Golden sunlight filtered through the canopy of green leaves, scattering across the pavement and walls. Amidst the morning birdsong, the roar of turbine fans slicing through the air grew louder from afar. Qin Wenjing glanced outside, then turned and called toward the open basement door,
金色的阳光穿透树冠的绿叶,散落在路面墙头.在清晨的鸟鸣中,由远及近传来涡轮风扇切割空气的嘶吼声,覃文静向外望了一眼,回身朝着地下室开着的门口喊,
Haojun, it seems your private jet booked by Malaya has arrived.
"皓珺,好像是你的玛莱雅给你订的专机到了,"
After a moment, Li Haojun emerged from the basement with a backpack slung across his chest and a suitcase in his right hand.
过了一会儿,李皓珺胸前背着一个双肩包,右手提着一个旅行箱从地下室走了出来.
"Is Malaya going with you?" Tan Wenjing leaned in to ask.
"玛莱雅跟你一起去吗?" 覃文静凑过来问,
Li Haojun wrapped his arm around Qin Wenjing's waist and kissed her lips, saying,
李皓珺侧身搂着覃文静的腰,亲了一下她的嘴唇说,
"I'm not going. She just booked my itinerary remotely."
"不去,她只是远程给我订了行程,"
"Oh, only you will meet with that Lily," Tan Wenjing said, gazing into Li Haojun's eyes with a smile that spoke volumes.
"哦,只有你去和那个莉莉会面,"说完,覃文静望着李皓珺的双眼,笑而不语.
Li Haojun certainly wouldn't ignore her. Setting down his backpack, he wrapped both arms around Qin Wenjing's waist and back, one hand tightening around her waist while the other slid from her back up to her neck, threading through her hair to cradle her head against his cheek. He whispered softly into her ear,
李皓珺当然不会忽视她,放下背包,双手搂着覃文静的腰背,一手搂紧她的腰,一手由背至颈,穿过她的发丝,搂着她的头贴在自己的脸颊,在她的耳边轻声说,
"你放心,我会保护好自己的."
After speaking, he drew a deep breath of her scent and kissed her goodbye.
说完,深吸了一口她的气息,吻别.
The aircraft Ma Laya booked today was a single-seater with a wing-body integrated lift body. Its nose pointed upward as it sat by the roadside, while its tail housed multiple ducted fans. Li Haojun found the ride quite novel, with the luggage compartment located directly beneath the seat.
今天玛莱雅订的飞行器是一台只供单人乘坐的,翼身融合升力体,机头朝上坐落在路边,尾部有多台涵道风扇.李皓珺搭乘也感觉很新鲜,行李箱就在座椅之下,After boarding, fasten your seatbelt as instructed, confirm the takeoff procedures, then the seat will rotate to face upward, positioning passengers toward the windshield.
人上去之后,按照指示系好安全带,确认起飞程序,然后座椅转向朝上,乘客面向前风挡玻璃.
As the engines and turbofans roared, the craft ascended steadily, yet accelerated with astonishing speed in the air—much like an astronaut aboard a rocket. Li Haojun wondered how Malaya had managed to book such a thing for him. Glancing at the time, he realized it was already work hours, so he sent a message inquiring. The reply came back: it was arranged by the company.
随着引擎与涡扇的轰鸣,逐渐平缓升空,但是空中加速异常迅速,如同宇航员乘坐火箭一般.李皓珺也好奇玛莱雅怎么给自己订了一台这样的东西,看了一下已经是工作时间了,便发了消息询问,结果回复是公司安排的.
Beyond the novelty, Li Haojun couldn't help but wonder: Was this really how a business trip should feel? The aircraft swiftly ascended into the stratosphere, where the morning sunlight starkly contrasted against the deep blue-violet expanse of space. Below, the clouds rippled with delicate, dazzling patterns. He pulled down the sun visor and retrieved his laptop to remotely check the virtual environment at the meeting location. Li Haojun valued thorough preparation and orderliness, striving to avoid placing himself in aimless or chaotic situations.
新鲜感之余李皓珺不禁疑惑,这是商务之旅应该有的样子吗?飞行器很快爬升到平流层,上午的阳光强烈对比蓝紫色深空,下方云层波纹细腻而耀眼.拉上遮阳板,拿出电脑远程查看会面地点虚拟环境状况.李皓珺喜欢准备充分且有条理,尽量避免把自己置于无目标或者忙乱之中.
The meeting location is in Rocklin, northeast of Sacramento. A 360-degree view reveals a touch of desolation—no bustling buildings, just ordinary wooden houses, inns, taverns, and auto/boat/machine repair shops. According to the plan, Lily will be at the parking lot exit opposite the aircraft landing field. She will be driving a vintage Jaguar XJ from the last century, as shown in the photo: a four-door sedan with a deep purple body, four round headlights, chrome-trimmed headlight bezels, a chrome front grille, chrome-trimmed bumpers, whitewall tires, and chrome hubcaps—all radiating vintage charm. License plate: NV382HT.
会面地点位于萨克拉门托东北的高地罗克林,浏览一下360度周边,一丝萧条,没有什么繁华建筑,普通的木制房屋旅店,酒馆,汽车船只机械修理服务点.计划当中莉莉将会在飞行器着陆场对面的停车场出口处,她将驾驶一辆上世纪捷豹XJ,有照片,四门轿车,酱紫色车身,四台圆形头灯,镀铬头灯边框,前进气栅,保险杠装镀铬饰条,白璧轮胎和镀铬轮毂盖,尽显怀旧情怀,车牌NV382HT.
