Due to aircraft malfunction en route, Li Haojun and Qin Wenjing had no choice but to complete the remainder of their journey aboard a commercial quadcopter with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. The speed naturally slowed considerably. By the time they could glimpse the distant city lights of Dallas-Fort Worth, night had already fallen.
由于途中飞机故障,李皓珺和覃文静只能乘坐具有垂直起降能力的商业四旋翼飞行器完成剩下的行程.速度自然慢了不少,已经入夜,才远远看到达拉斯维加斯的城市灯火.
The sparse lights below in the suburbs, in this winter nearing the end of the year and the approach of Christmas, only deepened people's longing for home. Surveying the dark, gray expanse of night outside the cabin, Li Haojun felt grateful from the bottom of his heart that Tan Wenjing was by his side. As their gazes met, her gentle smile and the strands of dark hair dancing at her temples filled him with profound appreciation for her companionship.
市郊下方稀疏的灯光,在这年底圣诞将至的冬季里,越发勾起人们对家的依恋.环顾舱外四周暗夜的黑灰,还好有覃文静正陪伴在身边,对视中,她温婉的笑容与鬓角晃动的青丝,让李皓珺不由发自心底感激她的陪伴.
As they approached the city center, air traffic grew increasingly dense. Since the West Coast was submerged, numerous local businesses and tech companies had relocated to Las Vegas. The city had now been transformed into a vertical metropolis, its bustling aerial corridors becoming ever more distinct against the night sky amidst the flickering navigation lights. Soon, the quadcopter carrying Li Haojun and Qin Wenjing joined the traffic flow, eventually landing on the rooftop of their pre-booked hotel.
随着接近主城区,空中交通越发繁忙.自从西海岸被淹没之后,很多当地商业与科技企业都迁到了拉斯维加斯,如今这座城市已经被建成了一座立体城市,夜色中一条条繁忙的城市交通空中走廊也在闪烁的航行灯中愈加清晰.很快,李皓珺和覃文静乘坐的四旋翼飞行器也加入到交通流中,最终降落在预定旅店的楼顶.
Upon reaching the designated floor by elevator, Li Haojun took Qin Wenjing's hand and stepped out, walking down the corridor while counting the room numbers.
乘电梯到达预定房间楼层,李皓珺拉着覃文静的手,走出电梯,沿着走廊数着房间号,
1216, 1214, over here, 1208, 1206... 1202, here we go.
"1216,1214,看这边,1208,1206...1202,到了,"
Opening the door, he glanced back at Qin Wenjing, pulled her into the room, then turned around to find Malaya already inside. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing the doorway, legs together, leaning back with her arms spread out to support herself on the mattress.
打开房门,回头看着覃文静,拉着她走进房间,转回身赫然发现玛莱雅也在房间里,正坐在床边,面向房门,双腿并拢,身体后倾,双臂展开支撑在床面.
Malaya slowly opened her eyes, her expression serene.
玛莱雅慢慢睁开眼睛,面色平静,
"Welcome to Las Vegas. Please have a seat," he said, rising and stepping aside to make room for them.
"欢迎来到拉斯维加斯,请坐,"说着起身,两步从两人对面让开,站在了旁边.
Li Haojun was initially taken aback, yet her voice and presence soon transformed into a surge of delight within him. His gaze followed her every movement, stillness and motion alike, until Tan Wenjing stepped forward to greet her. Only then did Li Haojun snap out of his trance, hastily introducing the two women—after all, this was their first meeting.
李皓珺开始有些惊讶,然而她的声音与身影,很快变成了他内心的惊喜与冲撞,目光一直跟随着她的静与动,直到覃文静上前准备打招呼,李皓珺才反应过来,急忙给两人引荐,毕竟这是她们第一次见面.
After exchanging pleasantries, Malaya copied some safety precautions onto both of their terminals, emphasizing certain points. It turned out this was the reason she had specifically come along to accompany them. Throughout the process, Li Haojun kept his eyes fixed on Malaya's, listening intently. Tan Wenjing, however, glanced back and forth between Malaya and Li Haojun, seeming to sense something was up with her unique feminine intuition.
寒暄之后,玛莱雅给两个人的终端设备拷贝了一些安全注意事项并且着重强调了一些内容,原来她是因为这个原因才特意前来陪同的.整个过程李皓珺一直注视着玛莱雅的眼睛,似乎听得很认真,覃文静则是一会儿看看玛莱雅,一会儿看看李皓珺,似乎有点好事,凭着她特有的女性的敏感.
