Chapter 40: Going against the grain (I) Up and down, like waves...
"Sacrifices in every state require human flesh," Dong Yu told Zhang Deng during his free time. "If we don't, something bad will happen—either plague, flood, or drought. It's always been this way, from ancient times to the present."
Dong Yu saw his mood and comforted him, "You don't have to think too much about it. It's just a few old men who died. They should have died long ago."
Zhang Deng said, "I don't understand why this happened."
"What's so hard to understand?" Dong Yu asked. "Do you think all monsters are good?"
"Of course not."
Dong Yu: "Do you think all emperors are good people?"
“Not really.”
Dong Yu asked, "Then why do you think all gods are good?"
Zhang Deng was speechless.
Dong Yu said, "Those born naturally are gods, and those cultivated through practice are immortals. They are simply higher species than us. They have cultivated immortal bodies, but they are not necessarily noble. In fact, I think they must be very bad."
"You always let your imagination run wild." Zhang Deng complained about him in frustration.
Dong Yu said, "This is called thinking."
"Don't learn from Wei Yuanye," Zhang Deng advised him kindly, "He's just talking nonsense."
"No, no," Dong Yu shook his head, "I think he has great wisdom. There is something in his brain."
Dong Yu directed his gaze towards the many people bustling about in the hall. He said, "Look at all these people. Actually, there might not be a single one who truly thinks. Their minds are empty; they only know how to follow orders and act accordingly. Yet, it is precisely this kind of mob that predominates in our lives."
Dong Yu said, "But your husband is smart, and you can live a good life with him."
Zhang Deng blushed, then smiled and said, "Well, you all like him very much."
"He won't do too badly wherever he goes," Dong Yu said, "because he has the physique of a hero. Wei Yuanye bought so many Qiang people's things for you, but he didn't just leave them there. He used them. He knows how to go with the flow. He only makes friends and doesn't flatter people. He knows how to deal with people. Zhang Deng, I admire him very much."
Zhang Deng said: "Actually, I admire him too."
"I can see that," Dong Yu said, "If I liked a man, I would date him too."
Zhang Deng was unhappy: "He doesn't like you."
Dong Yu said, "You're still protecting your food."
Zhang Deng laughed, and Dong Yu continued to mutter, "Maybe he can really do something. Nowadays, everyone is obsessed with the spirit body because everyone wants to become an immortal, want to be immortal, and want to have supreme magic. Don't you think this is very low-level?"
Zhang Deng said, "So, why do you want a martial soul body?"
After spending these days with him, Zhang Deng was not sure whether Dong Yu was a madman or a real "alien". He just felt that Dong Yu was very complicated.
Dong Yu said, "Truth."
Zhang Deng: “?”
"I want the truth to last forever," Dong Yu said, "and for the way of man, the way of demons, and the way of heaven to return to their roots."
Zhang Deng looked at him for a long moment, and he said, "Very good."
Dong Yu didn't feel perfunctory. He said to himself, "This world is rotten to the core. It needs someone to save it. Since someone must be the hero, why can't it be me?"
The more Zhang Deng listened, the more he felt something was wrong.
Could this be the idea of an ordinary madman? He had a thought: could the beneficiary they were looking for be Dong Yu?
He had this question in his mind and planned to share it with Wei Yuanye in the evening.
Feimao came to him and asked, "Can we talk?"
"Yeah?" Zhang Deng said, "Of course, what's the matter?"
Fei Mao hesitated for a moment, feeling a little embarrassed to speak. Zhang Deng said, "It's okay. Just tell me. I can't promise you anything I can't do."
Feimao asked, "Can you read?"
"Sure," Zhang Deng smiled and said, "but the school hasn't been chosen yet. You have to wait a few days. We don't know where to send people to study yet."
Feimao said, "It would be nice if you could recognize the words."
Zhang Deng still remembered him and said, "I think you are very suitable for studying."