After familiarizing himself with the meeting location and procedures, Li Haojun occasionally spotted various aircraft at different altitudes and directions along the flight path during his downtime, alongside the mountains and coastline visible on the starboard side. On a whim, he looked up information about the aircraft he was aboard. This vertical takeoff and landing lift body featured models suitable for both civilian and military use, explaining its exceptional maneuverability. While most passengers might find it uncomfortable, he was fortunate to adapt. This single-seat variant's high agility came at the cost of compact dimensions and a short wingspan, resulting in cramped passenger space—much like sitting in the cockpit of a single-seat combat aircraft. Fortunately, its extremely high cruising speed meant they would soon approach their destination.
After familiarizing himself with the meeting location and procedures, he occasionally spotted various aircraft at different altitudes and directions along the flight path during his downtime, along with the mountains and coastline visible on the starboard side. On a whim, Li Haojun looked up information about the aircraft he was aboard. This vertical takeoff and landing lift body featured models suitable for both civilian and military use, which explained its high maneuverability. While most passengers might find it uncomfortable, he was fortunate enough to adapt.
在熟悉过会面地点和程序之后,闲暇之余不时看到航线上不同高度,方向上的各型飞行器,以及右舷的山峦和海岸线.李皓珺一时兴起,又搜索了自己乘坐的飞行器信息.这款能够垂直起降的升力体有着同时适用于民用和军用的型号,这也就不奇怪它的高机动性了,只是多数人可能不会感到舒适可言,还好他能够适应.This is a single-seat model. Its high maneuverability comes at the cost of a compact size and short wingspan, resulting in a cramped passenger compartment. Passengers feel as though they're seated in the cockpit of a single-seat combat aircraft. Fortunately, its exceptionally high cruising speed ensures it reaches its destination in no time.
这是一款单人型号,高机动的小尺寸,短翼展的副产品就是乘坐空间的狭小,乘客就像坐在单人作战飞行器的座舱一样.好在极高的巡航速度使它不久就接近了目的地.
The aircraft has entered a steep descent to slow down and reduce altitude. From the air, the Sacramento region is already submerged by seawater. The massive earthquake caused the southern West Coast to subside, yet due to the barrier formed by the mountains north and south of San Francisco, the tidal forces of the moon's gravity subjected Sacramento to periodic tidal surges. Despite these harsh conditions, some refused to leave and continued living there. Using treated, rot-resistant wood, they built clusters of stilt houses on the original urban sites—perhaps out of attachment to their homeland, or perhaps driven by a yearning for freedom.
飞行器已呈大仰角减速并降低高度,空中俯瞰萨克拉门托地区已被海水入侵.大地震使得西海岸南部下沉,但是由于旧金山南北山脉的阻挡,月球引力的潮汐使得萨克拉门经历着周期性海潮的侵袭.而艰难的环境里,依然有不愿离去的人在此生活.他们用处理过的防腐木材,在原城区地址建立起成群的高脚屋,或许是对家园的眷恋,或许是对自由的向往.
The California government had long since gone bankrupt and ceased to exist. The once massive transfer payments ultimately became unsustainable, so this region no longer received any government benefits nor collected government taxes. The collapse of the California government served as a paradigm for social phenomena. Since then, the large-scale transfer of social wealth to fund welfare expenditures for non-value-creating individuals has been legislatively prohibited as vote-buying.
加州政府早已破产不再存在了,曾经的大规模转移支付最终难以为继,所以这一地区不再有任何政府福利,同样也没有政府税收.加州政府倒闭作为一个社会现象范例,自那之后,大规模转移社会财富用作不创造价值人员社会福利支出被立法视为贿选而禁止.
As altitude decreased, the midday sun on a clear morning revealed with greater clarity the stilted wooden houses—some clustered in small groups, others stretching in continuous lines—standing atop the black waters. Below them, between the crests and troughs of the waves, intense sunlight occasionally reflected into the cockpit at just the right angle.
随着高度的降低,可以更加清晰地看到晴天上午的白日之下,高脚木屋或三五成群,或连成一片,站立在黑水之上,其下的波峰与波谷之间,在适当的角度,不时把强烈的日光反射进座舱.
Just as it was about to land, a new company notice arrived.
就在即将落地之前,新的公司通知到达,
Dear Ethan, There has been a change to the original plan. Please travel with Ms. Lily Brent in her vehicle to Nevada to provide technical training for our client personnel. Ms. Lily Brent will provide all living necessities during this period. Wishing you a smooth journey.
"伊森你好,原计划有变动,请你乘坐莉莉·布伦特的车辆,跟随她前往内华达州为客户人员提供技术培训,此期间生活物资由莉莉·布伦特女士提供.祝,旅程顺利."
After confirming the command, Li Haojun checked the electronic identity verification terminal once more. By then, the aircraft had already touched down smoothly amid the roar of its turbofans. As the cabin door opened, a wave of intense heat and humidity hit them. Following the perimeter markers, they quickly walked out of this rudimentary aviation hub. With the population drastically reduced, the bustling prosperity of the first half of the century was gone. Rocklin Heights relied on air travel to sustain its few remaining commercial structures—hotels, restaurants, parking lots. All were constructed from preservative-treated wood. The deep brown timber buildings, combined with the desolate streetscape, evoked a sense of stepping back in time to the era of the gold rush.
确认指令后,李皓珺又检查了一下电子身份验证终端,此时随着涡轮风扇的嘶吼,飞行器已经平稳着陆.舱门打开,扑面而来的便是酷热与潮湿.沿着周边指示,步行很快走出了这个简陋的航空枢纽.大量人口凋零,再也没有了本世纪上半叶的繁华,罗克林高地依托航空客流,维持着寥寥无几的几处商业建筑,旅馆,餐馆,停车场.它们都是用防腐处理后的木材制作而成的,深褐色的木制建筑,加上萧条的街景,仿佛时空穿越回了当年的淘金年代.