After covering all the key points, Malaya looked at each of them in turn and said,
所有要点事项通告完毕,玛莱雅分别看了看两个人说,
"Alright, I won't keep you any longer. Get some rest. I'll meet you tomorrow morning to set off together. I'm staying in the room across the hall." With that, he stood up and left.
"好了,不多打扰你们了,早些休息吧,明早我会来与你们汇合一起出发,我就在对门房间."说完,起身离开.
Li Haojun and Qin Wenjing also rose to see them off, but Li Haojun stopped at the doorway. With Qin Wenjing present and Malaya alone, it seemed inappropriate to intrude further on her privacy. However, Qin Wenjing did not pause.
李皓珺和覃文静也起身跟随相送,但是李皓珺到了门口就停下了脚步,因为有覃文静在,并且玛莱雅只身一人,不好过多干涉人家隐私.可是覃文静并没有停下,She followed Malaya all the way into the room and then casually closed the door behind her.
她跟着玛莱雅,一直把她送进房间,然后随手关上了门.
Li Haojun could only stand at the doorway, waiting there like a fool. After quite a while, Tan Wenjing emerged with a smirk, holding back laughter as she returned to her room. Li Haojun couldn't help but ask,
李皓珺只好站在门口,在那里傻等,等了好一阵子,覃文静笑嘻嘻地出来了,憋着回到房间,李皓珺忍不住问,
What did you say to her that made you so happy?
"你和她说什么了,这么高兴?"
"I'm not telling you," Qin Wenjing said, making a mischievous face.
"不告诉你,"说着,覃文静调皮地做了个鬼脸.
"Aren't you jealous of her?"
"你不吃她的醋吗?"
Why should I be jealous of her? You already belong to me first. Even if she tries to take advantage of me, I'll just give her a little piece of you.
"我为什么要吃她的醋?你已经先属于我了,就算她来占我的便宜,我把你分给她一点点就是了."
"Oh, what a positive attitude and logical thinking," Li Haojun praised, but thinking about the next day's schedule, he kept urging Qin Wenjing to get some rest early. But no matter how tough she acted, he still needed to take care of her. He turned sideways to lie beside her, his right arm wrapped around her waist. Yet his mind lingered on the lonely Malaya across the hallway, and further still, on Kasiya home alone... Sigh. There was no time to dwell on it now. Better to rest.
"哦,好心态,好逻辑," 李皓珺一边称赞着,想到第二天的行程安排,还是不断催促着覃文静早些休息.只是不管她怎么嘴硬,还是要爱护好她,侧身面向她躺在她的身边,右手搂着她的腰.只是内心还有些惦记走廊对面孤单的玛莱雅,再联想远一点,还有独自在家的凯西娅...唉,一时顾不了那么多,赶紧休息吧.
The next morning, before dawn had broken, Li Haojun mapped out the bus routes and transfer connections in his mind. By the time he stepped out of the inn, daylight had fully arrived. He hurried through a narrow alley flanked by market stalls, too pressed for time to notice what goods were being sold on either side.
第二天,早上天还没亮,李皓珺便计划着公交车路线,计划着换乘线路,然后走出旅店,天已大亮.穿过一条小路,两边是集市商业摊位,李皓珺没有时间留意两边都是在经营什么,时间不多了.
Exiting this commercial street, turn right and walk a short distance to reach the bus stop along the pre-planned route. Walking along the main road, towering buildings on both sides cast deep shadows, blocking out the sky. Suddenly, Li Haojun remembered he wasn't alone here! Standing on the street, he recalled the sequence of events—turning right now, then backtracking, and turning right again should lead him back to the neighborhood he came from.
走出这条商业街,右转再走一段距离应该是预先计划路线的公交站.沿着大路,两侧高楼林立的,遮天蔽日,这时李皓珺突然想起了自己来到这里并不是孤单一人啊!伫立街头回忆一下事件经过,应该现在右转往回然后再右转也能回到来时所在的街区.
Li Haojun walked back while calculating the distance, but the path grew increasingly dim. The buildings along the roadside lost their bustling vibrancy, and the scenery turned more desolate. To avoid overshooting, Li Haojun turned right again, attempting to return to the commercial street he had just passed through. Yet darkness descended rapidly upon the road. Small groups of construction workers wearing hard hats rode bicycles past him in the opposite direction, seemingly heading home from work.
