第四十二章 初见佐罗
Casually wearing a white jacket-style women’s uniform coat, matched with tight athletic pants, a fair-skinned woman crossed the hallway, which reflected warm light, and arrived at the door.
随意套着白夹克式女士制服外套，下身搭配着紧身运动裤的白皙女子，穿过反射着温和灯光的走廊来到门前。
“Huh?” She tilted her head slightly, her gaze drifting back to the corridor she had come from, an inexplicable faint sense of loss rising in her heart, like a light smoke that lingered and refused to disperse.
“嗯？”她微微侧首，目光投向来时的走廊，心中莫名涌起一丝淡淡的失落，如轻烟般在心底缭绕不散。
After pondering briefly, this handsome woman with delicate features pushed open the door. Instead of taking a bath first after the afternoon workout as usual, she strode over to the desk, pulled off the silk sweatband from her neck, tossed it onto the armrest, and sat down with her eyes closed, leaning back in her chair.
略思索了下，这位拥有精致五官的英气女人推开房门后，未如往常般每日下午运动后先泡澡，而是大步来到书桌旁取下颈间丝光汗巾甩在扶手，一屁股坐下后闭目倚靠在座椅上。
In her mind, she began to trace the pattern of a magical rune.
她脑海中开始勾画一道魔纹的纹路。
A chorus of whispers arose, and a dreamlike black tide surged in from all corners of the room.
无数噫语响起，如梦似幻般的黑潮涌自房间四处涌来。
When she opened her eyes again, the woman, now with a completely altered appearance, was already seated in a dim hazy space resembling her own room. At the center of the room, a swirling black mist magic pattern kept shifting, and a genderless mental voice came from within it:
再挣开眼时，完全化为另一幅容貌的女人已坐在了片类似自己房间的暗淡雾霾空间。在房屋正中，一道旋转的黑雾魔纹不断变换，分不清男女的心念之声从其中传来：
{You have come earlier than the appointed day each month, Madam Huan Bao’er.}
{你比每月所约定的时日，来得提前了些，幻保儿女士。}
The woman straightened her slender waist pressed against the contorted back of the chair. Her entire appearance had now taken on another form, becoming more ethereal and bearing a dignity that was. less human.
女人挺直紧靠在扭曲椅背上的细腰。她整个人外貌此刻已经是另一种形态，变得更空灵也更具有不似人类的威仪。
Her long fingers, encased like white leather sleeves, flicked a glinting coin that fell into the suspended complex pattern.
她如戴白色皮套般的修长手指中弹出枚闪动着微光的硬币，落入那悬浮的繁复纹路内。
[I want to read Hu Bao’er’s latest story right now.]
[我想现在就要阅读胡宝儿的最新故事。]
{As you wish.}
{如你所愿。}
The twisted pattern began to flow, and a slightly reddish page drifted out from within it, passing through the room and arriving in Huan Bao’er’s hand. Her eyes, lustrous like pearls, rapidly scanned over the words that had become solid on the page.
扭曲的纹路开始流动，一份略显淡红色泽的书页从其中飘荡而出，掠过房间来到了幻保儿的手中。她如珍珠般润泽的眼眸迅速从书页上这些变得凝实的字迹上划过。
—Though Those in high position have numerous daily affairs, they are always the same routine. Fortunately, life is still sprinkled with various unexpected seasonings. For instance, today, a peculiar incident occurred around Ms. Hu Bao’er, the Red President of Xingqi Company. She, remarkably, Has lost all memory of her suddenly vanished colleague and friend.
——…位高之人每日事务虽繁，但却又千篇一律。还好的是生活中总算有着各种突发的调味剂。比如这一日，星奇公司的红之总裁——胡宝儿女士身边，便又发生了件奇特的事情。那就是她的一位同事兼朋友突然消失不见了。而胡宝儿也完全遗忘了这个人。
——When will she discover the anomaly? Actually, there is no need to worry. Because as one who possesses the star, she has already detected something unusual from subtle traces, as well as from her own thoughts and emotions. She quickly took action.