Across Highway 80 stood that deep purple Jaguar. Crossing a wooden pedestrian overpass, Li Haojun wondered if he could confirm her identity. The driver's door opened, and a blonde woman stepped out. She wore a dark green plaid short trench coat with a wide collar—a striking contrast to her golden, wavy long hair—paired with tight blue jeans and black leather shoes.
八零号公路对面,正是那辆酱紫色捷豹.走过一座木制过街天桥,李皓珺正疑惑能否确认身份.驾驶座车门打开,下来一位金发女子,墨绿方格短款阔领风衣,对比她的金色大波浪长发令人印象深刻,下身一条紧身蓝色牛仔裤,黑色皮鞋.
"Ethan Lee," she greeted him first, her thick British accent ringing out.
"伊森·李",她先打了招呼,很重的英国口音,
"Yes, Lily Brent?"
"是的,莉莉·布伦特?"
"It's me."
"是我."
"Pleased to meet you," Li Haojun said as he exchanged pleasantries, placing his suitcase in the trunk. He glanced at the identity verification information on his watch, then scanned the surroundings. Seeing no other personnel or suspicious activity, he opened the front door and prepared to get in.
"幸会幸会.",一边寒暄,李皓珺一边把行李箱放在车子后备箱,顺势看了一眼手表上的身份确认信息,又环顾了一下四周,没有其他人员或者可疑情况,这才拉开前门准备上车.
"No, no, no, you sit in the back," he said, hearing Lily's words, but Li Haojun had already opened the front door. Only then did he notice the passenger seat was filled with her clothes, shoes, and hats.
"不不不,你坐后面," 听到莉莉的话,但是李皓珺已经拉开了前门,这时他才看见副驾的座位里都是她的服饰,鞋帽.
"Oh, sorry," Li Haojun said, closing the front door and glancing at Lily. She smiled knowingly from across the room.
"哦,抱歉," 李皓珺关上前门瞄了莉莉一眼,对面会心一笑.
Shortly after setting off, the car turned right onto a slightly secluded side road. A restaurant stood by the roadside.
乘车前行不久,前面右转,略偏僻的支路,路边有一家餐厅,
"We'll have lunch here, then we need to hit the road this afternoon," Lily said as she got out of the car.
"我们在这吃午饭,下午需要赶路,"莉莉边下车边说,
Where are we going? The company notice didn't tell me.
"我们要去哪里?公司的通知没告诉我,"
Nevada
"内华达州,"
As they spoke, the two entered the restaurant—also a wooden structure. There was no sign of municipal power, and the dim indoor lighting was accompanied by the cool breeze from a large paddle-blade electric fan. They settled at a window table. Li Haojun scanned the room—not many people were there, but one figure caught his attention. He seemed familiar, like he'd seen him somewhere before: a long face, pale lips, a sturdy build, and a thick, round belt matching his pants cinched around his waist.
说着两人走进餐厅,也是木制建筑,没见有市政供电,室内昏暗的灯光,大桨叶电风扇吹着冰块送来的清凉.选了个靠窗的桌子二人落座,李皓珺扫视了一下室内,人不多,但是有个人吸引了他的主意,似乎认识,在哪里见过,大长脸白嘴唇,身材健硕,一条与裤子同款的滚圆腰带缠在腰间.
Lily held the menu, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Li Haojun's attention had shifted. She glanced at him and followed his gaze to see what he was looking at.
莉莉手持菜单,视线余光注意到了李皓珺的注意力转移,瞟了他一眼,看向他注视的方向.
"Genetically modified humans," Lily whispered.
"基因改造人,"莉莉小声说明,
"Oh, but I think I've seen him before," Li Haojun said, a bit puzzled.
"哦,但是我好像之前见过他," 李皓珺有点疑惑,
"They all grow up looking like this, with mixed donkey genes, excellent physical strength and endurance."
"这种都是长成这个样子,混合驴子基因,体能,耐力很好,"
"Oh," Li Haojun listened while looking into Lily's eyes, hoping she would share more.
"哦,"一边倾听,李皓珺一边看着莉莉的眼睛,希望她介绍更多,
But there are some side effects—facial structure, skin tone, and that thing wrapped around his waist. You can compare it to the corresponding parts of a donkey.
"但是有些副作用,脸型,肤色,还有他腰里围着的东西,你可以对比一下驴子的相应部位."
"Oh," Li Haojun faced the woman, trying his best not to laugh. He wanted to say that maybe the others were side effects, but he didn't voice it.
"哦,"李皓珺面对女士,尽量忍住不笑,他想说,没准其他的是副作用,但是没有说出口.
Lily handed the menu to Li Haojun and said,
莉莉把菜单递给李皓珺,说,
"Take a look and see what you'd like to eat."
"你看看想吃点什么,"
Li Haojun casually ordered Kung Pao Chicken and began observing the restaurant patrons. In the corner across from him sat two diners. One had deathly pale skin with a faint bluish tint, narrow eyes, elongated ears, and hair styled in small, knotted tufts reminiscent of a Buddha's. The other had dark, swarthy skin, bulging eyes, a wide mouth, and a thick beard, giving him the appearance of a fierce demon. The two seemed to be friends, though it was unclear whether they were genetically modified humans or individuals who had undergone cosmetic surgery as a personal preference.
李皓珺随便选了一个宫保鸡丁,开始留意餐厅的客人.对面角落里两个客人,一个皮肤惨白,皮肤呈现淡蓝色.细目长耳,头发好像佛陀那种一个个小揪揪.另一个皮肤黝黑,环眼硕口,胡须浓重,凶神恶煞一般.两人似乎是朋友,不清楚是基因改造人,还是个人癖好做过整形.