李皓珺边往回走边计算着距离,只是这条路越走越暗,并且路边建筑也不再繁华,景物变得愈加荒凉.为了不走过头,李皓珺再次右转,试图回到刚才走过的商业街,然而路上黑暗急剧降临,三三两两头戴安全帽的建筑工人骑着自行车从路上反向经过,似乎在下班.
Li Haojun was completely bewildered. The road ahead stretched into an apartment complex, devoid of any lights, plunging into pitch darkness. He fumbled for the flashlight in his pocket, about to pull it out, when a faint light appeared behind him—a bicycle passed by, ridden by someone who looked like an auntie. Li Haojun hurriedly asked, "Excuse me, is it night or morning now?" The woman replied it was night. Li Haojun tried to check his watch, but its 12-hour format offered no help. He recalled the direction of the commercial street on the map he'd seen—north—and tried to remember the intersection where he'd turned and the distance he'd walked. Walking blindly forward while trying to recall these details was exhausting. Li Haojun strained to open his eyes wider, but the darkness made it impossible to see. He forced his eyes open as wide as he could... and finally, a sliver of light shone in... He opened his eyes.
李皓珺完全糊涂了,再往前走的道路延伸进了一个公寓小区,没有任何灯光,已经要伸手不见五指了,李皓珺摸了摸裤兜里的手电筒,正准备拿出来,身后孱弱的灯光,一辆自行车经过,骑车的人像是一位阿姨的样子,李皓珺连忙问,"请问现在是晚上还是早晨?"对方回答晚上,李皓珺想拿手表对一下时间,但手表指针是12小时制式根本没有帮助.他又回忆自己看过的地图上那条商业街的方向,朝北的,回忆自己拐弯的路口和行走的距离.就这样边回忆边摸黑向前走太累了,李皓珺想睁大自己的眼睛,因为路太黑了根本看不清,他奋力睁大自己的眼睛,终于有一缕光亮照射进来...他睁开了眼睛.
I'm so exhausted. Turns out I'd been running around all night—in my dream. Li Haojun glanced at the time; it was still early. He tried to calm his heart rate and emotions while recalling the details of what had just happened, wondering why he'd dreamt such a thing.
好累啊,原来自己奔波了一宿,在梦里.李皓珺看了一眼时间,还早,一边回忆着刚才经过的细节,好奇为什么自己会做这样的梦,一边平复一下心率和情绪.
The morning wasn't nearly as complicated as the dream. Malaya led the two of them to the pre-booked air taxi, which took them to the meeting point.
早上没有梦里那么复杂,玛莱雅领着他们两人,乘坐预定的飞行出租车前往集会地点.
The fall of the West Coast prompted the relocation of numerous businesses, entertainment venues, and populations originally based in California to this area. Las Vegas's main urban district now relies on three layered ellipsoidal tower-column structures to form a new three-dimensional city. Malaya and her two companions flew from the city's outskirts to the edge of the vertical metropolis, then transferred to a hyperloop capsule bound for the West Tower Exhibition Hall. During the journey, Malaya reiterated,
西海岸的陷落让原来属于加州的许多商业娱乐和人口都迁移到了这里,拉斯维加斯主城区依托三座层层椭球结构塔状柱结构,构建了新的立体城市.玛莱雅一行三人从城市外围飞到立体城市边缘,然后换乘超回路胶囊前往西塔展厅.路上玛莱雅再次强调,
The three-dimensional city formed by the West Tower, South Tower, and Central Tower belongs to the interstellar exchange zone. It may harbor diverse lifeforms—some may appear human outwardly but differ internally, while others remain entirely invisible to us. The most significant threat lies in their potential ability to perceive and manipulate human consciousness. Bioengineered humans or individuals with special abilities may also possess similar capabilities. As she spoke, Malaya glanced at Qin Wenjing.
"西塔,南塔和中央塔构成的立体城市属于星际交流区,可能存在不同的生物,也许他们看起来是人,但内在未必,也有的我们根本看不到.对我们影响最大的就是他们可能对人类意识有感知和操控能力.也有生化改造人或者异能人士,也有类似能力."说着玛莱雅看了看覃文静,
"You are a kind-hearted woman, but you must be especially mindful of your self-protection barriers," Tan Wenjing said as she listened. The warm smile that had graced her face moments before gradually faded into indifference.
