第一百三十一章 电话
Come to think of it, didn’t his friend Zhuang owe him some shares verbally?
说起来，自己好像还有一份庄老板口头赠送的股份来着？
This matter had fizzled out before it even began, with only one clause lingering: “From now on, you’re one of the bosses. I’ll notify you of any breaking news, but you have to work for the inn with all your might for free, and if trouble comes, you need to play bodyguard.”
这事儿起了个头就没了下文，全部内容就只有“以后你是老板之一了，有劲爆消息会通知你，但你得尽心尽力的免费给客栈打工，遇到事儿还要来当保镖”这个条约。
Over the past few days, if not for Boss Zhuang equating the “big client” with the “first-class party,” it might have taken Yang Zicang half a year or a full year to get a message from this innkeeper of the Dufrequency Inn.
这么几天，要不是庄老板那边把大甲方跟甲子间划上等号，估计自己半年一年都难收到这位独频客栈老板的消息。
“Boss Zhuang, you should know those thousand years aren’t easy to beat, right? I could barely even get in myself,” Yang Zicang said.
“庄老板，你应该也知道那一千年不好赚吧，里面我进去都费劲。”杨子藏道。
“Barely? Wait a minute—what’s with this ‘Boss Zhuang’? So formal.”
{费劲？等等，什么庄老板，多生份啊。}
In the mental link, the short-haired boss stood on a stool by the window, looking out with an expression mixing shock and disappointment.
心灵连接中的矮个子老板站在窗户前的板凳上看着外面，脸上露出既震惊又失望的表情。
“Little man, when you make an excuse, can’t you think it through? So many people are buying your incense pills and heading into the mountains, and you’re telling me you can’t get in?”
{老弟啊，你找借口能不能过过脑子，那么多人买你们家的香丸都进山去了，你还告诉我你进不去？
“Ah, alright, alright, we’re all on the same team here. I was just venting a bit, brother. From now on, we’ll handle this kind of business ourselves. With me around, I’ll make sure you earn even more.”
嗐，行啦行啦，大家都是自己人，老哥我也只是抱怨两句，以后这种生意咱们自个儿做，有哥哥在，保证让你赚更多。}
“Mm, okay.” YangZicang grudgingly pinched his nose and responded.
“嗯好吧。”杨子藏捏着鼻子应了声。
“Hehe, I’ve already spread the word about you. It shouldn’t take a few days before more people show up at your place. Consider this my little gift to you.”
{嘿嘿，我已经把你这边的消息放出去了，应该要不了几天，会有更多人来你那边。这就当是我送给你的礼物好了。}
“That’s so generous of you, old brother. But don’t send me any masters I can’t fool, alright?”
“这么客气的吗，老哥你可别给我弄些糊弄不了的高手过来。”
“I knew you wouldn’t be that naive. Haha, rest assured—this’ll definitely let you earn several more mille-cron.”
{我就说你小子不会那么单纯。哈哈，放心好了，绝对能让你多赚好几万时序。}
Saying this, Boss Zhuang lowered his voice and rubbed his fingers together, adding:
说到此处，庄老板低声搓了搓手指道：
“Of course, if you feel like sharing a cut with me, brother, I wouldn’t mind. The guys below will remember your favor too, and it’s a contribution to the inn.”
{当然你要是愿意给哥哥我分润点，我也是不介意的，下面的兄弟们也都会念你的好，这也是给客栈做贡献。}
YangZicang gazed at the faint, playful little glowing clots spiraling left and right across the sky.
杨子藏看向天际左右横飞嬉闹的隐约小光团。
“We’ll talk about it later.”
“后面再说吧。”
……
……
Meanwhile, in a distant, ancient-village-like place.
与此同时，遥远的一片古老村庄般的地方。
Zorro descended from the dilapidated watchtower, with a plain middle-aged man dressed in homemade linen walking beside him.
佐罗从陈旧的瞭望台下行，身旁一名穿着自制麻衣的质朴中年人跟在他旁边。
“You guys are quite lucky to be able to stabilize this village. Must’ve spent quite a few apathy-schema for that, didn’t you?”
“你们运气不错，竟然能稳定这片村庄，花费不少失念模型吧。”
“It’s all savings from folks over the years—just wanting to find a remote spot far from people to live a peaceful life. Thankfully, our hopes weren’t disappointed, and we finally got it.”
“都是多年来大伙儿存的，就为着有天能找个远离人烟的地方来安稳过日子，总算是没失望，给盼到了。”
“That’s nice.” Zorro looked at the sturdy otherworldly architecture beneath his feet. “This watchtower was probably used to keep an eye out for monsters in that other world.”
“挺好。”佐罗看着脚下敦实的异界建筑，“这瞭望台在异界估计是守望怪物的吧。”
The middle-aged man said, “Likely so, but now, all the other terrain has collapsed, and the monsters have long since stopped appearing. From now on, the watchtower will only serve as a place to climb for a distant view.”