Across the way sat a person at the table—plump, androgynous, their gender indistinguishable. They had pale skin, red lips, and a large, round face, topped with fiery red hair that stood straight up. Their nose, ears, brow bone, and lips were studded with piercings and rings, though it didn't seem to hinder their enjoyment of the steak.
斜对面桌一人,较胖,比较中性,看不出性别,肤白红唇大圆脸,冲天的火焰红发,鼻子耳朵眉骨,嘴唇挂满了钉钉环环,不过似乎并不影响他享受牛排.
Li Haojun glanced diagonally behind him again. Three people—two men and a woman—wearing identical uniforms finally looked somewhat normal, seemingly nearby staff having lunch here. There were few diners, hardly any travelers, and they all appeared to be locals.
李皓珺又向斜后瞥了一眼,三个人,两男一女,同样的制服,总算看起来正常一点,似乎是附近工作人员在这里吃午餐.食客寥寥无几,鲜有旅客,看起来都是本地人.
Although the California government no longer exists, the diversity and anti-traditionalism it once championed remain deeply rooted here.
看起来虽然加州政府不再有了,但是曾经推动的多元化,反传统,依然在这里植根深处.
The meal was served, and he ate and drank absentmindedly, exchanging a few words with Lily. Li Haojun disliked this kind of environment. For some reason, he felt oppressed and insecure.
饭菜上齐,心不在焉地吃喝,与莉莉聊上几句.李皓珺不喜欢这样的环境,不知为什么,觉得压抑,没有安全感.
The golden afternoon sunlight streamed through the wooden lattice windowpanes, spilling onto the tabletops and floor. The uneven glass distorted and refracted light and shadow, as if casting illusions into reality. Amidst the dancing dust motes, new patrons entered the restaurant in small groups—middle-aged men dressed in varied styles, each with a rugged appearance, seemingly arriving from different directions. Lily seemed to notice them too, but she merely glanced at Li Haojun before leaving quietly. The two finished their meal hastily and departed.
午后金灿灿的阳光透过木制小格子窗框的玻璃窗投进桌面,地板上.那不甚平坦的玻璃,扭曲折射着光与影,似将虚幻投入现实.就在光尘的浮影中,陆续有新来的客人进入餐厅,三两一波,都是中年男子,穿着各异,外形彪悍,似乎各处到来的,莉莉似乎也注意到了他们,但是她只是看了李皓珺一眼,并未声张,两人草草吃完离开.
After stepping outside, Li Haojun turned to chat with Lily about the food's flavor, glancing over her shoulder with peripheral vision to confirm no one had followed. Before getting into the car, she retrieved her backpack from the trunk, carried it with her, and sat in the backseat. Li Haojun disliked this place, knowing it was a lawless free zone, but experiencing it firsthand gave her a visceral understanding. The departure seemed calm, yet barely a block into the drive, the rearview mirror revealed a black sedan emerging from the parking lot and tailing them.
出门后李皓珺扭头与莉莉谈论食品味道,顺势眼角余光扫视后方,并没有人跟出来.上车前从后备箱取了背包,随身携带又坐到后座,李皓珺对这个地方不喜欢,知道这里是个没有执法的自由区,但是亲身经历其中才有了切身实际感受.看似平静离开,然而车子才开出一个街区,从后视镜里,看到一辆黑色的轿车从停车场跟了上来.
A black sedan followed behind, though it wasn't clear if it was heading the same way. Li Haojun glanced at Lily as he issued the warning, but she showed no reaction. Though she worked in the field, relying on a woman to protect herself wasn't his style. Li Haojun wasn't sure if he was being overly sensitive, but he pulled his backpack closer and checked the rearview mirror again, assessing the situation.
"后面一辆黑色轿车跟上来了,不确定是不是同路."提醒着,李皓珺看着莉莉,但是她并没有反应.虽然她是外勤,但是指望一个女性保护自己,也不是自己作风.李皓珺也不知道自己是不是过于敏感,拉过自己的背包,又看着后视镜,评估着情况.
Lily remained silent, smoothly turning right at the next intersection before accelerating. The roar of the large-displacement engine was deep and powerful. She quickly reached the next junction and turned right again—the other car hadn't followed. Li Haojun pondered the situation: You're now heading in the exact opposite direction. What's your next move? Which way do you drive? Simultaneously, he retraced how he'd ended up here, how he'd gotten into this predicament. He'd need to have a serious talk with the company upon returning. Was it really necessary for a technical staff member like himself to take risks in a place devoid of law and order?
莉莉默不作声,下一个路口顺势右转,然后加速.大排量引擎的嘶吼低沉而有力,很快到达下一个路口,依然右转,那辆车并没有跟上来.李皓珺一边思考眼前情况,你现在是一百八十度反方向了,下一步你怎么开车,朝哪个方向?一边又回顾了一下自己怎么到达这里的,如何到了这般处境,回去得好好与公司沟通一下,自己一个技术人员,是否有必要来到这种没有法制与秩序的地点冒险.
Lily turned right again, but not too fast. Seeing the situation ease up, Li Haojun smiled and asked,
莉莉再次右转,但是车速不快,见情况缓和,李皓珺笑着问,
Are we safe? I've never been here before and don't know my way around, so I can't really say. It's just that the people in this restaurant don't make me feel safe.
"我们安全吗?我从来没来过这里,不太熟悉,无法做出判断.只是餐厅里那些个人,无法给我安全感."
Lily glanced at Li Haojun in the rearview mirror.
