第一百四十二章 传言是真的
“An entropy model can stabilize at most a few dozen square meters of land. Do you realize what that means?”
“一个失念模型，至多稳定几十平方的土地。你晓不晓得那意味着什么？”
Beside the table, another imposing figure nodded.
桌子旁，另一颇具威仪的人点头。
“Indeed, that is precisely why this meeting has been convened. Captain Jiazi of the Goods Transport Squad, am I correct?”
“正是如此，所以才有这次会议的召开。甲子间货队长，你说是吧。”
The crowd’s gaze shifted between Yang Zicang and the heads of several large sheds. The owners of these medium and small sheds, or their representatives attending the meeting, looked at the few figures around the wooden table in shock.
众人目光在杨子藏与几位大棚负责人身上挪动。这些中小棚区的棚主，或是代替棚主来开会的成员们，都心中震惊的看着木桌旁的几人。
A lean, square-faced man at the edge raised his hand and said:
边缘一精瘦方脸男子举手道：
“I used to be a geography teacher. I want to remind you that thirty to forty li in radius is just its rough area; as for the sloping hillsides and even the caves within, their surface areas expand when unfolded, much like a wrinkled piece of paper…”
“我以前是名地理老师，我想提醒你们一下，方圆三四十里只是它大致的面积，而倾斜的山坡，乃至里面的山洞，它们的面积展开会更大，就像褶皱的纸张…”
Upon saying this, he seemed startled by the number that had casually popped into his head, and added hesitantly, with a hint of concern:
说到这里，他似乎被自己随意一想的数字所吓住，迟疑的，略显担忧的道：
“Such a vast area—the number of Lost Thought Models needed—would be astronomical to you lot.”
“如此庞大的面积，所需的失念模型…对你们来说是天文数字。”
“I’ve run the numbers; even calculating at the minimum of forty square meters, the amount required would be…”
“我琢磨过了，哪怕以最低四十平方米来算，需要…”
Someone looked angrily at Yuan Long and interrupted him:
有人愤怒的看向元龙，打断道：
“Do you know what that means?! Do you have any idea what each Lost Thought Model means?!”
“你知道那意味着什么吗！你知道每一个失念模型，都意味着什么吗！”
“Calm down.”
“别发怒。”
Two men from the crowd pulled that person back a bit. Another person said:
人群中两男人将那人拉开了些。另一人道：
“But he’s not wrong. Although forty square meters is just the minimum stability area per model, and better ones cover more ground, those mountains are still far beyond what we can stabilize.”
“但他也说得没错。虽然三四十平只是每枚模型所稳定的最低面积，好点的模型会稳定更大面积，但那几座山依旧不可能是我们所稳定得了的。”
“We don’t need to stabilize everything—we can just stabilize two or three mountains and the zones of value within them.”
“不一定全部稳定，我们可以只稳定两三匹山，以及里面有价值的区域。”
“So that’s why we’re pooling funds to set up a shared shed area?”
“所以才集资建立共有棚区？”
A shed owner raised a hand to motion for calm, speaking in a deep, measured voice:
一个棚主抬手压了压，以沉缓的声音道：
“Actually, if it’s a triangle model, the stable area can reach hundreds of square meters. Let’s first calculate how many Abandoned Mind models each shed area can offer. I’ll start—I can provide seven thousand models, that’s everything from our shed area.”
“其实如果是三角形模型，稳定的面积可以达到数百平。我们先来算算，各棚区能出多少失念模型吧。我先来，我可以出七千枚，这是我们棚区的所有。”
People from some of the smaller shed areas were instantly stunned.
一些小棚区的人瞬间呆立。
Throwing out seven thousand right off the bat meant that seven thousand individuals had once existed. This was both unimaginable and a sorrowful fact for them.
张口就七千，那代表着，曾有七千个人的存在。这是他们不敢想像，也觉得悲伤的事情。
“Don’t be surprised. Half of them were collected by everyone scavenging outside and turned in. Each large shed has a population of several thousand, and even if each person contributes one, it would be a huge number. Some of them were obtained through trade, but actually, there are also several hundred Abandoned Mind models generated after natural deaths.”