——她什么时候才会发现异常呢？其实不用担心。因为作为拥有了星星的她，早已从一些蛛丝马迹，以及她自己的思想与情绪中发现些许异常。她迅速便行动起来了。
——Aware that something special was happening in secret, on the morning of that day, before her training, she took a moment to enter a mysterious place that only she could access. Here, she would conduct her monthly review of her memories—although this time, it was sudden. However, this review proved to be no small matter: Hu Bao’er indeed confirmed that her vague, elusive worry had become a reality!
——感知到了有特别事情正在暗地里发生的她，在这日清晨的训练前，抽空提前进入了个只有她自己才能进入的神秘之地，她将要在这里进行每月对自己记忆的梳理——虽然这次是突然的。然而这一梳理可不得了，胡宝儿居然真的就这样确定了她自己的那种抓不到重点的隐约忧虑，已经成真！
——A friend who never existed had ceased to be.
——一个并不存在的朋友，消亡了。
Huan Bao’er’s fingers subtly creased the paper with a slight movement.
幻保儿的手指微动地将纸张捏出道皱折。
She swiftly sent the paper back into the patterns.
她一下将纸张送回了纹路。
[Please give me an earlier story.]
[请给我更早的故事。]
Over a dozen pages flew in rapidly. Huan Bao’er grabbed them, stacked them together, and quickly read these stories, whose memories she had once been clear about.
十几篇纸张迅速飞来，幻保儿一把抓过将它们垒在一起，快速阅读这些原本记忆清晰的故事。
But soon, she encountered something unfamiliar within these all-too-familiar words and sentences.
但很快她就从这些熟悉无比的字句中，读到了陌生的东西。
——… Hu Bao’er told Mr. Zhang Sheng that she really liked the game cartridge of “Mystic Ritual” that he had given her to play with, because the protagonist’s name reminded her of her uncle…
——…胡宝儿告诉张生，自己非常喜欢他送给自己玩的那份《神秘仪式》游戏卡带，因为里面主角的名字很像自己的叔叔…
— “…Mr. Zhang Sheng told Hu Bao’er that a boy recently about to join the company seemed quite decent, and he wanted to introduce him to his goddaughter as a suitor before leaving. But Hu Bao’er asked which boy could actually catch Mr. Zhang Sheng’s attention. This old fellow, who had been known for two or three years yet never promoted to any higher position, chuckled and said it was a rising young man who had just stirred up waves in the outside world. Hearing that, Hu Bao’er knew exactly who he was referring to.”
——…张生告诉胡宝儿，最近要加入公司的一位男孩子好像挺不错，想要在离开前介绍给自己的干女儿作对象。但胡宝儿问，是哪个男孩子，居然会得到张生的注意。这个认识了两三年，却依旧没提升任何职位的老家伙，笑呵呵地说，是个刚在外面世界引起波澜的新晋优秀青年。一听这话，胡宝儿就晓得他指得是哪个了。
— “…But Hu Bao’er said, ‘Though that little guy seems upright on the surface, he’s actually sneaky and sly, and sometimes flies off the handle. How could you think of pairing your goddaughter with such a match?’ Unexpectedly, Mr. Zhang Sheng replied, ‘But he’s good to the people around him, that’s the reason. All in all, there are many bad people in this world, too few good ones—that guy…’”
——…但是，胡宝儿说道：“那个小家伙虽然看上去挺正派，实际上鬼头鬼脑的，有时还时不时发下疯。你怎么想给自己的干女儿撮合这样的对象？”哪晓得张生说，“但他对自己身边人是很好的，这就是原因。这个世界总的还是坏人很多，好人太少，那家伙…”
“That guy…” Huan Bao’er’s eyes flickered. “Wasn’t it me who proposed assigning that guy to work under little girl Jiaoma?”
