Chapter 41: Going Upside Down (Part 2) Upside down and upside down, like waves...
Zhang Deng returned to his own world after a long absence. He always thought that he had no feelings for the place where he lived, but at this moment he felt like crying before he even spoke.
Zhang Deng said, "The taste of civilization."
"You're so lucky to be able to come to this world on a mission and meet someone as easy to talk to as me," Zhang Deng said.
Wei Yuanye said: "That's what I thought from the beginning."
Zhang Deng said, "Oh no! How can we contact Hu Ningning without a cell phone?"
"I have it." Wei Yuanye took out Zhang Deng's cell phone from his pocket, which was still half charged.
Zhang Deng asked, "Do you always carry it with you?"
Then he really admired Wei Yuanye a little bit.
Wei Yuanye said: "It was a magic trick."
Zhang Deng was a little annoying to him again.
He unlocked his phone and looked at Wei Yuanye suspiciously: "You're not going to look at my phone, are you?"
Wei Yuanye said: "I don't know the password."
Zhang Deng thought for a moment, then opened the password setting page. He took Wei Yuanye's finger and entered his fingerprint. After doing this, he opened Hu Ningning's account and called her.
Hu Ningning answered the phone quickly. Her voice was a little slurred, as if she was applying a facial mask. "What's up, idol? Are you back from your trip?"
Zhang Deng said succinctly, "Where's the cat? I'm craving cats!"
"I'm here," Hu Ningning said, "Come over, I'm at home."
Hu Ningning said, "My idol, you didn't tell me your cat is a sad beast. It's been here for a week and it's beaten my cat so badly that it's become depressed. You should pay for the medical expenses."
"Enough of the nonsense," Zhang Deng said. "I'll be right there."
When they took a taxi to Hu Ningning's small villa, Hu Ningning was already standing outside the door waiting for them. It was the coldest time of the year and she was only wearing a sweater suit, shivering with cold.
"What are you doing?" Zhang Deng asked, "You're wearing so little."
Hu Ningning said, "Is it okay to seduce you?"
Zhang Deng: "Then it's a bit too late for you to start working hard now."
Hu Ningning was convinced by him and said, "I just moved in here and I only have one coat, but your little one peed on it. It's a great favor that I can come out with my clothes on."
Zhang Deng felt a little guilty after hearing this and said, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Hu Ningning said, "I just insisted on touching his balls."
Zhang Deng: “…”
"Are you a gangster?"
"Cat," Hu Ningning said, "Is a cat still a cat if it doesn't let you touch its balls?"
Zhang Deng had never touched Xiao Mi's balls before, and he suddenly felt infinite sympathy for her.
They entered the room together. Xiao Mi was lying on the sofa, and Hu Ningning's own cat was lying on the floor. Xiao Mi heard the sound, looked up lazily, and saw that it was Zhang Deng. She jumped down gracefully, stood at Zhang Deng's feet, meowing, and rubbing his legs.
Zhang Deng felt an infinite tenderness in his heart, and he squatted down to touch his head: "Xiao Mi——"
Xiao Mi yelled "Ah" and punched the puppet behind him, causing the puppet to run away in panic, escape upstairs and disappear without a trace.
Zhang Deng: “…”
"Why?" Zhang Deng couldn't believe it.
It was as if he was meeting Xiao Mi for the first time. Why are you fighting?
Hu Ningning had an expression that said, "Just wait and see."
"Also, idol, let me tell you something," Hu Ningning said, "He Xiaoqiu and Liu Yan have officially announced their breakup."
Zhang Deng: "Am I being scolded again?"
Hu Ningning: "You understand the Internet."
Hu Ningning said: "I didn't know He Xiaoqiu was such a person. He said Liu Yan and you are seamlessly connected. Your comment section is so dirty now."
But Zhang Deng didn't seem to care anymore. He touched Xiao Mi's head and said with deep sorrow, "How could you be a cat like this? Is this what I usually teach you?"
Poor Zhang Deng, a mere scholar, actually raised a super-male kitten. His family has fallen on hard times, what a loss of fortune!
Hu Ningning said, "I hope you don't care. I scolded them for you online. How could you possibly look down on Liu Yan?"
"Liu Yan is a good person," Zhang Deng said, "but it's impossible for him and I. But forget it, praise or criticism is up to others, and I can't control what they say."
Hu Ningning said, "Wow, I'm glad you think that way."
Zhang Deng seemed to really not care. He didn't want to argue, nor did he care about any dirty water thrown at him, because he had already obtained something more important to him. Zhang Deng was a man who was content with love. For him, if he got love, then everything else would not be so important.
He also felt that He Xiaoqiu was very pitiful. He was still obsessed with the illusory binary world of you win and I lose, as if losing to Zhang Deng was such a shameful thing.