“不要惊讶。它一半是大伙儿在外拾荒所获得后交上来的，每个大棚都有几千人口，一人上交一枚都是庞大数量。其中还有些是做生意得来的，但实际上自然死亡后所诞生的失念模型也有数百枚。”
“In reality, if human skeletons kept accumulating throughout history, they would long ago have been enough to build another planet. These models are the accumulation of many years, layered over time, which is why they seem so numerous to you. At its peak, our shed area had even more than this.”
“实际上，人类的骸骨如果从历史上不断累积，早就能再造一个星球了。模型是多年的累积，沉积下来所以你们才感觉多。我们棚区，最多时候，数量比这更多不少。”
“You… all of you…”
“你，你们…”
A person beside the wooden table turned to look at the startled and angry people from the small shed behind him, smiling somewhat self-deprecatingly:
木桌旁一人转头看向身后又惊又怒的小棚区之人，似自嘲般笑道：
“Our shed area is about the same. If everyone truly intends to carry out this plan, we could offer even more.”
“我们棚区也差不多，如果大家真要进行这项计划的话，我们还能出更多点。”
“My god, I feel like I’m in hell.”
“天啊，我怀疑我在地狱。”
“Something like that. In a world of longevity, there must be crueler rules.”
“差不多吧，长命百岁的世界，肯定有更残酷的规则。”
The crowd fell silent, a chill seeping through them all.
众人不语，只觉得寒气直冒。
Yang Zicang let out a faint sigh. He could not find a chance to speak in this situation, nor did he want to.
杨子藏微微叹息，这场面他根本插不上口，也不想开口。
People’s eyes shifted among the few big shed owners. One of them said:
人们的目光在几名大棚主身上挪动，一人道：
“But even that won’t be enough—even if everyone here… contributes, it won’t be enough, far from it.”
“但那也不够，就算我们这里所有人都…都出资，也不够，远远不够。”
The crowd buzzed with discussion, while the dome masters at the table knew that Yuanlong was the one who had proposed this.
人群议论纷纷，而桌旁的几名大棚主们都晓得元龙才是提议者。
Their gazes turned to Yuanlong.
他们看向元龙。
Yuanlong’s eyes fell on the bright sky outside the dim room.
元龙的目光落在昏暗屋子外明朗的天空。
“No rush. There’s still half a year.”
“不急，还有半年时间。”
“Half a year?”
“半年？”
Some people paused for a moment, then tensed up. They looked at Yuanlong. Was this dome master of Lijiang Dome thinking along those lines?!
一些人细想片刻后，身子一震。他们看向元龙，这丽疆大棚的棚主居然在打那种主意的吗！
“Will you be able to gather enough in half a year?”
“半年后就能筹够数量？”
The geography teacher spoke with a hint of indignation:
那地理老师有点不忿的道：
“Do you realize that your proposal would require paving every inch of ground with countless dead bodies to keep that beautiful forest you mentioned?”
“你知不知道你的提议，那相当于尸骨寸寸铺地，才能留住你口中的美丽山林！”
“I know.”
“我知道。”
Faced with such a calm response, the man was momentarily speechless. Another person took over and asked:
面对如此淡然的回应，这人一时有点哑口。另一人接话问道：
“So what do you plan to do? Scrounge up millions of lost-thought molds in half a year? That’s a pipe dream!”
“那你打算怎么做？半年时间筹够几百万失念模型？异想天开！”
Yangzicang, pondering by the table, also felt this was too idealistic, utterly unrealistic, and simply impossible.
桌子旁的杨子藏此刻细想，也觉得这有点太理想主义，根本不现实，是不可能完成的事情。
Meanwhile, a few dome masters at the table were either stroking their chins or muttering as if calculating something. Yangzicang listened closely—two of them were murmuring about how many lost-thought molds within what area a population of five thousand could collect in a week, and how many model crystals three thousand people could pick up once winter was over.
而桌旁几位大棚主们则或摩挲着下巴，或低声嘀咕像是计算着什么，杨子藏细听，身旁两位棚主都在念叨着，五千人一个礼拜能收集多少面积内的失念模型，冬日后三千人全力出动又能捡回多少模型结晶之类的话。
A slight tightness gripped Yangzicang’s chest. Were there even that many lost-thought molds out there for them to collect?