“那家伙…”幻保儿的眸光闪动，“那家伙不是我主动提议，划到娇玛小妮子手下干活的吗！”
She flipped through the materials about Mr. Zhang Sheng, realizing that Lost Illusion Company had never had anyone by the name of Mr. Zhang Sheng—it was merely a pseudonym.
她再翻动着关于张生的资料，她晓得遗失幻境公司里并没有一个叫张生的人，这不过是个化名。
Yet that meant someone of that nature absolutely existed.
可是，那却代表绝对有一个类似这样的人存在过。
Huan Bao’er raised her head and looked at the pattern.
幻保儿抬头看向纹路。
“I want to read…” She frowned and looked down at her pages. There was no name for ‘that guy’ here; in her story, he was an extra who didn’t even count as a supporting role, and the pattern had not created an ephemeral name for this character.
“我想要阅读…”她皱眉低头看向自己的书页。这上面没有关于“那家伙”的名字，在自己的故事中作为连配角都还算不上的路人，纹路并未创造属于这个角色的代指名讳。
She flipped through the information about her so-called goddaughter again, but in the historical records, she didn’t actually have such a goddaughter. It was Mr. Zhang Sheng who often mentioned his goddaughter—the young female superior—that reminded the middle-aged man of his only daughter back in his hometown.
她又翻了翻关于自己干女儿的信息，但历史故事里，自己也并没有一个所谓的干女儿。反而是张生不时提起他的干女儿，那个他的少女上司，让中年人想到了自己故乡的独女。
[May I ask.]
[请问。]
Huan Bao’er thought for a moment about how to tell this creature about Yang Zicang. If she revealed too much, she feared it might cause certain individuals who should not be observed to be noticed by these beings. Though this person might have already begun to be recorded by it—but that was in other stories.
幻保儿想了想，自己该怎么告诉这鬼东西关于杨子藏的事，如果提得过多，她怕会让某些本不应该被注视的人，被这些存在所注意到。虽然这个人应该已经开始被它所记录，但那是在其它故事中。
If a person constantly appears in multiple stories, she currently does not know whether the consequences are good or bad…
若一个人总是在多个故事中出现，她目前并不知道那种后果到底是好是坏…
{What do you wish to ask, Lady? You know, I very much enjoy communicating with other lives; it is an instinct I retain.}
{想要问什么，女士。你知道，我很喜欢和其它生命交流，这是我遗存的本能。}
[I want to read some stories related to the Frequencyshed Land.]
[我想读些跟失频之地有关的故事。]
{You mean, you wish to read that lady’s “memoir”?}
{你是说，你想要阅读那位女士的“回忆录”吗？}
A flicker passed through Huan Bao’er’s eyes.
幻保儿的目光闪了闪。
[No, I haven’t considered that. That’s all for today; I’ll visit on schedule early next month to sort out my memories.]
[不，我没想过。今天暂时就这样，下月初我会按时拜访，梳理我的记忆。]
{Goodbye, madam. You know, I always enjoy communicating with other beings—it’s an instinct I’ve retained.}
{好的。再见，女士。}
Huan Bao’er nodded slightly and gently tapped the surface of her desk.
幻保儿颔了颔首，轻轻敲击了下办公桌面。
[Farewell, Publisher Your Excellency.]
[再会，发行商阁下。]
The darkness receded like a tide.
黑暗潮水般褪去。
The strange phenomena in the room retreated from the center of the woman’s gaze, rapidly dissipating in all directions, restoring the vivid and lively atmosphere of the mortal world. She sniffed her hand then rose to head to the bathroom taking a seat on the edge of the bathtub, waiting in contemplative silence for it to fill with hot water. Suddenly, she muttered softly.
女人目光中房间的异相从中心快速退缩到四面八方，回归了人间的鲜活明快。她嗅了嗅手，起身前往浴室坐在浴缸边缘，凝思着等待着热水的灌满。忽地她低语了声。
“No. I can’t just let things take their natural course. I need to do something.”
