Since arriving at the Nevada desert base yesterday, Li Haojun and Kasiya only received notice this afternoon to attend a meeting inside the base. They boarded the base's unmanned flying car and arrived at the base nestled in the valley. The facilities here were simple: fences, a helicopter landing pad, fuel storage areas, garages, barracks buildings, and the main base structure.
自从昨天到了内华达沙漠基地,今天下午李皓珺和凯西娅才收到通知去基地里面开会.乘坐基地派来的无人驾驶飞行汽车,到达山谷里的基地.这里的设施很简单,围栏,直升机停机坪,燃料存储区,车库,兵营建筑,基地主体建筑.
Led by the other party's personnel, they entered the facility, underwent security checks, and signed the safety rules. Throughout the process, Li Haojun noticed this must be a very old military base—rough concrete poured over wooden formwork, exposed cables and wiring conduits on the walls, dim explosion-proof tungsten filament lights.
由对方人员带领,进入设施,安检,安全规则签署,整个过程李皓珺留意到这应该是一个很老旧的军事基地,粗糙的木制模板浇筑的混凝土,墙壁上外露的电缆,走线槽,暗淡的防爆钨丝灯.
After being led into a room, the staff left, casually closing the door behind them—a heavy, blast-proof door. Li Haojun glanced at Kasiya, who remained remarkably calm.
被带入一个房间后,工作人员就离开了,顺手关上了房门,很厚重的防爆门,李皓珺随后看了凯西娅一眼,她倒是很淡定.
Soon, the door opened and two people entered. One was an older man with black hair, round glasses, and a suit—though his trousers were wrinkled. The other was a younger man, seemingly an assistant. After brief introductions, they got straight to business. The room was sparsely furnished, with a projector casting images directly onto the wall. The base technicians first outlined the application scenarios for various products innovated using Tarachi bio-genetics—such as human injury recovery, physical enhancement, and psychological trauma rehabilitation. They then detailed the technical pathways for utilizing Tarachi bio-genetic products, some of which were ready-to-use while others required intermediate processing before final application. After the presentation, they outlined issues encountered during practical implementation. Following a detailed discussion with Li Haojun, they provided both him and Kesiya with a questionnaire to score the correlation between various events.
没一会,房门开了,走进两个人,一个年长男性,黑发戴圆眼镜,穿西服而裤子却褶皱,另一位是年轻人,似乎是助理.几人互相认识后直奔主题,室内陈设简陋,投影仪就直接投射到墙上,基地技术人员首先讲解了使用塔拉奇生物基因创新各种产品的应用场景,比如人体损伤恢复,人体机能增强,精神损伤恢复等方面,然后就是详细讲解了拉奇生物基因产品在使用中的技术路线,这些产品有的是直接使用,有的是作为中间产品加工后用于最终用途.讲解完成后,又给李皓珺介绍了在实际使用中发现的问题,在李皓珺和他们沟通了一些细节之后,他们给李皓珺和凯西娅发了一份答题卡,对于各种事件的关联性打分.
After completing the elementary school-level exam, the two were sent back to the hotel. It seemed the client would verify the day's work results tomorrow, so Li Haojun and Kasiya had to wait there. Having dinner nearby at the hotel, they decided to go for a walk. They strolled aimlessly along the road.
完成小学生一般的考试之后,两人又被送回了旅馆,看来客户明天还要验证今天的工作成果,所以李皓珺和凯西娅还得在这里等着.就近在旅馆吃过晚饭,两个人决定出去走走散散步,沿着道路,漫无目的地走了下去,
Li Haojun took Kasiya's hand and guided her to walk on the side closest to the road. Kasiya chuckled softly and asked,
李皓珺拉着凯西娅的手,让她走在靠路边一侧.凯西娅呵呵偷笑一声,问,
Are you playing favorites?
"你是不是偏心?"
"Why do you say that?" Li Haojun asked curiously.
"为什么这么说呢?" 李皓珺好奇地问,
"It won't rain here, so why not hold me close?" Kasiya whispered.
"这里不会下雨,你就不要搂着我的腰吗?" 凯西娅低声问,
Ha ha ha, her? She told you all that?
"哈哈哈,她?她都跟你说了?"
"Mm," Kesiya replied softly and simply, her voice tinged with a hint of shyness.
"嗯,"凯西娅轻声简单回答,声音里带着些许羞涩,
Li Haojun followed Malaya's lead, even without the cold rain or the clothes shielding their heads. He wrapped his arm around Rain Kasiya as they walked, asking her questions along the way.