中年人道：“应该是，不过现在嘛，其它地形都塌毁了，怪物也早就不再出现。瞭望台以后就只是用来登高望远而已。”
A woman in coarse linen clothes stood at the bottom of the spiral staircase, holding a small basket of fruits and vegetables, waiting for them.
一位穿着粗布衣的妇人在旋转楼梯下方拎着一小篮蔬果，等着他们。
“But the magic runes in that room—we really wanted to preserve them. Unfortunately, every time we try to record them, something goes wrong.”
“但是那个房间中的魔纹，我们是真想保留下来，可惜，只要一尝试记录就会出问题。”
“That stuff’s beyond our control. We’ll just have to let fate decide.”
“那东西只能听天由命。”
“Xiao Luo, you know so many experts. No one among them knows anything about otherworldly magic runes?”
“小罗，你认识那么多行家，就没有谁懂异界魔纹的吗？”
“There was once someone, but he left at the end of last year. According to him, it’s fine to just look at magic runes, but the more powerful they are, the harder they are to copy. Trying to record them would damage one’s spirit.”
“以前有一位，但他去年末已经离开了。根据他所说，魔纹只是看看倒无所谓，越是厉害的越难以抄录，想要记录会损伤精神。”
“What a pity.”
“那可真是遗憾。”
The two stepped down to the ground. Zorro accepted the woman’s kind gesture and took the small basket of fruit, a precious offering in the Land of Frequency Loss.
两人下到地上，佐罗接受了妇人的好意，接过这一小篮水果，这在失频之地上，是非常珍贵的事物。
They looked toward the village’s several children playing nearby.
他们看向村落中几名正在玩耍的孩童。
“They will never know what Earth was like.”
“他们以后不会知道地球是什么地方。”
The middle-aged man’s gaze was full of benevolence as he watched the children, a tinge of regret in his tone.
中年人目光中满是慈祥的看着小孩子，口吻中带着些遗憾。
“Stories of skyscrapers, televisions and telephones, airplanes and ships—they’ll only be passing legends later on.”
“关于高楼大厦，电视电话，飞机轮船，以后都会只是个传说。”
A weak flash of regret crossed the woman’s expression as she added, “In two more generations, none will still hold onto a longing to return to our old world. But they will always remember you.”
妇人眉目中闪过丝憾然，也开口道：“再过两代人，没人会再对回到我们曾经的世界抱有思念了。不过他们却会一直记得你。”
She looked at the man beside her wearing a face mask with eyeholes.
她看向身旁带着露眼面罩的男人。
“Thank you for bringing us the seeds and the formula, and also that well engine—it was something we urgently needed.”
“谢谢你为我们送来种子和配方，还有那枚水井引擎，那是我们急需的。”
A well will be used by many generations. Someday, their children will look up at the dim sky at night and tell their children’s children the old story: That old well in the village was brought in my grandfather’s time, one day, by a traveler from afar…
一口水井会被人使用很多代，某个时候他们的孩子会在夜里望着昏暗的苍穹给孩子的孩子讲述曾经的故事：村中那口老井是我爷爷那辈，一天一位远方的旅行者所带来….
Zorro took a bite of a small tomato and chewed as he said:
佐罗咬了口小西红柿，嚼着道：
“As the field assistant of breeding expert Teacher Nong Yami and reclamation master Yang Zicang,
“作为育种专家农亚米老师和筑荒人杨子藏先生的外派助手。
“I delivered their research results, on the loss-frequency lands, to those who need them. It’s just a way to casually fulfill some of their ideals during my journey.”
“我在失频之地上将他们的研究成果传递到需要的人手中，只是旅途中顺手完成些他们的理想事业罢了。”
“Nong Yami… Yang Zicang…”
“农亚米…杨子藏…”
The few people nearby murmured these unfamiliar names. Some young ones secretly remembered them both, planning to carve them onto the wellhead.
周围靠近的几人都喃喃念叨着这个素未相识的名字，一些年轻人都暗暗记住这两个人名，打算将它们雕刻在井口。
Zorro smiled, mounted his nightmare motorcycle: “Farewell. I still have to go to more remote places.”
佐罗笑了笑，他骑上恶魇摩托：“再见，我还要去往更偏僻之地。”
Under the gazes of the villagers, the motorcycle disappeared across the field, tracing a faint red light in the somber dusk.
村中人的注视目光中，摩托消失在原野上，在暗暮中划出微弱的红光。
……
……
After Boppoli, who had stayed up all night, fell asleep, Moli donned a black top hat and went out.
熬夜的波波利睡下后，莫里带上黑色圆顶礼帽出门。
Though it was late June, there was still a hint of chill in the morning here.