“不行。不能等待事情的自然发生，得做些什么。”
Her eyes sharpened, fixing on the direction of the archives.
她的目光一凛，看向文献库所在的方向。
[I, the radiant pentagon, commence investment…]
[我，闪耀的五边形，开始投资…]
……
……
Yang Zicang, who had returned to the dormitory empty-handed again today, suddenly heard a “thump thump” knock on the door.
今日再次颗粒无收的杨子藏刚回到宿舍，便听“笃笃”敲门声响起。
Upon opening it, he found a young man whose eyelids and forehead bore uneven, bumpy scars.
打开一看，是位眼皮和额头都有着凹凸不平的疤痕的年轻人。
Fortunately, these terrifying scars seemed to have been already treated, otherwise they would have been too unsightly. The newcomer’s physique was similar to his own, and although a company employee, they still carried a relatively strong aura of having roamed the “Frequency-Lost Land,” which meant this guy had also just entered the company not long ago.
还好这些可怖的疤痕看上去已然经过了处理，否则就太过丑陋了。来人身材与自己相仿，虽然是公司雇员身上却还是有着比较浓重的混迹于“失频之地”的气质，也就是说，这位也是个刚进公司不久的家伙。
“Excuse me, who are you?”
“请问，你是？”
Seeing Yang Zicang looking over from behind the door, the smiling man took a hollow eye patch out of his pocket and placed it over his eyes.
见到杨子藏从门后望来，这带着笑意的男人从衣兜掏出个露眼眼罩放在了脸上。
This thing exactly covered his ugly scars. Yang Zicang immediately recognized him.
这东西恰好遮住了丑陋的疤痕。杨子藏一下就将他给认了出来。
“It’s you!”
“是你！”
“Have you had dinner?” Zorro stood upright and said, “If not, come with me to a place—I’ve prepared some food.”
“吃过晚饭了吗，”佐罗站得笔挺地道，“没有的话跟我去个地方吧，我准备了食物。”
“Don’t tell me you already have your own turf.”
“别告诉我你已经有自己的地盘了。”
Zorro smiled: “Something like that? Just look at how ‘civilized’ I seem and you’ll know it’s impossible. Follow me, it’s outside the company.”
佐罗笑道：“那种事情，你看看我这‘人里人气’的样子就知道是不可能的。跟我来吧，在公司外部。”
“Outside?!” Yang Zicang grabbed a coat and followed him out—he hadn’t gotten some fresh air in a long time either.
“外部？！”杨子藏拿起件外套跟着他离开，自己也有好久没出去透气了。
People greeted each other warmly along the way, and some had become increasingly refined, appearing as if they had been “enhanced in high definition.” These were high-ranking officials with formidable mental strength, yet they showed no hint of superiority.
路上遇见的人互相都和善打着招呼，并且有些人越来越精致，看上去都仿佛“高清”了很多。这都是精神力强大的高职位者们，但却丝毫没有高高在上的感觉。
Though sunlight bathed the land outside the company, a dense fog still lingered, creating a sense of profound depth. Occasional overlapping phantom shadows wavered left and right.
公司外部的大地虽有阳光，却依旧雾气弥漫，一片深邃。偶尔还有重叠的虚影左右扯动。
“Ah, finally able to catch a breath again.”
“啊，终于又能透口气了。”
Standing on the ground, Zorro put his hands on his hips and let out a long sigh. He turned his head and said, “Come on, there’s a place to rest deeper in. The scenery here may be desolate, but it has its own unique charm.”
站在地上的佐罗叉着腰长出了口气，他转头道：“走吧，更深处有个可以歇脚的地方。这里风景虽然孤寂，但也别有一番情志。”
The two walked through the misty rocks, and within less than a quarter of an hour, a small pavilion came into view. On the stone table inside, crisscrossing lines were carved—a chessboard.