Zhang Deng sighed a little, then said, "We can't stay for too long. We have to leave again. I'd like to trouble you to take care of Xiao Mi for a while longer."
"That's too much trouble," Hu Ningning said, "You have no idea how difficult your cat is to take care of. Ah, why did you come down?"
Zhang Deng turned around to see a man walking down the stairs. The man was stunned when he saw them and looked at Hu Ningning inquiringly. Hu Ningning introduced him, "This is my idol. I told you that this man is Wei Yuanye, the one who kidnapped me before."
"This..." Hu Ningning was a little embarrassed, and finally just introduced, "This is my friend, his name is Tong Ying."
The last word "friend" was said with guilt. Zhang Deng understood that the relationship between the two was somewhat ambiguous. He was quite surprised in a stereotypical way. Hu Ningning would suddenly fall in love normally?
Zhang Deng quickly realized that it was impolite to think so. He stood up holding Xiao Mi and said, "Hello."
"Hello," Tong Ying said as she walked quickly down the stairs, "I often hear Ningning talk about you."
He had a pleasant fragrance on him, his steps seemed very steady, he was of good height, good looks, and a good temperament. He was a very introverted man with glasses. Zhang Deng quickly made a judgment about him in his mind: a man whose economic and educational levels were above the passing line.
"Hello." Zhang Deng said, "I'm sorry to bother you so late."
Tong Ying said: "Of course not, in fact, I am also a guest."
Oh, that means it hasn’t been obtained yet.
Wei Yuanye asked, "What kind of job do you do?"
Hu Ningning was a little dissatisfied: "What are you doing?"
"It's okay," Tong Ying said. "I'm a technician working in the factory."
Zhang Deng: "That must be tiring, right?"
Tong Ying said: "I'm fine. I work for a large industrial company, Foxconn."
Zhang Deng and Wei Yuanye were both stunned. Tong Ying seemed a little puzzled: "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing."
Tong Ying asked, "What about you guys? Where are you doing? I heard Teacher Zhang is a writer?"
"We haven't done it yet," Zhang Deng said, "We are now..."
Hu Ningning was dissatisfied again: "Why are you asking these questions? It's like checking my household registration."
Tong Ying immediately apologized: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything else, I just wanted to get to know your friends."
Zhang Deng felt strange no matter how he thought about it. Wei Yuanye asked directly, "Do you know someone? He also works in your factory. His name is Dong Yu."
Tong Ying thought for a moment and asked, "Which department is he from?"
"Actually, there are so many people in our factory," Tong Ying said, "it's hard to get to know each other if we're not in the same department. It's so big."
Zhang Deng: "Is there a madman in your factory?"
Tong Ying laughed and said, "What madman?"
But he soon realized that Zhang Deng was not joking. He thought about it carefully and said, "There is one."
"I had just started working there when I heard there was an employee with mental problems who sneaked into the workshop at night and committed suicide by slitting his wrists," Tong Ying said. "Someone heard the machines whirring all night and found him lying on the tracks covered in blood when they went in the morning. On the workbench, there was a single character 'Yu' written in blood."
Zhang Deng said, "A man?"
"He's a man," Tong Ying asked, "Do you know him?"
Zhang Deng shook his head and said, "I'm just curious."
Tong Ying said: "Maybe it's because the pressure is too great. Many children in the factory are under a lot of pressure."
"Maybe." Zhang Deng agreed halfheartedly.
Tong Ying: "I can go back and ask for you about the person you mentioned. His name is 'Dong Yu', right? My colleague is in charge of personnel and knows a lot of people."
"OK."
Hu Ningning pushed him and said, "You're quite capable."
Tong Ying smiled: "Your friends are my friends."
It wasn't appropriate to stay any longer, so Zhang Deng said goodbye to Xiao Mi reluctantly. He stroked Xiao Mi's soft head and said, "I'll come pick you up as soon as possible."
Xiao Mi didn't feel anything. Zhang Deng tapped its head lightly and said, "You have no conscience."
Xiao Mi suddenly jumped away and walked upstairs with a cat-like gait. Although Zhang Deng knew that cats were very independent, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken at this moment. Hu Ningning said, "Oh, don't worry, it doesn't miss you at all."
"I see," Zhang Deng said. "Do you really have to tell me?"
Hu Ningning said, "So what? Cats are like that. Whoever gives you milk is your mother. That's their advantage."
The truth is very cruel. Zhang Deng said: "You don't understand Xiao Mi. It just wants to make me sad."
"With this mentality, you will succeed in everything you do." Hu Ningning gave a thumbs up.
In such an occasion, Zhang Deng and Wei Yuanye did not stay too long and soon said goodbye.
Zhang Deng hugged Xiao Mi one last time and said reluctantly, "I'll come back as soon as possible to take you home."
