（节选）

1

A pig-ear-shaped slice is placed within the shopping cart, snugly sitting atop a plastic base, and encased in protective plastic wrap. A couple are carefully selecting in the supermarket's refrigerated cabinets.

"Directly marinate the ears, then choose another..." murmurs the husband as he browses through the items in the refrigerated cabinet.

"How about some lotus root with spareribs? Xiaoxiao, what do you think?" The wife turns to the girl who is supposed to stand behind her. "Xiaoxiao, why are you standing so far away?"

A teenage girl in her early teens appears and stands about six or seven meters from the fresh food display. She covers her nose and mouth with her sleeve, displaying a disgusted expression. "She knows I never eat meat. Why does she still ask me?" Xiao sighs inwardly, silently expressing her frustration.

"Ah, child. Seems like she still can't adapt to underground meat..." The wife continues selecting raw meat.

"It's not easy, after all... Everyone has their own process," the husband sighs, his brow furrowing helplessly. "How about some drumsticks?"

Xiao stands still, resembling a resolute lone lamb, at the seasoning shelf far from the raw meat section. She gazes fixedly at the two figures moving amidst the vibrant redness. Passersby hurry along their way, paying no attention to Xiao. No one would, and no one dares to pay heed to others.

After selecting, Xiao and her parents go to the checkout counter to pay. It is Friday, and the supermarket is unusually crowded as the evening approaches. "Good News: 200 New Civil Servants in the City," new faces on the TV channel wear the usual professional smile while delivering the recent positive news. Xiao's parents exchange a knowing glance, silently comforting each other with their eyes. Then, in a slightly worried manner, they surreptitiously steal glances towards Xiao.

Xiao is busily loading various groceries into the eco-friendly bag beside the shelves, but the slight furrow of her brow clearly indicates that she has heard the news bulletin. "I have to pass the exam this time!" while thinking determinedly to herself, Xiao hastily moves, grabbing the pig-ear-shaped slice and tossing it into the eco-friendly bag.

3

Xiao lies on the left bed in the double dorm, eyes closed, lost in thought. The right bed remains empty, waiting for another male student to be assigned. Despite being away from her parents' constant chatter, sharing the room with an unfamiliar male classmate makes Xiao uncomfortable.

Due to humanity's devastating defeat in the Fifth World War, with countless casualties, the global population moved underground, totaling only a few million people. To ensure the human race's reproduction, the United Nations implemented new reproductive policies. All dormitories were converted to mixed-gender residences, prohibiting women from having abortions. Xiao's civil service training camp was no exception. Here, men and women are not only required to sleep in the same dorm, but the government will assess the number of times they visit classrooms or canteens together as a couple.

Located on the outskirts, the civil service training camp extends towards the Earth's core, like all the other apartments. Due to space limitations, underground humans couldn't construct buildings from the ground up as on the surface. To create skyscrapers, they have to dig deeper underground. Surprisingly, people discovered that buildings deeper underground proved more beneficial than constructing them on the surface since deep underground structures could be continually expanded as the population grew.

Xiao sighs. All the classmates joining the civil service exam must stay at the training camp for a three-month session. The government collects high training fees, creates more job positions, and encourages higher birth rates -- it's like hitting three targets with one stone.

Opening her eyes, Xiao stares blankly at the dorm's soft pink lights. These lights aren't just for studying; they seem aimed at spurring romance. Breathing in, she detects a faint scent of Turkish rose, obviously for the enjoyment of male and female classmates. "I won't fall into the government's trap. I'll pass the civil service exam, earn from the government, and give my family a better life," Xiao thinks firmly, then leaps out of bed.

Her male roommate probably arrived in the early morning. Groggily, Xiao heard the door open and closed, and someone quietly moved luggage. "At least he's polite," Xiao thinks, then dozes again. The vibration on her wrist alerts Xiao that a new day has begun. Blinking at the edge of the bed, Xiao is surprised to find her roommate already dressed and reading on the bed. It's only 7 a.m.

The self-study room only opens at 9 a.m., purportedly to ensure students get enough sleep. Before that, students can only stay in their dorm rooms. To guarantee rest, the dorms only have two beds and no desks. Objectively speaking, the study routine at the training camp is much more relaxed than studying at home. No parental supervision exists, but policies ensure sleep with mandatory interactions between males and females. Without strong internal motivation, after three months, one might not be going to take the civil service exam but registering for marriage instead.

Pretending to rub her eyes, Xiao stealthily sizes up her roommate.

Neat, ear-length hair with clear layers. The electronic sunlight casts shadows on his fair face through the tousled fringe. Quite handsome, Xiao's lips curl slightly upward. Sensing Xiao's movement, her roommate's alert gaze meets Xiao's peeking eyes.

"Did you change the lights?" The roommate speaks first. His voice feels unexpectedly fragile, like splashing pure white paint onto a black wall.

"Yes," Xiao smirks, proudly surveying the dorm again. The soft pink lights were replaced with bright white overhead lights. "I turned off the scent diffuser too. And I tampered with the listening bugs." Xiao adds, drawing from her experience attending several training camps.

"I noticed," the roommate remains indifferent. The guy shows no hint of gratitude! Xiao pouts and decides not to waste another word.

"Let's go, class time," the roommate's delicate voice cuts through the air again. "By the way, I'm Hyeon-jin."

（欢迎一起改编，完整版请联系本人）