两人穿行在雾气蒙蒙的岩石之间，不到一刻钟，一处小亭子出现。亭中石桌上还雕着纵横交错的线条，是副棋盘。
{Hello there, I’m Little Red Pony.}
{你好啊，我是小红马。}
A Harley-style Demonic Nightmare motorcycle dragged over two portions of food.
哈雷造型的恶魇摩托拖着两份食物而来。
“Hello, adorable Little Red Pony.”
“你好，好可爱的小红马。”
{Hello, such a polite human.}
{你好，好有礼貌的人子。}
Smiling, Zorro took the dishes from the Demonic Nightmare that was teasing Yang Zicang, arranged them on the stone table, Then this motorcycle-manifested Demonic Nightmare was immediately drawn to the swaying trees in the distance and zoomed off with a swoosh.
佐罗笑着从这调侃杨子藏的恶魇身上，取下饭菜摆于石桌上，随后这辆摩托化现的恶魇立即就被远处晃动的树木所吸引，嗖地冲了过去。
“Is this your companion Demonic Nightmare?” Yang Zicang asked, feigning displeasure in his tone.
“这是你的伴生恶魇？”杨子藏故作不满似的语气道。
“Haha, no. Our relationship is like yours with ‘The Big Star.’ Little Red Pony’s owner died a long time ago, and then it met me.”
“哈哈，不，我们的关系就像你跟‘大明星’一样。小红马的主人死了很久了，后来遇到了我。”
“Then you’ve both been very lucky.”
“那你们的运气都很好。”
Zorro handed the chopsticks to Yang Zicang, sitting on a stone pier: “So, I heard you’ve been here over half a month? Getting used to it yet?”
佐罗将筷子递给杨子藏，坐在石墩上：“怎么样，听说你来大半个月了，还习惯吗？”
“Everyone’s really friendly; they’ll proactively tell me what I don’t understand, but the more that happens, the more uneasy I feel.”
“大家都很友好，有不懂的会主动告诉我，但反而越是如此，我越有点心慌啊。”
“Heh heh, that means you haven’t done your job well, which is quite tormenting, right.”
“嘿嘿，那就是事情没做好了，很折磨，对吧。”
Hearing Zorro’s teasing, Yang Zicang let out a couple of forced chuckles and asked, a bit reluctantly:
听到佐罗的揄揶，杨子藏哈了两声，有点不甘心地问道：
“You’ve been here for over a month—have you synchronized with any useful terrain?”
“你进来有一个月了吧，有没有同频到比较有用的地形？”
“Synchronize? You’re not working in the ‘Wave Band Group,’ are you? I’m in the ‘Frequency Division Group.’ All I do is sort through the ‘Dissonance Bands’ you guys send over, then extract and replace them. The pay in ‘Virtual Zero Sequence’ isn’t as good as units like yours, but at least it’s steady.”
“同频？你不会是在‘波频组’上班吧。我在‘分频组’喔，只需要梳理你们分发来的‘失频波段’，将它们提取与替换就行。‘虚零时序’的奖励虽然没你们这种部门高，但胜在稳定。”
“You just said ‘Virtual Zero Sequence.’”
“你刚刚说‘虚零时序’。”
Yang Zicang thought about the hundred thousand Virtual Zero Sequences he earned from a spotless clearing. Since Jiaoma’s sudden display the previous day, he hadn’t had the chance to distribute the Sequences he’d gained to her. He turned to Zorro and said:
杨子藏想着那因通过完美挑战而获得的十万虚零时序。由于娇玛前日里突然的表现，让自己还没来得及将赚到的时序分给人家。他看向佐罗道：
“I’ve got some Virtual Zero Sequences too, roughly know how to use them, but nothing more in detail. Do you know any trade secrets?”
“虚零时序我也有点，大概也知道如何使用，但更多详细情况就不晓得了。你知不知道一些情报？”
No sooner had he finished than he quickly added, “Don’t bother telling me whatever you’ve laid eyes on at the archives.”
刚说完，他就赶紧的道，“从文献室看到的就别告诉我了。”