莉莉看了一眼后视镜里的李皓珺,
"Don't worry, they just look a bit scary," she said in her crisp British accent. To Li Haojun, it felt like communication from another world—elusive and hard to grasp. There always seemed to be a gap in their shared understanding of common sense. So he asked again,
"别担心,他们只是看起来有点恐怖,"她那硬朗的英式发音,让李皓珺觉得好像是来自另一个世界的交流,抓不住头绪,似乎总是与她之间存在有常识认知的偏差,于是又问,
"So, do you often run into people like this around here?"
"那么,你经常在这里遇到这些样子的人吗?"
Yes, I come here often.
"是的,我经常来这里."
"So how do you determine whether they pose a threat or are safe?"
"那么你怎么判断他们是否具有威胁,或者是否安全呢?"
Some I know personally; the rest I'm just going by gut feeling.
"有些人我认识,剩下的凭感觉."
"Oh, so your instincts are reliable?" The moment the words left his mouth, Li Haojun realized it was inappropriate to press a woman like this. But when life was at stake, how could he not take it seriously?
"哦,那么你的感觉准吗?"话一出口,李皓珺意识到自己这么追问一位女士不太适合,可是性命攸关的事情,怎么会不重视呢.
We have equipment that can detect whether the other side is armed and can also roughly gauge their intentions.
"我们有些设备可以探测对方是否有武器,也能大致判断对方意图."
"Oh, that's great," Li Haojun quickly chimed in, wrapping up the topic.
"哦,那太好了," 李皓珺也赶紧接机结束了这个话题.
"Are you satisfied now?"
"现在你放心了?"
Ha ha, yeah, thanks for explaining that.
"哈哈,是啊,谢谢你的解释."
As they chatted, Lily turned right again, returning to her original direction, and continued driving while talking with Li Haojun.
交谈着,莉莉再次右转,回到了原来的方向上,继续一边驾驶一边与李皓珺交谈,
"This is your first time here, isn't it?"
"你是第一次来这边吧?"
"Not exactly. John and I went to the San Francisco ruins before."
"也不算是,之前我和约翰去过旧金山遗址那边."
Oh, over there it's manageable—there's still some industry and commerce that requires order, and the residents are relatively straightforward. This area, however, is complicated. It's the transportation hub of the Free Zone.
"哦,那边还好,还有些工商业,需要秩序,居民成分也相对简单一些.这里就复杂了,自由区的交通枢纽."
As the car gradually merged onto Highway 80, Lily noticed Li Haojun still staring at her through the rearview mirror with a grave expression. She then elaborated further,
车子逐渐行驶上80号高速公路,莉莉看到李皓珺依然在后视镜里面色凝重看着自己,便进一步解释道,
"We're a tech company. While we do have competitors, it's not like the arms or drug trade where they're at each other's throats."
"我们是技术公司,虽然也有竞争对手,但还不至于像军火,毒品生意那样火并."
"Heh, that's true," Li Haojun chimed in with a forced smile.
"呵呵,那倒也是," 李皓珺边赔着笑边附和说,
"But... could other factions be trying to obtain or acquire our technology?" Li Haojun asked tentatively.
"可是...,会不会有其他势力想要得到或者获取我们的技术呢," 李皓珺试探着问,
Lily glanced at him and smiled faintly.
莉莉看了他一眼,微微一笑,
"Indeed there is," she added after a moment.
"确实有,"过了一会儿,她又补充道,
"But it shouldn't go too far either."
"不过也不至于太过火,"
"Is there some hidden order orchestrating this world?" Li Haojun cut straight to the heart of the matter, watching Lily's reaction as he sought to gather more information about this unfamiliar world since his awakening.
"是有一个暗中操控的秩序吗?这个世界?" 李皓珺一语切入要点,注视着莉莉的反应,试图在自己醒来之后获取这个陌生世界更多的信息.
Lily didn't answer, her face expressionless as she focused on driving. After a moment, she sighed.
莉莉没有回答,没有表情,只是专心驾驶着.过了一会儿,感叹了一句,
"Where isn't it?"
"哪里不是呢,"
Winding eastward along Interstate 80 into the mountains, the intense afternoon sunlight beat down on the bare, vegetation-less sand and gravel, its glare almost blinding. Lily pulled out a pair of sunglasses and slipped them on, then took a single-ear headset and put it in place. Li Haojun assumed she wanted to listen to music while driving, but that didn't seem to be the case. She appeared to be muttering some sort of numerical code under her breath.
沿着80号州际公路蜿蜒向东进入山区,午后的强烈阳光照在毫无植被裸露的沙石上,强烈的反射有些刺眼.莉莉拿出一副墨镜戴上了,之后又拿了一个单边的耳麦佩戴上.李皓珺以为她想边驾驶边听音乐,但是看起来并不是,她似乎在嘴里念叨着一些数字代码.
Before she knew it, Lily seemed to have picked up speed. This interstate highway had long since lost its former glory. Due to lack of traffic and maintenance costs, only half the lanes remained. Under these road conditions, Li Haojun had no choice but to tighten her seatbelt.
不知不觉,莉莉似乎提高了车速,而这条州际公路也早也不再有昔日的辉煌,由于缺乏交通流量和维护费用,车道只剩下了一半,这样的路况下,李皓珺只好把自己的座椅安全带拉紧.
Lily finally broke her silence.
莉莉也终于打破沉默,
Up ahead is Reno, but we've got some backup now, so we won't be continuing along Highway 80. Don't worry though—we've got drones providing aerial support and monitoring the frequencies.
"前面是里诺,但是我们有了些伙伴,所以不会再沿着80号公路向前了,不过你也不用担心,我们有无人机在高空支持,并且在监听频率."
What is their purpose?
"他们的目的是什么?"
"Business competitors just want to understand our activities and verify personnel—they won't pose any physical threat to you."