Fei Mao had a melancholic and literary temperament. Zhang Deng guessed that he must hate not being able to read.
Fei Mao added, "There's one more thing... Ah Ping's mother isn't in good health and can't work. Can you find her something light to do? He's too embarrassed to tell you."
"It's nothing special," Zhang Deng said, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "In fact, you don't have to do anything."
Feimao was stunned: "Is it okay?"
Zhang Deng: "There's nothing we can do if she's not in good health. If she really can't make it, just let her do odd jobs in the hall."
Feimao asked, "Why on earth did you do this?"
"Why not?" Zhang Deng said. "There's no reason."
Feimao: "We were born as Qiang people, and we have accepted it."
Zhang Deng ignored his logic and said, "It doesn't matter whether you accept it or not. Just make sure your descendants don't accept it."
Feimao seemed touched by his words and remained silent for a while before saying, "Anyway, thank you for saving our worthless lives."
"Forget it." Zhang Deng waved his hand. "Three hundred yuan each."
That day, Zhang Deng was so busy that he didn't even have time to sit down and drink a sip of water. By the time he came to his senses, it was already late at night.
They arranged most of the Qiang people, and some of the elderly, young people, or those with health problems were still waiting for assignment.
Zhang Deng had a splitting headache and didn't want to think about it anymore. He planned to go home after get off work and talk about it tomorrow.
Suddenly, most of the people were gone from the bus, and it became much more spacious, and their living environment also improved somewhat.
Zhang Deng, Wei Yuanye, Shi Hong, Lin Yuzhou and Dong Yu were so tired that they were almost unrecognizable. They just found a small restaurant to sit down and have a meal. No one could say anything witty. After the meal, they waved goodbye and went their separate ways.
Back at his residence, Zhang Deng told Wei Yuanye about his thoughts today. Wei Yuanye said, "Maybe."
"I just can't find the 'evil'," Wei Yuanye said, "perhaps this 'evil' has no form."
"What's the meaning?"
Wei Yuanye said: "It's not a specific person, it's just a thing, or a consciousness."
Zhang Deng said, "It can be done this way."
"That's a lot like Dong Yu," Zhang Deng said. "He might have been driven crazy by this world. He's definitely crazy, like he's sick."
Wei Yuanye said, "I'll try to report it."
"If we're close enough to the target mission, there will be fluctuations, and we can tell by the fluctuations whether it's him."
Zhang Deng asked, "Is that how you found me back then?"
Wei Yuanye thought about it and said, "Not entirely."
"Then how do you judge that the person you are looking for is me?"
"I feel like I've seen you before," Wei Yuanye said, "I have a premonition."
The lights are cheap and touching, and quite romantic.
"Are you tired?" Wei Yuanye asked.
Zhang Deng: “Not bad.”
In fact, when he worked overtime before, his workload was also very heavy, but at that time he was dealing with paperwork and rarely faced so many people. The amount of words Zhang Deng said today was almost as much as he said this year.
Wei Yuanye said: "If the recipient is Dong Yu, this matter will be a bit difficult to handle."
"What he wants to do is too difficult. It's hard to accomplish with our own strength. We need to think of other ways."
Zhang Deng also found it difficult. He said, "The ideology of the people here is too backward, at least a hundred years behind."
"What if we change education?" Wei Yuanye asked, "Can you write textbooks?"
Zhang Deng's scalp tingled. "How can I possibly write this? I don't have such a broad range of knowledge."
Wei Yuanye: "We don't need a broad range of knowledge, and we don't need to teach them any scientific principles. We just need to process their existing knowledge, inject some values into it, and influence their worldview."
"No," Wei Yuanye immediately refuted his own point of view, "Since we've already done it, we might as well just create a belief."
"After we obtain our spirit avatar, we'll definitely become famous," Wei Yuanye said. "Then we can organize an event like viewing the remains, invite everyone over, and you can give them a lecture. Your identity will be like a deity who has descended to earth to experience trials and tribulations."