杨子藏心中略微发紧。有那么多失念模型给你们捡吗？
Yuanlong’s finger tapped lightly on the table.
元龙手指在桌面轻轻点了下。
“By next spring, we should be able to gather plenty of model crystals. Remember, it’s summer now, and our nights are already cool. When winter comes…”
“等到明年开春，应该能筹够很多模型结晶。要知道，现在是夏天，我们的夜晚就比较凉，等到冬天…”
“A medium-sized shed area… might have several thousand…”
“一个中型棚区…可能就有几千…”
“The winter chill is too much for many to bear. You… you have that kind of plan?!”
“冬天的寒意，很多人顶不住。你…你有那种打算？！”
Around the three wooden tables, the heads of various shed areas sat in silence. Those behind them, on two or three rings of small stools, changed expression drastically, and those standing farther back immediately erupted in uproar.
三张木桌旁，围座的诸棚区负责人沉默不语。而他们身后两三圈小板凳的中小棚区之人面色大变，更后方站立的人们更是瞬间哗然。
“You beast!”
“你这个畜生！”
“Which shed area are you from, you bastard, saying something like that?”
“你是哪个棚区的混蛋，说出这种话？”
“He’s the head of Lijiang Big Shed.”
“他就是丽疆大棚的棚主。”
The crowd’s clamor nearly lifted the roof.
众人喧嚣快要把房顶掀翻了。
“Enough!” Yuan Kun slammed the table and stood up with a bang. He hadn’t taken part in the discussion before and had only now learned the plan of this meeting. Though shocked inside, he grasped Yuanlong’s plan in an instant.
“够了！”袁昆嘭地一拍桌子站起身来。他之前并没有参与商议，也是此刻才知晓这场会议的计划，虽然心中震撼，但转瞬就立即了元龙的计划。
Yuan Kun took a deep breath and swept his fierce gaze over those around him.
袁昆深吸口气，凶势很盛地扫视周围之人。
Though some averted their eyes, refusing to meet his, others glared angrily at him, as if eager to turn their fury his way.
虽有人转过目光不与之对视，另一些人则愤怒的看向他，大有将怒火烧到他身上的意思。
“Which shed area are you from?”
“你又是哪个棚区的？”
“I…” Yuan Kun glanced at Wang Xin, who stared at him with a livid face, then continued:
“我…”袁昆看了眼面色铁青盯着自己的王馨，转而道：
“You all raise this commotion—will winter not come then? Will those snowfalls not fall? How many of you here have lived through a winter here? Do you even know what winter is like here? It’s a chill that continuously drains your lifespan the moment you step outside!”
“你们一通闹腾，冬天就不会来了吗，那些雪就不会下了吗！你们有几个是在这里活过上个冬天的人？晓不晓得这里的冬天是什么样的，那是你们一出门，就会冷到不断抵消寿命的寒意！”
“Ha, so that’s it, we freeze to death, and then you lot can go stabilize these so-called mountain forests?”
“哈，所以咯，就是等我们冻死，你们就能去稳定这些什么鬼山林了？”
“Exactly!” Yuan Kun shouted back at that man.
“对！”袁昆大声对着那人回应。
The man’s eyes instantly bulged with rage as he pointed a finger at Yuan Kun, but he was so angry that words failed him. After all, what the other party said was true—whether angry or not, that event would still happen.
说话之人顿时眼睛怒瞪，抬手指着他，却气得说不出话来。毕竟对面说的没错，愤不愤怒，那件事情都会发生。
“Heh, wait until people freeze to death, then use their de-frequency models to stabilize your forests? Heh, ha, pitiful, laughable humans.”
“呵，等冻死了人，就去用它们的失频模型，稳定你们的山林？呵，哈，可悲，可笑的人类。”
The head of the Worry-Free Trade Zone spoke up:
无忧货贸区的负责人开口道：
“But with this stretch of forest, at least many fewer people will die in the next winter.”
“但是，有了这片山林，下一个冬天至少能少死很多人。”
As those words fell, the hum of the nightmare exhaust fans in the room grew increasingly clear.
