Gene from the 13th Department of Bright City

February 2

10 am

Lewen woke up from his hangover. The drinking party lasted until 5 a.m. and he looked at the small low table aside with a glass of water on it.

This is what Su Xin has always put on the table every time Le Wen drinks. Le Wen picks it up with a smile and drinks it in one gulp. Friends in the company will take care of it. Le Wen plans to rest at home for two or three days. He has been quite busy recently. Each time I slept directly at the company.

click

The door to the room opened, and Su Xin came in with a basin of water.

"I just heard you wake up, why don't you sleep a little longer!"

Le Wen shook his head and yawned. After getting up, he washed his face and felt much more comfortable. Su Xin sat on the edge of the small bed, and the couple began to talk about their travel plans for tomorrow and the day after.

Over the years, the couple has always insisted on living at the bottom. Life here is relaxed and happy.

"By the way, before our child is born, do you want to participate in some prenatal knowledge training in advance?"

Le Wen asked, and Su Xin shook his head.

"Why are you going so early? Get up quickly. I'll prepare porridge for you. We'll go shopping on the street later."

Le Wen said yes. The birth permit has been obtained, but it needs to wait until 2249.

Now that the population is strictly restricted, it is becoming more and more difficult to have children. Anyone who violates the fertility law will be directly expelled from the city. This is the same for people of any class.

Although the population is growing slowly, the population of Brilliant City has now exceeded 26 million and is slowly approaching 30 million. The excessive population will only make the already severely undersupplied resources more and more strained.

Liquid food is still the best-selling food in the city, with about 50 million sales a day. This number is very exaggerated. Lewen feels that there may be big problems in the future due to the quality of liquid food.

The research team of Levin and friends has previously tested many liquid foods produced. These liquid foods contain many industrial additives. These products can seriously harm human health, but most companies that produce liquid foods insist that There won't be any problems.

It is true that there will be no problem in the short term, but long-term consumption will cause irreversible damage to the body. Unless the body's metal content can be cleaned once a quarter, the current price of this technology is still very expensive, and not everyone can do it. Affordable.

"What are you worried about?"

Su Xin asked, Le Wen sighed helplessly and said what was on his mind. Su Xin thought for a while and then smiled.

"I think it's actually pretty good, much better than in the past, and not every liquid food company will add a lot of it."

Le Wen smiled and nodded, and after a while the couple went out.

Along the way to the street, neighbors came over from time to time to chat with the couple. By the time we officially arrived on the main street, it was almost 12 o'clock.

The streets in the early morning were still the same as before. The couple were shopping in some shops and planned to eat lunch outside today.

"Lao Le, I heard that your company has successfully launched."

The owner of a restaurant greeted him warmly. Le Wen smiled and chatted with him. The boss immediately pulled Le Wen.

"You'll eat at my place today."

The boss said and Le Wen smiled helplessly. Unable to resist the boss's enthusiasm, he went in.

"I'll get you some good food, and I'll treat you to this meal today."

Although Le Wen was embarrassed, he still nodded. At this time, someone came in to chat and laugh with Le Wen. People around here knew Le Wen and Su Xin. The couple had helped many people, whether it was financial help. Or in other aspects, the boss is the person who has received help from Le Wen.

At this time, several gang members walked in, and the leader came over respectfully.

"Lao Le, our machine over there is broken. If you have time, come over."

"No time."

Before they could finish speaking, Su Xin said angrily, and a bunch of people left helplessly. Le Wen said he would go over and take a look in a few days.

Although part of District 118 has become a slum, it is not as bad as many people think literally. It is normal for many families to have a monthly income of less than 500.

Because the prices at the bottom are very low, so low that many people can’t imagine it. With prices so low, labor costs are naturally low, and income is naturally low. The minimum tax of 15 yuan a month is not difficult for many people.

Most of the people living on the ground floor are women, children and the elderly, and most of the young people who are strong have gone to work outside. Therefore, it is impossible for the income of these young people to be calculated within the area.