"你是一位善良的女士,尤其要注意自我保护屏障," 覃文静一边听她说,脸上刚才还笑眯眯的面容,逐渐淡漠了.
Malaya continued,
玛莱雅接着说,
Maintain distance from others, constantly imagining a spherical protective barrier surrounding yourself, and refusing to allow others to enter your personal space.
"保持与他人的距离,时刻想象着,有球形的保护罩围绕着自己,并且自己不同意他人进入自己的空间."
"Oh," Qin Wenjing nodded in agreement, then suddenly seemed to think of something and asked,
"哦,"覃文静答应着点了点头,然后突然好像想到了什么,问,
"Malaya, how did you come to know all this?"
"玛莱雅,你是怎么知道这些知识的?"
"Company Safety Manual,"
"公司安全指导手册啊,"
"Oh, this is the first time I've heard about it," Tan Wenjing said, glancing at Li Haojun before continuing,
"哦,我第一次了解,"说着覃文静看了看李皓珺,接着说,
"I've never been here before, so I've never seen safety notices like these."
"我过去没来过这里唉,所以没见过这样的安全提示,"
"So, what about Spokane?" Li Haojun exchanged a glance with Qin Wenjing before turning his gaze toward Malaya.
"那么,斯波坎呢?" 李皓珺对视了一眼覃文静,又望向玛莱雅,
"Spokane doesn't," Malaya replied.
"斯波坎没有," 玛莱雅回答.
As they spoke, the hyperloop capsule had already reached the main building of Sita. After passing through the hyperloop pipeline airlock, it entered the open-air vertical elevator. Here, they enjoyed an unobstructed view, allowing them to observe the structure of the vertical city up close.
谈话间超回路胶囊已经到达西塔主建筑,经过超回路运行管线气闸后进入露天垂直升降机.这里有良好的视野可以近距离观察立体城市的结构.
Each tower-shaped structure features a black steel frame, an aluminum-silver ellipsoidal lobby, and irregularly shaped glass windows in seemingly random hues—pale green, pale blue, pale purple, rose red, and lemon yellow.
每座塔型建筑都是黑色钢结构,铝银色椭球大厅,淡绿色,淡蓝色,淡紫色,玫红柠檬黄,似乎是随机的颜色,不规则大块玻璃窗.
At the center of the triangle formed by three towers stands a spherical structure, its blue palette accented with emerald green, earthy ochre, and snow-white hues—yes, it is the Global Village. Here, cultural arts, historical sites, and humanities are displayed according to nation, region, ethnicity, and geography.
三座塔围绕的三角形中间是一座球形建筑,蓝色基调点缀着翠绿土黄与雪白,没错,就是地球村.依照国家,地域,民族,地理展示文化艺术,古迹人文等等.
Upon reaching the designated floor, the hyperloop capsule disengaged from the vertical lift mechanism and moved horizontally to the accessible entrance. The three individuals proceeded through the escalator corridor to the reserved activity hall.
到达预约楼层,超回路胶囊退出垂直升降机构,水平移动到可用入口,三人通过扶梯走廊到达预约活动大厅.
This year's industry year-end gala brought together representatives from research institutions, manufacturing companies, and relevant user organizations across the sector. The garden waterfall at the center of the hall served as a water projection screen, displaying the industry's developments and achievements over the past year.
这次是行业年底盛会,同行业科研,生产公司和相关用户公司都有人员收到邀请前来参加.大厅中心的花园瀑布被用于水幕投射,播放着一年以来的行业动态与成果.
Li Haojun glanced at Qin Wenjing beside him. They exchanged a knowing smile, and Li Haojun said with a self-deprecating chuckle,
李皓珺看了一眼身边的覃文静,两人相视一笑,李皓珺自嘲道,
"Actually, I'm not even a year old yet."
"其实我还没满周岁,"
Qin Wenjing smiled, linking her arm through his as she walked beside him. Suddenly, Li Haojun realized Malaya wasn't with them. He tugged at Qin Wenjing's arm and glanced around—Malaya was walking alone behind them. Today she wore a black business suit, her hair pulled back into a simple high ponytail. For some reason, she'd also chosen to wear a pair of black-rimmed glasses, perfectly embodying the office lady look.