这句话落下，房间内，恶魇排风扇的嗡嗡声渐渐清晰。
Wispy strands of cool breeze stirred the air, making the slightly stuffy atmosphere inside feel a little less suffocating.
丝丝缕缕的凉风将空气吹得流动，让屋内略显沉闷的空气，显得不那么的憋闷。
The small light orb wobbled by the ceiling.
小光团在屋顶晃悠着。
“Um,” Yang Zicang spoke softly, “the topic of this meeting is handled by Yuanlong, the shed master of Lijiang Greenhouse. Those responsible who wish to participate in this shed’s area are to stay; the rest are dismissed.”
“那个，”杨子藏轻轻开口，“此次议题由丽疆大棚的元龙棚主负责，有想参与这个棚区的负责人留下，其他人散会吧。”
With that said, he felt an urgent, scalding desire to leave immediately, as if his body were on fire.
说罢，他感觉浑身火燎似的想要立即离开。
“Wait, Team Leader of the Jiazi Shed Cargo Team.” Wang Xin by the table suddenly spoke up. She looked at Yang Zicang while gesturing toward Yuan Kun and asked, “May I ask, do you know this man?”
“等等，甲子间货队长。”桌边的王馨突然开口。她看向杨子藏的同时抬手对着袁昆道，“请问您，认识这位吗。”
Yang Zicang nodded slightly.
杨子藏微微点头。
“Of course. Team Leader Yuan Kun, who is primarily responsible for your shed area’s trade with the Kongshan Shed, was the first person I got to know when I started doing business here. He’s a good man. As a member of the Huanghun Shed, he even helped order limited-edition incense pills for Kongshan Shed when I first arrived.”
“当然，贵棚区主要负责与箜山大棚贸易的袁昆货队长，是我在这里做生意最先认识的人。他人很好，作为黄昏大棚的人，刚来时还帮箜山大棚订购限量版的香丸。”
Wang Xin took a deep breath, her chest heaving.
王馨深吸口气，胸膛起伏。
So many people had come to trade here lately, yet few were remembered by name by Yang Zicang. Some in the room cast envious glances at Yuan Kun.
最近来到这里做买卖的人何其多，能被杨子藏记住名字的少之又少，房间内有些人羡慕的看向袁昆。
She let out a cold laugh, then turned her head to look at the sturdy man who was awkwardly settling back into his seat.
她冷笑声，转头看向尴尬将屁股落座的健硕身材男人。
“Friend, don’t you have something to say?”
“朋友，你不打算说点什么吗？”
Beside Yuan Kun, in Zhang Ao’s sensory projection, the Lord of Kongshan Shed asked suspiciously:
袁昆旁，张傲的感应画面中，箜山大棚棚主狐疑道：
{Master Zhang, did you know something in advance? Did Team Leader Yuan cause trouble over there?}
{张师，你是不是提前知道了些什么？袁货队长是不是在那边惹了什么事？}
[No, no, Shed Lord. I only just found out myself. It seems the major client’s cargo team has mistaken our cargo team leader for someone from Huanghun Shed. I’m not clear on the details.]
[不不，棚主。我也是刚刚才晓得，大甲方货队的人似乎一直将我们的货队长当成黄昏大棚的人。我并不清楚细节。]
The Shed Lord’s face on the opposite end of the sensory projection immediately turned cold.
感应画面对面的棚主，脸色立时就冷了下去。
Fine beads of sweat formed on Yuan Kun’s forehead. He felt as if he had fallen back into the mental illusion radiating from that major client’s cargo team leader.
袁昆额头渗出细密汗珠，他仿佛又陷入了曾经自大甲方货队长身上散发出的精神幻境中。
“Um… Team Leader Jia, I…”
“那个…甲队长，我…”
Suddenly, the small light cluster flew down.
突然小光团飞下来。
{Your reputation is growing, huh.}
{你的名气在增长喔。}
“I…”
“我…”
The little fairy drew closer, staring into his wide eyes.