"商业竞争对手,只是想了解我们的活动和确认人员,不会对你有什么人身危害."
"Oh, no thanks. I'd rather keep my peaceful life," Li Haojun said with a self-deprecating laugh, thinking to himself: As a technical staff member, getting dragged into business conflicts that have nothing to do with me is really not worth it.
"哦,不要,我还想过我的平静生活." 李皓珺自嘲地笑着说,心想我一个技术人员,卷入自己不沾边的商业利害冲突真的是划不来.
Ha ha ha, act like a man, will you? There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
"呵呵呵,像个男人一样好吗,这世上没有免费的午餐."
Hearing the slightly sarcastic tone, Li Haojun felt a bit annoyed, but he couldn't very well take it out on a lady. So he suppressed his irritation and replied calmly,
听到这样略带嘲讽的口气,李皓珺有点不满,但是也不好对一位女士怎样,于是压了压火气,平淡地说,
"That's true, but losing my life over a lunch isn't exactly a good deal, is it?"
"没错,可是为了一顿午餐让我赔上性命可不是什么划算的交易,不是吗?"
It's not worth it, but you weren't always like this—resilient, brave.
"不划算,但是你以前不是这样的,坚毅,勇敢,"
With inner doubt, Li Haojun asked urgently,
带着内心的怀疑,李皓珺急切地问,
"Did you know the old me?"
"你了解之前的我?"
In the rearview mirror, Lily's red lips curved into a smile.
后视镜里,莉莉的红唇嘴角一扬,
Yes, I've been on a few missions with you.
"是的,我和你有过几次任务."
Though he didn't truly believe a few missions could help one person understand another, Li Haojun still wanted to hear what she had to say about her experiences.
尽管内心并不相信几次任务就能让一个人了解另一个人,但是李皓珺还是想听听她怎么说关于自己的经历,
Chatting idly, Lily turned right off the interstate just before a town, the elegant body leaning awkwardly as the tires skidded against the pavement with a low hum. Clearly, this luxury sedan wasn't built for sporty driving. Li Haojun braced himself with one hand on the door handle, preventing his head from slamming into the frame.
闲聊着,在一个城镇之前,莉莉右转离开州际公路,优雅的车身很不优雅地侧倾着,轮胎与地面滑动摩擦发出低沉的嗡嗡声.显然这款豪华轿车并不适合于运动驾驶.李皓珺一手用力扶着门把手,避免自己的头被摔到门框上.
After exiting the curve, Li Haojun asked curiously,
出离弯道之后,李皓珺好奇地问,
So, how long have we known each other? Can you tell me?
"那么,我们认识多长时间了?可以告诉我吗?"
"Over a decade,"
"十几年,"
"So, me and... Qin Wenjing—do you know her?"
"那么,我和,...覃文静,你了解吗?"
Beneath her sunglasses, Lily's red lips were stretched into a grin that nearly reached her ears.
墨镜之下,莉莉的红唇嘴角都快挑到了耳朵,
Hmph, you're still the same as ever. You've known each other for decades.
"哼哼,你还是老样子,你们认识几十年了."
Faced with such a confidante, Li Haojun felt awkward asking her about the other woman again. He could only sit quietly in the back seat, occasionally observing the surroundings.
面对这样的红颜知己,李皓珺也不好意思再问她关于另一个女人的事情,只好默默地坐在后排,不时观察着周边的情况.
This is an alluvial river valley, flanked by broad, flat areas before giving way to mountainous terrain. No vehicles travel on the road, which remains lined with gravel and sparse shrubs.
这是一片冲积河谷地带,两侧有较宽的平坦地带,然后才是山地.路上没有车辆,道路两边依然是沙石和稀疏的灌木.
"Ethan, look here," Lily removed her sunglasses and activated the center display, revealing real-time data. Li Haojun noticed moving targets on the screen—various types, each with vectors indicating their speed and direction.
"伊森,你看这里,"莉莉摘下墨镜,打开了中控显示屏,展示实时信息.李皓珺注意到屏幕上有移动的目标,不同类型的,有向量显示它们的速度和方向.
As we drove along Highway 80, vehicles were approaching from both directions. They also had drones, but fortunately they hadn't deployed yet. So we're exiting the main road to take cover here for a while.
"当我们在80公路上行驶的时候,前后都有对方车辆.并且他们也有无人机,好在现在还没上来,所以我们要下主道来这里规避一段时间."
"So, how do you determine that they are hostile vehicles?"
"那么,怎么确定的它们是有敌意的车辆呢?"
There are certain diagnostic indicators, and they are using the same communication frequency.
"有一些判断指标,另外他们在使用同一通讯频率."
Oh, I see. I'm really sorry I don't remember what happened before or even my skills anymore. I still need to ask you to explain things to me, and I can't really help much either.
"哦,是这样,真抱歉我不记得之前的事情甚至技能了,还需要问你来给我解释,我也帮不上什么忙."
"Don't mind it—you're popular."
"别介意,你是受欢迎的,"
Thank you, I'm a bit flattered. May I ask, were you also in field operations like me before?
"谢谢,有点受宠若惊,请问,我以前也和你一样是外勤吗?"
No, you'll just be doing technical work like you do now. Hmm... but sometimes you'll lend a hand.
"不,你和现在一样,只是做技术工作.嗯...,但是有时候你会帮一把手."
Oh, that's great—I'm still happy to help anytime.
"哦,太棒了,现在我依然乐意随时效劳."
"Hmph, smooth talker. Don't even try it. Your time hasn't come yet." After saying this, Lily's large eyes lingered on Li Haojun's gaze for two extra seconds.