覃文静笑着,搀着他的胳膊,跟着走在他身边.这时李皓珺突然意识到玛莱雅没在一起,他拉了一下覃文静的胳膊,环视四周,原来玛莱雅一个人走在后面.今天她穿了一身黑色正装,高高简单挽了一个单马尾辫,不知为何,今天她还选择戴了一副黑边眼镜,妥妥的办公室女郎形象.
As she approached, Tan Wenjing reached out her right hand to pull her along. She smiled and didn't refuse. The three walked together past the landscaped garden. Tan Wenjing linked arms with Li Haojun on her left and held Malaya's hand on her right. Glancing around, she couldn't hold back and giggled. She tugged Malaya's hand and turned to ask Li Haojun,
两人等她走近,覃文静伸出右手想要拉着她一起走,她笑了笑没有拒绝.三个人一同从景观花园旁边走过,覃文静左手挽着李皓珺,右手拉着玛莱雅,左右看看,憋不住,咯咯笑出了声,她拉了拉玛莱雅的手,又转向李皓珺问,
"How wonderful it would be if we were family," she said, then turned to look at Malaya. Malaya merely smiled, saying nothing. Li Haojun also looked over, meeting her eyes. After a moment, fearing Malaya might feel awkward, he shook Tan Wenjing's arm and said,
"如果我们是一家人多好啊,"说完又回头看着玛莱雅,她只是一笑,什么也没说.李皓珺也望过去,看着她的眼睛,片刻,怕玛莱雅尴尬,便摇了摇覃文静的胳膊说,
"Why are you bringing this up now?" she said, glancing around at the crowd nearby before whispering a gentle reminder. "你怎么在这个时候说这些,"说着用眼睛示意了一下周边有很多人,然后轻声提醒,
"Better remember her safety tips," Qin Wenjing grinned, sticking out her tongue.
"还是记着她给我们的安全提示吧," 覃文静咧嘴一笑,吐了一下舌头.
Following Malaya's directions, we spotted our company's booth from afar. A few people had already arrived and were chatting there.
按照玛莱雅的指引,远远的看到本公司展位,已经有一些人先到,在那里交谈了.From afar, Sophie Martin, in a bright red dress with orange waves, sat at a round table, chatting with others while sipping her drink.
远远的,大红裙,橘色大波浪,苏菲·马丁内,坐在圆桌旁,一边与人交谈,一边品尝手中的饮品.
Further inside the booth, Boise's Eva Bishop remained breathtakingly beautiful—her dark hair pulled back, bare-faced with red lips, wearing a pure white, form-fitting mermaid-style gown. She stood discreetly in the corner, engaged in conversation with another woman across from her.
展位往里,博伊西的艾娃·毕晓普,依旧美得惊艳,黑发盘头素颜红唇,纯白紧身鱼尾裙礼服.很低调地站在角落里,和另一位女士在面对面聊着什么.
A few more people gathered together—mostly strangers, though a few familiar faces among them. They must be colleagues from the East Coast.
还有一些人聚集在一起,多数不认识,但是个别脸熟,她们应该是来自东海岸的同事.
After exchanging brief pleasantries with colleagues and collaborating clients at our company's booth, Li Haojun and his group departed to visit other exhibitors in the same industry. Li Haojun simply disliked noisy networking events; as a technical professional, he derived no sense of superiority or value from social interactions. As for Qin Wenjing, she was only interested in accompanying him—where they went or what they did held no particular significance to her.
与本公司同事和协作客户寒暄片刻之后,李皓珺一行人离开本公司展位,去参观同行业其他公司的展位了.李皓珺只是不喜欢喧嚣的交际活动,他是个做技术工作的人,无法从社交中获得任何优越感或者价值,而覃文静感兴趣的只是跟随他,至于做什么,在哪里,她也不在意.
Mallaya was quite lively, introducing the products, technologies, and business areas of various companies along the way. Before long, Li Haojun grew curious and asked,
玛莱雅倒是很活跃,沿途给他们介绍各家公司的产品,技术,经营领域.没过一会,李皓珺感到有些好奇,便问,
"Malaya, how do you know so much?"
"玛莱雅,你怎么知道这么多?"
Maraia glanced back at Li Haojun, gave a slight smile, pointed to the glasses she wore, and said,
玛莱雅回头看着李皓珺,微微一笑,用手指了指自己佩戴的眼镜,说,
"Smart," she said, continuing to lead the way ahead. Her long hair was pulled back into a high ponytail with large, wavy curls. When she turned her head, the braid not only swayed from side to side with her posture but also bounced up and down with each step, radiating youthful vitality.