虽然是六月末，但这里的清晨还是有点凉意。
“Good morning, Moli. Have you eaten yet?”
“早上好啊莫里，吃了吗。”
“Good morning, Mrs. Lee.”
“早上好，李太太。”
The lady smiled as she walked by with food in her hands.
女士笑着拎着食物从身前走过。
The streetlights on the cobblestone street had not yet gone out. Mori glanced at the address on the business card in his hand, then turned and headed toward that street.
石板街道上路灯还没有熄灭，莫里看了眼手上的名片地址，转身往那条街道而去。
“15 Emerald B Road.”
“翡翠B路15号。”
There were many young men and women on the street. After Mori turned the corner, the two people across the street behind him stopped and turned to look.
街上的青年与靓女很多，莫里拐过弯后，他身后街对面两人停下脚步转头看去。
“Hey, Brother Xin, isn’t that foreigner the one from our team?”
“咦，信哥，刚才那个外国人是不是就是我们队伍里那个。”
“You mean Alexander? Hasn’t he had all his chronos deducted yet?”
“你说亚历山大？他竟然还没被扣完时序吗。”
The red-haired young man looked up at the retro stone-and-timber buildings lining both sides of the street.
这红发青年抬头看了眼街道两旁的复古岩石原木建筑。
“Hmph, interesting. Staying here of all places—the rent must be at least two hundred chronos a month. Where would that guy find that many chronos to waste?”
“呵，有点意思，竟然住在这里，这里的房租都要每个月两百时序吧。那家伙能有什么时序来挥霍。”
“It should be a shared rental with several people,” the woman said. “Let’s go. We should buy the supplies the captain needs first.”
“应该是几个人合租吧。”女人道，“我们走，先去买队长要的那些物资。”
The red-haired young man cast an envious glance at the towering houses here.
红发青年羡慕的看了眼这里高大的房子。
The inside must be more spacious than the cramped room his own team rented—though that place was just a stopover when they occasionally visited Hubtown, who wouldn’t want to live somewhere better?
里面的面积肯定比自己队伍租的那逼仄房间要宽敞些，虽然那房间只是偶尔来枢纽镇的歇脚之地，但谁不想住在更好点的地方。
And Emerald B Road was just that kind of place: quiet, spacious, and comfortable. The shops here, too, had an upscale and intimidating air.
而翡翠B路就是这样既安静又宽敞舒适的场所。就连这里经营的店铺，也显得比较高档，让人望而生畏。
Mori pushed open the deep-colored solid wooden door inlaid with glass that let in streams of light.
莫里推开镶嵌着漏光玻璃的深色实木门。
“Welcome, Mr. Alexander Mori.”
“欢迎光临，亚历山大.莫里先生。”
“I have an appointment.”
“我有过预约。”
The man in the vest behind the counter nodded in acknowledgment. He walked to the side and poured a cup of light fragrant milk tea from an exquisite kettle.
柜台里穿着马甲的人颔首表示知晓，他走到旁边从精致水壶中倒了杯淡香奶茶。
“Ms. Maiya is already inside.”
“麦蚜女士已经在里面了。”
“Thank you.” Morley took the teacup and took a sip. Instantly, he felt as if he was standing on a vast prairie in a gentle breeze. He looked at the cup slightly startled.
“谢谢。”莫里接过茶杯饮了口，瞬间感觉自己置身于微风拂过的大草原，他有点错愕的看了眼茶杯。
“Different flavors bring different experiences. Hope you have a nice day.”
“不同的口感会有不同的体验，祝你有个好心情。”
The man smiled and pointed to the passageway beside him. “Ms. Maiya has entered the town through legitimate means. Don’t do anything to embarrass her.”
男人笑着给莫里指了指旁边的通道，“麦蚜女士是正规途径进入的城镇，不要做令她为难的事。”
“I understand.”
“我清楚。”
Morley entered the back area. Several rooms there had their doors closed shut, except for one adorned with a screen of emerald-green beaded curtains swinging open.
莫里进入后方，那里几个房间门紧闭，除了扇祖母绿珠帘挂着做点缀的房门还敞开着。
“I’m in here.” The warm, effusive greeting of a middle-aged woman came from within.
“我在这里。”里面传来中年妇女满含热情的招呼。
Morley pushed the beaded curtain and entered. He glanced at the decor—contrary to the imagined candles, mystical runes, and crystal balls, the room was filled with mechanical clocks, aircraft models, mechanical structures, and artistic statues.
莫里抬手拨开珠帘走了进去，他看了眼周围装饰，跟想象的蜡烛、神秘魔纹和水晶球不同，屋中摆放着工艺钟表、飞机模型和机械结构，以及艺术雕像。
“So you’re the foreigner who made the appointment.”