李皓珺按照和玛莱雅的样子,即便没有冷雨,没有头顶撑着衣服,搂着雨凯西娅,边走边问,
Is that so?
"是这样吗?"
"Huh, she didn't go into that much detail,"
"呵呵,她没说那么详细,"
Oh, now I get it.
"奥,现在我明白了,"
What do you know?
"你明白什么呀?"
The reason your sister argued with you is because I can't hug both of you at the same time, so she asked not to come see me with you.
"你妹妹和你吵架的原因,因为我不能这样同时搂着你们俩,所以她才要求不和你同时来找我,"
Oh, I see. So do you want us both to keep you company or not? Kesiya asked with a smile, a hint of mischief in her voice.
"哦,是这样啊,那你到底要不要我俩一起陪着你啊?" 凯西娅笑着问,有点调皮的意味,
"Ah..." Li Haojun was momentarily at a loss for words. To say he wanted it would be too greedy, but to say he didn't would be a shame to disappoint the two young ladies' kind intentions. After a brief awkward pause, he couldn't help but ask,
"啊..."李皓珺一时不知道怎么回答,说想要自己岂不是太贪心,说不想要,怎么好辜负两位姑娘的一片盛情.短暂的尴尬之后,不由得问,
"Does she feel lonely at home now?"
"那她现在在家里会不会觉得孤单?"
No, whenever she has time, she sits there meditating on her own.
"不会,她有时间就会自己坐在那里冥想,"
"Oh," the reply caught Li Haojun slightly off guard.
"哦,"这个回答让李皓珺略感意外,
As dusk fell, distant stars began to twinkle faintly above the mountain peaks. The desert evening breeze grew cooler, and the two decided to head back. The return journey lacked the novelty and excitement of their departure, instead offering familiarity and tranquility. Li Haojun positioned Kesiya on his other side, still close to the roadside, still holding her close with both arms.
天色渐暗,远处山巅的天空已经隐约可见星斗,沙漠中的晚风渐凉,两个人决定要往回走了,而回程的路相较于出发的路,少了些新鲜感与兴奋,多了些熟悉与安详.李皓珺把凯西娅安排在了自己的另一侧,依然是靠路边一侧,依然用双手搂抱着她.
On the other side of the sky, the moon rose silently, illuminating the earth. Li Haojun gazed in that direction, lost in thought for a moment.
"Do you miss her?" Kasiya asked.
另一侧的天空里,月亮悄然升起,照亮大地,李皓珺看着那边有一刻有些出神,
"你想她了吗?"凯西娅问,
"No, I just had a thought—that base might be using our products in more ways than he described. There could be additional application possibilities."
"不是,我刚才一瞬间想到,那个基地里面可能不只是他介绍的那样使用我们的产品,有可能有更多的应用场景的可能性."
"Well, so what?"
"嗯,那又怎么样呢?"
This is profoundly unfair to ordinary people. Those who refuse technological enhancements will inevitably lose their competitive edge. While relevant laws exist, they inevitably lag behind. For organizations like corporations or conglomerates, the long-term outcome of competition will inevitably differ. They possess the full capacity to manipulate individuals, social behavior, and even state power. Individuals, meanwhile, are like pebbles swept up in the torrent of competition—either carried along or crushed beneath it.
"这对于普通的人就很不公平啊,以及那些不接受科技改造的人就会缺失竞争优势,虽然有相关法律,但是那总是滞后的,对于公司或者集团这样的组织团体,长期竞争的结果肯定会不一样的,他们完全有能力操控个人,社会行为,和国家力量.而个人就如同那场竞争洪流之中的石子,被裹挟或者被碾压."
Oh, are you worried about world peace?
"哦,你是在担心世界和平吗?"
"Ha ha, you're teasing me,"
"哈哈,你调侃我,"
Kesiya pursed her lips and smiled, saying nothing more as she listened quietly to Li Haojun's story.
凯西娅抿嘴儿一笑,没有再说什么,静静地听李皓珺的讲述,
There won't be any world wars or anything like that anymore—at least not ones ordinary people will witness. The conflicts between interest groups won't take the form of wars as we once knew them. As for ordinary people, there won't be any revolutions either. They simply won't be able to resist those who oppress them—they won't even realize they're being oppressed, nor will they know who's doing it to them. Remember that questionnaire from earlier? It can interfere with mental trauma and disrupt original thought patterns.
