain standard.
The leader cast a side glance at her companion and said, "Did you forget? In the unified allocation, it's not just people our age participating. There are also those whose spouses have passed away. Some of them are in their forties or fifties and didn't benefit from embryonic genetic enhancements. They might have many flaws."
To ensure a sufficient number of newborns, the company had established strict rules:
"Anyone who reaches the age of 20 or graduates from higher education and has not freely married will be assigned a spouse by the company. Those who refuse will face penalties from the Department of Order Enforcement. First violations result in reduced energy allocation and the loss of contribution points; second violations lead to exile from the company, leaving the individual to fend for themselves in the wasteland."
Similarly, widowed individuals without children were required to participate in the allocation process three years after their spouse's death, provided they were under 60.
"Besides," another girl chimed in with a playful tone, "don't you secretly hope for a husband from an M-class family?"
The company hierarchy was divided into three tiers:
D-class employees, ranging from D1 to D9.
M-class management, with ranks from M1 (directors) to M3 (board members and chief scientists).
A level with no alphabetic designation, known only as "The Big Boss," a mysterious woman.
The girl in the green top pouted. "Have you ever heard of anyone from the lower floors getting a spouse from Levels 346 to 349?"
Those levels housed the M-class management. Their energy supply was abundant, and their living spaces were ten times larger than those on the ordinary employee floors. These levels had their own elevators, purified water systems, ventilation, waste management, and education facilities, isolating their children from ordinary employees—except during higher education, as the company only had one university on Level 350.
Ordinary employees' children had to pass an exam to decide whether they would start working or attend university, while management's children could enter higher education without tests.
Within the company, everyone aspired to join the management class or at least build connections with them. As for the enigmatic Big Boss, ordinary employees couldn't even dream of meeting her. Most didn't know what she looked like, as she only addressed them through broadcasts during year-end events or major incidents.
The leader of the girls laughed and teased, "That's why I always told you to find someone while we were in school. Look at Chen Bei—her husband was snapped up by the Materials Management Department as soon as he graduated. Must be some family background there!"
"Meng Xia, aren't you embarrassed to say that? Why didn't you fall in love freely?" the other girls retorted in unison.
"You know me. Talking big is my specialty," Meng Xia admitted shamelessly, drawing laughter.
The girl in the green top curiously asked, "Meng Xia, do you know what level Chen Bei's husband's family is? You're close to her."
Meng Xia glanced around, lowered her voice, and said, "I heard he's the director of the Operations Cluster in the Security Department."
"Wow..." The girls gasped in amazement, just as a group of young men entered through the activity center's doors.
The two groups exchanged glances before shyly looking away, each wondering if their future spouse might be among those opposite them.
One of the men, about 1.75 meters tall and sporting a clean buzz cut, glanced at the old tables and chairs scattered around the center. Feeling a bit nervous, he said to his companion, "Shang Jianyao, what kind of wife do you think the company will assign me?"
Shang Jianyao, about 1.85 meters tall with bright brown eyes, sharp features, and slightly messy black hair covering half his forehead, turned to his friend and replied, "First, you need to actually be assigned one before you can think about what she'll be like."
Dressed in a dark blue two-piece outfit, his muscular arms stretched the fabric, exuding strength and masculinity.
"Come on, I won't be that unlucky, right? This time, there are only two more men than women," the shorter man joked, then fell silent. Nervously, he muttered, "What if they don't like me? I'm only 1.75 meters tall, even after genetic modification. I'm not handsome, and my grades are just average…"
Shang Jianyao's expression turned serious. "That's not the issue. The issue is your name."
"My name? What's wrong with Long Yuehong? My dad's surname is Long, and my mom's name has the character for 'Hong.' It's meaningful!" Long Yuehong muttered, then suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, do you think they might mistake me for a woman and assign me a husband instead? What would I do then?"
Shang Jianyao glanced him up and down. "Organ transplants, neural reconstruction, and an artificial womb. Problem solved."
"Ha-ha, no way! I mean, there's no way they'd mess up. All my records clearly state I'm male! But seriously, what's wrong with my name?" Long Yuehong asked.
"Names represent fate. In a random allocation, fate decides," Shang Jianyao replied earnestly.
Long Yuehong froze for two seconds before retorting, "I knew you'd have nothing useful to say!"
He quickly changed the subject. "What kind of wife do you hope to get, Shang Jianyao?"
"I don't need one," Shang Jianyao replied, raising his chin. "The company's resources are stretched thin. Humanity on the wasteland suffers under the shadows of famine, disease, and mutations. How could I get married in such times?"
"...You've gotten better at joking," Long Yuehong said with a dry laugh.
"I've already applied to forgo this allocation," Shang Jianyao replied seriously.
"Are you for real? That's impossible! The company wouldn't allow it. Haha, for a second, I almost believed you!" Long Yuehong said, relieved.
Before he could say more, the supervisor of the activity center, Chen Xianyu, approached the LCD screen with a remote control in hand.
The elderly man, with graying hair and unsteady steps, had once worked in the Security Department, handling external operations. He had reached the rank of D7 team leader before retiring due to age and becoming a D8 manager in charge of the activity center.
"Alright, it's about to begin," Chen Xianyu announced, pressing the remote.
The LCD screen flickered, emitting a faint glow as everyone held their breath, waiting for the results to appear.