"哼哼,油嘴滑舌,你少来,还不到需要你的时候."说完,莉莉那双大眼睛在李皓珺的视线上多停留了两秒钟.
The road ahead narrows. After passing through, there's a small lake. Lily steered the car off the highway and into some bushes to hide. Then she pointed at the screen and said,
前方路段较窄,通过之后有一个小的湖泊,莉莉把车驶下了公路,开进一处灌木丛隐藏了起来.然后指着屏幕说,
Look, they've already converged in Reno, but they haven't spotted us yet. They're just holding positions on the outskirts of town. That's one of their drones they released, searching along the north-south highway. So we need to lie low for a while. The larger drone approaching from the southwest hasn't arrived yet, thankfully. We'll have to stay here for a bit longer—maybe a little longer, maybe not.
"你看,他们已经在里诺汇合了,但是没有发现我们,只是守在小镇外围,这是他们释放的无人机,在沿着南北方向公路搜索,所以我们需要躲避一会儿.这个西南方向过来的是他们比较大的无人机,好在还没有赶到,所以我们要在这里一段时间,或者多一点,不一定."
"Hmm, it looks like the ones from the north will take a while to get here too."
"嗯,北方的看起来也要一段时间才到这里."
"Yeah, that's right."
"嗯,没错."
Before Lily could finish speaking, Li Haojun had already opened the door and stepped out of the car. Holding a polymer-handled wilderness survival knife, he made his way through the bushes, cutting off branches of various sizes and tossing them toward the vehicle.
没等莉莉说完,李皓珺已经开门下车,手持一把聚合物手柄野外生存刀,在灌木丛中走了一圈,割下大小枝条,朝车子扔了过来.
Lily shook her head with a smile, then got out of the car to help him. She picked up the camouflage items from the ground and tossed them onto the roof. Fortunately, the purple-brown hue was fairly dark. Only the chrome trim on the front bumper stood out. Li Haojun checked the sun's position, then pulled a camouflage rain cover from his luggage and draped it over the hood. Finally, he took out a bottle of water and sprayed it over the entire hood.
莉莉笑着摇了摇头,只好自己也下车配合他,从地上拾取伪装物扔到车顶上.好在酱紫色是一个比较暗的色调,只是车头的镀铬装饰,李皓珺看了一下太阳方向,又从自己行李箱中拿出迷彩色雨披盖在上面,然后拿出一瓶水喷洒在引擎盖的覆盖无上.
Across from him, Lily watched his every move with a smile. When Li Haojun noticed, they exchanged a knowing glance and returned to the car. This time, Lily didn't take the driver's seat but joined Li Haojun in the backseat, both of them watching the unfolding situation on the screen.
对面莉莉正微笑看着他所做的一切,等李皓珺注意到,二人相视一笑回到车内.这次莉莉没有坐在驾驶位上,而是陪着李皓珺一起坐在了后排,一起注视着屏幕上情况进展.
As the small drone on the screen drew nearer, Li Haojun held his breath, trying not to make a sound, and carefully tracked its trajectory to catch any hint of whether he'd been spotted. Beside him, Lily paid no attention to the screen—perhaps she'd long since grown accustomed to it—and kept her eyes fixed on Li Haojun. Only after the drone had departed did she give him a nudge and ask,
随着屏幕显示的小型无人机越来越近,李皓珺甚至屏住呼吸,尽量不弄出声响,并且仔细辨别着无人机的轨迹,以便窥探是否被发现的意思蛛丝马迹.而一旁的莉莉并没有在意屏幕,也许早就习以为常了吧,她一直注视着李皓珺,直到无人机离去才推了他一把问,
Feeling nervous?
"紧张了么?"
Li Haojun turned his head and saw Lily staring at him.
李皓珺扭过头,莉莉正看着自己,
Oh, no, I don't want to cause you any more trouble.
"哦,不是,我不想给你带来更多麻烦,"
"Ha ha ha," Lily chuckled softly, her lips curving upward as she spoke.
"哈哈哈",轻声笑过,莉莉上扬着嘴角说,
"This is old hat to me," she said, glancing at the screen and reminding him.
"这对于我来说是家常便饭,"说着,她瞄了一眼屏幕,提醒说,
Look at how these drones are maneuvering—they're sealing off this area. We won't be able to leave for a while.
"你看这些无人机的运动模式,它们在封锁这个区域,我们一时走不了了."
Thus, the two endured the afternoon together. By the time they set off again, dusk had fallen, and before long, night descended. In the desert darkness, the headlights seemed to lose much of their brightness, swallowed by the gloom. Only the reflective strips on the road ahead guided their way.
就这样,两人挨过了一个下午,再上路已经是天色黄昏,再没过多久已是夜幕降临.黑夜的沙漠中,前照灯的灯管似乎也被暗夜吞噬了许多,只有车前不远路面反光带导引着行车方向.
The dim dashboard light cast a soft glow on Lily's face and the outline of her lips. Li Haojun gazed at her features in the flickering night, as if trying to pierce through time to summon memories of Lily from the past.
暗淡的仪表板灯光映着莉莉脸,唇轮廓.李皓珺注视着闪烁夜色中她的容貌,似乎要穿越时光唤起从前关于莉莉的记忆.
"Can you tell me some memories you have of me?" Li Haojun leaned against the passenger seat back, chatting idly with Lily to pass the monotonous time.
"能讲述一些你的记忆中关于我的内容吗?" 李皓珺趴在副驾座椅靠背上,与莉莉闲聊,打发单调的时光.
Oh, not long ago—about ten years back. Back then we were locked in a life-or-death battle with competitors in the market. Things were far busier and more aggressive than they are now.
"哦,不多,差不多十年前,那时候我们与竞争对手在市场中厮杀,生死存亡,你比现在繁忙,并且激进."