小精灵凑近了点，盯着他瞪大的眼睛。
{Go on~ say it, and you’ll be famous this week.}
{说呀~说出来，你这个礼拜就是名人了。}
The eyes of everyone in the room, along with the onlookers crowding the doorway, were fixed on this burly and solid man standing by the table, his hands resting on the wooden surface. Although he had the physique of a sports student, at this moment he looked like a schoolboy who had done something wrong.
房间内众人乃至门外看热闹的众人目光，都落在这站立于桌旁，双手放在木桌面的魁梧结实的男人身上。拥有体育生般体格的他此刻却仿佛是位做错事的小学生。
“I!” Yuan Kun’s face flushed bright red. His trembling gaze shifted to the small hand of the fairy floating before him.
“我！”脸憋得通红的袁昆，目光惊颤挪动到漂浮于身前的小精灵小手上。
The pen, hardly thicker than his leg hair, was resting on crumpled white paper, seemingly awaiting his words. Those tiny eyes emitted encouragement from this little creature.
她比腿毛粗不了多少的笔放在皱巴巴白纸上，似乎等待自己的发言。这双小小的目光散发着来自小东西的鼓励。
The crowd pressed in slightly closer.
周围一圈人隐隐靠前。
“You, what?” Zhang Ao tilted his head, chin lifted. “Spit it out. The shed master and everyone are waiting.”
“你什么？”张傲偏着头抬着下巴道，“快说吧，棚主和大家都等着呢。”
Gulp. Yuan Kun swallowed hard. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and, as if about to confess something shameful, said word for word:
咯噔，袁昆咽了口口水。他猛地深吸口气闭目，似要吐露什么难以启齿的事般，一字一句地道：
“Sorry. I’m from the Kongshan Shed people.”
“对不起，我是箜山大棚的人。”
A line flickered, and the familiar voice emerged:
一道折线闪过，熟悉的嗓音浮现其中：
{You are not anymore.}
{你已经不是了。}
Yuan Kun thought a silent, “Ah,” to himself.
袁昆心中“啊”了一声。
Swoosh, swoosh—the little fairy dashed down a record.
唰唰，小精灵挥毫记录。
Those around stared back in a mute, puzzled silence. After waiting so long for such a cryptic statement, they couldn’t help snorting with a derisive “pfft.”
周围等人不明所以的无语凝视，等了半天就等了句这么莫名其妙的话，顿时切了声。
Wang Xin looked at Yang Zicang, whose face twitched, and apologized:
王馨看向脸上扯了扯的杨子藏，歉意道：
“I’m sorry, I heard rumors earlier that when the market first opened, our Dusk Shed was extorting protection money from the large client convoy team. I thought it was just gossip.”
“抱歉，之前听闻有人传言，说集市初开之时，我们黄昏大棚在大甲方货队这里索要保护费，我还当是谣言。”
She raised her finger like a sword, pointing straight at Yuan Kun.
她竖指如剑，直指袁昆。
“Unexpectedly, today I’ve found out—I’m afraid it’s not just a rumor. Whatever your intentions, I, Wang Xin, state here clearly: it was people from this Kong Mountain Shed impersonating us!”
“没想到啊没想到，今天我才发现，恐怕那并不是谣传。不管你是抱有什么目的，我王鑫馨在此澄清，是这箜山大棚的人在冒充我们！”
“Huh? What the heck?” The crowd’s eyes all landed back on Yuan Kun at once.
“啊？啥玩意儿啊。”众人目光重新齐刷刷落在了袁昆脸上。
“There’s something like that happening?”
“还有这样的事？”
The room buzzed with murmurs.
房间内嗡嗡一片。
“So the one in the legend who got beaten up with a few lute players… it’s him?”
“原来传说中那个和几个弹琵琶的一起挨打的人是他？”
“The Kong Mountain Shed impersonated the Dusk Shed to collect protection money?”
“箜山大棚冒充黄昏大棚收保护费吗？”
Yuan Kun sank into silence, feeling as if all sorts of ants were crawling all over him.
袁昆哀默，似乎感觉身上各种蚂蚁在爬。
The spirit inside the small light cluster swayed, rising with satisfaction.
小光团内的精灵满意地晃晃悠悠起身。
{Congratulations, your fame value has reached 10.}
{恭喜你，名气值到达了10。}
“……”