"以后不会有世界大战什么的了,至少不会被普通人看到,利益集团之间也不会是以往的战争形式了.至于普通人,也不会再有革命了,他们根本无法再对抗压迫他们的人,他们甚至不知道自己被压迫了,也不知道是谁对他做了什么.还记得刚才的问卷吗?能够干扰精神损伤,也能干扰原本的思维模式."
Yes, maybe one day you'll wake up and have forgotten me.
"是啊,也许有一天你一觉醒来,已经忘去了我,"
I won't let anyone mess with my mind—not for any temptation.
"我不会去让别人摆弄我的脑子,任何诱惑都不会的,"
Are you sure?
"你确定?"
"For you, I won't."
"为了你们,我不会的,"
Seeing Li Haojun's earnest and sincere expression, Kasiya stopped asking questions. She knew exactly who he meant by "you all."
看着李皓珺那认真笃信的样子,凯西娅不再问了,她知道他所说的你们都包括谁.
Back at the inn, Kasiya went to freshen up while Li Haojun lay on the bed, easing the day's fatigue. His thoughts drifted back to their earlier conversation, turning inward. Why had he lost his memory? Was it really the car accident? Yet he hadn't found any evidence to support it. Was he, like others, living a life he believed to be his own, one that was utterly different from what outsiders saw?
回到旅店,凯西娅去洗漱了,李皓珺躺在床上,舒缓一下一天的疲惫,不由得顺延刚才的谈话想到自己,为什么会失忆呢?难道真的是车祸?可是自己并没有查到任何相关痕迹,自己是不是也像其他的人一样,过着自己以为的生活,其实与局外人看到的截然不同.
Qin Wenjing once mentioned that she and others might have identification chips implanted in their bodies—the price paid for aspiring interstellar residents, or perhaps for working at a high-tech company. But it remained uncertain whether these chips could influence her thoughts through brainwaves or monitor her daily life. She had once sought to break free from this shackle through her research, yet the subsequent promotions and increased workload seemed designed to thwart that very ambition.
覃文静曾经提过她和自己身上可能有身份识别芯片,这是准星际居民的代价,或许也是就职于高科技公司的代价,但是还不确定芯片是否会通过脑电波影响自己的思维,或者监控自己的生活.曾经自己想要通过自己的研究卸掉这份枷锁,但是随之而来的升职与更多的工作安排似乎就是在阻碍自己的这个想法.
Li Haojun sensed it, but couldn't be certain. He didn't want to sacrifice time with Qin Wenjing to pursue his research. Choices between the present and the future were always difficult, especially when it meant sacrificing his beloved. He was already middle-aged, with few golden years left. Spending more time with the person before him was the right choice. Then, Kasiya and Malaya entered his life. Li Haojun wondered: Could they be company-arranged? Was Tan Wenjing alone insufficient to reclaim my attention? Yet they were so young—they could have made better choices.
李皓珺有这个感觉,但是无法确定,而他不想牺牲陪伴覃文静的时间来继续自己的研究.眼前与未来的抉择总是令人难以做出,何况是要牺牲自己的爱人,而自己已经是中年,未来黄金时日本就不多,还是多陪伴眼前人才是.然后,自己的生活中又走进了凯西娅和玛莱雅.李皓珺也想,莫非她们是公司安排的?嫌一个覃文静还不足够拉回我的注意力?只是她们那么年轻,本可以有更好的选择.
So is my consciousness being manipulated or monitored? My current life is real—Qin Wenjing is real, and those two sisters are real too. Their companionship, their care, and my feelings for them are all genuinely heartfelt. Living in such sweet days, what more could I possibly demand?
所以自己的意识是不是被操控的,或者监控的,目前的生活是真实的,覃文静是真实的,那两姐妹也是真实的,她们的陪伴,关爱,和自己对她们的感情,都是由衷真实的,生活在这样的甜蜜日子里,自己还要强求什么呢?
Lost in thought, Kasiya had already finished her shower. Wrapped in a bathrobe, she walked while drying her hair.
在思绪中追索着,凯西娅已经洗完了,穿了一条浴袍,边走边擦着自己的头发.Li Haojun recalled the time she helped him up, her hair dripping wet, as if it were yesterday.
李皓珺想起她头发滴着水扶自己起来那次,仿佛就在昨天.