This is where Le Wen is more worried now. He has gone to the district office many times, hoping that they will adjust the method of income statistics in the area to take the family as a unit. Even if someone in the family works in the area outside, the basic income will not be calculated. Because if the place of work is not local, it cannot be included in the regional income statistics.

Such statistics will make prejudices even more intense. Many people in the middle class are not even willing to come to the bottom. Obviously the consumption here is so low and the quality is decent. However, because of many people's prejudice against the poverty of the bottom, some people in the middle class simply do not want to go to the bottom. Won't come to the ground floor.

Without abortion consumption, the situation at the bottom will only get worse. In the past, although many businessmen would choose small workshops on the bottom to manufacture goods, such small workshops have disappeared now.

Because machinery and equipment cannot be afforded by such small workshops, and many products in the new era cannot be made by small workshops, and most businessmen have moved manufacturing back to the western factory area.

If the bottom class continues like this, it will become less and less competitive. Although Le Wen does not want to speak out for anything, his children will also live at the bottom in the future, so he will pay attention to these things.

Although the media had reported these things before, they did not cause any waves. The underlying issues have been selectively ignored by most people.

Most people who were born at the bottom just want to escape from the bottom quickly without thinking about it. Many times, their origin determines many things. Even if they escape from the bottom, they will still return to the bottom in the end.

There are many people who have gone around in circles and come back to the bottom. This does not mean that they have lost, because the starting point is different. Many middle- and upper-class people who live a stable and prosperous life rely on the efforts of two or three generations. Finally, I have the stable and prosperous life I have now.

In Le Wen's view, getting ahead is something that many people at the bottom want to achieve, but how to get ahead is something that many people at the bottom have never thought about. They only want to go out and try their luck when they are young, and then You can definitely get ahead.

There are many people who leave the bottom with such confidence, but it often backfires. They end up having to return to the bottom after a few years.

Le Wen often advises some young people that instead of going out to areas where there is a big gap between the class they were born in, it is better to do something solid in the lower-level areas. If you do it for three to five years, you will not be bad, especially In a relatively fair era like today, if you work harder, there will be a way out.

If Section 10 hadn't allowed it, Lewen planned to set up the company's headquarters directly on the ground floor. In the end, Section 10 found a more suitable building for them.

Escape would not solve the problem. Seeing Le Wen's worried look, Su Xin also noticed that there were fewer and fewer young people on the street recently.

"I'm thinking that if our children have to live here in the future, it would be nice if this place could be better than it is now."

Lewen smiled helplessly.

"As long as he is happy, just work hard in life. Regardless of success or failure, I think a happy life is the best."

Su Xin hummed, and looked at the middle and upper classes in the distance, smiling with her hands on her chin. Over the years, Su Li would still come down to see them from time to time, but it had completely disappeared in recent years. Su Xin did not plan to meet with Su Xin. If there is any dispute at home, the choice made back then was the right one. Over the years, she and her husband Le Wen have not had any major disagreements or quarrels. The husband and wife have always loved each other.

"By the way, let's go to the middle floor to watch a movie tonight?"

Le Wen asked, Su Xin thought for a while and looked through the movie list before saying with a smile.

"Just watch "Phantom of the Castle"."

When Le Wen saw that it was a horror film produced at a low cost, he smiled helplessly. His wife still liked these thrilling and scary movies, and would watch them alone at home from time to time. When Le Wen came back in the evening, Su Xin was already there. Waiting at the door, seemingly frightened.

The meal ended with a chat and laugh with the boss, and the couple planned to go directly to the ring street on the middle floor for a stroll.

After 20 minutes, the two of them exited the subway station and came to the crowded middle-level ring street. This place is currently an emerging commercial district in the middle level. If you want to visit the entire ring street, two or three days are not enough.