“你就是预约的那个外国人喔。”
“Mr. Wang referred me.”
“王先生介绍我来的。”
The rather plump woman wore bright red lipstick and a pair of bold black-rimmed glasses.
有点胖的女人涂着鲜艳的口红，戴着大黑框眼镜。
She sat down behind the desk. “In that case, he should have told you, the consequences of this phone call.”
她在桌后坐下，“既然如此的话，他应该有告诉过你吧，这通电话的后果是什么。”
“I know, but I believe my luck should be good, and the results won’t be too bad.”
“我知道，但我相信我的运气应该不错，结果肯定不会太差。”
May Ya nodded. “Nine out of ten of my clients are very optimistic. But in the end, only half can laugh their way through. A reminder: if you forcibly try to change the future, you might die inexplicably.”
麦蚜点点头，“我的客人嘛十个有九个都很乐观的。可结果却是只有一半人能笑到最后。提醒哦，若强行改变未来，你很可能会莫名死去。”
She pointed to the chair across from the desk.
她指向桌对面的椅子。
“The cost to place the call is 5,999 years. If you’ve thought it through, then sit down. One more reminder: the conversation with the future lasts only one minute, and its content will anchor your future with high probability. So after you dial, no matter whether you’re satisfied or not, don’t even think about changing things.”
“拨通费用是5999年。如果你考虑清楚的话，就坐下来吧。再次提醒，与未来的通话仅有一分钟，且内容会极大概率锚定你的未来，所以拨出去后无论你是否满意，都不要妄想改变。”
Mori thought it over seriously. As soon as he recalled that figure, he couldn’t find peace of mind.
莫里郑重思考了下，一想到那道身影，他就难以心安。
“Yang Zicang will definitely lead me to a farther future.”
“杨子藏一定会带我走往更远的未来。”
Murmuring to himself, Mori sat down with his clothes still on.
喃喃自语的莫里合衣坐了下来。
“I just want to know if the future me has found Julia. This information shouldn’t cause any serious consequences.”
“我只是想知道，未来的我有没有找到朱莉亚，这消息应该不会造成严重的后果。”
Mori took a deep breath. “She should be in some city somewhere.”
莫里深吸了口气，“她应该在就某个城市里吧。”
May Ya smiled and said, “Either way, my advice is not to go beyond three years. After all, even that will consume 3,000 years of my chronology. For each extra day, the timing consumption multiplies—no one can afford it.”
麦蚜笑道：“无论如何，我的建议是不要超过三年。反正，就这已经会花费掉我三千年时序了，每超过一天，都是成倍的时序消耗，没有人负担得起。”
Thinking back to the moment when he came over—his lover, his fiancée, seemed to have entered this world as well—Morrie had always carried this knot in his heart.
想着自己过来是那瞬间的画面，自己的爱人，自己的未婚妻，似乎也进入了这个世界，莫里心中就一直有这个结。
But back then, he could barely protect himself. The mere thought of that graceful figure filled him with despair and helplessness. Only now does he have the confidence to search for his fiancée.
只是之前的自己连自保都困难，想到那道倩影就感到绝望与无力，直到现在才有寻找未婚妻的底气。
Ms. Maiya, with a smile on her red lips, picked up the receiver of an old rotary dial phone. Inside the dial, a red eye of artistic flair had a gem-like pupil that slowly turned toward the man.
红唇含笑的麦蚜女士从手边拿起老式拨号电话的听筒，拨号键内那只充满艺术气息的红色眼睛中，宝石般的眼珠轻轻转动，看向男人。
“Time Sequence 5999, thank you.”
“时序5999，谢谢。”
Morry handed her a slightly shimmering bill and then took the receiver.
莫里递给了她一张散发微光的美钞，随后接过话筒。
[I am authorized to use another of my kind.]
[我授权可以使用另一种我的同类。]
[I am beginning to dial my future time sequence code.]
[我开始拨打我的未来时序编码。]
“Enter your date of birth, then the year, month, and day of the future time you wish to contact, ending with the pound key.”
“按下你的出生日期后，再按下你想要通话的未来时间年月日，以井号键结束。”
{I will automatically calculate the time difference. Please, begin.}
{我会自动计算时差，请、开、始。}
A faint telepathic voice emerged from the phone with its round rotary dial.
机身是圆形拨号盘的电话发出朦胧心念声音。
Though it looked like an old pulse-dial phone, the dial still had asterisk and pound keys, and the pound key was clearly a flickering quadrilateral.
虽然形象是老式脉冲式拨号电话，可那圆盘内依旧有星号和井号键，而那个井号分明是个闪烁的四边形。
Both the rim of the dial and this key emitted a hazy red light.
这道圆盘边缘和它都散发着朦胧红色光线。
It was a quadrilateral nightmare.
它是四边形恶魇。