"智能的,"说完,继续在前面领着走,她扎起来的长发高马尾,有着大波浪的弯曲,在她回头的时候,辫子不仅随着她的身姿左右晃动,而且还随着她的步伐有着高度上的飘动,满满的年轻活力.
After touring the visually stunning exhibition, Li Haojun returned to his company's booth. The space buzzed with activity. A man in formal attire—black tailcoat, wing-collar white shirt, and a slicked-back pompadour with glossy hair wax—stood out with his broad forehead, high brow ridges, deep-set eyes, striking blue irises, and a well-defined jawline, radiating undeniable charm. Surrounded by beautiful women, he was speaking eloquently. As Li Haojun stepped into their booth, their eyes met.
赏心悦目的展会转了一圈,李皓珺又回到自己任职公司的位置.展位里面很热闹,一位男士人着正装,黑色燕尾服,翼领白衬衫,28分背头,发蜡鲜亮,宽额头,高眉弓深眼窝,一双蓝色眼睛,下颌端正,俊男气质十足.站在美女环伺之中,正在侃侃而谈.李皓珺踏入自家展区正好与他对了个眼光.
"Hey, Ethan, long time no see. Welcome back." He greeted him warmly, but his voice sounded insincere.
"嗨,伊森,好久没见,欢迎归来."他很热情地打招呼,但是声音却听起来油腔滑调.
Li Haojun didn't recognize him, so she simply smiled and nodded in greeting. Considering her recent memory loss, it was understandable—he knew her, yet she remembered nothing. She thought perhaps he was just welcoming her back to the company booth.
李皓珺不认识他,只好微笑点头致意.想想自己不算很久以前的失忆,实在是没办法,对方认识自己,而自己却什么都不记得.心想,或许他只是在欢迎自己回到公司展位.
"Ethan, Ethan, don't you remember me?" she leaned forward, her eyes fixed on Li Haojun as she pressed the question.
"伊森,伊森,不记得我了吗?"说着还斜探出身子盯着李皓珺追问,
"Zane,"
"赞恩,"
"Zane, don't," the women beside him all felt it was inappropriate and gently reminded him.
"赞恩,不要",他身边的女士都觉得不妥,在轻声提示他,
Li Haojun, unsure if he had ever offended him in the past, left with a frozen smile on his face. After calming his inner resentment, he looked at the beauty beside him and whispered softly,
李皓珺不知道自己过去是否得罪过他,脸上带着冻结的微笑直接离开了.平复一下内心的愤懑,看着身边的佳人,轻声说,
"Let's go, it's time for our lunch break."
"走,我们午休了."
At the transit hub on the edge of West Tower, Li Haojun boarded the Hyperloop capsule once more. After reviewing the attractions at Earth Village, he asked Tan Wenjing and Malaya to each pick one that interested them. Both unanimously chose to experience Earth Village's Time Tunnel—a nostalgic panoramic attraction that recreates historical landscapes from around the world using all collected human audiovisual files and data.
在西塔边缘的交通换乘区,再次登上超回路胶囊,李皓珺浏览了一遍地球村的游览项目,问覃文静和玛莱雅各自选择一个自己感兴趣的项目,结果两人一致同意去体验地球村的时空隧道,一个怀旧的全景体验游乐项目,收集的所有人类所有影音文件和数据复原的各地历史地表景象.
Upon arriving at the experience space, several people took their seats in the enclosed interference projection room. Qin Wenjing selected the location and time from the interface, then used the joystick to navigate the flight perspective. She guided everyone through her university campus from her college days, shifting positions while explaining the purpose of each building and recounting her experiences there. After the demonstration, Qin Wenjing radiated confidence, her satisfaction evident.
到达体验空间后,几个人入座,这是一间封闭的干涉投影室.覃文静从操作界面选择了地点,时间,通过操纵杆飞行视角,在投影室给大家展示了自己当年上大学的校园,一边变换位置一边讲解建筑用途,和自己当年的经历.一番展示下来,覃文静信心满满,溢于言表.
It was Malaya's turn to choose the time and place. She smiled faintly.
轮到玛莱雅选择时间和地点,她淡淡一笑,
"Huh, I can't even remember when or where that was,"
"呵呵,我已经不记得那是什么时候和地点了,"
Upon hearing her words, Li Haojun immediately sensed that Tan Wenjing's earlier showiness seemed to have struck a nerve with this orphan. As this thought crossed his mind, he glanced at Tan Wenjing, who smiled back, oblivious to his observation.