At this moment, some people came over. They seemed to be mutant bodyguards. Le Wen looked at it with some confusion. It was an upper-class businessman named Paul. He had come to Le Wen many times before.

"Hello Mr. Lewen, why are you here?"

Le Wen said he took his wife to watch a movie, and Paul smiled and pointed to a large store not far away that was being renovated.

"My store will be opening tonight. How about having a meal together, Mr. Lewen?"

Le Wen still refused. Paul was a little helpless, but he still held Le Wen's hand and said something.

"Our boss invites you to dinner to show your face."

A younger bodyguard muttered. Paul's expression was slightly complicated. Le Wen shook his head and was about to leave. At this time, the bodyguard came directly to stop Le Wen.

The atmosphere on the scene was a bit solemn, and Paul hurried over and pulled the bodyguard away.

"Uncle, why are you talking nonsense to this guy? Why don't you leave it to me? I promise to make him agree."

Paul glanced at his nephew.

"If you want to die, just go ahead. The people from Section 2 are always watching them."

Paul said, and his nephew swallowed a sip and looked around with a slightly serious expression. Paul sighed helplessly. He was very confident in the new technology in Lewen's hands and hoped to invest, but was rejected by Lewen. Wen declined, but at this moment more than ten people came around, and one of them took out his ID directly.

"Gentlemen, please follow me to the local public security management station to assist in the investigation."

Paul's expression became solemn, and his nephew, who had been a little arrogant just now, also showed fear. Paul hurriedly explained that it was true that he had sent people to see Le Wen many times in the past few days, and they were only talking about cooperation and nothing else. the goal of.

"Please come back with us to assist in the investigation. If there is any purpose, we will investigate first. I hope you will cooperate."

In the end, Paul could only leave with 5 bodyguards and surrounded by a bunch of Section 2 personnel.

At this time, a person in charge of Section 2 who followed Le Wen immediately sent a report. Their team of 100 people was responsible for keeping an eye on Le Wen, the main scientist. The technology he held was very important. They were asked to Follow Lok Man and his wife 24 hours a day.

A group of people close to the Lok Wen couple conducted an investigation. The businessman Paul, who had just contacted Lok Wen, had contacted Lok Wen many times, and had also sent people to contact local gang members, seeming to want to plan something secretly.

All this was already under the control of Section 2. At this time, on a street on the ground floor, hundreds of people from Section 5 broke into an entertainment club. More than 30 gang members squatted on the ground with their hands on their heads. The leader did not even Know what went wrong.

The local officer looked at the leader with a complicated expression.

"What exactly do you want to do? Didn't I say that I must not interfere with ordinary people's lives or threaten them? Is there something wrong with your brain?"

The leader had no idea what was going on, but after seeing some people from Section 2, he realized that the matter was serious, and immediately said that he really didn’t know anything. After a while, the leader saw one of himself His right-hand man was arrested.

"I really don't dare anymore, really"

"Sir, you are currently suspected of urban endangerment crimes. If you have any accomplices, please explain immediately."

The leader looked at this subordinate in horror. After a while, he realized that this kid had made a deal with a certain businessman and wanted to do harm to a certain scientist living in the area, and he had already received the money.

"This matter has nothing to do with me. I don't know anything about it. I want to find a lawyer."

The leader immediately shouted, but he was still handcuffed by the people from Section 2. They would be escorted directly to Section 2 for interrogation. Everyone knew that if they entered Section 2, they would be dead even if they came out.

The section officer was a little confused, then a section member from Section 2 said.

"Officer Zhang Yong, I hope you can inform some other restless gang members that the scientist is currently researching substances that are extremely important to the city. The order we received is to protect his safety at all costs and not to be harassed. ."

Zhang Yong immediately nodded understandingly. He knew they were talking about Le Wen, and then all the gang members were taken away. In Zhang Yong's opinion, many of them did not know, but in front of Section 2, unless they were interrogated , they won’t believe what they say.