"Maybe I was younger back then, right?"
"也许是我那时更年轻吧,是吗?"
"Maybe so. Maybe you've changed now, grown old, no longer young and passionate." With that, Lily chuckled softly. Then she added,
"也许是吧,也许是你现在变了,变老了,不再年轻和激情了."说着,莉莉呵呵笑了起来.接着她又补充道,
"Actually, I don't really know you that well, because the company rotates different field staff to work with you, and over the years, so many people have come and gone," Lily sighed, reflecting on the passage of time.
"其实我并不是很了解你,因为公司也是会安排不同外勤轮流与你合作,并且这些年,很多的人来来去去,"说着,莉莉叹了一口气,感慨岁月变迁.
What should have been a sunny afternoon road trip along Highway 5 turned into a nighttime drive due to interference from potential rivals, naturally slowing our pace compared to daytime travel.
本来可以艳阳高照的午后5号公路自驾游,结果由于潜在对手的干扰,弄成了黑夜前行,赶路的速度自然不比白天.
The night had grown deep, and Lily felt a touch of weariness after driving for so long through the monotonous darkness. She rolled down the window, letting the howling evening wind ruffle her hair and perk her up.
夜已深沉,莉莉在单调的夜色中长时间驾驶也略显疲惫,发下车窗,让呼啸的晚风吹散她的头发,提提精神.
Her hair, tousled by the wind, seemed to lend her an added touch of feminine charm. Li Haojun, watching from the side, couldn't help but feel a surge of chivalry. He volunteered to drive her part of the way.
那风中凌乱的发丝,似乎为她更添几分女性独有的魅力.李皓珺一旁注视着,不禁怜香惜玉,自告奋勇来替她开一段路程.
Lily readily agreed, casting the navigation display onto the corner of the windshield, and the two swapped seats.
莉莉很爽快地答应了,把导航投屏在前风挡的角落,二人便互换了位置.
As soon as he settled into the driver's seat, Li Haojun felt a surge of excitement. This large luxury vehicle, powered by a combustion engine with front-engine, rear-wheel drive, offered a distinct driving experience. The navigation system was also unique—it loaded information incrementally based on progress, displaying neither destination names nor remaining mileage, let alone location labels. The surrounding status indicators and alerts on the center console screen remained completely silent, utterly still.
刚坐到驾驶座上李皓珺还有点兴奋,燃油动力,前置后驱的大型豪华车,有着不同的驾驶体验.而导航也很特别,是按照行车进度逐渐加载的,不显示目的地名称,也没有剩余里程,更没有地点名称.中控屏的周边状态感知显示和报警一片死寂,毫无波澜.
Li Haojun glanced again at Lily in the backseat. She lay sideways across the rear seat, her slender legs bent and crossed, thighs full and rounded. Her hips rested diagonally against the center backrest, her waist twisted as she lay flat on her back, revealing a flat stomach and breasts that weren't particularly full.
李皓珺又看了看后座的莉莉,她直接侧躺在了后座上,弯曲而重叠的小腿纤细,大腿丰盈,髋部正好斜靠在中央靠背,腰肢扭曲后背平躺,平坦的腹部与并不很丰满的乳房.
The seat blocked her face—perhaps she was taking a quick nap. But not seeing her was just fine; it spared me the awkwardness of eye contact and let me admire her without restraint.
座椅挡住了她的脸部,也许是在小睡一会儿吧.不过看不到也很好啊,免得对视的尴尬,可以毫无顾忌地欣赏她.
Having just taken over the wheel and unfamiliar with the car's handling characteristics, Li Haojun drove cautiously. With a lady in the backseat needing to rest, he maintained a steady pace. But before long, the smooth yet monotonous feedback lulled Li Haojun into waves of drowsiness. Only then did he realize he'd made a mistake—long-distance driving simply wasn't his forte.
因为刚接手这辆车不熟悉车子驾驶特性,李皓珺开得比较谨慎,而后座又有女士要休息,所以开得也平稳.但是没过多久这平顺而单调的反馈就让李皓珺困意连连,这时他才意识到自己做了个错误的决定,自己并不擅长长途驾驶.
After trying everything from rolling down the window and turning on the AC to taking deep breaths, he finally found a way to break free from the monotonous visual feedback: spraying windshield washer fluid. Watching the spray glide across the windshield in unpredictable patterns under the headlights perfectly banished his drowsiness.
在试过了开车窗,开空调,各种深呼吸调整之后,他终于找到了一个从单调视觉反馈中分散注意力的方法,喷玻璃水儿,看着车灯映衬下的玻璃水儿在风挡上以不可预料的路径流动,完美地带走了困意.
Alas, the good times didn't last long—the windshield washer fluid ran out. Li Haojun sighed to himself, thinking, "Women, huh? If it were me, I'd make sure everything was topped off and checked before heading out."
怎奈好景不长,玻璃水儿没了,李皓珺一边感慨着,女人啊,对待机械的方式,如果是自己,出门前一定会把该加满的都加满,该检查的都检查.
Overcome by an irresistible wave of drowsiness, Li Haojun found a flat spot, pulled off the highway, and parked the car behind a patch of sparse shrubs.
带着难以抵抗的困意,李皓珺找了块平地,驶下公路,把车子停在了稀疏的灌木丛后面.
The desert night, moonless tonight, the sky dotted with twinkling stars. Li Haojun reclined the front seat, behind him lay Lily's steady breathing, mingled with her faint body scent and perfume.
沙漠里的夜色,今晚没有月色,天空繁星闪烁.李皓珺放倒前座,身后正是莉莉均匀的呼吸,和她淡淡体味和香水的味道.