Zhang Deng opened his mouth wide and said, "Me?"
Wei Yuanye said, "You have good expressive ability, you can definitely do it."
"You and the others will preach the Dharma," Wei Yuanye said, "and educate the people and establish good customs. Then we'll see what Dong Yu wants and give it to him. We can leave in as little as half a year."
Zhang Deng was listless: "It will take at least half a year."
Wei Yuanye said, "Don't be discouraged."
"I miss Xiao Mi so much," Zhang Deng said, finding it hard not to feel discouraged. "What should I do?"
Wei Yuanye thought for a moment and asked, "Do you want to go back and take a look?"
"Is it okay?" Zhang Deng's eyes lit up.
Wei Yuanye said: "Just don't get discovered."
Zhang Deng: "That's not allowed."
"Forget it," Zhang Deng said, "Let's not cause any trouble."
Wei Yuanye: "Is this all we need?"
Wei Yuanye took out his communicator and said, "There shouldn't be anyone in the office at this hour. If you want to leave, now's the time."
Zhang Deng said this wasn't a good idea, then he got off the ground, hugged his arm, and said, "Then let's go quickly and come back soon. I also want to take Xiao Ai with me."
Wei Yuanye pressed the communicator, and they instantly disappeared from the spot.
"No matter how many times I do it, it feels magical," Zhang Deng said. "It's like Doraemon's Anywhere Door."
The two of them stood in the office they had come from, whispering to each other. Wei Yuanye said, "Without a pass, we can't go to your world. You try."
"How to try?" two voices asked at the same time.
Zhang Deng was stunned for a moment, then screamed "Ah--!" He turned around and saw a person sitting in the darkness.
Chi Xiaoxia pressed the computer button and turned on the screen. Under the screen light, his face looked very gloomy and terrifying. Chi Xiaoxia said, "Well, you actually left your post without permission!"
Zhang Deng asked, "Are you an NPC? Won't you change your position?"
Chi Xiaoxia's eyes were bruised. He said, "I'm working overtime. I'm already scary enough on my own, and you two are messing with me."
"That's miserable," Zhang Deng sympathized. He used to work so hard that he was the only one left in the office. He said, "It's too late. Why don't you go back and do it?"
Chi Xiaoxia clenched his fist and said, "I won't bring work home. What are you doing back?"
"I want to go back to my world and see my kitten," Zhang Deng said a little embarrassedly, "but we don't have a pass, so I have to find a way to travel back."
Chi Xiaoxia stretched and walked back: "Hey, there's no need to go through so much trouble. I'll just give you permission. Just don't cause any trouble."
Zhang Deng was a little surprised: "Is it really possible?"
"Don't count it."
"Thank you. I'll bring you some local specialties."
"Forget it," Chi Xiaoxia said while yawning, "Your world is too shabby. I don't like it."
Zhang Deng thought so too. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him and he asked, "Can you help me get a cactus?"
"Oh, forget it. You can't come into my house." Zhang Deng said regretfully, "Then I'll have to get it myself."
Chi Xiaoxia said, "Don't go too far, Zhang Xiaodeng. Am I your slave?"
"What's the matter?" Zhang Deng said, "What's wrong with helping each other out?"
Chi Xiaoxia: "This is the third time I've seen you!"
Zhang Deng then realized that he and Chi Xiaoxia weren't very familiar with each other in the real world. He said, "Okay then."
"But I can get it for you," Chi Xiaoxia said reservedly, "Where do you live? I have the authority."
Zhang Deng: "How come you have authority over everything?"
Chi Xiaoxia said, "Because I work in technology, the world is just a bunch of code to me."
Wei Yuanye said, "2312B, take a cactus. Take his backpack too. It's red and has a fox logo on it."
Chi Xiaoxia said angrily: "You two!"
Zhang Deng smiled and put his hand on the door handle: "I love you!"
Leaving Chi Xiaoxia's shouting behind.
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