Xiao Mi heard the farewell in his words, and naturally jumped out of his arms, and went upstairs with light and graceful cat steps.
Hu Ningning explained: "It went to beat the puppet."
"You have to compensate me when you come back," Hu Ningning said, "My cat was beaten into an M shape by it."
Zhang Deng asked, "Did you say thank you?"
Hu Ningning: “?”
Zhang Deng smiled and said, "I'll treat you to a meal when I get back."
"It's not as simple as eating," Hu Ningning said, "Just wait for me to think about it."
Zhang Deng agreed and said goodbye to Tong Ying politely. Tong Ying stood at the door and said with a smile, "Let's play together sometime later if there's a chance."
"Okay," Zhang Deng said, "there's a chance."
The two of them walked out, and Zhang Deng said to Wei Yuanye, "Dong Yu has a scar on his wrist, right?"
When Zhang Deng met Dong Yu on the first day, he saw the cut on his wrist. Wei Yuanye obviously knew about it too. He said, "Let's take a look."
But they both knew in their hearts that this was probably it.
Wei Yuanye and Zhang Deng found a relatively secluded corner and pressed the communicator. Wei Yuanye said, "I'll try to report it and see if the data is consistent."
Chi Xiaoxia sat at the desk with a gloomy face, staring at the two of them.
"Do you know what time it is?"
Zhang Deng glanced at his phone: "Eleven o'clock."
"I should have gotten off work a long time ago! How dare you make me wait for so long?"
Zhang Deng asked, "Have you finished your work?"
"not yet."
Zhang Deng gestured, "That's it," and Chi Xiaoxia said, "I've given up on this for a long time. I want to go home and sleep! Zhang Xiaodeng, people become bad as soon as they break away from the proletariat. You're really not innocent anymore!"
Zhang Deng raised his finger and swore, "I have absolutely not left the proletariat."
"I don't have a car, a house, or a job, and I haven't paid my social security for a month," Zhang Deng said. "Okay, sorry, I accidentally chatted for too long and kept you from getting off work."
Chi Xiaoxia was finally satisfied after hearing the apology. He threw the bag to them and said, "I got the cactus for you too."
He handed the cactus to Zhang Deng and even packed his things into his schoolbag. Zhang Deng smiled at him flatteringly.
Chi Xiaoxia said, "Come back soon and repay my kindness."
"You should stay up less late," Zhang Deng said sincerely, "There's never enough work to do."
Chi Xiaoxia became dejected and waved at them, "You guys go."
"I'll help you with your work when I get back," Zhang Deng said. "Bye, Chi Xiaoxia."
Chi Xiaoxia said weakly, "Bye, Zhang Xiaodeng."
The two opened the door and returned to the damp and dim hotel.
Zhang Deng felt much more at ease. After seeing Xiao Mi, he took Xiao Ai with him. Now he could finally work with peace of mind.
While watering Xiao Ai, Zhang Deng asked, "Why does Chi Xiaoxia have so much authority?"
Wei Yuanye took off his coat and prepared to wash up, saying, "He is a mid- to high-level technical staff."
"How do you know? He's on a very low floor."
"I don't know." Wei Yuanye didn't seem to care much. "Maybe it's just a personal hobby."
Zhang Deng said, "I didn't realize he was quite capable."
"The technical staff are all very capable," Wei Yuanye said. "They won't be sent on missions easily. They're needed to work behind the scenes. He has great authority and holds keys to many worlds. He's doing quite well."
Zhang Deng asked, "Then why didn't you become an official?"
"What kind of official position?" Wei Yuanye asked, "What do you think I can do?"
Zhang Deng thought about it and realized that although Wei Yuanye was very capable, he was only suitable for front-line work. He had strong execution skills, but was not suitable for management. If he were to become a senior executive, the people below him would probably hate him to death.
Zhang Deng said, "Okay."
"And I wouldn't have met you if I hadn't been on the front line." Wei Yuanye gave him a perfect answer.
Zhang Deng said, "Really? Do you really think so?"
"Meeting me isn't necessarily a good thing," Zhang Deng said. "I'm difficult to get along with."
Zhang Deng felt that what he said was very pertinent, because he was indeed sensitive and sentimental, and had trouble handling emotions and pain. In many cases, he remained indifferent to his own emotions, which would hurt the people around him.
Zhang Deng is not an ideal lover, so he always feels that the fact that Wei Yuanye likes him is like winning the lottery.
Zhang Deng could even accept that Wei Yuanye didn't like him that much and was just with him because he was lonely. Even so, it didn't matter, because Zhang Deng felt that he was not worthy of the love of someone like Wei Yuanye.
So Zhang Deng felt uncomfortable with Wei Yuanye's love words, not because he didn't believe them, but because he felt a sense of weightlessness. This was unreasonable and shouldn't happen. Wei Yuanye was a proud man. Even if he didn't love Zhang Deng, his life would still be perfect.