"Ethan, are you going to take a shower?" she asked as she walked.
"伊森,你要去洗个澡吗?"她边走边问,
"Yes," Li Haojun said, rising to go to the bathroom.
"是啊,"说着李皓珺起身去了浴室.
The bathroom light was still on, filled with steam and the scent of shower gel—Kesiya had just bathed here. The same space, just a different time. And at this very moment, what was Tan Wenjing doing?
浴室的灯没有关,洋溢的水汽和沐浴露的味道,凯西娅刚刚在这里洗过澡,同一个空间,只是不同的时间.而在这同一时间,覃文静又在做什么呢?
The warm water cascading over her head flowed down every inch of her skin, like a gentle, soothing caress. Kasiya's youthful vitality filled the air around her. What kind of night this would be, Li Haojun didn't know himself. After a quick wash, he turned off the water, switched off the light, slipped into his bathrobe, and tiptoed out of the bathroom. Thankfully, the bedroom light was already off.
头顶的热水沿着身体流过每一寸肌肤,如同温暖轻柔地抚摸,凯西娅青春的气息在四周洋溢.这将会是一个怎样的夜晚,李皓珺自己也不知道,匆匆洗过之后,关掉水源,闭上电灯,穿了浴袍蹑手蹑脚走出浴室,还好,卧室灯已经熄灭了.Entering the room, the curtains were drawn in quiet seclusion. Through the pale moonlight, Cassia lay asleep in her bed.
走进房间,窗帘清幽,透过惨惨月光,凯西娅已经在她的床上睡了.
Li Haojun lay carefully on her bed, making sure not to make any noise. Relaxing on her own bed, the light streaming in through the window was a bit distracting, so Li Haojun turned her head toward the wall. In a daze, Kasiya had already come over and squeezed herself onto the edge of the bed.
李皓珺小心翼翼地躺在自己的床上,确保不弄出什么噪音.放松在自己的床上,窗口的亮光有点分神,李皓珺把头扭向了墙壁一面.恍惚间,凯西娅已经过来,挤着躺在了床边,
"Oh, no..." Li Haojun instinctively gasped, but before she could finish,
"哦不要..."李皓珺下意识地,还没说完,
"Alright." He leaned himself against the wall, wrapping his right arm around her back to keep her from falling.
"好吧."一边自己往墙壁方向靠靠,右手搂着她的背,防止她摔下去.
Kesiya remained silent, simply following Li Haojun's movements as she buried her face deeply into the hollow of his neck. Li Haojun wrapped his left arm around her shoulders and neck, his right hand resting on her waist. The scent of her hair seemed to entwine with his soul, and the rhythm of her breath, connecting heart and spirit, stirred an irresistible tenderness within him.
凯西娅不出声,只是跟着李皓珺的移动,把脸死死扎进他的肩颈中间,李皓珺用左臂挽着她的肩颈,右手搭在她腰间,她秀发的气息似乎缠绕心灵,她呼吸的气息,连接肺脾,让人怜爱难舍.
The warmth seems to bridge every boundary, merging two souls into one—intimate and gentle, light and free. Shedding the weight of flesh, we soar through the small window, gazing down upon moonlit sands and emerald grass. Stretching our limbs, we caress the ripples of the cool breeze, ascending to new heights. Hand in hand with the moon, we scatter white veils across the world, drifting toward the moon palace.
温暖的温度似乎可以弥合任何界限,让两个人不再是两个个体,而是融为一体,亲切而轻柔,轻快,摆脱身体的重量,飞出小窗,俯瞰月色里的细砂绿草,舒展身躯,抚摸清风的波澜,更上一重天,手挽明月散落世间条条白色轻纱,飘向月宫.
The earth beneath grew ever more distant, its outline blurring through the white gauze. My own limbs seemed to stretch endlessly outward—my arms could feel the curvature of the land below, while the sky above drew ever nearer. Standing upon the moonlit veil, the celestial backdrop appeared profoundly deep. The stars grew brighter still, and within that endless expanse of celestial light, a sense of destiny's longing seemed to stir.
身下的大地越来越远,透过白纱的轮廓越显模糊,而自己肢体的尺度也似乎在延绵拓展,臂膀可以感受到已见弧度的大地轮廓,头顶的天穹也似乎越来越近,站在月色白纱之上再看天穹背景也更显得深邃,星辰愈加明亮,在那无尽的星辰里,仿佛有宿命里的惦念.