听她这么一说,李皓珺也立刻感到刚才覃文静的高调,似乎对这名孤儿来说,有些扎心,想到这他看了覃文静一眼,而她微笑着并未察觉.
Malaya spoke as she selected the brainwave-interactive helmet, silently closing her eyes and leaning back into the seat. The room's lights gradually dimmed. In the darkness, a rustling sound approached from afar, building in layers as if piling up from the distance to her very eyes. A faint glimmer emerged within the swirling chaos of darkness, steadily growing brighter.
玛莱雅说着,她选择了脑波交互头盔,默默地闭上了眼睛,靠在座椅上.房间灯光逐渐暗淡,黑暗中,由远及近沙沙声,伴随着周期,层层由远方至眼前堆积而来.黑暗中一缕微光,与黑暗回旋搅拌的混沌里,逐渐明亮起来.
Gradually, chaos gave way to order as heaven and earth separated, a silver disk suspended between them, scattering fragments of bright silver beneath. A gentle breeze blew softly from ahead. As the light and shapes before them gradually stabilized and sharpened, Li Haojun and Qin Wenjing slowly recognized them as waves—waves in the night, bathed in the glow of a full moon against the dark sky, surging wave after wave toward the shore. The moon, newly risen on the horizon, illuminated not only the vast expanse of the sea but also the deep night sky and the wisps of floating clouds.
渐渐地混沌初开,天地分离一轮银盘悬挂其间,些许亮银碎屑抛洒其下.前方清风徐徐迎面吹来,随着眼前光亮与色块的逐步稳定清晰,李皓珺和覃文静逐渐看到那是浪花,黑夜里的浪花,在黑夜里披着夜空一轮满月的光华,一波波涌向岸边.而天际线上刚刚升起的明月不仅照亮了广袤的海面,也映衬出深邃的夜空,和丝缕般的浮云.
The rustling sound that had grown louder from afar was the gentle breeze caressing the waves upon the sea. Clad in silver, they rolled in row upon row toward the shore, erasing the footprints left moments before.
而之前那由远而近的沙沙声正是微风拂过海面的浪花,披着银装一排排涌向沙滩,抹去刚刚踏过的脚印.
Following the delicate footprints, moonlight illuminated the young woman's silhouette in the night. Her swaying form, graceful stride, and flowing ponytail danced in the sea breeze.
循着那纤细的足迹寻去,月光照亮了夜色里少女的轮廓,摇曳的身姿,婀娜的步伐,和海风里她飘逸的单马尾辫.
As Malaya removed the brainwave-interaction helmet, the projection of all these beautiful scenes gradually solidified and faded away, leaving only the distant backdrop of coconut palms.
随着玛莱雅摘掉脑波交互头盔,这一切美景的投影逐渐凝固淡去,最后只剩远端的椰树背景.
Li Haojun and Qin Wenjing were both stunned by the scene they had just witnessed. After a long moment, Qin Wenjing finally fired off a series of questions:
李皓珺和覃文静都被刚才的景观震撼到了,过了好一阵,覃文静才一连串地问,
Where was that place just now? It was so beautiful. Was that little girl you? She was so pretty, just like you.
"刚才那是哪里啊,那么美,那个小姑娘是你吗?真漂亮,就像你一样."
"Hmm, I don't know either. I can't even tell if this is my memory or just my imagination."
"嗯,我也不知道啊,我甚至不知道这是我的记忆还是我的幻想,"
"Oh, let me check," Tan Wenjing said as she busied herself with the system.
"唉,查一查," 覃文静一边说着一边忙着查询系统,
"Hmm, maybe the Spanish coast, oh, or maybe the Maldives, hmm, Australia, Hawaii... Oh dear, looks like I can't find it."
"唉,可能是西班牙海岸,哦,也可能是马尔代夫,嗯,澳大利亚,夏威夷,哎呀,看来找不到啊."
Li Haojun said nothing, silently watching Malaya. What had this little girl been through? Was all this too heavy a burden for her tender age?
李皓珺则是什么也没说,默默地看着玛莱雅,心想,这个小姑娘到底经历了什么?而这一切对于她小小的年纪是否太过沉重.
"Your turn," Qin Wenjing said with a grin, shifting her attention from Malaya to Li Haojun.