Wei Yuanye knocked him on the head and didn't answer.
Zhang Deng felt that this might already be the answer, so he shouldn't think about it anymore.
He really didn't think much about it. He recalled that he met Xiao Mi today, brought Xiao Ai back, met Chi Xiaoxia and Hu Ningning, and got to know Hu Ningning's ambiguous object. When he just left that world, he felt that he had nothing, but after returning for a short time, he had the illusion that he had a lot.
People are really ridiculous. They always add the richest colors to a period of life when they recall it or have already withdrawn from that period of life.
After a while, the bed beside him sank and Wei Yuanye lay down. Zhang Deng slid into Wei Yuanye's arms, took Wei Yuanye's arm, hugged his waist, rubbed his head to find the most comfortable position, curled up in his arms like a cat, and sighed with contentment.
He heard Wei Yuanye's chest vibrate. Wei Yuanye smiled. Zhang Deng put his ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat, and said, "Are you not nervous no matter what?"
Wei Yuanye said, "Hmm?"
Zhang Deng: "Your heartbeat never seems to be particularly fast, and you never feel nervous or anxious. You seem like a high-level human being."
Wei Yuanye said: "I should be an advanced human."
Zhang Deng: “?”
Wei Yuanye: "Maybe all citizens of the World Tree are like this."
Zhang Deng: "I've never heard you talk about your parents."
"We come from genetic cultivation," Wei Yuanye said, "without parents."
Zhang Deng looked up at him. Wei Yuanye put one arm around him and the other on the back of his head, gently ruffling his curly hair. He whispered, "We were all born in the nutrient chamber. World Tree citizens have no human rights, so we are always working. Our lives belong to the World Tree."
Zhang Deng: "Why are you telling me now?"
"Because..." Wei Yuanye didn't know why. He might subconsciously not want to say this because it was abnormal. Even in this crazy world, it seemed extremely abnormal. He said, "You didn't ask."
Zhang Deng said, "Okay."
Zhang Deng was really easy to talk to, and he was convinced again. He asked, "Is there anything else I haven't asked?"
Wei Yuanye said: "It should be gone."
Zhang Deng didn't quite believe it. He asked, "Then when can you retire?"
"Probably after I get into a major accident," Wei Yuanye said, "if I make a mistake or get injured and can no longer work, then I can retire."
Zhang Deng: “…”
Zhang Deng asked, "Is this reasonable?"
"It's irrational," Wei Yuanye said, "but that's how it is, because our lives originally belong to the World Tree, and our mission is to play the greatest role."
Zhang Deng felt very uncomfortable after hearing this. He said, "What about me?"
"We will be fine." Wei Yuanye said, "I will find a way."
This was a typical pie-in-the-sky scenario, but Zhang Deng finally understood why people in love always believed the pie in the sky that their partner painted for them. Because it really tasted delicious, Zhang Deng was also willing to believe Wei Yuanye. He said, "I don't want you to be too stressed."
"No." Wei Yuanye kissed his hair and said.
Well, Zhang Deng thought, I am superficial.
I enjoy the feeling that someone wants to protect me, and low tastes satisfy me.
Wei Yuanye said he would find a way. Zhang Deng tried to comfort himself: Wei Yuanye never lies to me. If he says he can do it, he can do it.
In the next few days, Zhang Deng's main job was to hang out in the local bookstore, reading a lot of books and writing "textbooks".
Dong Yu told him that schools here generally only taught literacy and some scriptures, and that few people studied. Most people had been studying magic from a young age with masters who also taught them how to read and write, so their education level was low.
Zhang Deng was a little hesitant about what Wei Yuanye said about transforming the people into good habits, but he still followed Wei Yuanye's advice and classified the system into three categories: language, mainly literacy and poetry, looking for commonly used characters in poetry.
Then there is common sense, which includes plants, animals, and magic. Each chapter introduces a real object, its habits, applicability, and how to protect yourself.
The third category is arithmetic. Initially, we only teach addition and subtraction within 100, and mental abacus, to prepare for future career.
These things weren't difficult. When Zhang Deng was in college, he'd even worked as a ghostwriter for a teacher who wrote textbooks for a postgraduate entrance exam institution, so he knew some of the basic principles of textbook compilation. Sometimes, he'd go hang out with the Qiang people, books in hand, and sit in the hall. Many would tell him stories of unusual people and events, which he'd write down. Wei Yuanye would sometimes read too, but mostly, he wouldn't offer any opinions.
"I'm not as professional as you," Wei Yuanye said, "I'm not sensitive to words."
But he got Zhang Deng a typewriter, which he got from somewhere, and it greatly reduced Zhang Deng's workload.
Under such circumstances, not long after, the Martial Soul True Body Festival finally arrived.
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