WMSR — QT Chapter 159

 

WMSR – QT Chapter 159

By

siofra

That evening, after Neal took his leave, Colin remained virtually awake the entire night, locating that alpha's video on the star-net and keeping the five-minute self-introduction footage playing on loop for hours on end. Amidst the room's immersive, stereophonic soundscape, Colin surrendered himself entirely to the man's cool, deep vocal timbre, his eyes locked onto the screen without a single blink, as though gazing upon this individual could stretch the moment into eternity.

Unconsciously, Colin pressed a hand against his chest. Thump-thump, thump-thump—his heart hammered frantically within, every single beat screaming out in raw desire: I want him, I want him!

Gazing at the man on the projection, he thought to himself that love at first sight truly existed in this world.

In what felt like a fleeting instant, Colin's inner resistance toward the imperial marriage matching system, alongside all his discontent regarding the mandatory enforcement compelling omegas upon reaching adulthood to step into matrimony, entirely evaporated into thin air. If it's this alpha...

A fine sheen of moisture misted over Colin's eyes, and his breathing deepened perceptibly.

In the blink of an eye, two days slipped by, marking the arrival of the grand, nationwide public broadcast day for the empire. For on this day, every eligible omega participating in the marriage matching would select five preferred alphas to embark on formal dates with them, and the alphas ultimately chosen by the omegas post-dating would become legal companions, ascending into the ranks of the wildly envied alphas blessed with an omega partner.

The entire segment dedicated to eligible omegas selecting their alphas would conclude within the span of a single day, whereas the subsequent dating phase between omegas and alphas—owing to scheduling constraints—would be distributed across three consecutive days. Throughout this annual window, the focal point of star-net trending topics invariably locked onto these proceedings; after all, who could resist witnessing the spectacle of gorgeous, endearing omegas dating elite alphas? It functioned essentially as a flawless idol drama broadcast live, completely unscripted and raw. Moreover, given the scarcity and distinct status of omegas—who rarely appeared in public view under normal circumstances—this represented one of the exceedingly rare annual opportunities to behold omegas en masse, causing virtually no one to let the chance slip by.

Naturally, for the multitude of alphas who failed to squeeze into the top one thousand, watching those victors embark on dates with charming omegas felt rather like a cruel form of torture. Yet not a single alpha would ever elect to skip the annual star-net livestream, because securing a spot within the top one thousand guaranteed no absolute victory. While the marriage matching system culled the top one thousand elites from the broader pool of alphas each year, the average count of eligible omegas hovered around two hundred. Consequently, even among those thousand finalists, demand vastly outstripped supply, leaving at most roughly two hundred ultimate victors while everyone else risked being squeezed out of the running over careless missteps.

Thus, the reason these alphas subjected themselves to such agonizing self-inflicted torment lay in their desire to glean practical experience. They yearned to uncover precisely what methods allowed those two hundred individuals to stand out among a thousand competitors and win an omega's favor—and mastering a few winning techniques proved even better. After all, though they fell short this season, participants could register for the marriage matching once every three years; perhaps after cultivating their capital and resources over several years of hard toil, they would successfully break into the top one thousand. When that day arrived, the accumulated strategies and proficiencies gathered across these annual broadcasts could be deployed to crush their surrounding rivals and emerge as the ultimate victor.

Thus, amid mounting public anticipation, the moment arrived to unveil the omegas' selections. To guarantee absolute fairness and uphold the transparent standards intrinsic to the marriage matching system, the entire process of omegas choosing their alphas was broadcast live from start to finish.

Within a breathtakingly opulent and grandly decorated hall, every omega participant gathered, facing rows of advanced operational terminals where they would step forward in sequence, under the watchful gaze of the entire star-net, to handpick five coveted alphas from the pool of one thousand.

For the alphas who had successfully secured a place in the top one thousand, this spectacle was a nerve-wracking test of raw adrenaline. Although a thousand alphas stood against an average of two hundred omegas annually, and each omega selected five alphas for dates—creating the illusion of a neat numerical equilibrium where every finalist might theoretically secure a date—the stark reality differed wildly. In practice, certain alphas might be simultaneously chosen by several or even dozens of omegas, whereas others remained utterly ignored from start to finish, sitting in desolate obscurity as mere spectators who played bit parts in the grand event. Every single year, a substantial contingent of these sidelined "background extras" emerged among the top thousand finalists. If securing a spot in the top thousand initially crowned an alpha a victor over those left behind, failing to catch the eye of a single omega instantly reduced them to a laughingstock. Consequently, the qualifying alphas experienced excruciating tension on this particular day.

In stark contrast to the jittery alphas, the omegas present in the hall felt considerably more relaxed. After all, they occupied the privileged position of selectors rather than candidates on trial, and if none of the available options appealed to them, they possessed the safety net of their three rejection opportunities, leaving them free to defer their choice to the following year if necessary. Consequently, rather than agonizing over candidate portfolios, a vast proportion of the omegas channeled their primary focus toward their peers in the room. Given the momentous nature of the occasion, many omegas arrived draped in lavish, custom-tailored attire, desperately determined not to be outshone by those around them.

Naturally, omegas likewise commanded varying tiers of personal popularity; stunning, physically striking omegas naturally monopolized the lion's share of public attention. Among this dazzling congregation of competing elites, one particular omega radiated an unmatched aura of absolute dominance—a male omega draped in opulent garments, sporting fine, wavy brown locks swept backward, and possessing delicate, aloof, and striking features tinged with an air of aristocratic arrogance. He was none other than Muir, celebrated as one of the twin stellar icons of this omega cohort.

Since he bore the title of a stellar twin, a counterpart naturally existed to match him. Scanning the surrounding cluster of omegas and failing to locate the individual he sought, Muir furrowed his brows slightly and inquired, "Where is that fellow Colin?"

A nearby omega chimed in promptly, "He hasn't walked in yet. Judging by his usual indifference, he probably couldn't care less. Didn't people whisper before that he announced at the omega leisure lounge his intention to reject everyone across the board once again this year? I genuinely fail to fathom what goes through his mind—if he goes through with it, this will mark his second consecutive year executing that stunt."

--