"该你了," 覃文静笑嘻嘻地把自己的注意力从玛莱雅已经转到了李皓珺,
Malaya silently handed the brainwave-interactive helmet to Li Haojun.
玛莱雅则是默默地把脑波交互头盔递到了李皓珺的面前.
Li Haojun had initially been resistant to the brainwave device, perhaps due to his own experience with amnesia. Yet when faced with Malaya, though hesitant for a moment, he ultimately took the helmet and placed it on his head.
李皓珺本来对脑波设备内心抵触,或许是自己失忆经历的原因,可是面对玛莱雅,虽然迟疑了一下,但最终接过了头盔,戴在了头上.
In truth, Li Haojun had no memories of his past, but he was deeply troubled by the dreams he had once experienced. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to see if he could uncover any clues.
实际上李皓珺没有什么过去的记忆,但是他对曾经的梦境确实耿耿于怀,正好趁这个机会,看看能否找到些线索.
As Li Haojun settled into her seat, the projection room gradually brightened. A scorching breeze swept across her face, and the constant chirping of cicadas filled her ears—it was the height of summer, the blazing sun baking the pavement tiles until waves of heat rolled off them. This was the quiet midday moment in a residential community square.
随着李皓珺平静坐定,投影室感官逐渐明亮,炙热的热风拂面,知了声声入耳,正是夏日的艳阳高照,烤得地面砖热浪滚滚.这是一个居民小区广场的正午宁静时光.
The small square is flanked by brick-and-concrete apartment buildings on both sides. Within the square, slides and swings have been set up for the children who live here to play on. Their frames are made of steel pipes, painted in bright red, light blue, and yellow. At midday, no children are playing under the scorching sun—perhaps they've all gone home for their afternoon naps.
小小的广场前后都是砖混建筑多层公寓楼,广场上有着为这里生活的孩子们玩耍准备的滑梯,秋千.它们都是使用钢管制作的框架,上面涂着红色,淡蓝色,黄色的闪亮油漆.正午时间,没有孩子们在炙热的阳光下玩耍,也许他们都回家去睡午觉了.
Yet behind the motionless swings and slides, the laughter of children who once played here still lingers. Their joyful shouts and chatter seem to transcend time and space, pulling every viewer back to their own happy childhood days.
但是在静止的秋千和滑梯背后,却洋溢着曾经孩子们在这里玩耍的嬉笑声,那欢乐的呼喊与言语,似乎穿越时空的背景,拉扯每一位观众回到自己快乐的童年时光.
Sunlight streams through the paulownia trees, their leaves exuding a faint, refreshing fragrance mingled with the summer heat that wafts into the nostrils. The shadows cast by the canopy starkly contrast the dazzling glare of sunlight reflecting off the square paving stones below. Within these patches of light and shadow, amidst the gentle breeze and languid summer heat, the midday hour seems frozen in time—along with the memories of childhood.
阳光照耀着桐树,枝叶散发出淡淡的清香,夹杂着盛夏的暑气混入鼻孔.树冠投下的阴影,强烈对比阳光直射地面方砖耀眼的反射.就在这光影分割的色块间,轻风无力的暑热里,凝固了中午的时光,凝固了儿时的回忆.
As faint sobs drifted from nearby, Li Haojun's attention snapped back from his dream recollections to reality. Removing the brainwave-sensing helmet, the projection room's scenery faded away as the lights gradually came on.
随着身边隐隐传来的抽泣声,李皓珺的注意力从梦境回忆中回到现实.摘下脑波感应头盔,投影室的景色也淡去,照明灯慢慢亮起.
It was Qin Wenjing after all, crying for some unknown reason.
原来是覃文静,不知为什么哭了,
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Li Haojun asked as he gently cupped her cheeks.
"怎么了?怎么哭了?"李皓珺一边扶着她的脸蛋,一边问,
"Nothing."
"没什么,"
Li Haojun didn't ask any more questions. He simply gave her a gentle hug, holding her close to comfort her. As he did so, he glanced at the location prompt: Northern China, city undetermined.
李皓珺没再问,只是轻轻一个拥抱,把她搂在怀里安慰她,顺势扫了一眼位置提示,中国北方,无法确定城市.
It seemed that Malaya had also noticed the location hint. She exchanged a glance with Li Haojun but said nothing.
似乎玛莱雅也同时注意到了地点提示,和李皓珺对了一下眼光,什么也没说.